my new material possession, which i purchased from the sunday markets in the shadow of (depending on the time of day i suppose – in fact there was no shadow while we were out there, blinded by midday) the sydney opera house, after the lovely little puppet show “a world of paper”, in which, around a little japanese actor playing a small child, two japanese puppeteers clad in black ninja gear bring to life all manner of washi paper bird, butterfly, squirrel, tortoise and horse. and raincloud! and fire goblin! the lady puppeteer was quite inscrutable but the guy would put on a facial expression that matched the animal character he was… becoming. when he operated the prancing horse, he had a horse face! and they scurried about the floor on their tip toes while crouched on their haunches! so light and quick! how did they do it? i just tried, and besides feeling like an ungainly, waddling duck, i think i also put my knee out. ow.