Café Chocolate Round 3

Fri. May 15, 2009 1:53 am

~~7 DAYS~~

Tonight was my last night at Café Chocolate. I went with Ezer only, but Gina from the program office and her daughter came, along with my host mom, Rebeca. It was muy genial bc it was unplugged. JD and I played/sang some Beatles songs badly.

Just for record's sake, I played "Lento" first, then "Falling Slowly" to dull effect. It was pretty boring. The most successful part of the night was when we played "Tú No Eres Para Mi" by Fanny Lú with Ezer. That was fun. He and JD were on the guitar and I sang on the uke. It was funny bc I did the whole "Nonono. Es que tú no eres para mi" like she does in the video before the song. (The video is so cute. I saw it for the first time on TV. Wilder Valderama is tortured via voodoo doll.) The best part of my life was when I soloed on the uke during an instrumental break (I just did the friggin chorus, so it wasn't a big deal) and ppl started clapping hahaha. YEA awesome points!!

Then, Ezer unexpectedly played "Escucharte hablar" ("Quiero escuchar tu dulce voz...") and that was absolutely adorable. We took a break after that bc another dude was getting jealous. (Hahaha, JD said that "he needed to leave soon" but that bastard played for like half a friggin hour.) Rebe and Gina were about to leave, but I wanted them (someone!) to hear the song I wrote last night. I'm in love with this song. I actually think it's really good. I think that Ezer liked it too. :)

So right now we're listening to Mae on purevolume.com and hanging out at my house. We're (maybe?) going to watch the movie I got last Saturday that says Diego Luna and the words "passion" and "sensual" on the box. Shit that's all I need to know. Awww yea.

I love life.

Love,
Ashley

Last Post from Literatura de Yucatan!!! :D

Wed. May 13, 2009 10:30 am

In Literatura again. I have to remember, LAST TIME!!!! Ahh, waves of relief should be spreading through me, but my body is too damn tired to feel anything. It even hurts to laugh. But this situation is not laughable. Ok, maybe in a few years...

I didn't do anything with my author's information/life in my upcoming presentation. What the fuck do I care? What does anyone else care? It's totally not important to the "theme" that I pulled out of my ass. Seriously. Everyone else basically just did expositions on their author's menial lives. Wow! They know how to copy and paste! Give them a good grade! My fake exposition is about what my imaginary essay is about. "The Mediocrity of Life and Jorge Lara Rivera". Niiice title bitches. Nice and vague. (And completely unsupportable.)

I'm worrying, but at the heart I think I don't really care anymore. I didn't sleep at all last night bc I was too lazy to do this shit in the 2 WEEKS that I had off for the Swine.

FUCK. Another girl begins with a lengthy biography.

Maybe I am worried...

FTS. I'm out!!

WIZARD ROCK IN MEXICO!!

Part of my show at Cafe Chocolate last Thursday, May 7th.

Mexico Song

Untitled Mexico Song

My oh my well look how we've grown.
And time has flown
Since we arrived.

We all took in different experiences.
Yours are not the
Same as mine.

I will miss the way he looks at me and kisses my nose
Like it's the last time
Every time.

You will sit on top of that pyramid
Wishing
You could fly.

When we got to Celestun,
There were fireflies in the ocean.
With three boys that we hardly knew,
My heart has never been so open.

My oh my well look at where we are
We're standing strong
Against pandemic.

To swine or not to swine oh they tell me it's time
But I feel fine
So forget it.

When we got to Tulum,
I cannot describe that blue sea.
Playing with our shadows from the Moon,
I have never ever seen such beauty.

I know these are things that we'll remember
When we finally get old.
But right now we're young and free as
Mexico.

Sunrise in Chiquila,
Bullfights in Kimbila,
One too many tequilas,
What happens here stays in Mérida.

Waiting in the hot sun.
The camión will never come.
Let's cross the highway
And catch a fucking combi.

My oh my I think that's it's time
To say
Goodbye.

Ashley Aisyah Hamel
May 2009

The World Spins Madly On

Mon. May 11, 2009 12:56 am

"The World Spins Madly On" - The Weepies

This song reminds me of so much. I've listened to this song an infinite amount of times. And each time it is something new to me. Now, I feel the time slipping away. It always goes, forever will continue.

This is my last full week here. Last night, I quite literally and cliché-y cried myself to sleep in dread of this week happening. I finally realized a little bit how much time I have left. This room... These friends... This day, all going, going, going. But even now, I am dormant inside. I can't see the End like I did last night. It was only a glimpse of the End, last night, and I wonder if it will ever fully hit me that This Is It.

I will miss some people here, and I won't miss others. I wish I had gotten closer to all of them though. But alas, this is the way God planned it. I was meant to find Ezer and lose track of all time and space. I am not usually one to look back and regret things done or undone. Only one situation in my life has warranted that from me. But quién sabe? You never know what kind of shit can fly your way.

For this week, I'd like to get all my bullshit work done so I'll have the remnants of next week free to lament and anticipate. And pack. Aiiy!! >_<

Right now, Track 4 on the Amélie soundtrack came up on my iTunes. I think of Ryan.
How I long to see my friends.

Soon.
-Ashley Aisyah Hamel

Open Mic at Cafe Chocolate

Last night was a good night. It's a small accomplishment, but I'm very satisfied with it. I went to the Open Mic thing a little late, around 8:45. When I got there, I asked the official-looking dudes if I could play and they told me that some guy named "Jotade" was the coordinator for it and he was playing. Umm...is there space for me? I walk into the back room and do my best to look as confused as I felt. Everyone was looking at me because I was carrying my guitar. I precariously sat down and was more confused. What do I friggin do? One of the official-looking guys came up to me and asked me my name and where I came from. He told me what he told me on the phone earlier when I called to make sure they were going to be open. This guy and his friends were playing, and then some kind of Pedro Infante would come next. He went up to "Jotade" after he finished, and next thing you know, he's introducing me as "mi amiga Ashley de los Estados Unidos" and next thing you know it, I'm sitting in the chair smiling nervously with a microphone in my face.

The atmosphere was so chill. There were five tables or so, and everyone was listening to the music. When he called my name, they all turned around and clapped and I just remember this table of two fat ladies who gave me the warmest, friendliest smiles. That put me at ease, and I wasn't nervous. My throat and mouth were dry, but my heart was normal pace.

They checked the levels for a bit while I introduced myself and said I was twenty, my birthday was last week, and I have a bunny who I really miss. I played "Lies" from the movie Once, "Poster Child", an original, and "Dream" by Priscilla Ahn. It was a pretty good set, and they were all surprised that I could sing that well, I think. It was special bc I was by myself, singing in English to a bunch of Mexicans, but I think I connected with the people in that room.

After I was done, I sat back down and the Pedro Infante introducers and imitator got on. It was funny bc they kept referencing me. The lady said, "Tell the American who Pedro Infante is" and I said "No, lo conozco". I sung a line to prove it: "Amorcito corazon..." and the fat ladies like swooned "Ahhhh!" Hahaha, everyone loves Pedro.

After the whole thing ended, "Jotade" came up to me and asked me if I wanted to come back next Thursday. OF COURSE!!! How exciting! I thanked him for letting me play. I discovered that it's actually "JD" (jota-de) and now it makes total sense lol!! He seemed super impressed. He started off asking for my email address "in case I can't come next Thursday". Then, a request for a band website, a phone number, "we could jam sometime" and "we could play Beatle's music together next time let's rehearse". Hehe, it just goes to show you that it works every time baby.

Every time.

-Ashley Trix Hamel


Lies


Dream


Amorcito Corazon