14

After having arrived to Namba, the main tourist district of Osaka, I was feeling very drained and unanimated. Surrounded by stores and masses of people touring the city, purpose and intention seemed lacking all around me. We headed to Dotonbori (the Times Square of Osaka) because... Why not I guess. What we found there was moving and inspiring: a group of Japanese grandpas' doing a peaceful protest in the name of peace. In the most transited point of the city. I admired and appreciated their courage. It felt to me like an anti-capitalism/power/injustice oasis in the heart of nonsensical tourist-land, like animation hiding in a cocoon in the middle of nothingness.

As I came out of the metro to meet up with my friends, the sky was on fire. What an amazing sunset. I just stood there, accompanied by my friends, in awe at the beauty of the world.

Conveniently, we went to watch Spirited Away in the cinema right after that. Those who have watched it know that it just leaves you feeling like a weird being in a extremely beautiful and bizarre world. It was an afternoon of admiring the world accompanied by the people I love.

Breakdancing is magical. I was visiting Siracusa with my family. After a long and exhausting day of aimlessly walking around the city, we saw some people setting up instruments on the side of the street. A concert! When we came back after dinner, it turned out to be a breakdance tournament!!! In the streets, for free. Wowowow. Not only did they dance amazingly, but I could see the community was very tight. Everyone greeting everybody, all laughs and having fun. As an outsider, I was jealous and amazed. So much so that I forgot to take videos of the dancing. It was a little haven of community and love in a touristy town.

During one of the many thunderstorms while I was in the jungle, I asked myself "why not be the rain?". And so I put on my swim pants and just headed out.

Feeling the rain on my skin, all the jungle noises combined with those of the water droplets, the thunder far away. In my head this had combined with another moment when I went out to the jungle at night and just blended into the darkness. The moon, the trees, the noise. It surrounded me until I forgot I was me. I became one with the jungle.

The combination of these two moments made for an even more magical moment.

I decided to sit down at the Plaza de Armas in Huaraz and just watch. That's when I met Victor and Mary, his niece. They were really happy to talk with me and me with them. Victor taught me some Quechua, and we shared lots of laughs as I struggled to pronounce correctly. I even learnt my first Quechua swearword! It was a magical moment filled with laughter and love.

Art is magic!!! Magic is art!!!

Through a conversation with my host on the nature of imagination and art, this realization hit me. "Is magic real?" was one of the questions I considered of claiming as my animating question at the beginning of my Launch Year. And the universe has told me the answer! It gave me the chills.