An Atypical Life

I never did get to write about the header art issue, and I’ve only recently learned that it’s been a bone of contention between those who love blogs, and usually have it — and those who think it’s perhaps a waste of space.

My header art is a photograph of a subterranean tunnel in Tokyo, I believe underneath Shinjuku station, heading out towards Studio Alta on the northeast side of the station. I learned this part of the city well; rather than meet my first Japanese girlfriend in dizzying Shibuya, or the awkward Harajuku, we most often met early on right in front of Studio Alta. It was easy to find, and she was easy to spot there.

Exploring the tunnels underneath there, I was always amazed by their twists and turns, and how eminently sensibly they were designed, unlike how many subterranean passages of that time turned out. People still get lost at Shinjuku station, but I never did.

I rotated the photo 90 degrees to make it look a bit like you’re on a circular space station platform; after all, Japan still looks way more modern than North America, and probably will for a while to come yet.

I might not think “header art” is where it’s at - my previous header art was fonts from divide by zero fonts, done by a graduate of my alma mater - but it adds, for me, a different way of thinking about the world. When I look at it, I feel like I’m half on a carousel, and half in a futuristic society. That’s pretty much how I feel every day - and when I remember to sit back, enjoy the ride, and marvel at the wonders I see, I have a great time.