Waiting

Location Heathrow airport, London

Beloved Bwee is delayed as usual. I decided to try out one of thse intrnet kiosks wit my lat remaiig pound. Excue th typos. Thse keys are hard to prss and goin back to fix every wod is loss of valuable time as my pound per 10 mins ticks away. Oh that Bwee were also 10 mis away rater tan 2 hours.

Elspeth

Goodbye Europe, Hello Trinidad ...

Location: Leicester Square, London
Weather: Relentless rain
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Hooray! I checked my e-mail yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find that I have been awarded an Award of Excellence (click on website, click on 'View Exhibition', then click on 'Award Received' under 'Browsing Spiritual VIII') for a black & white photograph I had submitted to the Spiritual VIII online art exhibition put on by the My Expose online gallery. The award offers me the choice between $100US and a year's free membership to My Expose. As I am already a member, I have opted to choose the year's free membership.
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Today I found a bargain at Cass Art in London. They had reduced prices on all kinds of art materials, I bought some new tubes of acrylic paints which were going for 75p per tube. The tubes were fairly sizeable and I found this to be good value, so I got about 10 (as well as three larger tubes of other colours, also at reduced prices). In fact, the colours I ended up with were not the kinds of colours I would normally go for. I am usually drawn to deep colours (blues, greens, etc.) and, whilst I got some of those, I also got colours like bright orange, bright emerald, bronze ... and fluorescent pink. Let the fun begin.
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In closing, I say goodbye to London and thank it for the experiences, moments and opportunities it has offered to me over the past few weeks. Goodbye also to Switzerland, which presented life as a clean slate ... or perhaps a clean canvas, now ready to be explored with my new paints.

And last but not least, hello to Trinidad which (even though I dread returning to the heat, traffic and other things that annoy and frustrate me from time to time) ... is home.

Elspeth

Back in town

Location: Internet Cafe, Leicester Square, London

A quick update ...

Got back to London from Switzerland a few hours ago. It's the longest time I have spent away from updating "Now is Wow" ... but most of the time in Switzerland was spent in the Alps and it wasn't possible to do computery things like check e-mail, update, etc.

The first experience was in a beautiful place called Gimmelwald (pronounced Gimmelvalt), where we did a lot of uphill walking (more like trudging - through packed white snow), sledding (downhill to get back to the Hotel), eating (traditional Swiss dishes - of which my favourite was a dish called Roshti). There was snow, snow and more snow. Mountains, mountains and more mountains.

The next stay was at a place in a valley called Engadine, flanked by snowy mountains. There, ice skating was my peak experience. Took lots of photos with my digital. So far have well over 300. I won't show all on Now is Wow, but may put up a few that give the essence of the journey. Switzerland is another world ... surreal in its cleanliness and safety ... space-agey in its modernity and the way things work ... post-cardy/Christmas cardy in its scenery.

Still assimilating it all.

In comparison London seems like waking up from a dream.

I wonder what Trinidad will feel like in two days time.

Elspeth

All I can say is WOW!

Since there is no W in my name, I'll forget about that for now, since all I can say is Wow since being in Zurich. Flying in was like approaching another planet. At first the clouds looked like a vast snowscape (tundra) stretching for miles, with huge plumes of cloud shooting out of the cloud bed looking like cosmic towers. Then what appeared to be clouds turned out to be massicve snow covered mountains. These Alps are amazing. I was saying WOWWWWW from then until entering the airport, which was unbelievably clean and empty (very zen).

Right now, I am writing this from my frind Corina's at home office/study which overlooks Zurich. Where she lives is in Zurich, but on a height ... kind of like living in Port of Spain but in Lady Chancellor so you can see the whole city, teh sea, etc. ... only higher. The view is of the whole of Zurich, covered in white snow and beyond that is the lake and then the Alps, covered in snow and jutting into the sky. It's like something from a book actually ... at first not seeming real because it is so clean and picturesque. I'm not sure if I will be able to upload photos, but with my new digital camera which was brought in by my friend J who has also come for Christmas, I've been taking shots of everything without having to think about film and developing, etc. I'll share these when I return.
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Elspeth

S is for ...

Location: London (Brixton)
Weather: Sunny and warmish - about 7 degrees Celsius
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Switzerland. Tomorrow I leave for Switzerland - to spend Christmas there before returning to London on 29th December. I checked the temperatures there and their highs are in the minus degrees (-3 celsius, etc.). Snowy and sunny. I will update the blog from time to time (or maybe even daily) while I am over there. Possibly I will be able to include some photos this time around.

Sunny. Today is sunny with lovely long, photographic shadows. Feels like more of a summer or spring day than a winter one. Yesterday was also sunny, but colder than it has been thus far (about 1 degree cel).

Surprised? I'm not surprised that no-one seems to have responded to any of my flourescent green post its. However, the flourescent pink post its are proving to be far more interesting, enlightening and even amusing. This particular project will be revealed at another time - some time early next year.

(The letters by the way, are letters from my name: L and S have been used so far. Not using them in order ... so E, E, P, T and H still to be used)
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Elspeth

L is for ...

Location: London
Weather: Sunny, lovely long shadows, refreshingly nippy
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LONDONERS. I wonder if any Londoners have found any of the post its I left on the public transport. If they have, they have not responded. If you are reading this and you are one of the Londoners, feel free to respond in a comment or e-mail. I would love to send you a CD as a Christmas gift.
LOVELY. Had a lovely time last night at a 5 rhythms dancing session near Russell Square. Rose and I went after editing and had a great time. I had been to 5 Rhythms once before, with my friends Laura and Ed, when I was here in 2004. It's a great experience and lots of fun, very freeing and energizing.
LUNCH. Having lunch with my friend Andrew. We will be bringing out cameras with us for old times sake. When we were studying together at Cambridge we used to go out with our cameras and shoot photos all day. As quickly as we finished a roll each, we would take it to be developed, get a free roll (with the developing) and start all over again.
LIVE. Live and direct is the only way to really experience Christmas somewhere, but I tried to briefly explain Trini Christmas to Anonymous (whoever you are) in yesterday's comments. If any other Trinis reading this can add to the explanation (anything I left out), please do.
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L-speth

Temperatures will plummet

Location: London, near Warren Street tube station
Weather: Warm
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Last night when speaking to two friends on the phone, they both said "temperatures are supposed to plummet from tomorrow" (i.e. today). Despite howling wind early this morning, it is quite a warm day, I find. I just checked and the report says 'Cloudy, 10 degrees C'. I think this 'cold weather' is like Snufalufagus on Sesame Street ... one wonders if it really exists.
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Elspeth

A Daisy in Brixton

Location: London, England
Weather: I personally find it's like a cool summer's day
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Yesterday whilst walking, I wandered into a shop in Brixton (attracted by some shells). The man and I started chatting and he asked me where my accent was from. (Funny how they ask where my accent is from and not where I am from, as though my accent is a separate entity). When I said I am from Trinidad, his face lit up and he said: "Oy, me mum's from Trinidad, she grew up in Belmont ... but I was born here!"

Amazingly, out of the blue, he then launched into a talk about spirituality. He said that even though he grew up in England, he doesn't think he will stay another five years because it never felt like a home to him ... he finds there is hardly any spirituality and people have no foundation. He was young, maybe in his 30's. He told me his mother brought him up with a strong foundation which she got in Trinidad and that people in London are drawn to him because of it - they sense his inner strength and spirit. I told him it's funny he was talking about spirituality in the city because I myself had been wondering about it after my recent dream.

He said he had visited Trinidad once in 1998 and found it to be such a spiritual place. We chatted for a while and then I had to go. He introduced himself as Kevin and told me that if I ever bounce up 'the Davises' in Trinidad, to tell them hello. (So hello to any Davises who may be reading this). He couldn't remember where his brother (who is in Trinidad) lives - but described it in his raw English accent as "that place vat rains a lot. I fink it's Arima."

I definitely think he was another daisy growing in a crack in the concrete jungle. We agreed that it is necessary to spread good vibes once you have that ability and inclination.

In parting he gave me a 'bounce' then we gave each other a big hug. It was like meeting and saying goodbye to a kindred spirit.
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Elspeth

Long letter from London

Dear All,

The London Daisy-growing-in-a-concrete crack experiment continues ...
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If you are here because you found this address on a fluorescent green post it note in London, please indicate your presence by leaving a comment about yourself or sending me an e-mail. In fact, send me your address and, if you are the first person to do so, I will send you one of my CDs.
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Location: London, England
Weather: Pleasant
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Yesterday I left 6 out of the 27 Post Its in the following places:
1. Internet Cafe in Brixton (1 post it)
2. Railing of the steps of Green Park Underground station (3 Post Its - two going and one coming back)
3. Elevator in Covent Garden tube station (1 post it)
4. On the train from Green Park to Brixton (1 post it)
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It's not very likely that people will take the time to look up the address, given that everyone is so busy ... in addition to which, a green Post It stuck somewhere in public can easily be lost in the clutter of the city ... overlooked as another piece of rubbish. Hmmm ... but who knows.
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In terms of spirituality in the city ... after waking up and wondering about it yesterday, I was virtually accosted by it when I went to Covent Garden just before midday. A young man meandered his way towards me through the crowds, smiling brightly. I wasn't going to stop, but he looked so glowing and pleasant that I slowed down to hear what he was saying. He was attempting to give me a book (hard cover version of The Science of Realization). I told him that I already had that book, since when I was in London last year November someone else had given it to me (in a similar way). He then asked me where I was from and when I said "Trinidad", he said: "Oh, I have a friend from Trinidad. He comes to our Temple." We chatted for a while. He is a Hare Krishna. In parting, he said "Here's a gift" and gave me a book - The Yoga of Divine Love. Interestingly, the inscription at the beginning of the book says: A world renowned yoga master cuts through the commercialism that now clouds the real meaning of yoga. It made me think of spirituality cutting through the commercialism of the city ... but also made me think of spirituality itself being advertised in order to get through to the masses.
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Immediately after that, I was drawn to a store called the Tibet Store. I was reading a little handwritten note about the prayer flags and the woman in the store came and started talking about them - how it's believed that the wind carries the sutras into the atmosphere, etc. She said that people never bought the flags until there was a programme about Tibetan prayer flags on TV - after which lots of people started coming into her store and buying them out. We started to chat. She is from Tibet and looks fairly exotic (maybe in her late 30's/early 40's) - and had a glow similar to the Hare Krishna man. She's been living in London for 10 years ... the first five of which she said she hated and wanted to go back home. I asked her why ...
She: The people. They were so cold. I felt disconnected.
Me: What happened to change it?
She: I became like them.

I told her that maybe she became like that on the surface, as a protective mechanism, but that inside she never really changed. She agreed and said she had settled in and grown to like it, saying that "Time changes things." In fact she was very serene and meditational in spirit and was telling me that she enjoys coming to her little shop which is like an oasis in the midst of the bustling city. She asked me where my accent was from and I said Trinidad, which she knew about because she has friends who go there on holiday sometimes. So we chatted about that for a while then I had to leave and go to work.
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Well, she and the Hare Krishna man felt like daisies springing up in the midst of the crowds. Later on the train on the way to work, there was a young man who was smiling at us, told us hello very chirpily and told us goodbye when we were walking up the escalator past him and what must have been his father. He didn't look crazy ... but it struck me that sometimes when people are open and friendly, others might think they are a little "off" or retarded. In fact, ironically, in public places sometimes people even regard very open, friendly and smiling people with suspicion. I once saw a woman walking down the street smiling in Trinidad and people were looking at her as if she was crazy. What if she was just smiling at a memory ... or because it was a nice day and she felt happy? Another day, there was a woman singing as she unpacked her groceries at HiLo (in Trinidad). I noted that the cashier was leaning away from her and giving her strange looks.
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Anyway, about work ... today is the second to last day with the second school, Salisbury. They completed their filming yesterday and today we will review the footage and, if there is anything they need to redo, they'll do it. Tomorrow, the final day, will most likely be spent tying up any loose ends and watching the two films created in Trinidad earlier this year. Then ... a weekend of editing (Friday & Sunday) and it's all over. Then on to the official holiday part.
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Elspeth

Daisy in a Crack experiment

If you are here because of a fluorescent green post it note stuck in a public place in London, can you indicate your presence by leaving a comment about yourself or sending me an e-mail? In fact, send me your address and, if you are the first person to do so, I will send you one of my CDs.

(I will repeat this until I leave England/Europe at the end of December)

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Location: Brixton, England
Weather: Grey sky with patches of blue; not really cold, just refreshing. And speaking of grey skies: on the weekend, at the school, I looked out of the window and said to Rose: "Wow, look at that cloud! We're in for some heavy rain, boy!" What was in fact a really huge, heavy grey cloud turned out to be from the explosion. Last night on the tube coming home, people had their heads buried in the papers reading about it: basically the toxic cloud of hydrocarbons hanging over London.
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When I woke up this morning (due to a long chain of thoughts which led me to this idea) I decided I would experiment by advertising Now is Wow. Before heading out the door, I wrote out the address for this blog on 27 green Post It notes (27 because that's all I had). I'm going to leave the Post Its in different places and see if anyone comes to visit this site. The first one I am leaving is right here on the desk next to the computer in the Internet cafe. The image I get of my little Post It notes is that each one is a daisy growing through a crack in the urban concrete ... likely to be stepped on, likely to be passed by, maybe to be noticed by someone who is able to take time and 'smell the daisies'. It makes me think of some people (maybe most?) who bustle by on their way to wherever the bustle to. Everyone in the city is a daisy living in a crack whether they realise it or not.
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This experiment raises some questions:
1. How likely is it that anyone will notice the Post Its?
2. Even if they do see the fluoursecent green post it with a web address on it, will they take the time to check it out?
3. How many people who notice and check it out will stay long enough to read anything?
4. Etc ... And many more questions stem from this.
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There is advertising everywhere ... from the largest billboard to the smallest piece of graffiti sprayed in a grungy corner ... flyers scattered on the ground ... anything, anywhere is an opportunity for selling or promoting something. If all advertising was noise, the whole world would be shouting and we would all be deaf. It would be so loud that we would never know what silence is. It would be extinct. This is the thing that amazes me. Somehow this time around in London it is what stands out to me: the people, bustling around in the mass of media. The commercialism screams for attention and the people are swallowed by it - like some huge monster that has taken over the world.
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Why I'm thinking all of this is because of a dream I had last night. I won't go into it, because this is already getting so long. But suffice it to say, one of my first thoughts when I woke up this morning was: where is the spirituality of/in the city?
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As I walked down the road I remembered a small bit of a poem Daddy had written in my autograph book when I was small. I can't remember the exact words, but it was something about a humble daisy ... about the fact that it seemed inconsequential, it wasn't perceived as anything big and powerful or purposeful ... yet the poem ends by saying that the daisy "protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun."
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The experiment will continue.
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Elspeth

Suchness

Location: Brixton, UK
Weather: Grey sky, not too cold (by my standards).
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Suchness (n): the unintelligible way in which certain artists write about their art; art that cannot be understood and, when explained by the artist, becomes even more confusing.
(Word coined with friend J when visiting some art galleries in Toronto in October 2005).
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Just passing some time as I wait for photos to be developed at Boots, then will head home and leave shortly after for work (the second school, Salisbury). I woke up early this morning and went to the Modern Tate Gallery. I was sitting in one of the galleries on a bench, watching a 'strange' video piece byCatherine Sullivan. I picked up one of her brochures explaining the work, but have not read it in detail yet. So I won't go into detailed explanations about what I saw, in case I misrepresent her artistic intentions. But, from a woman-off-the-street perspective ... the room was dark and small, the walls were made up of panels of video, each showing different actors/actresses making strange almost mechanical and spasmodic movements and bizarre clicks and noises with their mouths whilst classical music played in the background. A little boy sitting next to me summed up my sentiments well by shouting loudly in the dark silence: "Dad? What on earth's this all about?!" The father didn't answer, perhaps feeling embarassed because the boy was being so loud about it. But after the boy had said it, I chuckled and looked at him, nodding in agreement - and the father, perhaps realising that there was someone else who felt the same way, admitted: "I don't know what's going on, son. I don't know." Nevertheless we stayed until the end. This experience follows hot on the heels of a dinner party Rose (hostess/coworker) had at home last night, where part of the conversation around the dinner table revolved around artists who write/talk about their work in academic ways that the general public, myself included, can't understand. Things like: "The dichotomy of the diaspora is essential to the fabric of my work. I intend to study the ways in which people breathe as they walk down the road, expunging fumes of existence from the framwork of anatomy, asking the question ... are we real? Is this London?" (I find they usually use the word dichotomy. I'll look through the brochure to see if C. Sullivan uses it as well.)
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Amazing that the weather doesn't seem cold to me - and I don't necessarily feel the need for warm foods and drinks (not that I'm averse to them, but I enjoy a cold drink of juice or water rather than hot tea. And I often crave ice. The other day I was eating an ice lolly outside the train station. It was a 'cold' day. A man rushing by, huddled in his coat, looked at me eating the lolly and said: "Hot day, innit?"
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Elspeth

Snowless Boot Christening

Location: Brixton, England
Weather: Misty, grey, crispy cold (or cripsy cold, as some Trinis would say)
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When I woke up early this morning and stepped outside it was cold, misty and beautiful. Everything was swallowed in the haze (trees, buildings, cars, people) , looking like a vast watercolour painting. I succumbed and wore my new snow boots to go to Tesco's and buy some bread and water. I have been wearing them since (i.e. the boots, not the bread and water). It's like my feet are buried in quilts and I'm walking on cushions.
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Today is the last day with the first school and tomorrow we begin with the second.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!
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Elspeth

Snow moon boots

Location: Brixton, England
Weather report: Grey, cold, wet
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It's one of those 'typical' grey, cold and wet London days, but once my clothing keeps me warm and dry I really don't mind it. In fact I find the cold weather refreshing - stepping outside and the 'steam' comign from nose and mouth, cold biting at nose and cheeks. I was thinking yesterday of the heat in Trinidad - and to be honest, I don't miss it when I think of sitting in my car sweltering in traffic (need to aircondition car upon return). The only times I don't appreciate the cold weather are: (1) when it's time to get into the shower (2) when it's time to get out of the shower (3) if I'm indoors in a place that's not heated (somehow it feels worse to be cold indoors than cold outdoors) (4) if I'm outdoors and wet and cold (which I haven't been yet and hope not to be).
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I was walking along the street yesterday and was drawn into a sports store. They were having a closing down sale, 'Prices Slashed', etc. I picked up a real bargain on fantastic snow boots - only £8.99 (70% off). They are lightweight but bulky, their insides fluffy, warm, comfy and cosy and their outsides black and waterproof. Wearing them I feel as though I'm Neil Armstrong touching down on the moon for the first time. I was going to christen them last night (even though it's not snowing) when we went out 'on the town' but ended up not wearing them ... a good thing, since it was raining steadily and the place was muddy and somewhat squelchy. Better to christen the 'snow moon' boots in the snow when I get to Switzerland.
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One of the 'Anonymous' crew asked me in a comment yesterday about Trini and British folk being alike - and if I've heard any of the slang being similar. My personal answer to both is no, actually. I haven't heard any Trini-type slang and I don't find the TT & Brits similar. I wonder in what ways people say there is a similarity. Walking through Brixton however, you do see all the West Indian merchants and hear mainly Jamaican accents wafting around. And a while ago as I left the health food shop I saw a little shop with stickers on the window - Trini flag, Jamaican flag and some African flags.
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In terms of 'keeping the pictures coming' - I was thinking about that as I was walking this morning. I've only been taking pics with my film camera - and not many pics since we took the first batch for the students to use. I don't have a scanner to scan them in. When I get my digital you will start seeing pictures again.
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Enjoy the day.
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Elspeth

Internet Cafe

London, England
Tottenham Court area
Weather: bright and sunny, blue skies, pleasantly cold
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I've never been an Internet Cafe person - and never really used them until this trip. No, that's not true. I used one once in Trinidad when my computer was down. But here I've used it twice (this being the second time). Both times I was walking around and, to kill two birds with one stone, I've stopped in at Internet Cafes: (1) to check mail (2) to sit down. I can also do this at home on Rose's computer, but this is fun as well. This particular cafe is crowded like a sardine tin. I'm sitting next to a man who just pointed out to me that I type very fast. I suppose because I've got to go soon - head back home, since it's 12:01 and I wanted to get back around 1:00, as we leave for the school a little before 2:00. The project is unfolding. Three of the boys started shooting their film yesterday and will continue today. They're enjoying themselves.
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Had some bizarre dreams about Trinidad last night, so hope everything is okay with the country. I haven't been keeping up to date at all on what's been happening.
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Elspeth

New Energy

Feeling quite better today, woke up with an appetite and ate a pastel (one of those which mum had sent with me). Headed out early and walked into Brixton - really heading to the second hand bookstore, but it's been closed for the past few hours that I've been here. Maybe it opens more towards the afternoon. So I walked around, took a few photographs, familiarised myself and got my bearings and will head back home soon as we are leaving to go to Ravens Wood at around 2 p.m. This week the sessions will be 3 - 5 p.m., as opposed to the weekend sessions which were 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Stopped in at an Internet Cafe to kill some time (am here now) and will see if the bookstore is open on my way back home.
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Elspeth

Point Form

1. Day 2 of work with the first school, Ravens Wood Boys High School.
2. Going well, moving swiftly given the short time we have with them (until Friday) before moving on to the next school.
3. Personally, trying to recover energy due to a stomach bug which hit me upon arrival.
4. Weatherwise, feels a tad colder today - more crisp, not unbearable, not wet.
5. May not be updating as regularly or in as detailed a manner as usual.
6. Will update properly when feeling more energised.
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Elspeth

Weather Reports

Seems like I've been giving weather reports since being here: cold, wet, windy. The get-dark-early has me feeling as though it's much later than it actually is. I don't mind that feature (getting dark early), but it makes me feel to sleep more.
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The project officially begins tomorrow (Saturday) with our visit to the first school. Rose and I went walking today, our cameras each loaded with a roll of 36 exposure 100 ASA to take random shots which we will present to the students tomorrow ... somewhat like clues to lead them towards the creation of their video piece. She has gone to collect the prints and will be back soon ... so we'll sit and see what we got and take it from there. At this point it's all very spontaneous and egg-like. The actually process is yet to hatch.
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Speaking of 100ASA ... this morning it was pouring with rain and very grey, so we decided it was more like a 400ASA day. But then just as the rain stopped the sun came out and it became a 100ASA day again.
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Elspeth

Today

Grey
coldish
windy
Haven't left house yet
But will soon ...
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Elspeth