Duality

Yesterday a watched a drunken homeless man fall over. And it was like everything suddenly stopped. He had a walking aid, three wheel contraption, and fell over sideways in the middle of a five lane bus stop. Everyone waiting heard his moan as he fell, and then watched him for at least a minute before a couple of girls went to help him to the seat. The bus shelter emptied quickly. He was trying to catch a bus, but couldn't stand. One boy had to push him down to keep him seated. After some struggle, he managed to stand but fell again, hitting his head on the shelter wall. The boy told him to stay there, rather than try and stand and fall again. One old lady just kept saying 'oh la la, mon Dieu, mon Dieu'. Eventually the boy helped him back to the seat, and I caught the bus. You could smell liquor on him. I felt very helpless. And unfeeling.

Unfeeling unlike Tilda Swinton (sorry about the tenuous linkage) who once said, "I'm basically interested in identity, and I still find fascinating the question, 'How do we identify ourselves, and how do we settle into other people's expectations for our identity?'" An interesting question to ponder, especially when on exchange.

She's one of my favourite actresses and is seen here modelling:

Google Images

Photographed by Raymond Meier in T Magazine

AnOther Magazine Spring/Summer 2009: Tilda Swinton by Craig McDean

Here in an excellent movie, Orlando playing a nobleman character who lives for 400 years while changing sex from man to woman. Interesting movie. A favourite of mine, as is Thumbsucker which she also appears in:



And here in an installation art piece called The Maybe in which she was publically exhibited, asleep:


What's more, she shares my birthday. Inspiring woman. Does she have an autobiography? She should.