As I wandered around the city today on a fruitless search for contact lens solution, I meditated on the mystery of random, haphazard city planning. Old-fashioned urban garages are spiffified and converted into mini-markets, offices or restaurants. The dreadful communist apartment blocks also have retail/office space on the first floor. One of these places might be the only store in the ENTIRE city that stocks tahini. Yesterday I needed to print a few documents, which should have been a breeze. Internet places are everywhere until you actually need one. So, I walked across town but the electricity was out and I wasn’t able to print. As I walked back toward my neighborhood, I started asking about the location of an internet café closer to home. I asked three or four people, each of them got me closer to the mythic café (and my apartment). I finally found the cafe, 50 steps from my apartment door, in a little closet with flickering lights and a printer from the 1980’s. At the moment, these excursions amuse me, but I suspect they will grow frustrating as I get busier and the weather gets colder.