It Ended When You Said Goodbye

My mom like all Asian moms loved "The End Of The World" by Skeeter Davis. Asians love sad, sad songs because it makes them feel the Hennessy XO even more.

I've made "The End Of The World" one of my karaoke staples but no one my age usually gets it. It's more impressive to use it on a room of sixty year olds.



A while ago I stumbled on information about Skeeter Davis' estate sale. She apparently had her own Infinite Garage.

From Osaka With Love

Futuristic Germany by the way of Osaka. 

The sleeve reads, "A reminder of your visit to the German pavilion at the Osaka World's Fair in the bicentenary year of Beethoven's birth, 1970." 

It's the first time I've seen bicentenary used in a sentence and known out that my dad was in Osaka. He was a great audiophile so this was the sensible souvenir. 

Fashion Friday: Chinese Cool

Grandmother and dad looking all cinematic.

Hitched

My parents got married at the Grand Hotel in Taipei. It was the chic place to get hitched back then. She wore fur, he war a Pierre Cardin op-art tie. The whole family came out, they were happy. 

I can't find the dress or fur and most of the people from these photos are gone. My only souvenir from that night is this tie.

Wall of Sound

I'm creating piles of things. When I started piling electronics it quickly became the wall of outdated audiophilia. 

This is just the beginning. We have more tape decks, audio reels, SLRs and binoculars in the garage. My dad was a dad with hobbies, like stamps, skeet shooting, fishing, and electronic gadgetry. 

Most annoyingly, I inherited a pair of five feet speakers that weigh over a hundred pounds each. They have to be placed on special metal needles on marble slabs which also weigh a hundred pounds each. These days to listen to music I just drag my iPhone from room to room and turn the volume all the way up. Who needs the weight?

An early Sony world band receiver radio. We've been supporting Sony since before the days of the Walkman and Watchman.  

Massive Apogee Duetta speakers for my dad the sound nerd. I remember listening to the Pet Shop Boys on his sound setup while he'd subject us to Tchaikovsky or Paul Mauriat. 

I prefer the Sansui speaks with wooden grills. They're more homey and quaint. 

If I were strong enough, I'd stack the speakers into a real wall like this: 

Garage Style: Go Lakers!

In an attempt to recycle, be green, and keep green from leaving my pocketbook, I was thinking about wearing an outfit entirely styled from the Garage everyday. Not sure if I can pull this off. I'm afraid to look like a vintage trainwreck every time I have to leave my house and do something normal like go to Trader Joe's.

As I type, I'm wearing purple leggings and a gold cardi that I unearthed last week. I'm also celebrating the Laker victory. It's the neighborly thing to do, since I live next to one (!?!). Go LA!

Don't forget about the famous Sex Plug! 

So I cheated. T-shirt is by H&M but everything else is Infinite Garage!

We Weren't Always Your Parents

We weren't always your parents. We had fun and smoked cigarettes by the sea. 

Fashion Friday (belated): We Weren't Always Your Aunts

I was caught up in E3 madness last week so I slept on Fashion Friday. Here's to Fashion Tuesday.

Here are my mom and aunts before they were my aunts. They look smug and carefree as if they're saying, "We were all somebody before we were your parents."

Taiwanese Strings Attached Cont'd

In the same box as the strings I found more tchotchkes from across the Pacific, like China Eastern Airline hospitality packs! I've found over thirty of those as well as eye covers and slipper socks.

A battery powered magnifying glass! Grandpa' first and last electronic calculator!

A chocolate box contained signature stamps, a crochet hook, Taiwanese NT, and an ivory pipe.