Disappointment....

Well my show came and went and it was a bit of a bummer. The night wasn't a total catastrophe or anything, but the general vibe was a let down. Basically, everyone I told about the event decided not to go at the last minute for whatever reason and the turnout was crappy. I worked pretty hard on this CD, and told a lot of people about the party, but no one really came through which was discouraging. The frustrating thing was that I can't really even get mad at any one person, it wasn't anyone's fault really, it was just the building pressure of person after person sending me emails and texts and phone calls, one after the other, in the 24 hours leading up to the show, saying "oh I can't make it after all". The first few didn't bother me but after a while it became annoying. The night was just destined to suck. Even during the show, a good buddy of mine called saying he got a flat tire on the highway and one of our crew members had to leave and go help him out. So even the people who tried to come out got sabotaged. I tried not to take it personally, but when you work on something for so long and then nobody shows up, it hurts, I can't help it...

On a lighter note, I passed out a lot of CD's at the party and my online promotion has been going fairly well, getting lots of downloads. Here's a link to my music page:

http://musicv2.com/artist/indidjinous

The mix in question is called "Transplanted", the same title of this blog. Another one on my page worth downloading is "Unorthodox Soundscapes" which is a bit more mellow than the more recent mix, if that's what you prefer....

Another successful aspect of the show was the fact that it brought together several of the artists I had involved on the CD, which was the main point. We're all so spread out geographically, it was nice to bring everyone together for once to listen to each other's tunes and talk about the music. In that sense, it was a good night, and I tried to enjoy myself, but the truth is that I felt a sense of simmering resentment for most of the night... Oh well. I feel better now.

Cool flyer for my CD release party

I'm having a CD release party in a couple weeks at a club in Baltimore. The CD has the same name of this blog (and for similar reasons), but it technically has nothing to do with it. The concept behind it is that all the tracks I made for this album were made with artists I've hooked up with since I moved to the East Coast, my new music community. I will post the album online (it's not 100% done) in about a week and half, and of course I'll supply free download links here. Meanwhile, I thought people might get a kick out of the awesome flyer my buddy designed. Check it out!!!!
Oh and in case you didn't know, my performance alias is "Indidjinous"

Check this out...

I just stumbled upon this op-ed in the Washington Post today. It describes the global economic crisis in a refreshingly clear way, and specifically, how it relates to the U.S., China, and unions. It's worth a read....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/17/AR2009021702769.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

The Spring thaw

Oddly enough, within ten days of our first real snow, just when it finally started to feel like a real winter, we started to get our first signs of Spring. Within three days, the temp went from 15 degrees to over 60, and as the snow melted, tiny leaf buds began to appear on my block's trees. Although I greaty enjoyed our brief snowfalls, I'm not complaining because the warmth is great. I don't chalk this particular instance of schizophrenic weather up to global warming, I just think it's some random fluctuation and that's about it.... Mood swings happen, in people and in nature.

I received an extremely scary phone call this week, from a sheriff deputy in Marin County. The number was blocked so I didn't answer, and when I listened to the message he only said, "my name is deputy sheriff .........., please call me as soon as you can," followed by his number. I was just finishing eating chinese food in a restaurant downtown with some music associates, and I suddenly became extremely scared. I knew it had to be something bad, how could it be good? I was sure it had something to do with either my brother or my mom. Either she got killed in a car accident, or Pepi became horribly burned or killed on the job fighting a fire. I was afraid to call back, I didn't want to hear the news, and my body started to shake as my friends started to console me. We left the restaurant and I called my mom and thankfully she answered as if nothing was going on. I told her what happened and asked her if Pepi was working at the firehouse today and she said he was. Of course she started to freak out too. So I called Pepi's number but he didn't answer. I was sure something had happened to him.

So a few minutes later I fiinally got the nerve to call the sheriff, and it turns out that an old friend of mine from high school had gone missing, and he wanted to know if I had heard from her recently. Now, I wasn't exactly happy to hear this, it was terrible news, but when you think your mom or your brother may have died, I'll be honest, it was a bit of a relief.

So this has been one of those contemplative weeks, you know, where you think about how lucky you are to have what you have. It also made me think about war and try to imagine what it must be like to have one or more family members killed or maimed. The funny thing is, it doesn't take a war for something like that to happen. Any of us can die suddenly for any number of reasons. It is amazing we live in a world with these rules. But as I've read many times before, the purpose of death is probably to make us appreciate life more. Without the week, there is no weekend, without darkness there is no light, etc, etc. blah blah blah......

Finally...

We finally got our first snow of the season yesterday, a sight that always makes me happy even when I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, as I did yesterday. We got a few inches, which as far as I can tell is about as much as it ever snows here. I took a few pictures but haven't uploaded them yet, and can't do so on the computer I'm writing on at the moment. Right now I'm on the front desk computer at the gym I work at every Wednesday morning from 5 to 8AM. When I woke up at 4:30, it was actually raining outside even though the temperature was below freezing. When I got outside, the rain had stopped but there was still snow on the ground and a fresh layer of ice covered most of the landscape. I had to slide my way down the sidewalks to get to work in time to open the gym. Unfortunately, although the sidewalks were treacherous, the roads themsleves appeared relatively clear. This means work will go on as usual today....

I started class a couple days ago. All I have left to do before I receive my Master's in Government is write my thesis. But when I saw the due dates for the first drafts of this 100+ page document that I have barely started, I decided it would be more realistic if I take the thesis class in the summer instead. So I'm going to drop this semester but continue working on my thesis, that way I'll have a more refined product when I start again in the summer, plus I'll only have six weeks of classes instead of twelve, which is all I need for a course that is basically just for guidance. I'll graduate a bit later, but I honestly don't care much about that.

So that means my only rigid obligation this spring is going to be work, and that might be changing soon. My present job at the public interest-oriented PR company Fenton Communications is quite interesting and I have learned some very useful skills about how to influence the media, government, and the public, but another more promising opportunity may very well be coming my way soon and if it does I will take it. I don't want to say exactly what it is until I know for sure that it is going to work out, but I'll be sure to announce here as soon as I know...

On the music front, this week I'm compiling the final version of a new mix I've been working on for the last half year. I'm just waiting on this one collaborative remix project that my friend still owes me before I can finish it. Once it is done, I'll have another hour-long piece of my latest creations for everyone to check out. I will post links here to my music website once it is completed. I also have a few gigs coming up in February out in Baltimore that I am looking forward to. Should be a fun year music-wise...

The Inauguration

It's taken me a while to get around to writing this, and with good reason. This weekend was a marathon celebration and I'm still exhausted. It was a lot to take in, the significance of it all. Two amazing events really happened. Not only did Barack Obama become president, but equally mind-boggling, George W. Bush is no longer president. I'm not sure which of these two developments makes me more happy. During the ceremony itself, I was similarly undecided. Which was my favorite part? The swearing in of Obama, or when Bush flew away in his helicopter and got to see everybody celebrating his departure?

I'm tempted here to go into a tirade about why I'm glad Bush is gone, but like I said in my first post, I'm not trying to make this a political blog. Suffice to say, there is a new energy in Washington, on K Street even, where I work, there is a new feeling that is different from the usual glumness that characterizes the mood of a typical work day. Something is in the air, a sense of disbelief and encouragement, hope and possibility, but I don't think it has even really settled in yet for most of us. It's almost too good to be true. For as long as the last 8 years have been, it's still hard to believe this transition has commenced.

I think it's worth thinking about, if you haven't already, what things might look like if McCain and Palin were in charge. I'm inclined to imagine that McCain would have governed much like he ran his campaign, hastily, on instinct, and in a technologically illiterate fashion. And for all the worrying throughout the campaign about which candidate would "hit the ground running," McCain would surely not have made as impressive a transition as Obama has. Barack hit the ground running yesterday, but he was flying even before that. His organization is astoundingly efficient and forward-thinking, and continues to amaze me.

Okay okay, there I go, enough of the political analysis already, on to my personal experience at the Inauguration. I celebrated most of the weekend with my friend Adam Lynn because I know no one else who is as enthusiastic about politics as this guy. He is also the saint that gave me an Inauguration ticket. The night before, we were supposed to go out celebrating and I didn't want to over do it, but he reminded me of the significance of this weekend and I proceeded to drink heavily and walk halfway around this city and back. We didn't get to sleep till about four in the morning, and when I woke up at nine I thought we might miss the main event. 

In a still drunk state, we power-walked down to the Mall from my house and encountered the largest congregation of people I've ever seen in my entire life. We had to enter the Mall from the south, which meant that I had to go on the freeway underneath the Mall to get there. Walking through that tunnel with thousands of people was very surreal. It reminded me of some kind of zombie movie where a town had been deserted and cars didn't drive on the road anymore. I tried to take a picture of it, but unfortunately my camera would not cooperate (I think because of the cold, later on it warmed up a bit). 

When I got to the other side, it was about 10:30 and I knew I better hustle. I went over to the silver gate which is where my ticket area was and quickly realized that it was so gridlocked that I could very easily not actually make it in at all. I felt like a real idiot, hating myself for having not woken up earlier on such a special day. But I got in line anyway, and very very slowly moved toward the gate. At about 11:25 I was still way too far back from the gate and I pretty much lost all hope of seeing the main event, which started at 11:30. 

But to my surprise, right at that moment, the crowd lurched forward and I quickly made it past our gate and into the Mall. Unfortunately, I then discovered that the reason the crowd started to move was because the fences had been knocked down, and the ticketed silver area had now become general admission. So I never had to show my special ticket, and never went through security, but I was happy because I still got to where i wanted to be, right near the back end of the reflecting pool, and while I couldn't see Obama, I still had a pretty good view of the Capital building and I could see a large TV screen fairly clearly.

The ceremony itself you probably watched yourself, so I won't describe it. I can say though that the vibe in the crowd was electric, and the people themselves were very diverse in terms of race. We packed in so close to each other that I didn't seem to notice the cold anymore. 

After the ceremony, people started to walk out onto the frozen reflecting pool that had many large cracks going through it. When I got up close and realized it was only a couple feet deep, I decided to walk out onto the ice and head toward the Capital. At that point the whole thing just became a big party. 

There are more details I could ad but I am too beat to continue, so I'll let the pictures tell the story instead. 

Crazy news!

For all my talk about wanting to avoid the crowds, it looks like I'm going to be in the thick of it after all. Adam, my friend and former co-worker from Free Press, just offered me an extra Inauguration ticket his housemate gave up. It looks like I'll be in the special ticketed area behind the reflecting pool, and I should be able to catch a glimpse of our incoming president getting sworn in. I can't believe my luck. What a great way to start the year!

Here's a link to the Inauguration map for those who are curious:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2008/12/04/GR2008120402930.html

I am also tentatively planning on attending a special ball that night, what's really an art show actually, called "The Art of Change" in Georgetown. I heard it is going to be one of the better parties that night, I still gotta get a ticket though....

Check it out:
http://www.artists-ball.org/

Getting closer...

Okay I know I said I wasn't going to make this an exclusively political blog, but living in this city, it is difficult not to talk about the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama. However, because I am a Washignton resident, I'm just as interested in the logistical complications this city faces in the coming days as I am in the political gossip. Supposedly up to 4 million people are going to descend on DC within a week, and considering how small the city is, that would be quite a sight. A new friend of mine named Chris shared his view on the widespread, overhyped anticipation. He thinks expectations are getting unrealistic, and while it'll be a big deal, it isn't going to be as insane as everyone is predicting.

I have to admit, it is hard for me to imagine the entire Mall filled up with people, and all of downtown gettting shut down to any traffic. I also find it hard to believe that everyone is actually renting out their apartments for thousands of dollars. I only know a single person who is renting out her apartment, and while she's getting quite a good price, the deal isn't completed yet. I'll believe it when I see it.

But then again, Chris could be wrong. On Election Night, this city went berserk, and that was only with the residents of this DC alone. Also, people didn't know whether or not Obama was going to win, but when he did, impromptu parties popped up all over the city, including (probably the biggest one) in front of the White House. This time, Obama's place in history is a done deal, with enough time for millions to prepare a pillgrimage across the country or world. This really could be the craziest week in D.C. since maybe 9-11 or those sniper attacks.

As I was saying, the logistics of the whole affair will be interesting to watch unfold. If the last few days are any indication, the city could easily be gridlocked for days. Walking to work yesterday from my place in Adam's Morgan to K Street, I noticed that part of 16st was blocked off because of a busted water main (probably from the intense cold). Shutting down just a couple blocks caused quite a bit of havoc for everyone trying to get to work. Most of my office was nearly an hour late. As usual, I was happy I was walking. I'm also happy I don't have to work next Tuesday.

A California seed in East Coast soil

At the urging of a certain relative, I've finally decided to create a blog. I'm calling it "Transplanted" because in 2007 I relocated to Washington D.C. from Santa Cruz, and my life still feels mainly characterized by that adjustment. Before, I would send out mass e-mails to all my relatives to keep them updated on my transition, but I'm going to try this new blog format to see if it inspires me to write more often. Also, people will just be able to check it out when they want to instead of me adding clutter to their in-boxes, and they'll be able to respond publicly as well which should make it more fun.

Now seems like an ideal time to start reporting about life in Washington. Whether one is an Obama fan or not, this year is going to be interesting for anyone interested in politics. But I'm definitely not going to make this some kind of political blog. I don't pretend to think my political rants are worthy of mass attention. This is just a public record of events in my life with reflections by yours truly...

That said, I'm looking forward to the circus that is coming to town for Inauguration. While I'm planning on avoiding the crowds, because I work two blocks from the White House I'm sure to witness the hordes whether I want to or not. Also, I happen to live in the Adam's Morgan area which has by far the densest concentration of bars in this entire city (I'd guess there are at least 50 on my block). The city has made a new rule during the week of Inauguration that lets the bars stay open TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY! And they serve alcohol till 5 AM!!!!! I can't believe they actually did this, but I guess the city is trying to make money. Anyway, my neighborhood is going to be a madhouse, if Election Night was any indication, and I'll be lucky if I get much sleep. Unfortunately I'll still have to go to work that week and won't be able to indulge too much in the late night celebrations.

While my holiday trip to California was a blast, I'm relieved to be back here in the city cause I have a lot to do this year and I'm ready to get to it. My New Year's resolutions are pretty ordinary, I need to eat better and get more exercise (my diet has gone to hell this year, especially since Marianna left, been eating meat too much and not enough vegetables). I'm also finishing grad school hopefully at the end of this semester, granted I complete my thesis which is going to be pretty tough I think. I'm also finally ready to make the transition from intern (I've had four internships since I've been to DC, and about four or five other miscellaneous jobs) to "professional", but as we all know, the job climate could be better these days so hopefully I'll be able to accomplish this before the year is over. I've also got a bunch of random music projects going on, including recordings and DJ gigs, so I'll keep that simmering on the side and I'll provide updates and links to my music when I can.

Okay, that's all for now, I gotta get back to work. Thanks for reading my lame blog.