Want a video of your sewer? Everything’s for sale in the USA.

I just wrote a column about Halloween and got the usual dumbass comments from News24 readers here in the USA and back home. I mean, how retarded do you have to be to think I seriously think I’ll get beaten up for a silly halloween costume here in Orange – or that if I thought I did, I’d wear it? Actually maybe I would. I’m not exactly good with the whole “take care of self” trip.

Here’s the column link. Silly but sorta fun.

Meanwhile, here’s something I consider scary.

Americans are kinda obsessed with their poop and with all things anal (I'm going by the amount of info they give about what they did in the loo, and their porn sites, here). But Sewer Videos? Seriously, people... why do you want to see that shit?

Sorry for the inconvenience. We are trying to change the world.

In a way it’s a very exciting time to be in America. I don’t know if there’s ever been a not exciting time to be in America. In that way, it’s much like my homeland.

What's amazing about Occupy Wall Street is not the numbers, it's how sustained it is. I'm sad Howard Zinn isn't here to see this.

And then there’s OCCUPY SESAME STREET!

Oddly, I think this viral from occupysesamestreet.org is likely to be at least as effective as any other site in spreading the Occupy Wall Street message: You have too many cookies. Fucking share brat-bitches.

Hello again, Halloween

It’s another of those “It’s been a year” moments. Feels like a minute. Feels like decades. America’s definitely gotten under my skin.

For some reason, the sight of so many American flags was the scariest thing about being here at first. Which is weird, because the World Cup Soccer patriotism I'd come from made me so happy. Ah, hypocrisy. Always comforting in times of trouble.

With Halloween coming round again, I feel sentimental, remembering how weirded out I was by the decoration. Cycling home at night was like riding through a childhood nightmare of sorts. Now, it just all makes me smile.

Last year’s costume: Brocolli – with picture.

This year’s costume?

Purchased at a Mexican-American yard sale. Do I look the part? I thought my expression was pretty scary right there.

About last night…

Since I started film school I haven’t
– spent a whole day doing nothing except relaxing (except for my birthday, or my boyfriend’s)
– been out for drinks more then once a month
– wondered how I was going to fill a day
– looked at something beautiful without wondering how I could work it into a story, thereby creating work.

So this is what my lounge floor looks like right now.

The film: A short chase sequence, to be shot on 16mm in a few days.

Staring in the window

I hate that I can only live one life. I know it should be enough, but it’s hard to let go of the things you once expected you’d do. Like watch your daughter sitting on your man’s shoulders. Saw this the other day on campus. He’s holding her up so she can watch the orchestra rehearsing.

Someone came and closed the door while I was watching. Prophetic, perhaps. I guess it's always easy to imagine a perfect life inside the lit up windows. In reality I'd probably have ended up single parenting while the kids' father put their education up his arm.

I guess I’m thinking about this a lot because my brother’s about to have his second kid. I was meant to be the one who had kids. Life had other plans.

I guess as long as I never get a pet, nobody can mock me for my failure to breed. I’m more terrified than anything of becoming one of those sad career women who’s emotionally obsessed with their dogs / cats / iguana – even if there are so many of them now that I’d never struggle to meet people like myself.

A triangle and a smiley face can save your life

There’s a saying among the alcoholics anonymous community in the USA: “I can’t take a drink. I’m allergic. I break out in handcuffs.” I’m not sure people say it in South Africa, and if the reason why not is because it’s harder to get caught there. But I thought it was funny that someone stuck this sticker on a safe.

I would never have known this was the symbol for AA/NA etc with a smiley in it if I hadn't been told.

'Unity, Service, Recovery - we are here.'

I can never express how much gratitude I feel towards the 12-step programme. At some point, nobody was gonna die. And then later, people started dying. And then some people got help – and others… well you know… Maybe one day… tomorrow…

Pug Barker. Not the dog. The top dawg.

My father. A mess (not a mass, although he’s 6’2”) of complications got nicknamed “Pug” by my younger brother Danny on the way back from a journo freebee in KZN in a museum when a dog kinda reminded Danny of our at the time, a little grumpy father. Since then, it’s become a term of love.

He emailed this to me tonight. Caption: "On Wall in Paris Metro".