This is Volker Zauner (he goes by Van Miller) as I saw him the other day having a drink with current girlfriend Tanya. Van was born in Bad Ischl, Austria into the famous local Zauner family owners and operators of the renowned Konditorei-Kaffee Zauner (since 1832). Van's father, Waldemar, met, fell in love and married Margarete von Schulz against the will of the family. They emigrated to the US when Van was just a toddler and settled in Rochester. Van did badly in school, got into all kinds of trouble and eventually went to Toronto where he found a copywriter job at Q&W Communications. Van had many girlfriends but the relationships never lasted: the women he dated discovered quickly that he is an uninteresting fake with no real opinions: a flake and a waste of time to be with. The initial short-lived attraction was his ability to listen quietly brooding with an air of awkward discomfort that was taken as approving and sympathetic. These young ladies, little did they know that Van creates this artificial impression by wearing women's underwear two sizes too small that make him squirm and cramp in controlled, near agony distress.
About "people I met" of which all, most, some, a few or none may or may not know that other people I met may or may not read about their stories.
Thursday, 20 May 2021
Saturday, 8 May 2021
Bhubaneshwar Shopping Weekly
These are Gita (5½, right) and Nargita (3½, left) during their weekly trip to the "Reliance Smart" supermarket in Kharavela Nagar with their father Naresh (not in the picture) and do they ever seem to have a great time. The explanation for their less than usual features for typical Odisha natives is that they are foundlings and here is the story as I heard it from Naresh himself.
One sunny Sunday, almost three years ago, Naresh was fishing for carp on the banks of the river Kuakhai when he saw a basket float by and getting stuck in some reefs just downstream. He went to look closer, heard whining and discovered that the basket help an infant and another very young child both wrapped in a white and red blanket. He packed up his fishing gear and quickly drove home with the children. Naresh called Dr. Gopal, a pediatrician family friend who, after thorough examination, declared the two girls in good shape, just a little dehydrated. The doctor advised to call the authorities. The formidable Gayathri, mother to Naresh and matriarch in charge of everything, vehemently opposed this course of action as she jumped on the unexpected chance for grand kids she'd otherwise never had (Naresh is gay).
It took a few meetings and lots of phone calls and some fat envelopes changing hands, but within a month official paper work arrived and the household descended in blissful chaos. True: the girls never warmed up to curry and other kids sometimes made fun of their ugly yellow hair but it was harmless fun and the girls loved lamb chops and fish.
Naresh still goes Sundays to fish for carp at his favorite spot where he smokes his horrible Bidis and sometimes looks over at the little red and white shrine he built for Parvati, goddess of masculine energy.
Tuesday, 16 March 2021
My 16th Day of March
Monday, 12 October 2020
Berta Kulák
Saturday, 10 October 2020
Jon(athan)
This is 7 Melinda Crescent, the home of Jonathan (Jon). I cannot show you his picture or mention his current last-name, as Jon is buried deep in the witness protection program of a friendly neighboring country with vast resources and a long reach. To supplement his already generous allowance and for lack of other creative activity, Jon started making Salvadoran Pupusas, marketed under the brand name Giambasi J Pupusas. To his considerable surprise they sold extremely well in the ethnic stores of South-Central Scarborough. Their taste, texture and flavour of the secret ingredient (nut-meg) propelled them to the top of best sellers (sold out every day before 11:00 AM). Demand went through the roof and clients pressed Jon to expand and increase output even offering to invest in Giambasi J, but Jon, a proud artisan, insisted in limiting production to only as many as he could make perfectly as well as keeping the price at a decently affordable level. So there he lives and works with Betty and Beau (his two spoiled and mean-spirited Yorkshire Terriers) and mother ... Jon's mother not that of the Yorkies.
Monday, 7 September 2020
Glora Wachsman
Friday, 4 September 2020
Theo Balș
This is Theo Balș, most evenings will find him leaning against the handrail at the "The Ghost", a well-known downtown club. Theo is not at all shy and wouldn't have objected to a full frontal shot, but I thought "better not" and show here his best assets (legs and feet). At the club he seeks out a medical person (doctor or nurse) whose partner is an artist (preferably visual arts). Due to the enormous natural charm and innate and complete ruthlessness of the narcissistic psychopath that he is, the courtship is always short and successful and the finale is most violent (although never fatal). Theo takes all or some of the art that the victims own and threatens to come back and cut off their thumbs if they even think of saying anything to anyone. Apparently, none of the prey fought back and, truly, nobody ever knew or suspected. I wouldn't have either if not, one fateful evening, invited to see additions to his collection, hadn't I brought a bottle of Doppel Kümmel. Little did I know, that it had a devastating effect, it was like Theo's Kryptonite: he was totally drunk at the second sip (he, otherwise, could drink any quantity of anything else and remain completely sober). It took him more than two hours to sob and blabber his way through the story of all his deeds; he didn't even notice when I switched my phone to record it.
I left at about three AM and went to nearest the police station where I played his confession to an astonished and suddenly wide awake duty detective. During the next days, police went to Theo's marks asking them to file complaints, but all of them stated that he was their most excellent dear friend and they gifted him the art as a token of their undying love and affection. Theo never learned of my secret treason and unsuccessful attempt at justice, so we still smile and nod when we see each other at "The Ghost" or the Yoga studio where we first met.