La Capra Campa

Buongiorno!

Today I decided to learn Italian.  This is what I got so far.

Piacere!  Mi chiamo Christy (But I think I'm going to go by Chiara in Italian circles).  Sono di Oregon ma abito a Albuquerque, e insegno la arte a gli bambini! Si?!!!  Anche mia famiglia di ABQ é felice tutto il giorno! HEY!

I'll either be practicing over breakfast or late in the night.  Those are the natural times for me to practice language after four years of doing so in college.

If you are reading this and would like to correspond with me in Italiono, I would like that!

yellow light at 4:28

The light is Just right. It is coming in my window on to my keyboard, and I feel like I was just skiing because I was racing my bike down the Albuquerque hill to my home, and the wind was blowing in my face and I could feel my eyelashes blowing in it.

 

Alright.

The days are growing shorter. But I am waking up earlier.  This morning I was dreaming of guitar music. It was a very detailed kind of melody repeating and repeating.  I didn't think it was a dream and I was listening intensely when "Knock Knock Knock!" I roused myself and looked around.  I glared blearily at the window across from my bed.  Was someone outside and wanting my attention?  I listened for further knocking and slowly, relaxing into my bed I came to the conclusion that I had dreamed the knocking.  But why? Why did I feel the need to drive myself out of that sweet dream melody at 6:40 in the morning?  

The best answer I have come up with today is that the sun wanted me up.  The glazed light reflecting into my window was reminiscent of those delicate wandering repeating notes I heard in my sleep.  Was it the sun's dizzy melody then wandering into my sleep? If so the song was too engrossing to wake me.  So the music hardened into a cool hand which laid three resounding knocks (simultaneously) on the window, my chest and the edge of my dream.  

President Obama

I just can't help it.  I watched twenty online videos today about Obama winning the presidency, and I just want to watch more, and read the paper and congratulate my friends.  I know the picture below is dramatic, and I'm not even sure why he's crying (It's a pre-election picture) but isn't it GREAT!!!  When we heard the news last night we took a collective shot of tequila, and wandered into a spontaneous dance party on Central street in ABQ.  It was covered by the channel seven news and even though they somehow edited me and my friends out here's the link: Albuquerque Party!!!

I hugged several strangers, ululated, danced and shouted the word "Obama" rythmically with everyone else.  A crowd gathered around the drummers, car horns blared, and people took pictures with their cell phones. It was very moving.  It's a strange feeling to actually like the president of the united states of America.  Part of me wonders if I am just dazzled by his dashing good looks, and intelligent sounding sentences.  I think that could be it, but I mean, those aren't really bad things.

Looking Small in the Desert.

(A precarious and specific art.)

Up Up and Away

I must tell you:

  In two days I learned to walk on three foot stilts, and celebrated all hallows eve in a gallery show leaning on the walls, and drinking wine from my precipice.  The work wasn't at eye level so I just sort of floated around in my own world, occasionally inserting myself into conversations only to drift away when I started to teeter.  Being really tall is exactly like being a celebrity, and I will admit that I loved it.  I shook hands, cheered up children, posed for the camera, and made really dramatic faces.  I didn't however have any real/meaningful conversations while I was nine feet tall.  But it didn't bother me that much...

Then:

    Having challenged my legs to double in length I found my original height to be both stocky and limiting.  I got over it however as we watched the most amazing dance performance I have ever seen.  Les Angles Morts was the name of the performance and I don't know what else to say, because I cannot really get it to come across.  

To Mention: 

In Gallup New Mexico I won a ride in a hot air balloon.  There I am standing in the basket after we landed.  The man behind me was the captain.  Six Americorps participants got to go up in two balloons.  Two of us were from VSA, where I work, and afterwords they initiated us into the balloonists society.  An initiation that resulted in the earliest drinking I've ever done!

NOVEMBER!

 Obama is iconic and hip.  Graphic designers love him.

My sister sent me some links to Obama posters. I like em' I want to tell you about them too.

Try this

And this too!

I counted signs today and got 25 Obama, 5 McCain.  7-11 is polling with paper cups which leads to a lot of Obama cups laying around.  Both players came to Albuquerque last week and I heard McCain had a small crowd.  I stood in line for about 3 hours however in order to hear Obama speak.  The whole time I was in line people were still going to the end of it.  When I finally got in I couldn't even see stage.  I was clumped together with people of all ages and dispositions.  A baby behind me who was literally a baby was crying "Obama." Her mother looked proud. I think it was the first word they taught her. Today I found a big round flyer on the ground instructing people to please vote for Obama.  I attached it to my purse and called it a pin. "Just a little pin!"

So in about two days we'll know.  I'm going to vote on election day, then go to a bar with a television and watch this play out.