Yesterday was my birthday, and I got a Wii!
About two weeks ago I asked the girl from GameStop who comes in all the time how often they get Wii's and she took my name and said she'd have someone come in when they get some, and I stopped by work yesterday to buy a book I'd ordered, and they came to tell me they had Wii's at the same time! So they held it for me for a few hours and I got it =)
I love it!
I'm kind of addicted to the Check Mii Out channel right now.
I went to see "Up the Yangtze" last night right after work. It was a pretty interesting and powerful look at the human cost of the Three Gorges Dam. While standing in line in the restroom after the movie, a pair of ladies in front of me were not pleased with the movie.
"I think they mislead people about what the movie was going to show. I was just there and they didn't show any of the beautiful landscape. Not one scene."
Okay, I watched the trailer before I went and my understanding of what I was going to see fit what I saw. I was not expecting a Rick Steve's travel journey. I didn't go on a boat tour when I went to China in 2002, but I saw a lot of beauty up against a rush for modernization.
So I spoke up, being as polite as possible. "It was supposed to be a movie about the impact of the dam project on the people who live along the river."
The Complainer's friend smiled at me and said, "Oh yes, it did a good job of showing the human cost of progress."
Then I explained that I've enjoyed traveling to developing countries and that I've become more concerned with how much tourism erodes local culture. They nodded their heads and we had a nice chat.
This thought is something I've been grappling with for a little while now. I loved my trip to Cambodia but I saw more being lost than was gained by my being there. Hotels popping up like weeds, no oversight and no limits on how many tourists can climb among the sandstone temples. The water table is dropping there and what stood solid for centuries is becoming increasing unstable.
Peru is starting to get it, and limits how many people are entering Machu Picchu. It looks like Tikal in Guatemala hasn't had the problems yet, but they will be coming and coming fast.
I really want to go to Easter Island. It's a big dream of mine, but I've been reading about the damage being done by a larger influx of tourists. I don't want to be a part of the problem. I'd love to go back to Southeastern Asia but I read disturbing articles about the destruction of authenticity and a way of life due to the crush of Western tourists in Laos. Spain has paved over some of its best beaches with concrete hotel after hotel. Central America is increasingly threatened with "Cancunization": a proliferation of glitzy resorts that keep guests ignorant of their environs.
The film I saw last night didn't help my inner conflict. Gosh, I'm conflicted a lot lately. Anyway, the film followed a girl who went to work on a river cruise boat to help make money for her family. I know that tourism is a major economic help to many people, but I also saw how it keeps so many of us travelers from seeing the reality of the places we visit.
What I can do is be a more thoughtful traveler. Whether that means taking volunteer vacations, seeking out smaller destinations or finding sustainable tour options, then I'll try to balance my wanderlust with my conscience.
I have a secret. I have a huge crush on John Conner. Edward Furlong played John in T2...and I fell in love with his character. (The fact that Edward was cute was moot) He was a bad boy...and you know what they say about bad boys..Nick Stahl played him in T3 - and again - he was a kick ass mid-twenty year old that knew how to handle himself with a robot from hell.
Now..Lord help me...Christian Bale is playing his character in T4...I think I have died and gone to heaven. I watched the trailer, courtesy of sxephil on youtube...and was already in love. I think that they picked the perfect person for this part...which is funny, because I don't particularly like Bale as Batman. (I'll always be a Keaton-girl)
The movie is set in the future, after D-Day and is set to come out May 2009...I can barely stand waiting. I love action flicks....
The perfect summer night supper.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
10 oz baby arugula (or as much as you like)
1 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Zest of one lemon
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 lb penne pasta
salt to taste
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt it and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until a little less than al dente. Drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan.
- Add the flour to the oil and stir until browned.
- Gently add the milk to the roux, whisking all the time. Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer for a minute or two until thickened to a saucy consistency. Turn off the heat.
- Add salt, pepper, zest and basil to the sauce.
- Mix the drained pasta with the sauce and cover. The pasta will soak up the sauce while the veggies cook.
- Heat the other tbsp of oil in a skillet. Add the garlic. Saute until softened.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, arugula, and cook until just wilted. Season to taste.
- Serve the arugula tomato mixture over the pasta.
This was so good, I am now officially an arugula convert. :)
I got creative tonight with dinner. It turned out pretty good, in my opinion (and my hubby). Here's what I did: Cut up chicken breast into small pieces and put in casserole dish. Seasoned with a bunch of stuff and garlic. Put a bit of olive oil in. Sliced up yellow and green zucchini, threw them in. Mixed in some bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Baked at 375 for about half hour. YUM!
Excuse me as I get on my soap box.
Here's the thing. The brain is kind of important right? Well how can parents not give a shit about their own brain or their children's brains. Is it that much of a stretch to realize that biking is a dangerous activity. Sure, people survive every day but who knows when a careless driver may hit you. Or when a bump or something can throw you off a bike? Why take chances? Is wearing a helmet bad for your hair? Takes too much time? Well wait till you or your child has a brain injury and see how long it can take to do the basic things in life like talking. Helmets too expensive? There are free give-aways ALL the time here so nix that excuse. Today I saw a dad riding a bike while pulling his child one of those nylon enclosed trailers. Does he really think the nylon is going to do anything to protect his child? Helmets are necessary even in those trailers. And parents need to set the examples by wearing the helmets themselves. Ugh. Years dealing with the consequences of tragic ACCIDENTS has soured me a bit.
(steps off soap box).....
ok - carry on.
20 miles in!
Where do you go for advice?
Doesn't everyone? Go ahead, give it a try!
What's the best movie you've seen so far this summer? Worst?
I was fortunate to see the new movie, "Mongol: The Rise to Power of Ghengis Khan, the Living God". Click on Trailer, and watch the Theatrical Trailer.
It's the first in a trilogy of movies about Khan's life. Three of my close friends invited me to go see it. I said, no way. It sounds long, boring and violent. No thanks.
Then the woman selling the tickets talked me into giving it a chance. (That and the smell of theatre popcorn changed my mind).
It was spectacular. It was all shot in Mongolia, a beautiful country. There were over 3,000 actors, almost all Mongolian. The plot was facinating, and the acting was stellar. You guys would love it. Here's a NY Times review of the movie.
Show us your least favorite part of the weekend.
