OUT TO SEE…YEAR LONG DISASTER
A friend recently returned to the United States from South Korea. She is teaching English across the Pacific and is on a two month long vacation. To celebrate her return, we decided we’d head off to check out the local music scene. Via e-mail, I suggested two places as possibilities: either Spaceland or Silverlake Lounge. I also gave her a couple myspace links so that she could listen to the residency bands at both locations and decide which she liked best. We ran into some immediate problems. I didn’t realize that her Internet access was spotty (she didn’t have a cell phone as she’d cancelled her cell phone plan when she left for South Korea). I started to feel some pressure when I got a text from another friend asking what the plan was.
After finally exchanging some e-mails (she headed off to the library), she said she wasn’t able to listen to any of the bands at the two venues and wanted me to make the decision. I replied back saying we’d go to Spaceland and if she’d just call me to determine an appropriate time to pick her up.
She called me up later, using her mother’s phone. Unfortunately, I was on my work phone with my boss when she called. So when I picked up my cell phone, I asked if she’d call me back in five minutes. She didn’t call back. After 30 minutes, I decided I better call her back. She didn’t answer. I waited another thirty minutes before calling again and got her mother who promptly hung up on me. Hmm . . . I called back. The phone was handed over to the daughter. All was settled and so I sent a verification of location and time to our other friends via text messages.
(The six hours or so that the above planning unfolded over made me feel like I was living in the aftermath of “2012” or in the middle of “Book of Eli” or “The Road.” Technology had taken a step back and I was at a total loss on how to function without it. If the post-apocalyptic world ends up anyway like “The Road” you surely don’t want to travel along side me because we’ll be fresh meat for the cannibals.)
I got to my friend’s house and was immediately offered something to eat. Do you want some dinner? – no, really, I think we should just head off to Spaceland. Have a brownie? – which was promptly put into a sandwich bag. How about some Korean candy? – I was given a handful and decided to have one. Nasty, and promptly returned the additional candies back into the bag, sorry for offending. Have some sweet bread? –no, seriously, we should go.
We got to Spaceland and a couple of our friends were already there. (more…)