Art, Food, Life

It has been far too long since I tried to record anything here. I guess I’m just not a very interesting person, since I seem to have nothing to say.

I will say, though, that I have lately been following Cameron Switzer’s YouTube videos. Cam is from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and he has been living in Japan for about twenty years. you can find him here: http://www.youtube.com/user/camswitzer.

Now a slight change of subject (but it’s all related). Today, my Beloved Wife and I went to the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina to see and drool over some paintings by the Chinese Canadian artist Huang Zhong Yang. Zhong Yang has an MFA from China, and another MFA from the University of Regina, and his paintings are unbelievable; his current show consists of image from China in the time of Mao Zedong, and even though some of the subject matter could have been depressing, the beauty of the paintings almost made me cry. Zhong Yang’s paintings are like music on canvas, and I wasn’t surprised to learn this week that Zhong Yang has a huge knowledge of classical music, too. Indeed, some of his landscapes are symphonies in paint. Had I $20 000 to $50 000 or more to spare for each, I would happily buy as many of his paintings as I had wall space for. Ideally, I’d buy more than half a dozen, but that would take more wall space than I have, and would cost somewhere up to $30 000 or more, which I also don’t have. Sigh... Most of his works go to galleries in Asia and Europe, where they sell instantly. You can see some images of his paintings at the Assiniboia Gallery’s site at http://www.assiniboia.com/dynamic/artists/Zhong_Yang_Huang.asp .

After the gallery visit, we continued to Safeway for a few groceries, where my Beloved, inspired by the beautiful paintings, decided she was craving Chinese food. Since I’ve been in Cam’s world in Japan for the last couple of weeks, I was craving sushi, and we knew the teenage mutant stomachs at home would be wanting pizza. So we bought some egg rolls, sushi, and ham-and-pineapple pizza with our groceries, and proceeded home to enjoy a wonderful multicultural supper. Ever eaten pizza with chopsticks?

Work

Like most adults, I work. However, I like my work and I love where I work, and who I work with. While the job doesn't pay as much as I'd like (what job does?), the satisfaction makes up for that. And here's a quick photo of where I work. We have a courtyard, with a corridor around it, and rooms facing the park we're in. So cool - especially now, in winter.



Yes, it snows here.

Cartoons

One of my favourite cartoons is Pibgorn, available at http://www.gocomics.com/features/120.

However, the cartoonist, the most wonderful Brooke McEldowney, is taking a break from the regular cartoon to tell a story that he wrote for his daughter when she was a younger lady than she is now.

In the meantime, the regular characters of Pibgorn, temporarily out of work, have had to take jobs out in the real world. Regular readers of the cartoon will recognize the name Satori: she's a very snappy dresser, and pretty handy with a sword. But since the rent has to be paid, and she's not actually IN the cartoon at the moment, here's her new place of employment - in Canada; in darkest Saskatchewan, to be precise.




Yup, she's reduced to cutting hair.

This, of course, is all quite silly, but the people who come here from the comfy couch of confusion at the cartoon site will understand why I posted it.

Me

I'm trying again to post photos. To start, here's one of me on the way to work about 4 years ago. It was a bit cool that day.


I took some photos a few days ago on my lunch break, and on the way home from work; I'll see if I can't get those up here soon.

Hello Kitty

A friend of mine who uses a bicycle as her primary transportation, but cannot manage anything mechanical, came to me on Sunday with a flat tire. I fixed the tube for her, but the tire itself was beyond salvation. Her bike's a street cruiser, and heavier than I'd like to lift, and it has huge fat tires with wide whitewalls. And she wanted a whitewall tire to replace the dead one.

She found a whitewall tire the next day. It has a Hello Kitty tread on it. It was made under liscence (sic) from Sanrio. The friend is mortified, and extremely grateful to the cycling gods that the tires mostly hidden by the huge fat fender. I don't think it's all that bad; it's kind of cute. I can't wait to see her tracks after a rain, or after she's ridden through a patch of mud.

I think it's not so bad, mostly because the friend is so embarrassed by it. For a six yer old girl (who'd NEVER be tall enough to use it), such a tire would be appropriate. For an adult? Well, I'm not sure I want to meet the woman, or even the teen, who would actually WANT a Hello Kitty bicycle tire.

I have photographic evidence, but I can't find the darned card reader. When I do find it, I'll post a photo or two.

A Question

I discovered the Aimee Mullins TED talk today, and while she seems at home with herself, I don't know how what to think of her. It seems good that she would invite children to see her collection of legs without the inhibiting adults around; she's trying to lessen the fear and discrimination, suppose. And that's good.

I know nothing of Ms. Mullin's personal history, but I would be interested to know if any of you patient people with disabilities would let me know what YOU think of Ms Mullins. She has a diffrent mind-set from most people, and what she's doing is obviously right for her, but is it the right thing for other people? Is she spreading the right attitude?

I will admit that I'm envious of her being able to choose her height. I'd love to be able to make myself a couple of inches shorter...


Anone want to enlighten me about her?

Of Wheels and Wings

I've finally gotten a photo of that lovely shirt sent by Laura.


Thanks, Laura! Now I can think of Beth even more often...