Friday 26 March 2010

Acquisitionitis

Sometimes you hear about people's obsessive collection of things likened to a disease. My mother used to collect glass bottles she thought to be interesting looking. She also used to collect jars. Any attempt on my part to dispose of these containers would result in her screeching something to the effect of: "NO!! What are you doing? I could use that for...something." I'd reply, "What? What, mother, are you going to use this for?" She never knew exactly how each empty container would turn out to be useful, just that they all would, somehow.

My boyfriend's affliction is collecting cameras. This ailment started out as a minor bug in the form of curiosity about stereo photography (e.g. View-Master) and then developed into a full-blown virus which has manifested itself into a crazy collection of camera equipment (ten film cameras and about twelve lenses).

Of course, while many people collect things that are similar (some people even collect people of a certain type, but I'll save that for another post), other people collect a wide array of junk. There's a house near my train station which is beyond words. I first walked past it one night last year and I had thought it was some kind of theme restaurant. The first time I saw it in the daytime, I was awestruck. I present to you the Crazy Artsy Weird Cool House Near Todakoen Station.

The yard from the gate.

One of the many masks on the fence.

Another mask, especially creepy in black and white.

More of the fence.

Audrey Hepburn is always wishing everyone a Merry Christmas here...

...and it's always 7:59.

Here we are reminded not to forget our safety goggles.

Another mask on an oar, which was undoubtedly fished out of a junk yard near the Todakoen Boat Course.

Another mask on a structure that actually looked like a person at first glance.

Maybe I won't continue trying to dissuade my mother from keeping her pretty glass bottles. Well, considering my poor co-ordination and propensity for tripping and falling, maybe I should.

2 comments:

  1. I know this house. I used to ALT at the TODAKOEN elementry school down the street, so I would always stop and check out the place. I like it.

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  2. Crazy! I had no idea you used to work over here. I love that house. I need to go back with some colour film and take more pictures.

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