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Back from White Man's city
Jun. 21st, 2004 12:10 pmUtah is the neighbor state to Colorado, although the mountains don't seem quite as high, the landscape and climate is very similar.
Salt Lake city was both nicer and more creepy than expected. The city core is very white for lack of better words - clean cut and deprived of all organic life. The financial buildings, antique stores, churches and fine restaurants have taken over the area, and everyone is a visitor. There seem to quite genuinely not be a single black person living there. All immigrants and aliens have been tidied away by a gigantic honest-to-God-church-going-middle-class-family-protecting squad of maids.
I did see some hispanic people though...and 100% of those were hotel staff on a peon level.
But ok, I'm having trouble being too negative, because I had such a great time there...
The city is also quite beautiful...surrounded by mountains from every direction, and on our last day there, when me and the geek were walking home from a movie..we were caught by the most glorious little thunder storm. It rained in the middle of sunset, two rainbows painted the storm ridden sky in the midst of dramatic torn-to-pieces dark gray clouds. The light on the high buildings was post-catastrophically fantastic, especially when surrounded by storm clouds, rainbows and dark brooding mountains with mist covered peaks...
So...I have:
Learned the difference between mormons and mormons (LDS, RLDS and FLDS). Fortunately I didn't ask the nice lady greeting us in front of the temple where we went to see the finals in debate, with the words: So ma'am, are you wife number 2 or 3? I think the geek would have died of shame in that case. Turns out it's a highly sensitive topic, polygami...
The proper Mormon church (LDS) abandoned it long ago and is very ashamed to be associated with the Fundamental Mormon church (FLDS)who still practice it, and thus cause big sociological and financial problems with sperm-sprinkling, gene-spreading, cousin-marrying, child bride-molesting patriarchs who in the genuine way of the hypocrite have all the wifes spread out and not acknowledged, so they won't have to pay child support.
(...but I just love the way the "normal" mormons seem to have forgotten that their biggest prophet, J. Smith himself had somewhere between 30 and 40 wifes!!)
I have also:
Witnessed the Utah gay pride day, on a Sunday, right in front of one of the biggest temples. It gave me beauty and hope.
It was like something alive and bright, food and musk smelling, melodious and babbling, pulsing with red blood and sticky cotton candy fingers, in the middle of a sterile and white environment.
I saw the tallest, baldest, brownest transvestite with the longest eyelashes and most multi colored skirt there. I saw gay families, net works supporting all kinds of alternative family structures, gay pets-protectors and all kinds of fun people there. A pity it was just that sunday...
But I also learned:
A lot of things about the dynamics of debate. I think I like the ethical/philosophical angles of the Lincoln-Douglas debate the most. CX (cross examine) is certainly the hardest, and Ted Turner debate certainly the lowest...
Some day not too far into the future I think I'll be able to judge at least drama and poetry decently and make a buck or two...
And finally I have:
learned a few nice things in bed of which I shall not speak further, unless I'll make this a screened post. But, it was a very good week.
Currently I'm eating Teriyaki Turkey jerky in a state of awe over my VACATION OF EXTREME SPLENDOR AND DECADENCE!!!
I..um..sleep as long as I like..
For the first time in two years I have time to play computer games!!!
My starving book-bulimic soul has a virtual smorgasbord of treats; I'm shifting between reading murder mysteries by Laurie R.King, fantasy by George R.R.Martin, The Merciful Women by Federico Andahazi and articles on line from various American magazines...
I'm free for the whole summer...for the first time in decades...No more working full time or more, no more studies full time until September!
I'm so ashamed and happy.
Salt Lake city was both nicer and more creepy than expected. The city core is very white for lack of better words - clean cut and deprived of all organic life. The financial buildings, antique stores, churches and fine restaurants have taken over the area, and everyone is a visitor. There seem to quite genuinely not be a single black person living there. All immigrants and aliens have been tidied away by a gigantic honest-to-God-church-going-middle-class-family-protecting squad of maids.
I did see some hispanic people though...and 100% of those were hotel staff on a peon level.
But ok, I'm having trouble being too negative, because I had such a great time there...
The city is also quite beautiful...surrounded by mountains from every direction, and on our last day there, when me and the geek were walking home from a movie..we were caught by the most glorious little thunder storm. It rained in the middle of sunset, two rainbows painted the storm ridden sky in the midst of dramatic torn-to-pieces dark gray clouds. The light on the high buildings was post-catastrophically fantastic, especially when surrounded by storm clouds, rainbows and dark brooding mountains with mist covered peaks...
So...I have:
Learned the difference between mormons and mormons (LDS, RLDS and FLDS). Fortunately I didn't ask the nice lady greeting us in front of the temple where we went to see the finals in debate, with the words: So ma'am, are you wife number 2 or 3? I think the geek would have died of shame in that case. Turns out it's a highly sensitive topic, polygami...
The proper Mormon church (LDS) abandoned it long ago and is very ashamed to be associated with the Fundamental Mormon church (FLDS)who still practice it, and thus cause big sociological and financial problems with sperm-sprinkling, gene-spreading, cousin-marrying, child bride-molesting patriarchs who in the genuine way of the hypocrite have all the wifes spread out and not acknowledged, so they won't have to pay child support.
(...but I just love the way the "normal" mormons seem to have forgotten that their biggest prophet, J. Smith himself had somewhere between 30 and 40 wifes!!)
I have also:
Witnessed the Utah gay pride day, on a Sunday, right in front of one of the biggest temples. It gave me beauty and hope.
It was like something alive and bright, food and musk smelling, melodious and babbling, pulsing with red blood and sticky cotton candy fingers, in the middle of a sterile and white environment.
I saw the tallest, baldest, brownest transvestite with the longest eyelashes and most multi colored skirt there. I saw gay families, net works supporting all kinds of alternative family structures, gay pets-protectors and all kinds of fun people there. A pity it was just that sunday...
But I also learned:
A lot of things about the dynamics of debate. I think I like the ethical/philosophical angles of the Lincoln-Douglas debate the most. CX (cross examine) is certainly the hardest, and Ted Turner debate certainly the lowest...
Some day not too far into the future I think I'll be able to judge at least drama and poetry decently and make a buck or two...
And finally I have:
learned a few nice things in bed of which I shall not speak further, unless I'll make this a screened post. But, it was a very good week.
Currently I'm eating Teriyaki Turkey jerky in a state of awe over my VACATION OF EXTREME SPLENDOR AND DECADENCE!!!
I..um..sleep as long as I like..
For the first time in two years I have time to play computer games!!!
My starving book-bulimic soul has a virtual smorgasbord of treats; I'm shifting between reading murder mysteries by Laurie R.King, fantasy by George R.R.Martin, The Merciful Women by Federico Andahazi and articles on line from various American magazines...
I'm free for the whole summer...for the first time in decades...No more working full time or more, no more studies full time until September!
I'm so ashamed and happy.
