Paku Paku Panda Puppets

Paku circumnavigates globe.

2010-05-01T14:11:00.007-04:00

Having abandoned his search for the Northwest Passage, Paku circumnavigates globe via the conventional route around the Cape of Good Hope.

Paku in Swazi

2009-11-22T13:32:00.007-05:00

Paku recently had the opportunity to travel to the Kingdom of Swaziland. After a harrowing drive through the South African province of Mpumalanga, where a dense fog settled across the road and Paku could barely distinguish his mitten-covered paw in front of his face, he arrived at Mlilwane lodge under the cover of nightfall.
The kind ranger toting a gun meant for stunning any wandering Hippos led Paku to his accommodations for the evening. Exhausted from the drive, he dropped off to sleep almost immediately. Only the next morning did Paku discover he was staying in a traditional Swazi beehive hut!!! Although his night had been spent pleasantly in this woven shelter, Paku dreaded discovering the giant sized bee that must also share his temporary lodgings with him! Frightened, he fled for the markets of the Malkerns and Ezulwini valley. There Paku found no shortage of woven goods, handblown glass and unique candles for purchase. After lightening his wallet of a few Lilangeni, Paku attempted an innocuous quick trip through the South African/Swazi border. Unfortunately, due to Paku's extensive purchases, he was detained at the border until his various tariffs and bribes could be sorted out.

All in all, Paku recommends Swazi for a long weekend from Joburg, but warns to bring an EpiPen in order to guard against a fatal sting from the giant though reclusive Swazi bee.

Paku encounters previously believed to be extinct dinosaur species

2009-10-12T18:54:00.004-04:00

Paku had been under the impression that dinosaurs have been extinct for quite some time, however, it turns out that they all just moved to Canada.

As you can see, Paku had a rather unfortunate encounter with this fellow, formerly thought to have been extinct since the Cretaceous Period.

Long lost Paku resurfaces in The Great White North!

2009-10-06T20:00:00.009-04:00

As has probably become apparent, sometimes Paku does not make the very best travel decisions. Quite some time ago, Paku was observed wandering the streets of Ottawa...

...what became of Paku in the Great White North was one of the great mysteries of our time.

Until now!

Paku has finally resurfaced, with a wild tale about an encounter with dinosaurs, a monster truck, a waterfall that is higher than Niagara Falls and a long lost French speaking relation (pictured with Paku above) who helped him find his way back to civilization.

Paku enjoys another Icelandic delicacy.... hot dogs!

2009-08-10T11:38:00.006-04:00

Paku's final task in Iceland was to taste a traditional Icelandic hot dog from Bæjarins beztu pylsur. Paku is pleased to report that it lives up to its reputation as the best hot dog in town.

This hot dog contributed to Paku's overall impression of the Icelandic cullinary experience as unexpectedly pleasing and unique.

Pauk finds hidden people

2009-08-08T16:26:00.013-04:00

The elusiveness of Iceland's hidden people became a source of extreme annoyance to Paku. Paku reasoned that given that the people of Iceland make decisions about the placement of roads and aluminum factories based on the location of the hidden people, someone must be able to see them to ensure they are avoiding them!

An increasingly agitated Paku was assured that there are hidden people in evidence at all times in the tiny town of Vík í Mýrdal on Iceland's southern coast.

A skeptical Paku embarked on the long, scenic drive from Reykjavik to Vik in the wee hours of the morning, though who could even tell since it is never dark in Iceland this time of year.

Fortunately, Paku was not disappointed. There area always hidden people visible in Vik because they have been turned into stone!! Quite some time ago, two trolls were tugging a three masted ship toward shore when the sun came up and they have been frozen in place ever since.

Having finally found some hidden people, Paku had only one remaining Icelandic quest to pursue.

Paku enjoys best lobster soup in the history of time

2009-08-07T10:45:00.006-04:00

There are few foods Paku loves nearly as much as bamboo, but lobster and things made with lobster comprise the vast majority of them. Paku's encounter with the lobster soup at Saegreifinn in Reykjavik was a life altering experience. Paku has enjoyed many delicious bowls of lobster soup in his lifetime but this bowl of lobster soup is so delicious he believes it defines the category. This is the lobster soup against which all lobster soups should be compared.

Paku's search for Iceland's "hidden people" leads him to the southern most point of the northern most place he has ever been

2009-05-15T17:43:00.008-04:00

Paku's quest to find Iceland's famous "hidden people" led him to Dyrhólaey, the island's southern most point. It was Paku's strong preference that any hidden person encounter be with elves rather than trolls but he was resigned to the fact that it ultimately would not be up to him and he would consider himself fortunate to find any evidence of hidden people at all.

Pauk warms up in a new hat

2009-05-08T19:48:00.004-04:00

After a luxurious soak at the Blue Lagoon, Paku's first order of business was to get himself climate appropriate attire and a nice place to stay. Paku selected the 101 Hotel in Reykjavik based largely on its aesthetic which was very much in keeping with Paku's own personal style.

Paku blended into the decor so well he had difficulty finding himself in the mirror. Once he did, he concluded that he looked great in his new hand knit Icelandic wool hat.

Paku seeks relaxing island vacation; finds self in Iceland

2009-04-23T00:31:00.008-04:00

Following a long, cold, snowy winter, Paku resolved to take a well deserved vacation at a tropical island paradise. Apparently Paku failed to clearly articulate his precise requirements to his travel agent and as a result found himself in Iceland.

While technically within his stated island specifications, Iceland was not exactly what he had in mind. In fact Iceland is more or less exactly the opposite of what he had in mind. However, Paku is all for making lemons into leomonade and made the best of the highly unexpected situation.

Rather inconveniently, Paku had packed little more than his swimming outfit. Fortunately for him it turns out that the Icelandic landscape is dotted with lava encased geothermically heated pools of hot water. Even more fortunately for Paku, the Blue Lagoon is in close proximity to the airport. After a long soak Paku was prepared to face the new reality of his vacation that unexpectedly included glaciers instead of palm trees.

Happy Evacuation Day!!!

2008-11-25T23:59:00.003-05:00

Paku is prepared to admit that he is not as well versed in American history as he should be. As a result, Paku was alarmed by the presence of a small army in 18th century military dress armed with muskets, bayonets fixed, marching on Wall Street this afternoon. As Paku was preparing to seek cover from the onslaught, he was handed an informative leaflet. As it turns out, today is the 225th anniversary of the evacuation of New York City by the British. Happy Evacuation Day!!

Seasons Greetings!!

2008-11-22T18:08:00.006-05:00

Nothing says Merry Christmas to Paku quite like a giant Christmas tree erected in the middle of a street that has been closed to traffic to prevent terrorists from destroying the surrounding buildings being decorated by men in hardhats on some kind of crane in the shadow of a giant American flag made of Christmas lights. Paku hopes this moving image gets you in the holiday spirit too.

Paku reflects on the future of American finance over brunch

2008-09-21T18:00:00.003-04:00

Paku saves $24.95

2008-07-20T19:45:00.008-04:00

The Mount Roberts Tramway is one of Juneau's most popular attractions. En route to Alaska, Paku learned that while a round trip ticket on the tram costs nearly $25, hikers who make it up Mount Roberts to the tram can ride down for free. In the current economic environment, Paku made the fiscally responsible decision to walk up and ride down.

Exhausted Paku eagerly awaiting bedtime

2008-07-12T13:11:00.005-04:00

Paku arrived in Juneau, Alaska what seems to him like at least a day ago. Paku certainly feels quite tired and in need of some sleep. However, he is convinced that he must just be experiencing some jet lag because it is not night time yet. In fact, the light has changed very little since he arrived. Time must just move slower out here away from the office. In order to acclimate to the time change Paku would prefer to wait until the evening to go to bed but perhaps a short nap is in order...

Cherry blossoms live up to hype

2008-04-06T15:26:00.012-04:00

Since arriving in the United States just over two years ago, Paku has heard a lot of talk about the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. Paku considers himself an expert in cherry blossoms and was skeptical that any cherry blossoms outside of Japan could meet his exacting standards. In order to give the blossoms their best opportunity to impress him, he timed his visit to the District with peak bloom, which came rather early this year.

As it turned out, the cool weather and overcast sky were perfect bloom viewing conditions. The blossoms were particularly vivid against the overcast sky and gray water of the tidal basin. By the end of his visit, Paku was telling anyone who would listen that these were the finest cherry blossoms he had ever seen. His declarations were amplified by a few cherry themed drinks at the historic Round Robin Bar.

Paku's exhaustive search for missing luggage ultimately in vain

2008-03-24T08:45:00.014-04:00

Paku commemorated the recent long Easter weekend with a return trip to Amsterdam. Despite cold and wet weather conditions throughout the weekend, he had a thoroughly good time. By Sunday he was looking forward to an uneventful and relaxing return journey back to New York.

Unbeknown to Paku, while he was settling into his comfortable seat on KLM, his luggage's stay in the Netherlands was being involuntarily extended.

Upon his arrival back in New York, Paku quickly cleared immigration. He then began his vigil at baggage carousel #7. When it became painfully apparent that Paku's bag would never tumble down the carousel #7 conveyor belt, Paku took up the search for his missing bag in earnest.
Paku thought that perhaps his bag had fallen out of the plane when they opened up the cargo area to unload it. Despite a thorough inspection of the outside of the plane, Paku's luggage remained unfound.

Pointlessly, Paku sought the assistant of a KLM representative. As a result of that encounter, Paku has decided that he will never again seek the assistance of a KLM representative.

The exact location of Paku's luggage and the timing of its return to the United States remains a mystery more than 24 hours after Paku's arrival back in New York.

Saving Pandas, Millions at a Time

2008-02-05T13:10:00.001-05:00

Instead of ivory towers, Johns Hopkins has a dome.

Paku treats himself to a treat

2008-02-02T18:12:00.001-05:00

Today Paku stopped by his local Japanese pastry shop for a delicious treat.

Paku chose this special lucky New Year's selection to enjoy
while he watches the Super Bowl tomorrow.

Paku (belatedly) commemorates birthday of Edgar Allen Poe with visit to Baltimore

2008-01-27T20:15:00.001-05:00

Sometimes when Paku is feeling excessively cheerful, he reaches for a the collected works of Edgar Allen Poe, selects a page at random, begins reading, and is instantaneously cured.

Paku has helpful information for visitors to Lower Manhattan

2008-01-27T19:38:00.003-05:00

When Paku moved to Wall Street he was not prepared for the volume of tourists who visit his new neighborhood every day. Paku has discovered that many, if not all of these visitors share the common misconception that the famous Charging Bull statue is actually located on Wall Street. Paku has come across many a tourist wandering aimlessly along Wall Street looking for the bull statute. Many wisely ask Paku where they can find it. Paku wishes for everyone to know that the bull is located at Bowling Green on Broadway, south of Wall Street. Paku is prepared to endorse any candidate for Mayor of New York whose platform includes better signage indicating the location of the bull and / or moving the bull to Wall Street.

Paku a delighted recipient of miniature Dutch house

2008-01-05T11:24:00.001-05:00

In the 6th hour of Paku's flight to Amsterdam earlier this week, Paku was unexpectedly presented with a tiny Delft replica dutch house filled with gin! Paku has since learned that this is a longstanding KLM tradition of which Paku strongly approves. With his first two houses, Paku is happily constructing a tiny Dutch village on his desk at work. Paku is hopeful that he will have the opportunity to make several more trips to The Netherlands in the near future so he can add to his collection.

Paku is of the opinion that January is not the optimal time to visit Amsterdam

2008-01-03T22:02:00.001-05:00

Paku celebrated the new year with a quick and unexpected trip to Amsterdam. Paku found Amsterdam to be bitterly cold, dark pretty much all day and surprisingly crowded with tourists given the aforementioned coldness and darkness.

With very little time and insufficient cold weather wear, Paku had to make the most of the brief amount of time he was able to spend out of doors in Amsterdam. Paku learned that the most of the collection at the Van Gogh Museu m can never leave Holland so this was perhaps Paku's only opportunity to see the Van Gogh paintings. Paku stood outside in line for what seemed like ever waiting to get in. The wait was made all the more unpleasant by the fact that everyone around him in line was smoking. Paku really doesn't care for smoking.

Paku enjoyed the museum very much and recommends it highly to anyone visiting in the area. He also recommends getting their early in the day to avoid the large crowds which make viewing the paintings difficult.

Paku inexplicably under impression that Canada is a good place for a summer vacation

2007-07-12T20:24:00.000-04:00

Paku, having completed the exhausting task of moving to New York City, was very much in need of a relaxing vacation. For reasons perhaps attributable to his continuing unfamiliarity with his recently adopted hemisphere, Paku found himself on holiday in Canada. Paku's first stop, Ottawa, was decidedly lacking the traditional vacation accoutrements of beaches and sun so Paku was forced to find more creative ways to occupy his time.

My Goodness, My Guinness

2007-07-08T12:08:00.000-04:00

When the temperature soars into the upper 90s*, Paku and friend know to repair to the dark and cool confines of their favorite Irish pub in order to imbibe a few pints of Guinness Stout so as to restore their constitutions as well as overall demeanor.
Paku has long attempted to cultivate an appreciation for Scotch, but that quest so far remains unsuccessful. Given his enjoyment of the complexity and variety of flavors that are embodied by his favorite bamboo, its no real surprise that he would be unable to embrace a beverage which is often described as "peaty."

Pakus hoisted a few pints in order to congratulate one another on recent academic successes and achievements. The evening wore on and more pints were enjoyed, but Paku noticed that his photos of the later part of the night were strangely out of focus and ill-framed, not to mention difficult to appreciate the next day with a raging headache and queasy tummy.

*Upper 90s Fahrenheit that is. Paku has had to force himself to learn this archaic system of English measurement during his residence in the states. For those who adhere to the more rational metric system, this translates to the upper 30s Celsius

Summertime, Paku style

2007-06-10T18:25:00.000-04:00

Paku finished off his first year in the PhD program in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and found himself a rather exhausted shell of the panda he once was, prior to the breakneck pace of four six-week terms followed by the 2-day comprehensive exam.

Paku was able to finish by reminding himself of two things almost daily: 1) the school motto, "Saving pandas, millions at a time", and 2) the fantastic summer of leisure that awaited him.

But as it turns out, Paku is not entirely a panda of leisure. He is also a panda who enjoys freshly grown fruits and herbs, and he also fancies himself to have quite a green paw.

Paku will also not be confined by the small urban space he finds himself dwelling in, and set himself up a container garden on his roof deck that features stunning views of Baltimore's working port.

He planted 3 varieties of lettuce, tomatoes, squash, zuccinni, basil, mint and green bell peppers!

Paku especially loves getting up each morning and rushing up to the deck to check on the progress of the tomato vine which has climbed so high that it is becoming difficult for Paku to reach the top! (But, he manages through a little ingenuity)

All of his time on the roofdeck is not spent alone, however. Paku recently entertained a rather comical little fellow who stopped in to visit on his way through Baltimore: Mr. Peep!

Paku prepared Mr. Peep a delicious meal which they enjoyed in repose on the deck, while the harbor breezes stirred their respective plushy selves.

Mr. Peep regaled Paku with tails of his recent business trip to Ulan Bator in order to develop a new market opportunity for the marshmallowy sugary treats that simply won't be confined to the Easter season.

Paku caught Mr. Peep up on the comings and goings of his year in the ivory tower studying epidemiology, biostatistics and infectious disease.

As the afternoon wore on, Paku went down to the kitchen in order to uncork a second bottle of wine to share between the two old friends. When he came back up, he couldn't find Mr. Peep anywhere.

Turns out that rascally Mr. Peep was up to his old tricks, hiding in the yellow squash plant!

Paku can't wait for the summer ahead!

Paku to rejoin the workforce

2007-05-21T20:32:00.001-04:00

Congtratulations Paku!

After two long years of a modest amount of effort, Paku has graduated from Wharton business school with an MBA.

Paku is now faced with the daunting prospect of rejoining the full-time workforce. And while this is indeed a horrifying prospect, of more immediate concern is Paku's impending move to New York, which is just over a week away.

Paku has found relatively little to recommend about Philadelphia but there is not doubt that it is significantly less expensive than New York City. As a result, Paku is moving from relatively spacious two bedroom, split level apartment in South Philly to a small windowless closet in Lower Manhattan.

But even with all he has to do, Paku can't help but take a few moments to reflect on his b-school experience. It's hard for Paku to believe that it has been nearly two years since he walked through the front door at the Wharton School to start pre-term.

Sometimes during his time at Wharton Paku would attend classes during which he occasionally stayed awake / learned something. Paku is still trying to comprehend the relevance to him of a detailed understanding of the process for moving cranberries from bog to bottle but he remains optimistic that it will become clear in time.

Two controversies dominated the hallways during Paku's tenure at Wharton. The grade nondisclosure issue has been well covered elsewhere so Paku will refrain from a lengthy discussion on that topic here. Of more relevance to Paku on a day-to-day basis was the Au Bon Pain monopoly on the Wharton campus. Paku appreciates the convenience of not having to leave the building for a snack (especially in the rain) but he really doesn't appreciate paying $6 for a soda and chocolate croissant. What happened to free market competition?

But Paku digresses...

We managed to capture a few more of Paku's final moments at Wharton.

Sausage links and.....other links (in which Paku is downright humiliated)

2007-05-19T20:14:00.000-04:00

Wary from his last "culinary" experience in Philadelphia, Paku was assured that he could enjoy a delicious and hearty breakfast at the Melrose Diner. His dining companions urged him to fill up, as they had a surprise planned for him later in the day, which they assured him would require some energy!
Wondering what lay ahead of him, Paku bellied up to the counter at the Melrose and found himself in the company of several wizened residents of Philadelphia. He ordered 2 eggs over easy with pork sausage and a side of bamboo. The waitress behind the counter thought she had heard everything!!! She informed Paku in the kind but terse way that is characteristic of this city's denizens that if Paku wanted a side of bamboo he was going to have to try his luck at a different establishment.

Thus rebuffed, Paku declined to change venues, and found that although his meal wasn't his first choice, it was a delicious enough substitute.

After breakfast, Paku and pals piled into the Honda Accord and sped off for locales unknown (to Paku, at least). In order to build suspense, Paku's human pals kept offering him hints as to the activity of the day.

"How far is it?" asked Paku, innocently.

"Oh, its a long drive!" said his human companion, mysteriously.

"Are we going to the beach? Are we going fishing?" queried Paku.

"Nooo...but it does involve hooks!" replied the driver of the Accord.

"Is this something I've done before?" wondered Paku.

"Don't worry, we think this will fit you to a tee!" said the rather quizzical companion in the passenger seat.

Paku's interest was piqued, but he also felt an uneasy sense of impending doom as the Accord sped towards the mysterious destination.

Paku would really rather not talk about how the day turned out.

Paku discovers Washington Monument bears little, if any, resemblance to Washington

2007-05-10T22:12:00.000-04:00

When Paku emerged from his metro stop in DC this weekend he immediately asked a passerby for directions to the Washington Monument, one of the capitol's most famous landmarks. Paku was informed "it's just over there, you can't miss it." Unfortunately for Paku, he was unclear as to exactly what he was looking for and he spent a good portion of his afternoon closely examine an endless succession of marble and copper statues in search of one with a likeness to the portrait on his dollar bills. Fortunately a hot dog vendor on the Mall noticed the confused and frustrated (but not hungry (see prior post)) Paku and directed him to the massive white obelisk that Paku did have to admit was impossible to miss.

Even from far away, Paku doesn't think it really looks like Washington!

Paku overwhelmed by Sunday Brunch buffet

2007-05-07T12:52:00.000-04:00

Ever eager to experience the traditions of his adopted country, this weekend Paku partook in his first Sunday Brunch at Georgia Bro wn's in Washington, DC. Paku's inaugural brunch got off to an inauspicious start when he was informed by the omlette chef that it would not be possible for Paku to have a bamboo and feta omlette.

Paku had heard that DC was a panda friendly city so this revelation came as a particular shock. However, after a brief period of sulking, Paku turned his attention to the all-paku-can-eat buffet and found more than enough brunch items to over stuff his not readily apparent stomach.

SnowPaku

2007-02-25T17:21:00.000-05:00

Finally, the snowfall Paku has been waiting to hit his adopted homeland arrived in late February. Paku didn't waste any time in enjoying the precious flakes-- he made do with the 3 or so inches that fell on Baltimore and quickly made a friend to pal around with in the snow.

Oh, Paku-- think back to the winter vacations of your youth-- shooshing down the hills at Hakuba Goryu and Kurumayama Kogen in Nagano Prefecture....

Paku in Peru

2007-02-15T20:03:00.000-05:00

Paku visited Lima for the first time just after Thanksgiving, and happily basked in summer for the entire month of December. When Mom cruelly insisted on leaving Peru for the bitter cold of barren Wisconsin just before Christmas, Paku put his foot down and refused to return. Grandma was very, very displeased with Paku's decision, but was unable to guilt him into leaving South America. He made friends with a black labrador, and shared his apartment until Mom's return in mid-January. Who knows what he got up to when she was back in the States...when the cat is away, the mice will play!

You can see why Paku was so resolute; here he is happily sunning himself (as he did nearly every day) on a balcony overlooking the lovely Parque El Olivar (the park of olives, though Paku was never able to actually find an olive anywhere in the park). It is perhaps a bit surprising that Paku remains so pristinely white after so much sunning, but this was taken on one of his first days; so we shall see how well the delicate Paku complexion stands up over time to the intense Peruvian sun.....

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2007-02-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

Paku indulges in frivilous fantasies involving automobile ownership

2007-02-11T18:43:00.000-05:00

Paku attended the Philadelphia International Auto Show this weekend at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Paku has yet to come fully to terms with the fact that when he takes up residence in New York City in four months it will no longer be practical for him to own his beloved Honda Accord, let alone get himself a new car.

Naturally the first stop at the auto show for Paku, whose early life story was recently dramatized in the motion picture "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift", was at the Tuner Salon where the generous people of Scion issued Paku a new Scion baseball cap.

Paku very much admired this tuned up Scion xC, however, he found it to be insufficiently orange in color with much, much too subtle rear fins.

After reflecting for a few moments on the street racing of his youth, Paku contemplated a future as a family Paku and tried on a minivan and a few SUVs for size.

Quickly abandoning thoughts of a lifestyle requiring a vehicle with more than two doors, Paku found some cars that are more in keeping with his image.

Pakus Discover Further Evidence Extinct Giants Once Roamed the World (or Part III: In Which Pakus' Philadelphia Adventure Continues...)

2007-02-05T18:21:00.000-05:00

Our intrepid Pakus were strolling past the Municipal Services building during their tour of Philly (Philly Paku was taking Baltimore Paku to show him who is responsible for his weekly bamboo delivery), when they came upon a rather stunning archaeological find, oddly hidden in plain sight. Scattered throughout the plaza were game pieces, obviously relics of some former Brobdignagian race of giants who once roamed the earth. Shown at the left was the first game piece they came upon, from the game Sorry. Paku had to employ the assistance of a passerby to hoist him ontop of this massive game piece. Paku was astounded that since this game is meant for children as young as six, the implication for the size of this former giant race was mind-blowing.

Intrigued, they explored the plaza further, eventually unearthing two game pieces from the classic board game Monopoly. Both Pakus couldn't stop themselves from hopping up into the wheel barrow to pose! Philly Paku had no sooner suggested a game between the two pandas than Baltimore Paku put the kaibash on it. Never play Monopoly with someone in business school (its not that they'll win, but they'll spend the whole game lecturing at you!).

Pakus felt that this race of giants likely had inferior intellect to the man that walks the earth today, who in turn has a subpar intelligence when compared to the Giant Panda. They also theorized that the giants were probably driven into extinction by battles and wrestling matches between sibling giants over who got to be the car piece in Monopoly. Either that or they went for a walk and accidentally all fell into the Grand Canyon.

Lastly, the Pakus happened upon a few remaining pieces from what must have been the giants chess set. Amazed as they were that these giants could have had the intellect for this game of kings, the Pakus were rather overwhelmed by the rudeness of a passerby whom they enlisted to take a photo of Paku with the knight game piece.

Needless to say this "whimsical" posing was not appreciated by either Paku.

Paku regroups after devastating blow and adjusts to new reality in which the Patriots do not win Super Bowl XLI

2007-01-29T10:21:00.000-05:00

Last Monday Paku awoke to a startling new reality for which he was totally unprepared. A reality in which the New England Patriots would not win a Super Bowl XLI rematch of Super Bowl XX against the Chicago Bears. Struggling to cope, Paku wandered without purpose or direction through his day. Realizing he could not continue in this pathetic state, Paku decided he needed to get away from it all to reflect on the past season and put things back in perspective.

Paku has returned with high hopes for the 2007 season and also notes with excitement that the Sox's pitchers & catchers report to spring training in less than three weeks!

Paku wants to know...

2007-01-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

Here at PPPP, we are conscious of our popularity, as well as our brand image and integrity. We want to keep our readers coming back, generate a new fanbase of readers, as well as maintain the PPPP quality that you have come to know, trust and count on.

We've got a lot in store for you in the coming months, but we also value your opinion! We'd like to know what you, the PPPP reader would like to see on this blog. Granted, we may not listen to your opinion and indeed may blatantly disregard it, but we'd still like to project the image (no matter how diaphanously mauslin) that we care about you and your thoughts. With this in mind, we'd like to invite you to vote in the following poll:

Paku corrects bizarre spelling error

2007-01-19T20:40:00.000-05:00

Paku's expectations for a low key stress free semester were turned upside down when the New England Patriots began their playoff run this year. Paku nearly had to seek medical attention during the Pats game in San Diego last Sunday. One of Paku's favorite websites captured his analysis perfectly summarizing the game simply with "We Are Survive!!" Right now Paku is busy making preparations for the AFC Championship game against Indy.

Paku lunches famously in the city of brotherly love

2007-01-15T14:10:00.000-05:00

Paku, like many of you, has long heard of the legendary cheesesteak sandwiches of Philadelphia, his temporary home city. To celebrate the occasion of another Paku pal visiting from Baltimore, the two decided to partake of these delicious lunch entities.

Immediately, our intrepid pandas were faced with a choice: Geno's or Pat's.
Paku evaluated this choice in the only way available to him: by examining their taglines. Pat's promised to be the king of steaks, and warned potential Geno's customers not to "eat a misteak." Geno's on the other hand, claimed merely to be "the best." In the end, Paku decided to go with Pat's, as he often considers himself the king of bears, he thought he might find himself in like company.

Paku had heard a lot about the intimidating ordering at Geno's, but he found the proprietor spoke excellent Japanese. Paku had a cheeseteak wit', with American cheese. (Paku did want to ask for Japanese cheese but decided at the last minute to adopt a 'when in Rome' attitude).

In the end, Paku was disappointed and saddened. The ribeye steak was a bit chewy, even for his bamboo munching teeth, and the cheese never melted. It was cold outside (even with his mittons on), which was the only dining option available, and the entire venture (including soda and fries) set him back more USD than he had anticipated.

However, Paku was game for this Philly tradition, and finished his entire cheesesteak, fries and diet Coke. In the end, he wondered if Geno's really could have been all that different than Pat's. He also pontificated on those food establishments that are so legendary and well known that they come to define a particular genre of food. For him, until he ate at Pat's, these two establishments were just such places. Afterwards, Paku wondered if these two places were past their prime, living on the fumes of old triumphs in the cheesesteak realm, mere shells of the legends they still claim to be. Paku was saddened, but felt as though he had to give these cheesesteaks a try. As he wandered off, he cast a glance askance at Geno's, thinking perhaps these sandwiches were probably on par with Pat's. He considered briefly stopping in and suggesting a new business plan, one that hinged on bamboo sandwiches with fruitcicle topping but considering the poor state of his english, and the likely equal state ofGeno's Japanese, our two Pakus sauntered off to spend the rest of their day touring about the city of brotherly love. What other adventures would find them?

Paku seeks answer to question "what's so great about Philadelphia?"; finds defective bell.

2007-01-09T18:54:00.000-05:00

It's been nearly a year since Paku moved from Tokyo to Philadelphia and he recently decided that it was about time to explore the many wonders of America's fourth largest city. What did Paku find? A defective bell.

Upon close inspection, Paku discovered that not only is this bell broken, but also poorly edited.

Even Paku who is not a native English speaker knows that Pennsylvania is spelled with three Ns.

Paku visits the greatest city on Earth

2007-01-06T18:17:00.000-05:00

According to Paku, the best thing to happen to San Francisco since the Gold Rush is the BART extension to San Francisco International Airport. It had been quite some time since Paku's last visit to San Francisco so he had to consult the route map to find his stop.

While in San Francisco, Paku stayed in the David Choe room at the Hotel Des Arts.

In addition to elaborately decorated walls, Paku's room featured one of the most annoying aspects of apartment life for many San Francisco residents: a sink with separate hot and cold water taps requiring the user to mix the scalding hot water coming out of one tap and the cold water coming out of the other tap in the basin. Like the British, for reasons not readily apparent to Paku, San Franciscans cling to this antiquated method of household water distributuion. Paku speculates that the people responsible for this sink design are on crack.

Unfortunately for Paku it rained most of the weekend he was in San Francisco, but he did manage to spend a little time outside enjoying the beautiful scenery. At one time in his life, Paku had a nice office with a view very similar to the one he is admiring here. Unfortunatley for Paku, it has been all down hill since then and he is on his way to a windowless cubicle after he graduates from business school.

Man's (and eventually Paku's) Best Friend

2006-11-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

Recently, Paku had occasion to be introduced to a delightful young pup named Lucy. This meeting, perhaps overhyped at the time, was regarded with aprehension and suspicion by both parties.

Lucy looked dolefully and dubiously at Paku, and Paku returned this gaze in kind.

After a moment of staring, things took a turn for the worse. It turns out that Pakus, while a corageous and loyol friend, also make a delicious nibble.
At this point, human intervention was needed. Paku was reminded to regale Lucy with the tales of his world travels. Lucy was reminded that it isn't polite to bite noses on first meeting. Both were informed of their mutual love of bacon.
Before long, it was the interspecies love-fest we'd all hoped and dreamed about. The lion lay down with the lamb, the Paku lay down with the Lucy. Alls well that ends well.

Paku recovers from Thanksgiving 2006; looks forward to Thanksgiving 2007

2006-11-26T22:12:00.000-05:00

This Monday finds Paku slowly recovering from his first Thanksgiving in his newly adopted country. Along with his first Thanksgiving meal, Paku also discovered a novel mechanism for dispensing wine: a box and spigot.

Paku has always found the traditional bottle sealed with cork to be inefficient. First there is not sufficient wine in it for Paku and second it can be difficult to gain access to the contents. Purchasing larger bottles proved to be only a partial solution. The cork still gets in Paku's way!

As you can see, however, Paku was not deterred by the presence of corks or bottles on Thanksgiving; hence the need for a short recovery period.

Paku had so much fun over the weekend he is already dreaming about his second Thanksgiving next year.

Paku harbors maternal urges

2006-11-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

As they advance in age, maternal (paternal?) instincts in our Pakus are slowly emerging. For the first time, they expressed the desire to create genetic replicas of themselves. If that is not possible (as their human captors claim it is not; but did you ever see Gremlins?), then Paku intends to secure possession of this baby, who turned up at this year's Thanksgiving. His name? Sean Oscar McDonald, the cutest baby our Pakus have ever seen.

His new name?"Naoki Shima." His slightly drugged appearance will likely remain until Paku has secured the baby's passage through Narita immigration....surely no one will suspect that he is not borne of our Pakus.

Paku Overindulgence

2006-11-24T19:45:00.000-05:00

The day after Thanksgiving finds Paku playing mah jong with his other Paku pals!

Pink Paku is dominating the game so far, but Yellow Pakus are not far behind. YP needs another White Dragon, especially after he ate all his bamboo tiles.....

Admittedly, as tends to happen when Pakus are all gathered together, some merriment ensued and eventually a box (yes a box) of Shiraz made its way on the scene.

After a glass or two (or three or eight) Paku decided to check his blood alcohol level. Woah, Paku, is that device properly calibrated for pandas?!?!?

Paku dominates initial Thanksgiving Mah Jong game

2006-11-24T14:33:00.000-05:00

Paku's Japanese upbringing has resulted in an excessive modesty which inhibits Paku from acknowledging his superior skill at the game of mah jong. However, modesty aside, Paku could not help but dominate his first game of post-Thanksgiving mah jong. So far Paku has engaged in relatively conservative play in order to achieve as many mah jong' s as possible. However, because of the relative ease of his victory employing this strategy he has decides to pursue a more aggressive strategy for the next round focusing more on points per hand than winning each game.

Unfortunately, Paku has an established weakness for dragon tiles so he must take care not to hoard to many dragons at the expense of winning games, a trap he has fallen victim to before.

Paku prepares a Thanksgiving feast

2006-11-23T00:28:00.000-05:00

For his inaugural Thanksgiving, Paku has settled on the following menu:

Turkey with stuffing;
Cranberry sauce;
Mashed potatoes;
Sweet potatoes with oranges and brown sugar;
Green beans with pine nuts and basil; and
Corn bread

and for dessert,

Pumpkin pie;
Pecan pie; and (of course)
Cheesecake.

Paku commenced Thanksgiving meal production last night by slicing a whole pumpkin in half and baking it in the oven. Paku will season and roast the pumpkin seeds for a Thanksgiving Day snack.

The outcome of Paku's initial efforts are so impressive that one might suspect that Paku was preparing his 12th consecutive Thanksgiving meal and not his first!

Paku embraces an American holiday tradition

2006-11-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

For his very first American Thanksgiving celebration, Paku has ambitiously embarked on the preparation of a traditional holiday meal. Paku will prepare this 17lb turkey, complete with pork stuffing (a lot of pork stuffing), and a pie made from an actual pumpkin! Among the many challenges facing Paku this Thanksgiving Eve is his lack of familiarity with the menu items. Paku's initial proposed preparation for the turkey was spicy turkey roll. Then he suggested turkey-katsu (which I don't think is necessarily a bad idea but not appropriate for Thanksgiving), then he suggested turkey ramen and then teriyaki turkey. I think his ideas for the pork are best left to the imagination. Fortunately, Paku is nothing if not reasonable and he has consented to preparing all of the ingredients in the usual way.

Pakus have expensive taste

2006-11-05T18:01:00.000-05:00

One of the downsides of traveling with Paku is his incessant complaining when the accommodations are not up to his very high standards. As a result, it was quite a relief to learn that the sponsor of our recent trip to Los Angeles was putting us up at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire . Paku averted a near disaster when upon his arrival the desk staff informed him that he would be staying in a smoking room with two double beds and not the non-smoking king room he had requested. Fortunately for Paku, he had arrived late enough that the manager of the hotel was willing to release one of the suites they keep available in case someone important shows up (which someone obviously had). Paku was particularly pleased with the huge plasma screen TV, the separate soaking tub in the enormous bathroom and the three complementary bottles of exotic spring water in the sitting room.

Another problem with traveling with Paku: finding an adequate supply of bamboo. Fortunately, while in LA Paku found In-n-Out Burger to be an acceptable substitute. What does Paku like to order at In-n-Out? Two cheeseburgers protein style, fries and a Neapolitan shake.

Pakus enjoy a little relaxation every now and then.

2006-10-16T11:14:00.000-04:00

I am sure you have been wondering what Pakus do in Costa Rica when they are not braving the treacherous roadways. Paku had just finished a 10 week investment banking summer internship so he was very much in need of some rest and relaxation. Because of this and the wretched condition of the roads, Paku decided on a modest agenda for his week in Costa Rica.

First, he visited Costa Rica's most active volcano in Arenal. Unfortunately for Paku, because he visited in the rainy season the top of the cone of the volcano was often obscured by fog and clouds. Happily, on his last night in Arenal (at the wonderful Arenal Volcano Inn) the sky cleared up and he saw some molten lava flowing out of the volcano. While he was in Arenal he also visited the rain forest via hanging bridges where his industrial strength mosquito repellent came in very handy. He also spent a day getting spa treatments and soaking in the magma heated hot springs at the Tabacon resort. Paku recommends this activity especially highly.

Paku encounters challenging road conditions in Costa Rica

2006-08-31T14:19:00.000-04:00

This adventurous Paku recently returned from a trip driving around the northwest part of Costa Rica. Here he is at the beginning of his journey with his Daihatsu Terios, Juan Carlos. Juan Carlos had already travelled nearly 50,000 km around Costa Rica and Paku quickly discovered that they were probably a very rough 50,000 km.

Here is a picture of Paku behind the wheel facing a typical, muddy, dirt-covered pothole-filled stretch of Costa Rican highway. In addition to poorly maintained roadways, Paku also frequently encountered sudden stoppages of traffic (such as it was) of varrying lengths. Sometimes, it would later become apparent that a massive pile of earth had to be removed from the road.

Dance, Dance, Paku!

2006-06-01T10:18:00.000-04:00

Undaunted by a paucity of limbs, our gutsy paku takes on K in a heated Dance, Dance, Revolution competition at the Luxor in Las Vegas. In a nod to their surroundings, they placed a wager on the outcome, and ... well, let's just say that K had better start learning to grow bamboo.

Pakus care about starving Irish people.

2006-05-29T00:08:00.000-04:00

While making his way through this surprising Financial District memorial to the Irish Potato Famine, this Paku pondered why the Irish never tried growing bamboo...

Manhattan, or is that.....VEGAS?

2006-05-25T13:49:00.000-04:00

C's Paku stares up in sheer mouth-gaping awe at the NY,NY casino's rendition of Lady Liberty. He realizes some truth in her wise words "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled Pakus yearning to breathe free..."

Paku is both tired and poor after a day of a tourny at the Luxor, 3/6 at the Venetian, and 2/4 back at the Luxor deep into the night.

All in, Paku, ALL IN!

Pakus Take Manhattan...

2006-05-24T21:21:00.000-04:00

… well, one Paku.

Being of Chinese ancestry, our Paku is very comfortable in his new home in Chinatown. He has been frustrated, however, by his inability to find any Paku shaped pastry treats. Here he is seen venturing toward Little Italy in further pursuit of his quest.

Vegas II: In which a Paku consumes a 32oz football

2006-05-24T09:29:00.000-04:00

Lounging by the pool in his mittens and scarf got Paku a little thirsty. Luckily, this is Vegas, and a football filled with a delicious blue drink called "Under the Waterfall" was only a few steps away at the poolside bar. The perfect fuel for a little gambling later...oh no Paku, did you drink the whole thing??!?!

Paku in Vegas: Prologue

2006-05-23T12:41:00.000-04:00

Early May in Vegas is nothing to sneeze at, weather wise! When Paku got to the Vegas airport and skimmed the newspaper, he began to reconsider his decision to pack his scarf and mittens....

Pakus, like all Japanese people, love baseball.

2006-05-20T22:52:00.000-04:00

This Paku watches as Red Sox pitcher, Josh Beckett, help his own cause with a home run (first by a Boston pitcher since 1972!) and an RBI single. Go Sox!

Paku Pubquiz

2006-05-12T15:48:00.000-04:00

Will's new Paku is fond o' the black alright! Woah Paku, hope you're not driving tonight! Will's new Paku joined the crew just in time for a Tuesday night PubQuiz. Now if only he'd argued harder for Steffi Graf and the flag of Lebanon....

Paku, at last!

2006-05-11T21:43:00.000-04:00

Say it with me little Paku, "Rebuilding year...."

A Paku in Philadelphia

2006-04-05T22:12:00.000-04:00

Our intrepid Paku with Philadelphia's most famous resident.

Waiting for Pakus -- A Haiku

2006-03-24T09:56:00.000-05:00

Waiting for Paku
It seems interminable
Will we ever meet?

C's Paku Haiku

2006-03-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

spring temps-- up and down

oh my dear little Paku

good thing for mittens

If it's Saturday this must be Tokyo

2006-03-15T13:18:00.000-05:00

Here we see our intrepid Paku as he glimpses his homeland for possibly the last time! Don't worry Paku, the best is yet to come!

Paku's Summer Job

2006-03-09T14:38:00.000-05:00

E's Paku is pretty stoked about his summer job at Credit Suisse in NYC. Here, he realizes with growing excitement that they also have offices in Tokyo -- maybe after he proves his worth in the US, he'll be able to return to a job in Japan!

My goodness, what an astonishing feat of mankind!

2006-03-09T13:03:00.000-05:00

E's Paku (and hopefully ours as well) is having a grand old time of it in Japan this week. Our pakus are getting one last glimpse of their homeland before making the voyage to the New World. Here, B's Paku shows openmouthed admiration of the Izumi Garden Tower.

The deeper meaning of Paku

2006-03-08T16:36:00.000-05:00

This dictionary defines paku paku as "opening and closing mouth, eating, gobbling. This is where Pac-man came from!"

Also notable is waku which denotes excitement!

Around here at PPPP, we have paku waku as we await our puppets!

Pakus, also a delicious treat

2006-03-08T14:25:00.000-05:00

These puppets are the mascots of a bakery that sells Paku-shaped pastries! E, always a thoughtful researcher, was able to sample and analyze this delightful manifestation of Paku-ness. We await her tasting notes...

Pakus Excitedly Awaiting Introductions to New Best Friends

2006-03-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

Here are our Pakus still in Japan. E has just picked them up, and they are VERY excited to meet their new American friends. Who will get to join KT and C on a celebratory trip to Vegas? They are all vying for position...

Paku anticipation

2006-03-02T22:17:00.000-05:00

This is where we will hopefully be posting our Paku Paku Panda photos...

Good luck BC!

Where should Paku go next?
	Westfield, NJ
	Lima, Peru
	New York City
	India
	Baltimore
	Mars

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