Well, starting after Chinese class, it was a wonderful day. I had lunch with Dana and Erik, and after lunch none of us felt like doing anything productive, so we went to Ben & Jerry’s (sad, but their marketing worked on me for sure!) and had scoops. I had One Sweet Whirled, which Dana had had yesterday and which I had tried and liked. Mmm. Caramel and coffee ice creams mixed with coffee-flavored chocolate chips. The guy we met yesterday, Arnold, is the one (I think) who developed this flavor–inspired by the dregs at the bottom of his caramel cappuccino. 🙂 After ice cream we stopped by the VLSB library and I checked out a copy of a journal I’ve been dying to read, Gastronomica–a journal about FOOD! Then we parted ways and I retired to the microfilm room at Doe to do a little bit of research for work, and to explore Gastronomica. I must say, it’s a fantastic journal. I am definitely going to subscribe to it, in fact as soon as I finish this entry. 🙂 It’s very pricey, $40 a year (four issues), but then again academic journals usually are. But even so I wouldn’t pay for it, except that it’s discounted for students. 😀 $28. Still high, but I think Martha Stewart Living is also that much, and I used to subscribe to that, so now that Martha Stewart is out of my life I think it’s well justified. 🙂 (I know she has a bad reputation, but the magazine really can be enjoyable. It has some good ideas and recipes, and the photographs are beautiful.)
I didn’t get to spend as much time as I wanted with Gastronomica, but I didn’t mind being cut short because I went to go hear Jonathan Spence, Chinese history expert extraordinaire, speak on ‘Thinking through chaos: Who was to blame for the fall of the Ming Dynasty?’ Prof Wakeman was the discussant. It was a fantastic lecture, very very interesting and funny and insightful. I got to talk to Allen a bit there, and Erik made it too (his prof didn’t show up for their appointment this afternoon, so he got to come on time and actually found a seat!) and also had a great time. Lots of my professors were there as usual and it was fun to hear what questions they asked. I also found out some very sad news: Prof Brentano passed away last night. Prof Laqueur announced the news at the start of the lecture, but fortunately I’d already heard it from Allen, otherwise it would have been a huge shock to hear it announced. It’s still a shock. It’s hard to imagine such a vigorous, brilliant personality is gone…
After Spence, Erik had to go to a meeting in Martinez with two other CS 169 students, his group partners, to talk to a company for whom they’re creating software. I went along just because I was still on an intellectual high from Spence’s talk and couldn’t stand the thought of just going home to sit in my apartment and stew online. I guess I’m glad I went. I got to ride in a cool car, a Mini Cooper, belonging to Miles, and I got to witness firsthand an engineering meeting. Blech. I was completely bored out of my mind. But I did learn, as I told Erik over dinner, that engineers can be considerably more articulate than I had previously guessed. 😉 And I got to meet two new people, so it wasn’t a total loss.
Dinner definitely made up for the hour or two I’d spent immersed in engineering as a spectator. We went to Unicorn, which is always excellent but seemed especially so tonight, maybe because aside from lunch with Dana yesterday and today, we haven’t eaten out in a while. (Check out the website–do those photos make you hungry or what?!) We had a nice big meal and dessert as well (mine was a wonderful almond biscotti torte, with the yummiest crust I’ve tasted in a while); the waitress was very personable and funny and was totally amazed we had room for dessert. She said we reminded her of her and her boyfriend when they go out to eat, and I took it as a compliment. I think it was meant to be one. And Erik and I had a lovely time discussing Spence, as well as my brush with engineering, during dinner, along with other topics. A very nice meal.
Okay time for me to go order Gastronomica!
[This post was imported on 4/10/14 from my old blog at satsumabug.livejournal.com.]
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 