The weather minute

I'm only happy when it rains, she said, I'm only happy when it's complicated.
Shot between May 28th and June 3rd, 2009, Alexandria, VA.

Subway Jazz and Loneliness or Boredom

Appropriate soundtrack don't you think?

More Subway Jazz

Par exemple

Bonjour/toi/moi/ailleurs/bonbons/retrouvailles/circulation/matériel/emploi/martyr/artérielle/la/tension/symphonie/baroque/bourgeoisie/princesse/blondinet/valet/parking/martien/douyouspik/démangeaison/voici/moribond/foie/amertume/c'était autre chose/spleen/voilà/c'était ça/je/oui/fofolle/joujolie/ment/votre/ment/comme/elle/respire/merde/violet/indigo/go/c'est/vert/peur/erreur/machin/alors/sens/sensation/forte/fort/heureusement/chagrin/malaise/éternels/mais/moindres/périssables?/bons/fréquentable/boutons/Brel/qui/me/manque/vin/et/mots/poésie(s)

Discussing China with my roommate

My current roommate in NY is originally Chinese. She's lovely. Entertaining as hell. Recently, she's had her first encounter-shock-clash with a person from Tibet. Although she is too polite to have an all-out argument, she came back home fuming: How he does not consider himself Chinese? I don't have enough background on the matter to make a decision about what is and is not right about that conflict, but I guess I did not offer the support she hoped for, when I acknowledged the fact that Tibetans want their independence. It's an affront to her Chinese pride and nationalism, this quest for independence. We've since had more talks about politics, which she admits, she does not know much about. I've been amazed by how little she knows of her own country's politics, (not that I know more, but then it is China, technically the edge of the world for me), but one thing I found very surprising, for example, was that she had not heard of the 1989 Tien An Men Square incidents (students protests) at home. She had heard of the square of course, seen it as well, but she confessed that she learned about the incidents there from an Englishman. She has not seen the famous video, or pictures of the lone anonymous man who stood facing the tanks. She asked me if I trusted the news about it. I said I did not know the details, but it was evident that there were tanks (and thus army/state action) opposing Chinese citizens. She agreed. She also exhibits slight paranoia, which apparently is shared by her her classmates and compatriots of the same age, about China being perceived as "weak". Weak? I asked, China? She seemed reassured by my incredulity. I told her most people know China's strength. She thought everybody hated China especially the Japanese. Well, they were at war. They musn't like each other much. The media in China is still highly controlled by the government, to this day. As she describes it, the media only display "the good news". I will ask her more about it soon. But I'll leave you with this, the video of the man facing the tanks, the incredibly brave act of resistance/defiance, which shook me to the core, when I was 14.

Tien an men square 4/6/1989 China

The Big Sleep

Subway musicals

I'm infatuated with the subway system in New York. It's not quite as friendly as anywhere else I've been in the world, but it's unique. My brother likes to call the NY subway "the Underworld", because it is a whole world, a maze of levels and layers of iron and steel... And musicians, with whom I am most (again) infatuated.
In DC, where my brothers live, the subway is civilized: Wishshshshshhh, the train enters the station, people file in and move away from the doors after waiting for the people inside to descend. Everyone has their earphones on, but there is no sound coming out from them. Civilized music levels. The doors close silently. Wishshshshh, and the train is off. The sanitized version of subway experience in suit-filled DC.
In New York, the subway is alive. The conversations abound, waiting to be eavesdropped on (see below the chica and her elvis impersonator). The city is alive, moving, bustling and kicking, over and under, not to mention the chaos which is the subway on Halloween, something I had the (mis?)fortune of witnessing this year. The artists are of all ages, races, and styles. There are the painful ones who murder their instruments and torture my ears (I wanted to snatch away a musician's violin once, the squeaking carriage was a more welcome sound). Rats scurry around happily oblivious to incoming trains. And then these musicians, who want to practice without bothering the neighbours, or make a buck or two, offer you a soundtrack to your life. Below are a few including a Christmas special that I managed to catch on my low resolution phone, and I apologise to the viewers/listeners, as well as to the artists about the audiovisual quality.

A bit of magic, courtesy of the IFC