new eyes

I guess I wanted something new in my life
A new key to fit a new door
To wake and see a different view in my life
The one I've been waiting for...

I sang this song while having late night drinks with some friends last Friday night. It was first sung by Stephen Bishop, and more recently by Sarah Geronomo for the movie "In My Life." I think it captures the image and mood of what many of us look for: in our daily strivings, in the arts we create and appreciate, in our relationships. It's what I try to give to everyone I meet, my clients, friends, and loved ones: the passion that makes us feel like our heart would burst, that keeps us young and alive.

I look for that "falling-in-love" feeling when I travel, when an experience sears my soul and makes a place and a people a part of me forever.

In Helsinki, I experienced it during the Night of the Arts, when the normally empty streets were suddenly filled with tens of thousands of Fins of all ages watching artists perform in 110 separate locations. It was a lot like Rock the Riles combined with People Power and gave me a glimpse of what the Philippines might be like someday, when people already have trust in government and in each other- when society has developed and become more egalitarian and can focus on the arts.

Anyway, Connor (from Ireland) and I got separated from our other friends. After Connor bought a six-pack of beer from a student- the shops had run out of beer- we decided to go to the Senate Square where a French street theater company used giant balloons shaped like fishes and sea snakes to turn the sky into a giant ocean aquarium.

There were so many people in the street leading to the square- for a long while, we just stood with the others, unable to move closer to watch the spectacle. We just heard the music: it sounded strange to my ears, very avant-garde, until Connor pointed out that they were sounds of the ocean. And indeed they were- with that anchor, the music suddenly "made sense."

Then my friend had an idea: we could watch the performance from the top of a tram waiting shed! That was something I had never done! Connor was the first to clamber up to the roof, and he held out a hand to help me get up there. The picture below shows our once-in-a-lifetime view of the Night of the Arts: People Power Finnish-style.