CHICO SOUSA

chicosousa.com
I appreciate that you read my posts, thanks for taking the time and I hope they in turn inspire you to create, educate & motivate.

Please continue to join me as I relocate to my new site, chicosousa.com, June 10/2010.

peace & love

chico

Change of heart and the Afterlife

Yesterday I wrote about the death of Canadian actor Corey Haim. By the end of the day I really started to question the post. It had been the third time in less than six months that I had written about someone I had known dieing. It really had me thinking about my writing and why I write in the first place. I never set out to be a 'reporter' type and lately with Twitter and the Olympics I found myself going that direction sometimes.

My website chicosousa.com will be going live soon which will feature the other side of Chico Sousa that you might not know about, the writer/artist. It'll be the place to see my newest designs and other writings that I'm passionate about other than the CHICO DAILY blog. Hope you dig it. In the meantime, here is a piece I wrote called Afterlife. RIP in Corey Haim.



AFTERLIFE

Took it for granted, it all fell by the side
attention somewhere else, loving something that wasn’t kind
left with nothing but a mirror and a bed, a daily reminder of the
ugly life I’ve led
dream, dream
goal, goal
did you hurt anyone today, oh today and its’ moment
the sane and alive help each other strive
Oh strive, and its’ blood line
growing with knowledge I achieve and the piece I have found of me
when I believe
forgive me, forgive me
Thank you and release me, from the sights of my graves to the
light of better days
let there be music in the streets, at the command of your voice
your finger on the film, your finger on the trim, the release of the
beat, unleashed
the story of Oliveira, and the music of the cold Canadian street
starting over, once again
how many chances do we get?
getting tighter, lean and mightier
this is my only sword, the ghetto audio award
peace to my enemies, if there are any of you near me
what have I done, please let us discuss with our tongues
then maybe, quick pick up of hoops, one on one
not stones, not stones
don’t crucify the,
Help me change to survive
prison, prison, find the heart, and feed it with education
belief in oneself is the highest hope
good approach, way to go
nice shot; I’m your friend, family and friends
yourself
that’s all you get
support, love and work
Sacrifice? Die?
Afterlife?

Copyright 1997-2010. All rights reserved. © Chico Sousa.

Goodbye Olympics, Hello Vancouver again

I’m walking through False Creek while I continue to write. It’s a talent. I’m just a stone’s throw across the water to where most of the Olympic partying took place. It is quieter on this side of the water right now, a reminder of what is to come once we have our city returned to us but it will never be the same.

Living the Olympic dream: Week One

It has only been eight days since our city of Vancouver welcomed the world to the 2010 Winter Olympics. I know. Can you believe that? The Olympics are happening in my backyard. News crews are everywhere, the streets are full of thousands of people and Canada has won Gold three times already. The other night it really hit me though as I sat in the third row at Canada’s opening hockey game against Norway. There I was with Sidney Crosby skating right in front of me while Donald Sutherland was madly texting a few seats away, it felt like a dream. Surreal.

Shotgun Olympics: Tasting Gold, Silver & Bronze

In only seventeen days Canadians will welcome the world with glowing hearts as we host the 2010 Winter Olympics. I never imagined I would be doing anything with the games but here I am at the Four Seasons Yew restaurant in Vancouver where I’m accompanying a film crew covering the 2010 Olympics.

Rebirth of Soul

While a new year has begun for many, I find my own inner timing more in tune with the Chinese calendar. The December holiday season allows me to rest, reflect and connect with my family, while January is for purging and organizing. By the time February turns the corner my clarity and focus have manifested into the 2010 plan. Yet sadly the reflection continues, while the new year has barely begun we already are mourning, as we did in 2009 with the passing of so many amazing creators.

Father Edition: Add Water & Smell His Flowers

After spending five minutes flicking my wrist like an olympic swordsman, I finally found the little white hand icon on the TV screen with my controller. My buddy lent me his Wii and I have to admit I have a little fetish for playing FIFA Soccer. (I know it's lame, but it's my lame!) So as the little man lays down for his nap after another night sleeping in our bed, I'll take this much needed little break. I'll have to investigate more into this 'mommy & daddy's bed' phase. Any other parents have their stories on this too? In the meantime, it is Portugal vs. the Netherlands.

Letters,Words and a Song

Today I thought I would share a rare glimpse into the daddy-day-care world here at Chico Daily. Despite the constant scribbling in my back-pocket-book and the late nights starting new paragraphs, finding real time to write something is difficult when I’m completely immersed with my son. This is not a complaint.

BEATS EDITION: Keep Yourself Alive - Best of 2009

Like many of you music junkies, I spent a lot of time obsessing with music when I was young. If we ever sit down to count up the hours it would blow our minds. From listening to radio, mixing tapes, talking to friends, going to shows, writing reviews, dj’ing, time in records stores, surfing, downloading, sharing, tweeting – blow our minds! Never mind if you are in a band to boot. For some of us it tapers off once we get older and settle down as you can tell from one’s music collection where the Bodyguard soundtrack is the most recent disc around. Today I feel like I’m taking more music in than ever before but it is not taking up as much of my time. I think artist/producer Chin Injeti said it best, “Now I can record a song in one day and then with a press of a button I can make it go to a thousand different places.”

Unconditional Soul in Haydain Neale

Today music is all over my brain. The last two nights I woke up in the morning with Jacksoul’s ‘Unconditional’ song stuck in my head. Haydain Neale, lead singer for the group, sadly passed away Sunday night at the young age of 39.

I’ve been replaying the last time he and I spoke over and over in my head. It was early on in my days working in the music industry in Toronto. I was working at PolyGram Music Publishing at the time searching the country for great songwriters just like Haydain. First time I saw the band at the Bamboo on Queen St. I was blown away with the musicianship on that stage and my arm was filled with goose bumps on hearing Haydain’s voice sing Unconditional.



We met again weeks later where we discussed music publishing, the Canadian music scene and Haydain being a father.

Julie and Julia, and Chico

It has been over a month since I last wrote, which does not bode well for a blog with the word DAILY in it. In truth, I have been struggling with direction lately. Well, my immediate direction and concentration hasn’t been a problem, taking on the stay at home father role, but leaping to the next direction of generating income again has been the challenge. Yet, it feels like I’m going to give birth to something great over the next little while.

Change my attitude, to gratitude

See these people lately?



I hated working in the financial industry. There was a time that I simply dreaded waking in the morning until it finally made me sick. One day I realized that I had to change. Change my attitude, to gratitude. That changed everything.

"I'm Huge on the Internet"

It is almost one in the afternoon and I have yet to turn on my computer. Usually the computer is on and I would have already checked all my email accounts, social networks and probably have tweeted a half dozen times by now. Not today. I’m attempting an impromptu digital detox of my own.

Can't Find A Vedder Man!

When I woke up yesterday morning I had one plan amongst all my errands for the day, to meet Pearl Jam. I managed to see their day schedule when they performed in Toronto. So around 3:30 they should arrive for sound check.

Two year olds, love and the Pearl Jam dream

Today I really feel like writing. Mind you, I write every day but today I am compelled after holding things to myself. The usual writer’s dilemma, how much do I want to share and reveal today, what is the purpose? The purpose is the same as it has been since grade two. To share stories, observations and ideas with others, so that those words may inspire, entertain and sometimes provoke you.

"I ran, I ran so far away....."

Sept 19.09

I ran a marathon today. Well, not a full marathon and not even a half marathon, a quarter marathon? It was part of the 5peaks Trail Running Series. I ran eleven kilometers around Buntzen Lake in one hour and eleven minutes. The last time I competed in a race would have been in high school.

The Adventure

When I returned home from the Young Men’s Adventure Weekend (YMAW), my gorgeous wife and my entertaining son greeted me at the front door of our building. He looked as though he grew a couple of inches as he barreled around the corner at top speed and into my arms shouting “Hi, Dad. Hi, Dad.” He was beaming, she was beaming and I was on fire.

Dear Ben, It's Your Dad

Dear Ben,

Can you believe July has already arrived? It seems every year that days and months pass by faster and faster. Maybe it has to do with the planet’s rotation also getting faster. Everything at the speed of light makes sense, since we are all pure energy, pure light, but that’s another story for another time.

Soundbytes like Vagina Machine!

“They were all drunk, they won’t remember a thing.”
“But my dress – “
“Oh yes, except the dress thing, right.”

6 Stitches, Blow Up Doll, An Island Oasis and other distractions

It's about ten in the morning and I'm on the Queen of Nanaimo ferry waiting to depart to Galiano Island. We are sitting next to the Kids Zone area where my son, decked out in his Christian Ronaldo soccer outfit from Grandma, is spelling the Kids Zone sign out loud while the other children are watching Wonderpets on the tube. It is a sparkling sunny day, clear skies and warming up very fast. A weekend getaway to an island oasis right now is simply, perfect timing.