well, i think i officially might have 2 friends now. the jag, otto & i got pizza and beer tonight. and i like them way more than i anticipated. not that i didn't think i'd like them, but they're supercool. i think we're all going to the antiwar march next weekend. they've both had rather interesting lives though, and i'm not so sure i have. we're all veggie too, which makes sharing food easy.
i also went to the preliminary session for the greenberg lectures today, which is supposed to teach me how to teach. funny thing is, i keep thinking about how this is basically what my dad does, and i never really thought of his work as connected to mine. i can even get a stipend for going to an education related conference, which would be pretty awesome. meet the 'ol dad at a conference and not mooch! unheard of! or if i actually have something to present at an anthro conference i could use it for that. though i don't really anticipate that happening any time soon...perhaps next year.
i've read ridiculously little this week, so i'm forcing myself to stay in all weekend and get some work done. k tu invited everyone to some club tomorrow night, and if jag and the mister go, i might, but likely i'll get myself a six pack, get platoon from the library, and give it a first go. whoo!
07 setiembre 2007
06 setiembre 2007
no bueno
i'm hormonal. i know. but it doesn't make it any better. i'm so annoyed/saddened/depressed by people today. no one has done anything mean. in fact i haven't really talked to anyone. i said hello to two people, and briefly talked to the leap. mostly just saying "yes, its marx, and no i don't really want to be reading it.
but somehow i'm scoffing at all of them.
i've got a conference call at 3, group meeting at 7, and class from 8-11. ugh. but then my week is over (& on to a weekend of reading. at least its not marx!)
but somehow i'm scoffing at all of them.
i've got a conference call at 3, group meeting at 7, and class from 8-11. ugh. but then my week is over (& on to a weekend of reading. at least its not marx!)
05 setiembre 2007
never trust an archaeologist
i often forget this....and then suddenly, i'm snapped back into the realization that it should be the central tennant of my life.
but that's beside the point.
i was worried c howe was pissed over the copyright situation, but it seemed fine when i talked to her. she also approved of my "hanging out" as participant observation, so a ny/nj visit is planned for sometime soon. class, otherwise, was disappointing. all these wonderful monographs. malinowski, geertz, rosaldo (even mead i can enjoy). but the discussion fell flat. first i had to endure a 30 minute "history of anthropology" lesson, in which i drew pictures of armchairs and elephants. then on to the meat (lentils)! but the class is too full of International Service people and undergrads, and I feel selfconscious dominating the conversation. i kept wanting to say things about reflexive anthropology, the crisis of representation, ortner, chagnon & neel, practice theory, writing culture, but it just didn't work. we were even forced to endure a peer-created activity in which we watched a clip of a "friends" episode and reply to it as a "classic anthropologist" and a post-interpretive-paradigm (post-cadillac?) anthropologist. c. was in my group and i made a good point about reflexivity, but it wasn't repeated to the full group. fair enough.
now i'm home, working on this damn dv project. it should be done by friday, and i'll be relieved. i'm watching top chef and eating a little chic pea salad. and its miraculously good considering the contents of my fridge were chic peas, salad dressing, feta, and yogurt. an inspired combination, perhaps.
but that's beside the point.
i was worried c howe was pissed over the copyright situation, but it seemed fine when i talked to her. she also approved of my "hanging out" as participant observation, so a ny/nj visit is planned for sometime soon. class, otherwise, was disappointing. all these wonderful monographs. malinowski, geertz, rosaldo (even mead i can enjoy). but the discussion fell flat. first i had to endure a 30 minute "history of anthropology" lesson, in which i drew pictures of armchairs and elephants. then on to the meat (lentils)! but the class is too full of International Service people and undergrads, and I feel selfconscious dominating the conversation. i kept wanting to say things about reflexive anthropology, the crisis of representation, ortner, chagnon & neel, practice theory, writing culture, but it just didn't work. we were even forced to endure a peer-created activity in which we watched a clip of a "friends" episode and reply to it as a "classic anthropologist" and a post-interpretive-paradigm (post-cadillac?) anthropologist. c. was in my group and i made a good point about reflexivity, but it wasn't repeated to the full group. fair enough.
now i'm home, working on this damn dv project. it should be done by friday, and i'll be relieved. i'm watching top chef and eating a little chic pea salad. and its miraculously good considering the contents of my fridge were chic peas, salad dressing, feta, and yogurt. an inspired combination, perhaps.
04 setiembre 2007
saltar
its been a leap-ful day. i woke up to an email which put me in a bad mood. i got some good reading done in the library this morning, then had a meeting with him, where my frustrations were relieved, and a topic (which i actually am quite comfortable with) was decided upon.
i went to best buy and then cvs looking for printer ink, but apparently hp74 is a hard one to find. i've been on the quest for a week. at this point its time to order online. i also talked to lou, who seems to be having an amazing time.
eventually i went to class, and was worried about class discussion, but somehow...we started talking about the butter cow. we were discussing citizenship as lived experience, and a guy in the class, who is a hip-hop dance teacher was talking about the subjectivity of dance and "the good citizen" vis a vis ballet as "high art" versus hip hop as "low art." Ah, my entry! i though. so i suggested that depending on place and class, sometimes what is perceived by outsiders as "low art" can by symbolic of citizenship. its sense of tradition, belonging and place make it a good candidate, at least for a liberal interpretation of citizenship, and i think, especially in iowa, the idea of the fair as a political place, in which presidential candidates are pretty much required to appear, makes the whole space somewhat politicized, and connected to citizenship. and, no, i wasn't ranting. and people kept bringing it up again. and they want to see pictures!
and then class ended with us all crowding around a little macbook to watch this:
i went to best buy and then cvs looking for printer ink, but apparently hp74 is a hard one to find. i've been on the quest for a week. at this point its time to order online. i also talked to lou, who seems to be having an amazing time.
eventually i went to class, and was worried about class discussion, but somehow...we started talking about the butter cow. we were discussing citizenship as lived experience, and a guy in the class, who is a hip-hop dance teacher was talking about the subjectivity of dance and "the good citizen" vis a vis ballet as "high art" versus hip hop as "low art." Ah, my entry! i though. so i suggested that depending on place and class, sometimes what is perceived by outsiders as "low art" can by symbolic of citizenship. its sense of tradition, belonging and place make it a good candidate, at least for a liberal interpretation of citizenship, and i think, especially in iowa, the idea of the fair as a political place, in which presidential candidates are pretty much required to appear, makes the whole space somewhat politicized, and connected to citizenship. and, no, i wasn't ranting. and people kept bringing it up again. and they want to see pictures!
and then class ended with us all crowding around a little macbook to watch this:
03 setiembre 2007
tengo una sofá
it was a big weekend. i stayed in friday night, but went to the bar to see the nu game on saturday. it was wholly different than the blondie's experience, but fun in its own way. plus, i heard reports that blondie's was tame, sans becky, and therefore sans purple shots. the 'cats won handily, though they weren't looking in top form which gives me pause. the big deal of the afternoon of course was app st.'s mountaineers taking the wolverines for a ride. normally, i probably would have derrived a decent amount of glee from this outcome, but since its bij's backyard i had to smile. the game was topped off by some young michigan alum shouting at a former mountaineer who clearly hated sleeves (oh, there's nothing more american...) after dinner at mr. beirut's (as mentioned in a previous post) i finally finished das kapital. you'd think by that point i'd have no problem falling asleep, but as usual, insomnia hit, so i read a diary in the strict sense of the term for a while.
sunday was swell, with a visit from K. we went to ikea where i purchased a couch. i think its the most expensive thing i have ever debited (rather than credited), which is probably sort of sad, but was pretty exciting at the time. there was much debate over what color (slipcover) to get. the patterns were too crazy and distracting, the colors were either too bright or too beige. i wanted something light, since the apartment's sort of dark anyway, so eventually i went with teh white. i suppose time will tell how it will work out. but i'll definitely have to impose the no red foods rule on myself.
sunday evening we saw superbad, then eventually went to rock bottom for some food. of course the chicken was not taken off my pizza as requested, but i suppose a little meat juice is good for the soul every once in a while. unfortunately, the onion rings were cold. we came back and watched some tv before passing out on the couch (yup, it passed test #1).
today i did quite a bit of work for both cic & c howe, but of course no work for school. i should probably read some of argonauts of the western pacific before bed though...
sunday was swell, with a visit from K. we went to ikea where i purchased a couch. i think its the most expensive thing i have ever debited (rather than credited), which is probably sort of sad, but was pretty exciting at the time. there was much debate over what color (slipcover) to get. the patterns were too crazy and distracting, the colors were either too bright or too beige. i wanted something light, since the apartment's sort of dark anyway, so eventually i went with teh white. i suppose time will tell how it will work out. but i'll definitely have to impose the no red foods rule on myself.
sunday evening we saw superbad, then eventually went to rock bottom for some food. of course the chicken was not taken off my pizza as requested, but i suppose a little meat juice is good for the soul every once in a while. unfortunately, the onion rings were cold. we came back and watched some tv before passing out on the couch (yup, it passed test #1).today i did quite a bit of work for both cic & c howe, but of course no work for school. i should probably read some of argonauts of the western pacific before bed though...
un ver nuevo
so, you may have noticed the new look of the blog.
i guess the best explanation is, i was bored (meaning, i was procrastinating).
and i got rid of the whole lima time thing. don't worry. i'm still on lima time, mentally, but you know...
i suppose that's all i have to say for now. mas, muy pronto
i guess the best explanation is, i was bored (meaning, i was procrastinating).
and i got rid of the whole lima time thing. don't worry. i'm still on lima time, mentally, but you know...
i suppose that's all i have to say for now. mas, muy pronto
02 setiembre 2007
comidas y mas
tonight was one of those great nights, that started off as any other, but ended with a sort of splendid simplicity.
i was again invited by bij and the lebanese to dinner. also invited were mr. beirut's roommate, and (mr. beirut-too), and the third, young beirutee woman. the troops assembled, and we set to work making delicious cilantro chicken (black bean for me) tacos, with homemade guac, pico de gallo, and fresh corn tortillas. when that project was well on its way, ms. beirut (soon to be dr. beirut) and i set upon the task of dessert. peach and blueberry cobbler. it was easy enough, but such an adult dinner, eventually consumed on beirut-too's "heirloom" table.
so the food was delicious, and made with "the luv" as fireboy would say. but the conversation with these people, half of whom i met tonight, was rather inspired. it ranged from mescaline cacti & hallucinogenic mushrooms, to the lebanese war and the insecurities (incompetencies?) of doctors. there were no outrageous moments, but the whole evening seemed to sparkle. and i realized, i guess this was what i was always searching for in new york. that semi-adult life where you are still too poor to reasonably eat out nightly, but wealthy enough (in one way or another) to enjoy a fine meal (and beverages) with friends who are truly interesting and enlightening.
not to say that new york was completely absent of this for me. but it came in spurts. pizza making here, a long walk there. absolutely, i have wonderful friends there who are truly interesting and enlightening, but somehow the circumstances rarely led to those magical nights. maybe its economics, or transportation, or lack of a suitable venue. who knows. i'm just glad i found it here, even if its fleeting.
i was again invited by bij and the lebanese to dinner. also invited were mr. beirut's roommate, and (mr. beirut-too), and the third, young beirutee woman. the troops assembled, and we set to work making delicious cilantro chicken (black bean for me) tacos, with homemade guac, pico de gallo, and fresh corn tortillas. when that project was well on its way, ms. beirut (soon to be dr. beirut) and i set upon the task of dessert. peach and blueberry cobbler. it was easy enough, but such an adult dinner, eventually consumed on beirut-too's "heirloom" table.
so the food was delicious, and made with "the luv" as fireboy would say. but the conversation with these people, half of whom i met tonight, was rather inspired. it ranged from mescaline cacti & hallucinogenic mushrooms, to the lebanese war and the insecurities (incompetencies?) of doctors. there were no outrageous moments, but the whole evening seemed to sparkle. and i realized, i guess this was what i was always searching for in new york. that semi-adult life where you are still too poor to reasonably eat out nightly, but wealthy enough (in one way or another) to enjoy a fine meal (and beverages) with friends who are truly interesting and enlightening.
not to say that new york was completely absent of this for me. but it came in spurts. pizza making here, a long walk there. absolutely, i have wonderful friends there who are truly interesting and enlightening, but somehow the circumstances rarely led to those magical nights. maybe its economics, or transportation, or lack of a suitable venue. who knows. i'm just glad i found it here, even if its fleeting.
31 agosto 2007
piedras nuevas
well, its the weekend. i spent my friday night (and most of the day, too) reading Capital vol. I. I'm still about 40 pages from the end, but i'm all Marxed out right now. So I decided to do something productive and finally clean maryanne's home.
now her rocks match my big green rug, which is still shoved in a closet. one of these days i'll either put it in the living room or my bedroom. it all depends on other slow-moving decorating decisions. but my big plan for the weekend (other than reading more Marky Marx) is to buy a couch. yes, the ikea couch everyone owns, but i think its about all will fit through the doorway and stairs to this place. and its cheap.
alright...back to the marxercising.
that's the way....
we all know i have a deep love for all things iowan (except football, of course). well, those hawkeyes outdid themselves now! they've finally (though, before the rest of us) wisened up and made good on their constitution's guarentee of equal treatment. who knows how long it will stand, but for now, i've gotta give them props.
[side note: i think that's the first time i've ever used "props" in that sense, and i'm a little embarassed, but i'll let it stand]
sure, missing my yearly iowa trip (and therefore, missing my yearly veggie corn dog) has left me with a soft spot, but iowa is shooting up to the top of my list of favorite states. at least until november 3.
"i'll tell you what's great:
the hawkeye state
of I-O-WA!"
[side note: i think that's the first time i've ever used "props" in that sense, and i'm a little embarassed, but i'll let it stand]
sure, missing my yearly iowa trip (and therefore, missing my yearly veggie corn dog) has left me with a soft spot, but iowa is shooting up to the top of my list of favorite states. at least until november 3.
"i'll tell you what's great:
the hawkeye state
of I-O-WA!"
30 agosto 2007
on not leaping to conclusions
just got to give a shout out to my man, the leap, in his comment about larry craig. sure its a tiny snippet at the end of a long article, but its a good way to close. and i'm pleasantly surprised at msnbc for actually consulting a social scientist!
29 agosto 2007
viva los grabowskis!
well, it looks as if, (if they'll let me), the grabowskis may be the subject of a research methods project. i'm still not totally convinced this is the right way to go (being off season and 4 hours away), but there are finer points to the idea (already having rapport, a backlog of data, and a reason to visit). c howe seems to like it. i'll have to contemplate though, how i'll get around the whole participant observation thing....
in other anthropologically related news, i got to return $168 worth of books today. woohooo! of course tomorrow i'm going to have to make another big book purchase, but it shouldn't be quite as substantial. which means i'm closer to totally convincing myself its time to buy a couch this weekend. which means i'll have a place to read other than my bed. which means i might not sleep so much, and actually finish reading things.....ah, its a vicious circle of books, money, and sleep.....
in other anthropologically related news, i got to return $168 worth of books today. woohooo! of course tomorrow i'm going to have to make another big book purchase, but it shouldn't be quite as substantial. which means i'm closer to totally convincing myself its time to buy a couch this weekend. which means i'll have a place to read other than my bed. which means i might not sleep so much, and actually finish reading things.....ah, its a vicious circle of books, money, and sleep.....
27 agosto 2007
muchos libros
i bought some books today. over $200 worth. most of them seem pretty good. most that is. included in the lot were some darth weber, durkheim diggler, and marky marx. which aren't necessarily my favorites, but aren't as bad as say, bourdon't. or giddy giddens. anyhow, in the mix is some mary douglas, abu-lughod, and my personal favorite, a book called g-strings and sympathy, among a few others.
i also went on a library tour, where i ran into el peruano. the library is tiny! but in a way that means its easier to navigate than the spaceship, and its not under construction like morris. it seems that you have to rely pretty heavily on the consortium, but hopefully that will work out. plus, in the days of online journals, you can do a lot without paper at all, really. i also found out that there are 2 computers with final cut on them, which is handy to know. and dvds can actually be checked out of the library. so once i actually own a dvd player, that will be just lovely.
i had lunch at guapo's with the wolf's namesake, which was nice. yay! friends! i'm gearing up for my first class and meeting with my advisor tomorrow. scary, but exciting, i suppose.
26 agosto 2007
la nell nueva
so, i'm somehow coming out of my shy shell a bit.
i was actually doing a good job of starting conversations with people on friday at orientation, then last night, i made my big move and went to the party alone! and it was great!
it was a small party, with around 10 guests, so it turned out that everyone was basically in one big conversation. which was great, because it was less pressure on me, but i still felt involved. and i met two other people working on "body" stuff. lots of people i think i'll get along with really well.
plus there are a few 1st year people i have high hopes for. i think after visiting carbondale this summer i was really anxious about how the friendship component would turn out. i realized there that mags, kim, tami, jerry, zig, frank, yukitec, etc really were a great crew and how much i really do miss them. which then made me too quick to judge others. i think its all going to work out.
now my major stress is the leap's class. some of the people at the party made me a little worried. mostly because i totally don't get the althussier. i've got time to re-read though. and hopefully no judgements will be made too early into the semester. ah!
i was actually doing a good job of starting conversations with people on friday at orientation, then last night, i made my big move and went to the party alone! and it was great!
it was a small party, with around 10 guests, so it turned out that everyone was basically in one big conversation. which was great, because it was less pressure on me, but i still felt involved. and i met two other people working on "body" stuff. lots of people i think i'll get along with really well.
plus there are a few 1st year people i have high hopes for. i think after visiting carbondale this summer i was really anxious about how the friendship component would turn out. i realized there that mags, kim, tami, jerry, zig, frank, yukitec, etc really were a great crew and how much i really do miss them. which then made me too quick to judge others. i think its all going to work out.
now my major stress is the leap's class. some of the people at the party made me a little worried. mostly because i totally don't get the althussier. i've got time to re-read though. and hopefully no judgements will be made too early into the semester. ah!
24 agosto 2007
el dia primero
today was orientation. i have a few thoughts...
-c. how looks like heather graham
-the leap is as awesome as i remember
-i am quite glad to have made the acquaintance of the vine
-the 1st year students were less than enthralling, but will make adequate friends
(perhaps, some day i'll be good friends with them, and give them the address to my blog, and they will read back-posts, and hopefully won't be offended-because its not a bad thing. just that none of them strike me as my new best friend. no new wives here).
the last few days i've been trying to remember what i was feeling those first days in carbondale.
so, in case i have similar memory problems of my first thoughts here, i will briefly describe the people and my impressions.
-fratty boy with MA from UMD, does some sort of gentrification stuff ("perhaps in latin america")
-peruvian guy who will likely fill the void left by mr. s espinosa, batres, y rodriguez. not as outgoing as the 3 of them, but not as creepy as c-los. and probably the only good conversation i had today. he studies indigenous development in the peruvian rainforest.
-quiet bio girl who studies "the effects of culture on the skeleton"
-former military guy who studies gentrification. he is the subject of the most exciting thing that happened today.
-older woman getting a MAPA studying similar gentrification issues. she is aunt judy's cool doppleganger.
-older (than me) phd guy who's interests i don't remember, but he may have talked me into being his vice president of the CAS grad student council.
-married woman with specs appeal and an MA from Temple who studies tourism
-MAPA girl from florida who seems like someone i would have been good friends with in high school
-young guy who's mom does some sort of massive international public health something. after hearing he lived on the rez for a while, i wanted to talk to him, but after hearing him talk more i was less convinced of this fact
-another woman who's interests i don't recall, but i do remember that she, like most othrers, does US work.
-a young mother who has "good stories" and souvenirs from Zimbabwe, with a Masters in Ed, who is working on public school issues
-Youngish girl from Oregon doing ESL issues, who reminds me of Ra.Lo. vaguely. Someone who i would have known and liked in college, but not necessarily on the inner circle. i'd say she has the most wife potential. but i'm still not convinced.
now, for the most exciting part of the day: we had a little break in between speakers, and it was suggested we stand up and stretch. we complied, and the next thing we knew, one of the guys and fallen to the floor and was having what looked like a ceisure. he got up right away and was confused and didn't know what had happened. emts came and checked him out. he was fine, but it was a little crazy. quite a way to be introduced to a cohort.
anyway, so i'm left contemplating this party tomorrow night. they did seem to go out of their way to invite 1st year students, and i want to meet more people. plus it starts fairly early, so i could do a quick appearance and leave smoothly, most likely, if its awkward. i'm not well-known for my ability to strike up a conversation with strangers, but i figure i can always ask what their specialities (pronounced spe-see-al-i-tees, if you please) are.
-c. how looks like heather graham
-the leap is as awesome as i remember
-i am quite glad to have made the acquaintance of the vine
-the 1st year students were less than enthralling, but will make adequate friends
(perhaps, some day i'll be good friends with them, and give them the address to my blog, and they will read back-posts, and hopefully won't be offended-because its not a bad thing. just that none of them strike me as my new best friend. no new wives here).
the last few days i've been trying to remember what i was feeling those first days in carbondale.
so, in case i have similar memory problems of my first thoughts here, i will briefly describe the people and my impressions.
-fratty boy with MA from UMD, does some sort of gentrification stuff ("perhaps in latin america")
-peruvian guy who will likely fill the void left by mr. s espinosa, batres, y rodriguez. not as outgoing as the 3 of them, but not as creepy as c-los. and probably the only good conversation i had today. he studies indigenous development in the peruvian rainforest.
-quiet bio girl who studies "the effects of culture on the skeleton"
-former military guy who studies gentrification. he is the subject of the most exciting thing that happened today.
-older woman getting a MAPA studying similar gentrification issues. she is aunt judy's cool doppleganger.
-older (than me) phd guy who's interests i don't remember, but he may have talked me into being his vice president of the CAS grad student council.
-married woman with specs appeal and an MA from Temple who studies tourism
-MAPA girl from florida who seems like someone i would have been good friends with in high school
-young guy who's mom does some sort of massive international public health something. after hearing he lived on the rez for a while, i wanted to talk to him, but after hearing him talk more i was less convinced of this fact
-another woman who's interests i don't recall, but i do remember that she, like most othrers, does US work.
-a young mother who has "good stories" and souvenirs from Zimbabwe, with a Masters in Ed, who is working on public school issues
-Youngish girl from Oregon doing ESL issues, who reminds me of Ra.Lo. vaguely. Someone who i would have known and liked in college, but not necessarily on the inner circle. i'd say she has the most wife potential. but i'm still not convinced.
now, for the most exciting part of the day: we had a little break in between speakers, and it was suggested we stand up and stretch. we complied, and the next thing we knew, one of the guys and fallen to the floor and was having what looked like a ceisure. he got up right away and was confused and didn't know what had happened. emts came and checked him out. he was fine, but it was a little crazy. quite a way to be introduced to a cohort.
anyway, so i'm left contemplating this party tomorrow night. they did seem to go out of their way to invite 1st year students, and i want to meet more people. plus it starts fairly early, so i could do a quick appearance and leave smoothly, most likely, if its awkward. i'm not well-known for my ability to strike up a conversation with strangers, but i figure i can always ask what their specialities (pronounced spe-see-al-i-tees, if you please) are.
22 agosto 2007
google maps failed me
i got my student id today. and it actually looks like me. people tell me all the time my drivers license doesn't look like me. the woman at PP told me "you are much more lovely than that picture." even i can see how much my siu id looks like i paid someone else to be in the picture for me.
afterwards, i set out for target, but google directions kept telling me to turn the wrong way on one way streets, and take exits that didn't exist. but after about 3 determined hours and 4 trips back & forth between dc & va, i finally found it. its actually quite simple. but more importantly, there is a goodwill next door. so i bought a pair of pant to turn into some lovely bermuda shorts, and an alarmclock. which makes me realize i've done a rather poor job lately of buying used when possible. i do have a lot of used furniture which i am glad about, and in the kitchen i'm generally good at reusing. but i've been a poor consumer with clothing.
afterwards, i set out for target, but google directions kept telling me to turn the wrong way on one way streets, and take exits that didn't exist. but after about 3 determined hours and 4 trips back & forth between dc & va, i finally found it. its actually quite simple. but more importantly, there is a goodwill next door. so i bought a pair of pant to turn into some lovely bermuda shorts, and an alarmclock. which makes me realize i've done a rather poor job lately of buying used when possible. i do have a lot of used furniture which i am glad about, and in the kitchen i'm generally good at reusing. but i've been a poor consumer with clothing.
at target, i got a good fix for my method addiction and bought 2 pinot noirs. mmmmmm......
mi cocina
there have been requests for photos of the apartment.
the kitchen is the only room i'd consider "done" in any capacity.
the cactus mama H bought me the day i moved into Hobart House
note the beaker magnet on the fridge
i'm pretty sure both of these thai food products were purchased in 2003. so i emptied them and reused. pretty, exotic, and recycled!
the kitchen is the only room i'd consider "done" in any capacity.
the cactus mama H bought me the day i moved into Hobart House
note the beaker magnet on the fridge
i'm pretty sure both of these thai food products were purchased in 2003. so i emptied them and reused. pretty, exotic, and recycled!
15 agosto 2007
mixtec, zapotec, xinka, moche, y aguarana
i worked all day yesterday writing little reports on the above mentioned indigenous groups. plus i did a long summary of santeria. i wish my job had involved more of this while i was actually working full time.
afterwards, i was a little burnt out so i opened my $7 bottle of wine. it wasn't very good. but i drank about half of it while watching crappy tv. then i made a frozen pizza, which made the kitchen & living room really hot, so i thought about making it ndt, but being alone, that just seemed a little too pathetic. i went to bed far earlier than usual, but still didn't wake up until the usual time this morning.
i was more productive today. i actually took a shower, and i called some au offices to find out about student ids and parking. oh, what an exciting life i lead.
afterwards, i was a little burnt out so i opened my $7 bottle of wine. it wasn't very good. but i drank about half of it while watching crappy tv. then i made a frozen pizza, which made the kitchen & living room really hot, so i thought about making it ndt, but being alone, that just seemed a little too pathetic. i went to bed far earlier than usual, but still didn't wake up until the usual time this morning.
i was more productive today. i actually took a shower, and i called some au offices to find out about student ids and parking. oh, what an exciting life i lead.
12 agosto 2007
the district
well, maybe not exactly. i'm not sure what exactly delineates the district from dc. i was under the impression they were one and the same, but clinton, knower of all but deutschland apparently insists otherwise.
anyway, i seem to be somewhat settled. despite my mattress on the floor and lack of couch, its almost homey feeling. and now there is internet! and i went to target today! and i've been doing art projects!
i have plenty of reading to do though. and ms. E. wants me to work more, which i'm not excited about, but should probably do, especially if i want to actually buy a couch. for now, here is my tv chair
i've been seeing megan a lot. well, not a terrible lot, but more than anyone else. i've been quite the hermit in my little basement apartment, that i'm rather growing in love with.
the whole situation reminds me quite a bit of my first days in the dale. forcing myself to take trips into town for one thing or another. spending hours reading books for free at barnes & noble. unbearable heat. hermit-like activities. molly was a nice distraction from that lifestyle, but megan fills the void better. its hard to have so much free time while knowing you're simply on the cusp of no time whatsoever. but i am rather enjoying it. catching up on bravo!'s programming, doing laundry, arranging and rearranging my furniture, strolling through the internet in search of things i would buy for my apartment if i had more money.
anyway, i seem to be somewhat settled. despite my mattress on the floor and lack of couch, its almost homey feeling. and now there is internet! and i went to target today! and i've been doing art projects!
i have plenty of reading to do though. and ms. E. wants me to work more, which i'm not excited about, but should probably do, especially if i want to actually buy a couch. for now, here is my tv chair
i've been seeing megan a lot. well, not a terrible lot, but more than anyone else. i've been quite the hermit in my little basement apartment, that i'm rather growing in love with.
the whole situation reminds me quite a bit of my first days in the dale. forcing myself to take trips into town for one thing or another. spending hours reading books for free at barnes & noble. unbearable heat. hermit-like activities. molly was a nice distraction from that lifestyle, but megan fills the void better. its hard to have so much free time while knowing you're simply on the cusp of no time whatsoever. but i am rather enjoying it. catching up on bravo!'s programming, doing laundry, arranging and rearranging my furniture, strolling through the internet in search of things i would buy for my apartment if i had more money.
22 julio 2007
so, i went to the dale. and it was lovely.
we went to mugsy's, and i had lovely talks with frank & dan. yuki was there, and kim too, along with mags-who both noticed two girls in the corner looking at me. we couldn't decide if they were lesbians or just emo girls, but their staring convinced us of the former. we had to take a bathroom trip all together so i could look at them inconspicuously. kim says i could do better. i certainly hope so.
ponger also came and was tellling me about presenting a paper this year at the lavendar languages conference at au. he met bill and i asked if he met e. patrick, which he confirmed, but i also wonder what exactly he means by "met" (sir, i mean ma'am!). --speaking of which i found my birthday card from the anthropology nouveau cohort the other day, and got all sentimental. not that the whole trip wasn't sentimental--after the bar, frank and i went to denny's. i think the only two times i've been to that denny's were with frank. both quite late at night.
saturday, i got up late and went to panera--i said it was a sentimental trip--then watched apocalypto with frank. which, as zach would say, was "less than interesting." then dan came over with his dog, who was adorable, and actually liked me (and she doesn't like the hippie girls matt brings over, apparently). we made food to take to the potluck, and then went to coryn's.
first, we stopped at westside liquors for drinks. i bought a 6 pack, and then realized i had left my wallet in my car. frank paid for me (note: dumbass move #1). as we pulled up in frank's sweet minivan, he said "nobody fall in the ditch! carlo fell in last time we were here." i made some smartass comment about being capapble of getting out of the car.
the potluck was good, mostly. candy was there, along with her husband, who i ended up talking to more than i wanted, but i also got to meet yata tanaka's new boyfriend who was as dorky and strange as described, but nice. quite a few new people who also seemed nice and relatively normal. and coryn was very nice. for an archaeologist.
after a few hours, 2 beers, and some of steve's amazing! pineapple upsidedown cake, we decided to leave to get frank's (after)party started. we took my dip & chips, plus mags's chips & dip. i carried all of it, for some reason. when we walked outside it was about 9:15 and completely dark. apparently, the southwest side of carbondale has a lot in common with evanston when it comes to lighting. as we walked across the yard i said, "ok, now is the time i'll fall in the ditch." frank said "what?" and i started to repeat myself. when i got to the "i'll" i tried to make the step from the yard to the driveway to avert the ditch, but misstepped, and consequently scraped my entire body down the side of the driveway and into the ditch, throwing both bags of chips and all the dip in the air (dumbass move #2).
i had to sit there for a minute, i was laughing so hard. eventually, i got up and we gathered the salvageable remnants of the food. frank had a roll of papertowels in his sweet minivan which i used to sop up blood. i'm so smooth.
eventually we got back and i cleaned up most of the blood. i started on my first boone's farm. mags came shortly afterwards, and brought a few farm products with her too. eventually, quite a crew was there. jessica, a new archaeologist, yuki, mags, and then zach and val came. i was pretty apprehensive about seeing zach, since i never really told him goodbye, and our friendship was sort of in shambles when i left. even though neither of us would have admitted it at the time. but it was really good to see him. he's going to florida for his ph.d. and val's going with him. i guess that's what married people do. weird.
at some point, dan started mixing us mojitos, that got progressively stronger. and then ponger showed up with a strange entourage. but then again, when does he not come with random people in tow. i talked to some guy getting a bio ph.d about the politics of speaking spanish vs. english for a while. and dan was apparently mesmerized by one of ponger's latina lady friends. and i don't mean ladyfriend. at least i don't think anyway.
we stayed up until 4 am, or so, and i ended up sleeping really late on sunday. i basically just got up, made my rounds saying goodbyes, and then drove home. i miss them all a lot. and i've never regretted leaving (especially being there and hearing how often complaints about funding come up), but i wish there was some way i could see them more.
we went to mugsy's, and i had lovely talks with frank & dan. yuki was there, and kim too, along with mags-who both noticed two girls in the corner looking at me. we couldn't decide if they were lesbians or just emo girls, but their staring convinced us of the former. we had to take a bathroom trip all together so i could look at them inconspicuously. kim says i could do better. i certainly hope so.
ponger also came and was tellling me about presenting a paper this year at the lavendar languages conference at au. he met bill and i asked if he met e. patrick, which he confirmed, but i also wonder what exactly he means by "met" (sir, i mean ma'am!). --speaking of which i found my birthday card from the anthropology nouveau cohort the other day, and got all sentimental. not that the whole trip wasn't sentimental--after the bar, frank and i went to denny's. i think the only two times i've been to that denny's were with frank. both quite late at night.
saturday, i got up late and went to panera--i said it was a sentimental trip--then watched apocalypto with frank. which, as zach would say, was "less than interesting." then dan came over with his dog, who was adorable, and actually liked me (and she doesn't like the hippie girls matt brings over, apparently). we made food to take to the potluck, and then went to coryn's.
first, we stopped at westside liquors for drinks. i bought a 6 pack, and then realized i had left my wallet in my car. frank paid for me (note: dumbass move #1). as we pulled up in frank's sweet minivan, he said "nobody fall in the ditch! carlo fell in last time we were here." i made some smartass comment about being capapble of getting out of the car.
the potluck was good, mostly. candy was there, along with her husband, who i ended up talking to more than i wanted, but i also got to meet yata tanaka's new boyfriend who was as dorky and strange as described, but nice. quite a few new people who also seemed nice and relatively normal. and coryn was very nice. for an archaeologist.
after a few hours, 2 beers, and some of steve's amazing! pineapple upsidedown cake, we decided to leave to get frank's (after)party started. we took my dip & chips, plus mags's chips & dip. i carried all of it, for some reason. when we walked outside it was about 9:15 and completely dark. apparently, the southwest side of carbondale has a lot in common with evanston when it comes to lighting. as we walked across the yard i said, "ok, now is the time i'll fall in the ditch." frank said "what?" and i started to repeat myself. when i got to the "i'll" i tried to make the step from the yard to the driveway to avert the ditch, but misstepped, and consequently scraped my entire body down the side of the driveway and into the ditch, throwing both bags of chips and all the dip in the air (dumbass move #2).
i had to sit there for a minute, i was laughing so hard. eventually, i got up and we gathered the salvageable remnants of the food. frank had a roll of papertowels in his sweet minivan which i used to sop up blood. i'm so smooth.
eventually we got back and i cleaned up most of the blood. i started on my first boone's farm. mags came shortly afterwards, and brought a few farm products with her too. eventually, quite a crew was there. jessica, a new archaeologist, yuki, mags, and then zach and val came. i was pretty apprehensive about seeing zach, since i never really told him goodbye, and our friendship was sort of in shambles when i left. even though neither of us would have admitted it at the time. but it was really good to see him. he's going to florida for his ph.d. and val's going with him. i guess that's what married people do. weird.
at some point, dan started mixing us mojitos, that got progressively stronger. and then ponger showed up with a strange entourage. but then again, when does he not come with random people in tow. i talked to some guy getting a bio ph.d about the politics of speaking spanish vs. english for a while. and dan was apparently mesmerized by one of ponger's latina lady friends. and i don't mean ladyfriend. at least i don't think anyway.
we stayed up until 4 am, or so, and i ended up sleeping really late on sunday. i basically just got up, made my rounds saying goodbyes, and then drove home. i miss them all a lot. and i've never regretted leaving (especially being there and hearing how often complaints about funding come up), but i wish there was some way i could see them more.
02 julio 2007
el autobus
so, last time i took the chinatown bus to dc, i had a lovely experience on the way down. fiend said he also liked the apex bus. so i figured they were alright by me, and boarded the bus back to ny cheerfully. the ride was fine, until half way between exits 6 & 7a in jersey, when suddenly the bus swerved and then filled with the smell of burning rubber. yes, a tire had gone flat when the driver swerved to avoid a merging sedan. The driver slowed down as we rambled along to the next rest stop. fortunately, it was a mere 5 miles away. at the rest stop, we disembarked and tooled around the parking lot. After about an hour a pickup truck delivered a new tire, it was replaced and after a two hour delay we were back on the road. it was not a particularly pleasant experience, but everyone took it in stride and the driver was very friendly, funny, and amusing. I decided I would make a concerted effort not to let the unavoidable mishap affect my future bus company decisions.
then last week, when buying my ticket for this weekend, i went straight to apex. i booked the ticket, and arrived at 88 e. broadway on time. as usual, we left about an hour late, but that was to be expected. however, about 4 blocks into the trip, the bus suddenly began to reek of feces. as i looked around everyone was straining not to make a face. i, and my seatmate as i learned later, thought it was just the stoplight at which we were stopped. but as the light turned green and we continued, the smell remained. people started to buzz about it. a young man stood up and announced that he had gone to use the restroom, but the seat was covered in poop. he had accidentally gotten it on his pants. now it was on his seat as well. so the troops sprung into action. the guy was offered a pair of pants to change into. he was given anti-bacterial waterless soap. we covered the seat in newspapers. perfume was sprayed. the overhead shafts were opened. it became somewhat bearable.
at the third or fourth rest stop avaliable, we stopped, disembarked, and the bathroom was cleaned, or simply shut. its hard to say. the unfortunate young man used the rest stop bathroom to clean himself up more. the seat was sprayed more. the faint aroma of feces still hung lightly in the air, but it was bearable. unfortunately, the bathroom was officially off limits, so a stop was required every hour or so. which turned the 4 hour bus ride into one that was 6 1/2 hours. But eventually i arrived in dc. made it to dupont, and met my parents.
but the unfortunate day did not end there. after changing out of my traveling (pajama) shorts, we went in search of food. we settled on a little italian place called La Tomate where instead of being served fetuccine verde e veggies i was served fetuccine verde with piping red meat sauce. with some switching of entrees and eating around shrimp, it was fine. until about 1/2 way through the meal when papa h bit down on a piece of clear glass. he wasn't hurt, and we got our meals for free. i even got free tiramisu out of the deal.
today while serving myself a whole foods salad, i poured about 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar down my leg. but it was far enough from my crotch that it didn't appear i wet my pants. close call.
but prior to my vinegary mishap, i did secure a cute 1br apartment in a lovely neighborhood. sure its a basement, and not particularly close to the metro, but its near the bus right to campus, near to georgetown and i'll have use of a little yard. and it has a dishwasher & washer/dryer. and i don't have to worry about it any more. those keys are jingling in my pocket.
then last week, when buying my ticket for this weekend, i went straight to apex. i booked the ticket, and arrived at 88 e. broadway on time. as usual, we left about an hour late, but that was to be expected. however, about 4 blocks into the trip, the bus suddenly began to reek of feces. as i looked around everyone was straining not to make a face. i, and my seatmate as i learned later, thought it was just the stoplight at which we were stopped. but as the light turned green and we continued, the smell remained. people started to buzz about it. a young man stood up and announced that he had gone to use the restroom, but the seat was covered in poop. he had accidentally gotten it on his pants. now it was on his seat as well. so the troops sprung into action. the guy was offered a pair of pants to change into. he was given anti-bacterial waterless soap. we covered the seat in newspapers. perfume was sprayed. the overhead shafts were opened. it became somewhat bearable.
at the third or fourth rest stop avaliable, we stopped, disembarked, and the bathroom was cleaned, or simply shut. its hard to say. the unfortunate young man used the rest stop bathroom to clean himself up more. the seat was sprayed more. the faint aroma of feces still hung lightly in the air, but it was bearable. unfortunately, the bathroom was officially off limits, so a stop was required every hour or so. which turned the 4 hour bus ride into one that was 6 1/2 hours. But eventually i arrived in dc. made it to dupont, and met my parents.
but the unfortunate day did not end there. after changing out of my traveling (pajama) shorts, we went in search of food. we settled on a little italian place called La Tomate where instead of being served fetuccine verde e veggies i was served fetuccine verde with piping red meat sauce. with some switching of entrees and eating around shrimp, it was fine. until about 1/2 way through the meal when papa h bit down on a piece of clear glass. he wasn't hurt, and we got our meals for free. i even got free tiramisu out of the deal.
today while serving myself a whole foods salad, i poured about 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar down my leg. but it was far enough from my crotch that it didn't appear i wet my pants. close call.
but prior to my vinegary mishap, i did secure a cute 1br apartment in a lovely neighborhood. sure its a basement, and not particularly close to the metro, but its near the bus right to campus, near to georgetown and i'll have use of a little yard. and it has a dishwasher & washer/dryer. and i don't have to worry about it any more. those keys are jingling in my pocket.
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