El Salvador, May 2008, A Change in Climate

I´m working.

I´m inside a small office which has two steel doors and plexiglass windows cover two walls. My office is inside the hold of a large container ship. My office doors are typical ship´s bulkhead doors.

Friends stop by, women stop by – trying to get me to go out. Women from my past. Unknown women who seem familiar to me.

Outside my office windows – there is a beach inside the cargo hold of the ship. A beach with an ocean (and small waves). Hundreds of people line the beach. I step outside of my office to see.

The Olympic Torch ceremony is taking place. A swimmer is transporting the Olympic torch in through the breakers. When ashore, a torch trade is made – a swimming version for a running version and the runner heads down the beach 100 meters to light the Eternal Flame. The official hands me the swimmer´s torch and asks me to hold on to it for a moment. The Eternal Flame is lit – and much celebrating begins.

A reveler approaches me and asks for the torch I´m holding – to keep it safe for his friend. I don´t know this guy from Adam, so I decline – and he grows agitated. Someone else approaches and makes a similar request – denied. People are watching this and getting agitated. Pushing and shoving occurs. In two moments – a riot has broken out.

Absolute chaos on the beach (in the ship´s hold).

About twenty or so people appear – wearing those giant padded “Sumo wrestler” suits (the one you can rent and mock Sumo wrestle in). These suits are different – they are hippopotamus suits (and a couple elephant suits) – pink and purple cartoon hippos.

The hippo people run as fast as they can and bowl into the crowd – knocking people over. The riot becomes increasingly chaotic. A group of people catch a hippo – and working together – rock it back and forth until they succeed in turning it on its back. I don´t wait to see if they set it on fire.

I see people in my office – I begin throwing them out. When I throw the last person out – I seal the bulkhead door. Someone else got in! I throw them out the second door and seal that one. Somehow, someone else got in!

This process contiues for a couple more intruders until I finally call security.

I look out the window. Full scale riot. Scrums of people are fighting over unknown loot. The hippo people bowl into the scrums – scattering them.

Security finally arrives. Security is “Bull” from “Nightcourt”. I try to explain the problem (while people ransack my office) – and he doesn´t understand. Finally he says, “Why are you working down here? Why don´t you work on the deck?”

I´m stunned. I don´t have an answer. The lonely cry of a Peruvian Leafcutter breaks the silence.

Everything fades.

Wait! Where´s the deck!

I wake up in a pool of sweat. No wind, muggy, warm at 5am. So much for the pleasant climate.