The Other Side of the Globe


Looking through old books in the archives today (my routine of 5 days a week here), I came across this picture. It was stuck within the pages of a Ladino (or Judeo-Spanish) book offering religious lessons and tales, printed in the Ottoman empire in 1849. Just preceeding the illustration, was the story of how "Americo" had gone to America, and how hard it was for people to understand that he was upside down or, rather, that they were. In other words, the story is an introduction to the world as a globe. (Who knows, the part where the outer circle is coming undone on the left may have even been a part of a lesson on entropy, but I didn't read that far.) Anyway, here's what the writing says: on either side of the circle are the words "cielo." Inside, one human figure represents "Erope" (imagine a hispanicized pronunciation); the other, "America." It's funny they didn't draw themselves into the picture, as they rarely considered the Ottoman empire to be Europe, but I'll spare you my analysis. Rather, I simply thought I would insert this photo to give you a little glimpse of my world. Now, whenever any of you wonder where I am in the future, just know that I'm here on the other side of the globe, hanging out, upside down.