piggie's halloween

last night was the infamous halloween, where unexpected things happen and disguised people and spirits roam free during the night.  it was a nice one, considering that the sky of yyz was crystal clear with a near a quarter moon, shining down into the city street.  with leaves rustling under small and big feet, doors were knocked and candy bags were filled.  it was a rather special one for me, as i had a close friend from lincoln days visiting me for a wknd trip.  and yes, she loves to dress up as well.

in conjunction to the usual north american fancy dress parties at clubs and such (the three former nebraskan girls went out to the little italy, only to get their poor ears blown off through the euro-trash beats of the basement clubs. oops), yoshi's visit was a nice opportunity to walk around the town and enjoy the last downward curve of the autumn, before the mad christmas fever infects the city.  funny, in canada, after the summer, the shop windows change from thanksgiving-halloween-christmas, which is a bit different from united states, where it goes halloween-thanksgiving-christmas.  and from what i have seen in north england, they just do summer-christmas (with exception of small shops doing halloween advertisements).

it's a nice feeling to share the melancholic autumnal sun with old friends, though now none of us live in the very place we have met.  we still keep in touch with people, but it's not about the location, but of these incredibly resilient spider silk connections that may stretch up to 140% of its initial length.  some, we have lost in the time and differences. some are still close, as if i were to pick them up from the airport today, there only can be a seamless transition to the comfortable respect and affection.

so last night, unlike the previous night of loud music and artificial festivity, we went to visit another dear friend in the west end of the city to carve pumpkins and such.  only to realize that once we have arrived to her house, my phone piggie was no longer with me!

piggie is a stuffed cell phone charm thing.  i have a silly habit of putting animal things on the small items, such as phone, usb sticks, earphone pouch and such, so that i may not lose them completely in my assorted black bags (as the items themselves are also black)  and often, they start to develop a persona and it becomes quite one way relationship: i look for them and they always try to hide or worse, run away.  piggie was always attached to the end of my cell phone (that's right, when i switch phones from europe and north america, vice versa, piggie changes phone, to hang on my back pants pocket), ever since i picked him up in nyc, september 2007.  i was visiting my friend caroline who was studying in nyc at the time and my bro farooq happened to be in nyc magically as well! we walked by a accessories store and picked up two piggies and another thing i cant remember what- it was three for 10 deal.  her piggie was hanging onto her bag and my piggie found its place on my phone.  *and yes, farooq just reminded me that we got lost in harlem at 1am that day as well. epic beginning for a small phone piggie i say, haha.

from that day, i have not been apart from piggie for may be couple hours.  as i carry phone wherever i go and as it was fed/charged in the spaces i lived (banff, england, yyz, you name it- even during the mad bus trip and such!), it was never too far. there were times i have briefly lost it or misplaced it (though i suspect it was piggie who was being sneaky, looking for adventures), usually within 24 hours, piggie was back in my back pocket, looking around the world with his big dotty eyes.

once realized that piggie had ran off, i have tracked every single square foot of the sidewalk from caroline's house to the subway, then back.  on way back to my house, i rechecked the both platforms of ossington and spadina (points of departure/arrival on yyz subway), went off and re-inspected the streets i walked on from restaurant to coffee shop to grocery store.  i have now called the coffee shop and the jewish centre lost and found.  and the restaurant.  piggie is still missing.  only thing that is left to check is the lost-found of the subway.  and let's face it, it will be closer to miracle if i find piggie.

it's just a cell phone thing.  but we did look all over for piggie.  i wonder where he slept last night, as temperature dropped subzero.  it is amazing to feel such affinity to a small inanimate thing, as it slowly became animated through years of interaction.  over three years, he went with me and saw the world as i did.  though he probably saw it near the hip level rather than eye-level.  i dont have a huge hope to find him again.  perhaps he did thought he could pull an E.T. and head out to an unknown adventure.  i just dont want to think he's been stuck at a trash bin or been chewed off by a random puppy.  no...

it is a dumb musing and i know that if i were to be sensible, i should just pick up another stand-in, just silly and bright so that i can at least continue to find my phone in the back bags. but i dont think i can, just yet.  i am going to visit the lost and found for ttc today and see if anything have been returned. when i have a chance to drop by the annex area, i will ask once again. just in off chance that piggie is done with his exciting halloween mischief outting.

and it makes me feel rather happy, knowing that like piggie, there are people who have shared my eyes for the world with me for years. and for years to come. and they are less likely to take a silent departure for a secret trip (bad piggie), and i feel very attached to them, however far they may be in real distances (pah).  so with such autumnal thoughts, i am closing this post about lost piggie, to start another day outside, hoping to find the silly piggie, if not, to wish him a good trip out.  i wonder if he'll write.

COME BACK PIGGIE!
YOU ARE NOT IN TROUBLE!