Periodic Observations

A time-lapse photography piece with a palindromic structure. It is meant to play continuously back and forth for all eternity! In the gallery, I had two slightly different versions of this video synced and next to each other on separate walls… but this will give you the idea…

This ad from the 1968 is only mildly sexist… right.  The text at the bottom reads:  “Women of the future will make the moon a cleaner place to live.”  Optimism about the Apollo project AND male domination!  I don’t think this ad would go over too well in modern America.

Human TETRIS stop motion animation/performance with an interesting and oddly compelling soundtrack. I love this stuff! From the minds of teh people at The Game Over Project.

TETRIS played by real human-beings sitting in an auditorium: TETRIS is the 4th video performance of the GAME OVER Project, directed by the Swiss artist Guillaume REYMOND (NOTsoNOISY creative agency). This stop-motion video was shot and played for “LES URBAINES” festival http://www.urbaines.ch at the Palais de Rumine (Lausanne, Switzerland) on November 24th 2007.  You can find more information and also SPACE INVADERS, PONG and POLE POSITION on our website http://www.notsonoisy.com/gameover

I made it back to Chicago on Thursday night after the 11th flight of the trip.  I watched 4 movies on the plane and slept a bit.  Batman Begins was a great choice because Friday I went to see Dark Night.  Great movie… Instant classic villain played by Mr. Ledger as the Joker, and no, I’m not just saying this because he’s dead.  It was really, truly an amazing character.  Digressions, digressions… On Saturday I moved all of my things out of my apartment and into storage… not exactly an ideal activity after returning from Asia, but had to be done.  My apartment is now in the hands of a new man.  Now lets consolodate loans and look for a job!  wooo hooo!  I still attempt to arrive at home in my head…  Meanwhile in Chicago, the weather is beautiful and I look forward to Muskegon beaches bonfire forest boat.  Dearest Chicago, I’ll be back very soon… I promise.  The remainder of my photos from the trip have been posted.

The end of the story is the most interesting part, so I’ll start from the beginning of the end and work my way.  Let me feed the beast:  I disembarked in Shanghai dirty sweaty probably stink like trash bin juice.  Walk 25 miles to baggage claim motors whir conveyor belt starts bag ejected from dark tunnel. Head for the Maglev… the high speed train that carries a person from the airport into central Shanghai.  The final train for the day had departed 20 minutes ago.  I examine the bus information screen in search of another economical way to make my way and find it quite confusing.  Hmmm .. Just take a taxi .. Take a hit in the cash department and get it over with .. You need sleep.   I usually pounce on these ideas that pop into my head; Follow the stream.  A bad feeling usually aids with navigation.  Like when, last night, I was lead into a dimly lit stairwell following a guy who claimed he could get me to town for 200 Yuan.  When the stairway, however, lead me into a back alley where an unmarked car was waiting with the words ‘lets rob tourists’ written on the windshield, I experienced one of these bad feelings, and hastily made my way back upstairs…

Speaking of spontaneously sprouting ideas, I had one the day before I left Chiang Mai.  Sick, as I was, of riding on the backpacker friendly ‘VIP’ buses that take one straight to Khao San road in Bangkok, I thought it a good idea to spend a bit more and take a real VIP bus.  One with plenty of leg room to accommodate lanky individuals like myself.  And what a great choice it was!  I’ve never slept better during transport.  My arrival in Bangkok the next morning was followed by a day of laziness in the wonderful Thai Cozy House, where I received a discount because it was my fourth time staying there in two months.  Hot shower TV eat coffee coca cola internet off to China.  Arrive in Shenzhen, China wandering around with a similarly lanky individual from Australia named Phil.  Phil is recovering from Typhoid he picked up in Pakistan .. he’s tired .. we’re staying at the same hostel .. we wander through late night China red green neon doing our best to decipher what looks like Chinese to me.  The metro is closed, let’s just take a taxi.  (This taxi thing seems to be a recurring cop out, or viable option if you prefer, in the labyrinth of Chinese symbols).  The hostel is comfy .. meet creepy sleazy ‘English teacher out of a job.’ sleep .. eat .. figure out how to get to Shanghai.  Mr. Ryan Daly booked a flight with Air China and the next morning he leaves the hostel with a smile blazing on his face, clueless of the nightmare that lies ahead.  

…back upstairs and off to find a taxi stand where one can find a legitimate ride into town.  I arrive at the taxi stand and the windshield says ’safe, government provided service.’  Talk to driver .. or make an attempt at it .. Words fail to function .. sounds like Chinese to me ..

Me:  ”I’m going to West Nanjing Road, Shanghai.”
Driver:  ”Nanjing!  Nanjing!”  
Me:  ”Yes, West Nanjing Road.”

A man who speaks decent Engrish comes to join the deep conversation:  

Engrish Man: “Where you go?”
Me:  ”West Nanjing Road, Shanghai.”
Engrish Man:  sounds like Chinese to me…
Driver: “unknown, OK OK OK Nanjing! Nanjing! Nanjing!, unknown.”
Me: “Yes, precisely good sir!”

Engrish Man, I thank you .. Off we go speeding into the night. Light a cigarette, shrug. There’s a slight hint of a bad feeling, but I’ve grown used to this in China. Bad feelings are perpetual when communication is sick in bed. Nanjing Nanjing Nanjing, here I come…

Walk to Shenzhen metro go to Luo Hu station find ticket booth for Guangzhou buy ticket hop train sit relax hot sweaty maybe stinky keep arms tight against body Guangzhou looks ugly. Remnants of 70’s and 80’s Chinese gaudy neon architecture moldy from humid years. Someone said other parts of the city are nice. Train tracks’ll do that. Arrive Guangzhou taxi airport check-in nice easy trip is going incredibly smooth. Take some photos, kill time. The flight boarded just a bit late and we sit. An hour passes and Chinese start to become vocal (not that they aren’t always vocal). A man shouts something, people laugh .. Other men join, sound rather angry, people laugh more, I wonder. Sounds like Chinese to me. Flight leaves just over an hour late. On to Wenzhou for an interesting connector.

…Another cigarette. Taxi meter runs moon is out silhouettes of mountains pass through glass landscape. Peaceful outside .. bad feelings continue breath relax. I point forward .. “Shanghai?” Driver points forward .. “Shanghai!” Relax close the ashtray take a nap. Meter runs…

Arrive Wenzhou hurry! Small town airport no English. Mr. Daly doesn’t know what time his connecting flight to Shanghai leaves so he’s in a rush to check in. But first he must wait for his bag to arrive, make his way once again through the labyrinth. Motors whir conveyor belt starts bag arrives mouse completes maze check in re-check bag. The flight doesn’t leave for another two hours. Should arrive in Shanghai at 8:30pm .. Exactly 13 hours after the journey began. Wait coca cola potato chip pepsi green tea cigarette smokey room read eat papaya. Waiting room austere echoes children yell people talk loud airport announcements cloaked in cacophony. Wouldn’t work well as a recording studio. Sounds like Chinese to me. Boarding time comes and goes .. and goes. Board when I should be in Shanghai. The flight is quick, smooth. Reading is accomplished .. Arrive Shanghai, begin the night.

We’ve come to the place where two points meet. I sit confident in the back of a taxi that I’m heading to Shanghai after my brief episode of pointing straight ahead and saying ‘Shanghai?’ When Driver pointed straight and shouted a confirming ‘Shanghai!’ things seemed alright. Sleep now… wake up soon.

I wake up on a dark highway. A glance at the meter shows 500 Yuan. Nervous light cigarette only 900 on me too dark wrong way pick skin around fingers bleed. Meter runs. Drivers eyes droop. Once again .. “Shanghai? .. City! .. Nanjing?” And the driver replies with the affirmative point ahead and says ‘Nanjing.’ Now, I knew the ride would be expensive, but I never thought it would be more than maybe 500 Yuan. I justified this in my mind: The Maglev train travels at over 300 km/h and it took nearly an hour right? Maybe less .. or was it more. I can’t remember .. it was something close to an hour, I’m sure of it. So .. that should be around 300 km then .. I guest this ride should be a considerable distance. But why the hell would Shanghai’s airport be three hours away from Shanghai? So on and so on driving myself crazy. I wait. Driver grows sleepy .. I’m sleepy .. half sleeping. Wake with a scare as Driver dozes and heads slightly off the road. Wide awake now .. car begins to feel like jail .. a pimple is born beneath the surface of my right upper lip. Fed by stress, anxiety. I can almost feel it bubbling to the surface and rearing its white head.

Me: “You OK man?”
Driver: ?????
Me: “Pull over and sleep if you have to, man.”
Driver: Sounds like Chinese…
Me: shrug.

I was offering all the hand gestures I could muster, but he kept right on. Unsure eyes on the rear view watch his eyes make sure he doesn’t doze wait it’ll be over soon. Three hours after leaving the airport, we arrive at a toll. Driver says ‘Nanjing.’ I say ‘Shanghai’ and reach for the map in my bag. Once the map is revealed and I show him West Nanjing Road, he erupts. The dashboard takes a healthy beating and words are yelled (curses, I’m sure… Sounded like Chinese to me). So there Mr. Daly sits, in Nanjing, China, back seat of a cab, a meter reading 1300 Yuan and a tired grouchy pissed off Chinese taxi driver pounding on the dash. You’ve got to be shitting me.

Through the toll turn around back through the toll back on the highway heading to Shanghai only 3 more hours watch rear view driver sleepy me too smoke bite chew skin nail bleed. We stopped off at a rest area to pick up something to drink and go to the bathroom. Driver was really a nice guy, it turns out. He offered me cigarettes and offered to buy me some tea. We smiled at each other and laughed knowing how terrible this miscommunication mistake was. Laughing was all one could do really. Back in the car refreshed ready to go take the opportunity to sleep. I slept for about an hour and a half and woke up with about 100 kilos to go. How did I manage to sleep with my life in danger? Good question. When I woke our Driver was getting pretty sleepy again. Swerve left right droop lean adjust lights window radio cellphone mirrors. The ride got to the point where I was so afraid .. I told him I had to use the toilet. When we pulled over, I motioned to him to go to sleep for awhile .. at least ten minutes or something. He agreed shut his eyes my eyes shut trucks being worked on humid air wrenches clank. After five minutes, he made some kind of noise and rose from what didn’t seem like any kind of sleep to me. The cab fills with the smell of Tiger Balm as he rubs his fingers on his temples, takes a pull from a tea bottle, and heads back to the highway. The balm wore off quickly and the nap apparently didn’t help. Driver was dozing dozing dozing and I sit watching full of anxiety. Good thing I was: Flying down the left lane of the highway, a truck in front of us in the right lane. Our good driver dozes and starts to merge right. Just a lane change, right? Over into the middle lane truck is getting close. Driver doesn’t stop merging heading straight for the back of the truck. WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA! I’m yelling driver wakes up wheel jerks adrenaline rush rips. Get me out of here. The sun is about to rise. The sun should keep him awake.

And that it did. It was absolutely beautiful, by the way .. huge red disk burning house of the rising sun .. On we go into Shanghai to West Nanjing Road. Following my 6.5 hour metered road trip, 2800 Yuan is what the screen reads… or about $380. Argue a bit not much you almost killed me hand motions emulate car crash wrong direction to say the least. A sum of 1000 Yuan is agreed upon. It’s all Chinese to me.

Hand over the cash driver offers to take me wherever I need to go .. I tell him I’ll walk. I walk beautiful morning Shanghai alive people running dancing music tai chi pork chicken duck laden motorbikes whiz. I walk and walk bags are heavy sweat pours finally reach familiar area. Made it to my friend Charlie’s apartment exactly 24 hours after leaving Shenzhen. Telling stories beats sleep .. and sleep comes eventually.

Tomorrow it’s back to the airport and I see no taxis. The pimple on my right upper lip is laughing at me, telling me it’s time to go home. And I’m laughing a bit myself.

There exists in Pai a sort of Thai hipster culture characterized by long wild hair torn jeans graphic T’s sunglasses at night.  Quite interesting… Pai being such a small, somewhat remote, place.  Walk into Phu Pai Art Cafe and you’re in for a refreshing live music experience. I say refreshing because, in Thailand, a place where terrible karaoke and hopeless cover bands abound, the live music here was rock solid.

First up was a band of four members: drum bass guitar singer… classic quartet.  They were a cover band, but not without their own style.  The singer was amazing… A hipster Thai girl with crazy wild afro hair and a voice that made me wonder who… or what… was singing.  A deep, hearty, soulful and unique voice.  The backing musicianship was tight.  Tight enough to make me smile and send a shiver or two down my back.  (It had been a long time since seeing ‘real’ live music).  The set list was nice as well:  Otis Redding Al Green Beatles House of the Rising Sun.  And flourishes of jazz/blues improvisation, hence the shiver, here and there.  

The band that followed was “an experimental gypsy band” comprised of a diverse blend of musicians.  Didgeridoo hums, muted trumpet wails, bass, drums, some kind of violin adds orient, saxophone cries, squeezebox rhythm.  While walking to the toilet a mosquito buzzed in my ear and told me ‘the gypsies are coming.’  Pangs of nostalgia for a bygone era.  A few local ex-pats joined in shaking tambourines as if holding on to something from long ago… maybe the 70’s.  I could’ve done without said sloppy jostling of bells on a ring but I’ll let the kodgers have their cake.                    

First of all, my plans changed pretty drastically in the past couple weeks, as they have been this whole trip. I made it up to Chiang Mai and it was so wonderful that I decided to stay for just over a week… I think. Yesterday, I took a van further north to Pai and I’m staying here for two nights. The north of Thailand is just amazing… I couldn’t bring myself to leave. The original plan was to head down the Mekong and over to Laos again, then over to Vietnam… BUT… I realized that I’m running a bit low on funds and still have to make it to China in order to fly home. I’ve been a sucker for art! I’ve bought a lot of artwork in Chiang Mai from talented locals. Some of it is pretty crazy… far from the traditional Bhuddist art and very controversial in Thai culture. Feet on top of heads, for one example… To get back to the point, anyway, flights to China are pricey! Also, I’ve come to appreciate staying in one place for awhile rather than hopping on a bus every two days. With the latter, you don’t give yourself the chance to really understand the city, it’s culture, it’s nuances, etc. Chiang Mai seemed like the perfect place for me to do this… albeit a week is still a very short time! I met many great people though… travelers, ex-pats, and locals… who showed me the ins and outs. Ultimately, I’m happy I stayed… but a bit bummed about not seeing northern Laos. Next Time!

So the new plan is to head back south to Bangkok in a couple days and fly to Shenzhen, China. From there, I will take a train up to Shanghai and I hope it’s comfy because it’s going to take 25 hours! I guess for around $130 I can get a private sleeper car with a ’soft’ bed. Should be pretty decent. I’ll spend a couple days in Shanghai, then fly home on the 17th. Noooooo! Really though… It’s bitter sweet. I’m looking forward to seeing friends, family, domesticated animals. And I’m looking forward to Mexican food!

To switch up the topic and stick to the name of this post, Chiang Mai is a great city. It’s the second largest city in Thailand next to Bangkok, but feels (and really is) much smaller. The markets are the best I’ve seen… There are nightly markets in two locations that are pretty standard… trinkets, t-shirts, crafts, etc. but the real deal is the weekly Sunday market. This was the largest market I’ve ever seen. Think about a small music festival or a large outdoor concert… SO many people. It must have covered and area of 15 square blocks. A lot of the same you find at the other markets in Asia, but with much added originality. Street performers, mimes, artists, and on and on. It was a wonderful experience.

I was moving slowly along with the flowing current of people through the Sunday market and could hear in the distance a mans crackling voice over a loudspeaker. I didn’t pay much attention and continued moving on my way. At once, at 6pm sharp, the entire mass of people came to a halt as music began to play over the speakers. I nearly ran into the man in front of me, but caught on to the idea rather quickly… It was the national anthem. The crowd, thousands of people, had gone from shuffling, talking, yelling, selling to idle and soundless in a matter of seconds. It was quite the site to behold. I couldn’t help tweaking my neck around to get a panoramic view of the mass of people standing still and seemingly breathless. The only ones who moved were tourists thrusting cameras into the air and snapping photos. I might have done the same…

The music stops. The market immediately returns to normal. The eerie feeling was gone. Nothing had happened.

So here I am in Pai. What a lovely place this is… it’s a very small town, about 4 square blocks and a jump off point for some really great natural scenery. It sits in a valley and right on a river at the base of some plush mountains. In the mountains lie hot springs, waterfalls, pretty stuff. I might get on a motor bike and explore… I’ve only got this one whole day here and tomorrow ’till 2:00.

Eat hot dogs.

I had an interesting last day in Bangkok… I walked down the riverfront, checked out some parks, and had a cameo in a student film.  I met a group of students and they wanted me to play a part in their movie… I was the rich American who was caught in a love affair with a Thai girl.  She was a ’superstar’ and was very exited to see me!    it was really great… It reminded me of that art school student passion that seems so far gone… Only a couple months! 

I’m in Chiang Mai now and it’s rather refreshing.  It’s a pretty busy city, but laid back at the same time.  Much more ’homey’ than Bangkok and the weather is cooler and more comfortable.  The ‘old city’ is surrounded by a moat and some remains of a wall that was built around the city 700 years ago to protect against Burmese invaders.  I met a guy from Lebanon named Mohamad and I’ve been spending a bit of time with him.  A like minded individual… We went to a club last night and I really wish that I had my camera because the entertainment was priceless.  It was basically very high production value karaoke.  Better than most I’ve seen… At least the ‘musicians’ were acting like they were playing music. 

My plan at the moment is to take a slow boat to Luang Prabang… back to Laos. The slow boat apparently takes two nights and three days and should be absolutely beautiful.  I hope the weather holds out for me.  After that, I plan on heading to Vietnam, but I’m not sure how to get there yet.  The roads in Eastern Laos are absolutely shit from what I hear and a bus trip to Hanoi would probably take 36 hours… not to appealing.  I’ll figure it out though.  Maybe I’ll fly back down to Malaysia for a few days, then back up to Shanghai… who knows.

I found this blog entry unpublished… Not very interesting… seems like ages ago

We finished up our time in Vientiane yesterday by renting and riding bikes around the city… Checked out some temples and did a bit of shopping around. The food in Laos is absolutely amazing… and very spicy! The hotel where we stayed was basically a Bhuddist shrine decorated from head to toe with paintings, wood carvings, reliefs scultptures, etc… It may have been a bit pricey in terms of Laos, but still only $15 a night.

We hopped on a bus this morning en route to Vang Vieng and just arrived here a few hours ago. We’ve already had time to explore most of the city… it’s pretty small. We found a cheap room right on the Nam Xong River and the view is absolutely stunning. The weather has been pretty lousy the past two days… raining like hell. I’ve never seen so much rain, but, it’s not ruining anything for me! Cheers! I’m going to drink a Beer Laos