My Corner of the World: Urban Recollections

I've grown up in a place where...

...Summer feels like this.

...Good food is never far away.

...There's a Circle K on every corner,
and one within walking distance from my house.

...Comics stores an other odd shops live right across the street from my neighborhood. (I'm not complaining; the custom framing store, the tiny deli, and the local music store are all fascinating.)

...The public transport system looks this cool...almost. Plus, there's lots of opportunities to meet weird and fun new people, and see the city.

...Sculptures and public art fixtures abound, some more...interesting...than others.

...I get to pick my school, even though this one's about a billion miles away from my perch. I'm so lucky to have an education at all, let alone different options to suit my own desires.

(The Melrose District, in Uptown Phoenix. One of my favorite sections of vintage shops.) 

...Cool places hide among the grunge. If you keep an acute watch as you drive around Uptown Phoenix, you can find a lot of really cool, small local places—like vintage and resale shops! My favorite. This is part of the Melrose District, where there are, among other things, many vintage shops. I love these parts of Phoenix! So much character in such a shabby little place.

(Retro Ranch, a vintage store uptown in the Melrose District.)

(One of my all-time favorite vintage shops. Again, Melrose District. I have other haunts outside of this area but that's for another story, another day...)

...This is everyone's reaction to the first days of winter/cool weather. After the initial cooler days, though, it quickly becomes "too cold" for most of us intolerant Phoenicians.

...Record stores are within reach. 10 minutes' walk, 6-8 minutes' bike ride (depending on cross-walk lights). The brighter side of local Phoenix shops. Once I get past the small deli and the dingy DQ, I reach this lovely place, along with select others nearby.

...Local shops thrive. This is another which can be discovered after the small deli (named "Cheese 'n' Stuff...mmmm...?). Frances Vintage ("A modern boutique with vintage charm") is another of my favorite detours, though it's a dangerous one. I really have to watch my wallet in there—the shelf displays tend to get a bit feisty.

...Palm trees are hard to miss, everywhere you go. I've sort of developed a taste for these abundant specimens over the years. They make excellent silhouettes against the sunrise and sunset.

Which brings me to my next point...

...Sunrise and sunset looks like this. And so much more. Every day it's almost more incredible than the last day. I am never not breath-taken by the sunrises or sunsets I see here. Sure, it's partially due to the pollution, but...I'll take what I can get. It's the little things.

...This alone allows me to survive summer. The QT frozen drinks do the job when I'm melting away into nothingness in the summer heat.









I don't think Phoenix is ugly. I know it's not Paris or New York or some greatly acclaimed and gorgeous city, but it's my home, and it has its hidden perks. I especially love discovering new and exciting places among the many buildings. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: beauty exists everywhere, you just have to want to find it. Every day I look around and discover some new, if small, detail to marvel at.

Nerd Alert: My Only Ego

Here are several nerdy pictures which light up my life. 

1. Cheesy Sci-Fi: 80's Sci-Fi: "Back to the Future" is one of my favorite 80's movies. (The first one is the best.) Michael J. Fox is hilarious in it, and there's a decent amount of nerdy humor or at least science-y stuff. For even more hilarious and dated political humor, I'd recommend "Family Ties" (also with Michael J. Fox). 

2. Science: Speaking of science, kind of, this one is mildly funny. I just imagine the scenario in my own kindergarten school... Humor is sometimes cruel, but humorous nonetheless. :) 

3. Biology: Last in the science category, here's my favorite science meme I've yet encountered.  Allow me to re-state the glory depicted here. "Heterozygoats: Just allele uneven."

4. Literature+Nostalgia: This...I can't even express. I love Edgar Allen Poe, and I love Winnie the Pooh, so the fusion is doubly alluring. Furthermore, the whole concept of Pooh Bear as a guilty murderer of a creepy old man/gloomy old donkey is endlessly absurd. And Pooh is wearing a suit—again, out of character and ridiculously absurd. I love every detail. (Notice Eeyore's tail hanging on the wall...)

5. Math: I made this one. Pretty proud. 

6. Math again: Similar to the previous one, but nonetheless different enough to warrant a new laugh. Not to mention the slight implications that the number 6 is delusional (having imaginary friends..). Strangely enough, 6 is my lucky number. Hmm...

7. Math again again: Wait, more 6's... IT'S A SIGN.
But really, this is hilarious. I love it. The root of all evil. 

~~~

Now to depart from the humor, and to hopefully inject some form of straightforward and serious meaning into this post, here is a perfect dictation of my sentiments on a daily basis. I love reading. I love learning. I love quiet time to ponder philosophy. I love discovering my own awareness of my existence. I love thinking. I love living life to the fullest—which to me, means thinking a lot.

And to top this all off, here's my semi-new-found conviction. People ask me why I love school and reading and writing. Here's my answer: Because it opens up opportunities, not only looking into the future, but right now. It offers happiness and knowledge and a sense of fulfillment in my own comprehensive 'life'. When people tell me that my desired career (I want to be an author) is imprudent because it won't make a lot of money, I sort of laugh inwardly. I don't really care. That's not my main goal. My purpose as I have thus far uncovered it seems to be to occupy my mind with extensive thought. So, here I am. 

Creatures

These are the 4 cutest animal pictures I know of. Fuzzy things really make me squeal. And then I want to hug them...which in reality is probably a bad idea, but that's what imagination is for.

This is my favorite animal picture of all time. I react all over again every time I see it. Something about it is just so adorable to me—I'm not sure exactly what. Maybe it's the interaction between mother and child. *squeal!*

Kiwi Birds have been my favorite animals since fourth grade, and my obsession is relentless. Round and fuzzy...the ideal cute. Just look at this picture long and hard and you'll see that it becomes cuter and cuter as you look at it longer.
My dream is to go to New Zealand, where Kiwis live, and see some in real life. Some day...

Wallabys, a more recent favorite, are the most adorable marsupials out there (closely followed by koalas). I never really knew exactly what these were until I went to the zoo one time, when they had wallabys. The way they jump is hilariously cute. Plus, just look at that face...!

So I know these aren't live creatures, but they are sheep made out of phones, and that's just about the most perfect thing I've eve seen. I am so obsessed with this picture—it's sort of a problem. Hopefully I can chill out before they put me away.

Just in case the past four pictures were too much cute to handle safely, here's something to bring you back to reality. Look at that hideous monster. Cat-lovers, here's your new best friend.