I know you’re going to throw a fit with this one but I’m going to say it anyway: “Philadelphia reminds me of Portland.” How could it not after New York? Well, because demographically, geographically and culturally it’s completely different. I know, but human beings are pattern-recognizing animals and I can’t help but see the familiarity in this place.

Actually, I should say I can’t help but feel the familiarity. I have felt my body relax since being here, coming off the adrenaline-high of rubbing elbows with over eight million people on a daily basis. I’m not a big-city gal by nurture and Philly is more my speed size-wise. Although, my experience thus far has been that New Yorkers are a bit more helpful than Philadelphians. Perhaps it’s my small sample size. Or, maybe Gothamites take more pride in showing newbies their fair city. Since, perhaps, they assume that anyone not from the place must be completely lost. And, most of the time it’s probably true. Either way, I had a man all but ignore me when I asked him which way was east getting off of the subway in Fishtown. I thought he was hard of hearing so I repeated myself a few times, but realized when he responded begrudgingly that he probably had heard me just fine. I’m starting to feel at home in the I-have-no-idea-what-I’m-doing state of traveling and don’t mind asking people for help. Sometimes there’s a connection and sometimes there’s not. Whatever, mister, happy brotherly-love to you, too.

Direction-asking aside, my introduction to this new town has been all open arms and loving-care. After a two-and-a-half hour Megabus ride I landed at the 30th Street depot in West Philly and took the subway to the 46th Street stop to meet Kalimah, my friend and host. I know Kalimah from Portland; she is in a similar state of exploration in her life and has landed in Philly for the time being. She offered me a spot in her sublet, which ended up being a spare room all to myself. What a luxury! Synchronistically, another friend, Janna, I met in Portland, and who lives in Germany, was visiting her brother in Philly and flying out (to Portland, actually) this evening. We all met up at the Green Line Cafe and got to share inspiration about life plans and dreams for a couple hours before Janna had to catch her flight and Kalimah headed to work. I had a chai and a parfait made of local yogurt which, of course, reminded me of Portland.

But, the big excitement of coming to Philly was to meet Sam Cusumano. I know Sam through a project he’s working on called the MIDI Sprout, a plant sonification device. Basically, it takes plant biorhythms and converts them into audio. It’s easier to understand if you watch this video: MIDI Sprout

One day while I was meditating I had the idea to record my biorhythms and make music out of them. I wondered what that would sound like, how it would affect me and anyone else who heard it. Because I have no electronics experience the idea stayed simply an idea until I saw an email about the MIDI Sprout Kickstarter campaign. I was ecstatic to find a community of people already doing it! I signed on as a backer to be one of the first folks to get the device once it was ready. And so, I figured I had to make the most out of my East coast trip and stop in Philly to meet Sam and see the project in person. It was well worth the effort.

Sam is one of those people whose intelligence shatters the mould of conventional schooling. He is an engineer and computer scientist for whom degrees were unnecessary. While working as a systems analyst for a life insurance company he dabbles in all manner of geeky sound gear and works on the MIDI Sprout in his mad-scientist basement workshop, which is full of as many random electronics parts as it is old action figures. He also designs sound/noise art installations including one he will be doing this weekend for a museum in Austin. His view on plants and their sensory perception is as much pragmatic as it is metaphysical. He treats them as their own entities and has a deep respect for them, having worked with them so extensively with the Sprout. I think therein lies the profundity of this project, that this device allows humans to directly experience the rhythms of plants, something we don’t usually perceive because they are so different from our own and most of us don’t interact with plants much anymore. Can we recognize a kind of sentience in those rhythms? Sam refuses to make such propositions; he is mostly interested in facilitating the question-asking. He dumped a lot of info and inspiration on me over the course of the couple hours we hung out, much of which I am still processing. I left his company with my own MIDI Sprout prototype and a new and exciting project to tackle. Now I just need to find someone who knows how to solder.

So, after a full day of exploration I’m off to bed in my own private room. The only caveat is that I think it is haunted. Maybe that’s why I’m stalling. We’ll see what kinds of dreams I have tonight.