headphones.

word. i just picked up a new pair of headphones that seem to deliver a better sound than that of my earbuds. there was always something lacking with earbuds, it didn't feel like the sound was allowed to breath like it does if you were to listen to music through speakers. the earbuds felt too precise. so i dished out for some headphones that comfortably rest around my ears, allowing the music to sort of diffuse into my ears as opposed to being shotgunned straight to the drum. so far so good.

but of course, nothing beats listening to music through your car stereo while cruising down the highway, windows rolled down.

bhurin

playlist:
boris - rainbow
band of horses - cease to begin
dustin kensrue - please come home

past worn searching.

so i wandered around greenwich village today and found myself a copy of rainer maria's past worn searching. i haven't listened to this album since high school, at which point i had a copy of the cd on tape cassette that my friend made for me. awesome. this album was easily one of my favorites senior year. there's something sweet about the wavering vocals and raw production of the album that bring back good memories.

bhurin

sign off.

one of my new job descriptions:

responsible for achieving high level drumming and mouth catching skills.

word.

bhurin

playlist:
attack in black - marriage
the helio sequence - keep your eyes ahead

yes we can.

february.

its february already. its been a good year so far. steady job, solid bowels, not much more a person can ask for.

word.

bhurin

playlist:
the mars volta - the bedlam in goliath

i've got an idea.

i want to see the silk mangos perform again. and i don't think i'm alone on this one either.

love,
bhurin

playlist:
bright eyes - cassadaga

its cold outside again.

ah, i made it back to nyc after a great trip back to the lone star state. it was time spent well with family, old friends, and cheap meals. it wasn't until i was cruising down the highway with windows rolled down and punk rock playing through the car stereo that i realized how much i missed home. there's something to be said about just getting in your car and driving across town.

bhurin

playlist:
lifetime - lifetime
propagandhi - live from occupied territory: an official bootleg (dvd)

jacketless and warm.

no need to cry "ice queen," if you can call that crying. even if the woman who spurred the emotional meltdown voted for obama, you still won (albeit by a slim margin). so let's all just get along and keep the dramatic segments to a minimum. but i guess anything goes for you, as long as you win. and for crying out loud, won't you give bill an on camera kiss?

update: thank you jon stewart for this.

on a different note and writing style, i really do miss the open space of the lone star state. since i've moved out to new york, i can rarely look up and see open skies. just the other day, i laid out on a hammock and let the pace of a quiet saturday afternoon gently tug my eyelids closed. the simple breeze and texas sunset blanketed me while i fell asleep on the balcony. the only sound i could hear was the distant rustling of cars from the highway. its good to be back home.

bhurin

playlist:
attack in black - marriage
against me! - acoustic EP

reading:
the wind-up bird chronicle - haruki murakami

and away we go.

2008. 10 years ago i would've just started TAMS. word.

and so with each new year beginning, we make resolutions that hopefully make it through february. so this year, i'm making plans to save more $$$ and read more. i figure its about time i start substantially saving for a rainy day. as far as books, maybe we can shoot for a book a month. i have no excuses to not do that since riding the subway is great for reading.

on another note, its been a while since i've gotten super excited about any albums or bands. just recently i got a hold of some new albums that i'm psyched about and have been listening to them constantly. definitely pick up lifetime's album "lifetime" and against me's "new wave." nothing like good music to start the year right, even if they're from 2007.

i'll be back in texas very soon. i'm expecting cows to keel over when i land in austin so i can put them on the grill immediately. and it should just rain bbq sauce, red red rain.

bhurin

playlist:
lifetime - lifetime
against me! - new wave
attack in black - marriage
chuck ragan - feast or famine
the flatliners - the great awake
band of horses - cease to begin

toasty legs

yea buddy, thermals underneath jeans result in warm legs.

bhurin

playlist:
thursday - kill the houselights

airplanes, updates, and the internets

let's update!

its been three months since i've been in the city and now i'm back home for the thanksgiving break. its always strange to come back to a familiar city and navigate through the smells and memories that you inevitably leave behind. but its good to be back, a nice break from the hustle and bustle that is new york city.

a quick update, i've finally purchased http://www.bhurin.com. so hopefully in the very near future i'll have my personal website up with writings, music, and pictures. you know, extra stuff to clutter the internet.

please visit welovelancehahn.com if you have a chance. its dedicated to the memory of lance hahn, punk rocker and role model. i still remember when i listening to j church in high school and finding out that the singer and lead guitarist (lance) was asian. later on while at college, i met him at sound exchange, the record store that was right next to campus. he was a super nice and humble individual and has definitely impacted my life with his music and spirit. if you also have chance, definitely check out j church. drama of alienation is a killer album.

i leave you with a few things i've written.

observations on delta flight 1603
non-stop service to atlanta, georgia
1. i am sitting in seat 24b waiting for our delayed departure due to a fueling error. i cannot quite understand the miscalculation of 7,000 gallons worth of fuel that now needs to be relieved from the bladder of the plane. to put that into perspective, that is 7,000 jugs of milk. the phenomena of loading an extra 7,000 jugs of milk without noticing is beyond me. and yes, even i have limitations.
2. there is an ensemble of extremely extroverted children who have yet to grasp the concept of volume control and common courtesy. they sing in surround sound.
3. there is one child in particular who has already developed his own unique style that closely resembles a higher pitched arnold schwarzenegger cry from on of his earlier hollywood works.
4. two rows ahead of my sits a young family accompanied by two poop machines and an urgency to direct a new seating arrangement inspired by their convenience. the mother is playing an audible version of "tag" in her best witch/troll voice. this elicits a crescendoing series of cries from the child until he uncontrollably explodes with piercing excitement, shattering the eardrums of passengers within a thirty row radius of him. there are only thirty rows on this plane, no one is safe.
5. for the lack of a better name, mr. wiggles is suffocating in a sea of denim as he grows batwings in the cramped middle seat.
6. one of the flight attendants is working very hard to sell us the in flight culinary entertainment of cheese crackers, biscoff cookies, and salted peanuts. underneath her smile and cheery tone is a dying spirit that knows damn well that these poor excuses for snacks on a $400 flight do not warrant such deceitful lies. i take the cheese crackers just to be polite though.
7. one of the other flight attendants serving drinks stands at a whopping 6'5". towering over the seats with her head flirting with a collision course with the lavatory sign, she battles her way down the narrow cabin aisle, demanding undivided attention as her baritone voice rattles your insides, loosening your bowels. at that very moment, i realized where the sounds of thunder come from.
8. the woman sitting directly to the right of me across the aisle has just checked to see whether or not her breasts have fallen out of the unusually low cut shirt. much to our surprise, they are still tucked away.
9. i am sitting next to the jet turbine. the sound is deafening. i can feel my brain squeeze itself, trying to hold on to sanity, as the turbines soar into a rhythmic wave of highs and lows. there is a wavering tone that makes my eyes feel like their going to burst like grapes in the microwave.
10. there are no comfortable positions to sleep on the plane.

love,
bhurin

playlist:
bouncing souls discography
reggae radio channels on itunes

back from the swamp

a very huge thank you to everyone at sercaal for bringing me out to florida. i had an incredible time and met some very wonderful people. its great to be able to witness such a dynamic and passionate community of asian american students coming together and celebrating what it means to be themselves. i am truly honored to have been there through it all.

and for all of those that took photographs of the workshops and show... i want to see! i brought a camera, but totally forgot to take pictures. so if you have any pictures or videos, hook it up at bhurin@gmail.com!

and lastly, i'll be working on some new things and will hopefully be able to have some things posted here or at a myspace account. so check back for that!

until next time, take care and can't wait to see you all soon!

love,
bhurin

gots to get paid

i's gots a job. word.

bhurin

playlist:
thrice - digital sea and fire breather
practice recordings
refused - the shape of punk to come

eating good in the neighborhood

i've started working on thomas pynchon's v. a terribly fun read, but it'll take a little longer than usual to finish the book due to his playful and unconventional narrative style and the fact that i'm only reading it in bookstores to save some cash.

26.
bullet shells fall like tear drops
from smoking machine gun chambers
each one of them
wishing it were somewhere else
born something else
other than metal messenger home wreckers

27.
stop motion photographs
of jet streams on rolling concrete
cataloged for every kid
hungry for seven ply maple
served over urethane wheels
catalytic reactions to
sounds of crisp tails
warm rubber soles
and leather skins
gliding across sand paper tops
on wooden backs
standing still at busy intersections
taking a moment
for the moment
to pop

i visited a designated texas bar for this past weekend's football game. it was incredible to see the entire bar filled with people from texas, wearing orange and white, and screaming at the wide screen televisions as colt mccoy threw his second interception. home away from home indeed.

bhurin

playlist:
feist - let it die
battles - mirrored
strike anywhere - change is a sound

go get it

yesterday, i met some of the cast from heroes, notably sylar, ando, and micah. it was a pretty entertaining experience. the writer, comic artist, and a new cast member were there as well.

finding cheap food around new york city is finding hidden treasure. it seems you can't get a meal here under 5 bucks... unless you're in chinatown. very nice!

24.
your voice
could cure cancer
had they not been behind train doors
they could perfectly align the universe
immobilize the world's toughest armies
and powerful men would finally understand the meaning of humanity
children would no longer live in fear of boogie men
because you
could syncopate their breaths
and vaporize their bodies
into a string of paper cranes
ready to take flight over mine fields
dropping seventeen syllables of itself
woo hidden mines
and romance them into trees
for fatherless children to climb
so they could know what it is like
to pierce the empty skyline with laughter

25.
to the local subway emcee
i salute you
for understanding your own greatness
showcased in your public apollo performances
of headphone rap songs made vocal
i salute you
for understanding our daily ailments
from carpel tunnel desk work
can only be cured by off key productions
of your favorite songs
administered on
overcrowded rush hour subway cars
i salute you
for the wealth of your work
because smiles light up
in the minds of others
too afraid to show it
they hide it in discontented brows
under heaving sighs
but in their green stares
its a yearning they feel
for your ability to command wall street crowds
to liberate their spirits
dipped in beautiful memories
of a quieter place
i salute you
for doing things we all only dream of
without a care in the world

bhurin

playlist:
thelonious monk - the columbia years
thrice alchemy index studio videos
battles - mirrored
boris - pink

hungry hungry hungry

so yesterday i stopped by the stella adler studio of acting. i was nervously sweating cold bullets, as they had me stop by for an interview. turns out, it was just an informal meeting with the registrar to see if we were a good match for their workshop. i'll hopefully be starting classes in a few weeks.

22.
my anticipation rests
on the precipice of bubbles
sweating graffiti dreams
along the back of my neck
my wallet is panting harder
than a labrador in the thick of summer
and free dinners are a treasure
in true romance of friendships

23.
a yellow guitar pick stares at me from the floor of a street side cafe
it seemed to have lost its way
from worn guitar cases
and empty pockets of musicians
but the local hipsters don't seem to care much
their minds forging new ways in trends and bargain bins
packed with cigarettes and chucks
and every other person here
could pass as morrissey
when the smiths were still a band
each carrying a toxic air
behind headbands and thick framed glasses
but we know better than to judge
because each one of us is just like each one of them
reflections of thoughts and dogmas
fuming from complex commercial atmospheres
feigning deafness
in the presence of you and me alike
as if we don't care at all

bhurin

playlist:
bouncing souls - maniacal laughter
mogwai - mr. beast
mouth of the architect - time and withering

LA burrito

walked around williamsburg today after traveling a total of 3 hours to and from the bronx for an interview. nice people, but the daily commute will be killer.

21.
there's something visceral and unpolluted in warm tortillas
a network of modal train stations
spray painted on the walls of each four chambers
that arrive not a minute late
a sea of tofu and bacon collide
marking white t-shirts
an empty canvas for fashion nightmares
orange tangerine soda bottles pop and lock on my table
as a pitcher of horchata leans on a broken counter top
and waits for the picadillo to catch the next flight home
egg yolks late for track meets
walk sideways over foil
past the mountains of red beans steaming in preemptive salsa volcanoes
rupturing from shifting ceramic plates and attacking plastic butter knives
under full moons of metallic grins
that are hungry for this meals evening harvest

bhurin

playlist:
four tet - rounds
tegan and sara - so jealous

grocery stores and laundromats

20.
we travel slower with constants by our side
unknown to us all rests a giant
gently breathing in anticipation
and curled so it fits into our hearts
there's nothing to fear as long as he's there
breathing, dreaming, wandering
always searching
like a patrol of summer children surveying busy streets
they make noise and watch walls come crashing down onto glass ceilings
with lungs and legs to chase after
mirages of ice cream trucks and secret hand shakes
outside this window
away from tumbling laundromats
the new york skyline offers me wings to stand on
to catch lightning bugs in the park
swallow them
and watch my belly burn bright
an incandescent glow
a hunger for longer subway rides home
and shorter walks to bodegas
this morning my feet spoke to me
as i lay there half awake
we're each armed with more than we will ever know they said to me

lately, i've been missing mexican food dearly. so for dinner i visited the local mexican corner deli that is no more than 20 yards from my front doorstep. i am proud to say that they will have my business and support in future bushwick dining experiences. i ordered a delicious torta with milanesa de pollo. i think tomorrow i will try their al pastor taco and maybe, just maybe, will try to order it with the very limited conversational spanish i know.

i hauled a week's worth of laundry to the laundromat a couple blocks away. don't underestimate the weight of dirty laundry.

bhurin

playlist:
minus the bear - planet of ice
four tet - rounds
engine down - engine down
jeff buckley - grace

the locals stop by to say welcome

the night i arrived, the locals decided to put on a show to welcome me to their hood. unfortunately, i slept through the festivities, but my roommate managed to capture the event in its entirety.

on sunday morning at 3am, there is commotion from the streets outside our window. 2 cops with batons stand beating the sin out of a man while a woman is screaming hysterically with no regards to the sleeping neighbors. immediately afterwards, an unmarked black van flies in and comes to a screeching halt. 2 enormous men, who look like their diet consisted solely of red meat and little children, jump out, armed with blunt beat sticks and arms the size of tree trunks. they dove head first into the mess and joined the cops.

"that's what you get! that's what you (expletive) get!" screamed the enormous men as their beat sticks ravaged what's left of their targeted man. i found out later that they were undercover cops who played very convincing roles of scary new york thugs.

soon, our street is packed with patrol cars and officers. after the celebratory welcome beating fizzled out, the cops tazed the man for good measure, arrested him, and placed him in the back of a patrol car. we all hope he goes to a better place than where he was 15 minutes ago under a rainstorm of batons.

bhurin

playlist:
rilo kiley - more adventurous
the nightwatchman - one man revolution
these arms are snakes - easter

the bkny

thanks to everyone for wishing me well in my new home and new adventures.

love,

bhurin