Sunday, June 30, 2013
Jun. 30th, 2013 09:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bearshortyJust came home from another adventurous day. I went to NYC Pride Parade today. Perks of a political campaign internship - getting to march in the parade. Well, I was working too - getting petitions, but it was a lot of fun too. This is definitely my favorite parade - it is a happy place. I got to walk around some staging areas as well as watch the parade for a bit. And, of course, walk in it too. My legs hate me - I canvassed for 5 hours yesterday and all the walking today, but it is worth it.
After the Parade - and I had to leave a little early for this - I took the subway up to the Met where I met up with Bear and my friend Olya. I wanted to see the Cyrus Cylinder, on loan from the British Museum this month, which is the 6th century BCE document that let the Jews go back from the Babylonian exile and rebuild the Temple. I have a Powerpoint of it that I use in my global history class but I got to see it in person today - and read the translation of it on the wall. It is smaller than I thought. (I've been to the British Museum many times, but I don't really remember it.) The Met closed early today at 5:30, so we really didn't have time to see anything else - but we sat in the Park a bit and then had Thai food in the Upper West Side.
And it is the second time this week I've had Thai food. On Wednesday, I was in Long Island because I went to Darren Criss concert in Huntington. (I never went to concerts as a teenage girl, it is fun to act like it now. He is just very pretty.) I went to Bear's work in the morning with him and while he was at work, I went to the beach nearby. It was lovely. Then, for dinner, we met up with Bear's friend Jeremy and had Thai food. And then I went to the concert where I had a great time and Bear hung out with Jeremy until I called him to pick me up. We stayed at his parents' house that night, as it was closer and I took the train back into the city the next night.
The rest of my week took me all over the city. I was in Manhattan and Queens and Brooklyn and I feel like I'm learning some new neighborhoods and places in my city. I had lunch by the beach yesterday. I might skip a day tomorrow, though. I feel like my legs need a break and I need to deal with a leaking bathroom ceiling situation with our super, who is not the most competent guy.
I have been reading a lot too, because I spend a lot of time on trains. I finished the first book of the Newsflesh trilogy Feed by Mira Grant. And last Sunday, when we were in Central Park for Galya's birthday party, Marianna gave me the last birthday present, Neil Gaiman's latest book The Ocean at the End of the Lane . I finished that on Wednesday and now I started "Iron King," a French historical fiction my Dad gave me for my birthday. Some thoughts:
Feed : I ended up liking it by the end even thought for a lot of the book I thought many characters were too predictable and full of tropes. But the twist was pretty amazing since I really never read a story where a first-person narrator dies - well, in sci-fi or fantasy but they come back - here it is irreversible. So that was a pretty good twist. It makes me want to read the other two books, but I promised Bear he gets to read those first, since it was his birthday present.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane : it was too creepy in places - not fascinating good creepy, just plain creepy. In many cases, I was reminded on stories on "Doctor Who" and other media - it wasn't that original but it was super creepy. I didn't like it as much as some of his other work. And I don't think I want to reread it. I'm not sorry I read it but it was not my favorite book.
Iron King : It started out super cheesy with silly descriptions of people but it really picked up and it is really fun to read. It is the story of Philip IV of France and the curse of the Grand Master of the Templars on him. All drama and familiar historical characters and a good combination of silly and fun. I'm really enjoying it.
After the Parade - and I had to leave a little early for this - I took the subway up to the Met where I met up with Bear and my friend Olya. I wanted to see the Cyrus Cylinder, on loan from the British Museum this month, which is the 6th century BCE document that let the Jews go back from the Babylonian exile and rebuild the Temple. I have a Powerpoint of it that I use in my global history class but I got to see it in person today - and read the translation of it on the wall. It is smaller than I thought. (I've been to the British Museum many times, but I don't really remember it.) The Met closed early today at 5:30, so we really didn't have time to see anything else - but we sat in the Park a bit and then had Thai food in the Upper West Side.
And it is the second time this week I've had Thai food. On Wednesday, I was in Long Island because I went to Darren Criss concert in Huntington. (I never went to concerts as a teenage girl, it is fun to act like it now. He is just very pretty.) I went to Bear's work in the morning with him and while he was at work, I went to the beach nearby. It was lovely. Then, for dinner, we met up with Bear's friend Jeremy and had Thai food. And then I went to the concert where I had a great time and Bear hung out with Jeremy until I called him to pick me up. We stayed at his parents' house that night, as it was closer and I took the train back into the city the next night.
The rest of my week took me all over the city. I was in Manhattan and Queens and Brooklyn and I feel like I'm learning some new neighborhoods and places in my city. I had lunch by the beach yesterday. I might skip a day tomorrow, though. I feel like my legs need a break and I need to deal with a leaking bathroom ceiling situation with our super, who is not the most competent guy.
I have been reading a lot too, because I spend a lot of time on trains. I finished the first book of the Newsflesh trilogy Feed by Mira Grant. And last Sunday, when we were in Central Park for Galya's birthday party, Marianna gave me the last birthday present, Neil Gaiman's latest book The Ocean at the End of the Lane . I finished that on Wednesday and now I started "Iron King," a French historical fiction my Dad gave me for my birthday. Some thoughts:
Feed : I ended up liking it by the end even thought for a lot of the book I thought many characters were too predictable and full of tropes. But the twist was pretty amazing since I really never read a story where a first-person narrator dies - well, in sci-fi or fantasy but they come back - here it is irreversible. So that was a pretty good twist. It makes me want to read the other two books, but I promised Bear he gets to read those first, since it was his birthday present.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane : it was too creepy in places - not fascinating good creepy, just plain creepy. In many cases, I was reminded on stories on "Doctor Who" and other media - it wasn't that original but it was super creepy. I didn't like it as much as some of his other work. And I don't think I want to reread it. I'm not sorry I read it but it was not my favorite book.
Iron King : It started out super cheesy with silly descriptions of people but it really picked up and it is really fun to read. It is the story of Philip IV of France and the curse of the Grand Master of the Templars on him. All drama and familiar historical characters and a good combination of silly and fun. I'm really enjoying it.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-07-01 05:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-07-02 03:05 pm (UTC)Last time I was in NYC, I wanted to visit the MET so bad, but we never made it there (people I was with are so anti-museums :sadface:). The almost always have an amazing new exhibit too, which is what kills me. I should just go alone next time :D
Man, I need to get my butt back in the reading game (: