hey baby, what's going on?

It's all about timing.

I think it started when I decided to download Kings of Convenience's latest album Declaration of Dependence. They're the duet of this century. How can I miss it?

Dave was watching West Ham's game in his room next to mine. The Hammers is Dave's home team. How can he miss it? They were playing Man United, and Dave just couldn't stop hammering his desk while shouting to himself-- or to the players-- "Fuck! What the hell are you doing?" and "Oh, come on, Robert Green!"

Then at one point, the MP3 player in my computer  switched to the song Mrs. Cold.
Then West Ham conceded a goal. Bang-- the desk let off a dull deep thumping. "Oh, you fucking prick! Y-o-u f-u-c-king stupid!"

"Hey, baby, what's going on? You lost control and you lost your tongue..."
Erlend and Eirik were singing.

One amusing moment in my life.

柏桑看到了妞桑

這個節叫“綠人節”（Green Man），今年好像才第6、第7屆吧。柏桑說。

昨天在廚房裏碰到她的時候，她剛從Breacon Beacons回來。

我們在河邊搭帳篷睡，碰上下雨，四天下來，臭死了。回來上火車，車上人一見我們背著帳篷、背包，穿著膠鞋，捂著鼻子就走開了。柏桑邊說邊弄着晚飯。

這個綠人節有什麼內容？是音樂節嗎？我問。

音樂，戲劇，詩歌朗誦，都有。有很多精彩的演出。Joanna Newsom也來了……她你知道嗎？那個彈豎琴的……

我心裏咯噔一下，媽的，Joanna Newsom也來了，我竟然錯過了。
我不僅知道，簡直是愛她的音樂啊。我說。

不過我好些朋友一聽她唱歌，就很不耐煩地說要走了。很多人不欣賞她，覺得她唱歌是在扯著嗓子叫喚。可我跟他們說，這就是Joanna Newsom，她也知道自己聲音條件不好，所以就乾脆這麼唱。而且她的歌就是這樣一種藝術形式。我跟我朋友說，你們等著瞧吧，雖然她現在唱片賣不好，再過三、四十年所有人都會聽她的歌，就跟Leonard Cohen那樣……對了，節上還放了一部Leonard Cohen的紀錄片，叫Bird on a Wire，很多都是歷史視頻。做片子的人好像是Cohen原來的一個音樂製作人，跟著他拍攝了10多年，才有了這些史料。片子裡說六、七十年代的時候Cohen有過一陣子低潮，非常抑鬱，唱片賣不掉，而且老是自我懷疑，因為他聲音破嘛，所以老對自己沒自信。有一次演唱會因為音效沒調好，破上加破，結果觀眾要求退票。

這個節票價多少？我問。
100多鎊吧，學生打了折的。如果不打折，120多鎊。確實是貴了點，但能看到好的表演，而且這個組織也就只能靠門票做經費來源。

其實那麼貴的票錯過了就錯過了。我心想。

今年3月底的時候，Chris Rea來St. David's Hall開音樂會，10幾鎊的票。可惜那時去南非了，錯過了一場想去又能去得起的演出。

say Bethan like you say Before

Say Bethan, like you say before

stress falls on the second syllable

because it's a Welsh name, and

A is a cAstle, not a villA.



The first day I met her,

she was the Bethan driving

an old car to help me with the move.

It's my baby car, she said.

A touch of love emerged on her face.

My elder sister gave it to me after using it for 3 year.

It's dying, but she is my baby.



The second day I saw her,

she was the Bethan making

an omlet in the kitchen.

I don't like babies. They are ugly and annoying. She said.

I thought so when I looked at them in my teens.

You will change your mind. My parents told me.

I still think so after 10 years.



The third day I talked to her

she was the Bethan doing manual labour on her parents' farm.

I love the cows. She waved her hands with big knuckles.

My ankle hurts. She said. I injured it in my jitsu class,

but I'm going to surf this weekend.

Can I go with you and film you surfing? I asked.

No! No picture of me! I never like my own image or voice.



The forth day I listened to her stories

she was the Bethan sitting in an internet cafe in Mexico.

Outside, people were shouting and threatening to break into the shop.

Then she circled Guatemala on a rented bike, then all the way

down to Bolivia, where she helped teach in a local school.

The kids are all the same, no exception in the poorest region.

The boys are greedy and the girls are bitchy.



The fifth day I walked with her

she was the Bethan wearing flip-flops

and a blue T-shirt with 2 red cartoon cars on.

I find you attractive and I like you. I said.

Oh. She paused. I could see some light on her face

reflected from the shimmering street lamp.

I'm flattered, but I don't feel the same way.



The sixth day, I asked God, who said,

one moment please. I need to populate this land.

So he did. He brought woman and man onto the earth.



The seventh day, God said to me, I'm too tired.

I need a break. No question for today.

But Bethan... I rushed out these two words as he turned away.

Say Bethan, like you say before

when Susan took you to the same river and you fell into it.

You are in a country where the dragon was slain,

where A is a sAd, not hAppy, ending.