Dog eat dog world

Back to the UK and the difference is noticeable and immediate.  Where have all the manners gone? 

When the plane landed at Terminal 5 Heathrow, the passengers were jostling to get off the plane.   No such thing in the USA where passengers would politely wait their turn, deferring to fellow passengers who sit in front of them.  In central London today, drivers were cutting in to save that precious 2 seconds, and when they failed to squeeze in, raised a two-finger protest.  This happened with a boy racer and a woman driving a Chelsea tractor (i.e. an SUV).

Remembering the gentler times at Kansas, this clock at Leavenworth signified a different kind of time, and perhaps a different kind of world in which people are civil to each other.

People in South East England are so easily stressed out, they will benefit from taking a leaf from the book of the American football fans.  Here they were, exiting orderly from the Arrowhead Stadium after the game.  Quite remarkable when there were at least sixty thousand spectators exiting the stadium.

In four days' time I will be off to Japan, where manners reign supreme, even at peak hours on the Tokyo underground. 

Brrrrh! Another sub zero day

This translates to -12, -8, -6 in new money (Celsius)

At 06:45, Kansas City is -20 wind chill factor. 

Wonder if Santa at Weston will be out today?

Artic monkey condition

- 13 degrees Celsius, and dropping

The I-435 South

Reflections

Three more days and I will be home before returning to Kansas in the New Year.  What are the moments that will stay with me and what are the memories that I will cherish?

Undoubtedly, the people at Kansas have made a mark on me.  Most of them are kind, courteous, helpful, and friendly.  They like to engage with people, particularly visitors, and they are welcoming.  It is easy to understand how some foreign visitors have chosen to stay on, once they have been bitten by the American bug. 

Part of the team that I work with - they embody the qualities

that I have come to regard as quintessentially American

There are also places that I have been to and enjoyed, which help to dispel the myth that there is nothing much to see at Kansas.  Or at least that was what the immigration official at Chicago O'Hare airport told me. 

The Spencer Museum at University of Kansas, Lawrence.

An unexpected find, with pieces of modern art that I can understand.

Lawrence, Kansas - a quirky colleage town,

with new age shops that break away from the chain store mould

The Rodeo show at the Kemper Arena.  

It gave me a glimpse of the American cowboy tradition

A first hand experience of what football means to the Americans -

the good naturedness of winning and losing,

the community spirit of enjoying the game together

The Bloch building at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art -

an architecture statement of space, light, and fluidity

The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art including the sculpture park.

Unquestionably the museum that has the most appealing collection

The Kemper Museum of Art, with an impressive collection

of paintings by three generations of the Wyeths

 

The place where I have met some great people

The Hotel - it makes me realise the true meaning of

 "There is no place like home"

To my beloved who will be waiting for me at the gate to the arrival hall: 

Homeward bound

The heart leapt

Sight of you again

Carousel

Growing up in Hong Kong, I do not recall ever been on a carousel.  I had the opportunity to ride on one today at the small town of Leavenworth, about 42 miles north of Kansas City.  Most of the shops were closed, and it was the carousel accordian music that drew me near the hall.  Mr Jim, the gatekeeper, made an exception, and allowed me on one of the horses.  Yi-pee!  It was a ride and all.

At the gift shop next to the carousel ride, there were all manners of bric-a-brac related to carousels.   The carved horse in the photo here is displayed behind a glass case, whereas the carousel stained glass is for sale.

On the way back to Leawood, the car passed residential areas deep in the buckle of the bible belt - the small town America that I see so much in films.  The Christmas decorations were up, and two of the locals continued with the the carousel theme.  They were a laugh, but I am sure they were put up with the most serious of intent.

Art is everywhere

Aspirational mural at Lawrence

There is an absence of graffiti at Kansas, the kind of urban art crime that blights some parts of the UK cities. At Lawrence, I bumped into two murals along a passage way to a car park.  The colours are muted now, but they must have been virbant when they were first painting.  They caused me to pause for a while, to see what it was about, and to say a little thank you in my head to the artists who created them.

This one is subject to interpretation

There was a modern art exhibition at on a first floor gallery in one of the bookstores.  The collection was eclectic to the point of bewilderment.  I couldn't relate to any of the objects on display.  Here is one with a headless torso that begs the question: what is the point?  Should art have a point at all?  What was in the head of the artist when he/she created this piece of work? What is the message? What is the meaning?

To me, art is embedded in everyday life; it is present in everyday objects, like a painted chair, or the patterns on a biker's helmet. 

In life, stuff happens

It was back to Lawrence, Kansas today, in minus 2 degrees Celsius.  The psychic, one of our intended destinations, did not see us coming, so my fortune remains untold.  The neon light above the door said "Open", but it was no more open than the Lubyanka.  So it's back to reading those little slips of paper inside the fortune cookies that are served up at the end of a Chinese meal in this part of the world.

At the Sunflower bike shop, among the bikes and the outdoor clothing and accessories, there were a number of objects from the past.  The connection is dubious, but they raised curiosity and added interest.

Rack of bikes at upwards of $2,000

An old cash register

The iconic Beetle

A replica penny farthing

The image that gave a glimpse into the liberal character of Lawrence is this poster inside a tattoo shop.  This is the man who once said, "Freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things" when he commented on looting in Iraq after the U.S. invasion, adding that "stuff happens". 

Leawood, Kansas

Leawood has become a familiar territory. It is not home; but it is conveniently located for work and a number of good restaurants.  It is within walking distance from work and the Town Centre Plaza, the latter has a number of my favourite hangouts - Barnes and Noble bookstore, Dean and Delucca delicatessen, Bristol seafood restaurant, and the AMC cinema. 

This is the place where I lay anchor temporarily.  But it is the people that make the place, and the people that I have come into contact have made me feel very welcome.

View of the Aloft hotel - my current abode -

from the Town Centre Plaza

Sculpture (if that is the correct description) in

the Town Centre Plaza car park

The AMC cinema at Town Centre Plaza

Leawood is expanding.  The edge of a plot has been

marked out for development.

Handle with Care

There are some fabulous glassware on display at art galleries, museums and craft shops in Kansas.  Ever since I saw glass blowing at Burano Island, Venice, I have come to appreciate the skill that goes into making glassware.

These objects are so beautiful, yet so fragile.  You can draw a parallel with life, so appreciate it, handle with care, and don't drop it.

Glass objects at Kemper Museum of Modern Art

Glassware at Spencer Museum of Modern Art

A bunch of glass shapes hanging at the entrance to

Kemper Museum of Modern Art

A haiku poem from Spence, on fragility -

Intricate design

Of natures web is fragile

Threads may well unwind

Images of Intimacy

Images of intimacy are a rarity in the modern art scene in Kansas.  Why this is so has so many speculative aspects, not excluding the invalidity of the premise, that any views I venture to give here will be incidental and inadequate. 

Looking at the photos I have taken since coming to Kansas, I notice the dichotomy of the old and the new. 

Sculpture at Nelson Atkins Musuem, Downtown Kansas, Missouri

A couple in harmony

Brick sculpture at Johnson County Community College, Kansas

Two individuals in discord

To Mike, I say this:

Count not the distance and the time

For hearts of the truest mettle

Absence joins and time settles.