Across the Universe

At the beginning of our last semester in college, Plum and I hatched a plan. Ok, hatched is probably the wrong word because there was nothing nefarious about our plan. (Isn't that the only context in which hatched can be used?) We decided, and I'm sure we were neither the first nor will be the last, to watch a movie every single day of our last semester in college.

We didn't manage that of course, but we didn't do too badly either. I'd estimate I watched over a 100 movies that sem. Plum watched a whole lot more of course. She was the real plan driver. She produced the movies and the best movie watching atmosphere: an overpillowed bed and gooey chocolate bars. More than half of the movies I've seen in my life have been with Plum.

In our final sem, we only had classes in the morning and so every afternoon, we'd cycle back, grab lunch and enter the movie zone. Curtains drawn, pillows arranged, chocolate produced, we'd switch on the laptop and lean back. In the dim coolness of Plum's room, we'd forget we had three more months in the sweaty armpit of the world.

Plum was the one who carefully read reviews and downloaded movies. I never knew what to expect, so one day when the movie started, I was pleasantly surprised to hear Girl. Minutes later, it segued into Helter Skelter and I said wow, they have a Beatles soundtrack - this is going to be fun! I thought it would be something like I Am Sam, so it was another 15 minutes into the movie when I realized that it wasn't just a Beatles themed soundtrack, it was a Beatles themed movie.

Wow.

By the time we hit the crazy colours and suspended gravity of the bowling alley, Plum and I were tripping. You know what? I said, this is when we should smoke up. There was the briefest pause, and then Plum said, I actually have some right now.

I have tried several times to describe that afternoon and failed.

I have tried several times to replicate that afternoon and also failed.

Let me just say that it was the most phenomenally mind expandingly outrageously trippiest trip I've ever had. When Plum and I flew across the universe.