Please Escher Don't Hurt 'em
I'll keep this post light. More an update than anything.
This weekend I went to the MC Escher exhibit up at Bunkamura in Shibuya.
I've always really liked his stuff, not because I'm into art appreciation, but just because it looks really cool. Everyone has seen his stuff. Yeah, his pictures festoon just about every wall of every elementary school classroom in our great nation, but anyone who dismisses me as a simpleton or unrefined for thinking his stuff is awesome can eat it.
Plus he made his shit without a computer. I can't even make it with a computer. Or a ruler. Or a slide-rule even. Fuck. I'm overwhelmed.
Anyway, as with doing anything in public places in Japan, it was not without frustrations. It seems like anytime you go anywhere to do anything in this country, the experience is not unlike riding the Yamanote train line during rush hour.
It was really crowded -- a full-scale beach landing against my defenseless roundeye sense of space. That wasn't the best part though.
You know how museums have little tape recorders or whatever that you can listen to as you walk around? Well, at this museum, they had pre-loaded Nintendo DS's with audio and video. So when people would approach a picture, they would listen to the description, then using their handy stylus, look at the picture on the screen.
It was a little bit like, I dunno, going to a movie theatre and watching the same movie on your PSP.
Only in Japan, I guess.
It wasn't too bad -- par for the course -- but it makes it hard for a savage like me to get any bit of culture in his life. I want to go check out cultural shit, but it's like seeing an exhibit in a sarcophagus full or zombies who don't want to each your brains, just invade your personal space. Maybe I should just give up? Maybe I should go on weekdays?
At least there were no groups of drunken ladies in their 60s, hootin' and hollerin', like at the last exhibit I went to.
Another cool thing this weekend is that I got a navigation system for my car.
Car navigation systems in Japan are badass, but I'd like to say that mine is nowhere near as cool as this one. It ain't bad though, and given my propensity to become horribly lost, it is very very necessary. You see, when you make a wrong turn in Tokyo, the city punishes you by taking 30 minutes of your life away, or making you crash into a wall. Or both. So now that I'm getting the scuff fixed in my car from when I brushed against said wall, my car may be considered somewhat pimped out.
Not that I care. But it's nice.
The best part is that the nav system was free. My girl's sister gave it to her to give to me 'cuz she has a newer version. Guess I made a good impression on them this past weekend when I visited for new years. Here's the two of them tormenting her neice.
Or perhaps I won their favor while playing a little New Years pachinko with her mom.
Either way, it's been a good couple weeks.
This weekend I went to the MC Escher exhibit up at Bunkamura in Shibuya.
I've always really liked his stuff, not because I'm into art appreciation, but just because it looks really cool. Everyone has seen his stuff. Yeah, his pictures festoon just about every wall of every elementary school classroom in our great nation, but anyone who dismisses me as a simpleton or unrefined for thinking his stuff is awesome can eat it.
Plus he made his shit without a computer. I can't even make it with a computer. Or a ruler. Or a slide-rule even. Fuck. I'm overwhelmed.
Anyway, as with doing anything in public places in Japan, it was not without frustrations. It seems like anytime you go anywhere to do anything in this country, the experience is not unlike riding the Yamanote train line during rush hour.
It was really crowded -- a full-scale beach landing against my defenseless roundeye sense of space. That wasn't the best part though.
You know how museums have little tape recorders or whatever that you can listen to as you walk around? Well, at this museum, they had pre-loaded Nintendo DS's with audio and video. So when people would approach a picture, they would listen to the description, then using their handy stylus, look at the picture on the screen.
It was a little bit like, I dunno, going to a movie theatre and watching the same movie on your PSP.
Only in Japan, I guess.
It wasn't too bad -- par for the course -- but it makes it hard for a savage like me to get any bit of culture in his life. I want to go check out cultural shit, but it's like seeing an exhibit in a sarcophagus full or zombies who don't want to each your brains, just invade your personal space. Maybe I should just give up? Maybe I should go on weekdays?
At least there were no groups of drunken ladies in their 60s, hootin' and hollerin', like at the last exhibit I went to.
Another cool thing this weekend is that I got a navigation system for my car.
Car navigation systems in Japan are badass, but I'd like to say that mine is nowhere near as cool as this one. It ain't bad though, and given my propensity to become horribly lost, it is very very necessary. You see, when you make a wrong turn in Tokyo, the city punishes you by taking 30 minutes of your life away, or making you crash into a wall. Or both. So now that I'm getting the scuff fixed in my car from when I brushed against said wall, my car may be considered somewhat pimped out.
Not that I care. But it's nice.
The best part is that the nav system was free. My girl's sister gave it to her to give to me 'cuz she has a newer version. Guess I made a good impression on them this past weekend when I visited for new years. Here's the two of them tormenting her neice.
Or perhaps I won their favor while playing a little New Years pachinko with her mom.
Either way, it's been a good couple weeks.
So spake Paul at 9:00 AM
9 Comments:
This was a pretty good post, and not light. Just good.
MC Escher is great.
Jam packing folks onto the train is great. I think Americans have space issues. We can't have someone all up in our buisness. And folks are most certianly "all up in your biznass" on a Tokyo train.
Cory got a car nav system, and I have to say that it's pretty cool. Although, I'm also a big fan of the hard copy map.
Great job with the pachinko. I hope you won a lot of ball bearings.
Is that video working?
Whatevs.
Japs are weird.
i didnt win any ball bearings. i tell ya what tho, those pachinko machines are getting pretty intricate. lotsa shit going on as you stare zombie-like at it.
jinxy-- it's workin on my end..?
Yeah, the second vid is a big no-go there homeskillet.
I tried to win a lobster while I was on duty in Sasebo from one of those machines once, but the damn thing kept swimming away at the last second.
-Joe
I'm pretty sure that last one is a pic.
ahhaha
joe thought the pic was a video. what a technotard.
I think you should ditch the nav system and install a Light Fighter Special instead.
On a side note: I like to imagine your head on a farting, dip-spitting, Godzilla-like body as you rampage through your office coworkers.
That's me up there. And i'm not a technotard...i'm just special.
Joe
sam has a light fighter special on the wall of his apartment in austin. but there's no reason that should surprise you. if anything, it would get a "well duh" response.
im so tempted to dip at work, just freak people out. they chain smoke, main-line coffee, and wear moth-balled clothes to work. sometimes i think im going to throwup in my mouth and/or passout. so why cant i throw in a snoose to make my day more tolerable?
ps: i stink up my office out of revenge and spite
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