Hi folks,

I don't know when you're reading this but I'm writing on January 1st, early morning on the first day of 2009, from the beach on Mainland Mexico. (The delay has to do with preparing the accompanying film, 'Road Thoughts', for your viewing pleasure.)

This year is going to be a doozey, one way or another, for the human species and for yours truly. (Specific predictions to come!)

I wish you the best, truly.

I also hope that you will take my advice about stashing extra food/water/and so forth for when the shit really hits the fan, as it surely will. Also please think about investing part of you liquid funds in gold and/or silver. (Since doing so two months ago, I've made 10% on my money. You do the math on what that would be per year. And to those who think I'm delusional: How have your investments done?)

And please consider going back to the shaving brush. (More on this to come.)

Honey and I arrived safe and sound about three weeks ago, and have been busy setting ourselves up. I've taken a year lease on a piece of beachfront... no, it's not beachfront, it's actual beach, naked beach, except for a spreading almond tree, which is perfect as the center, the hub, of our little complex. (As I sit and write there is sand under my feet.) We've built a raised platform for the tent (for sleeping and my office) and are going to build a palapa (a palm roof) over everything not shaded by the tree. When rainy reason comes, we'll add waterproofing. If after a year we go elsewhere, we'll leave this place as we found it; our footprint is faint.

As I write, I need only move my eyeballs to do a surf check.

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Again, I apologize for that dumb ass idea about a payment system for these messages. The idea was unrelated to our well-being, i.e., living expenses, I assure you.

It's this damn feature-length documentary film we're making, see, the production expenses. We'll probably have $100k in 'Patterns; Diary of a Madman/Mad Man/Expat/Surfer/etc.' (exact subtitle to come) by the time it's done, with little likelihood of seeing much of it back. I say 'we' because Honey is my official, titled Production Partner. (One of the 'mini-films' we'll be making over the next few months is about the pros and cons of having a dog for a production partner.)

The problem of the financing of the film is why we've opened a store at Banditobooks.com, and why we're going to be selling some stuff that has little (or nothing) to do with being a book publisher.

Shaving brushes, for example.

Whaaa?

Ever wonder what happened to shaving brushes?

There is method in our madness. As we gradually add to the inventory, three categories will emerge:

Smart

Cool

Ridiculous

Although there is overlap, shaving brushes fall into the 'Smart' bin (they could easily be 'Cool'). Why?

I need another week to get the store completely together, but click 'Smart' above for my theory on how Banditobooks is going to help save the planet through the sale of shaving brushes.

So that's part of the story behind the store: The financing of my feature-length documentary, plus saving the world.

Same subject: Partially to drum up business I've agreed to do a column for Surfline.com, the biggest and best of the surf-sites. It's a weekly thing called 'Allan Weisbecker's Expat Journal'.

I've written the first three entries and am rather enjoying the process; the discipline of being limited in what I can write about. There will be a slide show or film with each entry and - many will be happy to hear - I'm sticking close to surfing and the expat life; not wandering into annoying areas like the fate of mankind.

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John here, Allan's web guy.
I feel like I need to add that the video featured in the first Surfline entry is the **World Premiere** of footage shot for Allan's upcoming feature film... working title: "Patterns". Allan sometimes forgets little details like this...
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I've decided not to alert you guys to a new entry's appearance; it would entail too many 'Down South Perspectives' arriving in your inbox. If you're interested in my Journal, just remember to pay weekly visits to Surfline.com. (The first entry will go live in a couple or so days.)

Other stuff about my life here in Mainland Mexico (or inspired by it) will appear in my DSPs; when there is overlap in subject matter (between a current DSP and my Surfline column), you'll get it first. The film and photos in this DSP are an example.

(I'll neither be blabbing the name of the place I've settled at nor hiding its identity, but please do not write informing me of where I am. I already know and will not be impressed by your perspicacity. And please be patient with personal emails to me; I do not have regular web access and may not be able to respond to everyone. Okay? Got that? Don't get mad.)

Okay, more to come on the details of my new life; remember to check out Surfline.com if you're interested in my column.

And please keep an eye on the Banditobooks.com store for Smart, Cool, or Ridiculous stuff to buy. Every cent goes toward the making of my film.

Enjoy our first mini-film, 'Road Thoughts'!

I'll be in touch.

Allan

Hold on! Almost forgot. Here it comes!

Everyone makes predictions on what the New Year will bring. Since (as you'll see) this subject directly impinges upon my surfing life here in Mexico, it's especially apropos. (In the longer run, it also directly impinges on your surfing life. One example being your future ability to make foreign surf trips.)

Since, uh, predictably, my predictions ran long, I'm putting them on a separate page. Click here if you have the balls, or if you care at all about the human species...

 

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