One of the essential skills required to get through the day without going insane is ignoring what's going on around you. That transient sprawled in the MAX train? Dream on! Those green wired lights strangling downtown's trees in the spirit of Christmas commercialism? Fugedaboutit! That fire hydrant decked out in graffiti? Piss on it!
And so it goes - an endless pageant of ugliness that registers not a whit upon our Teflon senses. Get wired to an i device and your iPod, iPhone, iWhatever, not only protects you from the real world but transports you to a better one.
The people doing their jobs at the Portland Chinese Garden are also products of the modern world and expert in ignoring the ugliness of their world. Thus, the construction lights and electrical cords left in the plant beds long after the party is over, the numerous rat poison boxes and electrical outlets in plain view after the gardeners have done their pruning, the red fire extinguisher left next to the Ming dynasty furniture after the heat lamps are cold. And so it goes at the Chinese Garden - an endless pageant of modern ugliness that almost every one who works there ignores.
Pity the poor visitor who actually believes that he is leaving behind a sea of ugliness when he enters the garden and can engage his senses and relax, confident that he won't be assaulted by the ugliness of the modern world, only to be jolted by the sight of an air conditioning unit behind the paper bush. What a disturbing combination - yellow fragrant flowers and a humming, blowing machine.
Ah well, he can always do what everyone else does and ignore it. But then, what's the point?
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