blog - gObama 2008
Stranded clueless inside Pentagon City
Thursday, January 24, 2008
(Washington, DC - 6.30 p.m. local time)
I am stranded inside a huge shopping mall called Fashion Centre inside Pentagon City. I had to take a cab to reach the Apple store - after they failed to repair my wireless connection inside the Bethesda repair store. Being without access to the internet makes me realize, how dependent I have become to be online and able to research and publish information. I was inside the American University when my wireless connection failed. I might have damaged my internal settings, since they can not fix the problem in the huge apple store (by simply changing the wireless network card).
At least I can say that my shoot was not compromised and I had a wonderful day yesterday. I started traveling with Prof. Clarence to the campus of American University, where I explored the foreign policy issues that Obama addresses in his campaign. After that I went downtown to get some shots of the Capitol. Strolled around being stopped several times by security, to meet up with U.S. representative Neil Abercrombie from Hawaii. He was in Honolulu when Barack’s father and mother were students in Hawaii in the 60’s.
He told me interesting stories about the Kenyan father and them both being in the same graduate class. Your typical kind of obnoxious, opinionated, liberal students partying and drinking. He said Obama Sr. had a deep bassy voice and a commanding presence that left people paying immediate attention when he entered a room. He was clearly a ladies man! In Neil Abercrombie’s view Obama Senior was the most important and interesting person, that he had met during his entire life. In an anecdote he told me, when he heard Barack Obama Jr. speak at his sister’s Maya wedding, there was an equal degree of the father’s character traits (oratorical, large then life) combined with his mother’s (compassionate, humble and honest). Sadly, the father died in a car accident and Baracks mother died of cancer in the 90’s. He deeply regrets that the parents are unable to see their son completing a circle of life.
Washington has all the traits of a huge cosmopolitan city without the stress and over-crowded behavior of its varied inhabitants. The underground system is strangely underlit and there is no edge or sense of particular fashions going on here. It looks like the decent civil servant type with no extrovert camouflages or boisterous attire is default. A place where brave servants, bureaucrats and the homeless mingle in metro trains. It’s an imperial city with huge government buildings in outdated architectural styles that do reflect a bygone area but not the 21’st century architecture on finds in Shanghai, Dubai or Singapore.
The people’s mix feels evenly divided between White/Black and Asian people. Obama as president would fit in well on the street. Preaching about hope for all kinds of folks in chocolate city. However, Clarence told me that he had only 20 male Afro-American graduate students over a period of 11 years in his class. His dream originally was to teach black men about international politics and foreign relations - after he left Howard university to teach full time at the American University. Most of his students come from white, wealthy middle-class families. Interestingly, and I can only testify this, it’s this group who fervently supports Barack Obama.
I also met up with Karim Chrobog, who is producer/director of the docu about Emmanuel Jal. Under the title “WAR CHILD” the film features a forgotten story of the effects of war in Southern Sudan through the eyes of its rising hip-hop star.
www.warchildmovie.com
Karim took me out for coffee in Starbucks, while dealing with two people on the phone. He is finishing the soundtrack and color correction in the studio before the film premieres in Berlin next month. I will hook up with him on my way back to Boston. Look forward to smoke my Shisha with this brother before I fly out on from D.C. on Monday. All in all - I had a full day dealing with repair logistics - such as getting a hair cut and beard trim - certainly not for $55 inside the Pentagon City Fashion mall. Instead I will pay $15 in the hood...gotta keep it real, but I am clueless where... is the hood ‘round the corner?
The media is full of reports and speculations about the Obama-Clinton battle. What will take place in South Carolina nobody knows. It’s interesting how they (media moguls) actually manufacturing stories that go far beyond what is actually taking place. Just to get ratings and people interested they fuck up the dynamics between Hillary and Obama. Obama looks vulnerable at the moment and he could do with a little consulting from his ancestors. His body language during debates has changed and his so called “in-experience” for the war on words shows to unravel. Actually, I think this happens when you believe so fully in your words and mission, because it gets holy and becomes more personal when someone de-constructs your story. The spirit world will take care of this...
Having grown up under communist propaganda I am weary to trust speeches and words and I see in Hillary someone that reminds me of the pretensions and calculations those leaders have coldly played out in front of the people. People are smart and they will figure this one out. It will back fire for the Clinton’s and work for him rather against his fierce critics...