Penguining Around

The Penguin came to be in the fall of 2008. I picked it up for TWO DOLLARS!!!! (Probably the best/most entertaining investment - yes, investment - of my life) at a Value Village just off the Brown Line's Kimball stop. It almost never was: I was with my friends, Christine and Erin, and while I believe I spotted it first when we walked through the door and the heavens opened up and the hallelujah chorus began, Erin was closer and slung it over her arm with a smile. My heart fell, and I picked up a child's Little Mermaid costume instead. In wandering the store, Erin found something to make her Snuggler (link isn't the whole video, as Vevo is apparently unavailable in my country - just another reason that Guam isn't really America...) costume come true, I must admit that I gave some encouragement that it would be the best costume at the party. I am happy to report that she spent most of the evening running around with her hands in her jorts pockets before snuggling random party-goers. I also found a pimp-style hat, so I obviously became the Super Pimp[tress] Penguin, saving all the prostitutes from their abusive bosses.

Oh, but the whole reason of the costumes... though, does there ever really need to be a reason for costuming? No, no there doesn't. I ran the 2008 Chicago Marathon for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and my friends threw me a Superhero [Fundraising] Party at their house.

There were more people inside... not dressed up, so we didn't tell them about the picture.

That was the beginning.

Then there was Halloween 2008 where I rode my bicycle to work, downtown Chicago, in costume, though the blinders of the head proved difficult in navigating through traffic. It was a hit among co-workers, I must say. I also donned it at the Critical Mass that month - which I love until the bicyclists start acting obnoxious towards the motorists and purposefully disrupting traffic. I digress.

I wore it on many occasions in America, and then, in the summer of 2009 when I was stressing over things to pack for Korea, another Erin friend casually demanded that I pack the Penguin and take it with me, documenting everywhere I went. Giddily, I obliged. And the blog was born.

While Halloween 2009 was the first appearance of the Penguin overseas, Halloween does not count as everyone else is dressed in costume, too. Though I did win third place (bottle of whiskey) at a bar in Seoul's Itaewon area, for the "Funky Penguin" (I had an inflatable electric guitar that I shredded on).

Beijing was the first stop, Christmas Break 2009. My friend, Briana, and I were mobbed every time we stopped to catch our breath - I never knew the Great Wall was so steep - or take a photo of the scenery.

A Penguin and a blonde - needless to say, the people went wild!!

Then there was the DJ Fest in Seoul, May 2010.

My school director's wife told me she saw me and my friend, Andrea, in a clip on KBS (Korean Broadcast Station). Again I say, Korea was a crazy, magical land.

July 2010 brought the Penguin to Japan.

Here I am in Shibuya, at that giant crossing you see in every film featuring Tokyo. Japan was lovely. I love Asia. The rest of the world probably, too, but I haven't been there... yet.

Okay, so this photo is completely and totally irrelevant to the Penguin, but I just love it a lot; I'm a fan of face cut-outs. Nagoya, Japan. We went to the castle because the sumo tournament's cheap tickets were sold out.

Then the solo adventuring began in September 2010. Unfortunately I only have one picture from my alone time in the Philippines, and it's not the Penguin...

My last day in Banaue, one of the locations of the ancient Ifugao rice terraces. That morning I woke up and cursed myself that I hadn't taken a picture yet... sometimes I wait until the last minute to do things, though only sometimes. I'm human, despite what these pictures show. I Penguined up and stepped out to the guest house's green balcony to set up a self-timer when two Taiwanese girls came out to the common area and froze in an awe that could only be paralleled to seeing a real-live unicorn. They took my picture for me in trade for me posing in a picture with each of them. I feel at peace knowing that my Philippines Penguin pictures are out there somewhere. 

Then there was Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam... though the photos go: Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand...

Here I am on the beach in Vung Tau, Vietnam. I had a man take a photo of me where I just gave up trying to convince a cone-hatted lady to stay in the frame, but she wasn't having it because I said I wasn't going to buy her beads. I look happier here. Note: I walked from my guest house to the beach and back in costume, I figured I was going to get stared at either way as I was the only white person I saw in that area. I also bought some delicious grapefruit from a stand on the way. So big and juicy!!

Onward to Cambodia!!

Outside my guesthouse in Phnom Penh. After making arrangements for a tuk-tuk driver to take me to my bus later that night, I ran upstairs to change and asked him to take a few photos for me. I wish I would've had my costume with me when I rode a cyclo, but this will do.

Okay, so this one isn't a Penguin pic, but I was browsing through my travel photos and given the spidery events of the other night (which I haven't told you about yet, and I won't now) I just had to share this image. Yes, the woman is cooking the tarantulas. And the bus drivers were eating them, happily and hungrily. Licking the juices off their fingers. Hey, whatever floats your boat, misters. The young, German Freud look-a-like on my bus shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly when I stared at him in open-mouthed horror questioning his reason for trying one earlier in his trip and what they tasted like. He said it wasn't a big deal and that it was a little over-cooked. What a smug guy. I should've asked him to prove it.

Back to Thailand! (Pardon the profanity in this one.)

Taken on Khao San Road, Bangkok's backpackers' mecca. I'm holding a Chang beer which is rumored to list formaldehyde in its ingredients and supposedly ranges anywhere from 6-10% in alcohol content, depending on where it was brewed. They give what's called "Changovers."

Across to India!!

Out in front of the Red Fort in Delhi. I was going to go to the Taj Mahal, but I didn't want to rush the trip, so I figured this would work for now. A couple of British ladies took the photo for me. I then went to watch the light show which was basically a 1940s Disney radio show and I left early to go walk around the market all decked out for Dwali before hitting up the lit up India Gate.

GUAM! And then we're done - though I just realized that I didn't take the Penguin with me to Saipan. Darn!

 These next ones may or may not be considered blasphemous to you. If they are, I apologize. It was all in good fun.

Of course the Penguin was present at the birth of Jesus. You missed that verse? It's a good one. The Wise Men actually followed its beak. (I like this one because you get a good shadow in there.)

 I know this is almost the same as the one previous, but the caption is totally worth it: "Did you hear the one about the three Wi- oh wait..." Right? Right?

And the Obamas were there, too.

And that's all I have for you right now. Until Hawaii and the continental United States, also known as HOME!! (THIRTY DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Also note that while I was off gallivanting on my own at times, none of this would've been possible without a little help from my friends and kindness of strangers I met along the way.