Iva’s personal site - Squirrelism.net

I am serious. I don’t like some aspects of real, or, let’s be more precise, realistic life. This month I had more than a teaspoon of it, perhaps a whole soup spoon and I don’t think I enjoy it. Why? Because it brings me extreme nervouse, a fairly visible amount of anxiety, a strange need to eat more and sleep more and…blah, whatever I’m talking about, it’s not for me. Or, if it is, it was meant to happen sometime else, involving some other people. There was an evening this month I will always remember, as something that has never happened before, but after that day, everything went downhill. No damage was done to me physically, but mentally, I ‘ve been a-bombed. It’s not for your ears, mostly. I might explain my LiveJournal friends what did (not) happen and how DUMB I’m feeling at the moment. Doubt it will change.

On a happier note, the new RHCP video can be found online as it’s unfortunately not being aired here in Europe yet. I soo want a better quality version, as this is jaggedy. So, what you’re about to see is the band in ghetto and, as always, John is adorable. This was recorded in the second half of November 2006, I guess, as his hair was maybe only 1cm longer in Vienna in December (trust me, I was 1 metre away from the man!) and, well, I so did NOT expect him to play dice, jump rope, get a head massage and be slapped in the face by a woman..also, switching roles in the video is priceless.

[youtube]BdH987JJDYs[/youtube]

And check the comments on that video on YouTube, someone asked if that was Justin Timberlake playing guitar. Errrm, no way, Justin is not that charming, definitely not that emotional either and I doubt he could ever pull out REAL falsetto. Sorry to all you bubblegum-pop fans, but John Frusciante is two thousand light years away in front of Justin Timberlake.

There will be a little server move occuring here one of these days. Yes, again. And, before I was notified about this, I went on to check what’s up with my hostees and realised that a couple of them have moved or closed and that a guy who has not talked to me in more than a year is using the webspace that used to belong to his website as image hosting space. How charming, how very freakin’ charming. So, on this note I would like to thank people who did tell me they were leaving and to thank Marie, Felicia and Vera for being amazing hostees. Wherever I go, I’ll bring the three of you along with myself! And hosting shall be closed for everyone else, I believe.

Spring has arrived today, too. Today at 1 in the morning. For the last time on 21st March in Europe. Next year 21st March will be the second day of springs, but who knows where we’ll all be in 366 days time?

It’s my birthday today! I am 24 years old!
I usually hate my birthday because unexpected weird things tend to happen on 03rd March, almost like in novels…but this year I’m somehow happy. The last year started as the worst ever and it ended up being amazingly good in some spheres of life (while it remained disappointing in others… e.g. studying and university and one other thing I don’t like mentioning). In July, everything I was doing and planning went downhill, one of my biggest holiday plans failed, I lost one of my best friends and I don’t think I’ll ever get her back. After that, almost everything changed for the better but the damage has been done.

The highlights would definitely be getting two amazing jobs: the web design one for a rather famous company and the one for Lush (that one is web design too and Lush is famous, but you get the idea) and my trip to Vienna in December and seeing…OK, the true highlight was the moment when John Frusciante himself smiled to me and actually stayed there and waited to smile to me again when I took my head out of my hands and stopped giggling like a cat chick from a Tom and Jerry cartoon. And you know me, you know I don’t appreciate it because he’s a rock star, I appreciate it simply because it’s him and I adore him!

The other most beautiful moment of the year was the hug a couple of hours later when one of my best friends literally jumped on me after the same concert. I think the band members actually saw her get out of the sidestage area to the first row and hug me so tightly that she almost cracked my bones…and I thought I hugged her tightly the first time we saw each other in real life, two days before that. I want to make her a tribute entry, the same way I did to the certain collegue and a pretendent to the friend qualification a couple of weeks ago, but I will do that on 17th March, as it will have been 3 years from the day we bumped into each other on that day. 3 long years.

Oh yes, people? I met so many cool people during the time I was 23. So many cool people and a couple of INCREDIBLE IDIOTS who don’t even deserve a mention. Those idiots tore me apart, turned me upside down but the cool people of the past, present of future were always there to help me and put a smile on my face. I cannot recall a moment when I was completely alone and helpless because there wasn’t such a moment.

Special thanks to Jovana and Milica for being the people who turned into close friends whom I trust a lot and one year ago, to me they were just random passerbys in the sea of internet.

Plans for today? Do some work as birthdays are definitely not non-working holidays. Go to one of the Lush stores because a couple of veeery mysterious smiling co-workers insisted that I should come. And my mom is making a very special lunch…I asked for musaka, I will get roasted chicken and potatoes because it’s, as she says, more special, but I do not complain, I love both. And on Monday, I am inviting some people out.

Following Danube To Its Best
Red Hot Chili Peppers are coming to Serbia in June!
Red Hot Chili Peppers are coming to Serbia in June!
Red Hot Chili Peppers are coming to Serbia in June!

I just had to say it three times. It sounds so good that I have to repeat it and maybe I am also repeating it because it’s like a dream come true out of the blue. I’m getting my ticket tomorrow and I will post a pic of it. The event is called Green Fest and it will be held near the town called Inđija on 26th June, hence this entry’s title. Some friends told me there are huge billboards in some parts of Beograd already, but I haven’t seen one here in the centre yet…as soon as I do, I am aiming my Canon S2IS at it.

Screw-up
The computer is still screwed-up. I will have to reformat, before I actually lose my data. Lucky that I got a laptop although I’m not a big fan of them. I hope some people will understand what was happening to both my computer and my back (I’m due to a specialist check next week, it could be more from a sprained nerve and I am worried…

Some promotion: Natalija has a new blog. So does Inge and she also turned 25 on Saturday:)

So…yesterday I saw Buena Vista Social Club. The band, not the movie. They were amazing! I’ve always liked Cuban music and I loved the movie which described the life of the band members (some of whom died in the meantime, unfortunately…but their replacements are amazing musicians as well), so when I saw that they’re touring, I bought tickets for my mother, father and me and presented it to them over a dinner, as described in one of the previous entries. Mom caught the virus that caused my last week’s horrible cold, so she decided not to go, but dad and I found a friend to accompany us. And damn, it was GREAT. Do you people know who Teresa García Caturla is? No??? Damn, you should google that woman. Here is a wonderful interview with her. Her voice is great and, even though she’s elderly, she’s an entertainer I have not seen before. Unlike the rest of the band, she was dancing with the audience, she dragged one young man to the centre of the stage to dance with her and two small children were dancing with them. It was so beautiful, so sincere, so different…as the friend who accompanied dad and me said, it makes one feel like they’d get on the first plane to Cuba and stay there forever.

I have a video of Buena Vista Social Club (or Havana Lounge, depends on how you want to call them) performing Chan Chan and I’ll upload it…but later. Remind me if I forget it.

This Saturday I read one of the nicest books that I came accross recently. It’s Marley & Me by John Grogan. I saw it in one of the biggest bookshops in the city sometime in December and the excerpts on the back were telling me it was going to be a good one. So, two days ago, I bought it and read it in one evening. And it was not haha-funny at all. It was a great story of how a couple managed to build their life around what was a behaviour equivalent of my hyperactive parakeet (who will get a page of his own soon) and, spiritualy, the equivalent of the tree I grew up with; and how they were maturing together with their pet. So, well, I am recommending you all to read this book. So many books today were written without love, as horrible page-turners, for no reason but to make money and this book makes me smile, because I see so many examples of the rarity that is real love in it: love between two young people, love in a family, love for a pet who did so many good and so many bad things at the same time. Also, all the descriptions are very vivid. If you want to know more about this beautiful book, go to its official site. There are some photos of Marley the labrador himself and stories written by owners of other dogs.

I am really happy these days. I was broke during the holidays, now it changed and I got an opportunity to make myself and people around me happy. So, I decided to take my mom and dad out to the Buena Vista Social Club show on 05th February, while some of the original band members are still alive…and then, since mom didn’t feel like going to a restaurant, I brought a huge pizza from Pizza Hut home. I also decided to buy mom something more precious and I found a nice pendant for a necklace at Swarovski….and it turned out to be a zip puller…here it is. However, the store workers told me that it can be a pendant as well. I liked it more than the one with two things and mom was delighted. She even cried. I am so glad that once, after a bunch of unsuccessful tries, I got her something she really likes. And making people I love happy. I also want to get dad something related to fishing or something for our family car (Ka-r:p), but it’s easier to get gifts for dad as he says what he wants. Who knows, perhaps I will be able to take us all to the seaside this year, as we have not been on such a holiday since 1994.

From top left, clockwise: Hocki Jr, my Lush gift to myself, mom’s gift and tickets for the concert and our biiig pizza!

Other reasons I’m happy…they’re more of a spiritual kind, as I have realised material happiness was useless many times in the past when I had what I wanted and I was alone or extremely unhappy. Ever since the best day of my life, I’ve been smiling and I am not even used to it, my cheek muscles hurt me. It’s someone’s fault…and they’re probably not even aware of how happy they made me. One of my main missions in near future would be to find them and thank them…without too much hugging as I’m known for nearly breaking people’s bones when I’m hugging them…

Many thanks to everyone who wished me a merry Christmas yesterday, especially to Fruity, because she did it twice. And it’s still not late, as we’re weirdos who celebrate Christmas for three days…actually, four days including the Christmas Eve (which was on Saturday), as we’re weird like that.

After having been in the wonderful world of Despair for a little while, I can say this for sure now: people are strange. There’s also the other option, that people are OK and that Iva is strange, but as I have gained way too much self-esteem on one certain day last year, I’ll settle for the first thing. Basically, seems like there are trends in what people’s websites should be like, but, apparently, also in how people should behave? I am saying this simply because, lately, I’ve been running into websites with massive background images (better) and websites of dumb girls whose only thoughts are how to be pretty, how to get laid (because everyone needs to have sex to be cool or something like that?) and how to get drunk. BLAH. I wonder if a person with such amazing goals in life can carry out a normal conversation? The worst thing of all is that there are HORDES of 12-17 years old of that kind. Shouldn’t there be a way to brainwash them or something? Of course it’s fine to be with someone whom you love, to be clean and tidy and moderate social drinking is what most people do…but these kids are taking it to the moron-level. Do they read? I mean, do they read anything else than what’s trendy at the moment and watch any movie regardless of Orlando Bloom or whoever else’s presence in it? I think I’m worried about every new generation being dumber and dumber! Hopefully, someone will prove me wrong.

Oh yes. I’ve just watched the first episode of the season 9 of one of my favourite TV series, Incantesimo. Let’s say that I was not really impressed. The ending of season 8 was pretty much forced out, it was not clear if two of the main characters actually died (one was shoot and the other one fell on the floor after her lover hit the end of her neck bone) and now, boom, nothing has happened, new characters are there, these two are most likely dead and some others have just…err…vanished away? My mother was wondering what happened to a little boy who was adopted by the woman who was killed in the last episode of the season 8 (and who was, sadly, one of my favourite characters…we will miss you, Denise *sob sob*), as he would obviously could’ve only been adopted by his uncle who’s still in the series…? Either way, what’s the point of a series if things like this are happening? >_<