Hello,

Have you heard of David Czerny, Czech artist? The television tower crawling with these huge faceless babies, love it. It was a temporary installations but the local residents loved it so much the local government made them a permanent fixture. There's a cafe I found called Shakespeare and Sons that was just down the road from our hostel and open 4pm to midnight. Perfect. Not once did I get my hot chocolate or mulled wine made the same way..or in the same type of cup. It would be full of people in the evenings smoking, with their dogs-architects doing their designs, one man who would sit by the window and just write, some guy who would smoke hash and dance on the tables to the very strange music (sort of like Le Moulin but more sparse). The waitress would be sat lost in conversation with regulars and some people would just duck behind the counter and bring out their own drinks. And the books...the cafe had walls lined with shelves of second hands books on eeverything. There was a bookshop in a room off the side with new stuff (really good selection) but inside it was all wonderful musty old things.

It sounds affected, but it wasn't, this wasn't a load of pretentious 'others' propagating their personality myth. It felt natural. Like they had not yet realized that there was a name for this: boho chic. And that they were in fashion.I really miss that here by the way. There is only second grade freshness. It has all been done, documented, copied, commercialized and repackaged...Very little truly different especially at university. This is one of my main gripes with capitalism. What it has done to self perception. Every human frailty is turned into a mock meritocracy-you can be whatever you want, just read this book...and watch this...and buy this...The worst thing is that all that crap you're marketed isn't all ineffectual...so it isn't an entirely empty promise. But my point is that actually, no, you can't be just anyone. And that's wonderful. Settle into the awkward ragged spaces that make you. Because given the purpoted freedom of changing anything at all (if you have the resources) we like the most boring statistics just tend towards the mean.

Love,

Me