Source of [header.](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/3p9MD-_FcA86DHvR94UXH5XJFA0/fit-in/2048xorig/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2017/11/27/069/n/1922283/tmp_Y0Oxak_d45af897db3e546d_PEACH.jpg)

Summer of 1983. 17-Year-old Elio Perlman (Timothee Chalamet) is spending the days with his family in their 17th-century villa in northern Italy. His father is a professor at the university, and each year invites a graduate student to stay with them. This year it’s Oliver (Armie Hammer), who’s a doctoral student. During the summer Elio and Oliver grow to desire each other. This happens amids the sundrenched splendor of their surroundings. The beauty of the Italian nature and culture has a vivid presence in the story, as the filmmakers succeed to bring the audience back to this time and place. It’s a story about desire, and what it means to be human. Their romance definitely crosses the border of what is socially accepted at the time, but as Elio’s father, Sami Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg), puts it: ‘’to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything – what a waste’’. Feeling something is the blessing of human life.

Right now you may not want to feel anything. Maybe you never wanted to feel anything. And maybe it's not to me you'll want to speak about these things. But feel something you obviously did

- Mr. Perlman

Human Experience

I really like the calmness of the movie. Wherever, inside or outside the house, the sound of the fertile nature lurking around the corner captures the magical playground of these characters. The main theme is clearly the ‘’human experience’’. We follow Elio as he submerges himself into his passion that's music, and explores the frontier of his sexual desires. His subjective experiences, and the way he navigates them, shape the bloodline that feeds the heart of the story.

Source of [image.](https://d279m997dpfwgl.cloudfront.net/wp/2018/02/0215_cmbyn.jpg)

Watching Luca Guadagnino’s work of art for the first time surprised me, as it entirely took the edge of the ''controversial'' gay romance. The movie does a really great job in substantiating the ‘’meaning’’ of life in the first place. This incredible ability of us organisms to ‘’feel something’’ shouldn't be ignored. By doing so, for the audience, the same-gender romance unfolds with the same powerful emotional impact as a heterosexual romance would. Our perspective is set straight before we encounter same-gender intimacy, which unfortunately doesn't happen in a lot of LGBT movies.

Call Me by Your Name expresses the that feelings are , and what triggers them is not up for debate by anyone .

Subscribers have access to the ''Dissecting the Scene'' segment.. If you're not a Coil subscriber yet, please consider subscribing for only $5,- a month!

By @nvds888

Note: I'm really humbled to be a part of the Coil Boost Program, and appreciate the recognition from the Coil team! Enjoy the article;)

Once so often, when watching a movie or TV-show, a certain scene or shot just blows your mind. For me, this usually happens with steadicam shots. The extraordinary ability to bring the world of the scene to life. Steadicam shots create the illusion of actual depth, and make it possible for you to render the environment outside of the current point-of-view just a little bit better. The long takes establish a firm belief that the actors aren’t merely puppets given directions by the old, cigar smoking, director. Everyone in the shot has to be on top of their game, no faking allowed..

Lucky for me, movie history is filled with great steadicam shots! The challenge and reward to capture minutes of film within one single take, while making the ride worthwhile. Many of the great directors eventually submitted to its allure. Stanley Kubrick, Quentin Tarantino, Orson Welles, and Martin Scorsese are just a couple of the ones that were determined to master ‘’The Art of the Steadicam’’.

Last week I published this short article about the announcement of Paul Thomas Anderson’s new picture. A quick spark of admiration for some of his brilliant movies flooded the CBC chat for a minute. Enough reason for me to start this off with one of the many exceptional scenes/shots from his movie **Boogie Nights.
**

**Synopsis

**

Eddie Adams is a high-school dropout living with his stepfather and emotionally abusive mother. He works at the Reseda nightclub, where (in the opening shot) he meets porn filmmaker Jack Horner. Jack transforms Eddie into adult-film sensations Dirk Diggler. Eventually, the story of Eddie follows a similar path as most Martin Scorsese characters, as a combination of drugs and egoism threatens him back down.

In this article I will go in-depth about the opening shot of the movie. After a slow, almost depressing melody, the title ‘’Boogie Nights’’ explodes onto the screen. The tone of the underlying score quickly changes to something ‘’promising’’ and ‘’glamorous’’. The fluorescent neon-letters immediately embark the scent of aspiring disco culture.

Now, I will recommend you to the steadicam shot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpV4dDBkSDQ

0.54 - Tragic music, and black screen make place for ‘’good’’ vibes.

PTA meant the first 53 seconds to be the actual intro of the movie. The story, at its core, is quite depressing. The sudden switch in vibes is meant as a change of perspective. The story starts off with the objective interpretation of the story, but the blackness and slow melody pretty obviously convey that it's just ‘’sad’’, and there’s no entertaining story here. That’s why within the first minute we already switch to the character’s perspective, which changes the entire tone of the movie. Suddenly there's an entertaining, ''fun'' story to tell;)

1.19 - I think it’s important to remember that when they were shooting this picture (1996-1997) there weren’t any drones around. The smoothness of the shot when it goes from the crane to handheld is just incredible! And, as I mentioned in the beginning of this article, because we get the 360 view, the environment really comes to life.

1.23 - Notice the cars and neon-lights in the backdrop. The eye for detail is insane;)

1.40 - From this moment on the tricky part starts. The steadicam, probably operated by two people, submerges itself between the extras. The precision and planning that it requires to pull this off is worth noting. As the extras pass just before the camera, and the camera makes a smooth turn, while following Maurice Rodriquez (Luis Guzman), Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds rip), and Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), the audience dives (almost literally) into the conversation.

1.53 - How they handled the exposure and ISO settings is just magnificent! There’s no way that they could’ve used the same settings for both outside and inside. I think it’s very likely that during this turn they quickly changed the settings based upon previous test runs.

2.05 - If you think this scene is only meant to be pleasant for the eye, you’re dead wrong. The amount of information we get about the world and individual characters is huge! For instance, notice how Maurice expresses his ambitions here, and how this perception of his character stays the same during the whole movie. By introducing the various characters like this in the beginning, PTA actually dodges the otherwise required introductions of characters along the way. I only realized after seeing the movie a couple of times how well thought through the lines, and the way they say those lines, are in this scene. Within a couple of minutes PTA unfolds a whole world to us, that usually takes a long time to establish for filmmakers.

2.28 - Change of speed when the camera follows an exciting Maurice. Notice how the camera starts moving in circles. We quickly move from the restaurant to the dance floor, what can we do to make the audience feel this transition? PTA thought. The change of pace and the small increase in volume brings a sudden rush to the audience. Just at the moment when you might think that the steadicam shot is at the end of its lifetime, a new rush of excitement brings it back to life.

2.34 - Notice how the three characters, Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly), Becky Barnett (Nicole Ari Parker), and Buck Swope (Don Cheadle), introduce themselves to us. The way they talk, and what they tell about themselves is fairly exaggerated and tailored to stick in the audience’s mind. The mission of the filmmakers was: How to bring these characters to life within one line of dialogue? In my opinion they pulled it off.

3.25 - I really love how the camera follows Rollergirl (Heather Graham) here. It's a little bit illuminating, as the camera actually doesn’t move that much. The use of the extras that are dancing on the dance floor increases the perception of ‘’speed’’ and makes the short bit more interesting. As well, notice how the music interacts with the motion of the camera. The timing of it is just **spot on!
**

3.30 - The quick interaction between Rollergirl and Reed Rothchild lets the audience know that there possibly is a link between the characters on the dance floor, and Jack and Amber. This is really incredible actually, how this little interaction reveals so much about the connectedness of the movie world. Without this interaction, we could’ve been surprised when Buck Swope suddenly appeared in the backyard of Jack Horner later in the movie. It's a crucial piece of information that changes our whole understanding of the world we are about to enter.

3.48 - The first time when Jack Horner spots Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg). This is a commonly used shot in cinema. Really well executed! With the crowd in front, and eventually Jack’s expression when he notices Eddie on the other side of the room. The power of a well constructed shot. It's like this secretive pathway that only one of the characters can see. It also projects this sense of randomness, an answer to the question: How did Jack spot Eddie?

Paul Thomas Anderson always knows how to surprise the audience with his opening scenes. He really appreciates the importance of the beginning of his movies. In the case of Boogie Nights, when I saw it for the very first time, I really couldn’t wait to see more after this scene. Within four minutes he had unfolded an intriguing story, rich of interesting characters. Think about it, how many movies do this? In his later productions he mostly emphasized on the provoking of questions, the best way to catch an audience’s curiosity. Although this is just mildly the case for Boogie Nights, the quality and craftsmanship of the steadicam shot evoke a sparkle of pure excitement within everyone that’s not asleep. **Passion is contagious.
**

I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it! The simple re-watching of this brilliant shot made me excited all over again.. It made me remember that art can be breathtaking..

Source of the [header](https://jojud265nia2bj9sy4ah9b61-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/boogienights-1600x900-c-default.jpg).

By @nvds888

Aaah, it's that time of the year again. The weather turning cold. Leaves falling off the trees. And it’s very likely that friends, co-workers, or maybe even yourself already caught up with the inevitable flu. Sneezing and sore throats, the exclusive traits of the season.

In this current day and age we experience the flu as something that's part of our daily lives. Once the weather turns cold, the mild viruses will spread over the population. To deal with this, we most likely drink a cup of hot ginger tea, and take some advil for the headache. It’s part of life, and harmless at its core.

But, many scientists have warned not to go too gentle on influenza viruses. It only takes one new virus, that we’re not prepared for, to potentially eradicate the whole of human civilization. Am I exaggerating? Maybe, but let's dive into some of the most lethal virus outbursts in human history over the next few weeks. This will sketch a better image of the contagious nature of influenza, and what could happen if we fail to deal with it in the proper way.

The ''Spanish Flu''

During World War I, in the year of 1918, an unprecedented enemy arised. Early in the year it still wasn’t too obvious for many. Due to the war, many soldiers died, and if there really was some kind of virus sweeping around, people didn’t hesitate to blame it on the infectious trenches, where the soldiers would spend day and night.

During spring time, Spain started to notice that something wasn't right. Spain didn’t participate in World War I, and saw people die just after they had experienced common flu symptoms. These symptoms included: fever, nausea, aches and diarrhea.

The ''Spanish Flu'' later developed symptoms like: severe pneumonia attack, black spots would appear on the patient’s cheeks, and later they would suffocate from a lack of oxygen.

Even king Alfonso XIII (Spain) caught the virus, but eventually managed to survive it.

Later in 1918, around autumn, the second wave of the epidemic (people still thought it was only Spain that was prominently haunted by the virus) began. This wave was incredibly lethal, and killed as many as 20 of every 1000 people.

The countries that were at war (Germany, United Kingdom, France, and the United States) didn’t report any signs of the virus. Most likely for political reasons, so they wouldn't come off as weak to the opponent.

The War actually made it possible for the influenza virus to spread at an accelerated rate. Many soldiers would travel between the United States and Europe, and would easily infect one another down in the trenches. Poor personal hygiene, and malnutrition during the war also played an important role in the rapid distribution of the virus. The flu killed more people in 24 weeks than HIV/AIDS killed in 24 years, and probably more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century.

As of today, the true geographical origin of the ‘’Spanish Flu’’ is still unknown. Although, there’s consensus that the furious pandemic didn’t originated in Spain, what the name ‘’Spanish Flu’’ indicates.

Trivia: Non of the countries at war broadcasted information about the lethal flu. Spain wasn't at war, so did broadcast its horrific nature to the world. This led to the use of the term ''Spanish Flu'' by many news outlets throughout the world.

The exact number of deaths by the ‘’Spanish Flu’’ isn’t determined. But, many estimate the number to be between 50 and 100 million. Which means that between 3 to 6 percent of the entire globe population died. In comparison, the estimate of deaths by World War I stands around 15 million. This pandemic has been described as ‘’The greatest medical holocaust in history’’ and may have killed more people than the Black Death.

The three waves of the ''Spanish Flu''

But, where did it come from?

The pandemic most likely originated from birds. It’s commonly accepted that swine were the intermediary host between birds and humans. Birds infected swine, and swine transmitted the disease to us humans. Swine have presented an attractive explanation for how avian viruses overcome the evolutionary barriers presented by different cellular environments in humans and birds. This created a problem, as our immune system didn’t recognize or respond to the dangerous influenza virus.

In 1918 there weren’t effective medicine around. Science wasn't capable of creating an antidote just yet. Instead, many chemical fluids were used to purify contaminated places, but there was a lot of critique on this method.

Public places, like libraries and stations were closed down, and infected souls were put in quarantine. The deadliest stage of the pandemic lasted till 1920, after which lethal cases rapidly declined.

Ray Dalio is one of the world's most successful investors/hedge fund managers. His investment firm Bridgewater Associates has often beaten the markets, and unlike most hedge funds managed to weather the 2008 financial crisis. Bloomberg ranked Ray Dalio as the world's 58th wealthiest person in June 2019.

I myself became acquainted with Dalio through his magnificent videos explaining the economy. These videos vividly explain how the economic machine works.

To my amazement, my high school teachers left out the foundation of the contemporary economy. They Bombarded, us oblivious students, with next to useless formula instead. I immediately became fascinated by this knowledgeable guy, with a track record that speaks for itself. In his book ‘’Principles’’ he gives insight into his philosophical and pragmatic approaches when it comes to running a company, and investing. Definitely recommended read if you’re running a company, or fulfill a managerial roll.

The World Has Gone Mad and the System Is Broken

Ray Dalio has arrived at a stage in his life where he wants to share his knowledge and experiences for the benefit of the world. He publishes articles on his LinkedIn account that address economic situations that attract his curious mind. These articles often convey a new perspective on important developments in the contemporary world. If you’re interested in the world's economic system, you should definitely check them out!

For today’s blog post I will highlight some important takeaways of his latest publication. The controversial title: ‘’The World Has Gone Mad and the System Is Broken’’ definitely provokes some curiosity as each day new headlines surface that report that central banks are aggressively printing new money. The idea of the central banks is to stimulate the economy by buying assets with the freshly minted dough, but does this really work?

It’s easy to forget that previous trust in big institutions appeared to be misplaced. In 2007 we were convinced that the big banks of the world (Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers etc.) knew what they were doing, but, unfortunately, after 2008 we can conclude that they are nothing more than a bunch of greedy capitalists.

Well, let's get to it, and see what the great mr. Dalio has to say about all of this..

''At the same time, large government deficits exist and will almost certainly increase substantially, which will require huge amounts of more debt to be sold by governments—amounts that cannot naturally be absorbed without driving up interest rates at a time when an interest rate rise would be devastating for markets and economies because the world is so leveraged long. Where will the money come from to buy these bonds and fund these deficits? It will almost certainly come from central banks, which will buy the debt that is produced with freshly printed money. This whole dynamic in which sound finance is being thrown out the window will continue and probably accelerate, especially in the reserve currency countries and their currencies—i.e., in the US, Europe, and Japan, and in the dollar, euro, and yen.''

He continues with..

''At the same time as money is essentially free for those who have money and creditworthiness, it is essentially unavailable to those who don’t have money and creditworthiness, which contributes to the rising wealth, opportunity, and political gaps. Also contributing to these gaps are the technological advances that investors and the entrepreneurs that I previously mentioned are excited by in the ways I described, and that also replace workers with machines. Because the “trickle-down” process of having money at the top trickle down to workers and others by improving their earnings and creditworthiness is not working, the system of making capitalism work well for most people is broken.''

To end his note with..

''This set of circumstances is unsustainable and certainly can no longer be pushed as it has been pushed since 2008. That is why I believe that the world is approaching a big paradigm shift.''

His words are quite extreme when compared to other influential figures. His raw realism provokes a cautious and skeptical attitude toward the current financial system. The underlying message might be that the world is ready for g*lobal currencies* that aren’t controlled by impotent parties, like the Dollar, Euro etc. (according to Dalio).

It’s definitely fascinating to follow these economic trends in correlation with the developments of decentralized digital currencies, whom’s asset class is just at the beginning of a fruitful presence.

After reading Ray Dalio’s article I feel both pessimism and optimism, which seems to suit the reality that nothing in life is binary..

Malaria is still a lethal problem in this 21st century. The western world waved goodbye to the disease a while ago, but many countries still stand victim to its uncontrollable nature.

Italy eradicated malaria in 1970, by the use of DDT (chemical compound) in an intensive Five-year Malaria Eradication program.

Why won’t the African, Asian, and South American countries get rid of Malaria the same way as Italy did?

First of all, since the 1970s DDT has been banned by the World Health Organization. This because of fear about its harmful effects on the environment and human health. Also, the success of eradication of malaria with DDT is subject to a lot of factors.

It could take years to reach set goals, and is a costly endeavor. Not to mention, the political stability that it requires. For these African, Asian, and South American countries it has been tough coping with its nature. Especially children stand a risk of getting contaminated. The biggest reason for this is because children haven’t developed a partial immunity to malaria yet.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in 2016, an estimated 445,000 persons died of malaria – most were young children (under 5 years old) in sub-Saharan Africa. Also, according to their data, nearly half of the world’s population lives in areas at risk of malaria transmission.
This is insane!

Although still fierceful numbers, between 2000 and 2015 the malaria death rate declined with 66% in the African Region. The reduction is due to the improved availability and use of insecticide-treated nets, diagnosis-based treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapy, engagement of communities in malaria control, and strengthening capacity in vector control for malaria.

This is very good progress! But, what’s the next step?

These measurements are indirectly preventing the effect of malaria, but this can only scale until a certain threshold is reached. Poverty makes it hard to be committed a 101%, which is necessary for any substantial progress. When you’re concerned about meeting your physiological needs, isolating the bedroom window might not be a priority to you. The immense decline in malaria deaths certainly provokes optimism. It makes us audacious enough to talk about **eradicating malaria for good!
**

But how?

Genetic Modification

For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that a new kind of genetic engineering can rapidly spread a self-destructive genetic modification through a certain species. This new option that has been added to our toolkit is most definitely controversial.

By using the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 (protein that can be used to add, or adapt genes in a cell), scientists can engineer mosquitoes with ‘’gene drive’’, which rapidly transmits a mutation through other members of the mosquito family.

The idea of ‘’gene drive’’ is that scientists can add a mutation to the genes of mosquitoes, which with certainty carry this mutation on after reproduction.

In a new experiment, mosquitoes carrying the mutation were released into cages filled with unmodified mosquitoes. The results were that eventually all mosquitoes were wiped out because of the self-destructive modification in the modified mosquitoes.

Scientists seemed very pleased with the results of this experiment, as the mosquitoes did not appear to further mutate in a way that would decrease the effectiveness of the engineered mutation. **This happened to be a big problem in previous experiments of ‘’gene drive’’.
**

However, there’s one big problem on the horizon: the ethical implications of this new technology. ‘’Gene drive’’ could potentially eradicate whole species with ease. Some scientists compare this new technology to nuclear power, and some even consider it to be much more powerful than that!

‘’Gene drive’’ is basically Adolf Hitler’s wet dream, and we don’t want it to fall into the hands of the wrong people, let alone make mistakes while applying it in a democratic manner.

It has the potential of eradicating malaria from the earth’s face, but this doesn’t mean that everyone thinks we should just use it. Many people who are against ‘’gene drive’’ bring up the argument that it could crash whole ecosystems. They think that we shouldn’t apply this technology until we have a better understanding of the impact it could have.

But maybe it isn’t necessary to wipe out all mosquitoes..

Senior study investigator George Dimopoulos, Ph.D., professor in the Bloomberg School's department of molecular microbiology and immunology, explained that we could use CRISPR/Cas9 to render mosquitoes malaria-resistant by removing a so-called host factor gene.

He noted that this is the first study to show that deleting a gene from mosquitoes can make them resistant to malaria parasites.

We are still in the early stages of genetic engineering, but it has already proved it will be a real game-changer. This powerful gene editing technology now offers us the opportunity to eradicate malaria, and save thousands of lives each year..

Having said that, it also has a dark side to it when not used properly. But, we humans have always survived by inventing and adapting, we shouldn’t do it different this time around..

For Coil subscribers there's a short video that explains CRISPR/Cas9 a little bit better..

If you think about visionary entrepreneurs, Howard Hughes might not be the one that comes to mind. Not only did he inherit a cash machine from his father, but he also saw bribes as an integral part of doing business.

During his life he experienced a lot of ups and downs. His unclear mind always seemed to push him in irrational directions. Surviving four plane crashes, producing Box Office motion pictures, and battling Pan Am for their monopoly on transatlantic flights.

His life might not be one to envy, but it sure as hell was fascinating!

The Beginning

Howard inherited his father's oil drilling company before his 20th birthday. His father had suddenly collapsed when he was in a business meeting. As the oil market was booming in America, Howard’s father had decided to lease out high quality drilling bits. This appeared to be a very lucrative endeavor.

When Howard inherited the company, the cash cow was making him a fortune a day. However, the difference between Howard and his father was that Howard didn’t aspire to spend his days in the oil industry. Howard had much bigger dreams than that! In his early twenties he wrote down his life goals, which included:

- Become the most successful movie producer

- Become the fastest person on earth

The goals that Howard wanted to achieve didn’t appear to be first principle based. Instead, Howard seemed more obsessed with social status, and prestige. During his lifetime he treated many people around him like garbage. For example: his first wife. He had sent her to another state, and eventually ignored her every attempt of making contact. During this time, he frequently cheated on her with young actresses.

Howard seemed to lack the ability to be interested in, and respect other human beings. According to his mind, machines were much more interesting. Also, Howard seemed to suffer from an intense form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). He wanted to control everything in his world, with him at the center of it.

A lot of his character traits seem to indicate some sort of childhood trauma, but we’ll probably never know..

Hell’s Angels

Howard was determined to make the best motion pictures, and conquer the movie industry. Hell’s Angels was the movie that made him an international celebrity. Hughes did spent a stunning 3.5 million dollars (about 54 million today) of his own money on this movie. It was grandiose, and a lot of critics weren’t so confident about its success.

During the shooting of Hell’s Angels, Howard decided to step aboard an airplane himself. Covered with multiple cameras, and surrounded by many stunt pilots, it wasn’t the safest thing to do. Many people around him told him not to do it! Howard, who later became known for firing employees for saying ''not'', decided to get into the air anyway. During the shoot, Howard quickly lost altitude, losing control over his plane. As he came close to the ground, he pulled up, but it was too late to prevent the plane from crashing. The plane was demolished, but Howard managed to survive the crash.

Proving the critics wrong, the movie became one of the highest grossing sound movies of its era. But unfortunately for Howard, the earnings didn’t surpass the high production costs.

Howard, at the highest peaks, burned through an average of 250 thousand dollars a week (about 3.5 million dollar today). Yes, his big dreams did cost an awful lot of money.

As he passed the age of 40, his mental health neglected him. His plane crashes made him an obsessive user of painkillers, and sedatives. Eventually this took his toll. For years he lived in a dark room of the Beverly Hills hotel. Never ever did he come outside. His fear for bacteria, and paranoia ruled his every move.

As he worked on a new plane for the US government, employees spotted him many times inspecting blueprints with his flashlight on odd hours. ‘’He could stare at the plane for hours in the middle of the night’’ – One employee said. Also, he felt that he couldn’t trust anyone. Especially for the young actresses it meant that they had to undergo an intensive background check. If Howard didn’t trust a distant link to some political party, they were fired. If you looked him peculiar in the eye, **you were fired!
**

His life might not be one to aspire, but we should celebrate him for his extravagant investments in aviation and cinema. He could’ve retired at the age of twenty, and spend his days drinking cocktails on some white beach. Instead, due to his greedy and selfish nature, he chased numerous boundary exceeding goals.

Not only did he push his own limits, he also pushed whole industries! These things don’t happen if you party all day, and leave your money in the bank..

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

- Rob Siltanen

If you desire to learn more about Howard Hughes, the Founders podcast has a terrific episode about him, or you could watch Martin Scorsese’s work: The Aviator (starring DiCaprio).

Some more content for Coil subscribers..

The next morning...

A rooster screamed out loud. Tiny beams of light slipped underneath the thick curtains. Early morning had arrived, and it felt the need to wake us up.

An intensely dry mouth surpassed the slight headache that occupied the important areas of my chamber above.

For the body, last night was a quiet night in, but for the soul, it definitely appeared to be much more than that. A shallow cough disturbed the sleep of my friend. Without much comfort, he slowly opened his eyes. As he looked me straight in the face, and wanted to convey a message by words, his overdose of saliva wouldn’t let him.

Desperately, I turned around to search for the almighty bottle of water. Distant memories of dry seasons after nights out entertained the tiny fraction of working neurons. Most neurons seemed on the verge of extinction, as I finally flooded some fresh water into my mouth. The feeling of plain joy and satisfaction. My heartbeat slowed immediately down. My mind slowed down.

A ruthless sound destroyed the oasis of morning calm. The wooden door bounced in creative directions, like it was ready to pop.

‘’Who is that?! Let him stop!’’

My friend seemed to have swallowed the magnitude of saliva. His voice, squeaky as it was, produced an understandable message. Through the corner of my left eye I saw the woman yawning. Slowly, with no idea what to expect, I pushed myself in the direction of the brown door at the end of the hallway. The cool water had activate some more neurons, but still I lacked the brain power to grasp reality. With my sweaty right hand I reached out, and opened the door. Bright light touched my retinas, roughly. Before I could lay my eyes on T*he Unknown Celebrity*, they had already closed down.

‘’Hi there!’’ He said with a strong Nepali accent.

Gently, to be kind to my precious eyes, I opened them one by one. A small figure entered my sight. A tiny Nepali man with a happy face. His purple shirt reflected a childish vibe onto my still handicaped soul.

‘’Can I help you?’’

The man looked stunned by my conservative reaction. Before I could ask him who he was, I already felt the woman’s breath in my neck. Enthusiastic she unfolded her arms for the peculiar man. Who was he? As the two of them cuddled, they produced sounds of comfort. Oblivious and all, I didn’t miss the fact that they had definitely met before.

Lisa had talked about a professional boxer the night previous, but this guy didn’t fit the bill. Anything but muscular he was, beer belly underneath his tight shirt. Unknowingly, I had expected a Nepali equivalent of Mike Tyson. The man standing in front of me didn’t even seem capable of winning a battle from my friend or me. It sounds downgrading, I know. But please note that I’m not trying to exaggerate. This guy was tiny.

As I stood against the wall, contemplating the situation, the woman turned around and smiled with all of her white teeth.

‘’This is the famous Nepali boxer I was talking about!’’ Like a perfect gentlemen, I introduced myself to the proclaimed boxing champion.

The man was extraordinary happy about meeting us. His early morning welcome, shaved chin, and sincere boyish smile.

Proudly he pointed his finger to a building just behind the hotel’s swimming pool. The new established house, with the vivid colors, was his. We followed him onto the terras to get a better look. Right next to the entrance, behind the kitchen window, his wife stood and waved. Gradually we waved back.

‘’That my wife.’’ She was beautifully dressed.

He immediately wanted to show us his new villa. Enthralled by meeting us foreigners, he had arranged a whole day of activities. ‘’Come with me, I show you my kids!’’ ‘’After breakfast,’’ we said.

As he left us, the majestic view of the valley captivated our sight. The farfetched mountains, humble homes, and small dirt roads. The pleasant sensations of a morning welcome by one of nature’s bests. I felt overwhelmed, but at the same time at ease.

‘’I could use some proteins.’’ I mumbled.

Lisa laughed and nodded.

Time for breakfast..

Who is this Nepali boxing legend? Subscribers will find out..