Monday, January 16, 2006

Picture in a kettle, labels, starlings

When we sit down for a meal, I see our image reflected in the shiny, convex side of the kettle. The reflection is interestingly distorted. Instead of being, as we might have supposed, the most significant things in the kitchen, we are shown as the smallest and least important. Very pronounced is the plug and lead connected to the kettle; next the fruit which appear as tall orange and green columns (oranges and limes); tucked away in the background of this picture are two humans the size of mice.

Which? magazine reports some oddly worded labels. A birthday card for a two-year-old is labelled: "Not suitable for children under three". An office door bears the notice: "Use this door only when entering/exiting." And attached to a Superman outfit is the label: " Wearing this garment does not enable you to fly."

In ths Grove this afternoon, three adjacent trees are laden with starlings. The birds emit a high pitched continuous twittering. Suddenly they fall silent and rise into the air, a small flock, and wheel overhead. I watch them until I feel dizzy.

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