Nostalgia

October 8, 2008 by Christopher Born.

This time of year I tend to get nostalgic about my fall semester in Osaka, back in 1997.  It’s been over ten years now and I still remember the crisp fall days as the summer heat and humidity dropped off into the night.

I used to smoke Mild Seven cigarettes and walk from the small two-story home I was staying at to the bus stop at Korigaoka Go-chome.  It was on the Keihan line that would take you all the way to Hirakata station.  I lived not too far from Hirakata park, but never really wanted to go to the amusement park.  I tended to like going to Kyobashi when I had free time.

Every time the weather gets like it is now, I reach for my outmoded MD player and pull out a disc of Marie-Claire Alain’s renditions of Bach’s most famous chorales.  I used to listen to these just about every day on my way down to the station.  In fact, I am listening to them right now!  Pure sunlight and sharp days are so well complemented by MC Alain’s renditions of these amazing pieces.  As a good Shiraz to a sharp cheese, so does this music match the fall days.

The think I enjoyed most about my Aiwa MD player is the fact that it always produced such excellent bass response; it was almost as warm as an analog recording.  When I attempt to enjoy these pieces of my iPod, something is lacking sorely.  These pieces, like the weather and smoke they accompany in my mind, meet up perfectly with the MD of the late 1990’s.  It is no mistake then, that when I put these chorales to my ears, all the memories come flooding back.

I never thought I’d be writing about these things on an old Dell running Ubuntu!

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