December 17, 2002
Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA

3pm. I'm in a little country town library, having just checked my email and received directions to Doug's house, where I'll stay tonight. I sent out a crash pad request to the Carolina Canoe Club email list and Doug answered. He sounds like a cool guy. He paddled a canoe on rivers across the US from east to west, then biked back.

Last Thursday in preparation for leaving New York City, I went to parking court to fight two tickets for $50 each that I had received for parking in front of a school and during street cleaning. I was guilty... although at the time I was unaware of my crimes. I was lucky... the judge said the tickets were faulty-- improperly filled out.

Friday morning's slide show for the teacher development day at Lehman High school was well received. They paid me $300, although I only asked $200. An English teacher really took to the "Action hero" philosophy and said she would put quotes from my show around her class and make an assignment for each student to describe their action hero-self.

Through doing these shows I'm learning a lot about what goes on in many different schools, how teachers teach and what resources are available. It was disturbing to learn that Lehman is one of only two high schools in the Bronx that has an outdoor education program. Bronx Guild also does Outdoor Ed, but they are more like a charter school.

Friday night I was planning to go to a cabin in the mountains with Armando the Kung Fu master from Peru and his cactus cult, but the cost to first-time trippers was $250... but tripping south was more of a priority considering I only had $300. Jenny sent this sharing her experience:

Wow, it's really a major shame you decided not to make the session - it truly was an unparalleled experience. And Armando gifted us all with some very special treats. I feel so lucky - I could never have imagined this was possible. There are tools on this earth that can take us beyond the confines of this reality - and I have to honestly tell you, Cory, I would give every cent I have for just one opportunity to pass on through to the other side like we do. Because then you know first hand how all of this is illusionary. Chilling in Mexico is fun and relaxing, but it is not going to guide you when you pass out of this body, or into the next life. Life is more than an adventure novel, we have to be diligent bodhisattvas and work with Our minds for the benefit of all sentient beings, especially those who are not awake. Let's keep in touch - you have potential for understanding, and I'd love to see you surf rainbows with us someday with us,.
Peace
jenny

I spent the evening with Nora, a friend I met at the Candy Store Pub in Williamsburg —the new hip part of town where young artists find cheap rent, fix the place up, and will eventually be force out by stockbrokers and others more wealthy when it becomes too cool to afford to live there. The second Nora walked in the door I knew we would be friends. She reminded me a lot of a Newfoundland pixy friend, Carolyn-- both shorthaired, mid-thirties, and no non-sense ladies. Nora owns a vintage clothing shop in the Eastvillage. Her shop hours are 3 to 11pm, so I chilled with her till closing.

Nora told me, “This place used to be a freak show. Now there’s no drag queens… or kids...its boring. Its New York City—its supposed to be where people come to express themselves. Now people come to make money. Its changed a lot… for the worse. It’s not nearly as interesting as it used to be. Families used to have barbeques out on the street. Gulliani put a stop to that. I always hated him. Although… he did handle 911 very well.”

“My business has been very slow. I’m getting a little worried,” Nora said quietly, giving Clyde the dog a good rub. “They are really nice,” she commented on Clyde’s masters. “All my neighbors are really cool.”

“America is such a bastard nation—they are still doing that!!!” Nora said reading from the Brecht Forum newspaper.
“Doing what?” I asked
“Investing in South America and Asia—taking the natural resources and not doing anything for the people who live there.”

While in the shop, my car parked directly in front got a $105 ticket for being parked at a curbside bus stop. I didn't see the sign. There were other cars their too, but they didn't get tickets. Maybe it was the "Challenge Authority" bumper sticker? Ten bucks for a ticket is reasonable.. but $105 is a crazy amount of money. This city is a trap if you don't watch your step. I can challenge it through their web site… so I’ll try.

After closing shop, we rented The Harder They Come, the Jimmy Cliff story, to watch at her place. I love the sound track and was told the flick was a classic, but unfortunately it went fuzzy shortly after starting… so I still have yet to see it.

I spent the weekend in the Washington D.C. Area with Alessio, an Italian guy I met in Central Park a few weeks ago, who is teaching English in Maryland. Adele, the lady he boards with is super-sweet and packed me a huge bag of food for the road. She made me granola bread last night at 1am.

Saturday night, Alessio and I attended A Midsummer Night’s Dream by the Washington Shakespeare Company. His friend Grace was in it... and the show was amazing! Each actor played at least three parts. Tickets were $30, but they let us in for $5 each.

At midnight we went to a packed house party with plenty of grape juice and barley pop and I met Tim, who introduced me to the work of Aleister Crowley, who wrote about finding one’s “true will”.

It was 3am when we left the party, and then were awake again five hours later driving around picking up groceries for Alessio’s going home brunch… which was fun… feasting and meeting his friends. Later we went out for Chinese bubble tea, then saw Bowling for Columbine at the theater. Michael Moore, who made the documentary, shows how American media and the government brainwashes people to be fearful. This flick is good public education. Michael Moore is my hero.

Monday morning, I visited the American Natural History Museum and learned that the earliest known civilized community was dated to 7500BC in Iran. By looking at the model, there are a lot of people in that area of world who don’t live much differently today. In the “Orkin Insect Zoo” I learned that there once were dragonflies with two-foot wingspans.

At the Smithsonian arts and industry museum I watched a film called Jazz with a Latin Beat, that talked about how “music can heal, make people laugh, make them cry and change lives-- moving people with passion.” Looking at Sacred Sites: Silk Road photos by Kenro Izu, I took note of two place I intend to visit one day: Maijishan Caves in Tiunshui, China and Kizil Caves in Kucha, China. All the museums around the Mall(the huge lawn between the Capital building and Washington Monument) are free.

“You just can’t. Rules and regulations state you can’t.” the head security guard explained why I needed take my video camera battery charger out of the wall socket. A woman at the desk gave me permission. There’s tons of security at the museums. All black people. Not one white. There is a lot to protect, but it looked like a make work project.

In the Contemporary Art museum, a security guard told me to lock my skateboard in the bottom floor lockers. I returned, “I’ve carried it through all the other museums without any problem. Don’t you have something better to do than bother me about this?” Surprised, she said, “Excuse me?!” I was so rude, really regretted saying that and apologized. I split and went down to the gift shop, which was good, because while there, a girl came up to me with wide eyes and beautiful smile, saying “I met you at the Marxist’s School in New York. I was doing a show that night…” I remembered her, just barely, cuz we didn’t really connect, but I answered, “I like you a lot… this person I see… and the way you are… the energy you are putting out standing in front of me. Let’s go for a walk outside.” The way she was looking at me... anything I said she would have been totally cool. She was just... open.

She called herself Bone. She had crazy energy and a free spirit. With her was Camilla, who she just met on the subway. Camilla had striking blue eyes and a cute British accent. She is from Scotland and in DC because she is the daughter of the British Ambassador. The three of us played on the Mall lawn. The had just sunset, a purplish haze painted the horizon, and a nearly full moon hung directly over the capital building. We took turns listening to music from a Walkman.Bone danced crazy-- having so much fun. I wanted to feel good as it appeared she did. I fell in love with her. I took pictures of them, saying "please stay still... it's hard to focus." They took photos of me. I wanted to capture it, frame it... but I couldn't... cuz no matter what... it would pale to being there. It was a magic scene in our movie. Three travelers, complete strangers, loving each other, living in the moment, cuz it was all we had and the only thing that mattered.

When Bone’s girl friend showed up, we all went into the Aero Space museum. Bone decided that she wasn’t into it, so she and her girl took off. Camilla and I walked in the back door of the Einstein Planetarium… into pitch black darkness… holding on to each other so not to trip. The room was silent, we hit another door, walked through... and just then... as an amazing show explaining the universe began. In the middle of the huge dim room, we laid on the carpet and enjoyed to our hearts delight the spectacle projected on the massive dome above. Great show, but I have yet to understand how consciousness could come from an explosion.

The museum closed afterward, so she came with me to get a chicken burger for a buck at Ronald’s and she read me poetry. Her writing was very impressive. She said she is working on a book. After meeting up with Alessio at the Italian embassy where he was at a reception, and driving around looking for Michael Jordan’s house(where Camilla had been partying and met him), I dropped her off at the subway and drove back to Adele’s. Before crashing, I made Adele and Alessio necklaces, as I often do for people I stay with.

Today, on the drive here, I listened to a tape Dick Frank made me that dubbed recordings Howard Upchurch(aka: Col. Kurtz from Apocalypse Now) made in Vietnam during the war. Dick’s recorded voice talking to me said, “On that CCC party tape I did a little monologue at the start of it explaining the party and I forgot to say that Howard was 35 years old and these sergeants were about 25. If you are like me… and most people… the first time I heard it… it was eerie listening to these dead people. What you are hearing for the most part… these are dead soldiers talking and partying. It was an eerie feeling…” And yes… what I heard was a little spooky… cuz it was so real… not just some Hollywood war movie.

"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies" - Aristotle.