11.29.08
You think you know someone
It starts out weird … then it gets weirder … and then it gets even weirder than that. ‘I can become whatever I want,’ he liked to say. In 2004, when he pretended to be a 14-year-old French boy in the town of Grenoble, a doctor who examined him at the request of authorities concluded he was, indeed, a teenager. A police captain in Pau noted, ‘When he talked in Spanish, he became a Spaniard. When he talked in English, he was an Englishman.’ Chadourne said of him: ‘Of course he lied, but what an actor!’
Oh yeah, like that’s gonna work
Embarrass people into paying up? It wouldn’t work for me, I’d probably be thrilled.
Speaking of edible brides
I was really surprised to see this, but not for the reasons you might think. Fake wedding cakes are standard in Japan, and I’m surprised to see that it has not caught on in other lands. According to one site: “(In Japan) cakes were much too expensive to make, in their stead artificial cakes, with “icing” of hard wax were used. So as not to eliminate the cake cutting, a slot was created in which the bride and groom could insert a knife, creating a symbolic cake ceremony. For added effect during cutting, some cakes were designed with a lever, which when depressed, would emit a burst of steam as the knife entered.” Volcanic cakes? I’m okay with that!
Really brave? Or really stupid?
You decide. Incidentally, isn’t Norway beautiful?
A growing (shrinking?) problem
One of my private students is struggling with a serious issue in her immediate family. I cannot reveal too much, but suffice it to say that it is very bad, and looks set to get worse. One thing that strikes me is the very few resources available to her here: Japan is years behind the West in dealing with these issues, and her child is receiving somewhat lacklustre care and counselling only once a month at a general hospital. My student has no support, no information, and even has to resort to confiding in me (the wise, all-knowing gaijin) and gleaning my advice as to how to deal with it. She has so many questions, but I haven’t any answers. Let me know if you can find any good info about this topic, especially info aimed at the layperson.
11.17.08
CAT TOYS
Usually, our cats are very ho-hum about cat toys. But, there are actually two toys my big, lazy cats love. One is The Kickeroo. The other is Da Bird. Of course, Da Bird requires effort on the cat owner’s part, and since I’m as big, fat, and lazy as my cats, I don’t entertain them with it all that much. But when I do, they’ll chase it endlessly. In fact, the string has several knots in it where they have broken it by vigorous attack. I need to replace it with fishing line.
The Kickeroo is great. It plays to a natural instinct. Both cats will hug it, bite it, and give it a good clawing with their back feet. If one’s playing with it, the other’s lurking nearby awaiting a turn. It was an impulse buy yesterday, because it was by the check-out stand at PetSmart, where we buy the pets’ food. I figured it would get the typical response. But, today they are still attacking it. That’s a longevity record.
Ginger’s other favorite toy is my shoelaces. If I’m tying or untying my tennies, she’s right there to bat and bite them. Silly girl. Another item both cats like is to chase a red laser pointer beam. Red especially will turn circles chasing it. It’s quite entertaining for both of us.
A GLIMPSE
Of Alice Tinker’s wedding dress, from “The Vicar of Dibley” TV program. As I recall, part of her dress lighted up. A shame I couldn’t find a photo of the whole thing. Oh, and her bridesmaids were dressed as Teletubbies.
11.16.08
Quirky architecture
A perennial favourite. I see the Kobe Tower one every day from my home.
11.12.08
SPOOKY
I had to photoshop the photo in the previous post. Original photo I think this must be how the stories about spirits and ghosts get started.
