Thank you, my crazy head Ana M (part 1)

How did we get together and become best friends? It was absolutely madness like a random collage you wouldn't normally associate.


I was this timid but angry bastard just finished my BFA in California, applying Central St. Martin's at the very last minute and was lucky enough to get onto the student exchange train to Prague (where I dreamed to be).

I knew nothing. All I relied on was my instinct. I never looked into things closely because I didn't want them to affect me. I had to be ignorant so all my sensibilities could keep me as pure as an animal. Ana on the other hand was a serious sophisticated big head. She read all the heavy stuff: Kant, Schopenhauer, Aristotle, Chomsky, Bataille . . . (sorry my memory was limited) She knew every important figure and their according theories. She had a thorough collection of contemporary classical music: Schoenberg, Shostakovitch, Glass, Cage . . . (apologize again). She had an extremely good taste in things. She was a dancer who just got her Architecture degree and decided to studyTheater.

(image by chi, 2000)

We became close when we shared a flat at Hammersmith, London. Trees by the river. I started to cook for her; no one ever loved my cooking before. she made me feel I was Julia Child. (At least I was not afraid to play with chicken.) We went to see performances together and discussed what we saw; we walked by river, talked and talked; we drank beer at home and worked on our paper; we sang and danced with Bjork's music.


London was almost too much for me to bear if not Ana was there. Mind the gap, fleas, enlarged crowds, hideous exchange rate, and forever lost alleys. She was very very generous, helping me with the food cost and even paid more rent to cover the shortage. I especially loved beyond her well structured brain scheme there's something unstable, fragile and very sensitive. 


"I wanted to die . . ." my recording voice at her Wasteland performance. Strolling up and down at Hammersmith hospital, Ana lent me her video camera to film my final.


Finally I reached a strange and comfortable balanced point--- eating tacos with chopsticks in the London rain. With Ana, London was not as damp and cold-blooded, it shined with Mexican chili sparks and warmed me with cozy friendship.


Thank you, Ana, my dearest one!


more:

Thank You, My Crazy Head Ana Martinez (Part 2)