LAUGHTER

LAUGHTER                                          Virginia Gow 10/04/12

Sydney, Australia, is blessed with a temperate climate all year round. This allows its citizens to work and play in wonderful weather. In the winter month of June the city hosts a Vivid Festival of urban light design, music and drama. Amazing light shows of moving visions shimmer across the city’s iconic buildings. All of these treats play out along the foreshores of a harbour of sparkling beauty. They beckon the traveler from near and far to come and enjoy this feast of colour.

Opera House sails soar with multi-coloured transparent draperies of artistic patterns beamed from laser projectiles. Stately churches light moving film frescos of waterfalls whilst people skate on a man made rink below. The Sydney Town Hall is endowed with moving creations of angels whilst office blocks at Circular Quay play host to paisley prints.  

Amid the programs of interest is a workshop on Laughter. A cosmic comic musician, Laaragi, offers two hours of “Meditation and Laughter”. He is reported to be a global musician of ambient music and as such a welcomed addition to the Vivid Festival.  Traveling around the world, this Afro American spends his life laughing.

Ginny receives a gift in the mail from her friend, Ulli. It is a ticket to attend the Laughter workshop by Laaragi. Ulli informs her that she met up with Laaragi at Venice Beach, California, years ago. Ulli requested that Ginny introduce herself to him after the workshop. With a lightness of heart, Ginny embarks on her laughter journey.

Nearly 40 years ago Jorn Utzon’s schematic design was chosen over 200 other international designs as the concept for the building of the Sydney Opera House. The geometrics for its curved sails caused great worry, not laughter, when this building was constructed. Utzon was dismissed as architect and left Australia’s shores vowing never to return. This was no laughing matter. Years later he was honoured with an architectural award for his design of the Sydney Opera House.

The Utzon Room is the venue for the Laughter and Meditation workshop. Massive concrete structural beams reflect the window light from floor to ceiling. An easterly view of Sydney Harbour allows for wonder. Natural timbers warm to the sounds of laughter as around one hundred people sit or stand around a figure on a raised platform.

Laaragi is dressed in bright orange corduroy trousers. His feet are encased in orange sneakers with lime green laces. Over an orange shirt he wears a waistcoat of sequenced purple satin. The golden sequences reflect and dazzle the eyes as they catch the light beaming in from outside. He rings a bell, strikes a gong, and plays on a jaw harp. He dances and twirls for his audience. Throwing his head back, he roars with laughter.

Different sounds of laughter are presented to the group. From the soft chuckle, the silly giggle, the madman lilt, the joyful sound, the polite ‘time to laugh in chorus’, the hunter’s sneering cackle, the knowing HA HA, the smiling laugh, the spontaneous rattle, to the full belly roll thunder, Laaragi gives each type of laugh a name and a number. He calls upon his converts to answer when a number is called and the room is alive with laughter sounds until tears run from eyes and some people run for the door. A litany of sound assails the ears and all reason is reduced to tatters. Time is immaterial. Faces display clown features, the plain is made beautiful and the room echoes to a cacophony of voices. People light up from within; hug the stranger next to them and laughter rolls on and ripples out to titivate harbour waves.

As black is to white, laughter is to tears, and through all the joy there is sorrow. Conjure up a laugh and awaken the tears, positive to negative and back again. There is pain in laughter for it triggers the memory and thoughts sneak in when the guard is down. Always there is a price to pay for happiness.

Laaagi is please to meet a friend of Ulli. He wishes her well and tells her he is off to Israel to teach laughter to the conscripts in the Army. Giggling his way through to Germany, Spain will next be open to silliness.

On he travels in his gypsy clothes, to laugh around the world. In his wake, laughter clubs are springing up. If there is one near you, lift your spirits, have a laugh.