Monkeyrockworld

Ok, year 2010 and the beginning of this 2011 have not been that prolific for Monkeyrockworld. Without getting into too many details, I just would like to say that having to deal with an Asian university flamboyant requirements and trying to jet start a freelance writing career, without counting house and “da wifey” administration, is not the ideal situation to sit down and write. I also didn’t travel that much, in the first place, although yes, I do have many reports about Sri Lanka and my return to China still to pen down. Anyways, what I care to write now is about something I got back in. I did not think this would happen, but eventually, it did: I’m back into the music scene again. It seems I cannot get rid of this passion of mine; for it is too strong to be neglected… so let it be. I did not think also that an apparently sleepy place like Penang could hide so much underground talent… I knew Malaysia was full of hardcore, metal and punk, but all those kids seemed like hidden under rocks until three weeks ago more or less, when I shot a few emails here and there resulting in fast ties with the cream of the crop of East Asian punk, some metal and hardcore scenes. (more…)

It’s impossible for me to write my blogs regularly these days. I am sure things will change, but you have to bear with my current situation. Too many things to do, and write, especially. Be patient, one day I will find the recipe for a balanced life of writing, earning the buck, and great world travel. Meanwhile, I just do the best I can not to let the best independent (and motherfuckin’) opinion on life in Asia to vanish in the internet limbo of  neglected sites.   By the way, let’s go back to Sri Lanka, that lovely tear-shaped island crying out from the bottom of India. My only regret was having visited in the midst of the Holiday Season, when prices and tourists soar higher, and higher, and higher. But besides having to shell out a minimum of 10 dollars a night for a double room with beds  mostly stinking like death put his head on the pillow and exhaled her last breath just there, it was a good trip. The island is small and compact, getting anywhere takes time, but the buses are very cheap, overcrowded and fun. I criss-crossed the place: if I had had an extra week, I would have made it up to Jaffna. It will be for the next time. (more…)

Here we go with the second and last part of Matteo Tricarico‘s report of a month spent in Taiwan volunteering for “Harmony Home Association” helping children with HIV/AIDS. Matteo is now back in Nepal and is heading westwards, down to India first, and into Pakistan and central Asia proper on his long way back cycling to Europe… Monkeyrockworld likes to follow and share his adventures, please show support too!!

The first morning I woke up late and after a quick shower I descended to the ground floor to the loud sounds of children laughing, crying, shouting, playing and doing what youngster’s normally do. What a wonderful scene presented to my eyes! These little human beings were just adorable, busy with their vociferous activities; some of them stared at me with their narrow eyes, looking with a mix of curiosity and fear to see a new face, long in shape, with blondish hair and a big nose between two wide eyes. (more…)

With awkwardness for my lack of writing, I am posting the new diaries from Matteo Tricarico’s epic trip from Vietnam to Italy. This is the report of a month spent working as a volunteer for the “Harmony Home Association” in Taiwan with HIV/AIDS children. As usual, Matteo’s insights are interesting and thoughtful, and hopefully will open some new contributions from yours truly Monkey, who has been quite busy lately and forgot to put pen to paper for your entertainment for a while… I’ll leave you with Matteo, so far.

Kathmandu, Nepal 15 Gennaio 2011

Everything begun here, in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu in mid-September 2010. I happen to be in this corner of the Himalayas as a stopover of a sporty-humanitarian journey, that is taking me riding solo on a bicycle from Vietnam to my motherland Italy, stopping on the way to visit centres for disabled people. A trip of about 30.000 kilometres in two years throughout South-east and Central Asia, Persia and Turkey up to the Mediterranean shores, following a flexible itinerary connecting dots made by the different institutions, hospitals, schools for disadvantaged young people. (more…)

Hell yeah, it took me so long to fix up a new computer, find a PCI card supporting a damn Firewire port, and finally unearth some fantastic, lost, incredible footage I shot in Myanmar almost one year ago. I almost forgot I found a band when I was there… a “one night stand band” in Bagan… THE BAGAN TIGERS!!! The best, most soulful rawk n blues to ever come out of Western Burma since the Britsh left!! Fuck yes, probably even before!! Possibly, the ONLY blues to have ever come out of Burma as of today!! (more…)

Yikes, time has been sliding under my feet quite fast lately… it’s been A LONG time since I had one month pass between blog posts. Quite a shame, but hey, I’ve been busy with a number of things. Let me summarize all of them here, and give you an update on the steamy life this side of the Equator for Mr. Monkey.

Let’s start with the most important accomplishment:

A NEW BIRTHDAY, CLOCKING AT 3 YEARS
On October 9th, 2010, it’s been 3 full years I left Italy. Usually I would have written a quite nosy post in Italian, complaining on Italian people and exalting my life here in South East Asia. Not this year. And not because the birthday passed by unobserved (it is indeed a very great accomplishment for myself) but because I just don’t know. Things have been quite hectic lately, with a lot of stress put on myself. In short, in 2007 I thought aiming at a 3 years overseas stay would have been quite far sighted, but I still decided to give me this time slot to check out the world, work a bit, and whatever else. (more…)

Ultima parte delle avventure Indiane di Matteo Tricarico, che da Saigon sta attraversando l’Asia in bicicletta, diretto verso Manfredonia, citta’ natale in Puglia. Tra religione, musulmani, citta’ indiane e viaggio etsremo, matteo ci lascia al confine col Bangladesh, e per le sue nuove avventure, si dovra’ aspettare ancora un po’!!

Al tramonto del 28 aprile, mi trovavo nel villaggio di Dabugam intento a cercare due alberi a cui legare l’amaca per la notte quando Mr Hemanta si è avvicinato con un amico in motocicletta e mi ha posto una domanda a cui  molti giovani occidentali trovano sempre più difficile trovare una risposta: di che religione sei?! Non sapevo cosa rispondere in quel momento e in quel posto dove ci sono tutti i credi e, visti gli incidenti dei giorni precedenti, non volevo dichiararmi. Poi il mio interlocutore mi è venuto in contro domandandomi se per caso fossi stato cristiano… (more…)