Ithaca: A Documentary
First, I must take a moment to whine about Blogger's new composing interface, for it doesn't agree with Netscape. I am now forced to write using MSIE (yuck). Okay, now on to the topic at hand.
For those of you who don't know: Ithaca, NY is a somewhat scenic town, located at the South end of beautiful Cayuga Lake. I have been there several times this summer, so I have been given the opportunity to observe the local culture and their eating habits, social hierarchy, migration patterns, and mating rituals (just kidding). This is quite hefty for one entry, so I'm thinking of doing a 5-part mini series.
Ithaca is the bloggage topic of my choosing for many reasons, but mostly because of its eclecticness and anomalousness. In other words, it is a very strange place, one worthy of further scrutiny. Here's the first thing that caught my eye:
Yes folks, a Volvo. It is a fact that Ithaca has the highest Volvoes per capita of any City in the Country. Last time I went down there, I counted 57, in just 10 minutes. Why would the locals prefer to transit in such an unlikely vehicle? Nobody's sure last time I checked, but I think it has something to do with the color puce and several unlucky Sternoe stoves.
My trip to Ithaca today began by my mom dragging me to the local "Green Star" market, an obsure branch of Northeast Cooperatives. They don't have any normal food there, specializing in organic goods, homeopathic therapy (not THAT you sicko), and vegetarian products (they don't have any meat). They featured such products such as "organic tampons" (helps promote algae growth) and "organic insect repellant". I said to my sister "wow, organic insect repellant! You can pertend it works!". A feeble attempt a sarcasm, and yet an odd-looking lady looked at me as she passed by, saying "you must not shop here much". I felt relieved, having slightly offended my first Ithacan and still residing in one piece. I walked through the store, making vegetarian jokes (ask me sometime, I know dozens) and suspiciously eyeing everything. The customers all looked like hippies, slurping their organo-fiber-flake smoothies that they buy on their way in. I saw some kid try one, and he immediately wretched all over the floor in a vigorous and strenuous manner. I then headed to the john, and it was no ordinary bathroom. The dispensers were stocked with organic toilet paper (made from recycled toilet paper), organic sope, and sure enough, organic tampons (although I have no clue what they were doing in a men's bathroom). Even the grafitti on the stall walls was hippie, with phrases such as "save the earth" and "don't pollute" abundant. Not wanting to be leered at anymore by the gay cashiers, I hided among the bulk foods for the rest of the time. Only one good thing came out of that store: they had a jar of elderberries.
Now I finally know what my father smells like.
More in the next entry...
For those of you who don't know: Ithaca, NY is a somewhat scenic town, located at the South end of beautiful Cayuga Lake. I have been there several times this summer, so I have been given the opportunity to observe the local culture and their eating habits, social hierarchy, migration patterns, and mating rituals (just kidding). This is quite hefty for one entry, so I'm thinking of doing a 5-part mini series.
Ithaca is the bloggage topic of my choosing for many reasons, but mostly because of its eclecticness and anomalousness. In other words, it is a very strange place, one worthy of further scrutiny. Here's the first thing that caught my eye:
Yes folks, a Volvo. It is a fact that Ithaca has the highest Volvoes per capita of any City in the Country. Last time I went down there, I counted 57, in just 10 minutes. Why would the locals prefer to transit in such an unlikely vehicle? Nobody's sure last time I checked, but I think it has something to do with the color puce and several unlucky Sternoe stoves.
My trip to Ithaca today began by my mom dragging me to the local "Green Star" market, an obsure branch of Northeast Cooperatives. They don't have any normal food there, specializing in organic goods, homeopathic therapy (not THAT you sicko), and vegetarian products (they don't have any meat). They featured such products such as "organic tampons" (helps promote algae growth) and "organic insect repellant". I said to my sister "wow, organic insect repellant! You can pertend it works!". A feeble attempt a sarcasm, and yet an odd-looking lady looked at me as she passed by, saying "you must not shop here much". I felt relieved, having slightly offended my first Ithacan and still residing in one piece. I walked through the store, making vegetarian jokes (ask me sometime, I know dozens) and suspiciously eyeing everything. The customers all looked like hippies, slurping their organo-fiber-flake smoothies that they buy on their way in. I saw some kid try one, and he immediately wretched all over the floor in a vigorous and strenuous manner. I then headed to the john, and it was no ordinary bathroom. The dispensers were stocked with organic toilet paper (made from recycled toilet paper), organic sope, and sure enough, organic tampons (although I have no clue what they were doing in a men's bathroom). Even the grafitti on the stall walls was hippie, with phrases such as "save the earth" and "don't pollute" abundant. Not wanting to be leered at anymore by the gay cashiers, I hided among the bulk foods for the rest of the time. Only one good thing came out of that store: they had a jar of elderberries.
Now I finally know what my father smells like.
More in the next entry...
posted by Chris at 6:23 PM
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