A Letter to T from July '07 (Seoul, Korea)

There are so many songs about the stars that it makes you wonder if humans will ever bore or stop wondering about their existence or us, our own. I read the comment you left on my blog and as always, it melted my tender little heart. Always insightful, you know what to say to make me happy, to make me think.  I can't really imagine not being with you or living without you in my life. Yes, we are at different places in life but it does help that I will remain a student in NYC, even if it isn't Columbia.  New York is cold but it's so magical and every large city inevitably becomes a harbinger of loneliness, this tension, this dichotomy between being engulfed in oceans of people and unable to communicate with any of them (even more so now in Korea).  But yes, you are correct.  A postmodernist would value this loneliness and that as always everything is irreducible. 

The reasons why we love "Wien Wien" might be the same reasons why we love movies like "Lost in Translation" or even some of "Garden State."   It is the sense of displacement that is valuable in knowing and understanding what it means to be with others.  Today there was an article abut Williams Syndrome in the NYTimes which is perhaps a writer's dream.  People with Williams, a genetic disorder, almost appear to have no social inhibitions, have near normal language ability and are incredibly gregarious.  However social situations and cues are opaque to them, leading them to find socializing both desirable and frustrating.  (It's a inherited and inherent paradox). 

This city alternates between being exasperating and refreshing.  My friends can be guerrilla artists without being smug.  I mean, I've met more artists here than I have in New York without even trying.  Yet, the materialism, the landscape, and numerous cultural differences are difficult to adapt to. 


Love you always,

Dianna

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P.S. Apologies for my last post, the poem is rough, but be smoothed later.