Uncanny Valley

[tamara_in_jakarta]

My kids call it a blip in the matrix. I don't know what to call it.

You visit family, even in a war zone, although it was a white war zone, and still had a happening bar scene and ice cream trucks. Childhood memories visiting family in Belfast ranged from air band contests and ice cream headaches to learning what kneecapping meant, getting the hell out of town the week of 12 July and learning from (barely) older cousins that you had to put dish soap in with the petrol in a molotov cocktail so the flames would spread and stick, allowing for better photos in the press. That one cousin worked at the Europa Hotel bar, the most bombed hotel in Europe at the time (33 times between 1971 and 1994). This is my baseline.

As an adult, living in Switzerland, I went back, while dating a guy who was working there, and spending quite a lot of time in Belfast. The city was alive, great nightlife, culture, there was a mosque on Landsdowne Road and the barriers in the walls were all open. Everything seemed normal, but just a bit off. There's still a bunch of kids setting furniture on fire where the Ulster Youth Militants used to hang out.

My Belfast man (who was Greek actually) had a shit car. It died one night on the way to the cinema and we pushed it off to an empty parking lot. Called the auto club, no big deal. Until an armored police van pulled in and two police in full riot gear stepped out, clubs drawn, asking what we were doing. Once it was clear we were just stupid, not dangerous, they told us we couldn't leave the car there or it would be removed and detonated and had to move it in an hour.

While driving, I found myself in the wrong lane and had to cut across three lanes of rush hour traffic. Not a single honk, everyone just stopped, waved me past. Where can anyone do that?

A red panda kept escaping from the zoo and going to a shopping mall nearby. I saw it once standing by the claw machine peering inside.


Blips. Just blips.

Comments

[tonithegreat]

These are all such crazy blips! But I love the way you put them together. Uncanny indeed.

[chasing_silver]

This was so great. I loved the imagery here. Also I have always wanted to visit Belfast ... fascinating city.

[adoptedwriter]

The Red Panda at the claw machine! I love this!

[tamara_in_jakarta]

Thanks. I always imagined it was trying to figure out how to free the animals inside. They're apparently wildly difficult to manage in captivity because they always try to get out.

[roina_arwen]

An intriguing series of blips! Red pandas are a favorite of mine.

[halfshellvenus]

I loved the contrast of Belfast, from overtly dangerous (mixed with the bizarrely wholesome) to covertly dangerous (where ordinary things now raise alarm).

I also love red pandas to a ridiculous degree, and can't help cheering for that little guy. :)

[tamara_in_jakarta]

I was so bummed every time they took it back. On the other hand, the zoo seemed in no real hurry to go find it.

[rayaso]

I loved your blips, especially Belfast. And I especially loved the zoobreaker red panda standing at the claw machine. what a great absurd moment!

[yachiru]

I like the sort of stream of consciousness here. The bit about the red panda made me smile.

[muchtooarrogant]

Lots of fun tidbits from different times and places. Fun entry.

Dan

[alycewilson]

A fun series of blips.

[xeena]

I love the anecdote about the red panda!

[mollywheezy]

Very intriguing blips!

[murielle]

That last blip, about the red panda? My great is wrapped around it.

So much pain and horror, but the last bit...Thank you.

❤😊❤

[static_abyss]

I like the way you set this up, because reading it, it felt like I blinked and the next event happened. Like I could sense the blips each time you told a different story.

[erulissedances]

I liked the way this was written - in small slices of time experienced, and experienced by many in many different ways over time. Poor red panda.

- Erulisse (one L)