Adapting (and Dreaming)

I asked my German friend how long she expected the pandemic to last. It was a bewildered Xmas holiday musing, and the reply was that it would still be around for Xmas 2022. While nobody knows anything, I find some comfort in her prediction. A year is a manageable span of time - hopefully short enough not to be overwhelming, yet long enough to cover at least a substantial chunk of the rest of the time we will be irritated by this malaise. 

Sometimes I dream of overseas destinations. The last place I visited in my subconscious was NYC - a brightly lit place having its last heyday as the sun set, and the skyscrapers rose out of waterways. Now that I think about it, I think I was both saying Hello and Goodbye to this much-vaulted place that looks set to be engulfed by rising authoritarianism. 

I have travelled widely across Western Europe and East Asia, but my familiarity with North America pales in comparison in terms of both number of places visited and the last time I was there. It's all very well dreaming up A Farwell Tour While Biden Remains, but there may be more factors drawing me away than pulling me in... to this day. 

Recently I have been building enthusiasm for Japan, dreaming of spending time taking in my surroundings in themed cafes and near-inscrutable libraries (or bookshops), or getting away into the countryside some autumn afternoon to inhale the foliage. Forest bathing, except in a garden attached to a temple, where the likeness of the Buddha is sculpted out of stone, subtle but inviting as a stepping stone to enjoying the rest of the expanse.

On another note, I want to experience for myself the immigrant country with the Angel Complex, our Commonwealth cousin, Canada. I want to start in Vancouver and take public transport East, stopping at various points along the way, until I reach Quebec City (or Montreal, if that's too ambitious). I want to visit scenic sites as well as big cities like Toronto, which has long fascinated me due to its immigrant and PoC numbers. 

And then there's the continent I keep returning to out of sheer admiration, Europe. It's hard to balance other continents with Europe, because for me, it remains a stubborn mainstay of my dreams. But we'll see. There's a lot of world to cover. 

What I've learned from months of listening to German radio

During my attempts to live like a local in the former eastern Germany, I came across advertising for MDR JUMP, one of the hit radio stations out of Leipzig. Much later, I downloaded an app called Radio Germany, and decided to listen to it there. Close to the MDR Jump button was 'RTL', which enticed me with its red logo. This station is out of Berlin. Before long, I was alternating between the two to get my fix of European soundscapes, changing the station when I wasn't in the mood for misogynistic male pop stars. 

I've made some interesting musical discoveries such as 'Faded Love' by Leony (below):

There have been a few German language songs I never caught the names of. Also of interest was the music of Zoe Wees, a black German youth whose raw, piercing voice is unique and memorable. Then there's entirely instrumental pieces like this:

RTL is the more energetic of the two, with deep pop roots. MDR Jump is more likely to feature songs from the past. RTL seems to have more women presenters, and MDR Jump is more likely to play Imagine Dragons. Indeed, the latest US, Canadian and British hits often find their way into the playlist. Germany seems to love Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd. (What do I think of them? I find Sheeran objectifies his love interests, which makes his catchy tunes annoying. As for The Weeknd, misogyny was never more mellifluous. I spent many months hate-listening to 'Save Your Tears' and 'Blinding Lights', wishing that the fabulous instrumental stylings were propping up a feminist act. Finally I realised that my only choice was to accept the shittiness of the situation. 

But enough about artists I don't like.) What I love about RTL in particular is that the music has progressive credentials. Some of those hip kids in the Berlin party scene are going to be dancing to these tunes, or at least, letting them perk up their day. This makes me feel like I can relax.  

Have I picked up any German? Sadly, no - though I've recognised ads for KaDeWe, Berlin's only shopping mall, and pick up the odd word like 'lecker' (delicious). It doesn't matter - music is the universal language. 

Hanging in there

The pandemic might end during the course of the year. Or it might not. It pays to be prepared for the worst.

A couple of days ago I read an evocative travel book which made me long to leave my well-worn surroundings in search of the new. Except that, with Omicron surging in Sydney, and probably at all the destinations I want to visit, the risk of infection has never been higher. So, I'm unfortunately forced to conclude that leaving Australia is a non-starter. 

Maybe I should stop reading travel books? It seems sensible. Spend more time outside in fresh air? Maybe, except that I can't rely on my fellow citizens to wear masks when they approach me... today a woman came up to me and asked me about bus routes. I quickly pulled my mask up over my nose, hoping she would follow suit. She did, but with a delay. Grrr!

I can't help but think that the longer this goes on, the more we are all suffering. If the pandemic ended tomorrow, it couldn't come soon enough. But it won't. I think of all the women who are trapped in abusive relationships, or people of any gender facing violence of any kind. It is documented that men with violent tendencies tend to take it out on their partners when faced with the extra stress of a lockdown or having to spend more time indoors. I also feel for the teenagers who have difficult relationships with their parents and can’t retreat to the relative safety of school, libraries or malls, where they can seek out healthy interaction with their friends. 

The world turns, and those of us who have survived are looking worse for wear every day. As global heating slowly takes its toll, the environment will be increasingly harsh and hostile. How many kinds of trauma will we live through?