Blog

ByGD

Cool Corner

Corner building in Qingdao

Phoenix, Arizona is all suburb and no city. Growing up there accustomed me to a certain architectural homogeneity. On my first trip to Europe, I took pictures of light switches and door handles, because I had never seen anything but the Home Depot standards. One of the things that drew me to Seattle was the existence of non-rectangular buildings. The way that people make use of odd-shaped, left-behind spaces still intrigues me.

This corner building in Qingdao tickles all of my anti-suburban fancies. A weird, triangular shape. A residence above a commercial venture (indicated by the painted pizza and neon signage mounted on the early 20th-century stone wall). And public art, this time in the form of a wintry clump of trees. Combined with the snowflakes in the window, the mural makes me wonder about the person who lives inside.

I took this picture in May. Is the resident someone who really loves winter? Do they save all their money to hit the lifts in winter? Or are they, like me? A serial obsessive who gets fired up about seasonal decorating, then gets distracted by something else and forgets to change the decorations? What obsession distracted them from their appreciation of bare branches and falling snow? Whatever the answer, the person who surrounds themselves with winter in an apartment above a pizza shop in a historical building must have an interesting story.

Suburban houses never inspire viewers to imagine the lives within. Or if they do, the imagined lives are painfully generic.

ByGD

Taste of Iceland at Cuoco

Taste of Iceland 2018 menuTaste of Iceland is an annual tradition for me. But I never attended the tasting. This annual international chef collaboration isn’t cheap, and it always features lamb – how could an event celebrating Icelandic cuisine exclude lamb? – so I skipped the dinner in favor of the museum exhibits, concerts, laser shows, and literary events. Until last year. Last year I attended the press preview for the titular tasting event. I got to sample everything on the menu. I even tasted the meat. (Yes it was good.) This year I was lucky to be invited again. I was unlucky to be unwell on the day and missed it.

But unless you too are under the weather, it’s not too late for you to get a Taste of Iceland.

(sorry not sorry)

Read More

ByGD

Presidential Succession – Constitution Article 2 §1.6

ConstitutionThese days I’m studying Article 2 of the Constitution, which deals with the executive branch of government. I knew contemporary politics is enraging, but I’ve been surprised at how many clauses of the Constitution are disappointing. Last week, Article 2 §1.5, which determines eligibility for the presidency, got me hot under the collar. Article 2 §1.6 is about presidential succession. Maybe it will restore my faith in America.

Read More

ByGD

Music I Liked – Black Belt Eagle Scout to Un

Black Belt Eagle Scout album coverI listened to a lot of music last week. Some of it was actually two weeks ago, and I put off writing about it because of the Amorphis concert. But I did a lot of digging through the blogosphere last week and ended up with so much music to recommend: Black Belt Eagle Scout, C418, Sarah Davachi, Forest of Stars, Glenn Jones, Knife Knights, Pig Destroyer, Piledriver, Spectral Lore, and Un. Read More

ByGD

Night Shopping Circus

I think the Atrium City shopping street in Qingdao is meant to be experienced at night. It seemed pretty dead when I visited in midday on a trip in 2015. But if the shopping left me underwhelmed, the fake night sky and sense of otherworldliness did impress. I hadn’t read the book The Night Circus yet, but looking back at the pictures, that’s what Atrium City’s night sky reminds me of today.