We're all supposed to be doing something with our lives, right? Everybody I know is trying to figure out what they're supposed to be doing with all this stuff. They've got money, time, intelligence, and all the food they can eat, and they're trying to work out what to do with it all.
My bag, that same one you've all seen with the raven on it, is not at all the right shape to carry a shoe. Even if I didn't have to carry around textbooks and a sketchbook and flash drives and watter, even if my bag were totally empty a shoe would distort it from its normal curve around my hip and make it very hard to carry.
Sara's bag, on the other hand, is the perfect shape. A little backpack she sewed out of indigo dye samples, it's a long teardrop that a sneaker fits into perfectly.
About two weeks ago I was lacing up my shoes when one of the eyelets snapped, gaping open. Since then I've been wearing my leather shoes but now that it's not they feel heavy and sweaty every day.
So I needed to get this eyelet repaired, and since I couldn't carry the shoe myself Sara put it in her bag so that we could pull it out the next time we saw a cobbler.
The thing is, we haven't seen a cobbler. We keep having to go downtown to handle this visa stuff (hey we're legal residents again, BTW) and by the time it's done they've all packed up their sewing machines and gone home.
But still, every morning Sara crams that shoe in with her gameboy and her knitting and her book, and carries it around in the hopes that today will be the day.
If you're looking for someone, if you're trying to figure it out, if every time you tried it ended in tears, let me recommend that you start by finding someone who will carry your shoe.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Back on
Hey folks,
Don't be nervous, it turns out that the blogger shutdown was just a one-day thing, and I don't even really know if it was great wall related. So that's nice.
Don't be nervous, it turns out that the blogger shutdown was just a one-day thing, and I don't even really know if it was great wall related. So that's nice.
Monday, February 25, 2008
bad news for blogtown
Well folks, looks like the PRC has blocked off blogger. Before this I could make posts, but not read them without special software, but now it looks like I'm going to need it for both. That means posts will be slower and I'm not sure if video will work at all. Let's find out:
Yeah, no, so we'll see about that one. For now don't look forward to any video.
Yeah, no, so we'll see about that one. For now don't look forward to any video.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
fireworks
They don't really show up on camera but Beijing is exploding right now. Everybody's got these enormous mortars, exploding pink and blue, and (my favorite) sparkling in a silver rain. Also they do these crackers, some of them blowing up for a few minutes at a time.
On the way home I saw an older grandma type holding the end of a two-meter long string of crackers. After she lit it with her cigarette, she began spinning around, swinging the thing as the individual crackers flew off before exploding.
When it was almost gone she threw the last bit at a car.
On the way home I saw an older grandma type holding the end of a two-meter long string of crackers. After she lit it with her cigarette, she began spinning around, swinging the thing as the individual crackers flew off before exploding.
When it was almost gone she threw the last bit at a car.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
tom and jerry on the subway
the music in the background is a deformed beggar singing through a portable amp.
Friday, February 15, 2008
a tie with skulls on it: the negotiation
intended for 5th generation punks in some faraway corner of the world, it showed up in polyester knockoff glory on the sidewalk by the place where I take Chinese lessons.
"how much for this one?"
"18 RMB"
"10 RMB"
"Okay how about 16"
"what about 10 RMB, okay?"
"Do you even understand any numbers besides 10? 13 RMB"
"I understand 10 and 3, but what about 10 RMB"
"I can't possibly take 10"
"here is 10 RMB"
"okay"
sometimes this gets a little tiring, but then I just remind myself that there's no tipping here.
also somebody at the next cart had "who moved my cheese?" for 10 kwai, but I didn't buy it.
"how much for this one?"
"18 RMB"
"10 RMB"
"Okay how about 16"
"what about 10 RMB, okay?"
"Do you even understand any numbers besides 10? 13 RMB"
"I understand 10 and 3, but what about 10 RMB"
"I can't possibly take 10"
"here is 10 RMB"
"okay"
sometimes this gets a little tiring, but then I just remind myself that there's no tipping here.
also somebody at the next cart had "who moved my cheese?" for 10 kwai, but I didn't buy it.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Mitzi, here it is
The first is a HK patch from a selection at the fabric market Sara shops at, where you can buy Calvin Klein hangtags, but only in a lot of 10,000. The next two are from the same shop.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Horrid murderous ice storms coverin China have..
had no effect on our lives whatsoever. Thank you for your concern everybody
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Collie Gang
I see this gang around my neighborhood sometimes. Admittedly they do have a token Basset hound but it's still pretty Collie-centric. I mean, that's six collies.
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