We’ve got one day left until December, so let’s take a breather — I know, I know, you have exams to prepare for and papers to write and labs or experiments to finish. You’re almost there. And if this semester has been as rough on all of you as it has been on me, I hope you don’t think it presumptuous of me to take this opportunity to speak collectively for us all and say —man, I could use a break right around now.
A good, solid, two-to-three week break.
For some reason I’ve been gravitating towards funk and, dare I say it, disco. Not old disco though. I’m not there yet. Anyway, Jean Tonique’s Plage d’or is great because it immediately brings to mind beaches and gold, two things which I haven’t seen much of in the past month or so, let alone beaches made of gold. Also it’s in French.
I have to explain that last bit: I don’t speak French. So listening to Plague d’or, especially at this time of year, is an interesting experience in itself. It’s a bit like sitting down despite the tension headache unrelentingly pulsing its numb whiteness steadily out behind your eyelids with the goal of cranking out that 15-page economics paper. It’s raining. It’s cold. You’re cold. An unreasonably cheerful student walks into the library — Why is he smiling? you think, Doesn’t he have papers to write?
In the meantime, Jean Tonique’s “En Voilier” starts pulsing away. (When did I press play? What’s going on? This synth is kind of cool.) Maybe you start to nod, tap your foot, add a couple of words to that thesis paragraph before realizing the source you desperately need, the clincher, the one you’ve based your entire argument on, isn’t fully available. Oh, the injustice! What are you going to do with an abstract and three pages of introductory material? You start to curse ebscohost, preparing a soliloquy of such petty dissatisfaction that even Milton’s Satan would think it unnecessary.
The bass line in this song is kind of funky, though. You think while trying to figure out how you can salvage the now-worthless research in front of you. What does “En Voilier” even mean? Also what’s up with this chorus? Is this singer sad or emphatic? Maybe he’s hopeful?
You can never tell with the French.
Wine would be a good idea.
You look around and realize the library’s never been this full. (Or at least you’ve never been in it while it’s this full.) Somebody sits down next to you, miserably pulling out an economics textbook. They open a notebook labeled “Biochem II” and start taking notes.
Your fellow student sighs and looks up at you and asks, “Why are you so cheerful?”
“Je vous dirais porquoi, mais je ne parle pas français.”
We’ve got one more week, ya’ll. Play something funky and get to it.
