Scene19

"Rain" was unheardof in Los Angeles till two days ago. It started with drizzles and orchestrated into pours. I stayed in the office all day, unaware of the outdoor drama. And it didn't even ring any bell when I walked out to James Bridge Theater to watch this very mesmerizing movie: Undertow.A very impressive film. In two seconds I realized it was Philip Glass' music and I was excited. A very simple tale. Combination of themes and feelings. Emotions that unravel afterwards. No wonder it's named "undertow". It reminded me of "Fargo" and "White Oleander".

Soon enough I was outside the theater witnessing this heavy rain. It didn't seem like temporary. People gathered here and there to wait. Those lucky guys spread their umbrellas and left. Some at least pulled on their hood. I got my headphones on my head, not a protection but a to-be-protected. I was a little worried. Strangely enough I had the soundtrack CD "Blue" in my player and it was the strong tragic music that stayed with me all the time. Who said it wisely that tragedy is strength...I wondered...as I started darting into the rain and confronting the icy breezy drops, incessantly. I managed to turn up the volume of "Blue", and ran with almost full force towards Chemistry Building. When I finally got back into my office, soaked, I couldn't tell if the water comes from the rain or my sweat.


And I drove in this heavy rain to Tower Records, Sunset. A very impressive drive, almost like the Jurassic ride in Universal Studio. The only difference was I could in my car play the music I wanted, rather than the roaring of people behind me. Trucks passed me by splashing water onto my car roof, and I felt for one second like in a submarine. The streets were all blurred, like the impressionism paintings that I don't know the names of. I managed to watch for all the red lights, make every smooth stop, and reach Tower Sunset as if it was the Motel in "Psycho". (Man with all those neon lights, I was fooled for a sec.) And I picked up Brightman's new DVD, plus a surprising Jeff Buckley live album.




And I got home safe, cold, happy. I could still feel the running rain over my body with "Blue" music surrounding me. A time of fulfillment. A true dreamy reality. How could I resist that. I made some Chai Tea with ginger to warm up, and thought about the three songs that came to my head during the day. I had the lyrics ready, but...maybe I'll rehearse it tomorrow, thought I, since on such a rainy night there were already plenty of reasons to feel fulfilled, realized, or even surrealized. And I closed the night with the RW concert DVD, feeling comfortable, a little lonely, and tons of gratitude for the rain, for the night.