ME, MYSELF AND IRENE

Every time we approach a potential tragedy it goes the same way: all TV channels and media vehicles are exploring it the most. Its necessary to keep a permanent alert feeling so people are hung up digging more news on the upcoming potential disaster. I'm impressed by the amount of different info graphics, interactive maps and other animations made to illustrate Irene's path.

Some friends of mine started complaining in Facebook, saying that media is exaggerating the event, creating a circus and terrifying people with the specific purpose of money making. 

But I wonder: are they really wrong or just giving us what we need? Isn't the information actually helpful to tranquilize the people? Isn't it actually good that we can visualize all the aspects of this storm instead of just wondering how is it going?

We are all part of the press nowadays. For example, New York times put up a sort of fotolog page where you can contribute with pictures of Irene's impressions. You can also do it in Fox News, and maybe your picture gets shown in television. 

I believe we are all getting feeling-less: we are so exposed to terrible images of tragedies on the movies and television every day, that maybe we are hardly shocked by violence or human suffering as we were in the past. 

We like the thrill of a disaster coming. Of course we don't wanna face it, but we want to be as close as possible, experience it, and get out without any harm to us, others or our possessions. And if its possible, with some videos and quality pictures that prove that "we were there".

I know how stupid this may sound, but I will be a little frustrated if nothing happens. I'm staying in Lower East Side, in the border of  one area that could flood in case Irene comes in NYC really furious. I don't want a flood, but I would like to see the biggest storm of my life, at least - without losing internet signal, power cuts or breaking any windows, please.

In my mind I don't even consider something really bad happening. I'm not considering lack of water, power or food. Now I understand all this people that choose to stay in their houses even with all the alerts. We never think something is gonna happen with us. Its just on TV!

I've bought food and stocked water together with the friend I'm staying with, but we probably don't have supplies for more then 4 days. Silly enough, this danger thrills me and all I can think about is I would like to go around right now in the rain to get some crazy images with my waterproof HD camera.

Maybe 2012 will be tonight, in New York. And I want it to be in real life exactly like it is in the movies: unbelievably big, with all kinds of crazy things happening. I wanna be very close to it and watch it in HD. And then I want to sleep warm and calm in my cozy bed. 

Maybe television is indeed better then real life. 

HOME CAN WAIT. I'M STAYING LONGER IN NYC

Tomorrow its gonna be a week that I'm in New York. I've always been curious about this place. First time here.

I ended up here because I was presenting a brazilian TV show, and last season was filmed in Chicago, in a festival called Lollapalooza.

After the end of Lolapalloza I had some weeks off and decided to come experience NYC. I knew I had to leave around the 24th or 25th because I had a gig in La Paz, Bolivia, and planned to spend some time in Brasil afterwards. As usual, nothing goes as planned.

I just got a mail today, on the very first hours of august 24th, saying that the festival in Bolivia is not gonna happen anymore. "A problem with the sponsor". There was this whole Brazil team supposed to go: me, VJ Spetto, Phantazma… nobody is going anymore.

It's Bolivia, yeah, I was worried it could happen, but because of that I left my plans opened. Right now I'm staying in a friends place in Manhattan.

I was worried the Bolivia thing wouldn't come out because then I had to look for a new place to stay over here. As my friends know, I hate looking for rooms/apartments. Especially because in the past years I have been doing that every two months. Find a place, unpack, start feeling cozy, packing and leaving again. My back is fucked up from carrying shit around and sleeping in weird beds, airplane/bus seats and sometimes even in cold floors.

Before I found out about the festival gig being cancelled, tonight I went to have a drink with Mark (a friend Ive made in Brasil, in a media and technology festival called Vivo Art.mov.). We were talking and Mark told me he is leaving to Austria on thursday. As it turns out, I can rent his room in Brooklyn. 

How perfect can that be? Things happen for a reason. So f*ck it all, I'm cancelling my ticket and staying in New York City. To be continued...