Thursday, March 31, 2005

Two Passages by Haruki Murakami

"The last time I'd slept with a fat female was the year of the Japanese Red Army shoot-out in Karuizawa. The woman had extrordinary thighs and hips. She was a bank teller who had always exchanged pleasantries with me over the counter. I knew her from the midriff up. We became friendly, went out for a drink once, and ended up sleeping together. Not until we were in bed did I notice that the lower half of her body was so demographically disproportionate. It was because she played table tennis all through school, she had me know, thought I didnt quite grasp the relationship. I didnt know table tennis led to below-the-belt corporeality."

"At work, the day is solid with meetings from the morning on. Important meetings on sales campaigns for a new product line. Several employees read reports. Blackboards fill with figures, bar graphs proliferate on computer screens. I participate, although my contribution to the meetings is not that critical because I'm not directly involved with the project. I voice an opinion only once. Isn't much of an opinion, either -- something perfectly obvious to any observer -- but I couldn't very well go without saying anything, after all. I may not be terribly ambitious when it comes to work, but so long as I'm receiving a salary I have to demonstrate responsibility. I summarize the various opinions up to that point and even make a joke to lighten up the atmosphere. Several people laugh. After that one utterance, however, I only pretend to review the materials."

2 Comments:

Blogger fred burgess! said...

Carl chose the first one. I chose the second.

If you liked one and not the other, give credit where it is due.

If you disliked one and not the other, take your beef to the rightful owner.

9:41 PM  
Blogger fred burgess! said...

Half of the people can be part right all of the time,
Some of the people can be all right part of the time,
But all of the people can't be all right all of the time,
I think Abe Lincoln said that.
"Ill let you be in my dreams
if I can be in yours,"
I said that.

(Bob Dylan said that)

9:42 PM  

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