deceived by my own phone ...

in an age of too much information about who's calling, even from the ringtone one selects for a specific caller, i have become an anti-social person. yesterday evening, i received a call from "unknown." i get some of those everyday. i feel that if the person is really looking for me, they'll leave a message - quite an assumption.

yesterday, unknown turned out to be Federico. fortunately, he's one of those people who leave messages, and i skype-called him back. but i did kick myself for being way too smart for my own good.

yesterday too, Markus called. at least his german phone communicates with my phone and i was able to read his name on my caller ID.

i guess a solution would be to systematically answer all unknown calls to figure out how many sources of unknown there are. but, the anti-socialite in me may prevent my inner-scientist from succeeding.

I've been looking for apartments. Requirements are similar to previous relocations: near downtown area, walkable to public transportation (Caltrain), no (or limited) carpeting, nice kitchen, possibly standalone house.

While talking with a coworker, it dawned on me that this is a fabulous way to "trick" myself into thinking that I'd moved - even if it's only down the street. That would save me from my 3-year-must-leave-city-state-country move, if that is still somewhere inside of me. Besides, T would kill me if I pulled another one of those, especially since he just adjusted, 5 months into his arrival.

Good god! The latest Sarah Palin interview killed me. Let me just dissect:

Firstly, as one of the people who've trekked, without the financial support of parents (or lack of job), this is a very offensive response to the question, "why didn't you get a passport until 2006?"

Palin: I'm not one of those who maybe came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world. No, I've worked all my life. In fact, I usually had two jobs all my life until I had kids. I was not a part of, I guess, that culture. The way that I have understood the world is through education, through books, through mediums that have provided me a lot of perspective on the world.

C'mon, this is a woman who went to 4 other schools before graduating in journalism from Univ. of Idaho! She understands the world through education?!

What about the XIX century argument regarding proximity of Russia as a national security concern? Does she even know where decisions get made in Russia? Has she any idea how close Moscow really is to Alaska, or how hard it is to get the Russian army to mobilize through Siberia and Kamchatka? Arg.

Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.

Finally, this last comment demonstrates her foreign affair credentials, and her complex, nuanced understanding of the Mideast crisis/history.

Palin: We don't have to second-guess what their efforts would be if they believe … that it is in their country and their allies, including us, all of our best interests to fight against a regime, especially Iran, who would seek to wipe them off the face of the earth. It is obvious to me who the good guys are in this one and who the bad guys are. The bad guys are the ones who say Israel is a stinking corpse and should be wiped off the face of the earth. That's not a good guy who is saying that. Now, one who would seek to protect the good guys in this, the leaders of Israel and her friends, her allies, including the United States, in my world, those are the good guys.

I'm not sure this post has a point, except that it's amazing how unprepared this woman is for dealing with the vice-presidency on international affairs, or even understanding the complexity of the different types of people who live in this country. There're good and bad countries, and privileged and working people. The world of diplomacy, internet, and modernity seems to have passed her over.


[source of interview: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/25/eveningnews/main4479062.shtml]

random thought about spiders in my office ...

the outside of my office bldg is crawling ... literally. and, there is a gap between my window and wall, large enough for a spider to set up her net right there: inside my office. no good. yesterday, a nice man came to spray my window area, inside and out, to keep the spiders at bay.

but, as i walked from the train to the office today, i noticed all these beautiful, big, spiderwebs on the hedges and ivies along the way. those spiders happened to be born (or have landed) in the perfect location, the beverly hills of spiderland. but, the spiders on my window, by the same luck of the draw, landed in what could be called a favela. the spiderwebs that they can build are scrawny, patched, and susceptible to mudslides (aka, window slides, vacuum cleaners, and poisonous gases).

for a moment, as i admired the dewey spiderwebs on my way to work, i felt sad for brining in the destructor of the spiderwebs.

but, i got over it pretty quickly.

['Drops on spider web' On Black by Massimo Pelagagge, http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=469662135&size=Large]

I love translated signs. So much room for entertainment.

MLM took this pic at the Oakland Zoo, perhaps in front of the bat exhibit. It made no sense to me at all when I first read it. Then, husband translated it: "Please, do not let your children stand on the barriers or pull on the net. Thank you."

I love the random use of accents - as if saying: sprinkle to taste.

It is really amazing that the Oakland Zoo - in California for Pete's sake - would not have proper spanish translations ... because I'm pretty sure that even California-born-spanish-speakers wonder what "gross" or "total" one could possibly be pulling on. "Neto" means gross or net, as in net weight or gross error ... it does not, ever, mean "net" as in the thin net between me and dangerous animal.

SFMom challenged me (and a whole bunch of other readers) to navel gaze by picking 3 books lying around the house and sharing the names.

yeah. tough thing to do when most of the last 15 years of book collecting is safely living at my parents in Mexico. i guess what these books reveal are a bit of what i've been able to recollect of that me ...

1. Caravan of Dreams, by Idries Shah - actually a book i found at Cody's bookstore in Berkeley last summer when HJ, NS and I were living in the dorms, and represents the way of life I learned at home. when i looked for the link to the bookstore, i discovered it closed this past June! sigh.

2. Mujeres de ojos grandes, by Angeles Mastretta ... an old favorite book of short stories about amazing women - and it offered a new way of looking at 'lo cotidiano' ...

3. A tour of the calculus, by David Berlinksi ... kinda speaks for itself, and a most entertaining read (does that reveal that i am a geek?)

Hard to stay within three ... wonder what would happen if I had to pick one? Eeeck.

Here's the latest response from Caltrain regarding my twiced-bumped complaint.

from H, L date Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 7:32 AM subject Caltrain Bike Capacity CT7/247

Dear T,

We do regret you are experiencing difficulty in your commute due to lack of bike capacity on Caltrain. As you wish your report has been noted.

As you may be aware Caltrain is in a recovery mode, having recently had to declare a fiscal emergency.

At present we are short on staff and equipment. We do expect to be getting 8 new bombardier cars in the fall which will help to alleviate overcrowded conditions. Unfortunately however this will not increase bike capacity. At present the best we can do is offer more bike storage availability at the stations.

We appreciate you riding Caltrain and understanding the limitations we face at present.

Again we do apologize for the difficulty that these limits continue to cause you and other bike riders. While we are certainly sympathetic, there is no easy or immediate solution to the problem of bike capacity limitations on Caltrain.

Sincerely,

LH, Caltrain Customer Service

Because of MLM's insistence, we did a tour de force thru Oakland - starting at her place, driving around, seeing her new school on 103rd (east east Oakland), and for hubby's sake visiting the Oakland Zoo. (Pics forthcoming).

I like it a lot. Less animals = more space / animal. The enclosures for all the animals are huge in comparison to the SF, SD, Milwaukee, Boston, and DC zoos. I was happy to see that the lions had lots of room - a pond, toys, tree branches and hills to roam. For a moment, I did wonder whether the fences were high enough (same with the tigers) - but the thoughts faded as we viewed them thru binoculars and they were motionless, immovable in the heat.

Special things about the Oakland zoo:

1. half-water, half-mesh viewing of the alligators - you can see how big they are underwater even if you can only see the nose and eyes above. oh, and we got to see the feeding - dead rabbits and rats for three hungry gators. ich.
2. wide, deep, expansive enclosures - and for the same reason, we didn't get to see the hyenas or the warthog.
   

Not so happy things: lots of dead ends and backtracking; fifty-thousand screaming (yes, literally) kids under age of 4; not easily accessible via public transit. Oh, and the thing I dislike the most: people ogling at chimps and other monkeys; tourists "mocking" baboon noises in front of the baboon exhibit (and modeling for their kids to repeat in the future). I hated the SD zoo for the same reason - thru the glass you see the chimps and gorillas, and they speak volumes with their postures and eyes. Each time, I walk away with a heavy heart, forgetting all the other wonderful things a zoo may be.

Damn those fair-weather fans ... or whatever the equivalent is for people who have suddenly become public transportation riders when gas prices gouge their wallets. I'm sure there is a silver lining somewhere - in the distant future when urban planners and policy makers improve on the public transportation services. But in the meantime, the system is taxed to the max: buses are late because there are many riders getting on and off, trains break down the more they ride, and well, BART is just slow and ugly. A few of these things can be fixed easily - more buses and trains at rush hour, more bike cars on trains ... and thoughtful coordination between buses, metro and trains (which is probably too much to ask).

It's been a while since I got bumped from the Caltrain - mostly because I organize myself to travel at odd hours on my return trip. Morning commute is pretty uneventful (with the exception of the day I tried to put bike up through the narrow stairwell in the bike car - because the other door wouldn't open. Sad and probably funny to an observer. [See picture - imagine me carrying a bike and backpack thru the narrow stairs!]


Yesterday was by far the worst. I figured I could catch the northbound 5:57 train in Menlo Park. Denied. It was a full French train. I waited hopefully for the 6:19. Two were allowed on - I was the third person in line. I was, I'm ashamed to report, furious. So, I waited for the bus and took it all the way home.


Funny how the long long ride home got me to relax. Next time, I will be bike-ready, not just train-ready. That's why I have the bike - to ride all the way home if necessary. But, today I am bikeless.

Others posting on this topic:
www.cyclelisio.us

Taking a book from SF Mom of One ... I found a painting that can relate my current feelings about travel ...

I've always thought Dali's work to be fascinating ... but not relevant ... well, I'm pretty sure this is how he may have felt if he was traveling as much as I am!

I wonder what trip will materialize next ...

on over-shopping

or rather, on my new strategy for NOT buying too much.

now that M and i are on the zone diet -- which isn't working all that well for me on the weight loss, but is working terrificly on the health & wellbeing part -- i have to do tons of veggie shopping, on my bike!

this seems to be a good strategy for not over shopping. i mean, when i have a zipcar, i go overboard, and i don't think of being conservative in my purchases, b/c i'll be able to get them all home. think Target. huge carload of stuff every time i go (with the zipcar).

now, on the bike, i have to consider whether i am going to consume all the things that i buy in a reasonable amount of time. if i am not going to eat them within a few days - i just don't buy them. and, that requires another trip on the bike. burning more calories to justify more food.

i wonder if shopping weren't so easy - if it requires all the effort it takes me for example to get to the store - would there even be places like cost-co? or would we find other ways of overshopping?