Salt Lake Bicycle Collective

Kurt, and anyone else interested,

This is the link to the SL Bike Collective.

See ya there.

Adam

Fictional Character

Unfortunately, this one isn't working. I've tried to be as realistic as I can about Tobias in SLC. The problem I continue to run into is a matter of perspective. Tobias does not see anything he says as inappropriate or repressed messaging. So, what I see as the outside observer and consider to be hilarious, he, Tobias, would simply recount his daily happenings.

The only way I can see to circumvent the issue, would be writing a character as Tobias' sidekick. And, I find no real appeal for this character.

I need to find another character, and quick!
_______________________________________________________
This is my new character.

Not great, but will have to suffice. Fictional, yes. Fun/interesting, no. Ryan's 1st Blog.

A very basic Wiki article

Most time was taken with trying to understand the protocol for writing a Wikipedia article, rather than on the topic about which I was writing.

I have yet to incorporate any pictures. With any luck, I will figure this out in the next little while.

SP-101

Major Wiki-edit revisited

This is the final version of my major Wiki-edit. I changed "native," to "indigenous." I also added a link to this term to clarify any questions about term usage.

Wiki Minor Edit

This is my minor edit. I simply changed a passive voice sentence to active voice.

In the terms of editing, the Wiki community states a major change is any change of meaning, even if one word is altered.Here, I have deleted two words, but no meaning change takes place. So, I believe it still falls under "minor edit."

Wiki Major Edit

I added one pre-governmental experiment paragraph and a small transition.

I originally posted this as my minor edit. Once I read the terms of minor vs. major edits on the Wiki how-to page, I realized this change is considered a major edit.

10 Wiki Guides

1. Create as many in-line links as possible, to offer ease of accessibility to your readers.

2. As much as possible, follow the traditional writing style for the topic covered.

3. Create a contents table, making navigation more user friendly.

4. Include more than the obvious.

5. When describing something in detail, if possible, use pictures and diagrams to accommodate different learning styles, or risk losing your audience.

6. If possible, link your post to other languages.

7. If you have a post about something edible, include links to recipes or other possible uses.

8. If one post is too extensive, create secondary posts focusing on one specific aspect of the original topic.

Wiki Link

Tele-mark Skiing

Yeah, I don't really have a plan to update it, yet.

It's a work in process.

I'm not really seeing where I can improve on this Wiki-article. I would like to wait for some ideas in class. Then, I will either have more tools with which to approach the problem, or I will need to find a new topic.

I may move into fact checking and adding to the technique section. There are a couple of areas in Tele-mark evolution, that may use a couple of touch ups.

Hey! What'da want?

I am currently a member of the Salt Lake Bicycle Collective, and they (SLBC organizers) are trying to have area merchants offer discounts for members who help the community with various charitable drives. The following is an email conversation where the organizers are looking to figure out with what shops the members would most appreciate discounts.

All was fine, until...the trigger.
________________________________________________________

Hey Guys-
So, really, where do you shop a lot? I'm trying to get you flippin' discounts at these places. I'm soliciting businesses to give discounts to members of the Collective (that would be YOU). It works a lot better if I know that:

A. These businesses are places where bike people like to go.
B. I know someone's name at the business (like your friend, the manager, etc.).
C. You give me a rough location so I can find the bloody place.

I've only heard back from a few of you. This is your chance to get discounts at stores you already love and patronize. Where do you get food? Where do you buy clothes? Do you get your clothes laundered? Buy books? Art supplies? Tattoos? Piercings? Shoes? Mouthwash?

Little help, little help.

Acey G.
Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective

June 20
________________________________________________________

Sorry Acey,
I do not "shop" much. Small bookstores, Wild Oats on occasion, but mostly at the Smith's Marketplace one kilometer down the street from my house. My wife is planning on buying a Mac computer; how about the Mac Store at the Gateway?

Ou M.

June 20
___________________________________________________________________________

Barbacoa
Curry in a Hurry
Bombay House
Del Taco

The Mac store would be amazing. Work your magic on that one.

How about EcoMoto?

That's all I can think of now. Keep harassing and I might come up with more

Reg

June 20
________________________________________________________

Hi Acey,
How about Autozone and Wal-Mart? Smiths Marketplace?
The independant grocery stores? (Macey's, Dans,
Winegars? Reams?)
Home Depot is good too.
Es

June 20
________________________________________________________

How about:

B&D Burgers
Any of the local Coffee Shops (i.e. Coffee Garden, Beans & Brew, etc.)
Ginza
Takashi
Barbacoa
The Pie
Caputo's

man, I must really like food.

Ony B.

June 20
________________________________________________________

Yeah, get me a Bike Collective discount at Wal-Mart!
Step up!

N

June 21
________________________________________________________

"Yeah, get me a bike collective discount at Wal Mart!
Step up!"

Ya'll realize that Wal-Mart is giant corporation that exploits
humans all over our planet and in addition to that, money spent at
any national chain store immediately leaves the community in which
it was spent, economically benefiting a small few individuals.
When you spend money at a locally owned and operated business/store
etc. your money tends to stay in the local community and provide
economic benefits to the entire community.

I was under the impression that the SL Bicycle Collective was all
about building community, not providing incentives to support
exploitative corporations who use that support to further
exploitation.

Give it some thought, yeah?

Acob

June 22
________________________________________________________

(Head spinning, emotions welling, adolescent rage surfacing; keep it in check! Calm, calm...fingers to the keyboard.)

This is where I had a hard time holding my tongue. It's bad enough, this Acob is slamming another's idea (especially, when he had yet to post any ideas, himself), but then to go off on a half-cocked, condescending rant about corporate politics and exploitation of foreign workers, when he has obviously never thought about the issue; only the arguments for and against the issue. (People often forget that there are actual beings at the other end of the issues about which they argue.) Arguments, half-baked at best, thrown around coffee shops in quick-witted banter by semi-intellectual wanna-bes, don't actually make the world go round. At their pinnacle, the most they ever hope to achieve is a flirtatious glance from a passing barista.

Then, to imply the SL Bike Collective is not supporting local merchants, because two people, in a huge email list, mentioned Wal-Mart in email going to the collective, not coming from the collective, is exceptionally...well, junior-high.

The following was my response to the SL Bike Collective, but to the organizers only, thus leaving its posting to their discretion.
________________________________________________________

Dear Acey,

Ohnathan mentioned that certain ideas should not be sent around to everyone on the SLBC group mailing list. So, I thought I would keep my ideas to myself until both of you had a chance to review them, then, forward them to the list, if you see fit.

I know the following is a rant, but I tend to get a little ticked when I hear people monkey-repeating what they hear on the news with little or no thought into the subject matter on their own.



Attn: anti-Wal Mart shoppers.

I applaud your efforts, yet disagree with your logic in respect to discounts and exploitation.

Correct, Wal-mart does not offer any real discount to their employees. Why? Because, stores like Wal-Mart run on quantity sales while maintaining a very low mark up. They do have sales on items at, or below, cost. This is only a gimmick to get customers in the door knowing full well, those consumers will buy other products out of convenience. This is how they put local businesses out of business.

If they offered anyone a discount of any real value, employees included, across the board (as in the discount Acey is looking to employ), they would lose the strategy of impulse purchases of non-sale items (because, everything would then be on sale). So, they would, in effect, lose money. When enough people in the community only support calculated shopping practices, a business can be "shopped" out of business.

This is supporting local business. Not in the respect of $5 in their pocket this weekend, rather, saving their store 5 years down the road. You can buy only the items at Wal-Mart that you are certain are below cost, then, sacrifice convenience, and ride your bike to the local market and purchase those items that will offer profit to your local merchant.

As for exploitation, these people all over the world that you are referring to, would rather be exploited and have a little food on the table for their loved ones, as opposed to watching their family fade away to malnutrition and starvation. I don't care what country you're from, or what national blood runs through your veins, hunger isn't pleasant. It feels the same to your daughter, brother, cousin or neighbor, as it does to a farmer or a laborer on the other side of the globe. The only difference being, the majority of the farmers and laborers of which we speak, lack a social welfare safety net guarding them from ruin.


(Though I am not an avid Michael Strong supporter, he does maintain some valid points concerning Americans applying our values to living situations abroad. People need food first; then, we can work on social reform. If we pull jobs, then instill social reform, many will suffer unnecessary hardship far worse than mandatory overtime in sweatshops. We need to feed people during transition. Jumping too quickly to a desired end result is a strategy that has failed this country on far too many occasions.) (This video was not in the original email.)

So, before people scream "exploitation" (and yes, exploitation is exactly what it is), please keep in mind that exploitation is far preferable to starvation. Social and economic reform need to come first!!

Shopping a store out of existence is a slow process, but it allows time for countries to shift labor concentrations and take care of their citizenry as best as can be managed.

So, to Acey and the efforts of the SL Bike Collective, I say, "Go for it! Get the best possible discount you can. I'll stand at the the register, smile on my face, listening to button-punching of the till, knowing all the while I'm helping Wal-Mart shoot itself in the foot."

Adam B.

June 22
________________________________________________________

I remember, far too well, I remember the look of hungry faces in Myanmar, India, Thailand, Malaysia.

I have seen hunger in other areas, here in the US for instance, but here, there is a much different hue to the situation, when those hungry faces believe the system, our system, to which they belong, will not allow them to completely fall.

Desperation fills the eyes. Desperation for a good meal. Desperation for a sense of dignity, a sense of self. But , never in this country, have I seen the desperation of a hungry child, who wonders if tomorrow will yield any food, much less a meal.

I used to agree with a standard liberal-minded, western economists' take on the situation, spouting text as though the ideas brought to light were of my own creation. And, much the same as Acob, I rode my righteous mule to the market, telling others of their wicked ways. While I recalled inspirational arguments of others, I was filled with passion and vigor, believing, honestly believing, I could help shape the world with my second-hand knowledge, as long as I spoke loud enough.

Soon, that second-hand knowledge, became a drug; my drug. I wanted to know more. I wanted a better understanding of what it was that I so passionately talked about.

Once I had the opportunity to see hunger in a land without social systems in place, my texts, lectures, news clips and every other form of intellectual security, to which my mind so desperately clung, melted away.

A young girl, of approximately 13 years, held the limp body of a baby of no more than 1 year. She tried to rouse the child by gently bouncing up and down, then to and fro. No response from the child; its arms dangled lifelessly around the girl's shoulders. She had a few small pieces of food to offer the child, still, no response. She began to bounce more rapidly. The child stirred, took a bite, and its head fell back to her shoulder.



I had no defense for this; I still have no defense for this. After watching many such instances, I became curious about hunger. I remember feeling hungry as a child, but it was not an experience I had had in a very long time.

One morning, while I was living in Thailand, I woke and just decided I didn't need to eat anything until I had experienced hunger. I was looking for the type of hunger I saw in India and Myanmar; I wanted to live that feeling. One day turned into two days; three days stretched to five. Hiking and swimming all the while to simulate a full day's activity in the life of a working, hungry person.

On day five, I woke to pins and needles in my extremities. When I sat up in bed, I fell over. After about ten minutes, I had my feet under me, and with labored concentration, I made it to the shower. I figured I had had enough. After my shower, I went to get some breakfast. I ordered a salad, and with about two bites, my enthusiasm waned. By the third bite, I was finished. I could not eat for the rest of the day.

I believed I had begun to understand the child's reaction to the food offered by the young woman. Food took on a different meaning, it was foreign, not normal. By habit alone, I knew I wanted to eat; but, what happens to a baby who has yet to build that habit? Once again, I realized I knew very little about hunger.

During my time away from food, I had a lot of time to think about desperation, or what I perceived to be desperation, on the part of some of the people I had seen in my travels. How could I try to experience that desperation? It was then that I realized I could never experience true hunger or desperation. The mere fact that I have once considered it normal to not worry, or even think about, food, means that I have a point of comparison. With that point of comparison, comes the ability to wander back to lavish dinners swimming around in the depths of my mind. Also, I can never experience desperation, when I know my self-deprivation is by choice alone; with a phone call, my family will pull me from any situation. Of all the things my family has offered during my life, I look for two of the most base states. Desperation and hunger; one emotional, one physical, and I can experience neither.

So, when I hear people speak of exploitation, in reference to certain circumstances, my hair stands on end, teeth clench and knuckles turn white. I'm taken back to a different time in my life, a time most people strive to never see.

To Acob,
Now that I've had a chance to mellow and vent, I understand you position...and, I kindly disagree.

To any readers,
If you're looking for any conclusion to this story, you may be disappointed. I've yet to die, so this story will remain unfinished. I was simply walking with you through a triggered memory. This is my life.

Post Cards

Traditional

"According to an old quip, even a parrot can become an economist simply by learning to say "supply and demand."

Mankiw, N G. Principles of Macroeconomics. 3rd ed. Vol. E. Mason: Thomson South-Western, 2004.

People enjoy speaking on topics they know nothing about.

Humor, rebuttal
_______________________________________________________

Online

"...15-year-old Dileepan Raj carried out a caesarean section to get into the Guiness Book of Records as the world's youngest surgeon."

"Inquiry Into 'Teenage Surgeon'" BBC News. 21 June 2007. World News. 21 June 2007.

Anything is possible

idiocy

_______________________________________________________

"Principles of Macroeconomics," in the first and "BBC News," in the second cards are supposed to be underlined to remain consistent with the original citation. They are both italicized due to a lack of underline option.

An Invitation: Conversation Revisited

!!Tequila Whores Unite!!

Bottles, mixers, friends & fruit welcome!!

???? E. ??? South, near the U. stadium.

May 17th

8 pm 'til...TBA

Mixed and virgin drinks available
Chocolate (dark and milk)
Maybe, and occasional Irish Car Bomb

See ya there,
Adam, aka. Yimmy, Yim, hairy Adam

A notice sent out to ski and writing friends; this invitation was intended to bring people together from two different factions of my social group. One common trait among most of my friends is tequila. Either my friends enjoy tequila consumption and/or simply relaxing (or not relaxing) in an atmosphere brought on by a tequila party. Margaritas, Strawberry Margaritas and completely unadulterated tequila, tend to be the focal point at many of my parties. Dark and milk chocolate are to replace the salt on the rim of the standard margarita glass, when enjoying a Strawberry Margarita. And, Irish Car Bombs contain no tequila what so ever, but they're a great launching point to most any (non-dinner type-ish) party.

While working up at Alta, I was one of three Adams on the crew. In the interest of public sanity, we, the Adams, (otherwise know collectively as, A-cubed) all adopted nicknames. I, reluctantly, became Hairy Adam for a certain, obvious quality.

At the same time I was working a second job downtown. With only two males on the pay-role, wouldn't you know, we were both Adams, and nicknames were, once again, a necessary accessory. At this job, my name began as Jimmy. Once one of my coworkers returned from Mexico, I became Yimmy. Not long after, I was just plain Yim.

Hey,
Yay! Can we bring "guests?" Melissa's beau, Will, is a great fan of the ol' Car Bomb. Good to see you today. Plan on seeing you tomorrow!

Tif
Don't know Will. But, I do know Melissa. Melissa likes Will. Will likes Melissa. And, Will likes Car Bombs...Will's alright!


Tif,
Hell yeah, friends are definitely welcome!! Any friend of a car bomb is a friend of mine* (some restrictions apply, see below for details).
Tomorrow, 5-5:30ish. 23sometin'-er-other South and West Temple (west side of the road). Glad to hear you're feeling better and I'll see ya tomorrow.
Yim
*Postal employees, over-the-top religious nuts, mummies & Amway reps.

We were meeting the next day at the Salt Lake Bike Collective and I'm a stickler for times and addresses.
Postal employees: have a couple in the family.
Over-the-top religious nuts: by their way of thinking, we're all going to hell, anyway.
Mummies: really old, over-the-top religious nuts.
Amway reps: yeah, just give me the hiibby-jiibbies.

Yim,
Count me in. I'll put it on my calendar, but would also appreciate a reminder email as we get a little closer (don't want to miss it).
Mitch
The other down-town Adam. Not the biggest partier, but a great sense of humor and a definite asset to any social occasion. Plus, he knows that I have a tendency to forget social functions (even when I'm the host).

Thanks Adam,
It sounds good. See you then!
Liz
Writer


Heck yes, I can send a reminder! I hear you're on two wheels these days...have pictures? I'm still in love with the Stella scooters (with the side car, of course). Always looking for a rival scooter.
Take care,
Yim

Hello there Mitch, Two days out from a tequila whore's bash! Thurs is rapidly approaching...ya ready?
Yim

I remembered!!!

Mitch,
One more thought...I don't have a current number for you. For that matter, neither does Liz. I tried to call a couple of times, but never think about looking up telephone numbers when I'm on the computer. Anyway, please don't let me forget to get it on Thurs.
Thanks,
Yim

hey,
Let me give you my new cell number.
867-5309. (# courtesy of Tommy Two Tone)
Mitch, down-town writing Adam.

Hello again,
TW's bash tomorrow night is short a blender. Can anyone help out? Oh yeah, and shot glasses; can't forget the shot glasses.

List on-hand:
3 bottles Strawberry Daq. mix
1 bottle Bailey's
1 bottle Jameson Irish
1 bottle Jose Q
8 pints fresh strawberries
1 lb Ghir. 60% chocolate
1 lb Ghir. milk chocolate

Anything else you would like to bring is, by all means, welcome!!
See ya tomorrow,
Adam (Yimmy, Yim, H. Adam)

Adam!
I'd love,love to be there, but plans have changed and we're staying in Mendocino County another couple days, coming back on Saturday. The living is GOOD out here! Devin's diving for abalone as much as he can, possibility of salmon fishing tomorrow(we went last week, but only got one, this week word is their biting!), good wine, good beer, good other things, good people, good mountain biking, insane hiking, incredible scenery.
However. I am fond of tequila. So sad to miss this party, originally we would have gotten back into town just in time. I hope you have another one.
Love, Hannah
One of the few skiers I know in the area pre-A-cubed. Huh! Didn't even know she had left.

Yim,
Do need me to bring ice or anything like that? Let me know. I'll try to swing by the store for a snack to share.
See you tonight.

Liz
Writer



All-in-all, turned out pretty well. Not much for the skier contingent (the annual End- of- the- Season- get- Me- the- Hell- Out- of- Utah- and- Down- to- Some- Really- Warm- Weather vacation season was in full effect). The folks that did turn out though, made for one hell-a-va night!

Not So Ordinary

http://blog.firedocs.com/

Remote Viewing (RV) is not the most common of coffee shop topics. In fact, for verbiage spilled, I would guess this topic holds an excessively small percentage of the whole.

I enjoyed PJ's ability to break-down certain aspects of RV, while using concepts and vocabulary in an inclusive manner. Some ideas, the reader may need to draw from context; but, considering the distance from the center of norm for this subject, etheric language was minimally used.

I believe his post is intended for other RV practitioners. Be they military trained or groomed in the private sector, a common writing style has emerged over the years, which rings true for those trying to write concise notes for a topic not easily put forth in concrete terms. Considering the subject matter, a much more base level vocabulary tends to be employed when describing experiences to a person who has no first-hand experience of session-related sensations.

Insightful and detailed coverage of a most difficult topic.

An Invitation

Bottles, mixers, friends & fruit welcome!!

???? E. ??? South, near the U. stadium.

May 17th

8 pm 'til...TBA

Mixed and virgin drinks available
Chocolate (dark and milk)
Maybe, and occasional Irish Car Bomb

See ya there,
Adam, aka. Yimmy, Yim, hairy Adam

Hey,

Yay! Can we bring "guests"? Melissa's beau, Will, is a great fan of
the ol' Car Bomb.

Good to see you today. Plan on seeing you tomorrow!

Tif


Tif,

Hell yeah, friends are definitely welcome!! Any friend of a car bomb
is a friend of mine* (some restrictions apply, see below for details).

Tomorrow, 5-5:30ish. 23someting'-er-other South and West Temple (west
side of the road).

Glad to hear you're feeling better and I'll see ya tomorrow.

Yim

*Postal employees, over-the-top religious nuts, mummies & Amway reps.




Yim,

Count me in. I'll put it on my calendar, but would also appreciate a
reminder email as we get a little closer (don't want to miss it).

Mitch




Thanks Adam, it sounds good. See you then!

Liz




Heck yes, I can send a reminder!

I hear you're on two wheels these days...have pictures? I'm still in
love with the Stella scooters (with the side car, of course). Always
looking for a rival scooter.

Take care,
Yim

Hello there Mitch,

Two days out from a tequila whore's bash! Thurs is rapidly
approaching...ya ready?

Yim

One more thought...I don't a current number for you. For that matter,
neither does Liz. I tried to call a couple of times, but never think
about telephone numbers when I'm on the computer. Anyway, please don't
let me forget on Thurs.

Thanks,
Yim




hey,

Let me give you my new cell number.

867-5309. (# courtesy of Tommy Two Tone)

Hello again,

TW's bash tomorrow night is short a blender. Can anyone help out? Oh
yeah, and shot glasses; can't forget the shot glasses.


List on-hand:
3 bottles Strawberry Daq. mix
1 bottle Bailey's
1 bottle Jameson Irish
1 bottle Jose Q
8 pints fresh strawberries
1 lb Ghir. 60% chocolate
1 lb Ghir. milk chocolate

Anything else you would like to bring is, by all means, welcome!!

See ya tomorrow,
Adam (Yimmy, Yim, H. Adam)

Adam!

I'd love,love to be there, but plans have changed and we're staying in Mendocino County another couple days, coming back on Saturday. The living is GOOD out here! Kevin's diving for abalone as much as he can, possibility of salmon fishing tomorrow(we went last week, but only got one, this week word is their biting!), good wine, good beer, good other things, good people, good mountain biking, insane hiking, incredible scenery.

However. I am fond of tequila. So sad to miss this party, originally we would have gotten back into town just in time. I hope you have another one.

Love, Hannah

Yim,

Do need me to bring ice or anything like that? Let me know. I'll try to
swing by the store for a snack to share.

See you tonight.

Liz

Observations 1 Analysis

Two friends engaged in a relaxed conversation. Sharing thoughts on various topics, while enjoying a morning meal, or any meal for that matter, tends to span every border of which I am aware.

Similar style of dress and physical mannerism seems to point to commonality reaching beyond that of simple coworker relation; yet taking cultural differences into account, I will not pretend to fully understand this dynamic before me.

Subject A, I am assuming the older of the two men, though not necessarily apparent from physical features, was leading the conversation. Not knowing the language, I can only guess statements from Subject A followed with respondent laughter from Subject B is an indication dominant conversationalist.

Dining was finished, friend arrived, conversation continued out the door.

Observations 1 revisited

Observations 1

Subject A is eating with, and talking to, subject B. Both male subjects are speaking Korean. Sitting in high, bar-style, chairs at the tall tables in the University of Utah's Union building cafeteria, neither subject’s feet reach the floor. Both are using their right hands for utensils. Both are wearing black-rimmed, wire-framed glasses.

Subject A.
Sitting cross-legged; ball of left foot placed on the crossbar of the chair, toe pointed down. Right leg, approximately one half-way down the calf, is placed on the left thigh, just behind the left knee. Occasionally, the right foot shakes. His back is straight, pivoting from the hips, he leans slightly forward with both elbows on the table.

Eating from a Tupperware-style container, he grips his plastic fork at the farthest end of the handle, so the end disappears within his grasp. His head drops, to almost parallel with the floor, each time he goes to load his fork for another bite.

A quiet voice, barely audible from 7 feet away. Hand gestures are subtle and smooth while talking and eating. Smile fades in and out with changing conversation.


Subject B.

Sitting with both feet on the table’s crossbar, periodically shaking both feet. Both legs are flat on the chair in relatively similar positions. Back straight, vertical or against the back of the chair.

Eating from Styrofoam container, he grips his chopsticks approximately 4/5 the up toward the end, leaving about 1” visible behind his hand. Head drops slightly, mostly eye movement, to load his chopsticks for another bite.

A bit more audible than Subject A, but still too quiet to hear tone and voice inflection. He has a permanent half-smile the entire conversation and most remarks are in response to Subject A’s lead remarks. Very few hand gestures, occasionally sitting on his hands.

Observation lasted approximately 35 minutes. A third man came and joined them (his back to observer) briefly. Subjects A and B promptly gathered their belongings and they left together. Soft, inaudible conversation continued as they left the building.

Post on - The Lost Boy

http://whatismatt.com/

This is a site about things in Bangkok; tips, tidbits, news, odds & ends.

I enjoyed his style for outlining dentists in Bangkok. However, he left many items open pertaining to the news articles he included.

Observations 1

Subject A is eating with, and talking to, subject B. Both male subjects are speaking Korean. Sitting in high, bar-style, chairs at the tall tables in the Union cafeteria, neither subject’s feet reach the floor. Both are using their right hands for utensils. Both are wearing black-rimmed, wire-framed glasses.

Subject A.
Sitting cross-legged; ball of left foot placed on the crossbar of the chair, toe pointed down. Right leg, approximately one half-way down the calf, is placed on the left thigh, just behind the left knee. Occasionally, the right foot shakes. His back is straight, pivoting from the hips, he leans slightly forward with both elbows on the table.

Eating from a Tupperware-style container, he grips his plastic fork at the farthest end of the handle, so the end disappears within his grasp. His head drops, to almost parallel with the floor, each time he goes to load his fork for another bite.

A quiet voice, barely audible from 7 feet away. Hand gestures are subtle and smooth while talking and eating. Smile fades in and out with changing conversation.


Subject B.

Sitting with both feet on the table’s crossbar, periodically shaking both feet. Both legs are flat on the chair in relatively similar positions. Back straight, vertical or against the back of the chair.

Eating from Styrofoam container, he grips his chopsticks approximately 4/5 the up toward the end, leaving about 1” visible behind his hand. Head drops slightly, mostly eye movement, to load his chopsticks for another bite.

A bit more audible than Subject A, but still too quiet to hear tone and voice inflection. He has a permanent half-smile the entire conversation and most remarks are in response to Subject A’s lead remarks. Very few hand gestures, occasionally sitting on his hands.

India – 2001 April (take 2)

Day 1
Caught in a whirlwind, brain spinning, feet on the ground. Which way is up? Not sure. Landed in Calcutta and took a taxi to a guesthouse, horribly overpriced, the driver wouldn’t take me anywhere else; tired and in need of a shower, my tenacity waned. Driver disappeared into the next room to accept his share of my overpayment. Ate dinner at a roadside café. No point of reference to compare appreciation for tastes or smells, thought both were abundant. Slept easily with a full belly.

Day 2
Last shower before two days of coach class, breakfast at another roadside café. Then, jumped a bus directly to the train station. Less than twenty-four hours in country, from the safety of a bus window, saw my first fistfight. Poor man wanted nothing , but to free himself from the clutches of an irate homeless woman. Arrived at the train station with plenty of time to spare. Found the appropriate line; curious how the line was in orderly fashion up to the point where I stood. Surrounded by people, as the line progressed, so did the crowd. When I reached the teller window, approximately twenty or so people crowded in front to the window, realization dawned. The foreigner was a pigeon. With a quick swing of my duffel (weighing roughly twice anyone in the crowd) a path to the window was cleared and tickets were bought. Early afternoon, off in the distance, the Taj Mahal came and went. Water and food vendors at every station stop. Again, slept easily with a full belly.

Day 3
Though sitting on a train, this was quite a busy day. Early in the morning, the train stopped at a station like any other. Vendors made their rounds, provisions were bought. However, this time, when the vendors returned to the platform, the train remained. The water vendors scurried about their business with all the passengers to watch. Quite a remarkable system they had worked out. All the water vendors collected the empty water bottles out of the trash cans. Sorted by brand and condition, the used looking bottles were given to and old man for recycling, while the new looking bottles were divided amongst the vendors by brand. About fifteen yards away, in the middle of the platform was a statue in the middle of a large fountain. The reservoir, approximately twenty-five feet across, was just large enough for everyone to sit on the edge and refill their bottles to sell to the next train-full of unsuspecting customers. A few children emerged from the station house, wearing long strings of bottle caps; with in-tact safety rings, all bottles were returned to a saleable state. The vendors smiled and waived as the train left the station.

The remainder of the day, attention was focused on cabin-mates. A group of friends, of which I was not a part, decided it would be fun to go through my duffle. Smiling and nodding, while making direct eye contact, trying to unzip my bag for closer inspection. With one hand on my bag, direct eye contact and a smile returned, I offered a quick knuckle-tapp to the back of the offending hands. Hands retreated, words exchanged, a few minutes lapsed, and the cycle began anew. Two choices presented themselves, sit and watch unchanging landscape while pretending to be impervious to childish advances toward my belongings or find a way to alter perception toward the situation. Long after anger toward my cabin-mates resigned, the game continued. My new found friends had offered something far more interesting than landscape to pass the time. Once they realized my appreciation for their willing participation in this game, where I was having fun and they sat clutching bruised hands, they decided to find another compartment. Once again, slept with a full belly.

India – 2001 April

Day 1
Landed in Calcutta and took a taxi to a guesthouse, horribly overpriced, the driver wouldn’t take me anywhere else; tired and in need of a shower, my tenacity waned. Driver disappeared into the next room to accept his share of my overpayment. Ate dinner at a roadside café. Slept easily with a full belly.

Day 2
Last shower before two days of coach class, breakfast at another roadside café. Then, jumped a bus directly to the train station. Less than twenty-four hours in country, from the safety of a bus window, saw my first fistfight. Arrived at the train station with plenty of time to spare. Found the appropriate line; curious how the line is in orderly fashion up to the point where I stood. Surrounded by people, as the line progressed, so did the crowd. When I reached the teller window, approximately twenty or so people crowded to the window, realization dawned. With a quick swing of my duffle, weighing roughly twice anyone in the crowd, the window was cleared and tickets were bought. Early afternoon, off in the distance, the Taj Mahal came and went. Water and food vendors at every station stop, again, slept easily with a full belly.

Day 3
Though sitting on a train, this was quite a busy day. Early in the morning, the train stopped at a station like any other. Vendors made their rounds, provisions were bought. However, this time, when the vendors returned to the platform, the train remained. The water vendors scurried about their business with all the passengers to watch. Quite a remarkable system they had worked out. All the water vendors collected the empty water bottles out of the trash cans. Sorted by brand and condition, the used looking bottles were given to and old man for recycling, while the new looking bottles were divided amongst the vendors by brand. About fifteen yards away, in the middle of the platform was a statue in the middle of a large fountain. The reservoir, approximately twenty-five feet across, was just large enough for everyone to sit on the edge and refill their bottles to sell to the next train-full of unsuspecting customers. A few children emerged from the station house, wearing long strings of bottle caps; with in-tact safety rings, all bottles were returned to a saleable state. The vendors smiled and waived as the train left the station.

The remainder of the day, attention was focused on cabin-mates. A group of friends, of which I was not a part, decided it would be fun to go through my duffle. Smiling and nodding, while making direct eye contact, trying to unzip my bag for closer inspection. With one hand on my bag, direct eye contact and a smile returned, I offered a quick knuckle-tapp to the back of the offending hands. Hands retreated, words exchanged, a few minutes lapsed, and the cycle began anew. Long after anger toward my cabin-mates resigned, the game continued. Several hours of watching flat-land desert pass by, what once presented itself as infuriating, became a game. My new found friends had offered something far more interesting to pass the time. Once they realized my appreciation for their willing participation in this game, where I was having fun and they sat clutching bruised hands, they decided to find another compartment. Once again, slept with a full belly.