SF0 / heathergalaxy / Dérive

20 + 40 points

Dérive by heather galaxy

July 4th, 2008 10:16 PM

INSTRUCTIONS: Among the various situationist methods is the dérive [literally: 'drifting'], a technique of transient passage through varied ambiances. In a dérive one or more persons during a certain period drop their usual motives for movement and action, their relations, their work and leisure activities, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there.

One can dérive alone, but all indications are that the most fruitful numerical arrangement consists of several small groups of two or three people who have reached the same awakening of consciousness, since the cross-checking of these different groups' impressions makes it possible to arrive at objective conclusions.

The full text...

Undertake a dérive, and report your objective conclusions to your fellow players.

This task is the epitome of BRIGHT SHINY... allowing oneself to move to where ever you feel attracted to. I had been eying this task for awhile but it never felt right until today: July 4th. Me being in the United States and residing in DC, where fireworks are totally legal, this provided a perfect opportunity to do this task. What else but BRIGHT SHINY fireworks would lead me wandering around DC? DC for me is more built for the Reversed-Polarity Dérive, as it definitely repels me more than attracts me.

Sadly, my camera was being HORRIBLE, so my brilliant idea to wander around DC for hours taking pictures of fireworks, people, and whatever comes my way was thwarted.

So my first attempt at following the bright and shiny:

I start at my house.

I see something over yonder!

People are shooting things off!

I just like the following picture because it looks like music notes:

So with all the fireworks means that it's super smokey all around.

Now sadly here my card gave out for the first time. CF Card Error. Fucking old camera and its inability to not get fucked up. Knowing I needed to document I went back to my house to unload what I had gotten on my card, since the error only effects the last picture taken. I had just gotten to a part on 13th street where they were shooting off AMAZING fireworks. Like seriously big and beautiful and a ton of them. And I only got a tiny bit of video from it. *pouts*

On my way home I made a few rules for the following trips. I would keep trying to complete this task until the 3rd card error. I knew more than that I would be beyond frustrated. So I go home, take off the pictures and try again.

Attempt two:

As you see in attempt two, I went an entirely different way because there was a lot of stuff going on from my neighbors and people down the street.

There be something down the street!

And then I had to go see the fireworks that I saw over the houses. But there were houses there. So I went down the nearest alley.

And of course there are more people shooting off fireworks.

Pretty tree!

Walking down Ogden towards 14th one sees:

And then on 14th the next excitement happens!

And then: FAIL! AGAIN! FUCK! So I go back home. I still haven't gotten away from the hood which makes me sad. Oh well. Take photos off and then on again.

The 3rd and final attempt:

The big and small fireworks that drew me away from my house the first time again had me following them. It was great. I was talking to the people who were putting off the big fireworks at 13th and Otis. I had ash from the fireworks all over me because I was right under it. I was talking to some little girls playing with sparklers on 11th and Monroe. And that's when the true evilness of my CF Card happened. The little girls wanted me to take their picture, and upon trying to show it to them, it said FILE CORRUPTED. FUCK! I knew my evening was over then. But that really sucked. Really sucked. I only got two pictures off my card then.