A Delightful Evening

My promise to stay away from the passive TV watching finally lead me back to one of my most dearest sanctuaries - our library - last night. It was right before the missus' arrival and dinner that I found a stack of my old british men's magazines from the time I lived in London. I don't know why I had decided to save them since most magazines has a very short shelf life. But not Arena, Esquire or Details. They stories still feel timeless. The book, music and art reviews as well.

The British art of magazine publishing is far superior to any other. Well, there are a few really cool magazines in the US, France and Japan (and I would imagine from South Korea, Argentina and Brazil but of that I don't know - yet) but the british edgyness and provocative spirit is impossible to replicate. It's part of the British DNA, passed on from generation to generation through misery, anger and crappy weather.

Everytime I see a naked woman in the photo spreads I'm thinking, 'Thank God, the freedom of expression still exists'. Magazines, as everything else creative and artistic, should push your thinking forward, be challening, edgy and mind-blowing. It should get your heart pumping and your stomach to feel excited, like you just discovered something new for the first time.

On the opposite side we have the American magazine Cargo, a new sales channel to satisfy needy 30-something professionals. I started to like the first issue I got but over time, the magazine hasn't changed but I have. It should be the other way around.

So while I was plowing through my old magazines the missus prepared dinner; a fantastic Marinara Gnocchi. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce delish. So simple and yet so well-tasting. And with a light sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan, olive oil and black peppar the meal hit royal levels. Felipe Rutini, one of our current favorites from Mendoza, accompanied dinner and did a damn good job at it.

Oh, what I have missed being able to spend hours at the magazine store, art gallery and the record store. Just randomly browsing in the search of a new discovery. Somethings that inspires, delights, challenges, provokes, disgusts et cetera. Away from the cookie-cutter pleasentries, the mainstream walk and the universal agreements of the dunces.

There is a value to step outside of the everyday routine life and just indulge in the excess of culture. The value is unfortunately hard to measure.