Mr. Creepy

Forget about skulking in dark alleys, some people are content with being creepy in public places in broad daylight.

On a particular afternoon a few weeks ago, I had decided to head downtown to spend my lunch break strolling in a park that I really like yet rarely frequent. Besides wanting to get outside to enjoy lovely spring weather, I had ambitions of finishing up a roll of film during my outing. Upon entering the park, I saw at a distance a man walking my direction. Nothing unusual about that, this park is frequented by many people on their lunch break. As soon as he sees me, however, he makes a quick right turn and proceeds through some bushes. I also turn because it's the direction I need to go for the afore mentioned photo taking.

As I pause to finish a text message, I begin to have the funny feeling that I'm being followed and notice that the man is walking parallel with me, yet still at a distance. I take a few steps, he takes a few steps. I pause, he pauses. As I pause again to pretend to look at some sculptures (really it's to figure out what to make of the guy and get a good survey of the other people in the park) I find that he's now sitting on a large rock, yet looking back over his shoulder at me.

I once again proceed towards the object of my photographic endeavor, walking more briskly this time. I glance back to see if I'm being followed. Nope, no sign of him. Wait. Oh yes, there comes the floating head from behind a big rock. There he stands just staring at me and there I stand just staring back, in disbelief that he thinks I have no idea he's watching me. "Oh no, if your body's behind a giant rock, there's no way I'll notice a head sticking out from the side of it!" Come on. As I continue on, I have to walk through an area of tall shrubbery and evergreens. This is an easy place for someone to lurk, however, there are still people around chatting, landscaping, reading, etc. so I feel in no real danger.

Suddenly, dunt-dunt-duh ... the phone rings and I begin to explain to my friend the events of the afternoon. I sit down in a spot that's a bit blocked from view by anyone approaching from behind. This happens to be right beside the object I wish to take photos of. Within a minute or two, mr. creepy crosses the large walkway infront of where I was sitting, heading in the direction away from me. I continue to hang out and give my friend the play-by-play. Meanwhile, good old mr. creepy "disappears" behind some bushes on the other side of the walkway. Oh yes, most of his body is hidden from view, but there comes the floating head again bobbing up and down between the hedges. Every now and then he'd disappear from view for a bit, but sure enough, 'bloop', up pops the head again. I just stood on a ledge watching him, still entertained by the fact that he probably honestly thought I couldn't see him or that I had no idea he was watching me. By this point, about a half hour had transpired from the time I entered the park. Finally I lost sight of him in between the bobbing and then a few minutes later I saw the back of his red shirt in the distance as he walked away, or at least, as he appeared to be walking away.

Now was the time for me to make my move. I got off the phone and began checking out the angles of what I wanted to photograph. It was a structure that I could step inside, and sure enough, about a minute or two after I did, out pops mr. creepy from the bushes, only I think he had lost sight of me this time, as I noticed him searching around a bit. As he did, he came right up to the structure before seeing me inside. This was the closest he'd come and it was at this moment I decided to whip out my camera and point it right at him, and that was the end of mr. creepy. He disappeared really quick after that. When I was ready to leave, I kept looking around to see if I was still being "secretly" followed but nope, no sign of him. Still, I didn't breathe a sigh of relief until I was on my scooter in traffic again. Ya, one of the few times I was ever actually relieved to be in traffic.

Just another day in traffic

While driving home during my lunch break this afternoon, I witnessed a woman fly through a traffic light and strike a man on the crosswalk. I'm sure she would argue that it wasn't her fault since, after all, she did honk her horn insanely to warn everyone that she had no intention of stopping at the light. My impression here is that if you honk your horn loud enough and long enough, that sort of relinquishes any responsibility on the part of the driver to actually obey traffic rules. Here I come, you've been warned!

I think one of the things that bothers me the most about driving here is the number of avoidable accidents if people would just exercise some common sense. Prior to coming here, I had read something in Lonely Planet to the effect of "the Taiwanese would drown in their own bathtub," which is totally harsh but it sort of summed up the writer's impression of common sense in Taiwan. Sadly, on far too many occasions, I've seen how one might come to such a conclusion, especially while on the road.

Today I started reading a new book that I recently acquired and already, I'm hooked. While I've read several good books so far this year, it's been awhile since I've read one that I just couldn't put down and once again look for scraps of free time when I can squeeze in some more reading. I consider myself a slow reader so it's nice when I have something that I'll push myself through quickly. Ironically, my latest literary addiction is a book about addiction.

English is Fashionable

"A day for chic dream genies and decadent dandy lion nights, for periwinkle platinum and arcane delights" - as seen on a shirt recently by a friend.

Here's a throwback to my days of perusing wearables at American Eagle or scoping out a unique gift at Pier 1 with scrawlings of Chinese or some form of Asian calligraphy. Did I ever stop to wonder what things said or if they even said anything at all? Not really. Sometimes words appear as art and the content seems irrelevant. I've now entered a life on the flipside where I crack up at the saying on clothing because I understand what the wearers often don't. I also understand when there's nothing to be understood, just random letters on something.
Ah, English is fashionable. So why am I never in-style?

"Do you have a Zans for cans?"

Oh Dr. Seuss, how I wish I had a Zans for cans. For 8 months I've been fighting with a can opener that seems quite good at chewing the labels off of cans but not good at actually OPENING CANS! Arrh.

Recently, feeling inspired to make some chili, I resigned myself to the fact that I'd first have to open cans, many, many cans. Part way through the can butchering experience, I started thinking about how often things work backwards here. Throw your "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey" out the window, it will get you nowhere. Then I started to wonder what would happen if I turned the can opener handle the opposite way, an idea so against my years of conditioning that I never considered the possibility that it could turn the opposite direction. Wouldn't you know it, the can was sliced open with relative ease.

Oh the object lessons that can occur in daily life. It's funny how something as simple as a can opener needing turned the opposite direction can be a reminder of stubbornness, blindness, and pride. While there are certainly things worth persistence despite the frustrations and setbacks that will be encountered, there are other things worth throwing out because pursuing them would be as silly as taking 8 months to figure out how to use a can opener.