Playing Congas in the Street

I indulged and allowed myself a viewing of the entire movie, profiling the music, played there in Kinshasa in 1974 at the Rumble in the Jungle concert.  Much of it I’d seen before.  But different to consider in its entirety.  Watching Johnny Pacheco pal around with some local kids, telling them he was from the Bronx, or Ray Barreto playing congas in the street in Kinshasa, with other drummers.  It must have been a heady experience, despite whatever ironies may have been throbbing beneath the bonhomie, as these guys jetted in and jetted out. 

I’m back into the "Plum in the Golden Vase."  I’ve had the second volume of six sitting around for some time.  It wasn’t what I expected to read next, but I think I’m growing increasingly lonesome for China.  This is a medieval Chinese world with interlocking logic that pinion people and behaviors quite at odds with anything we’d think of as normal while at the same time primping and conniving in a manner that couldn’t be more contemporary.  People sounding off violently, but then backing off.  People caught lying and cheating and loosing control of themselves after too many drinks. 

Yesterday was freakishly warm, the first such day all year.  I just stepped outside this morning and it’s colder today.  I’ve been about to go for a ride now for the last few hours, but I keep finding one more thing to do first.  Outside, my bird feeder is out of commission.  I suspect that the sticky tanglefoot I’d put up as a deterrent was so effective that some squirrel couldn’t come undone and took the whole thing down with him.  I can rebuild it all, but there’s a critical screw now missing.  I’ve dug around in the bushes a few times and just could not find it.

My daughter is home for the next two weeks on . . . spring break.  But we aren’t breaking out anywhere.  We’d talked of going out to Portland to see her older sister.  I suppose we might be there right now, if it hadn’t been for this virus.  Not sure about everyone else.  We’re waiting this out carefully for the time being.  The lady of the house is setting the tone.  We’re following her leadership.

Tuesday, 03/10/20