Weekend outings
Mar. 13th, 2005 10:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tarigwaemirLowell House, on the Feast of St. Roderic
This weekend marks a milestone in the short history of our blocking group, thanks to it being our dear![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
schwimmerin's birthday on Friday. To celebrate, we took a perilous journey to the Assembly Square cinema in Somerville to see Constantine. None of us had ever been to the theatre before, so we plotted out our journey carefully, but we still missed the bus we were supposed to take and ended up riding the T to Sullivan Square instead. With nothing to go on except the directions provided by a lab tech at the CGR, we journeyed across highways through the slushy snow only to discover the theatre was in the same district where Jenny and I had gone with the kendo club to play laser tag during Gasshuku. ^_^ Interesting. The district was very sketchy, as they say, but we still had a great time. I rather enjoyed Constantine, despite Keanu Reeves' utter lack of acting ability. (Could he speak with a more deadpan voice? I had to stifle the urge to giggle at certain serious moments because his vocal expression was nil.) Seriously though, I liked the feel of the film--very sleek--and the story was awesome, aside from gratuitous plot devices to get shots of main heroine in wet white tank top with black mesh bra underneath. Honestly. (Well, at least they didn't give into the temptation of actually contriving a makeout scene.) The girl couldn't act either, but the supporting characters were fascinating, especially Gabriel, who just flabbergasts me with her? his? its total insanity. Anyway, if you don't go in expecting a great Oscar-worthy movie, Constantine is pretty fun. I think I am going to check out the comic books if I ever get the chance though, since the concept was the best part of the film.
On Saturday, we, along with Daera's cousin, who is visiting from Duke, went to see the Lowell House Opera.schwimmerin was House Manager, and we were all justifiably proud of her "mad lighting skillz". ^_^ Don Giovanni was delightfully Mozartian, although the lead tenor didn't really have much of a voice (he saved up for his main aria, where he really let loose and would have managed to impress me if he hadn't spoiled it by hitting two wrong notes). The acting was typically operatic, but not as stilted as usual, and the sopranos were all pretty impressive. The baritone who played Leporello was excellent too, although his voice seemed fatigued at points. For an amateur production, it was indeed brilliant, although I have to admit that the modern set and costumes did not impress me. (I feel that unless the opera itself is a modern composition, one ought to keep opera sets lavish and overdone, in the traditional style. The typical convolutions of an opera storyline can't really be supported by a minimalist set.) Actually, the orchestra was the most impressive, which is pretty much expected since Harvard does not lack for first-class instrumental performers.
This morning, to finish off our celebrations, we went to the Cheesecake Factory at Cambridgeside Galleria. (The Galleria makes the Queens Borough Mall look downright dinky by the way.) I stuffed myself on an eggplant sandwich and then a slice of chocolate peanut butter cookie dough cheesecake, which reminded me that yes, I do have a chocolate threshold. >_> I know, I know, one can never have too much chocolate, but! that cheesecake nearly killed me. It would have been a happy death, though. We all ordered different cheesecakes and got a taste of each one. Daera got the monstrous Mud Pie confection which was so enormous and came with a charming little cup of hot fudge. She had to have most of it wrapped up. Actually, I don't think the rest of us managed to finish our cheesecakes either. We just sort of sat there, comatose from the overstimulated taste buds (well, I was comatose). I make it sound so miserable, but I did enjoy every bite. Next time though, I won't order such a large entré and just splurge on cheesecake. Just that single slice would have filled me. ^_^ I took a three hour nap afterwards to digest (my system really did just shut down completely), but I'm still full from that meal.
Anyway, while I haven't gotten any work done, I have managed to take care of various "administravia" (Is that actually a word? Prof. Morii likes to use it.) regarding scholarships, jury duty, etc. I still find it amusing, by the way, that I got called for jury duty before either of my parents, even though I'm the one who can't possibly respond to a jury summons. Oh, and I think I've just figured out a way to spend an all-expenses-paid week in Korea! There's a KSEA (Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association) conference there this June, and I think the lab won't mind if I took just a week off to go to a science conference. Of course, there's no way I'm going to see Korea properly in a week, but still, a week is better than nothing. Not to mention, all the airplane tickets and hotel fees are covered by the organization. ^_^ Free is good. Now if only I can manage to pull off something similar for the summer Gasshuku.
Despite my good mood, there's something rotten in the state of Denmark. (Again!) Oh well. I'm really glad I don't have that much work this weekend because none of it is getting done. And that's an end to the cryptic message of the week.
Yours &c.
Post-script: How could I forget? Belated Fanfic Author Appreciation Week, day 1:
I have many, many favorite authors on my friends list. Most of them, however, are pretty well-known in the anime/manga fandom. I shall thus make life ten times more difficult for myself by recommending two authors a day: one well-known and one obscure. Well, from my perspective anyway, which is admittedly narrow. I could be totally wrong, of course.
High-profile author rec: Tin, atpornkings, fic journal ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
obakesan (both journals are friends-only, but she automatically friends back)
Tin is quite possibly the first writer whom I discovered all by myself. You see, I was introduced to anime and fanfiction by my friends, and for the longest time, I only really read the fics and watched the anime that they referred to. Then came Card Captor Sakura--I think I'm the only one out of my friends who really likes shoujo--and scouring the Internet for CCS fics, which inevitably led me to that Eriol/Tomoyo classic: Turn. That was years ago, but I have to say that I really do adore all the permutations of her writing style, which is almost insidiously chameleon at times. ^_^
It's hard to pin down Tin's writing because although it is always highly literate and complex, it also adapts itself to its subject matter. There are the humorous fics, like The Yamasutra. There are the AU epics, like The Serpent Never Dies. There are the near-surrealistic character pieces, like Paranormal; understated scenes of interaction, like Spring Cleaning; erudite expositions, like Speed Read; and of course, the beautifully epigrammatic notes, a fanfic genre that I think no one else has ever managed to pull off because it is so uniquely her own.
What I like best about Tin's writing is that she takes a character or series, and adds layers and layers of unforeseen dimension, without altering its essence. Or should I change that to "while exposing its essence"? It's always worth rereading one of her fics. Her writing alone, though, is a delight to read: she has a characteristic (and intriguing) voice, but she also can range from minimalist to sensual to downright hilarious. (Her RL posts in her journal are equally interesting, as a result.) Anyway, why am I continuing to babble? Go read for yourself.
Low-profile author rec: Murinae, atmurinae
Can I really call Murinae "low-profile"? Her In the Forests of the Night is a Hikago classic. But very few of her fans seem to know she has an LJ, so in that sense, she doesn't stick out in fandom like other authors. (So forgive me, Muri, for sticking you in this category! >_<)
Anyway, as I've said, Muri's most well-known fic is In the Forests of the Night, and although she is modest about her writing, I think most Hikago fans would agree with me that this fic is quite possibly the most creative and most brilliant story ever produced by the fandom. It is the loving effort of a year's worth of writing, and the painstaking care she took in researching the details of go and Japanese folklore is staggering. The first chapter captured my attention and ran away with it, but each successive chapter surpasses the one before it; the whole fic builds up to this beautiful climax where, like Hikaru, the reader feels that their world has been turned upside down, and then resolves in an ending that returns you to reality but also leaves you feeling changed. I came out of fic feeling as if I too had experienced something extraordinary.
Muri's written other fics, of course, and she also has several works in progress. My other favorite fic by her is Driven, a Hikaru no Go/Death Note crossover. I admire two things about Muri as a writer: first, her sheer creativity in coming up with story situations (and of course her ability to catch the reader's interest and keep it), and second, the amount of effort she puts into her writing. Reading her LJ, where she often talks about the process of writing, is always fascinating because it really shows someone who is passionately devoted to writing. Muri has raw talent of course, but what really impresses me is how she works at cultivating that talent. I think that her determination and devotion will result in success, and when she gets published, I'll enjoy reading her novels. ^_^
This reminds me that I should make that fic recs post soon.
This weekend marks a milestone in the short history of our blocking group, thanks to it being our dear
schwimmerin's birthday on Friday. To celebrate, we took a perilous journey to the Assembly Square cinema in Somerville to see Constantine. None of us had ever been to the theatre before, so we plotted out our journey carefully, but we still missed the bus we were supposed to take and ended up riding the T to Sullivan Square instead. With nothing to go on except the directions provided by a lab tech at the CGR, we journeyed across highways through the slushy snow only to discover the theatre was in the same district where Jenny and I had gone with the kendo club to play laser tag during Gasshuku. ^_^ Interesting. The district was very sketchy, as they say, but we still had a great time. I rather enjoyed Constantine, despite Keanu Reeves' utter lack of acting ability. (Could he speak with a more deadpan voice? I had to stifle the urge to giggle at certain serious moments because his vocal expression was nil.) Seriously though, I liked the feel of the film--very sleek--and the story was awesome, aside from gratuitous plot devices to get shots of main heroine in wet white tank top with black mesh bra underneath. Honestly. (Well, at least they didn't give into the temptation of actually contriving a makeout scene.) The girl couldn't act either, but the supporting characters were fascinating, especially Gabriel, who just flabbergasts me with her? his? its total insanity. Anyway, if you don't go in expecting a great Oscar-worthy movie, Constantine is pretty fun. I think I am going to check out the comic books if I ever get the chance though, since the concept was the best part of the film.On Saturday, we, along with Daera's cousin, who is visiting from Duke, went to see the Lowell House Opera.
schwimmerin was House Manager, and we were all justifiably proud of her "mad lighting skillz". ^_^ Don Giovanni was delightfully Mozartian, although the lead tenor didn't really have much of a voice (he saved up for his main aria, where he really let loose and would have managed to impress me if he hadn't spoiled it by hitting two wrong notes). The acting was typically operatic, but not as stilted as usual, and the sopranos were all pretty impressive. The baritone who played Leporello was excellent too, although his voice seemed fatigued at points. For an amateur production, it was indeed brilliant, although I have to admit that the modern set and costumes did not impress me. (I feel that unless the opera itself is a modern composition, one ought to keep opera sets lavish and overdone, in the traditional style. The typical convolutions of an opera storyline can't really be supported by a minimalist set.) Actually, the orchestra was the most impressive, which is pretty much expected since Harvard does not lack for first-class instrumental performers.This morning, to finish off our celebrations, we went to the Cheesecake Factory at Cambridgeside Galleria. (The Galleria makes the Queens Borough Mall look downright dinky by the way.) I stuffed myself on an eggplant sandwich and then a slice of chocolate peanut butter cookie dough cheesecake, which reminded me that yes, I do have a chocolate threshold. >_> I know, I know, one can never have too much chocolate, but! that cheesecake nearly killed me. It would have been a happy death, though. We all ordered different cheesecakes and got a taste of each one. Daera got the monstrous Mud Pie confection which was so enormous and came with a charming little cup of hot fudge. She had to have most of it wrapped up. Actually, I don't think the rest of us managed to finish our cheesecakes either. We just sort of sat there, comatose from the overstimulated taste buds (well, I was comatose). I make it sound so miserable, but I did enjoy every bite. Next time though, I won't order such a large entré and just splurge on cheesecake. Just that single slice would have filled me. ^_^ I took a three hour nap afterwards to digest (my system really did just shut down completely), but I'm still full from that meal.
Anyway, while I haven't gotten any work done, I have managed to take care of various "administravia" (Is that actually a word? Prof. Morii likes to use it.) regarding scholarships, jury duty, etc. I still find it amusing, by the way, that I got called for jury duty before either of my parents, even though I'm the one who can't possibly respond to a jury summons. Oh, and I think I've just figured out a way to spend an all-expenses-paid week in Korea! There's a KSEA (Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association) conference there this June, and I think the lab won't mind if I took just a week off to go to a science conference. Of course, there's no way I'm going to see Korea properly in a week, but still, a week is better than nothing. Not to mention, all the airplane tickets and hotel fees are covered by the organization. ^_^ Free is good. Now if only I can manage to pull off something similar for the summer Gasshuku.
Despite my good mood, there's something rotten in the state of Denmark. (Again!) Oh well. I'm really glad I don't have that much work this weekend because none of it is getting done. And that's an end to the cryptic message of the week.
Yours &c.
Post-script: How could I forget? Belated Fanfic Author Appreciation Week, day 1:
I have many, many favorite authors on my friends list. Most of them, however, are pretty well-known in the anime/manga fandom. I shall thus make life ten times more difficult for myself by recommending two authors a day: one well-known and one obscure. Well, from my perspective anyway, which is admittedly narrow. I could be totally wrong, of course.
High-profile author rec: Tin, at
pornkings, fic journal obakesan (both journals are friends-only, but she automatically friends back)Tin is quite possibly the first writer whom I discovered all by myself. You see, I was introduced to anime and fanfiction by my friends, and for the longest time, I only really read the fics and watched the anime that they referred to. Then came Card Captor Sakura--I think I'm the only one out of my friends who really likes shoujo--and scouring the Internet for CCS fics, which inevitably led me to that Eriol/Tomoyo classic: Turn. That was years ago, but I have to say that I really do adore all the permutations of her writing style, which is almost insidiously chameleon at times. ^_^
It's hard to pin down Tin's writing because although it is always highly literate and complex, it also adapts itself to its subject matter. There are the humorous fics, like The Yamasutra. There are the AU epics, like The Serpent Never Dies. There are the near-surrealistic character pieces, like Paranormal; understated scenes of interaction, like Spring Cleaning; erudite expositions, like Speed Read; and of course, the beautifully epigrammatic notes, a fanfic genre that I think no one else has ever managed to pull off because it is so uniquely her own.
What I like best about Tin's writing is that she takes a character or series, and adds layers and layers of unforeseen dimension, without altering its essence. Or should I change that to "while exposing its essence"? It's always worth rereading one of her fics. Her writing alone, though, is a delight to read: she has a characteristic (and intriguing) voice, but she also can range from minimalist to sensual to downright hilarious. (Her RL posts in her journal are equally interesting, as a result.) Anyway, why am I continuing to babble? Go read for yourself.
Low-profile author rec: Murinae, at
murinaeCan I really call Murinae "low-profile"? Her In the Forests of the Night is a Hikago classic. But very few of her fans seem to know she has an LJ, so in that sense, she doesn't stick out in fandom like other authors. (So forgive me, Muri, for sticking you in this category! >_<)
Anyway, as I've said, Muri's most well-known fic is In the Forests of the Night, and although she is modest about her writing, I think most Hikago fans would agree with me that this fic is quite possibly the most creative and most brilliant story ever produced by the fandom. It is the loving effort of a year's worth of writing, and the painstaking care she took in researching the details of go and Japanese folklore is staggering. The first chapter captured my attention and ran away with it, but each successive chapter surpasses the one before it; the whole fic builds up to this beautiful climax where, like Hikaru, the reader feels that their world has been turned upside down, and then resolves in an ending that returns you to reality but also leaves you feeling changed. I came out of fic feeling as if I too had experienced something extraordinary.
Muri's written other fics, of course, and she also has several works in progress. My other favorite fic by her is Driven, a Hikaru no Go/Death Note crossover. I admire two things about Muri as a writer: first, her sheer creativity in coming up with story situations (and of course her ability to catch the reader's interest and keep it), and second, the amount of effort she puts into her writing. Reading her LJ, where she often talks about the process of writing, is always fascinating because it really shows someone who is passionately devoted to writing. Muri has raw talent of course, but what really impresses me is how she works at cultivating that talent. I think that her determination and devotion will result in success, and when she gets published, I'll enjoy reading her novels. ^_^
This reminds me that I should make that fic recs post soon.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-14 04:39 am (UTC)And have you been to QC (that's what you're talking about, right? Queens Center?) since it's been remodeled? It's AMAZING, it's got everything you could want -- except for a bookstore -- under its roof/ves!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-14 04:43 am (UTC)Okay, so my standard for malls is a bit screwed up. ^_^;;
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-14 06:02 am (UTC)Oh ... um ... wow.
Date: 2005-03-14 04:50 am (UTC)Oh wow. Thank you for the recommendation you gave me. Wow.
Um. I don't know what to say ... kinda overwhelmed. *G* Though, dude, no need for apologies ... I totally know I am a very low profile writer. heh.
Cause even if the Hikago fen is so small, we have such talent in such a small place that wow ... it's hard for a writer like me to even make a ripple :). Dude, hehehe,stuff -- like Fujiwara, Brightly Burning, Seance de Go, and Conversations over the Go Board and so many others ... it just takes my breath away, the talent in the fen.
Mine's just notoriously long. *blinks*
Sincerely, I am very highly flattered that you think so much of the two things I've written. Oh wow. Heh. You're so kind to me. Thanks for including me on your list. Wow. I got lucky my readers, as well.
*G* Anyways, good luck with the Jury Duty. I swear, everyone I know is getting pulled! But that's a semi-good thing. Wonder when it'll be my turn.
And I hope you get to go to Korea ... I've always been curious about visiting there. It's one of the Asian countries I haven't been able to see yet, unfortunately. I hope you get to go. And I heard Constantine was an ... erm ... interesting movie. Still have yet to go see it. Keanu Reeves makes me go "hmm." *G*
Hope whatever is going rotten in Denmark will resolve itself. I hate that feeling. Promise me if the ghosts of the pasts start showing up, you'll book it out of there at high speed (it's never good when the ghosts start showing up! Unless it's to teach you to play go).
dude, gotta go to bed, before I get even more incoherent.
thank you so very much for the rec! It surprised me and really made my night (and possibly my week!) Thank you!
-muri :)
Re: Oh ... um ... wow.
Date: 2005-03-14 10:19 pm (UTC)I don't mind serving jury duty, but the problem is that it's kind of impossible for me to serve in Queens, New York, which is where my parents live, when I'm going to school in Massachusetts. ^_^;; Oh well. I'm not the only person in the situation though, so hopefully things will straighten out.
And heh, thanks for your kind wishes. I do hope I get to go to Korea, even for a week. I haven't been back since third grade and I've been longing to go for years. As for Denmark, the rotten thing will probably resolve itself. No ghosts anyway, as of yet. >_>;;
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-14 07:09 am (UTC)although I have to admit that the modern set and costumes did not impress me. (I feel that unless the opera itself is a modern composition, one ought to keep opera sets lavish and overdone, in the traditional style. The typical convolutions of an opera storyline can't really be supported by a minimalist set.
HEAR, HEAR!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-14 10:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-14 08:31 pm (UTC)the state of denmark can suck a big one. i think i'ma pull an ophelia and claim temporary insanity untill this all passes. so don't be surprised if i'm crouched in the corner singing songs about pretty flowers during next practice...
;)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-14 10:24 pm (UTC)As for pulling an Ophelia, as long as you don't drown yourself...>_> I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment though. -_-;;
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-15 06:54 pm (UTC)*grin* we liked it, though, and the plot line is surprisingly interesting and not as cliched as i expected.
as for denmark... *drops a large paper towel over it and meanders off, whistling innocently*
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-16 04:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-16 02:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-16 05:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-16 04:36 am (UTC)Just for the record ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-16 05:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-16 01:02 pm (UTC)