:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 ::

Ah, these past few days have been quite relaxing. I've been doing some free reading and watching a lot of movies! I recently watched (or rather re-watched) Cinderella, Bend It Like Beckham, Sleeping Beauty, Spider-Man 2, and Alice In Wonderland. Goodness knows there's nothing better to do, seeing as how it's been raining quite heavily every day so far this past week. Alas, it's expected to continue raining until the end of the week.

The rest of Christmas Day, we opened presents and ate cake. We had carrot cake with a cream cheese and white chocolate frosting, and that was most wonderful. We also had the double-layer pumpkin pie I had made. Yesterday, my dad and sister and I went to Santa Maria because my dad needed to get some supplies. We also went to the mall, and I looked around some stores. Today, my mom had to get some items in SLO-town, so in the evening after dinner we drove to the shopping plaza. There, I greeted JESSI! I also ran into a former classmate and friend I hadn't seen in quite some time.

Tomorrow night should be quite fun... I'm rather looking forward to it!

Quote of the Day: "It's 5 p.m., goddammit; why are the fools still frolicking nude by the lake? Especially when a voyeuristic couple is photographing the nudies!" or "When the sun goes down, it must be time to take photos of naked people."

:: SL 9:07 PM [+] ::
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The highlight of this week has got to be when my dad called the film Love Actually a "porn movie."

:: SL 2:08 PM [+] ::
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Merry Christmas!

On Thursday, the day after retiring early due to extreme tiredness, my sister and I got up early and went to the public library to get some books. We then went into SLO-town to see the Disney-Pixar movie The Incredibles, which I had not had a chance to see. Although the showing was at noon, it was the very last one of its run here in town, so I was glad to finally catch this movie before it disappeared.

I really enjoyed The Incredibles. It really was much darker than the other Pixar films, and the villain in this one was truly evil, but the film was still exciting in its own way. The animation was excellent, and there were quite a few funny lines.

After the movie, my sister and I had lunch at Fresh Choice, where we enjoyed many different types of salads and fresh breads. They had my favorites: Asian chicken salad and Waldorf salad. I also had this delightful pumpkin raisin muffin and Caesar salad. For dessert, I had some of their make-your-own triple-berry lemon shortcake and a brownie.

I went to the county library and used the computer and read a bit. I then went to the bookstore and leafed through some magazines. In the evening, I met up with my wonderful friends at Farmers Market, and we chatted and laughed at a table in Starbucks. We ended up staying there for about three hours, but it seemed to go by so quickly because I was having such a great time! It was good to catch up with everyone. I also ran into a bunch of other people because this is such a small town.

People started to leave as it got late, so the few of us who remained went with me to Barnes and Noble, where I got the latest issue of Disney Magazine as well as a present for my sister. We then drove to a friend's house, where a gingerbread surf shack was being built. We watched as the structure was being created, and it looked really great. We then played a cool mind game involving dice. I think I fell asleep sometime during that because I was so exhausted, but it was such a fun day. I always wish I could spend more time with friends like that.

On Friday, I was generally unproductive, spending most of my time playing video games, going online, and listening to music. At some point, I went to the supermarket to get some cooking ingredients for Christmas. I also wore my Mickey Mouse Santa hat! I love wearing that hat; it makes me so cheerful!

Sometime in the evening, I made my traditional double-layer pumpkin pie. This time, I made the cheesecake part a little thicker. Yay! I can't wait to eat it.

Today is Christmas! It's also my birthday. Yay! I am now 20 years old. Yikes! I feel so old already. It's been a great day so far; I got up early and had breakfast. Then I watched some television and played some video games. Now, I am helping prepare our big dinner and listening to holiday tunes! Later, we will open presents and have cake! Oh, Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year!

:: SL 1:44 PM [+] ::
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Oh my goodness... I laughed so hard while watching this... although the subject is certainly no laughing matter...

(Credit for the cartoon goes to Ian, whose uncle discovered it.)

:: SL 1:26 AM [+] ::
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On Tuesday, I cleaned up my room and got ready to go home for the holidays. I had dinner with some friends at the dining hall, which was somewhat empty because so many people had already left to go home. I later ran some errands in the square and returned some library books. I also got some bubble tea, which I haven't had in three weeks! I got the honeydew flavor this time. So good!

Later, I joined some of my friends to watch the movie Oceans 11. However, my friend and I left early because we were going to see the midnight showing of the new movie adaptation of the classic musical The Phantom of the Opera.

I was glad that I had just seen the musical live over Thanksgiving break, so I could compare and contrast it with the movie version. The movie stuck pretty closely to the show; all the famous songs such as "Music of the Night," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," and the title song were performed, and there was the famous chandelier crashing down, too. The movie was a lot more lavish with its sets and there seemed to be a lot more dancing, but it seems a lot less magical because it wasn't all onstage. The scene changes and special effects seemed a lot more amazing when they occur live. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie and wouldn't mind seeing it again.

After the movie, we took the taxi back to school, where I finished my last-minute packing and headed out on the T to the airport, where my flight home left at 8 a.m. At the airport, I ran into a great friend, and we got to chat for a bit. I got to sleep a bit on the six-hour flight. However, there was a kid a couple rows back who wondered loudly what would happen if we crashed into the water we were flying over. Great. Just what I want to hear when I'm on an airplane that is experiencing turbulence.

Well, I got into Los Angeles alright, and I was supposed to still fly to San Jose and then to San Luis Obispo, but I got lucky and got a standby seat direct to San Luis Obispo from LAX. I got home at about 2 p.m. My parents had to buy some things, so we went to Sears and Smart & Final. At Sears, I ran into an friend from high school, and we had a nice chat.

I finally got home, and I watched a bit of the animated movie Anastasia, and then ate some dinner. I was going to have a more productive evening, but I was so tired I just went to bed.

:: SL 4:18 PM [+] ::
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Wow, last week was such a hellish week. I'm so glad it's over. During that week, I had been slaving over a huge 30-page paper that was due this past Friday, which was also the due date for another 5-page paper, plus an exam! That pretty much explains what I've been busy with. Writing, writing, and studying. I pretty much cleared out my schedule so I could work on all these assignments. This week, my sleeping pattern became all messed up, too. Alas, I am tired, but it's all over, and I will sleep sleep sleep on the plane ride home and my much-too-short vacation.

This past Saturday, as a grand release from the stress of this past week and a celebration of being pretty much finished with all my work, I went to a big holiday party thrown by my dear friend. We danced, partied, ate, and had a blast. After the crowd left, a small core of us stayed after and sang along to "classic" Disney songs! It was such a great time with friends.

On Sunday, I worked on even more schoolwork and then studied for my statistics exam on Monday. I also went into town to see Barrage! I first discovered this unique fiddle performance group when I went to Disneyland two years ago. They amazed me with their unique blend of upbeat world music and amazing choreography that enlivened their performance. They were in Boston this week as part of their new "Vagabond Tales" tour, so I went to see them perform. When they performed at Disneyland, it was like a concert, so they had fun and had onstage antics. However, in this touring show, there is a storyline and a serious plot, so they don't get to fool around and be as crazy onstage, except for the finale and encore pieces. I missed their lightheartedness, but it was still exciting to see and hear them perform. They had many new songs, and exciting new choreography, including one involving giant bouncy balls. They would kick them around and bounce on them in patterns while playing the fiddle! After the show, the cast members were in the lobby to greet the audience, so I got a chance to speak to some of them again. One of the cast members (the Scottish lady with the amazing singing voice) said she remembered me from when they performed at Disneyland! It was cool.

On Monday, I went to classes in the morning. I then went with the graduate student I'm working with in the psychology lab to South Station, where we distributed questionnaires for a study we're conducting. There were a lot of really nice people who helped us out while they were waiting for their trains to depart.

It was snowing, and although it stopped snowing in the evening, the air became so cold that it was painful to walk outside. My face was hurting after having to walk back to my dorm.

Later that night, my friends and I went to trivia night. It was a lot of fun, and we won! I contributed with the facts that Norm McDonald from Saturday Night Live was born on Christmas Day, that Lucy charges five cents for "psychiatric help," and that the characters Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street were named after minor characters in the Christmas movie "It's A Wonderful Life."

Quote of the Day: "What do I say? Can we have a cup of Crisco because my friend wants to try fisting?"

:: SL 9:24 PM [+] ::
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It's snowing again. Sigh.

:: SL 5:51 AM [+] ::
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I'm so upset right now, I'm shaking. Why do I have to put up with all this bullshit?

:: SL 11:53 PM [+] ::
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I just used the phrase "sexual incompatibility" in a paper that I'm writing.

:: SL 6:07 PM [+] ::
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Woo hoo! I finally (after three years!) tracked down the song "Stop Me From Loving You" by the coolest music group ever: Steps. It's one of their rarer b-sides and one of the last songs they recorded before they broke up. Now, I just need two more of their songs and I'll have every song they've ever recorded through their existence (not counting remixes, though I do have a fair number of those, too).

:: SL 1:51 AM [+] ::
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Fun Friday Flash:

A tragic lament.

Happy Friday!

:: SL 4:20 AM [+] ::
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I have to write a paper about samurai warriors and their "boy love." Ew.

:: SL 2:17 AM [+] ::
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'Challenges' Prove Too Much for White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House went all out to showcase the advantages of President Bush's ambitious financial agenda this week, but in the end the "challenges" proved too much.

The word "challenges" -- a main theme of a two-day White House economic conference that ended on Thursday -- was misspelled on a large television monitor that stood in front of Bush during a panel discussion.

"Financial Challanges for Today and Tomorrow," the message proclaimed in dark blue capital letters against a bright yellow background.

Ha!

:: SL 6:55 PM [+] ::
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Rave reviews for the London West End's new stage version of the Disney classic Mary Poppins, which just opened yesterday. A sampling of the praise.

Just another reason for me to visit England!!!

:: SL 2:21 PM [+] ::
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BEST. SONG. EVER.

:: SL 6:40 PM [+] ::
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Beckhams' Nativity Scene Attacked in London

LONDON (Reuters) - A protester has attacked a controversial waxwork nativity scene featuring England soccer captain David Beckham as Joseph and his pop star wife "Posh Spice" Victoria as the Virgin Mary.

"He pushed Posh and Becks over. It caused some damage but we don't know how much. The baby Jesus is fine," said a spokeswoman for Madame Tussaud's waxwork museum in London Monday.

In the wax tableau, Australian pop star Kylie Minogue hovers above the crib as an angel while Victoria lays her shawled head tenderly on Beckham's shoulder.

:: SL 9:58 AM [+] ::
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The Wednesday before last, I attended a Leverett House faculty/alumni luncheon. It was another lavish affair with flavorful food. I went to the reception beforehand at the house masters' residence, so I mingled with Leverett affiliates and retired faculty members. One such faculty member told me that he regarded Princeton University as a better institution than Harvard University, but I disagreed with that position because Princeton is in the middle of nowhere, so there are fewer things for students to do.

We snacked on mini-quiches and shrimp wrapped in flaky pastry (with a distinct sweet and spicy sauce). There were also bite-sized vegetables and mini seafood cakes, which would serve as a clever transition into the actual lunch.

The first course was a wheat roll with a creamy New England clam chowder that had hearty portions of potato cubes. Oyster crackers were included as well. We moved on to the main course, which was a delightful seafood-themed plate featuring a nice slab of broiled cod with a light crumb topping enhanced by layers of a refreshing slaw. On the side were two small crab cakes, browned to perfection as two nuggets of treasure.

Dessert was a light chocolate mousse (with small chunks of soft chocolate mixed in) topped with finely grated white chocolate and decorated with a fresh juicy strawberry. The strawberry was remarkably sweet, considering the fruit is out of season. The dessert was a perfect conclusion to a nicely-themed culinary experience. Table conversations included various topics including bicycle riding and the discovery of a potential genetic basis for religiosity.

That Thursday, I went into Boston to teach a high school class about reconstruction in Iraq. It was part of the Harvard Political Education Program, which I'm involved in.

On Friday, I put in several hours at the psychology lab and ran quite a few subjects through the study I'm working on. I also coded some videos on the computer. That night, I made and ate delicious dumplings in the house masters' kitchen. It was a lot of fun and they were so tasty! Later, my friends and I got together to watch the movie Dirty Dancing. It was the first time I had ever seen the film, so my friends were sure to point out all the plot discrepancies. Now that we've all seen the film, my friends are considering staging a theatrical presentation of Dirty Dancing, complete with choreography. Whether that will surpass the wonder that was Poltergeist: The Legacy - The Musical! remains to be seen.

On Saturday, I participated in an economics/philosophy/psychology study. I then ran some errands. That night, my roommates threw a "Decemberween" party, a low-key get-together with friends and hot chocolate. I was not in attendance for much of this event, but I did visit many other friends in addition to attending the "Wind Party," which was an event to raise awareness for a campaign to bring renewable wind energy to Harvard. It's another way for the school to further its efforts to be more of an environmentally-friendly school.

This past week was fairly uneventful. I didn't get much sleep due to all the work I had to do. On Tuesday, I watched the movie The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise for my literature and arts class about the samurai warrior class in Japan. Wednesday was the big Junior Dinner with special guest Harvard University President Larry Summers (he was the Secretary of the Treasury during the Clinton administration, so his signature appears on some of our paper currency). We juniors gathered in the house masters' residence and enjoyed appetizers including shrimp cocktails and mini crab cakes. Dinner included a salad with ranch dressing topped with bacon bits, an entree with grilled steak tips on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes topped with green beans and crispy onion strips, and a cheesecake dessert topped with a nice blueberry sauce and an amazing (I've never seen this before) cinnamon-infused whipped cream. I was very impressed. President Summers then spoke to us about what it's like to be a university president and then took questions from us on various issues relating to the Harvard institution. My friend, who created a super-hilarious online animation lampooning Harvard President Summers singing the song "Shaniqua" with a bunch of dancing white boys, got a personal phone call from him congratulating her on her work; she also got his autograph at the dinner. (My friend also animated the wildly popular "End of the Harvard" animation, the script of which was written by my suite-mate.)

This Thursday I worked quite a bit in the psychology lab and taught a high school class in Boston. It was a great experience. Thursday night there was a wonderful "holiday feast" in the dining hall with glazed duck, seafood pasta with shrimp, and a dried tomato and olive oil ravioli. The desserts were the best, though. There was the most wonderful eggnog, gingerbread cakes, and a crepe station with warm banana slices cooked in brandy and various spices. I topped my lovely crepe with vanilla ice cream. What an amazing flavor experience!

On Friday, I worked in the psychology lab, and in the evening I went to a concert in the house masters' residence featuring student musicians. It'd been a while since I had been to a music concert, so that was a very nice experience. There were desserts at the reception afterwards. That night, I went to a Winter Formal!!! It was a lot of fun. I haven't been to a formal in ages, so it was a grand experience.


My friends Veronique and Pragati and I.

The event was at the Harvard Club of Boston in the posh Back Bay district, and that was a spectacular location to have a dance. They had a shuttle to and from, and that was a good thing, considering what a rainy night it was. The main hall of the club had a huge banners and tapestries depicting the various houses and famous buildings on the Harvard campus. Every corner was decorated with beautiful Christmas trees, wreaths, lights, and garlands. I even sighted a huge gingerbread house! There were tables set up with such wonderful desserts such as cream rolls, mini-tarts, chocolate triangles, and a huge assortment of fresh fruits, cheeses, and breads/crackers. The music was so-so, but my friends and I still had a great time. Afterwards, a few of us went to the Quincy Grille for a snack. We chatted and laughed into the night.

On Saturday, I went to see the show Pirates of Penzance. It was hack night (the last night of its run), so they inserted a lot of inside jokes and generally made fun of themselves in a show that's already hilarious thanks to the comedic genius of Gilbert and Sullivan. Later that evening, I went to a party hosted by my friends. There were so many holiday goodies! I had way too many cookies, chips, and cups of eggnog and cider! The cookies really were amazing. I was on a huge sugar high. There was dancing in one room and mingling in the other, so I did a bit of both. 'Twas good times.

Quote(s) of the Day: "He's disgusting. He looks like a dick."

"What are you, a middle child?!?"

"OH MY GOD, did he just snort a line of cinnamon with a twenty dollar bill???"

:: SL 7:51 AM [+] ::
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One of the random people whose blogs I read died today in a car accident. I never met him, but he had such humorous posts on his LiveJournal. I'd read it often for a smile and a chuckle. I'm going to miss reading his posts. It's the most tragic thing when people die so young.

:: SL 11:54 PM [+] ::
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Great headline of the week:

Shock as docs say laptops stop tots

From an article about a recent study that suggested sperm death may be a consequence of having a warm laptop on the lap.

:: SL 2:06 PM [+] ::
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Support our troops/Rumsfeld falls far short

I liked this article because it really points out the fact that it is meaningless to have a big "support our troops" ribbon displayed on your car yet support "leaders" who 1). put our troops in the way of extreme danger when it is not absolutely necessary and 2). don't do all they can to help them stay safe in dangerous territory.

From the article:

"It's common to see cars with yellow ribbons pasted to their backsides, signifying that the drivers "support our troops." The inference, of course, is that some Americans do not. That list must be incredibly small -- but Donald Rumsfeld's name surely belongs at the top.

That this man remains secretary of defense is one of life's great mysteries. Embarrassing is the best word to describe his performance in Kuwait on Wednesday. At a town-hall meeting with soldiers about to be sent north to Iraq, Rumsfeld came under sharp questioning from troops complaining that their vehicles lacked the armor needed to protect them from roadside bombs.

Specialist Thomas Wilson from the Tennessee National Guard had the courage to speak for thousands of troops when he told of rummaging through landfills for the scrap metal and shards of bulletproof glass routinely slapped on vehicles, 95 percent of which, in his unit, lack proper protection. Wilson simply wondered why the best military in the world had to resort to what the troops derisively call "hillbilly armor."

A stammering Rumsfeld had no good response because there isn't one. "You go to war with the army you have," was the answer he tried. But the Pentagon had years to prepare for an invasion and occupation of Iraq, an adventure anticipated from the Bush administration's very first days. Moreover, it chose when to begin the hostilities; if its forces weren't ready, it should have waited.

It's sad enough that a president has sent troops into harm's way under false pretenses. It's sadder still that troops are ill-equipped. Footage of Marines foraging for scrap metal, shown Thursday on ABC, was a shameful sight.

Supporting our troops requires more than affixing a yellow ribbon to the back of a car. It means demanding accountability and personal responsibility from those charged with ensuring that, once deployed, American forces have the very best opportunity to prevail and survive. Rumsfeld has always wanted to fight this war on the cheap. The troops deserve better than that."

:: SL 6:49 PM [+] ::
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I love it when I discover a new song I want to listen to over and over!

This time it's "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked, a "prequel" to The Wizard of Oz that tells the story of Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West and how they became the characters they turned out to be.

The song gets really good about halfway through until the end. Leading lady Idina Menzel does a phenomenal job belting out the final lines of the song. Such a powerful voice. Wow.



Speaking of songs, I recently surpassed the 10 GB mark for digital music files on my trusty laptop. If I were to play my entire music collection one song after another, it would take seven and a half days to get through the nearly 3000 songs on my computer.

:: SL 3:46 AM [+] ::
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Mickey Mouse was my 80th Harvard friend on The Facebook.

:: SL 11:54 AM [+] ::
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Thanksgiving week in review:

Monday, November 22: 'Twas a crappy day, but it was soon remedied by the company of dear friends at dinnertime. Later in the evening, my spirits were lifted further when my friends and I put on the most amazing production ever. Inspired by a campy, 80s-style made-for-TV movie from 1996 called Poltergeist: The Legacy, we performed "Poltergeist: The Legacy – The Musical!" It was basically one huge inside joke, but my friend Laura, the director, wrote the script based on the movie and included all the inane dialogue and improbable plot elements and actions, including one scene in which the poltergeist (in disguise) impregnates an unwitting and lonely lady, who later gives birth in a dramatic scene where the "polterbaby" shoots out from between the woman's legs, drags the lady across the floor and up a wall by the umbilical cord, and breaks the umbilical cord by itself on a sword displayed on the mantle. It was amazingly hilarious because many of the actors had not seen the film before, so they were guessing how to portray the characters. They did an outstanding job because of the excellent stage directions (which utilized such wonderful adjectives as "creepily" and "orgasmically").

I played the role of Mr. Bear (the little girl's stuffed animal), as well as the poltergeist when he takes the form of an innocent-looking child. I got to say the climactic line, "Give me the key, bitch!" Much of the story is set in Ireland, so we all got to use fake Irish accents. We had a great time and enjoyed performing. A lot of people showed up to watch the show, too! Afterwards, we all headed up to my friend's room for a cast party, during which we watched the actual Poltergeist: The Legacy.

Tuesday, November 23: This was the unofficial beginning of Thanksgiving break because a lot of people didn't have classes on Wednesday, so my friends and I gathered to watch some Father Ted (a British television comedy about three Catholic priests who live on a small island) and Family Guy (a new obsession we all have ever since I got the school's library to procure Seasons 1, 2, and 3 on DVD for the students). Family Guy is such a wonderfully entertaining show. My favorite character is Stewie, who has the most amazingly hilarious lines. We stayed up pretty late watching the DVDs, but afterwards I worked on a paper that was due on Wednesday. I stayed up all night working on it, but I finished it by the time it was due.

Wednesday, November 24: After turning in my paper, I went to the last class I had before vacation! Afterwards, I finished packing and met up with my friend, who was being picked up by her dad, older brother, and younger sister. All her siblings go to school nearby, so my friend's dad just made the rounds picking everyone up. It was a long drive to Long Island, where my friend lives; traffic was horrible with everyone heading home for Thanksgiving. A normally four-hour drive took us almost eight hours. I slept the whole way because I didn't sleep the night before. When we got to my friend's house, we had a tasty dinner with lasagna and this wonderful salad made from spinach, dried cranberries, and feta cheese. I then went to bed early to get some more sleep!

Thursday, November 25: Thanksgiving! I got up early and did something I don't normally get to do because I usually sleep in on turkey day: watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! After my friend's family got ready, we headed to my friend's grandparents' house, where we celebrated Thanksgiving with a big meal with wonderful turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc. There were a lot of wonderful homemade desserts, too. There was rice pudding, brownies, a special gelatin mold, and cheesecake! Yum. We enjoyed the sweets while watching the movie Elf, which was wonderfully hilarious. We went back to my friend's house afterwards and rented a couple of movies. We watched the movie "Saved," which is a satirical look at Christian extremism and people who are so obsessed with their religion that they are blind to reality. I really liked the movie because it didn't denounce religion; it denounced religious extremism.

Friday, November 26: A day trip to New York City!!! My friend and I got up early and dressed up warmly because it was a chilly day (a stark contrast to the unusually warm Thanksgiving Day). We got dropped off at the train station and took the train into Manhattan. It was so wonderful to be there again, but it was so busy in the city, considering it's the day after Thanksgiving, considered the "busiest shopping day of the year." We started on the posh Fifth Avenue, where we ventured into various retail establishments. We saw the new World of Disney store, which actually had a lot of cool items specific only to that one store in New York. We also went to FAO Schwartz, where there was a line to get in; I saw that cool giant floor piano that Tom Hanks dances on in the movie "Big."

My friend is a huge fan of fashion and designers, so we went into a few super-upscale boutiques like Chanel and Yves St. Laurent, where a dress can set you back $5,000. I can't imagine spending that much money for one item of clothing, but it was a special feeling looking at the designs. We then walked down Fifth Avenue and visited more stores, like Saks Fifth Avenue (where we saw some of the dresses by Alexander McQueen, my friend's favorite designer).

Funny exchange overheard in Saks Fifth Avenue:

Clerk: That dress will be $3,650.
Woman: And is it on sale?
Clerk: Ha ha ha… no, no. Nothing here is ever on sale.

It was funny because after looking at so many expensive clothes, we got to a point where we thought a $500 pair of pants was "cheap." We then went to H&M, where we did some real shopping. We saw the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the downtown Macy's, the one that serves as a backdrop to the big Thanksgiving parade each year. It was so crowded everywhere with shoppers and visitors! A sign indicated that the line for the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building was over two-hours long!

In the mid-afternoon, my friend and I went to Chinatown to meet up with some more Harvard friends who were in town as well for the weekend. We had a meal at this little Chinese café, and then I got some bubble tea! I tried the watermelon flavor, but I wasn't too impressed. We then shopped around in Chinatown, and it was there where I saw a guy with spiky hair spikier than mine! I was in total awe.
Later, my friend and I headed to Times Square, which is so beautiful at night with all the billboards and lights! We wanted to get tickets to see a Broadway show, but all the ones we wanted to see were sold out because it was such a busy day in the city. However, we still managed to hang out a bit and also have some a fun elevator ride in this nifty glass elevator. We then took the train back to my friend's house, where we had Chinese food for dinner. It was a fun day! Even though I didn't buy anything, I still had a ton of fun.

Saturday, November 27: I went to New York City again! I got to see the musical Phantom of the Opera on Broadway! The singers really imparted the pathos of the characters. I really liked the melodies, too. It was such an amazing show. I was blown away by the lavish costumes and sets. I really liked the scene where the Phantom and the main female lead travel through the lagoon under the opera house. The two ride in a gondola onstage that floats above billowing smoke, from which flickering candles rise.



Later in the evening, I saw the musical Avenue Q, which is a more adult parody of Sesame Street or the Muppets. They had puppet characters discussing such topics as finding a job after college, racism, homosexuality, internet porn, and schadenfreude, each with a catchy, upbeat song. There were puppets having sex, too! I've listened extensively to the soundtrack, so it was nice to finally see the actual show. Such a funny production! With characters like Trekkie Monster, the Bad Idea Bears, and Lucy The Slut and songs like "What Do You Do With A B.A. In English?" "It Sucks To Be Me," and "You Can Be As Loud As The Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love)," you know you can't go wrong.



Avenue Q has been sold out for a long time now because it is so popular, especially with younger audiences, but I got really lucky while waiting in the cancellation line when moments before the show was scheduled to begin a lady had a last-minute ticket to sell, so I got into the show for half price.

Sunday, November 28: We got up early and drove back to Boston. It was a much shorter drive; I slept on much of the trip as well. When we got back to Harvard, my friend and I had lunch at Quincy House. I then did schoolwork.

'Twas a great weekend and Thanksgiving break. Too bad I didn't get to go home, but my friend's family was very welcoming, and I had a fun time with them. The trips to NYC were wonderful, too.

Quote(s) of the Day: "It's having a 'poltergasm'!"

"I don't like it when the poltergeist cums."

"Give me the key, bitch!"

"Wow, her ambitions get more substantial each day!"

:: SL 5:42 PM [+] ::
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"What's a hoe?"

:: SL 4:05 PM [+] ::
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It's official! The Philadelphia Inquirer, Summer 2005!

:: SL 8:07 PM [+] ::
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