Where Is My Mind?

So here's the rule: The more fun I'm having, the less posts there will be. The same is true for pictures. My picture gallery from the Ann Arbor visit is simply pathetic. I did get some help from Marie and Qian but in any case I don't think any picture gallery could be big enough to capture it all so I guess I just gave up on it altogether.






















This was taken from the car window while Marie was driving us to the department one morning. It is not very succesful as a photo but it captures the light and the dizzyness and the warmth and the exhilaration of Ann Arbor and meeting good friends after too long time apart. I quite like the solitary black man (or is it a woman?) walking towards the light. If you look closely you can see that there is somebody coming to meet him.

During the last two weeks, every now and then when I've gotten stuck with what I've been doing I've wandered to a folder named Qian's Videos and then I've clicked on the boxes one at a time and watched all the videos once again – and again and again. Here are two screenshots from two different nights that will tell absolutely nothing to anybody who wasn't there but to those who were will hopefully create the feeling of the endless nights of dancing and music and fun and silliness. If you ask now where my mind is, it is there with you.

































My grandmother who's a master traveller always says when she gets home from a trip that her soul is still in Venice or in Sorrento or wherever she has happened to leave it last. My naive cures are smells and music, they can transfer you back to far away places and old times in an instant. Whether that is constructive to your psyche can be debated.

But it really doesn't matter that I didn't get my Ann Arbor folder full of pictures this time. I have already several images painted tightly in my mind.

First the fall coloured trees on each sice of the road on our way to Ann Arbor and the first sights of familiar places: The road from Ypsi to town, the Whole Foods corner and then passing Trader Joe's to Stadium and Packard, and up to the department and then Espresso Royale where we went first. And then Kevin and Mario coming through the doors discussing math like nothing had changed.

And the Brown Jug pizza plates. And the bustle at Leopold Bros. And the comfy chairs that you rotate to make them lower or higher at the seminar room with the comfy chairs. And all the posters of paintings in the corridors. And the feel of Ann Arbor chalk on your hands and then the smell of Ann Arbor math department soap on them later.

And the yellow of the forest Marie took me to run to on Saturday morning and the squirrels. And the Michigan M's on peoples' shirts. And the dark trance of Qian's party. And all the baking of pulla and Karelian pies and finally the pumpkin pies in the middle of the night.

And the view from Unveiled Studio to the parking lot while practicing hip accents walking up and down the floor in two lines. And the back room all cleaned up. And the old mirrors and the tiny CD player and the feel of the wooden floor under your feet.

And the colourful leaves on Olivia and the sight of the street in broad daylight for the first time. And the five candles on the table in the green house. And painting with watercolours and playing Clue.

And the Daniel dance and the Pekka dance. And playing foosball and light wars. And drinking beer and watching videos and videos of us watching the videos.

And the last day with lunch in Raja Rani and tea at Sweetwaters and the last visit at the department to copy videos and Qian standing at her office door the light from the office behind her and the darkness of the corridor making her black against the doorframe.

And then Jana and Daniel waving from their front door hugging each other while we're driving away. And the gold of the leaves illuminated by the setting sun on each side of the road as we drive towards the airport and the pink of the sunset later. And last the flying water of the Detroit airport fountain against the still waguely golden sky.

Ultimately this is a blog about wanting to be in different places at the same time.