Blanksy

It is significantly more difficult to find high-res images with a political message than you might imagine.

(Any help appreciated)

Peace out.

Matherton

Today I met Kathleen. Or really, introduced myself to her. I've seen her a few times on the way to or from Julia's room, but I've never asked for her name or given her mine. Today I wanted to play piano after lunch, so I went to Atherton (knowing Simmons would be crowded by that time) to give it a shot. I heard someone playing when I showed up, so I think I went to get a drink, and noticed that it seemed to pause for almost a whole minute while I was doing so. I figured maybe whoever was playing had gone to study instead of play but still in the lounge. So I poked my head in, and there was the girl from Julia's floor, looking at papers that had clearly been handwritten on the music stand. I knew immediately that she'd been writing a song.

"Did you want to play?"

"Oh, um.... I guess, yeah? But I really don't mean to kick you out!"

"No, it's cool, I was actually gonna go to the piano downstairs."

We talked a little bit more - I really wanted to make sure that she was okay with going to the piano downstairs - and she convinced me it was fine. She asked me what I wanted to play, and I said I didn't know, just something loud, because I didn't want to say "Fallout Boy."

What I should have done, I realized in hindsight, was ask her to play what she was writing for me. I'm not really upset at myself that I didn't ask, but somewhat surprised. I almost never ever turn down a chance see what someone I know made, and I wonder why I didn't jump for it in this case. I also wondered if that would affect her first impression of me. But I don't think it's a terribly big deal in either case.

Peace out.

This is Why We Can't Have Vice Things

I was in Washington this weekend I was staying with Kelly M, "Smiley Kelly," from Semester at Sea, and her roommate, Irena. Irena lived in Russia until she was eight years old and is a major in essentially Russian Studies. She's studied in St. Petersburg for a while and speaks fluent Russian, and told me about the street where the Duma used to be which is now a raving cesspool of madness on spring nights around 3AM.

We were talking about my own travelling (through Semester at Sea, of course), and I think we were talking about subways and metros and how Japan has the best system. She said Japan must have been awesome, but I told her that I didn't really like it, because people didn't smile at me very often. She said, "Well you can't really blame them, I mean, who do you think really has an interest in befriending white Americans?"

And I said, "People in Cambodia and Vietnam!" And I talked for a second about how nice and friendly the people there were compared to Japan, who wouldn't even make eye contact with me. And then I was about to say the following:

"Which is really strange, considering what America did to Vietnam in the war. What did we ever do to Japan?"

But before I did, I realized: OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH riiiiiiiiiiiiiight, and then didn't say that, and felt like an idiot.

Peace out.