Significance. Simulacrum. Snob. Slack. Salvation. Sadness. Scale. Sinfulness. Sneaky. Stabber. Satisfaction. Sand. Self. Shady. Skeptic. Suggestive. Scrappy. Sapience. Scheme. Sideways. Sensibility. Simultaneous. Somewhat. Stroller. Schizofrenia. Shooter. Slum. Silly. Shy. Scrumptions. Shit. Steady. Symbology. Said. Sea. Servant. Snutty. Secret. Sketch. Seduction. Sculpture. Suspect. Stupidity. Photo by lilypenelope

A sweet fragrance floating in the air. Vanilla? Repetition. Of rolled leaves. In a cigar store. With my friends Don and Jimmy. Photo by lilypenelope

Every face tells us a story. Every face has a history. Interesting faces usually tell us interesting stories. Through ages many painters have represented interesting faces in their work. They externalize emotions. Thoughts. A past that you only can imagine through the feelings their expressions give you.
Something very nice happened to me while I was in LA this past month. I was introduced to the most interesting people I probably ever met in my entire life. Partners in crime: Starbucks, a table next to a fountain and a friend named Don.
Don was my neighbour when I used to live in LA. I haven't seen him for a decade. Then, one morning, thanks to a double espresso urge, I met him at a Starbucks in Marina del Rey. This was last year. We just had few days to catch up. And that was it. This year he was my first thought when I woke up the first morning. I drove to Starbucks and...there he was! LA is no doubt one of the biggest city yet, at that particular "table" life suddently became for me that of the nicest town on earth! Don started to introduce me to all his friends that, day after day would meet there. 1, 2, 3, 4 the group began to grow bigger every day. Every morning I would drive there, and every morning I would meet new people. Their kindness, their positive mood, their histories, their ideas and yes...their faces immediately fascinated me. I would stop every single day. For breakfast and later, after my relaxtion at the beach! Sitting there at "the table" was great. The conversations would be different everyday depending on who was there. Art, architecture, religion, music, literature, food, wine, cigars, world tragedies and world beauties. I have to tell you that listening to their conversations was incredibly inspiring. "The Table" became like a city within a city. And each one of the people sitting around it were the most special characters of the movie called "Everyday Life". Don, Jimmy, Ronnie, Keiko, Elaine, Tom, Emmanuel, Sylvia, Johnny, Mary-Ann...ohhh such wonderful people! With such interesting faces! With such interesting stories to tell! One more year...and I'll be back at the table...eager to be part of this amazing group of people. Listening and anticipating like in any great books: anxious to know what the next page will contain!

I've always been interested in the exploring the various conditions of reality. What is in fact "real"? What isn't? Everything believable is real, at least in my life! I have been studying since a long time the concepts of reality and virtual reality. What connects them? What makes them alive? How do we approach one or the other? People are the common denominator. We make places alive. There would not be a city if there were no people inhabiting it. Making it alive. Virtual reality is something completely different but yet so similar. It is defined as "that which is not real" but is it really? I feel it is real, maybe lacking in different aspects but yet it is real. What you see might not be complete, yes, you can't smell it, you can't hear it, you can't physically feel it but it is there. On your screen. In your mind. In your imagination. Complete it! Do something!! I read somewhere that social networks such as Twitter are just a mere fake reality. Nothing real happens, since you are actually discussing, interacting with nicknames, with a screen. I know that...but behind a nickname, behind ideas there are real people. Interesting people with ideas, projects, dreams. Yes, you don't actually know them in the real world but they are there. They exist. I have lots of friends in the real world, and sometimes I think "what differs really from a realationship where you sit down next to each other talking about stuff or sitting down and talking to someone who is located in the other side of the world?" What about going to a party with your friends on a friday night, ultimately discussing about the same old stuff? What about going to a virtual party? Isn't that more interesting in a creative/constructive way? That's what's happening right now on twitter! A group of interesting people inventing a party, bringing art, interesting conversations, imaginaton, fun, laughs, music and drinks! I find this idea very interesting and creatively constructive! Imagination and words can make a great party! The Campari orange I'll drink is going to be real...that is certain!

It was supposed to be "fun" last night. It wasn't at all! BDay Party for a friend. Great spot in the city. Actually the same exact place of every friday. Same people. Same lies, same fake smiles, same everything. I couldn't really put up with it. Seriously. I couldn't even keep my mouth shut and I said what I thought with all the honesty that characterizes me!!!! Big mistake??? Who the f cares! I left with a move only the best ballerina does at the Scala of Milan! A little move around the corner and I left, hopefully for good, the place. Let me tell you: when people say honesty doesn't pay...well...in this case it worked really well!!! I was able to finally shut a door just by saying..."you are a freakin joke of nature"! Honesty is a great thing!!!

What happens when you realize a friend doesn't interest you anymore?? What if you can't stand him any longer? Well, you simply start to ignore him. You do not answer his phone calls or answer his text messages. Yet, the probability that you can meet him in the street is very high. You start telling one of those tested lies you always carry around such "Oh really? I didn't hear the phone!" or "sorry, I lost my phone while gardening, it is probably now 6 feet underground!" or anything interesting that you can pick from your "save-me-list"!
The "I don't like you story" proceeds very annoyingly when he starts buying you things. For special events such as Christmas, birthday, saint Mother Teresa or watherver. And you specifically told him not to buy anything, and on top of everything...not to show up ininvited at your door! Well, this is the story. The last one (hopefully). He shows up at Christmas with a Panettone. For God sake...I am allergic to lactose! Which part of it you do not get???? Panettone is a freakin universe of butter! But I feel bad throwing it away so, I simply start ignoring the caloric mountain and just leave it there. Never paying attention to it. Til yesterday. Oh geeeeeez...I almost totally forgot about it!! My friend keeps calling me and I ignore him but, his panettone doesn't really bother me at all! Then, I opened the box and...I almost got into a shock! Whatever was it before was no longer there. A new product was there. New colors, new smell (yack!!). It looked like a completely new landscape. Nature, colors, rocks and stones...it actually looks more interesting! If someone eats it though...death will come very quicly!!! You see my point??? There are certain things that, ignoring them, transform them into a better state. While some friends, even totally ignoring them...remain the same pain in the ass.