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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Now that's a pretty big Pinocchio.

As I was coming to work on May 7th, I saw something unusual.
 Some guys were putting together a giant Pinochio.
 I stopped and talked with them a while, and took some pictures.  These guys were the fabricators, out of Oregon, I believe.  As soon as they email me the truth, I will correct my post!
It was a bit surreal, seeing the wooden boy who longs to be real, fully realized in bronze, and laid out like a prizefighter.
 I would have liked to talk more, but I had a class to teach.

I was very happy to come back the next week and see that P. was on his feet.
 I thought to myself, I need to get someone to take my picture as I'm being trod upon by this demonically animated marionette.
 I would have looked awesome under those stylish boots.
 I was also fortunate to meet the artist who designed this work.
 Being a total numbskull, I didn't write down his name.  I'll have to add it once the fabricators email me.
 This was how it looked as I went in to class.
 By the time I came out, the landscaping guys had started to unload.  No chance for my dream photo shoot.
 By the following week, the landscaping was complete, and the artists had returned to their country of origin.
 And we are left with this reminder...
 That once...
 The gods strode among us...
In Centum City.

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Ride and Embarrassing Moment

Today I rode with Maxine to her school, came home, got my act together, then rode to my Tuesday class.  It's only a 15 minute ride to the Centum City campus.  My other classes are all across town, probably a 90 minute ride on six-lane streets with cars and smog and yech.

After class I rode up the river a bit, then went to Costco.  I've been needing real cheese for some time, but not enough to pay the high prices for imports elsewhere.  I got a block of sharp cheddar, monterey jack, and a bag of shredded Mexican cheese (yeah, I'm sure Mexico is proud of that one).  I also got a three pack of bacon, because a house without bacon is like... not good.

So I'm checking out with about 40,000 won (~$35) worth of food, and about 70,000 won  in my pocket.  Surprise!  I need to renew my membership!  Taking my total up to 74,260 won.  I have exactly 74,000 in my wallet, so I did through my backpack to find the coins needed to finish this transaction.  I don't usually spend much time wondering what other people think of me (as my friends well know), but this time I had extra time on my hands: I had to pull my pants out of my backpack and unroll them, then dig in the pockets for change, roll them back up, and pack pants, cheese and bacon into my bag.  I was imagining the thoughts going through the cashier's mind as she smiled at me and rebuffed my apologies:

"Wow, this crazy American has NO idea what he's doing, he barely has enough money, he's disorganized, he smells bad, and he's buying a bunch of bacon and cheese.  Stupid Americans."

My only consoling thought is that she might have assumed I was a Canadian.

The good news is that I saw a giant Pinochio...

With the arrogance born of high stature, he
stode the city, a giant among men.
 and a giant onion thing...
It would be so cool if we got some translucent plastic
and made a giant onion!
 with a disco ball inside.
We could light it up at night and have
dances inside!
Life is sweet, is it not?

A Brief Introduction

Roblog is my writing lab. It is my goal to not let seven days pass without a new post. I welcome your criticism, as I cannot improve on my own.

Here is a link to my cung post, which remains the only word which I have ever invented, and which has not, as far as I know, caught on. Yet.