The human puxada

Puxada is a Portuguese word that means “pulled”. It also used to describe the incredible entanglements of power and communication cables fixed on the façades of most buildings in Portugal. Some puxadas are true works of art, testaments to the improvisation capability of our tech people. Whether you’re changing your internet provider, or you’re upgrading your switchboard, another layer is added to your puxada in a process that will allow future electronic archaeologists to know exactly what were your options in terms of commodities.

A few years ago, I challenged the Urban Sketchers Portugal community to sketch puxadas, as they are a tough, intricate subject.

The day before yesterday, I became a human puxada! I was scheduled for a sleep study, for which, the clinic staff took an hour an a half to attach, glue and connect all the 15 terminals that were to record my sleep patterns. I stopped considering going home by subway halfway during the installation. And I was right, given the people’s reaction during the short walk from the clinic to the taxi. It was a restless night. Hope it doesn’t tamper with the results. The next morning, I spent another hour and a half dissolving the glue on the terminals with acetone in a process that is still going on, as I keep finding tiny crusts of glue in my hair.