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July 26, 2004
Culturo-Matt
(Hmm, that title sounds like some scientific device, or a 1950's appliance...)
Thought i'd give a quick rundown of my weekend of museums and more. On Saturday i went with one of my SI friends (Miss A) to two museums, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Guggenheim Museum. We originally wanted to visit Coney Island, but because of impending rain, we decided against it. The decision turned out to be a good one.
The Whitney was quite enjoyable, displaying alot of modern art, from unusual nature art by Ana Mendieta to intriguing word art by Ed Ruscha (see the exhibits page on the site for much better descriptions...). Then we met two other SI friends (Mr. J and Miss M) at the Guggenheim after walking the 8 or so blocks between museums. We arrived at the big white spiral teacup, and began observing the main exhibit of Constantin Brancusi. He is a sculptor who primarily deals with abstract white marble designs, alot of them looking like eggs with alien faces lying on their sides. There was also a more traditional side exhibit where we found some Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso. Then, out of the blue, Miss A. saw Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General! He was with his blond wife and two burly bodyguards, having a personal tour by whom i assume was the curator. Miss M. took some pics with her camera phone, and we followed him down the spiral, watching him mosey through the crowds, mostly unseen, until he got to the base of the museum, and people could really see him. It was cool :)
Then Miss A. and I relaxed in Central Park while the other two met some other friends. We soon found out that they went to get Broadway tickets from the 50% off TKTS place. So we said we'd see whatever they got, and they bought Phantom of the Opera tickets! Wow! :D So, even tho Mr. J. and Miss. M. decided not to go, Miss A. and i attended. We had great seats for getting tix an hour before the show, and the play was great. I like PotO music alot, and seeing the actors and hearing the live performance was even better. I felt a bit underdressed, but hey, it was dark most of the time anyway... :) I've been wanting to go to a Broadway play this summer, and now it happened. Miss A. and i got some very late dinner outside Grand Central Station (because Times Square/Broadway looked like New Year's Eve, with all the crazy people) and then we parted our respective ways for Brooklyn and Midtown, ending a long but very eventful (and for the most part unplanned) day.
Posted by MaTT at 11:56 PM
July 21, 2004
A Personal Reflection
[This doesn't exactly fit in with the current style of Happy Adventure postings, but in a way its relevant...]
I realized that i am still a very worrisome person. I would almost call myself nervous, but really it's only when i worry. When i worry, i'm also quite creative, as i think of every possible depressing, saddening, or otherwise bad reason supporting and enhancing my worry. I build up the worry so much that it becomes ridiculous, at which point i begin to realize that in all likelyhood, whatever is making me worry can't possibly be as bad as i'm imagining it to be, and i start to relax. Or else i search for and find something that relieves my worry, by snapping me back into reality, whether it be some quote or a comment by someone, or similar advice. Fortunately, i've gotten this recovery period down to a few hours now, and i'm feeling better. The worry-attacks also don't happen often anymore, and i can usually stop things from becoming worrisome alot better than i used to. I guess i'm making some progress :)
For some reason i felt like blogging about this, despite some hesitations (because this is my first feeling-revealing post i've made).
Posted by MaTT at 10:22 PM | Comments (1)
July 20, 2004
Everything But a Shave with my Haircut
Tonite i planned to finally get my hair cut, or at least trimmed, because i have been letting it grow longer over the past 3 months. I have been quite enjoying the response to the extended length, but i needed to get it trimmed at some point before i returned to A2, and having it done in July would let it regrow somewhat for when i return. I also wanted to see what a NY haircut was like.
So i leave work 15 minutes early so i can get in to the place before 7pm closing. There were 3 hair stylists there when i arrived, 2 women and a man. For some reason, i rarely have my hair cut by a man, and so this was interesting already. I got my hair washed, while the guy hummed to the music playing on 103.5 FM. Then i specified that i wanted it shorter, but not much shorter in the front. Soon, the scissors were flying -- so fast that i hoped i'd still have my ears after the chaos was over (i also found out the guy hummed all the time, irregardless of the tune being played). But sure enough, his cutting talent matched his speed, and $21 later, i came out with the best short haircut i've ever had. I still want it longer, but i think it will grow out nicely.
Then i rushed home, to get ready for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra concert in the Park, which my co-intern Linshi reminded me of 5 minutes before i left work today! I grabbed some food at the corner deli Lenny's, and some extra drinks for Linshi and her roommate, and jumped on the subway. Already late, i walked, - no, strided - toward Central Park. And of course, i was going in the wrong direction. Once i figured that out, i strided in the correct direction, beads of sweat gathering in my newly cut hair from the ridiculous humidity everpresent in the City. I got there, and now had to find Linshi -- among like 10,000 blanket-sitting, wine-drinking, overly-affectionate-with-their-partners orchestra purveyors surveyors. Once i walked all the way around the very traffic-controlling fence, i found Linshi and her roommate, and dropped into a little spot on their blanket. Fortunately we were relatively close to the stage, and also had a speaker right in front of us, so we could see and hear rather well. We ate and drank (only tea and juice; well, Linshi had a beer ;) ) and i fell asleep by the last 15 minutes or so, because it's so relaxing just to lie down outside, listening to a live orchestra. Then i said 'bye' to Linshi and Co., and crammed onto the '6' train to head home. And i mean *crammed*. I was literally squished inbetween people, such that i couldn't move at all. I explained to a lady squished in front of me that most of us were coming from the orchestra; she said she was jogging and heard them playing and saw the fireworks (oh yeah, there was a bit of fireworking afterward). We struck up a quick conversation (my second one to a complete subway stranger!), with her turning out to be a first-grade teacher.
Then i unsquished myself, and went food shopping, since 11pm is apparently not late enough to finish my day (what was i thinking?!). I went for bread, but ended up getting like 12 other things, like juice and ice cream and yogurt (i even caved and got one of those darn whipped ones again!) and spaghetti sauce, etc. Now i'm finally home and feel strangely like i'm imitating srah's extremely long posts about her wild weekend in France. (Maybe i am!)
Other extemporanea:
-- parking here costs up to $8.44/half hour, as compared to 50 cents per 30 minutes in Lancaster, PA
-- i saw some person walking a dog with little booties on - the dog, not the person! (is this is a medical thing, or does the owner not want the dog's feet to get filthy?)
-- my haircutting place was aptly named "Hair Cuts - Men and Women"
-- if you ever take a picture of your supermarket's amazing cathedral ceiling, don't stand right in front of the beer aisle...
Posted by MaTT at 12:13 AM | Comments (7)
July 18, 2004
Make it a Double!
This weekend i attended a wedding for my friend Justin, with whom i went to my undergrad college F&M and first introduced me to the world of HCI. He was marrying a girl he met in grad school, and altho i've seen them a sorry few times together, they looked wonderful and happy (in addition to being very tired from the day's events [and previous days and weeks and months of planning] ).
"So, just a wedding?" you say. "That's not amazing news..." Well, have you ever been to a double wedding? I never have before, until now. Justin married his now-wife, AND Justin's younger sister married her now-husband, at the same time! :) Everybody exchanged the same (assumably co-written) vows, and took turns lighting the candles, and then the famous words "Husbands, you may now kiss your wives" was proclaimed. The main table was huge, to accomodate both parties of bridesmaids and best men and all four wedding vow exchangers. The wedding was very nice in itself -- lots of good food and free wine :) and lots of guests. Even better, i was reacquainted with my friend Beth, whom i haven't seen in 2 years! I wish i could have stayed longer, but overall it was a great night.
Posted by MaTT at 03:58 PM | Comments (21)
July 14, 2004
My Day at the NYPL
Having run out of fun books to read again (after finishing the 4-book series of a Wrinkle in Time), i was in dire need of more reading material. Sitting on the subway train for 30 min. each way each day can get pretty boring without a book, and i found out how much i missed my reading this week. So decided to go to the New York Public Library and find A Catcher in the Rye because that popped into my head somehow.
After venturing thru the rain, and remembering that the Midtown Manhattan branch is on 40th and Fifth Ave, not 40th and Park, i walked in the front door. Immediately my backpack was searched (because everybody brings knives, guns, and bombs into libraries these days, but fortunately i didn't today). Then i walked in further, past the security guards, took a quick glance around, and found the info-desk librarian lady. She looked very tired (it was about 7:30pm) but was friendly. I asked her who wrote CITR (because i read it so long ago that i forgot) and she told me "Salinger. It's a tiny, thin book." :) So i ventured over and found it, in all its simple, white-cover glory. Now i had to check out the book. I needed a library card!
So i walked over to the desk that said 'Registration', where nobody was. I waited, felt like i was in the wrong place, and walked back over to the info-desk lady again (who still looked exhausted) and asked her. She told me to go over to this other desk (so many desks!) and wait. I did, and this girl came up to me (with very glossy lipstick) and asked me what i wanted and who i was. I told her, but she needed proof. I showed her my PA driver's license. "Do you live in NY?" she asked. I told her 'Yes', but again she needed proof. Unfortunately i didn't have anything like that, so i explained my intern situation, which necessitated the bringing out of my UMID and my ID from where i work, to prove i am a student and i am interning here. To make matters worse, i happened to mention that i didn't even live at the address listed on my driver's license! Exasperated, but smiling, she said to just write whatever, and i'd get the card :) I did, and now i'm a full NYPL member! I even got to try out their cool barcode-scanning self-checkout station!
Now i have CITR staring up at me from the foot of my bed, daring me to open its stark-white cover, to be consumed by the world of Holden Caufield. No boring subway riding tomorrow!
Posted by MaTT at 10:01 PM | Comments (2)
July 08, 2004
Sometimes Being Practiced-On is a Good Thing
On Tuesday i went to the italian place i usually go to when i just want a quick italian fix, like pizza or chicken parmesan or whatever, only this time i decided to sit down and have something one would eat with a fork and (well, i guess just a fork) -- something like pasta. As i enter in, i see this 20-yr-old looking pale blond Northern-European guy waiting outside the door. I quickly walk past him, into the restaurant. To my surprise he follows me, and asks if i want to sit down, at the same as i'm being asked by the older, Italian guy *inside* the restaurant. Replying to both, i answer yes, and get extra-politely seated at a window table. Both the blond kid and the italian guy explain the specials, and the italian guy tells the blond guy to ask me what i want to drink. i say 'iced tea' (b/c i don't drink that much anymore ;) ) and he goes and gets a Snapple, and pours it in a glass with ice. I order my tortellini with ham and peas, and after some awkward mumblings by him (not me!) the blond guy understands my order. He gives it to the kitchen, then goes back outside and stands there, soon following another group into the restaurant, and hovering around me again in case i might need something every 2 minutes.
"Oh no," i think, "i have a new trainee as a waiter..."
The italian guy soon comes back, pushing the blond guy out of the way (because he is hovering within 5 feet of me since i am his 1st of only 2 customers), and smiling a big smile, happily presents me with some warm rolls. He also extra-politely sets my dinner-roll plate next to me, saying "see?" to the blond guy. Changing my perspective, i thought that maybe this wasn't going to be so bad. I was getting treated extra-nicely b/c the italian guy (assumably the boss) was showing blondy the correct way to treat customers, and i was the example. Wow :) The rest was normally good -- food was piping hot, got my 'to-go' box right away, as well as my check. Sometimes being practiced-on is a good thing...
Posted by MaTT at 02:04 AM | Comments (2)
July 02, 2004
Yuppie Yogurt
I tried one of those Yoplait Whips! yesterday (i usually go for the regular kind) and the first thing i noticed is that it was significantly lighter in weight. So checked the container: 4oz. Not like the usual 6oz, and this one cost 10 cents more! The next thing i noticed was when i ripped off the lid...
"Eww, it looks all curdled!"
So i smelled it, and it seemed ok. I tentatively decided this was a result of the 'whipping' process, so i hesistantly dipped the edge of my spoon into the Whip and touched it to my tongue.
"Mmm, it's ok. Hasn't sent me into immediate convulsions yet..."
So i started eating it. Indeed, it was "so unbelievably fluffy, so incredibly light", and actually rather tasty. The slightly curdled texture was a bit unsettling tho, as i am used to the usually smooth, more pudding-like consistency of normal yogurt.
Don't know if i'd try it again, because i'm fine with my regular strawberry, cherry, or blueberry yogurt. But hey, its another win for Yoplait. More fluff = more money. And it's seemingly a win for the consumer, who likes expensive, airy, semi-curdled yogurt...
Posted by MaTT at 11:30 AM | Comments (7)
July 01, 2004
Welcome!
Even tho many of you have probably landed here by reading about this at my previous location, i'll say it again: this is the new home of my blog :)
Take a look around -- it's pretty much all the same, except for some minor modules that i want to add/delete, etc. and a redesign i will work on at some point.
Oh, and srah is so nice -- she decided to celebrate the unveiling of my blog's new domain name with a redesign of her own blog! *
* just kidding... but check it out tho -- it looks great :)
Posted by MaTT at 12:50 PM | Comments (1)