Day One: Wednesday 9/6

Today was all about setting up.

I slept in. Through the rain and the excited sounds of the school children at Arima Girls R.C. Primary School playing during recess. My very friendly landlord, Asha, took me to the grocery store in the afternoon. I also ate my favorite soup from the soup shop down the street, cowheel soup. Walking through Arima this afternoon was an overwhelming, emotional experience. My childhood memories are imprinted on the landscape of food, drink, song and speech. My eyes and tongue drink in the concentrate of Trinidadian culture; and it is a powerful assault to my heart and breath patterns. I am both afraid of this feeling and eager to investigate it--to pull it apart in the studio. I returned home with a bad headache, evidence of the sensory overload, I guess.

The evening went much more smoothly. Jamie and I met over drinks at a local bar. She was impeccably dressed as usual, clad in a well-built hand-made dress made by a Nigerian designer--one of the few pieces she didn't make herself--and heels. I had Hennessy. She had a Stag. They did not ID. We talked about a lot of things, including my schedule and our collaboration. Then we ended the night at a bar with karaoke, drinking in the festive vibe of the local crooners. Note: Karaoke is very popular here and Trinidadians are showmen.

Tomorrow is an early start in Port of Spain for research and then to the studio until 6 pm.

I will have to use my time wisely.