Big Bird and I.

It was Big Bird who first made coming here cool.  I still remember sitting in Empire Cinema on West Portal Ave. and watching him traverse the country, Snuffleupagus in tow, on a sort of hunt for something or another (it was my first ever movie that I saw on the big screen).  The movie left an indelible impression on me.  So much so that when I went traveling this spring I suddenly remembered, 'Big Bird was here!'  It was a treasured thought, recollected only by the landmark that was now before me, the one that I had seen in the movie.  Back then the land seemed mysterious, romantic even.  These impressions lingered until middle school.

By middle school my ideas had changed.  My perception of the modern mainland was now clouded by readings such as 'Life and Death in Shanghai' by Nien Cheng.  I recently reread her book and tried to imagine myself as a 12-year old reading her stories.  Heavy stuff.  There was also the incident that happened here in the square when I was in middle school that really didn't seem to jive with what I remember Big Bird seeing.

All this to say...I've traced my being here to Big Bird.  Pretty good for a girl who didn't have a TV until 6th grade.