Ban Apinihan 29/4/2020
On Facebook people are posting videos of empty cities. In places like Cincinnati or Melbourne wild animals roam the streets. It has taken them such little time to reclaim that which is ours. I heard on the BBC that Yosemite Park has become itself again and that bears are sun-bathing in parking lots. Waddles of ducks are walking down the streets of Paris, past the grey pierre de taille buildings and closed charcuterie shops.
All of this because human movement, if not human activity, has ceased. Humans have receded to their technological trickles, grasping at their civilization with whatever tools we still have: Internet, books, Netflix…
In my generation the radio was our tribal drumbeat. I remember when John Lennon was murdered and an entire swath of baby boomers turned off their television sets and just listened to Beatles music on the radio. We didn’t want the image pollution and reporters’ questions, we didn’t want to see the blood on the sidewalk. We just wanted his music.
We have far more distractions today. I myself confess an addiction to House of Cards.
Vientiane itself is so close to being invaded by nature anyways, despite the native blindness to garbage, that not much has changed here.
Near our house a huge tract of land is being levelled to make way for a future impeccable suburban project. Fine. Come what may.
Have any of you noticed that when people only consume what they need the economy tanks?
Singing the song from The Book of the Jungle, my children as me to explain the English expression, ‘the bare necessities’.
You can watch the empty world here: https://www.skylinewebcams.com/
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