Monthly Archives: April 2025

Toys

K-Toys

Leave a comment

As I was sorting out my enormous collection of wind-up toys, I noticed that I had somehow (yes, I bought these and completely forgot I did it) acquired a small collection of Korean wind-up toys. These are the rarest type of toys that I buy, mainly because they are only sold in one local Korean grocery store.

The exact translation from Mr. Google is “Tayo minicar”, but it is obviously a bus (and what else are you mis-translating?). He has his own cheery song and this package includes vitamins.

I couldn’t find the song that goes with this creature (I’m not sure if he is a friendly alligator of if he is a dinosaur, he has an outfit with gloves, so I guess alligator). The song is all about counting in native Korean numbers, and is again quite cheery and colorful. He (I really don’t know if he is male, after all it’s an animated gator/dino) seems to be the sidekick to the other character.

This is just the sort of cartoon character to get children to take their vitamins, and that is what came with the toys. When I was small, Flintstone vitamins were sold for children (they are still sold, even though I don’t know if the show is still available). These were vitamins shaped as the cave persons from the 60’s cartoon riff of a 50’s sitcom.

This one seems to be the leader (note the P on his helmet and the goggles) and possibly has a name, but I was unable to find it. Perhaps he is so famous everyone knows it, like the Flintstones. Now that I have heard their song, and can count from 1 to 10, perhaps I shall acquire more of them. (Really, I hope never to hear their song again).

Town

Neighbors

Leave a comment

As good neighbors we mostly live anonymous lives. As long as the grass is mowed (and you do have a nice lawn, don’t you?) and the house is painted, most people will assume respectability. But there are a few folks nearby that want more than just a nice lawn.

What to do about that dead tree? Why get a chainsaw artist in to create art, I’m not sure if this beggar is a gopher or a marmot, but it’s a lovely addition to the neighborhood. (And this beast wore a mask during the Covid time, which was very responsible.)

Here’s another creature of the neighborhood, a maneki-neko bestowing good fortune on all who pass by. Good job, unknown artist.

Then there is this person’s seasonal displays, which defy categorization. It includes mannequins, stuffed animals and props. This is only half of the current display, and I admire their commitment to their art. I imagine that they must have a warehouse somewhere to keep the unused bits.

I admit that this is my favorite piece. The resident formerly had an additional dragon for the front yard, and fought a lengthy battle against the homeowners association to keep this. But sadly, home owners associations only care about the state of one’s lawn, not about how art improves the neighborhood.

Doings

More student ID

1 Comment

Well, I’m finally getting more bold about attending student events, so, when I got a message about this event I decided to show up.

I whipped out my student ID at the door (because of course I am not even close to college age) and they gave me this lovely tee shirt. I had missed out on the food, which was gone in minutes (or less). (It pays to get there early). 😉

This event was put on by the university for the Asian-Pacific Island Students Association(a DEI organization) . I missed the marital arts demo, but these ladies were playing Japanese Taiko drums. They made everyone get up and dance at one point, so it was quite hilarious.

The next group also had drums and added cymbals. They promised to be loud and they did deliver on this.

And they were playing for these Chinese Foo Dog dancers. A Foo Dog is a guardian lion ( yes I know this is a contradiction) and is a symbol of protection and prosperity. I suppose I had never considered how much work goes into this, they need to be strong, athletic and fit. The back person spends a lot of time tail wagging, but then has to lift up the front person, which was impressive.

I left after the end of the performance and as I walked to the car, I noticed that several of the cars had parking tickets, these probably belonged to these performers. So I hope that they don’t remove their good wishes for the students, the university is on it’s own.

Life

Student ID

2 Comments

Yes, I have rather neglected things as school has taken up my time and I actually have to study this time around. But, there are benefits to having a student ID. And I have endeavored to try to use a few of the benefits.

This was a fun event, they are trying to encourage students to eat healthy foods, so they have occasional cooking classes, and I decided to try this one. I felt totally out of place as I was the oldest person there and I didn’t know anyone, but I decided to treat it as an adventure.

I had never made tofu tacos and those were okay and not bad. But this recipe was surprisingly good, so it was a useful experience to attend this and I may even possibly use this recipe in the future (I do know people who have weird diets).

As a student I can get free theater tickets, and this was one of the ones I went to. I don’t suppose I would have paid money to see this, (I’m not really a theater person) but free is good.

And I also went to a lecture from a political science professor that I know at an old farmhouse on campus. Again I was possibly the oldest person there. Oh well.

The other benefit of having a student ID is free admission or reduced price admission to events. This one is free to students with an ID and although I don’t fit their expectations of what a student looks like, the ID still works. 🙂

I also went to a soup cookoff at the International Student Center and learned a new way to make chili, with anchovies of all things. So I baked them some oatmeal cookies in return, and because these students (especially the vegans) worry about what’s in food I included the recipe.

Altogether, this has been an interesting experiment, so I guess it’s an example of “live and learn”. I’m not dead yet.