(Now, before you assume that this is a pro or against
America post, let me assure you that it is neither.
Merely some observations of mine made during
and after spending some time there. Five months.)
From the minute I heard Bessie Smith bellow out
''Give me a pig foot and a bottle of beer'' I knew that
when I grew up I wanted to be a Jazz pianist.
(Considering that I was only three years old when I
made that decision, one may wonder what on
earth a Swedish toddler could possibly have connected
with listening to Jazz.)
Fast forward some 30 years and I am stepping off a plane
in Atlanta, Georgia. Through circumstances, hard work and some luck
I have been invited to perform at a huge Music festival
in Birmingham, Alabama.
Verna, a friend of the family picks me up in Atlanta and
we drive to Birmingham. Once in her little flat, situated in
the heart of Birmingham, jetlag kicks in and I zonk out
on the bed she has prepared for me.
16 hours later, I wake up. Verna is gone, but she has left
a note telling me she is at work.
I decide to go exploring.
Observation 1: Birmingham in the summer is just as
relentlessly hot and humid as it is in Queensland, Australia.
Observation 2: What Americans call ''coffee'' seems to
be what I would call ''coffee flavoured hot water''.
Observation 3: Generally people are friendly and polite, although
their southern drawl do take some getting used to. But
I find it smooth and very musical, I really like it.
Observation 4: Finding any kind of food without any sugar in it
proves a very difficult task. There is even sugar in most breads!!
No wonder there is an obesity problem in this country.
Observation 5: Every kind of ''space'' is air-conditioned.
Arctic winds greet me where ever I go.
I can't help but wonder how much energy is expended
on keeping those air-cons going all the time.
Observation 6: There seems to be an endless array of fast-food
outlets. Fatty foods, deep-fried foods, ribs soaked in sweet
sauces, steaks the size of dinner plates, chips in buckets,
and soft drinks....oh man, more like tubs than cups.
Observation 7: Being a vegetarian in Birmingham one
has to be prepared to do some serious research if one
wants to have a choice of salads or non-sugared, non-sauce
drenched healthy meals.
Observation 8: Cars are very clearly the choice of transport.
Everything seemingly can be done while remaining seated
in the car. Even ATM banking.
Observation 9: ''Big'' seems to be the operative word.
Big people, big portions, big illusions, big problems,
big dreams, big ideas, big opportunities, big difference between
the have and have-nots, the cities and the suburbs, etc. etc.
Observation 10: Winning, or being a winner, seems to be at
the pinnacle of achievement, the driving motivation behind
most actions, although, winning often seems to be measured in
dollars more than anything else..
Observation 11: Addictions of all varying kinds seems to
have got its teeth into a large number of Americans, but
it seems perhaps that food-addiction may be the most
insidious one of them all.
Wandering around in a T.J. Max store in Birmingham
I quickly realized that one way of deluding people of
their ''real'' size is to change the sizing parameters.
What used to be Large, call that Small.
(Trying on a pair of so called ''Small'' jeans in the
shop I discovered the ruse and found that I needed
xx-Small.)
Observation 12: America is an enigma. It seems to me
paradoxical. So much of the best, so much of the worst,
so much hope, so much despair, so many super rich,
so many super poor, so much creativity, so much
conformity, so much corruption, so much courage,
and the list goes on.
Finally, in my very personal view, regardless of
its pluses and minuses, I believe this planet is better off
with a USA than without.
Though it may be stumbling to live up to the Bill of Rights
and their Constitution, USA gave birth to Blues and Jazz music,
and without that music, would there be any rock, pop, rap, trap,
Jazz, fusion, etc. etc. music today?
''What is my definition of Jazz?
Safe sex of the highest order.''
(Kurt Vonnegut)
about the painting: Acrylic on large canvas.
Why is it called American Geisha?
This rather large American woman believes in magic;
the wand in her hand. She believes that no matter her
size she is still a princess; the tiara on her head.
Dancing is for everyone no matter the size; the ''tutu''.
Her face is beautiful; the geisha mask represents timeless
beauty.
The American Flag wings held on her back by rhinestones;
She is an American Dreamer.
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