ahoy there,
quite unexpectedly, i write from leeds, where i am squatting a kindergarten for a mini activism&technology conference. it's a weird bunch of cctv trashers, anarcho-primitivists, and sci fi nerds. the discussions about the imminent apocalyptic consequences of scary nanotechnologies we don't understand should make everyone very paranoid. it's just that it's hard to be a pessimist when surrounded by pre-school wall charts and twinkle twinkle little star posters. and very very small toilets.
i can't get used to the fact that a nice man from the council drops around with some paperwork and a court date, instead of, say, forty riot police with the jaws of life, but then i guess i don't have to as i'm leaving the uk very soon. my flight to new york is on the 1st of july and i feel that england's green and pleasant tower blocks will therefore retain their dreamlike, bbc-flashback quality. it is actually green and pleasant here, there's lots of open park space. it'll all grow back after we're gone.
people speaking english in earshot is weird. wall to wall advertising in english is weird.
there are cctv cameras everywhere.
under the antisocial behaviour acts there's a law against wearing hoodies in certain areas.
double decker buses, clouds, shyness, and marmite are all, also, weird.
i met these lovely people from leeds in barcelona, where every freak in town was at queeruption. it was in a polar opposite squat, a huge fake leather factory with large tracts of toxic waste and its very own forklift. it was fun, but i'm not crazy enough for these kinds of parties at the moment. instead i networked with people doing restorative justice stuff in the states and made peace with the ex, which was grand. don't worry, it wasn't all growth and process, i did get some dancing in and far too much kalimotxo (which we didn't invent after all) and met cool kids from all over the place.
england's my end point for now, and it's good to feel like this stage of my adventure is over, it's a relief. i'm not tired of moving around anymore. i've sort of become used to it. every week or two switch cultures or climates. spend 24 hours on the road. every time i get used to a place i start wondering what i'm doing there. normally this excess energy goes into writing. i'm restless, or rather i've forced myself into a habit of restlessness which i don't think is particularly natural or good. we talk about local action, about affinity groups, and i want to go home. here it's dead enough that i don't feel like i have to do anything, just visit a few important people, wait, and leave. a relief indeed. sort of like purgatory.
well, i'll let you know when hell lets me in. take care. xj
quite unexpectedly, i write from leeds, where i am squatting a kindergarten for a mini activism&technology conference. it's a weird bunch of cctv trashers, anarcho-primitivists, and sci fi nerds. the discussions about the imminent apocalyptic consequences of scary nanotechnologies we don't understand should make everyone very paranoid. it's just that it's hard to be a pessimist when surrounded by pre-school wall charts and twinkle twinkle little star posters. and very very small toilets.
i can't get used to the fact that a nice man from the council drops around with some paperwork and a court date, instead of, say, forty riot police with the jaws of life, but then i guess i don't have to as i'm leaving the uk very soon. my flight to new york is on the 1st of july and i feel that england's green and pleasant tower blocks will therefore retain their dreamlike, bbc-flashback quality. it is actually green and pleasant here, there's lots of open park space. it'll all grow back after we're gone.
people speaking english in earshot is weird. wall to wall advertising in english is weird.
there are cctv cameras everywhere.
under the antisocial behaviour acts there's a law against wearing hoodies in certain areas.
double decker buses, clouds, shyness, and marmite are all, also, weird.
i met these lovely people from leeds in barcelona, where every freak in town was at queeruption. it was in a polar opposite squat, a huge fake leather factory with large tracts of toxic waste and its very own forklift. it was fun, but i'm not crazy enough for these kinds of parties at the moment. instead i networked with people doing restorative justice stuff in the states and made peace with the ex, which was grand. don't worry, it wasn't all growth and process, i did get some dancing in and far too much kalimotxo (which we didn't invent after all) and met cool kids from all over the place.
england's my end point for now, and it's good to feel like this stage of my adventure is over, it's a relief. i'm not tired of moving around anymore. i've sort of become used to it. every week or two switch cultures or climates. spend 24 hours on the road. every time i get used to a place i start wondering what i'm doing there. normally this excess energy goes into writing. i'm restless, or rather i've forced myself into a habit of restlessness which i don't think is particularly natural or good. we talk about local action, about affinity groups, and i want to go home. here it's dead enough that i don't feel like i have to do anything, just visit a few important people, wait, and leave. a relief indeed. sort of like purgatory.
well, i'll let you know when hell lets me in. take care. xj
subscribe
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home