La vie en musique

"After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity..."

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:50:41 -0400

“

After learning my flight was detained 4 hours,
I heard the announcement:
If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic,
Please come to the gate immediately.

Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress,
Just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.
Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her
Problem? we told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she
Did this.

I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly.
Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick,
Sho bit se-wee?

The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used—
She stopped crying.

She thought our flight had been canceled entirely.
She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the
Following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late,

Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him.
We called her son and I spoke with him in English.
I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and
Would ride next to her—Southwest.

She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it.

Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and
Found out of course they had ten shared friends.

Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian
Poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours.

She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering
Questions.

She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered
Sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag—
And was offering them to all the women at the gate.

To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
Sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California,
The lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same
Powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.

And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers—
Non-alcoholic—and the two little girls for our flight, one African
American, one Mexican American—ran around serving us all apple juice
And lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar too.

And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands—
Had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing,

With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always
Carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.

And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought,
This is the world I want to live in. The shared world.

Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped
—has seemed apprehensive about any other person.

They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.
This can still happen anywhere.

Not everything is lost.

”

- Naomi Shihab Nye (b. 1952), “Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal.” I think this poem may be making the rounds, this week, but that’s as it should be. (via awelltraveledwoman)
Cannot heart this enough.

mangoestho: tinacoohenchang: Aaradhna - Lorena Bobbitt...

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:48:41 -0400

mangoestho:

tinacoohenchang:

Aaradhna - Lorena Bobbitt (Official Music Video) (by DawnRaidMusic)

<3

Fun!

reddotfeather: Sometimes OMG lower left corner

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:41:51 -0400

reddotfeather:

Sometimes

OMG lower left corner

This GIF is best enjoyed with Nothing Is by My Bloody Valentine.

Fri, 10 May 2013 19:59:42 -0400

This GIF is best enjoyed with Nothing Is by My Bloody Valentine.

For Our Sake by G A L P A L S for chrisoloveshair

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:55:00 -0400

For Our Sake by G A L P A L S for chrisoloveshair

The Withywood Walk by EatsEverything on the Dirtybird Players...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:46:31 -0400

The Withywood Walk by EatsEverything on the Dirtybird Players compilation part 2.

Because Friday.

Wasting My Young Years by London Grammar, released June 16th. Do...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:37:52 -0400

Wasting My Young Years by London Grammar, released June 16th.

Do not play this song right now unless it is just before dawn. If you must, bookmark this post and set a reminder for yourself to play this tomorrow morning. Make yourself a cup of coffee to help adjust with arising at such a godawful time of the day. If you are a smoker, take your time enjoying a cigarette as you play the track. Eventually you will want to quit smoking but for now! enjoy the music as you smoke your cigarette, drink your coffee, and watch dawn unfold before your eyes.

Anarcho-punk’d: Crass’s Infamous ‘Thatchergate’ Tape

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:17:00 -0400

Anarcho-punk’d: Crass’s Infamous ‘Thatchergate’ Tape

Curly Castro Feat. Has-Lo - Coal (Prod. By Georgia Anne Muldrow)...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:27:32 -0400

Curly Castro Feat. Has-Lo - Coal (Prod. By Georgia Anne Muldrow) (by eaturmotherblocker .)

Beats so deep the end of the song hits like a two-ton truck.

Help me decide

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:56:49 -0400

Ingeborg or Harriet?

Ingeborg by Typejockeys Such a beautiful modern Didone.

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:21:22 -0400

Ingeborg by Typejockeys

Such a beautiful modern Didone.

[When You Wake] You're Still In A Dream by My Bloody Valentine on Spotify

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:00:33 -0400

[When You Wake] You're Still In A Dream by My Bloody Valentine on Spotify:

I love this song but I hate it when this shit happens. And I don’t want to know what an ice cream maker represents.

Listening to Belle Mare as the sun begins to rise. A dream and...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:52:56 -0400

Listening to Belle Mare as the sun begins to rise. A dream and some despondency thrown in for good measure.

If one were to believe tumblr this is titled Goddess of...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:11:45 -0400

If one were to believe tumblr this is titled Goddess of Depression by Victor Nazarenko, but I am having difficulty tracking down the source (read: artist link).

likeafieldmouse: Kader Attia - Ghost (2007) - Aluminum...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:03:07 -0400

likeafieldmouse:

Kader Attia - Ghost (2007) - Aluminum foil

stunning

Black and Roses, photographed by Tim Walker for Vogue Italia,...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:02:13 -0400

Black and Roses, photographed by Tim Walker for Vogue Italia, October 2012.

Gareth Pugh A/W 2013

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 01:31:00 -0400

Gareth Pugh A/W 2013

Ain’t no one betta

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:28:26 -0400

Ain’t no one betta

Roberta Flack by Tony DiSpigna

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:26:12 -0400

Roberta Flack by Tony DiSpigna

A couple weeks ago Justin christened Vinnie as “Fuzz Butters”...

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 21:39:49 -0500

A couple weeks ago Justin christened Vinnie as “Fuzz Butters” and I exploded into a million hearts.