At the movies the maker, the film double taker

as i mentioned in a previous posts portland cinema scene is beyond words and so far this is what i've expereince on top of the baghdad:

The second experience of cinemas I had yesterday at work. 'Hooray for Hollywood' a street party celebrating the 82nd birthday of the cinema. I will have some pictures up later but for now I want to say this the whole ting showed the strength of community- all volunteer run/donations of food and drink/street magicians entertaining the kids beer garden for adults and the surrounding retail outlets all opening their doors and agreeing to a three block road closure. I stood from the sno cone machine (where I felt like a true American) and just lapped it up that people would come out to support a cinema.

My third experience so far was again in the SE of portland at a place called Cinemagic:



at midnight after cleaning up from the street party I met Lauren and we went to see the first showing of batman. First of all how a cinema this small could afford a huge blockbuster on its first opening night shows the power of the indie. There is only one screen, its seats no more than 300 people at maximum yet there will still the same energy as the Baghdad which is more likely a +1000 capacity. The film itself was amazing, I won't write too much as most of the people riding this are from back home and I know it doesn't come out until the 25th there but i will say there are some good developments even if the ending is slightly confusing when you already have previous knowledge about certain things from earlier films in the series.

Family Visit-Portland

he Weekend of 12th visit from Fran, Connor and their friends Ashen and Alan turned into a road trip up to Seattle as Well as coast stops and wondering around SE Portland on Friday night, The former I will document separately as it was too rad/crazy.

They arrived in to pdx at 11pm on Thursday night after driving up over a week and a half from la via reno/sf/various places. I took them to backspace as the only place I could think for late night eats in Portland that didn't resemble station/road food as they had been living off it for the majority of the trip. They stayed open for us as they couldn't believe we traveled 'so far'. (we failed to mention how long we had been all been in the states for).

That Friday I went to work to organize the 'hooray for Hollywood' street part while the group (minus ashen who just had to go find some wifi) explored and played golf. After getting picked up we went to the famous Portland rose garden in Washington park:



We walked around whilst trying to think of the most American activities to do; we came up with batting cages. Sadly I don't have pictures of us 'killing' the balls but the place we went to 'batting a thousand' was awesome! We got on Hawthorne checked out Powell's (biggest used bookstore in pdx which is seriously amazing) and then headed off for some food which caused more hassle than we thought and a taxi ride but in the end we got food and went back to Hawthorne blvd to go here:


The Baghdad- at least a 1000 capacity theater that hosts tables and couches instead of the standard seating and sells beer in pitches and pizza slices. There was a 11pm showing of predator that the guys thought would be pretty rad so we planned to get back after some food and we did just five minuets left, we joined the huge cue I got 'carded' and thanks to this website I got in.

As soon as the film started it came apparent that most people there had seen the film at least three/four times. Quotes were shouted/jokes were laughed at an all mighty roar of 'gt back to the chopper'. finally after just going to see films the cinema felt like a form of entertainment, people got involved and it was hilarious even if tit was a serious action film. Be it occasionally annoying America crowds are fun just make sure you go to see a film you have already seen and won't mind missing most of it due to shouts of 'USA' (and then counter shouts of 'AUSTRIA' by the English visitors correcting the Americans).
After geeking out for a considerable amount of time and also falling asleep for part of the film due the couches being comfortable and the amount of popcorn eaten making me take a food nap we headed back to my house to sleep and prepare for the next day which is in an entirely different blog post.
FYI (how American is that) this is what I call 'home'

xo

god bless the american conviction

As an English 'alien' the 4th of July felt like a normal Friday to me but gradually The day felt more and more of an occasion as the city seemed to be in overdrive! I spent the early evening have a good ol' BBQ with the family I live with to be followed by a bus trip to downtown to meet Lauren where we forced our way through crowds down by the river side, climbed over fences and sat on the river rocks to watch the celebratory fireworks which to be honest were quite spectacular:


After the fireworks we went to voodoo doughnuts hoping there wasn't a que and managed to get there before the 4th of July rush! This place is good I've been assured there are better vegan baked goods like sweetpea but that's all the in SE on stark so if your downtown in Portland I recommend this place! we had the special 'ol dirty bastard' which had oreo cookies and peanut butter:

Left-sadly this is not the picture of my doughnut or even the vegan version but you get the general idea that this thing was pretty awesome to eat at 11pm on a national holiday! Right-the store front of VD which is next to an old tehatre now an 'adult cinema

The continuation of the Holiday which was unknown to me was celebrated the whole of the weekend not just the day so i spent time with the family again taking the older kid and his friend to see Hancock while the parents took the younger kids see wall-e. Despite working in a theatre for over a week this was my first experience at an 'American' movie theatre. Sometimes I have huge visions of what certain things are like mainly from media portrayal's but it was the same as any other cinema just with larger amounts of candy and big gulps!

The final day of the holiday was spent with Lauren-the original plan was to go on the hunt for berries some boy informed us of at the house show last week we drove all the way day route eight something to find the berries were not ripe. Lauren suggested a drive up to Multnomah falls where we walk-got out of shape laughed at gift shop memorabilia and saw the side of Washington over the Columbia river which looked to only be a stone throw away!

columbia river view from crown pt

multonmah falls

After our mini road trip we went back to laurens where i played with her cats, discuss how stupid boys can be and ate this awesome curry stuff with 'chips'. We then headed to hawthorne theatre where tilly and the wall were playing. I never heard much of tilly ad the walls music but heard alot about them from various friends so was keen to see them live and i must admit I enjoyed it whole heartly even if iw as slighty tired/grumpy! The theatre itts self is bizare-its looks like it could of been such a classic building but i'm not sure if it is a conversion or just made to look like that for kudos? the other thing i'm still getting use to is the strict divde between 21+ and minors. It was the same at the venue downtown where have hart played. one section for minors then a heavily guarded section that has bar for the 21+, so even if you want a glass of water or soft drink oyu have to be 21 to get one. Thankgod for identification.

After the show the finale of the weekend was getting lost back to west linn for some reason we can never get on the straight road! Excellent all round

xo

Hollywood 'does not' rot in the sun

4122 NE Sandy Boulevard
Portland
Oregon 97212
http://www.filmaction.org/

My New Place of employment. Right now I would like to say I have a job, a dream job working for this indie cinema in pretty much every area in terms of their young person outreach programme where youths learn and make documentaries to working in the office and cinema its self as general staff.

The building has orginal 1920's features and the artistic director shows commerical films and films he knows are not really proffiting but puts them on because he honestly thinks people should and need to see them. Toatly refreshing.

It's a wonderful atomosphere and all my woes of moving have gone away except for being so many miles away from the loved ones of course and the anniversary of a friend.

This is is basically a post to boast
xo

on the west but still northern

Portland, Oregan

My first three days was spent here:

In the Northwest area of Portland just above Burnside on 18th Ave near Glisan. The fact it was in the 'trendy' area of Portland and close to downtown isn't the main reason why I loved staying here it was the people: families, punks, skaters, military men. The rooms were luxury for a hostel big beds an en suite bathroom (fair enough shared by the 8 of us in the room but better than two bathrooms for a whole floor like new york).

Not only did I enjoy my stay here it actually helped me land on my feet and get organised in Portland. As I mentioned the people in hostel were varied and made the common areas interesting, two people I met there were a father and son from a suburb called West Linn. The dad had taken his son on an 'urban adventure' which was sweet by itself. After talking about the military (and my disapproval of the war/army/g.w bush) we went to pick up the free pizza from a neighbouring pizza joint that gives their leftovers to the hostel every night and turns out I was being interviewed. Next thing I know Ed (the father) informs me their family have a separate basement room they offer to people in exchange for some domestic/childcare/random jobs a few hours a week rent and board free. It turns out the house is luxury, at the moment I live alot better than most people in Portland and even the 35 min bus ride to downtown Portland doesn't get me down.

The social side is going well, I attended my first show in Portland it being a house show and attempted to introduce myself as the new English girl, it worked sort of. But none the less I went by myself which is something unthinkable back in England I wouldn't even enter a show alone in my home town which shows Portland is already changing my life views! So far all I've experienced in completely open arms into this country and city.

xo

work in progress

This blog was made mainly because myself and apryl thought the idea of doing a joint blog over the summer would be a rad way to document are summers apart and because of my lack of technological knowledge and pure laziness I did not have a personal blog so had to create one for that plan to take effect. Then the idea of using this personal blog as a documentation of my own summer for family/friends to read about seemed easier than sending numerous emails. Currently this blog will not be very visual as I am yet to rinse the america exchange rate for a camera but trust me i soon will.

So here it is on the 23.06.08 I flew out to New York where I did the tourist things such as Time square which was hit the first night with two of the only english girls thats were on the same flight with me and were doing the bunac 'thing'. The next day and next tourist spot was spent meeting a canadian girl and her brother to discuss jesse laceey and look at poloar bears in central park; more specifically the so called zoo that technically only houses about 6 animals but still polar bears ans red pandas are pretty sweet. The night was spent doing personal geek out things alone such as speninding too much moeny in genereation records and eating amazing vegan food at sacred chow all in the greenwich village area which is a visual delight for so many reasons.

The next two days were ultimate toursit a lone trip to liberty and ellis island and sad to admit the ellis island museum was the only one I visitedon my trip but there is always septemeber. I also on my last full day embarked on a 'midtown tour' with some kids from the hostel which did the big sights (some I had already witnessed) and ended up at 9pm on top of the empire state building which if you smart enough you pass as a 17 year old and get cheaper entry! then the night was finished on the lower east side in 'little india' eating far too much food my english stomach handle and talking to nyc punks in bad religion t-shirts about the cancellation of the only subway service back to midtown has been cancelled!

I stayed firmly most of the time in manhattan but I am making sure I will be visting the other boroughs when I return with Apryl and Jim in september which I think I will enjoy alot more especially eeing new york with close ones as sometimes not knowing many people was a downer in such a wonderful city!