young & gifted

I like the way he looks personality through the lens. 

I feel music in the background.

HEDI SLIMANE DIARY

perfect day

Today was perfect sunday. Meeting up with my home girl Eri-chan, shopping, walking, talking, eating. I don't want nothing else. 

Satisfying dinner at dim sum place (classic..) and after I said good-bye to Eri-chan, I was listening Nas / illmatic on the way home. I was remembering the days in high school

dreaming about this city. Suddenly it was flashbacked, I was wearing very classic tacky uniform, bored lecture in classroom, I can still remember the color of floor tiles. 

Wow,, I am really here. I exist, live, laugh, cry, repeat all that in this city. 

This rap perfectly complete New York scenery. Illmatic was everything for my 16 years old girl's brain in the strict christian school who living in the small city. 

今日はゆっくりで完璧な日曜日だった。えりちゃんと14stで午後から買い物して、歩いて、しゃべって食べて、楽しかったな！飲茶を食べた後、えりちゃんとバイバイして家に帰るまでの途中、イヤホンの中でちょうどよくNasのIllmaticが始まった。死ぬほど流して耳に馴染んでいるNASのラップを聴いて、高校のときの自分をなんとなく思い出していた。ださい制服を着て、退屈な授業を聞いて、こっそりとこのアルバムを聴きながら、まだ見ぬニューヨークに想いを馳せていたっけ。本当に、ここまで来て、ここで生きている。泣いたり笑ったりを繰り返しながら暮らしてる。このラップは、ニューヨークの景色を完璧にする。Illmaticは、クリスチャンの厳しい学校に通う小さな街の１６歳の私の、すべてだった。

I like to dig into old music archives. Dusty, sentimental grooves. It never ends to search deep for grimy songs because there are so many in the world. I cannot even remember since when I stopped to listen new releases.

昔のミュージックアーカイブを掘り出すのは、楽しい。世界中に色んな音楽があると思うと、その旅は果てしなく、終わりが無い。いつからだろうか、新しいリリースを全く聴かなくなった。

Erykah Badu,

 her new album "New Amerykah Part 2; Return of the Ankh" simply reminds me the excitement of innovation of music. I always admire her braveness and Stoicism for her creativity and "I don't give a f*** what people think about me" attitude. (and her outfit also)

Erykah Baduのニューアルバムがすごくいい。単純に、初期衝動や、実験がもたらす発見、創作意欲の爆発の素晴らしさを思い起こしてくれる。常に彼女の勇気や音楽に対するストイックさを賞賛して来たけど、今回は得に素晴らしい！

What the meaning of life if you just looking back to old stuff that you could never experienced, and longing too much imagining what if I was born in that age? This is the easy trap for those who love old things and be critical for anything new. Of course there is some romanticism for classics, but may be what someone create today will be classic in some day. I am living now, this time. 

もし、自分の生まれることができなかった時代に憧れて、新しい物に排他的になるのなら、今の時代に生きることに何の意味があるんだろうか。これは、古い音楽を愛するすべての人がはまりやすい罠だと思う。もちろんクラシックなものには常にロマンがあるけど、もし今日生まれる新しい音楽もいつかクラシックになるとしたら、それを今経験しないと生きてる意味がない。私が生きているのは今、この瞬間だ。

What I ain't got?

I can see endless traffic of Williamsburg Bridge from my fire escape, which I named balcony.When I go home and if sun is still high, I usually bring Pepsi and books to there. If I got tired of reading, I just chill, looking at people on the street.

It is fun because nobody notice I am watching them even hundreds of people passing by. I feel like I am transparency.

私がベランダと呼んでいる非常階段に出ると、

Williamsburg Bridgeの絶え間ない車の流れと、道を行き交う人々が見える。

家に帰ってもまだ日が高いときは、

コーラと本を持って外を眺める。

活字が嫌になったら、ただボーっとする。

こんなに人が居るのに、誰も私がベランダで一人一人を見てることに気付かない。

透明人間になった気分で時間を忘れる。

Nina Simone-I ain't no got

I ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes
Ain't got no money, Ain't got no class
Ain't got no skirts, Ain't got no sweater
Ain't got no perfume Ain't got no bed
Ain't got no mind, 

Ain't got no mother Ain't got no culture
Ain't got no friends, aint got no schoolin'
Ain't got no love, Ain't got no name
Ain't got no ticket, Ain't got no token
Ain't got no god 

and what have i got? 
why am i alive anyway?
yeah what have i got?
nobody can take away?...

Got my hair. Got my head
Got my brains, Got my ears
Got my eyes, Got my nose
Got my mouth, I got my smile 

I got my tongue, Got my chin
Got my neck, Got my boobies
Got my heart, Got my soul
Got my back, I got my sex 

I got my arms, got my hands, got my fingers,
got my legs, got my feet, got my toes,
got my liver, got my blood..

I've got life, 
i've got my freedom
i've got life
I've got life
and I am gonna keep it
I've got life
and nobody's gonna take it away
I've got life!

私が体現するマテリアリズムとは対極にあるこのうた。本来は奴隷の歌なので浅はかな考えかもしれないが、Nina Simoneのこの力強いメッセージを、物質主義＝２１世紀の奴隷制度と解釈してもいいだろうか。

最終的に、身体だけが本当に自分のものだ。それもいつかはなくなるけど。

そのことについて普段深くは考えないけど、生きているあいだ肉体は自分を置いてかないし、自分もそれを置き去りにはしない。 だから身体はきちんとケアしないといけない。

こんなふうに生きていきていけたらいいな、と強い憧れを心に持っているのに

生活はどうしても遠ざかる。欲望に惚け、荷物が増える。

あと４０年したら、こんなふうに身ひとつの雨にも負けずイズムで暮らしたい。

I think I am the authentic embodiment of materialism so this song is 180 degree opposite from me. This is actually the song of slavery, so if I say this maybe it sounds too shallow, but can I say materialism is the slavery of 21st century?I wish I could simply live like this, but I am too far. I am such a greed.. This song is simply the anthem of human body and soul. I never thought deeply about it, but only your body can takes you the place you go, and you can never leave your body behind when you go. So, what you truly own is only your body itself. No cash, clothes, cars, everything else is nonsense at the end of the day, because you don't really OWN it. That's why I have to keep good care of my body, because it's my best friend and only friend. 

May be the 40yrs later, I only have my bodies with minimum materials and full of appreciation of life, just live like Kenji Miyazawa-ish. If this word make sense. 

I LIKE MY POCKET FAT NOT FLAT

I am pretty much enjoining friday night at home with my stomach full. I ate too much of Vietnamese food tonight. It was very good. 

This gum is favorite candy for now. I get it at downstair's cafeteria of my office building. I get it A LOT in one time (because I can afford), and put those full in my little pouch that host-mother in Thailand gave it to me when I was in highschool. Whenever I chew this gum, I feel America in my mouth. This artificial taste is symbol of USA for me, as equal as hamburger in BBQ. 

Since my camera never works, I don't feel updating blog so often now. I need to get new camera.

Watching movie, sleep, waking up late, check out Bronx, sewing, cooking, that's my plan.