Day 10: Yassir

I just had my first "no" of the project. Granted, Andi was ringing up my groceries when I asked if she'd be part of it. As she scanned & weighed my ginger root, she told me how Market of Choice doesn't let anyone take pictures inside the store because it reflects poorly on the company...

Huh?

She then went on to tell me that some local college students did a scavenger hunt and took photos and photoshopped them and so now...

Andi can't be in a photo for the project. I admit: she seemed a little bummed. Oh well. At least I got some amazing ginger.

And then!: I went outside and Yassir was waiting for his ride. He's a student at the local university hailing from Saudi Arabia. Apparently, there is a small community of young people who are at the university on scholarship, and other folks who hang out in the downtown area running shops and building community. I was relieved that Yassir is not alone out here. Really relieved.

Oh and the postcard - there was this amazing rack of coca-cola and fanta, but I just didn't want to contribute that much to the hfs (high fructose syrup) conglomerate. So, chips it was.

Btw: I'm slowly getting better at using this smartfone. As D says: a smartfone is only as dumb as the people who use them. Hahaha!...or something like that.

Day 9: Dave

Is AWESOME. He, like me, could not fly back east today because of hurricane Irene. So he's hanging out in Eugene. He's from Brooklyn. When I saw him he was recording the passing train. "Do you remember Spaceballs the movie. Remember?" Yeah, dude - I do.

Just around the corner was a sign wishing for peace on earth. Maybe we can start with just saving the earth.

Photo credit of Dave & me: IRS

Day 8: Ray and Helen

run Ume teriyaki stand. Ray gave me some of his home made coconut cream mochi. They've been there for a year, right across from this amazing ice cream parlor. They were not too excited about the photo, so I give them double thanks.

Earlier on I left a gift for a cyclist.

Day 7: Sarah and Chelsea

I went to hang out at Cafe Vero in Eugene. Grab a tea, coffee - $1.00 a slice bacon (!!!!). Okay - I was a little sticker shocked by the last item, but that bacon was pretty good. Kosher, you know. Well, moving on...

Today, I saw someone treat the postcard with surprise, respect, something like confused awe...One of the cafe's baristas came out to organize the sugar counter. She pulled a cushion out of thin air and went to place it in the chair. She saw the postcard, picked it up, put a cushion and then placed the postcard back in its place. As though it was a little being. I guess that $1.00 a bacon slice goes into exquisite customer service!

And, well, I almost began to think that maybe this postcard does have its own life, and it kinda does. The postcard just sat there, staring at me. I suddenly realized no one was going to pick it up as long as I was sitting near it, so I left.

Outside, Sarah and Chelsea were sitting, enjoying the afternoon. They asked me if I was an art student, which I am not. Chelsea had a copy of Borderlands/La Frontera (by Gloria Anzaldua) in front of her. That was intriguing for me, of course.

Day 6: AJ

at the liquor store where we picked up Fat Tires and Pinot Grigio (not all at once people).I appreciated how intense AJ was about the whole thing. He told me, very specifically, "Wait until I've helped all the customers." Yeah, man. That's cool. I'll stand here looking at the wines and stuff.

Photo by IRS

Left Africa next store at Hot Mama's Wings...

Day 5: Chris

and his skateboard.

Were hanging out at the bus stop. I tried to get his skateboard in the foto, but I was just happy to get the two of us. I don't know where he was headed. I was headed up the street for a short walk. I forgot to ask him who is on his t-shirt.

Right before I met Chris, I left one of Basquiat's pieces at the bus stop sign board. I think Jean-Michel would have liked to see his tag on the Eugene streets. Presente.

Day 4: Ann

Whose daughter has her own blog: veganimperfect...who was running the popcorn stand at the Honeyman State Park on the Oregon Coast. The popcorn was 25 cents per bag. There was also free coffee. I went to the coast to spend the day with friends, and there were folks dune surfing across the small lake that had formed between the river and the ocean. Jesse M Honeyman bequeathed the park to the Forestry Service awhile back and one cool fact: all the berries in the park are edible.

Photo by DM

I left a postcard at the start of the nature trail that leads around the lake. It was gone when I came back. Yay!