Pug Head Tilt

So, walking down the street t'other day, happened to glance over and see a red car.  Not just any red car.  It was a red formula-one-style race car.  More specifically, it  was a miniature red formula-one-style race car... much like those seen in parades being driven by Shriners.  But there was no Shriner at the helm of this little red race car.  No, no, no.  This little red race car was being driven by a cow.  Not an actual cow.  A human in a cow costume.

A thought came to mind: "何それ, where the fuck is my camera!?"  Well, actually that thought came second, fast upon the heels of the first thought: "son of a mother duck... fucking cow driving a goddamned little red race car!!"

じゃー, before furiously ransacking the port pants pocket for said phone, gave a quick glance to starboard.  And there, in a wee park, was a couple about my age (アラフォー).  But not just any couple.  No, no, no.  This couple was out for a constitutional with their pair of falcons.  Yes, falcons: ye bird of prey what knocketh yon sparrow from the air and feasteth merrily upon its giblets.  隼だった。The couple even had matching arm-guards to protect against the talons.  Just assuming they were a couple.  You know, circumstances.  Maybe falcons brought them together.  No clue.

In any event, no photograph was taken then and there.  Well, unless someone passing by snapped a picture of a foreign guy standing still in the middle of the sidewalk doing the pug head tilt.  That's all this author managed to do: stand frozen in derpitude pondering how none would ever believe.  Oh, Tokyo.

These are radish people.

I've always been a doodler.  I can't say I'm a particularly gifted artist in the grand scheme of things.  I can't sketch things in photographic detail.  I can't really move paint or pixels around in a manner that elicits a great emotional reaction.  However, what I can do is get a point across with simple pictures.  And I can do it fairly quickly.

Teaching English as a second language for the last half-decade has brought this skill back to the forefront of my life.  I use it constantly in classes to, as I mentioned, get the point across.  Sometimes I feel like my job is like a giant game of Pictionary.  I certainly enjoy it.  I've become notorious for my illustrations among my friends, colleagues, and students.

For many years, I mostly accomplished these tasks through "stick-figure theatre".  However, after working in Japanese elementary schools, I became enamored with the rather endearing style of comic figures that many of the children liked to draw.  This style of cute, pudgy "stick figure" is referred to in Japanese as 大根人間: literally "radish people".  They do look like daikon radishes come to life.  I began to emulate their drawing, and now I can't really draw anything else.  I just love the little things.

In any event, this blog will serve as an outlet for various silly illustrations that are, perhaps, not suitable for my students.  So if you like profanity and cute doodles, have I got a blog for you!