TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Monday, September 19, 2005

2:42 PM
Posted by jodi rose

mermaid on the streets

so this morning I went to visit the ducks and found there are actually seven eels at least in the lake.
spooky - some huge and others tiny.
magnificent weekend away down near kangaroo valley with julaine and helen. cooked, ate, read, sat on the balcony, had a spa, cooked, ate, slept....

ah relatively painless completion interview for my 5 days intensive job search training (!) waved towards a row of computers and newspapers and told to look for work, filled out those forms detailing who I contacted, had a brief chat with nancy who told me what a lovely girl I was....

so back to the rural refreshment program. very relaxing and now am disinclined to be stressed about anything. which is good emotionally and mentally but not great for productivity. that edge of panic really helps get things done. just arranged to meet heather-grace on wednesday, to go fabric shopping - her for afghanistan, me for slovakia. looked up military insignia so I can subvert it for the bridge uniform - window shopping today remembered that military look is 'in' this winter, so maybe I can get a regular fashion jacket and add some braid to it, with gold embroidered bridges.

realised after meditating under the gum trees which were being blown almost horizontal by very strong wind - that essentially I am going to just do what I have to. writing for me is like breathing only a lot more painful. oh well. also being called to glasgow. that strange inner voice I had years ago telling me to go to Helsinki, well now it's fixated on glasgow. certain reasons spring to mind, but it can be very fluid and not related to things I imagine are important, so I've learned to let go of any expectations and am planning to just go there and find out what the damn hell it is waiting for me in glasgow. something significant - if you notice the signs, which being superstitious as all get out of course I do - new supervisor - from glasgow (although he'll probably sack me soon if he hasn't already - must. do. writing. eek) massage therapist - from glasgow. boy in surround sound studio - from glasgow told me about school of art burning down. stayed at a friends house woke up to bagpipes. haven't met people from anywhere else in a while now. also decided that I am being incredibly responsible, in my own crazy-artist way, dealing with finances, knitting in loose threads, doing the best I can to be a decent full-time human being.... and if I want to go to glasgow on a ridiculous whim then I can. that's all part of the fun of bring an artist. you get to do this stuff just because you want to.
although I am a little sad to discover that my dream of setting up an artists retreat on the west coast of scotland has already been accomplished in a very stylish and glamorous way by cove farm - but maybe that just leaves me free to indulge other more selfish dreams. I'll make sure I have a spare bedroom and a shed, then artists can still come visit and have unofficial residencies. organising a few parasites for my slovakian term (inspired by alison see hostelprojects.org) and will be contacting the current bridge guard soon for her tips on life in sturovo.

julaine made a comment on the weekend which has completely reshuffled my focus - are you doing anything with bridges that have failed? she asked. well, not as such - mostly they are rebuilt already.
you could make the bridge with sound, across where there is currently nothing - oh my lord.
totally does it for me. building the bridge between places that are separate and disconnected. have been thinking about this global symphony thing way too literally - it needs to be sending sound as a bridge, not necessarily FROM a bridge. although that too. a little bill fontana, the sound bridge idea, but with a totally different spin. places that need bridging. protection, peace, missing links. and it doesn't need to be 'pure' abstract sound art - can have voice and text and something else. it's my bridge and I'll dance if I want to.

that was the other compelling reason for going to glasgow - where else do you have a boogie protest going down on a bridge?????
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/07/317450

just discovered there's a dancing bridge in london too

http://www.extrospection.com/archives/2003/10/the_dancing_bridge.html

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3575/is_1277_213/ai_111309424