Just Passing Through

[coalescent]

One of the things that always strikes me about the hot parts of America, and in particular the hot cities of America, is just how anaemic everything looks. I miss strong colours. Instead of buildings of red and black and grey, everything's white and cream and pastel shades. The plants aren't green, they're a sort of lime colour, or browning. The roads are bleached and worn. Even the sky seems hazy and washed-out. I couldn't live somewhere like this.

It's fun to visit, though. I promise a more detailed writeup when I get back, but I've learnt more about child psychiatry in the past three days than in the previous nine months working on this material. I could watch experts talk all day long. Actually, I have been watching experts debate all day long, so that's worked out well.

And I've found some jeans! Some jeans that fit me! Some jeans that fit me and don't make my legs look like sticks! I mean, my legs are sticks, but I don't want them to look like it. Anyway, I haven't owned a pair of jeans I'm happy with for at least five years, so this is definitely An Event.

I don't pretend to have had time to catch up fully on everything y'all have been writing about, so if I've missed anything important I'm sorry. I will say that this is deeply evil, and frankly in poor taste. It's not like I'm not tempted - hell, of course I am, even knowing that one of the three allegedly crushing on me is snowking (don't ask) - but selling the results of a private meme is just low.

Oh, and I've finished Coalescent. I'm writing the review by hand, so it's taking a while; the text editing capabilities of pen and paper aren't really up to much. The short version, though: It's slightly atypical Baxter, in style and content. It's good, excellent in parts but not in the whole. Full review to follow on my return...

Comments

Several comments

[applez.livejournal.com]

1. Yup, the colour-wash/fade is the natural result of such bright light (and is by no means limited to the likes of US hot cities; consider the similar fade on Santorini, or Mexico City). On the other hand, if you want a countering vibrant verd: go to an ecotone where open plains run into rainforest ... such as in parts of Africa.

Otherwise, I can recommend Mesa Verde in the US SW ... after brain-dazzling geological colours in desert sun, you are smacked by the vibrant green of Life(!)TM in a tiny oasis. It may be less cool now, though, given the wildfires...

I take your meaning though, nothing quite like the neon-electric green of temperate rainforest contrasting with gray skies and sick light.

2. Congrats on surviving Florida, and conferencing...

3. Jeans? Well, one could move to just that sort of hot city and live in shorts ad infinitum. ;-)