Coupland

A Dictionary of the Near Future by Douglas Coupland.

Douglas Coupland's Massey Lecture - Player One: What Is to Become of Us is released next week, in the form of a novel. Apparently, the names of some of my friends appear in it, along with my name, and the words "With thanks to the following for their care, thought, and research". I wish I could make it to Toronto to see the lecture.

Memento Park

I took a bus to what felt like the middle of nowhere and saw the abandoned statues at Memento Park. The rain poured down that day and the park felt like a pond, as I jumped from stepping stone to stepping stone. The statues were left over from the Communist era and were once in prominent places, but now they are just together at the park. I was surprised at the size of the statues, just how forceful they seemed, even in the miserable weather.

Glad to get out of the rain, I wandered around the exhibition space and read about the park, before I watched some exciting instruction videos from the secret police, on things like how to stalk people and break into people's houses. They were full of valuable advice, such as using a magnifying glass to check for any hairs that may have been placed in a door hinge by the suspect
and make sure they are replaced, so they do not know you have been in their house.

Found a Fortean Times article which describes some of the sights I saw: Budapest, Hungary.