A Tree

The only way to change anyone is to change yourself
-Ai Ishida Mendelsohn, however many thousands of wise people before her, and me reminding myself tonight.

Just for a day, mind you (or, Being in Tokyo at night alone and wishing your way to something brighter)

The girls on the trains in Japan spend so much time making themsevles look good. And they do. They look stunning! They put on makeup like they are going to photoshoots, it is so subtle and perfect and lovely. They dress too like they are copying the pictures straight out of magazines, which is exactly what they are doing, and will admit it because in this culture there is no shame attached to blatantly copying. How many long brown boots, how many white cotton skirts. The boys are suckers too. The boys with the long bangs that they play with all the long train ride downtown. The boys who buy brand name wallets and suits that cost more than many a used car. They too can look so pretty. It is a pretty culture. And yes, a judgement is coming. That there seems an emptiness behind all that make up and Louis Vuitton accesorizing. I just cannot help wondering what would happen if everyone decided, just for a day, to put all that energy they put into looking so pretty for the camera, what if they put that energy into being kind?

As to pop that never loses its fizzzzzzzzz

When I was in high school many of my friends were musicians, or wanted to be musicians, or just very much liked being close to musicians. A certain snobbery was natural. There were things you could not listen to. Pop radio was of course a no-no. Classic rock was our car windows open, flying down paved roads north of Toronto, anthemic joy. Zeppelin, Floyd, Black Sabbath. And, of course, the Beatles.

Snobbery had it that even within the Beatles grand oeuvre (speaking of snobbery) there were dos and don'ts. White Album, Abbey Road: good. Early Beatles: bad. Revolver: cool. Compilation cds (red and blue albums): uncool. Strict rules.

We all liked the "creative" Beatles, the older Beatles. The druggie, trippie, Beatles. The early stuff we called too "poppy", as if pop were a bad word. The early stuff was too simple. It was beneath us.

If you'd asked 17 year old me my all-time favourite band it was without hesitation Pink Floyd. Favourite Beatles album: Abbey Road. Today I almost never listen to Floyd. And Beatles:

It's a Saturday morning in January. I work Saturdays at an international school. I've worked there two years and still I haven't been able to get over the fact that it's a Saturday and that I should not be working (The Sabbath and all. I'm kidding.). My wife is driving. I'm shotgun, tired, mute, not overly enthusiastic about going to work. But this morning my wife plugs her ipod into the stereo, usurping the fascist regime that is me when it comes to car stereo (though I often try and give her choice. I do!). She puts on "All My Loving". Instantly the two of us are singing, genki, great. Best mood. Killer song. I nearly hopped out the car to go to work I felt so energized, uplifted, inspired. I said to Ai something like, "how fucking good is that song?!"

So I ask you, what was it, is it, that makes these so-called simple songs stand the test of time the way they do? A favourite question of mine, because of course it's the Red album that gets me most now. That compilation Cd of the earlier stuff. Because really, when was the last time you listened to Sgt. Pepper's?

Still to come: A SUNDAY IN JAPAN - as to why Japanese don't beat each other up after drinking, and one possible reason why they live longer than anyone else on earth