Travellers’ tales
April 14, 2008
I’m taking part in a book swap over at the Book Arts Forum the theme of the book has to be ‘My Town’. The idea is to make a book that tells my swap partner something about where I live. I have been throwing various ideas around and this is my first effort. I’m going to play about with this over the next few weeks.
It’s a bit too obvious, I think, so I’m going to try and see if I can think of another way to approach it…this is too much like a travel guide!
Talking of which….(groan!) I was reading the Travel section of the Sunday Times yesterday and saw this.
Is it just me or does this not seem right somehow? And the cheek of the thief to take the watch back! I was mugged once outside a busy supermarket in Antibes in France. A thief on a motor scooter grabbed my bag and drove off. I actually chased him (my ex said to me afterwards ‘What would you have done if you had caught him?’) I was so furious, adrenalin kept me going for several minutes but I then began to shake like a leaf. It was scary. This poor 73 year old must have been manhandled to get a watch off him – and then he gets into trouble. Seems all wrong to me.
And talking of being manhandled, check this out. This is the metro in Tokyo where smiling white gloved concierges are employed to help people onto the trains or as the Sunday Times puts it ‘to ram every last ounce of humanity into groaning metro trains’. Has to be seen to be believed! Breathe in!
Entry Filed under: Art, Book arts, Bookbinding, Books, Crafts, Design, Handmade books, Humour. Tags: Dorset, guide book, metro, mugging, Rolex, Tokyo.
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1.
strugglingwriter | April 14, 2008 at 9:33 pm
They charged him for having a fake watch? That’s so not right!
That video makes me twitch. I’m slightly claustrophobic and the thought of being crammed in there makes me nervous :)
Look forward to seeing more pictures of your book.
2.
RennyBA | April 14, 2008 at 10:04 pm
What a great book project – keep us posted!
I think they treated him just right!
I love public transportation, but it seams a bit overcrowded in Tokyo at least for a Norwegian. I mean they have more people in one train than we have in all our trains for a whole day in Oslo :-)
3.
Justin (Pusha) | April 14, 2008 at 10:23 pm
I didn’t know you could be busted for owning a fake watch. That’s kind of weird. Is that common in Europe?
4.
laketrees | April 15, 2008 at 5:24 am
I like the idea of the road map inside and the info page too….the pics are great….
that video was un believable Diane !!!!…I suppose they wouldn’t bother ironing their clothes…….very claustophobic…. :0
I’ve never heard of people being charged for wearing fake jewellery .after being mugged as well ..so absolutely ridiculous…..
poor man !!
5.
laketrees | April 15, 2008 at 5:26 am
oops ….meant claustrophobic
6.
Daddy Papersurfer | April 15, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I wonder if I could get some space with the use of wind power …….
7.
Diane | April 15, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Paul – I can think of nothing worse than travelling on a train that crowded. How on earth do you get off when you arrive at your destination? I’m having palpitations just thinking about it!
Renny – it is a good project and it’s making me think very hard – which can only be a good thing!
No! Poor man! After the fright of being mugged and then he gets into trouble and the mugger gets away? Can’t be right!
I think I prefer travelling in Norway to Tokyo in that case :-)
Justin – I know they are clamping down on people selling fakes but didn’t know they clamped down on people who own them….
8.
Diane | April 15, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Kim – glad you like the book – prototype number 1 :-)
It is claustrophobic and I don’t even suffer from it! They must look like badly packed parcels by the time they get to work!
I agree – poor old man!
DP – that would do it! Clear a carriage in no time I’m sure!
Happy bloggy birthday! Wishing you many more :-)
9.
faizal | April 16, 2008 at 2:12 am
Hi there, just dropping by to say Hello,
I found your blog from the Big Bang Master List.
Have a nice day.
10.
70steen | April 16, 2008 at 5:31 pm
I will never, never, ever complain about my packed rush hour train again !!!!! That is horrendous …….
11.
Diane | April 16, 2008 at 11:58 pm
faizal- hello! Glad to see you here! A fellow Manchester United supporter! We are doing well at the moment aren’t we? I was born in Manchester so I am one of the few ‘home grown’ supporters!
70steen – it’s dreadful isn’t it? Imagine having to do that every day…..
12.
70steen | April 17, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Oh Diane you don’t support Utd… I will have to stop visiting lol
I live in Manchester but I am from Liverpool so you will know how difficult that is !!
The rush hour trains up here now are not far from the one on the clip (we don’t have ’shovers on’ but they say on the loud speaker thingy.. ‘move along so more can get in’ .. hey I can’t move my limbs as it is and those who are seated ‘tut’ because their space is invaded slightly!) I have made it my aim to adjust my work schedule so i travel on the less packed trains …… envying you in rural Dorset :)
13.
Diane | April 17, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Ooh! Could get interesting in the Champions League… I’m guessing you support Liverpool then….or maybe Everton!
Yes, it certainly seems less crowded down here although I moved away from Manchester over 30 years ago so I guess it has changed quite a bit since then….
14.
tulibri | April 18, 2008 at 10:23 am
Diane, I like the map-paper you took for the endsheets! Did you print it yourself, or is that a bought paper? I love the look of old maps – I own an antique atlas full with old-time maps … I think I should post about it in my blog …
15.
Diane | April 18, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I scanned a map of my home town and then printed it onto A3 paper. It came out really clearly – I was surprised!
I can sit and read an atlas for hours – they are fascinating. I think that’s why I like my Clustr map so much. A few weeks ago, my friend and I spent ages working out where some of the dots in the middle of the ocean were….
16.
Terrie | April 19, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Love the idea of the book project. Been looking through your blog and really enjoyed reading your posts.
17.
Diane | April 19, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Thanks! I enjoyed reading yours too. I used to live in Minworth which if I remember correctly wasn’t too far from Castle Bromwich – over 20 years ago though!
18.
Teresa | April 24, 2008 at 12:17 am
I’m so sorry you were mugged. My mom was too, and it’s such a traumatic experience. It takes a long time to stop feeling violated.
I quite like the look of old maps on books.
Everytime I see the Japanese subway “shove” system, I cringe. I like to hug and touch people I know, but with strangers, I very much prefer a wide personal space. :}
19.
Diane | April 24, 2008 at 10:33 am
The worst of it was my passport was in the bag – and I was due to fly home the next day and fly out to Paris for my 25th wedding anniversary the following weekend so I had to spend a lot of time form filling and queuing up to get a new passport.
Then my handbag turned up with passport but minus money, cards etc…..
As for the subway – cosy in the winter but in the summer!! :-)