Paper Bags – The New Fashion Statement?

A while ago, I wrote about my observation about eco bags and why I doubt they will ever become cool or be carried around by the masses. I reckoned paper bags, especially those emblazoned with the name of the brand are fast becoming “branded goods” themselves.

Recently The New York Times ran an article about paper bags and here are some snippets that resonated with me:

• Still, the Tokyo Girl insists on having fun, and that has manifested itself in the trend of carrying paper shopping bags in lieu of backpacks and briefcases. And not just any bags, but ones marked with brand logos — the more upscale or upbeat the better.
• “For me, shopping is a special occasion,” she says. “The bag will be a reminder of that day, how I felt when I bought the dress, the whole experience.”
• In the early 1980s, teenagers used to carry their school things and sports gear in designer shopping bags, mainly to broadcast their social standing (showing that they could afford these boutiques).
• “I don’t really like carrying eco-bags,” says Asami Harada, 24, who works at a bookstore in Shibuya. “I’m concerned about the environment and all that, but I’m not interested in promoting myself as a nature-lover.”
• Akiho Mizuta, a part-time waitress in her late 20s, says: “I think most women have their own personal paper bag hierarchy. The really good ones are for holding personal belongings, the ordinary ones are for holding groceries, the cute ones for using as gift wrappings, etc.”
• If you can’t afford to shop, the best approximation seems to be the memory of having done so and, failing that, even the pretense will do.

Supernatural Obsession

I once saw a moth while at school. It was black, embellished with white symmetrical patterns on its wings. My usual reaction would be to spend no more than a fraction of second worth of a glance for it. But on that day there was something more than a nonchalance. The appearance of the moth inspired a string of speculation and hypothesis, that began to terrified me.

The tales from my relatives began to flood my memory, tales which I admittedly had dismissed and denounced as I had always an utter disdain for all things superstitious. They say a moth is the reincarnation of the deceased and that it will “visit” the bereaved family after death. A part of me ridiculed the idea of reincarnation and insisted that there is nothing supernatural about our world. At the same time, I was bewildered standing before the moth, especially knowing that my grandfather had indeed, passed away the day before.

Conversation

Boy: Do you know how to play “The Entertainer”?

Aaron: Yes

Boy: Can you play it?

Aaron: Erm, I do not have the piano scores (“Actually, I can, but you see I am taking my precious break now and unless you are blind, I am trying to read a book here”)

Boy: I can play without the scores

Aaron: I guess that’s great.

Boy: You want me to play it for you?

Aaron: Erm, no, it’s okay.

Boy: It is not allowed right?

Aaron: Yeah.

Neither “Friends” Nor “Strangers”

I am a regular commuter to the city. Each working day I would wait for the train at about the same time. By virtue of such regularity, I had several regular encounters with a few other people who had such regularity in their lives too.

I recognized a guy whom I had occasionally seen at the train station. He is particularly special and memorable than others because

1. we board the train at the same station
2. we disembark at the same interchange station
3. we walk the same route towards another train line in another building
4. we wait at the same spot as we did every single day at the train station, that is, the less crowded section of the train station (which shall not be revealed!)
5. we disembark at the same end destination