Aaron: Pop Art in Human Dimensions

Rapid-fire. Asymmetrical. Strategic. Fluid-talker.

At first, he just looked like a kid trying to stand out. This 20-something guest was of Korean descent and wore simple clothes: jeans and a white t-shirt. His hair, though, made him different. It was cut asymmetrically, with one side longer than other, and spiked: forward, sideways…but not random - designed. He seemed average when I met him: looking at his laptop, organizing photos.  However, Aaron’s fascinating life caught me completely off guard over the next 24 hours, as pieces of his story surfaced in conversation.

Originally from Seattle, Aaron moved to New York when he was 19 after dropping out of college. He applied to “9,000 jobs” and received one phone call from a hair scissors sharpener (arguably an insane one). Needing an income, Aaron met the man’s absurd hiring demands and became his apprentice for a year and a half, finding himself unexpectedly in the beauty industry (hence the trendy, spiked hairstyle). Independent now, Aaron travels around the country selling his own self-designed scissors to stylists and boutiques. I saw a photo of them on his computer and they’re incredibly well-thought out. After listening to him talk about them, I could see that he thought 10 steps ahead of the curve. The handle, for instance, was designed to give the stylist more mobility in the thumb. Increased thumb mobility then gave the stylist more flexibility in his/her body and allowed him/her to cut at many angles easily. The center of gravity of the scissors (between the finger loops and the central connecting point) was specifically placed in order to keep the stylist’s hands from getting tired. “Keeping the weight here,” Aaron pointed out, “makes the scissors feel light in the stylist’s hands for a longer period of time.” It was pure physics. He even incorporated a feature that silenced the scissors as they cut, so the client didn’t feel as though he was being sheared. This guy amazed me - he was 24 and already an expert in his craft.

At one point, after asking me about my interests, we started talking about writing and he showed me a book he was working on. It was the story of his life, consisting of short accounts of the people he’d met while he traveled. He talked me through how he met them and what their personalities were like. Intertwined in these stories were the tough situations that taught him how to sell; instances of meeting half-insane, wealthy people who just gave him things; and ways he found places to sleep for free (one involved an urban roof that belonged to a guy who slept with his eyes open). Aaron’s ultimate goal was to turn these stories into comics or graphic novels, which seemed to fit him perfectly. His speaking voice was so dynamic that I had visions of geometric and vivid language in his work. I couldn't wait to see what he would put together. 

If there is one story of Aaron’s that I could share, though, it wouldn’t be about a crazy adventure. It would be when he lived for a few weeks with two guys who had cystic fibrosis. He told me that these guys approached every day like it was their last, because “they knew they only had about 10 years to left live.” One of them, for instance, taught himself to hip-hop dance to a “near pro-level.” Aaron said that being with them was amazing…just in how they pushed the boundaries of their opportunities and capabilities every day. He reminded me, though, that their lives were not without hardship. They lived like hospital patients half the time and had to wear masks at night for help with breathing. The story of these two guys showed me that having an exciting, incredible life doesn’t involve security in all aspects. They have limitations, just like the rest of us. Fortunately – or unfortunately – for those of us who are “normal,” our limitations tend to only involve money, possessions, or stability.

I gave Aaron my contact information in case he ever wanted to send me his writing and get feedback on it. I don’t know if I’ll hear from him again, though. 

To me, Aaron's life was a collage of other people's stories (in addition to his own). He was a living piece of popular art: dynamic, vivid, and colorful…very Andy Warhol-esque. According to him, though, he was "just doing what he could to get by." Down the road, I look forward to reading his book…or several books. I have a feeling that when published, I'll know them when I see them: they'll be bold, asymmetrical, and trendy…just like his hair.

Che Guevara by Andy Warhol

"Dirt is the Price of Interesting"

In response to someone commenting that New York City was dirty, NPR's Maureen Corrigan responded, "Dirt is the price you pay for a place being interesting." Substitute the word "life" for "place" and add discomfort, uncertainty, doubt, stress, and danger to that statement. The more people I've talked to, the more I've learned that stability = mundane, and dynamicism/abnormality = interesting. There are positive and negative aspects to both, and you just have to choose what you want more: an interesting party story or a steady income. My preference? Life is short. Jump off the cliff and see what happens.

Hostel Photos!

After a long wait, here is a mini photo tour of the hostel for those of you who cannot visit:

Roadrunner Hostel from the front

The Roadrunner Express!

Bike Racks

Breakfast in the morning...

we serve waffles and coffee.

Kitchen

Kitchen Ceiling

Dining Room

Two of our awesome staff members, Matt and Aia.  

Dorm Rooms

Private Rooms. A former staff member - who was also an artist - painted the doors.

The Back Patio

Thanks for checking it out! I hope this tour satisfied your curiosity for where I work and live :). 

E-mail Listserv

I now have an e-mail listserv (look to the left!). Now you can receive notifications on a daily basis if I've updated my blog. This way, you don't have to keep checking back all the time. I hope this makes reading The Sonoran Life easier! If you have any trouble with this new system, let me know. Thanks!

The Point of Being Here

Me: "...You know, I moved away from Wisconsin so I could find myself in my dancing. Right now I'm finding myself...but I'm not dancing."

Mom: "Maybe that's just it."

Several "Dads"

While preparing for and returning from my trip to LA, I had several people looking out for me: my Dad, the manager at the hostel, Jimmy, and my friend/hostel guest, Tim. They all wanted me to make sure I arrived safely, had enough money, and had transportation to and from the bus stations. I just want to acknowledge them, because I appreciate how they look out for me. I also want to acknowledge my friends in LA who let me stay with them, took me around town, and even treated me to a meal. The only one old enough to truly be my dad is my Dad, but it's really great to have other friends around who care about your well-being, too. I only hope that someday I can give them back as much or more than they've already given me.

Thanks.

LA Visit/Turkey Tour Reunion

This past weekend, I made the journey over to Los Angeles, California to meet up with my friends I met on my tour of Turkey: Tanner, Mike, and Sherman.

Taking the Greyhound

For cost and scheduling reasons, I took the Greyhound instead of flying or taking the train. I had heard horror stories about the rides and the stations, but they actually weren’t so bad. The station in Los Angeles was in a sketchy neighborhood, but the place itself was fine – but I was also there at 11:00 in the morning. Aspects I didn’t like:

1)   Length. The trip took 10-11 hours one way. I didn’t eat or drink much of anything on the rides, because I didn’t want to use the bathroom.

2)   Transfers. We transferred in Phoenix coming into and going out of Tucson. Seats are on a first come, first serve basis, and people are not willing to move over sometimes…so you need to run to the entry door and put your luggage down or stand in line for the hour layover in Phoenix in order to get a decent seat. This is not fun at 3:30 AM.

Other than that, it was a good ride. I sat next to two friendly Latina women both times, so no scary encounters.  The scenery was also interesting to watch on the trip, and it was strange juxtaposition of landscapes sometimes:

There are definitely certain classes of people who take the Greyhound: lower middle class, lower class, and some students.  The ride back to Tucson had people from the lower middle-class; you could tell by how they dressed and behaved. These people also spoke mainly Spanish, but they were very helpful and friendly nonetheless. They also joked with driver (especially when we met the Arizona/California border patrol), which made the atmosphere more relaxing.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad experience, but I’m not too keen to get on another bus. Dehydration and fasting takes a lot out of you.

Roscoes

My friend Tanner and his fiancé Adrienne picked me up at the LA station, and it was so good to finally see them! We headed over to Roscoes, where we met Mike and his girlfriend Alison for breakfast.

Roscoes is a popular place in LA. They serve deep-fried chicken and waffles. It sounds like a diner from the Deep South to me, but you know…they probably have every kind of variety in LA.

The Science Center

During the day, we visited the Los Angeles Science Center. It’s a beautiful facility built mainly for families. I would classify it as a small version of Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.

My two favorite exhibits were the solar-powered house built by CalTech student engineers and the special exhibit on Islam. The house was just cool: the insulation is full of used jeans and you can lower the deck curtains by waving your hand from your bed. The Islam exhibit was a tad cliche honestly, but it still had all kinds of information on word history, herbal medicines, and food (like figs and yogurt!).

I am not obsessed.


For Old Times' Sake

What is a Turkey Tour Reunion without a traditional game of backgammon?

Wurstkuche

For dinner, the four of us met up with Sherman and his girlfriend Leslie at Wurstkuche. They have all kinds of brats and beers here…Wisconsinites would LOVE this place. I split a Mango Jalapeno brat made with chicken and turkey with Alison, who ordered the Rattlesnake and Rabbit brat. Both were probably the best brats I’ve ever had in my life. The rattlesnake and rabbit brat in particular was savory and rich. I recommend this to anyone feeling adventurous enough to try it.

The snake brat is on the right and Mike's buffalo brat is on the left.

Group Photo!

After dinner, we headed out to the One-Eyed Gypsy Bar, where we took group photos of the Turkey Crew.

From left to right: Tanner, Mike, Sherman, Me.

And then there was the boxed water: an up-and-coming trend in LA.

I headed out to a suburb of LA to spend the night at Mike's place. Mike’s home is pretty cool: he and his room mates have a house that sits on a hill and you can overlook the city. They also have citrus trees in their yard (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit), where you can actually eat the fruit…unlike Tucson. I think down the road I’ll have a home where I can grow citrus, because that’s just the coolest thing to me.

I only stayed in California for about 24 hours, but it was the best 24 hours I’ve spent in a long time. I’m so glad I made the trip and it was really great to see everyone again. I hope to make another trip out to California soon.

More photos from the trip can be found here on facebook.

Visit from Dad

My dad came to visit me this past weekend. He arrived on Thursday and I checked him into the hostel...which was fun. He came in after 10 p.m., so we didn't have time to do much except buy some groceries and go to bed.

Then on Friday, he met me after work at the sushi restaurant. I had been looking forward to this opportunity because I would be able to try a platter of "weird" food from the nigiri section (raw fish on top of rice) and get the employee discount. Unfortunately, I don't have photos I can share, but we had dinner from the nigiri part of the menu (fish on top of rice):

1) sea urchin (uni)
2) octopus
3) sea eel
4) shrimp boat (shrimp with a raw quail egg on top)
5) salmon roe (ikura)
6) smelt roe (masago)

Nigiri sushi generally looks like this:

My favorite fish was the seawater eel. In the photo above, it looked like the second one from right. I'm sure the sweet sauce that came with it helped the flavor. The shrimp boat was the close second on my list. I highly recommend these two the next time you try sushi. The salmon roe (salmon eggs) felt like I was eating a tiny version of gel-filled bubble wrap, because the little balls pop in your mouth. Lastly, I liked the sea urchin the least. It tasted a like fish that had been at the market too long...mixed with some other unpleasant scents.

Later that evening, we hung around the hostel and chatted with the other guests. This tends to be a social activity in and of itself, because so many interesting people come in. There are times when I never get anything done, because I spend all my time talking and listening to stories.

We ate breakfast Saturday morning at The Beeline Cafe on 4th Avenue, where we ordered bagels and lox (bagel, salmon, cream cheese, onions, tomato, and capers). It was the first time I tried this -- delicious!

One aspect of the visit that my dad and I were both looking forward to was taking me around to the outskirts of Tucson. Because I don't have a car, my mobility is very limited. Guests at the hostel will ask me if I've been here or there and I usually respond that I haven't. I've been about as far as the bus, the daylight, and necessity allow me.

Therefore, the Desert Museum was first on our list, because people rave about it and you can't get there by bus or bike (unless you're a serious athlete). It's an outdoor museum where you walk around and look at desert plants and wildlife (they were very enthusiastic about their javelinas). Some people love this place, but it was so-so to me. I'd rather be out in the desert itself, instead of a museum. I was glad I experienced it, though, and I did learn a few interesting facts: in places like Wisconsin, earthworms move/circulate the soil; in the desert, it's the ants. Also, in wetter climates, fungi break down the plants and dead things, while termites do this in the desert. I never knew the real purpose of these insects!

Our other adventure for the weekend was a hike in Sabino Canyon. We were feeling adventurous after the museum, so we took the 4.1 mile hike to the Seven Falls. Four miles turned out to be longer than I imagined...and it wasn't encouraging to meet the people who turned around or who came back and said, "It's a looooonnng way there! Take pictures!" It took us two hours to arrive at the falls, but we made it. The landscape was beautiful, especially in the setting sun.

We finished off the night at El Charro's Restaurant. My dad ordered chicken flautas and I had fish tacos...which were AMAZING: corn tortillas, pico de gallo, guacamole, and (some kind of) white fish. I highly recommend this.

My dad left early Sunday morning, so dinner at El Charro's was the last thing we had time to do together. Really, we both thought the visit was too short. I'm hoping the next time he comes, it will be longer and we can explore more of Tucson together.

Freely Living

When you have very limited funds, you learn to live cheaply. The challenge of living this way is mainly the search for inexpensive or free options, but sometimes you get lucky and free things come your way.

For instance, being at the hostel, people will often buy too much food, or they will forget things. I've lucked out a couple times when guests have offered their packages of greens, vegetables, or dairy that they couldn't finish. Once, someone left a box of organic groceries behind (nuts, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, avocados, natural soaps, etc) and I was on the receiving end of that find. Someone else forgot a yoga mat the next day, too, and that week was like an extra Christmas for me.

Within the past week, I've also become the temporary owner of a bike. The owners of the hostel found the bike of a guest who comes for only two weeks every year. They said I could use it around town for as long as I'm working at the hostel. With a bike, my mobility has now increased 3-fold and I'm really excited to save on bus fare. Debi and Bryan pointed out to me that Tucson offers bike safety classes and you can get free lights, helmets, and locks just by attending. I will definitely hit that up.

Here's a photo of my bike:

The Gem Show

The Gem Show was here in Tucson January 27 - February 12. It was a fantastic few weeks at the hostel and I've been meaning to post about it for a month now.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is the largest in the world and people come from all over to trade, sell, and buy gems and stones. We housed gem buyers/sellers/enthusiasts, jewelry makers, geologists, professors, and other vendors. It was a lively group of people, who would come back talking about their bartering adventures and share what they found. I have footage of some "show and tell" below. Unfortunately, the direct videos aren't functioning, so you'll have to visit Youtube by clicking on the links.

Gem Show Show-and-Tell

Many of the people who come to the gem show have stayed at the hostel year after year (since the 1990s). Because of this, the gem show is almost like a family reunion. Every year, the owner Peter dresses up in a roadrunner costume and puts on a pannekoeken dinner. "Pannekoeken" is Dutch for a giant pancake filled with meat, cheese, and/or fruit.

Pannekoeken