I took a long walk into town yesterday. It was familiar stuff. I had a few minor errands that I was half able to convert.
The market was busy but I have kind of seen all the stuff before.
I nearly bought a magazine but it was $15 -the price of a book - there's something funny going on with that industry. The lines are being blurred.
But I got some exercise. I bought a nasal hair clipper. (Well I am at that age. There's no use me denying it anymore).
And I did get a modicum of satisfaction by sticking an AA battery in it and having a bloody good root around.
But.
And it's a small but...
The only time I allowed myself to observe something new and laugh was an action of pure malice.
Well maybe that's too hard on myself.
I was in a slightly pedestrian pedestrian mode and only phoning in my performance as a foot-propelled tourist. And in that busy market I walked past a camera in my peripheral vision just as she pressed (I think the technical term is depressed but the 'de' seems redundant and she seemed quite happy about it) ...just as she pressed her shutter release button. Technical term. OK smart arse, it was just as she took the photo.
I could not help but laugh. To myself of course. (She looked oriental and may have known Karate or at least how to prepare a punishingly salty miso soup).
But it caused an acute internal giggle. Did it not make me want to turn and offer a deferrent British apology? No. Far from it. It made me want to seek out another photographer and get right in the middle of their photo too.
What a fantasic pastime.
Now admittedly in recent years I have hesitated less on pavements and sidewalks to allow the magic moment of shutter release. It seems less important now that cameras are digital and can hold 2048 pics or so and so I have allowed myself this little licence in recent times.
However I think on this occasion I heard a click and the satisfying whirr of a film being rolled. I imaging a lovely printout of a snap almost certainly heavily featuring a close up of my left ear in glorious 35mm.
Now a fine ear it is, but I am not sure her default selection of autofocus was suffcient to bring out all its macro charms.
The whirr sealed the success of the whole event and a naughty new hobby was born.
