Personal DJ (Singapore)
Some months ago, I came across a record player at a used goods sale. It took me back to the 1970s. The seventies were wonderful, weren’t they? The sun seemed brighter, and you could cross into Afghanistan via Iran. I was still a kid when the 1970s ended.
Back then, I had an older neighbor named Anu, whom I was quite fond of. Anu had an enormous collection of American comics—a rarity in those days in India. That was my excuse to visit her place almost every afternoon. Anu would often play Beatles or Rolling Stones records while sitting by a large window overlooking the hill, either polishing her nails or reading a book. I spent countless afternoons lying on the floor next to the record player, splitting my time between reading comics, watching the record spin, and stealing occasional glances at Anu, which she always returned with a kind smile.
Back to the present. I ended up buying the record player and I set it up at work at the campus I teach at. Nostalgia is a nice bug to have. I have only three records and one of them in Beatles. A student intern who’s fond of the Beatles has become a fan of the record player. After a long day, the intern likes to settle around the record player, pop in the Beatles record and watch it go round and round as she listens to her favourite songs.
The next term will be starting soon. She says she will miss the music once she stops working for us and return to her classes. I point to a streaming camera and server in the next room that some colleagues are testing. We quickly decide to hijack the rig and set it up next to the record player. Whenever the intern wants to listen to Beatles, she just needs to send me a message. I will broadcast a live feed of her favourite music. Nice to use all this modern tech to spread some seventies magic.