hey, i'm deep in the heart of texas! and, if not for the light pollution, the stars at night would no doubt be big and bright.
though it was stolen from the mexicans, i think texas has a lot more in common with north america. though austin prides itself on being a tad different from the norm (keep austin weird), the rest of it reminds me of mainstream alberta - big oil, big cowboy hats, big attitude. and here, like in canada, street people sleep overtop street vents - not to stay warm, but in an effort to survive the 100+ days. isn't it great -- the poor unfortunates dying from the extremities in two nations that consider themselves 'first world.'
i'm almost over my culture shock, returning from cuba where such things just wouldn't happen (they call it dictatorship, but it's really a peoples' revolution ... an imperfect one, but a decidedly valiant effort) because people know and look after each other. but if i could invite cubans to visit texas, i think they'd be impressed at the production of "the music man" in austin's zilker park.
i've been here a week, but haven't had much time to do anything 'texan.' my focus here is to work building the september street newz, send it off to the printer so the vendors receive it on time, and then slowly make my way home via amtrak .... visiting friends along the way. of course i've been distracted from that work regularly, drawn back into my cuba video and photo files, walking the doggies at the local lake park. and the other night, when my friend and her sister organized an outing, i enthusiastically grabbed my sitting in the park watching a play gear, and hopped in the car.
the cubans place high value on music and dance and community ... i think they would have enjoyed the free (by donation) theatre in the park. beautiful costumes, an intricate set, excellent singing and acting ... they would no doubt have also appreciated the satire, as my friend and i did, of the storyline --- man introduces 'shock doctrine' into unsuspecting town, prospers from his cheating and lying, wins the girl, gets found out, temporarily chastised and ostracized, but ultimately he's bailed out and lives happily ever after. only in the grand ole usa.
