I am especially amused by the “Cash Recycling Machine” sign, which belongs to ICBC, one of the largest banks in China. Back in August, when I was opening an account with them, I told my uncle the sign was wrong, and being Chinese, he of course attempted to joke about it with one of the workers there. The worker told us adamantly that “Cash Recycling Machine” was correct.
… I do love that particular summer thunderstorm scent in the air. It’s not really a scent — more than just a scent, actually, but it’s very distinctive and identifiable when you encounter it, if you know what I mean. It’s weird that storms and humidity (things I hate for what they do to my hair, not to mention the sheer uncomfortable-ness of walking in such conditions) can make me so happy. I guess as long as I don’t have to walk through it, it’s a good thing.
Kafka on the Shore happens to be the second Haruki Murakami novel that I have read/am in the process of reading (my first was back in Shanghai, when I borrowedThe Wind-Up Bird Chronicle from the NYU Shanghai library — turned out to be a very good idea, as I found myself reading the bulk of it on a beach in Hainan as the boys went windsurfing/para-sailing/everything else I didn’t want to do).
It’s a very strange book, but I can’t say I’m surprised, since Wind-Up Bird was also really weird. One thing I’m wondering: does Murakami have a motif going through his books about people looking for cats or something? First we have Toru Okada in Wind-Up Bird looking for Noboru Wataya, and now we have Nakata and his job looking for lost cats. Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing where all the different threads I’m encountering are going to be tied up — knowing Murakami’s other work, it’s bound to be good.
I think what’s awesome about this place is not so much the viability of making such a place widely available in Hong Kong (let’s face it, the majority of Hong Kong residents who live in such tiny spaces cannot afford this design), but the opportunities for use elsewhere. For example, space colonies. Okay, that’s a bit of a joke (let’s say 75%, because who knows?), but Japan could definitely use this (its residents are on average wealthier than the average Chinese), as could places like the scientist station in Antarctica (the cozier the space, the better, most likely, in terms of energy conservation). And so on.
Just as the title says. I started a Tumblr. Yay. Let’s celebrate.
