and the exotic from around the world was strangely although faintly/vaguely but also tragically disappointing.

on the other hand, the recommended, seemingly mainstream and boring and commonplace and unattractive, turns out to be riveting. and brilliant, more so, precisely because it is so rooted.

in the years of my youth I was more receiving, more open to recommendations. I will have to go back, to that judge-less-ness of what people point out to. there are gems I am unaware of.