Werewolves On A Mission

San Francisco. I am speechless. Always admired steep streets in skateboard videos, cars jumping in Spike Jonze's clips and music that this place have inspired. It clicked to me on Haight street that Rodriguez might have sang the song about this street's hanging trees so me and Ben in the picture below went to shoot a couple of videos with his Iphone in the middle of the traffic. Earned 25 cents playing and gave it away to a beggar. 

It's so nice to be on the other side of Pacific. 

This was our spot for filming couple new songs behind the Ferry Building. The famous Pier 7 spot is on the left side of it and couldn't be more appropriate that this. 

I clearly forgot what feeling skateboarding gave me and after not being on board for the past three years I'm cruising streets of this beautiful city. If not skating I'd never have met Phil, Danny, Jay and probably never would have jammed with them. We worked on our 8th song today and we've written and recorded them in 9 hours. 

Sick ass wallrides was pure inspiration to never stop creating. Whatever that is music, drawing, storywriting, filming or taking photos. It's always part of the Mission.

Jay sent this photo to Thrasher, will see what comes out of it. 

Not only men skate, animals do too. 

Teasing lion. 

Hills in downtown. 

All the best and legendary spots are knobbed and culture is robbed. 

Werewolves on a Mission is the name of our project. Here the crew's chillin in china banks. 

bs wallride over the bench

fs wallride over the bench 

Our studio is Phil's bedroom. He plays drums. Yesterday neighbors called the cops. Well Jay, the singer is the master of handling angry neighbors and confusing Five O's . "Can you turn it down a little?" a cop asked. "I'm sorry, no, we gotta play as loud as the drummer" Jay replied. 

Zoltron Loves Us. Me and Josh found this artwork on Valencia and were bummed when they glued lame posters on top of it. Zoltron was back in a few days and we took advantage of it and shot this picture.

Mariachi's Tofu Mole is the best. 

From one jam to another. In between recording sesh. 

I'm extending my stay in SF for another couple days. I don't dare stopping the fun.

Hair Cut On The Water

Those are the only photos from first week since I still haven't got the adapter to charge all my electric stuff. I got the chord for computer from Steve and that's about it. Steve is the guy I am staying with. He lives in a heart of Mission and I can't be happier staying at his place. The whole weekend passed in his birthdays vibes. We kicked off his day by visiting Lafayette reservoir where we rented a couple rowing boats and Ben cutting my hair for a starter. 

Canoeing in a tin can. 

Ben checking the animals in my hair that I brought over from New Zealand. We counted fifty five species five of which where yet undiscovered. 

Mullet on a lake. Business front party back. What a feeling sporting this lion's mane. Well anyway, not to get attached to the wilderness I refreshed the top of my head and my pores saw the light.

Needless to say that the party was off the hook. The music was blasting through soundsystem Steve got in a thrift store the day before. Ben cut open the watermelon by smashing it with an oar. 

My hairdresser is leaving after beautifully done job. 

Couch on a mission. 

The biggest investment on this trip was buying a skateboard. Don't get me wrong but being back in the city after spending two months in a bush made me realized that most of my clothes are pretty much done. 

Will make some more photos once I get adapter. I'm here till sunday anyway! Good times San Francisco!

Dorje Chang Institute

Under the influence of rainbows, good fortunes and vivid thoughts on the way to Tongariro, I headed straight to Dorje Chang Institute in Auckland straight after not knowing what to expect. The feeling was right and so was the confidence that everything is going to work out. "Are you a woofer?" the nun asked me upon my arrival. "I don't know, you tell me". So basically they had a gap in the calendar where noone was coming to stay woofing. I had a room to stay and as a payment for accommodation I had to donate four hours of work in a day in the garden. "Tashi Delek" I said to a monk, Lobsang, who I spotted way before I met the American nun. 

It is a very special place in many aspects. They have an unbelievable Stupa, which Lobsang actually painted, they have beautiful Gompa (room for teachings, meditaion  decorated with beautiful paintings and statues), library and residents worth a million! Plus it's in the city but at the same time it is a way out of it and another plus is that you have chinese market near by.

Gardening in most beautiful gardens surrounded by golden statues, birds, huge stupa with enormous prayer wheel inside which contains five billion mantras is  very special.

Digging up the garden while Lobsang was making a throne for the statue, which translator Rinchen got somewhere in Indonesia, was unforgettable experience. Blisters on my hands kept reminding me about it for another week after.

Recording a chorus for my friend musician back in Riga. Neighbor knocked on my door and told me to lower my voice. Luckily I had a dozen takes on it. 

Being resourceful is something we are yet to learn from people that live simple lives, more simple that you can imagine. I mastered the use of flour and water back in India where everything pretty much was flour and water. These dumplings have spinach cheese fillings, with some herbs from an Institute garden. 

Little did I know that I will be able to record fourty five minutes of Lobsang chants plus hear his story of walking across Himalaya from Tibet into Nepal. Whenever I encounter hardships I think of what those guys had to experience. It's crazy and encouraging to tears.

This is Nicks room. Apart of knowing everything about digestion, diets and yoga, he also plays music! And has really incredible high pitched voice. We recorded a song with a title that he actually came up with when dropping me off at the airport: "You know how we should call it? You never know, because you never now."

He was the only one who knew I was leaving for sure on that day because I got tickets three hours prior my departure and he was very kind to take me to Qantas office and to the airport. Flight to LA was good, watched a couple films and couldn't sleep at all, as usual. My stomach  started behaving funny when we crossed the international date line and then equator right after. I arrived in San Francisco fifteen minutes before the time I left Auckland. Do you have to mention that it was the same date? Plus I went out skating same day too. Oh dear, it was a long long day. But I do love changes even if my stomach doesn't and San Francisco is a change I was longing for a while!