I had the time of my life searching and downloading music last night while waiting for my wife. The night before was their fashion show gala and more than the parade of clothes was a barrage of different beats corresponding to their one-two-three thump-thump-thumps. The music and the setting's vibe must've gotten into me that visions of that event linger in my mind. The replay of memory brought me to the following artists: The Go! Team, Sondre Lerche, Of Montreal, Peter Bjorn, Death from Above 1979, Bodyrockers, Hard-fi (this one's an old find), Plastic Bertrand, and The Rakes. Previously, I got acquainted with Telepopmusik, Greg Cipes, and Pink Martini. All never heard before but now are staples in my i-pod.
Speaking of which, I recently discovered a new product for sharing i-pod files. Although long overdue, miShare facilitates the transfer of music or photo files from i-pod to i-pod. The beauty of this device is that you can choose which files you want to copy in a click of a button. And, it's only $99 cheap. Anyone thinking of getting me something for Christmas?
Music, or in more general terms "sound," adds flavor to a rather plain life. I caught a Rene Requiestas movie in Cinema One earlier and noticed how through music, his lines are contextualized and given a kick (or a punch). Weeks ago, while having lunch at the department, we were discussing what would be least better without: the sense of sight or the sense of hearing. Of course, none of us would want the other without and nobody knows what would it feel like losing one of the two senses. We ended the discussion of the pros and cons of each sense with a thought from Hellen Keller quoted by a colleague. According to this faculty, Keller says that the sense of sight is a loss of vision while the sense of hearing is a loss in communication and consequently interactions, relations.
The movie "It's All Gone Pete Tong," a DVD recommended to me by a student years ago which I finally got a hold of in my trip to Singapore, depicts the vital importance of hearing. It is through our ears do we create order and rhythm in the smorgasbord of sounds. After watching the movie, I can only have extra wonder and care for my ears. A noiseless, soundless picture, image, or event is something I would not want to be in. Sound and music provides depth to a flat punning of time and vision. If you don't get what I mean, try wearing an I-pod and shuffle your playlist to anything. Walk the streets of Manila, look around, and there you will see a visual and auditory mixing of story, color, and life. Try it. It's fun.
Why am I saying all these? Music has been my partner at home when I'm alone or in the car while driving to school. But these days I'm getting a poking ache in my left ear and it scares the shit out of me. Must be due to a bad stroke in breathing during swimming or maybe because I haven't cleaned the pool well enough. I'm going to the doctor this afternoon to have my ear checked. This one's really bad it's giving me a headache and online sources say, I should immediately rush to the doctor.
I love swimming because while swimming everything shuts down and I'm by myself listening to nothing but the strokes and splash of water--the loveliest of music aside from a baby's chuckle, my wife's endearing words of affection, and silence. I am so enamored by the sound that I literally engulfed it in. Sound and music, like persons, are not something to own and possess. In so doing, melody becomes discordant notes and beauty and harmony transforms to wretchedness and disorder.
The past days and weeks have been a battle with a question on identity. Like Narcissus who drowned while adoring his image on the water, questions on love for the self and self-love resurfaces. I thought I'm over this but I'm again drowning. Figuring the answer to the question is hard enough; the question itself is even harder. If only finding answers were as easy as google-ing and downloading and the weight of problems can be diminished by file-sharing...
Plugged into: The Go! Team's Hold Your Terror Close
I read that orange peel extracts are a cure to heart burns. I got the peels from marmalade jams. I continued drinking Yakult every night and warm milk (sometimes with Milo) to alternate it with. Gradually, I disregarded any pain I feel until I totally forgot about it. Now, I no longer have those attacks.
This morning, I downed two bite size pieces of snickers. And now, I've cracked and popped half of my favorite Christmas treat, chestnuts. To hell with health and fitness, to hell with heartburns and acids, to hell with gyms and bodybuilding. I'm eating and drinking, let heartburns and acids take care of their selves. And I still have a box of Chubby Corn to feast on.
