The Good Times Will Roll Again

I am happy to have great friends from New Orleans. I am happy to have been three times to New Orleans and having spent a couple of months on each visit. I am happy to have known New Orleans in all its splendour and with everything that makes it a jewel on the US map, in the US history and culture.

Last summer I was supposed to leave New Orleans on August 29. Katrina changed those plans. My friends evacuated with me to Baton Rouge on the Sunday before the hurricane made its landfall. I flew from Baton Rouge three days later. One of my friends, Dr. Michael Kaiser returned to New Orleans a couple of months later, while he never stopped giving all his knowledge, passion and strength to the system of public health. Another friend, Dr. Jullette Saussy stayed in the city during the hurricane and afterwards. She did her best to help those who were left behind and to organize first aid services.

I try to follow what is going on in NOLA and two things occupy my mind. One is sadness for the slow response of the government and slow progress of repairs, sadness for those who died and who had to leave, sadness for things lost in the hurricane and its aftermath, sadness with uncertainty about how much time, effort and resources it will take to bring the city back to somewhat normal, back on track, sadness because even the Mayor tried to play on the racist tunes proclaiming his aim to be making New Orleans once again the Chocolate City.

I cannot imagine America without New Orleans. It would be the same as to try imagining it without New York or Chicago. Therefore I cannot even slightly agree with those who doubted the necessity to rebuild the city and considered it an oddity in the first place that the city was built in such a fragile place. They hadn’t doubted the necessity to use it as a major port and the nicety of having an opportunity to come and party there. They hadn’t doubted the beauty of the French Quarter and the Garden District. They hadn’t doubted the profits coming from the local industry. Only when the city pleaded for help and support did they start doubting everything.

I do not doubt that New Orleans will survive as it survived other bad moments in its history. Katrina was not the final page and was not the final nail in the coffin. People of New Orleans through all the sadness, poverty, problems, and devastation manage to see the dead off with music. They will surely music off the dead idea of burying their city.

So, the second thing that is on my mind is happiness that New Orleanians do what they can to live through the worst days, do their best to preserve traditions that shape the city’s image around the world, manage to leave their troubles behind for at least a few days and nights while Mardi Gras rules. I am with New Orleans and its people in my thoughts and in my heart. Good thoughts and kind hearts, right minds able not to doubt the obvious are there with you now. We believe, we know, we are sure that New Orleans will let the good times roll again.

Katrina’s anniversary: no news from the Russian TV commentary

Last night I watched evening news on Russian TV (RTR) and was eager to hear the news from New Orleans. I had also expected some typical anti-American rhetorics. And my expectations came true. No, the true Ameri-sceptic, RTR US correspondent Konstantin Syomin (Константин Сёмин) wasn’t there. The report was made by one of my favourites, Mikhail Solodovnikov (Михаил Солодовников).

Everything was fine at the beginning and I could almost forgive him his “this is how the world learnt about another America, etc.” with which he seasoned his report quite lavishly. But at the end, standing against the background of the Superdome, he mixed everything in one pile, saying something about the Superdome having a dirty-grey roof (there is such an epithet describing colour in the Russian language, only the roof there is actually not dirty-grey, but rather white-grey), that they gave lethal injections to terminally-ill poor people who stayed in the Superdome (those injections were given to patients in one of the hospitals, who were not placed in the Superdome, and stayed in the flooded hospital).

Of course, the subject of corruption in Louisiana was given a special attention. They even took an interview from one of the City Council members who admitted that LA is notorious for corruption and huge sums were stolen from the emergency funds. But they gave no word to either Nagin or Bush, and showed neither of the commemoration ceremonies, except a short clip of the Bushes attending a church service.

As if there were no corruption anywhere else, especially in Russia. As if Russia were so well prepared to every natural disaster imaginable. As if we had no criminals in our streets. Why almost the only pictures they showed were those of the last year’s looting, not even of the flooded areas? Well, don’t take me wrong too, they did show some streets as they are now. But they also commented in the sense that debris is being hurriedly taken from the streets before the President’s visit. Oh my God! This was said in the country where our President’s visit is the only good reason to put new asphalt on the main streets and paint the buildings along the roads Mr Putin (or whoever else) is going to take.

So in two words, my expectations about the anti-American character of the reports came true, and I was disappointed not to see more of the present-day coverage of NOLA or the coverage of commemoration services.

Katrina Anniversary: press clips

Here are some links to what the world media are writing on Katrina anniversary:

A year later, recovery in New Orleans not easy (CNN)

Remembering Katrina (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

New Orleans marks 1 year after Katrina (AP via Yahoo! News)

Rebuilding the levees (BBC)

Post-flood city wrestles with race issue (BBC)

One year on: Katrina’s legacy (BBC)

Anniversary Brings Out the Politics of Commemoration (New York Times)

Outlines Emerge for a Shaken New Orleans (New York Times)

Katrina’s First Anniversary: Lessons Learned (The Sierra Times)

Katrina’s anniversary set as deadline for cleanup (AP; The Olympian)

Cities remember, grieve, celebrate Katrina’s first anniversary (The Shreveport Times)

Katrina: What was happening a year ago.

Tomorrow (29th August) is a year since Hurricane Katrina made its landfall just slightly east of New Orleans. I was with my NOLA friends at the time and here is part of my American Diary (e-mails to friends telling about my travels). I decided not to edit them and left with bits and pieces not necessarily related to Katrina.

27 August. Katrina. 

Today I have gone out for a little bit to buy last bits and to see the downtown before leaving. It is one of the best days today: so sunny and cheerful. It is hot but not very humid (to my mind). I was just walking through the Quarter from Decatur to Basin and soft rock radio station Magic 101.9 played great music into my ears through the headphone radio. It was such a bright moment of the day, walking along the sunlit streets, listening to music and almost singing along with the radio (if only I knew the words). It felt so good. I realised again and again how much I love this country. I do not like its government (but then I hate Russian government too). There are some other things that I might find unappealing here. But in general I feel so well here and there are so many things that make life in the States better than in Russia for me. This includes numerous little and big moments that together form this feeling of comfortable life in many (not all) respects. 

I totally agree with some of the songs, like “Live Like You Were Dying” or others that express the idea of enjoying every moment of life. I did some things that my mother would curse if she knew, like spending quite a lot of money on clothes or going to a gay bar. But this is my life and I never know if I will have another chance to get here. I was so full of hopes and aspirations three years ago and then didn’t get a visa. If not for Louis and Mike I would still be stuck in Samara. Well, I may have got somewhere closer to the end of my dissertation thing then, but I would have lacked so much of what I have here now. Things are relative, and one loss makes for another gain. It is important to rejoice with what you have or can have, and make the most of it.

I also often came to realisation that love doesn’t leave you easily. I haven’t found my love here. All the hook-ups were vain, since I didn’t like any of the guys I met. Maybe I was too picky but then it is my life and I naturally want the best in it. They say it is hard to find someone for a long-term relationship in New Orleans because it is a party city always in transition. I don’t know. At some point I came to the conclusion that my past love is still there (well, I always knew it would never leave me) and if life and luck brought us together and let him feel something towards me I would not hesitate to go for it. But I look forward into the future. There are still 2.5 years till I am 30. I guess I need to find someone till that time, otherwise it will be always something short and fleeting. I don’t like it. I do not enjoy sex without love and that was the reason I didn’t like those hook-ups of mine. Of course love doesn’t come easily and you have to work for it. But they may be right saying that looks are so important, and gay people love by looks first. I now tend to agree with this saying, because looks are a strong means of initiating some sparks to fly between two people. Only later you get to know the person’s character and interests, his or her true personality. I may be wrong but so far this has been so for me. 

Making the right turn from the feelings I come up to the major news here in New Orleans. Katrina, the hurricane that has stormed through Florida and is now in the Gulf of Mexico, is fast approaching and is expected to make its landfall in south-eastern Louisiana some time on Monday. It is already a Category 3 hurricane with chances to become Category 4 or even 5. Voluntary evacuation is announced for the area, because New Orleans appears to be in the centre of the projected hurricane path. The weather is expected to worsen on Sunday night with strong winds and thunderstorms (while now it is sunny, dry and hot). Already the contraflow plans are implemented on all the roads leading from the city, which means that the traffic can go only out of the city using all the lanes, and you cannot go back or get to New Orleans. The only road that still seems to be open for traffic going down here is Causeway (that longest bridge in the world crossing Lake Pontchartrain). By the way, tolls are lifted on both the Crescent City Connection bridge (leading to the WEST Bank) and the Causeway.

When I was out this morning I saw that some stores are already getting ready for the hurricane. Windows are covered with plywood sheets. People buy water and other supplies to let them last while the stores will be closed during the hurricane. And, what directly affects me, flights are most certainly will be cancelled tomorrow and at the beginning of the next week. That means I won’t be able to leave New Orleans as planned on Monday and will have to stay for another day or two. Well, I cannot say that I am frustrated or disappointed. Two more days in the country I love is not a bad idea. My silly students will surely be all right if they have to wait for me a little bit longer.  With love and best wishes from the city that is embracing itself with a major natural disaster coming.

28 August. Evacuation.

When I wrote my previous chapter yesterday I thought that we would stay in New Orleans and live through a lot of rain and winds well into the next week. In the evening we went to Nirvana Indian Cuisine Restaurant on Magazine Street.I took Louis and Mike there for dinner to thank them for the many great things they have done to me, the greatest of which is bringing me here and allowing to stay at their house. We had a few Indian dishes, mostly based on rice, and Taj Mahal beer. Later we stopped at an ice-cream place where they had a hurricane sale: two scoops for the price of one. So ice-cream was a frozen sweet finish to the evening. While driving along the streets of New Orleans we noticed many houses with their windows covered with plywood. Quite a few gas stations were out of gas and it was unusually empty for a Saturday night.

Well, things turned out not as I predicted or planned on. When I got up this morning Mike entered the room and said that we were leaving, because Katrina had gained strength and was then a Category 5 hurricane on a sure path to hit right over New Orleans. A couple of hours later the Mayor of New Orleans declared mandatory evacuation for the city of New Orleans. People were ordered to leave the city. Those who couldn’t for some reason or didn’t have means of transportation were directed to shelters, the major of which is the Louisiana Superdome.  

I had to pack everything and I also helped Louis and Mike take plants into the house, put some sandbags against the doors in the basement, secure plywood over the front porch windows. It was so hectic and there was no time to think over things, just for doing things. I soon realised that my two bags were not enough to pack everything into them, so I had to borrow a bag. It will take additional re-packing to better accommodate all the stuff.

We left at 11 in the morning, Louis, Mike, Gandalf (the dog), Lucy (the poppy) and me. The contraflow plan had been imposed since Saturday which meant that traffic moved only out of the city and on some roads it moved in this one outbound direction using both lanes. At some point we were stuck on the road leading to the Interstate and also at certain points on the Interstate 10 leading west to Baton Rouge. Cars were moving extremely slowly, bumper to bumper. It was the first mandatory evacuation of New Orleans because Katrina is only the fourth category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the US and it will directly hit New Orleans. Category 5 means that the winds are more than 155 miles per hour (260 kilometres per hour), and they have been in the 160-175 range all day today in the Gulf of Mexico.  

This is predicted to be the major disaster for the city, with some areas flooded up to 10 metres and 50-80% of houses destroyed, which may leave more than a million people homeless. There said to still be about 100,000 people left in New Orleans and the Superdome will probably accommodate 20,000-30,000 people including those with special needs and homeless. Molly’s, a bar in the French Quarter that had never closed during previous storms and hurricanes, closed at 6 pm today. And a curfew was declared from 6 pm Sunday till 6 am Monday. Although it is hard to say what can happen at 6 am tomorrow, since Katrina will make its landfall some time around sunrise tomorrow and will reach New Orleans by midday. If the worst-case scenarios come true we may never see most of the city as it is now. It is said to say, but some predict nearly total destruction, and/or flooding of the French Quarter, which by the way is not so low-lying as many other areas.

It took us four hours to cover 70-something miles to Baton Rouge. The sky ahead was so innocently blue and sunny. But when I looked back I saw a more dramatic picture with grey clouds quickly moved by the wind. A shower rushed down on us when we were approaching Baton Rouge, but it was short.

So here we are at Mike’s house (Mike is Louis’s brother). It is so far a good evening, but barometer shows stormy weather. There will be tropical storm winds some time during the night and tomorrow here, while in New Orleans they will be hurricane strength.  

I called Delta and rescheduled my flight to Wednesday with departure from Baton Rouge. Surprisingly to me there will be no fees or penalties, even though I changed the departure airport. I just don’t think New Orleans airport will be open much on Wednesday; and if it is then there is no way I could get back there anyway. No one knows for sure what is going to happen tomorrow morning and how the city is to emerge from this natural disaster. Hurricane Katrina is the only news on TV here with recurring reports from New Orleans, Mississippi, Alabama, weather reports and updates. The general feeling is that the return to New Orleans is not going to happen earlier than mid-week at the best; and of course no one knows what they will find there. It is terrible, and we are part of this horrifying history.

I am going to bed now with hopes that things work out somehow, that houses withstand the hurricane and that the French Quarter is still there when the water goes down and away. I am sending you my best and love from Baton Rouge.

29 August. A Real Deal.

As I am writing this on Monday evening (with the power being restored in this house just an hour ago), Katrina is downgraded to a tropical storm and is somewhere up in Mississippi and Alabama. It made its landfall at 6 am today in south-eastern Louisiana, but just before that Katrina weakened to a category 4 hurricane (the second strongest) and shifted a bit to the east, sparing the city of New Orleans at least somewhat from what was predicted last night.  

We lost power here at about 11-12 am this morning, but as soon as we got it back at about 7 pm we switched on TV and saw what happened to New Orleans (the footage made from a helicopter). As the Mayor said yesterday, “This is a real deal”. This is a real horrible scenario happening. The city of New Orleans is cut off from the outer world with all the suburbs flooded for up to several feet, or up to the roofs of the one-storey houses, and in some areas up to the second and even third floors. The CBD and the French Quarter are not flooded, at least not much, as far as we could see. But the northern edge of the Quarter and Tulane Avenue which goes off the CBD are flooded up to the car-floor level, or knee-deep at least. Neighbouring Kenner and Metairie are flooded as well as East New Orleans, which was closer to the hurricane’s centre. The picture is unbelievable, even though it has long been predicted that New Orleans would one day be totally flooded. It was inborn in its geography, since the city was laid out in the marshy area below sea level. The levees surround the city on all sides, including the lakefront, but they can be toppled by huge waves from either the lake or the river if the winds are strong enough to breed high surges.

Windows of some of the high-rises in the CBD overlooking the southern river side are blown out with curtains being torn and blown away by the wind. Roofs of some buildings are torn away. The Superdome which was the major shelter was also damaged. When we still had power in the morning there was news about some leaking through its roof and possibly some cracks in the roof. Now when we can see the picture, it is clear that most of the roof exterior cover is blown away (not the concrete roof itself though). It looks like the city partially blown away by the major explosion. And in some areas there are fires in residential districts and in the yacht club. Fumes of smoke and blazes of fire are rising high among the flooded areas.

This is history in the making, a grim and sad history. But at least we can be thankful that on the one hand we are safe, and on the other Mike’s and Louis’s house is not destroyed. Mike called Tara (who stayed there with her husband and their friend) and she said that there is some water in the basement (which is at the ground level actually) and some windows in the attic are shattered. Still, it may take days and even weeks before it will be possible to return there. They say that it would take up to a month to restore power to the whole of New Orleans. I imagine the energy company workers will first have to make sure that all the torn power lines are taken out of the water before energising the lines again. And it will be extremely hard to do when the whole neighbourhoods are flooded so heavily. Bear in mind that it will take maybe weeks for the water to be drained. New Orleans is mostly a big soup bowl, and once the water is in there is very little to take it out.

Here in Baton Rouge we spent a more or less peaceful night. The heavy rain and stormy winds (mostly in gusts) began in the morning. A few tree branches and lots of leaves were torn down. A couple of blocks away a huge tree branch fell on a house breaking the roof. Although the walls were there I would imagine the house will have to be completely rebuilt. But otherwise it was a cool day, with breeze cooling the air inside the house when there was no power. It was a day of reading, listening to radio (since there was no TV) and pondering about the future.

30 August. Refugees in Exile.

I am doing fine here. It is a hot dry sunny day in Baton Rouge. Apart from the leaves and some small branches lying on the streets in the neighbourhood not much indicates that it was stormy weather here just a day ago. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about New Orleans.

A levee was damaged under the water pressure yesterday when the remaining people (including those who stayed in New Orleans to ride out the hurricane, as the expression goes) thought the worst is over. Water from Lake Pontchartrain (which is to the north of the city) began quickly rushing to Mid-City, Lakefront, Carrollton and other areas, with the water level said to be rising on a brick height every 20 minutes. People had nothing to do but go up to the roofs and wait for either the rescue boats or helicopters to come and save them. There were reports this morning that the CBD is being flooded waist-deep, including areas around the Superdome. They started evacuating the hospitals located nearby in the Medical District. There is no power, running water or other utilities in New Orleans and its suburbs. And to restore the utilities infrastructure will be a hard and long task. Jefferson Parish residents (to the west of the city) will be allowed back to their homes not earlier than next Monday to pick up essentials and clothing (if they find anything) but then will be asked to leave for a month before they could come back.

On the brighter side, Mike and Louis’s house is standing and there is just some water in the basement (ground level), maybe a few inches. The streets around are passable with water only ankle-deep. And everybody is safe here in Baton Rouge. We went shopping this morning since Louis and Mike realised more and more that it will be a few weeks’ exile. So, a new bird cage was bought and some stuff for the dog, more food and some clothes. But the news of the house doing all right the smile came back to Louis’s face and Mike’s voice sounded more cheerful.

Meanwhile, I am spending my last 24 hours in America this year. At this time tomorrow a Delta flight will take off from Atlanta and head for Moscow, with cooler weather, higher ground and possibly rains. I will have to make the last effort to get through the canopy of buses, underground and railway lines to get to Samara. It is sad to leave and sad to leave amid such tragic circumstances, but things will get better sooner or later. I am not saying farewell, just till soon.

2 September. Back Home.

I have come back home safely after almost two months in the US and nearly escaping the horror of today’s New Orleans. I flew on the 31st of August from Baton Rouge Airport where I was taken by Louis and Mike. While waiting for the flight I saw several helicopters with red crosses. They took off later heading to the devastated areas. The flight to Atlanta, lunch in Popeyes in Atlanta Airport and a 10-hour flight to Moscow went smoothly. I watched “Hitch” again on the way to Moscow. We arrived in Moscow after 10 in the morning on the 1st of September. I quite quickly and smoothly got to the railway station by bus and underground, bought a ticket to a compartment carriage (I was the only passenger in the compartment) and got on the train shortly after. Now I am writing this final chapter from home.

News from New Orleans meanwhile is worse than they were two days ago. 20,000 body bags are ordered for Orleans and St. Tammany Parishes. Large chunks of Louisiana wetlands are gone forever and maps will have to be redrawn. 90% of the Gulf coast infrastructure is destroyed. Oil and gas industry will leave some parts. In many areas there’s nothing left after the hurricane. There are reports of looting and crime on a huge scale in New Orleans. Thousands are still waiting for the rescue and evacuation. Some reporters already called this 9/11 of the weather situation. Epithets used are devastation and destruction on a “biblical” and “epical” scale. But epithets cannot fully describe what has happened and what is going on there.

New Orleans is being evacuated for at least a month. But it will take several months to rebuild the breached levees and water walls, to pump water from the city, to clean the debris and reconstruct water lines, as well as to rebuild the power lines. This not even includes time allowance for rebuilding the houses. Unfortunately, there are some people in DC, who doubt the need to spend billions of dollars on rebuilding the city that lies beneath the sea level. I, in my turn, doubt that they will be taken seriously. I am sure that New Orleans will be rebuilt and will be the same big partying place. It will only take a huge amount of time and effort.

With best wishes to all of my friends who followed my American adventures and with strong hope in New Orleans rebirth I remain yours.

My Gaydar

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My Paths

Here is the map of the world with countries I’ve been to painted in red (Russia, UK, USA, Oman, Turkey):

create your own visited country map or check our Venice travel guide

I made connections at airports in France, Germany, and UAE, but this doesn’t quite count as whole countries.

And finally the map of the US states I’ve been to (AL, AZ, CO, GA, LA, MS, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, SC, TN, TX, UT):

create your own personalized map of the USA or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

Because of you.

I am listening to Kelly Clarkson singing “Because of You” on KOIT radio station from San Francisco (via Internet, freeware Internet Radio Tuner). This is a great song, so inspiring in melody, my type of “go get me goose bumps”-tune. I think I should put Kelly’s album into my next Amazon shopping cart. There is a slightly more expensive Asian version of that album there which is a 2CD pack with videos and radio mixes on the second CD. I guess it is worth additional five bucks.

But it’s going to be a problem with Amazon.com as they stopped quality service to Russia. I mean they ship but the shipments paid through Standard International Delivery don’t get through. It takes long waiting until all estimated delivery dates end, then complaining, then getting a refund or a delivery which Amazon proceeds through its Expedited Delivery option (though you don’t have to pay any extra). It’s a lot of hassle and loss of time/nerves. At the same time deliveries from Amazon.co.uk get to me within less then two weeks and without any problems.

Do I have to stop listening to good music (it’s no good listening to Internet radio with my dialup connection) and watching good films (our TV is no good in showing them especially with their version of translation) because of either Amazon or how our customs/postal service treats deliveries from Amazon.com?

New Dixie Chicks Album

I’ve finally got a new Dixie Chicks album from Amazon.com. Taking the Long Way sets a new stage for the Texan girls. Moreover, it sets them quite apart from the mainstream country music scene.

The album is less “Dixie Chicks country” than Home, less boyish country than Fly and less ballad country than Wide Open Spaces. It is a step forward towards more metal sounding rock-country music, with more steel guitars, rock sounds and rock-ish presentation. Also, if with the previous albums you could easily hear all three girls: Natalie’s voice, Martie’s fiddle, Emily’s banjo and dobro, on the new album it’s just Natalie’s voice and lots of steel guitar sounds by other musicians. If Martie and Emily play something and sing along with Natalie, then they are lost anyway for my average ear.

I am glad that the girls have kept their authentic voices and manner of presentation is also recognisable, their messages are still those from the agenda. What they’ve done here doesn’t take them away from the hit-list and doesn’t deprive them of the status of one of the best groups in contemporary music. What they’ve done opened new horizons for the Chicks and will surely broaden their fanbase.

But the question remains whether what they’ve come up with can hold their current country fans with them, and fully satisfied. Only die hard lovers of Dixie Chicks won’t ask any questions. Many more may need some extra time of listening to decide. I am still questioning. Not my love for them, but if I appreciate their new album in comparison with the previous ones. And on each listening to a new DC creation I discover new songs that I come to like. So maybe after a few more times I will like most of the songs.

On third listening it sounds better than on the first two. Still, only the first five songs and two more along the way out of 14 tracks were instantly classed as “I like these songs”. This is quite a low appreciation ratio and is on par with Fly, only a few songs from which are among my favourites (they are incidentally hits, anyway). Wide Open Spaces was better in providing more ballad-type content, while Home was rich with both ballads and dynamic tunes making it their best and well-rounded album in my opinion. Still, when I realise that I actually like half of the songs this seems not such a bad yield.

Quite little of country instruments and music is left and sticks to the memory, notably in “Everybody Knows” and “Bitter End”, “Silent House”. “Not Ready to Make Nice” is surely a verbal manifest of Natalie Maines as of her position in relation to already not-quite-recent abusive anti-Chicks things.

I am re-listening to Taking the Long Way now and am quite surprised that I now like every song, except the one which is too metal-rock-harsh-screamy (“Lubbock or Leave It”). The thing is that if I decide to put this CD into my stereo and listen to it sitting on the sofa, I wouldn’t listen to the end and quickly opt for someone like Martina McBride or Jo Dee Messina (if I am on a female tune), or Tim McGraw/Kenny Chesney (pre-Caribbean)/Keith Urban. But when this music plays on my computer (I listen through stereo headphones) and I am doing something else here (like getting to know what blogging is and how on earth pics could be inserted into the post body), Taking the Long Way is just as good as anything from my collection. Also, when I listen to Home I want to pick up a CD booklet (thank heavens, Chicks still publish their lyrics in the booklet, unlike Chesney and Messina) and sing along with them practically every song (and I remember quite a lot by heart). I don’t think I’d want to sing more than a couple-three songs from Taking the Long Way.

Well, Chicks keep growing and so is their music. We, fans, can grow with them. For lovers of more-mainstream sound there are plenty of other artists, for those who believe in crossovers there is one more piece of evidence that crossovers keep happening and keep music vibrant and developing, for those who don’t like more traditional country there is a sample of how country can sound heavier, for those who just like good music from good girls with voices, sense and mastery there is one more album to enjoy.

A new boy.

Well, don’t think I meant a new boy in my “have fucked with” list. I’ve just went to meet a new guy at a suburban shopping centre. We browsed some shops (he knows much about various perfumes in detail) and sat for a couple of hours on a bench outside brushing through the usual general topics like our past studies, our present jobs and our future ambitions.

He is quite nice, not super hot “I want him right now and every minute” type but neither a “Oh, God, am I really here with this beast and going somewhere” sort. He is closer to the first category and leaves very positive impressions. Something like: if we had time and place (and he wanted) we could have some, as they call it in America, “quality time” together. We had sort of some quality time talking. I don’t know if he makes it to my list, but I am not discarding him from the proposed candidates’ list which is running short of contenders.