Travelling Worm

A bookworm's travelogue

Gum Wall in Seattle

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This is the blog of a 25-year-old bookmark. I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC) .

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are in Seattle. Where it rains. She’s here for the WritersUA conference, four days of technical writer’s heaven.

Undaunted by the dismal drizzle and the icy wind, the TC set off for a grand tour of the city. She wandered down Post Alley and spotted the Seattle Wall of Gum.

Would you believe that she stuck me to it? So humiliating. Take a look at the snap below and commiserate with me. Don’t laugh!

Travel tip

Chew every mouthful 32 times. “Nature will castigate those who don’t masticate,” said Horace Fletcher the great.

The book I’m in

Bones, by Jonathan Kellerman.

This dude always manages to set your teeth on edge from the very first bite.

The photos

Me affixed inelegantly to the Seattle Gum Wall:

Gum Wall in Seattle
Gum Wall in Seattle

Here’s another view of the glorious gum:

Gum Wall in Seattle
Gum Wall in Seattle

The TC did not have any gum, so she donated a half-chewed Mentos that had kept me company in her bag all the way from Australia.

The story is that the gum started appearing on the wall way back in the early 1990s. People standing in line for the Market Theatre used the wall as a place to leave their gum:

Gum Wall in Seattle
Gum Wall in Seattle

As an aside, I have to inform you that the TC noticed with glee the spelling of “THEATRE” in the sign above. One down for American spelling! As another aside, I have to apologise for the TC. She’s a technical writer.

The Gum Wall, a.k.a the Great Wall of Gum, is in Post Alley at the Pike Place Market. Here’s a view from the skyway over the alley, with the sticky stuff on the left:

Gum Wall in Seattle
Gum Wall in Seattle

Here’s the other end of Post Alley, looking altogether less hard-bitten:

Gum Wall in Seattle
Gum Wall in Seattle

That’s all for today dudes.


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7 responses to “Gum Wall in Seattle”

  1. Rhonda Avatar

    So, Wordsworm — can I call you Wordsworm?? — what did you think of the SNOW in Seattle yesterday? In April. Sheesh. This Aussie wasn’t impressed and didn’t venture out all day. Did you go venturing out at all, or did TC keep you snug and safe and toasty warm inside a book?

  2. wordsworm Avatar

    Hey Rhonda girl,

    Yes, snow in Seattle! This worm was not expecting that. The TC did try snapping some shots of the falling flakes. I huddled in my book, saying not a word and making myself as small as possible. She’s apt to yank me out and pose me in the most awkward of places. I could just imagine her trying to hitch me to a snowflake for that perfect shot!

    Wordsworm’s the name. Nice to have you dropping in 🙂

  3. Rhonda Avatar

    I was able to get a photo of the falling snow. Like you, I sure didn’t want to go out in it! Instead, I stayed inside the nice warm hotel and attended more conference sessions. Having read some of your other posts, I can understand why you wanted to hide — TC sure puts you in some interesting poses and locations when she takes a picture of you.

    You can see my picture of the snow here: http://sandgroper14.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/its-snowing-in-seattle-in-april/

  4. wordsworm Avatar

    That’s a good picture! It quite captures the atmosphere of that grey Seattle day.

    Thank you for checking whether it was snowing on the fourth floor as well as the fortieth, and for letting us know the result. It’s such snippets of detail that ensure a tidy, comfortable and somewhat predictable world. Are you by any chance a technical writer?

  5. Rhonda Avatar

    Very droll! 😉 Yes, I’m a technical writer and an ISTJ on Myers-Briggs, so ‘Detail’ is my middle name. Who’d have thought? 😉

  6. Risley Avatar
    Risley

    You might want to google Theatre.

  7. chandan singh Avatar

    I like way of writing and explaining. very nice picture.

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