FINAL UPDATE: 20 NOV 2018
©2018 grEGORy simpson
ABOUT THE TROG (TRAVEL BLOG):
I used to read magazines. Yes, it’s true — I’m that old. And several years ago, whilst perusing one of those publications, I happened upon an article documenting its author’s trip to exotic, far away Vancouver — my home. Buried within the usual assortment of tourist shots and factoids about totem poles and steam clocks, sat a photo of an alley just one block from where I live. Accompanying that photo was some rather self-congratulatory pronouncement about how the author, because he was such an adventurous sort, had ‘discovered’ this unknown alley. Discovered it? I walk past it every single day on my way to the market. So do about 100,000 other people.
I immediately crossed “travelogue” off my list of books to one day write. The idea suddenly seemed absurd: a photographer travels to some distant land and writes about the customs and culture as if no one on earth had ever before experienced them — oblivious to the fact there are millions of people living, working, loving and playing right in the very place they’re portraying as ‘exotic.’ Never mind that we have this little thing called “the internet,” with which we can instantly gaze upon several hundred million photos of every “out of the way” tourist spot on the planet or fire up Google Street View and wander any alley we wish. Cultural differences? This is rapidly becoming one world — connected through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and instant messaging. It’s not like the western hemisphere hasn’t a clue what those crazy people in the eastern hemisphere are wearing. More often than not, we’re now all wearing the same thing. Travelogues struck me as the textbook definition of ethnocentrism.
Of course, none of this means I don’t enjoy going places. Nor does it mean I’m not excited to see or experience things that I, personally, don’t get to see or experience on a daily basis. But that doesn’t mean millions of others don’t. Or haven’t. And since ULTRAsomething’s audience is a global audience, it would be rather silly of me to wax poetic about my travels.
So then what’s up with that live travel blog at the top of this article? The one that looks a whole lot like poetic waxing? Doesn’t its existence negate the very thing I seek to avoid?
I would postulate not. And the reason for this is because it’s in no way ethnocentric — it’s egorcentric — and you’re welcome to read it and see. In fact, I welcome you to check in and read it every day or two — because unlike this site’s more typically lethargic publication schedule, I’ll be updating it semi-regularly while I’m in Tokyo — you know, like a real blogger.
Über-ULTRA readers may wish to set a reminder on their smart phones to check daily for fresh content. I’ll be sure to put the latest update date (Tokyo time) at the top of this page (just remember to refresh your browser to check for new content). Those of you who can’t bear the suspenseful gulf between updates may prefer to wait and binge read it after I return to Vancouver.
REMINDER: If you find these photos enjoyable or the articles beneficial, please consider making a DONATION to this site’s continuing evolution. As you’ve likely realized, ULTRAsomething is not an aggregator site — serious time and effort go into developing the original content contained within these virtual walls… not to mention the expense of undertaking another introspective journey to Tokyo.
Hi Gregory,
Always fascinated to see different places and the different ways that we engage with places and each other.
In short, I am a tribalist, as opposed to a nationalist or even worse, a globalist.
So even though the globalists would like Canadians and others to measure things in the way that Napoleon decreed, I prefer the measurements that relate to bodies… Like inches, feet, yards and miles, they have meaning. I can visualise the size of your apartment, but I have no idea how far Tokyo is from Vancouver, until I go and look it up.
I could go on…
Metric is even worse than just politically rancid, it doesn’t actually make any sense when it comes to relating it to computer technology, which works on just about every level excepting base 10. We have binary at the root, we have octal and hexadecimal word lengths and look-up tables, and we have 64 bit and 128 bit addresses.
As my Granny used to say… “You have got to eat a peck of dirt before you die”… Or is that 8.81 litres?
I’l shut up now.
Hi Stephen: I would love to come up with a witty reply to this, but I’m still struggling with how it was I sat on an airplane for 10 hours, flew west, yet wound up 27 hours in the future. Someone owes me a night’s sleep…
Yes that is confusing I will admit, but you gave me an idea, at the back of my mind I recalled that Napoleon had tried to do something similar with time as well as linear, weight and volumetric measurement.
Take a look at this and be really confused:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_calendar
Enjoy your sleep.
Thank God you wrote it in english. My knowledge of that language is quite limited but having to do with canadian I would be totally lost in the woods (and just waiting for Mr Kochanski looks to risky to me).
I suspect some grammar teachers might take exception to the idea that I write in English. Englishish, perhaps…
Man, this is great fun to read!
And, the photos are even better!
Thanks, Hank.
Although it’s a cliche, I am definitely going to need a vacation to recover from this vacation. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I decided to squeeze daily posting in between my all-day, all-night walk-a-thons and eat-a-thons.
Dear Egor,
Serialtasker is the word I use. It upsets the multitaskers to have their paradigm challenged.
I’m afraid I’ve done my usual UltraSomething binge – April to November – in one sitting. I like Egorcentrism, both as a concept, and as a series of communicated observations. Some highlights for me – what you said to Real Yoga Girl in the lift; the murder option of UltraSomething (because you will feel more inclined to write when you don’t feel constrained – I hope); “doppelnamens”; Egor, and the idea of self-labelling; your idea of an FAQ section.
Photos: Doppelme: Misaligned; 2nd Degree Voyeurism; Corner 4; DNA.
A while back my brother-in-law had just had braces fitted, and we had just seen Interstellar. “Exthithtenthial nonthenth” was his review. Keep up the good work Egor.
Best Regards,
Linden
Annual binge reading vs. monthly reading? On one hand, the traumatic effects are minimized by the smaller monthly doses of ULTRAsomething. On the other hand, annual reading probably seems less burdensome. You’re still kicking, so I guess the annual approach is working for you. Thanks for marking me on your calendar. Always great to see your comments!
Even though “after the fact”, I greatly enjoyed this not-travelogue of yours. But you were completely wrong regarding images of modular synths – the one or other shot (more than the one you showed) I would’ve liked. And showing the results of your film shots would be great too!
Best
Christian
Thanks, Christian. Not sure if I’ll bother to post any more modular synth shots, but rest assured future blog entries will contain enough Tokyo shots (both film and digital) that you and everyone else will grow weary of seeing them.
You might underestimate the resilience of your audience – you’ve trained us very well (or at least some) … 😉