SuBurbs

The topic for July 15, 2003:

Suburbs

The original posts on this topic are located at:

[under the fire star] When I first saw it, Thiruvanmiyur was a village on the southern edge of Chennai. Now it has been swallowed up as the city expands to the south. Here are some impressions of Thiruvanmiyur as I first knew it: Chickens roll in small piles of ashes and fluff their feathers. Goats stand on their hind legs to tear at the lower branches of trees. Dogs dig holes in the dust to lie in, for coolness' sake. The street is always full of children, crying out to me over and over -- "Hello, hello, hello..." "Good morning, good morning..." If I respond they greet me more urgently, trying for one more response. Animal shit stinks, and human shit too, in the sun. Ten women stand in line at the communal pump, but dozens of brass pots are piled one on top of the other, waiting their turn...

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[Other Wind] We are displaced, more connected with an abstract whole than the here and now, and this displacement is dangerous. It is a blinder, keeping us nice and easy despite all the noises we hear. The environment, the changes we’d like to make in our lives, the government, the making up with loved ones—all these can wait until the next commercial or until the clearance sale is over.

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[Guest Post on Other Wind] I suppose maybe birds don’t mind at all how ugly strip malls are. Their presence adds a lot of beauty and always makes me smile.