2005-06-26 - 9:31 p.m.
What I'm listening to: old Indian film songs from the 1950s.
I'm listening to a series of four tapes that were made from my grandfather's friend's record collection. If I'm not mistaken, these tapes contain his entire collection of 78rpm records.
Meetings yesterday were a mix of ups and downs. Breakfast was intense, as expected, but I am glad that I came to check up on my friend. I've invited him to Montreal for a sojourn from all the Ottawa divorce baggage and stuff. I think the change of scenery will be good for him, if he's up to the trip. Jazz festival is around the corner as well, which should be a pleasant diversion.
I always love to visit my brother. He sells high end audio gear and cables. Stepping down to his basement is always a treat, because there are records and cds stacked everywhere, as well as tube amps up the wazoo, cd players, turntables, vintage audio gear, etc. His basement is his office, when clients come over. The last time I was over he had me listen to a pair of high end mono-block tube amps. I think my ears changed for ever.
I had brought my vintage tube amp over to show him. He was impressed, when we set it up with a pair of speakers that he and his friend designed especially for tube amps. "These speakers are for a certain type of listener, and for a certain type of music", he said. "They're made for people who own tube equipment and who like jazz, especially vocal jazz, and who buy music that's recorded well. Top40 pop will never sound good with these speakers. They're just not made for that type of music."
And I thought that I was a pretentious purist....
In his usual big brother style, he introduced to me to a new genre of music that I have no knowledge of: modern jazz. My interest is usually older Verve Jazz, or more progressive styles typically found on Blue Note. Yesterday he introduced me to the newer female jazz artists-Madeline Peyroux (who sounds a lot like Bille Holiday, to the point where it's actually kinda creepy), and the likes. I heard a really neat cover of "Miss You" by the Stones performed by one of these artists. What's even cooler is that we hooked up one of his reel to reel tape recorders up to my tube amp to make a tape of this new fangled jazz.
So the two of us are sitting in his basement, drinking tea, chatting, watching the wheels turn at 7 1/2ips, the VU needles flicker back and forth, and the warm glow of the tubes.
Life is good.
Last night's meeting with the old friend was very comforting. Such is with old friends. You don't need to see each other every day, or rather talk to each other every day. No matter how much time has passed between meetings, you can always pick up where you left off as if nothing's changed. I haven't seen this friend in almost a year. We've both been busy, or travelling here and there, never seemed to be at the same place at the same time.
This time was fortunate, because I happen to be in town and tomorrow she's leaving on an archeological dig in Pompeii for the rest of the summer.
This morning was the usual tea session with the parents, as is custom in my house on Sunday mornings. This morning's discussion revolved a lot around colonialism and the possibilities that cheap labour can offer for the colonizer. The nature/nurture debate came up again as well, as my dad is ardently in favour of nurture/lifestyle over nature/genetics where as I believe in a combination of both. As I drink tea and do the crossword, as I do every morning when I'm home, my dad decided to immortalize the moment:
One thing I miss about not getting the paper in Montreal is the crossword. That'll change in the fall. I did the NY Times crossword with a friend last week, and after giving that a go, the Ottawa Citizen crossword is a joke.
I was catching up on the gardening this afternoon (another thing I miss about not living in a house anymore) and much to my surprise the rose bushes that I planted last year, that my brother-in-law gave me are doing surprisingly well, as well as my hibiscus tree (potted) and dwarf Korean lilac bush. I planted an almond tree a few years ago and it is growing nicely, and today I found a bird's nest in it, with a couple of eggs.
"We have new borders", I told my parents. For the longest time we always had people staying at our house, especially family and friends who decided to start a new life in Canada. We've always had an extra room or something, so various people have stayed with us for a few months while they look for work, find a place to live, etc. A few of my cousins have started their post-secondary education in this house. If somebody wanted to move to Ottawa for school, we offered them room and bord to give them a start.
I remember the most we had at one time was 9 people, including all three of my remaining grandparents living with us at the same time. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of that time, when all three of them were here.
"What new borders"?
"There's a bird's nest in the almond tree. And there's eggs as well".
"Please be very careful around there. Last year I cut down one of the cedar trees in the front without realizing that there was a nest in there. When the tree fell, the nest tumbled out and there were eggs in there, not quite ready to be hatched. When the nest hit the ground the eggs broke open. The mother bird perched on the roof of the neighbour's house and cried the whole day. She made sounds, but they definetely weren't songs."
Noted.
