Lately objects have been gravitating off their store shelves in my direction. I was in the produce aisle the other day, and a few feet away a head of lettuce fell off the display. I definitely did not bump it, and I wasn't exactly moving fast enough to generate a wind. There were a few other people farther down the aisle, so I couldn't just leave it on the floor, neither could I pick it up and put it back. I inspected it - a little crushed on the bottom but otherwise okay. I'd been going to buy greens anyways, and though I would have preferred spinach, I put it in my basket.
Today it happened again, in a less advantageous manner. I was looking at pens in the bookstore, and a bottle of ink decided to leap off the shelf near me. With foreboding I opened the box - sure enough the cap was cracked and ink squeezed out. I looked for a fountain pen to at least get some use out of it, but apparently they don't sell such things. Just the ink. I brought it to the counter with my other purchases, hoping that they wouldn't open the box to check for damage as fancier shops sometimes do, as that would result invariably in apologies, "Oh no, this product is damaged!" and then I'd have to somehow explain that yes, I knew, it was my fault and that's why I was buying it." Luckily they didn't, so I carefully carried it away with my other purchases, hoping it wouldn't stain my magazine, hoping it will be useful somehow in the future, and hoping that it won't dry out. Objects need to stop falling for me. Alternatively, if only the trend could extend to people.
Have I mentioned how much I love Japanese TV? Arashi, the musical group that was my first exposure to J-Pop, has various shows where they do stupid experiments. Things like, can one drink juice through a recorder (answer: yes, if your bandmates cover the fingerholes), and if banana peels are actually slippery like in old comedies can one ice-skate on them (answer: no) and is building a hot air balloon out of newspapers a good idea (answer: no. Even if you try it twice.) In this video they build a boat out of legos and attempt to paddle to Tokyo. The best part is Man Overboard to the Strains of Amazing Grace.
Today I went on my first serious bird expedition, which as I am a rank amateur means I strolled through the wooded outskirts of the park rather than the central lawn, carrying a notebook and pen to make notes. I take stupid notes ("Call sounds like, "HurRY up") just enough to remind me when I get back and can look up in my book. I think if I do this hobby long-term - which I so rarely do, I am such a butterfly, I have huge enthusiasm that can die in a day - that I will have to get an actual camera. The one on my phone is good, but not for bird-watching - it has no zoom function, and makes a terrible shutter noise. So though I saw many birds, I couldn't get pictures of them - but I did get some of parts of the park which don't fly away.
A song not by Japan but about. The Bird and The Bee's "Love Letter to Japan," is laidback fun, sweetly tongue in cheek:
2 comments:
Emily, If you didn't knock that ink bottle down---you should not have paid for it. Don't be a pushover. Unfortunately the world is NOT full of good people with your best interests at heart. In fact, there is a crook on every block and someone who will hurt you at every turn. If you let them, someone will rob you blind then deny it to your face. I hope you don't make the same mistakes I do and be too trusting, and instead protect yourself from these people and only invest in proven people who invest in you, or, at least mitigate the extent to which people use you. take care----wood
The tree in the 3rd picture down has the coolest bark - any chance you know what kind it is? I have a thing about weirdly barked trees lately. love Deanne
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