Some random things ...
I have a new roommate, Rocio, originally from Madrid who has been working in Colombia, South America for the UN the past 6 years. She is in Columbia, SC studying English for a year. We weren't really looking for a house guest but things just fell into place and I LOVE HER. The first day she said in broken English "I ...like...to organize. Is this ok?" Oh YES. She then proceeded to clean out my upstairs closets, organize them, clean the upstairs bathroom - even under the sink and had all of her things neatly stacked, shelved and arranged. I exclaimed to Kellane - "Have you seen what Rocio did with the closets upstairs!?" She said "Have you seen what she did to the pantry?!" A couple of days later she did the refrigerator. (Next is my clothes closet which she says "is a disaster") It is clear that Rocio was meant to be with us even if for a few months. We adore her and in just the past few weeks she has become part of our family, a welcome companion and a lovely friend. I am thrilled to have another hermana in the house.
We are teaching each other things and enjoying the camaraderie of single women pushing 50 but loving life.
Last night she taught me a few Salsa and Tango steps in the kitchen with the music from her ipod. We traded skirts cause I was admiring her "hippie" tie dyed skirt and she said "Its yours!" We were sweating and laughing by the end of the lesson as Kellane and Van watched her twirl me, get my hips moving correctly and finally attempt a not so graceful dip. She says I am a "very modern woman".
Her presence made me think about all the people that have passed through this house.
I spoke to one of those friends, Abou Sylla last night while I sat on the porch and tried to work through a balafon melody that I've heard a thousand times but never played. Abou is a master balafonist from Guinea, West Africa who has been in the states for years and has played and taught us while here. He gave me a lesson over the phone which was pretty cool - he was very patient.
He has stayed at this house on many occasions sometimes with other West Africans, playing their ancient melodies and rhythms, comfortably melting into the spirit of my space and sharing their musical gifts. I'm sure it is quite curious for my neighbors to see and hear Africans coming in and out of my house but I have always felt completely comfortable with my friends of many years from the mother Continent. Some of my favorite times have been relishing the sweetness of the wooden keys of the balafon or the magical lightness of the plucked strings of a kora or the irresistible percussive drive of drums.
"I want to come play with the "Next Corner Drummers!" Abou said. We are actually called the "Next Door Drummers" so we laughed really hard about that for a long time.
"Is hhhaarrd wurk" he says but I think it would be cool to have him here for a while so we can explore the music more in depth and be challenged to take it up a notch....
One of our drummers Bob moved to Illinois but is taking lessons and playing with another W. African musician that stayed at my house one night. Bolocada. He is also a world renowned drummer and was featured in the imax movie that "Stomp" produced called "Pulse". On one of my trips to Guinea I spent some time at Bolocada's compound, where I met his children and his wife. He had made costumes for the guys in our now defunct group "Djoliba Don".
They costumes had pink fringe on them which our director Faisal was not aware of cause he is color blind. (we changed the fringe when we got them here) West Africans can wear pink and still look bad ass but the white boys in Cola. - not so much.
Bolocada gave me a traditional belt that day as a gift. Bright orange with cowlrey shells and white fringe. I cherish it.
Random Work
I've been blessed with good work this year and a plethora of interesting projects. USC and DSS, Heathwood Hall, Eau Claire, Furman University, Little Mountain, Woodrow Wilson Restoration, political figures and SC World War II heros, music videos and the happenings at 701 Whaley.
Gracious! Just writing those out makes my brain hurt a little and leads me to wonder if there will always be such variety and rich diversity in the work I have.
Soon I'll be leaving for Nijmegen in the Netherlands to videotape WWll hero Moffet Burris parachuting out of a plane! The movie A Brige too Far was based on some of his experiences in WWll. Not a bad gig! I'll be on the ground with Jeff Wilkerson from The State and fellow filmmaker Heidi Sneath will be in the plane.
That project is funded by the ETV Endowment.
Random Parenting
Kellane is a high school senior this year. It is sometimes amusing,enthralling and painful for sure being a single parent of a beautiful girl who thankfully has done really well in school and has for the most part stayed out of big trouble or at least has been smart enough to avoid being caught at more than the usual teenage fare.
Don't get me wrong - the challenges are there and I find myself wondering and sometimes regretting certain choices I've made in raising a child. But the satisfaction of seeing her saunter into adulthood is lovely at times.
It is a little strange having her graduate from the same high school I went to and witness her life experiences in the same physical environment that I had. Her home life is quite a contrast from what I had though. Mine very traditional, two parent, Christian upbringing with siblings, hers pretty liberal (with rules of course but I get tired of being the only one to say "no" all the time) single working mom bringing home the bacon and frying it up or more accurately paying the bills eating out....all kinds of artists, musicians, good friends and internationals coming and going...My parents did have a very open door policy though in terms of having people from other cultures invited to our family home but Kellane has been exposed to far more than I was at her age for sure.
All of these things help to shape and shake our experiences and
when I think about it these things are really not so random....
