A Lazy Day
Wednesday 30 March 2005
Got up bright and early - well, relatively speaking - to show Jingli around the ol' NU campus. It was really nice walking around and seeing the campus again. Very comfortable, like slipping into a pair of old worn shoes. Even though the campus isn't as pretty during this time of year, it's still something. I still haven't forgotten the irony of seeing the lake lit up for the first time only on my Graduation Day. We slowly meandered our way through the buildings, heading for the Lakefill. No matter what, it's still the nicest spot on campus, in my opinion.
Lake Michigan behind
Louis Hall was next, and we met some people at The Cage: Brian Perkinson, Jim Joyce and Kevin Richey. A little tour of Louis ensued, and I took almost perverse pleasure in pointing out the exact little editing room where I lived for a few months (Avid 2, for those wondering). We went around the TV studio, the graphics rooms, the Avids, even the sidewalk where me and Martha used to lie down, smoke and look up at the sky. It felt good.
We were about to head back to the apartment when we ran into (rather amazingly) Anthony and Win-Sie outside Louis. I couldn't very well just walk away, so we ate with them at (shudder) Norris. Catching up was nice, but I don't think I'll see him for a very long time.
Back at the apartment, Jingli found to his horror that there was something wrong with his CF card. A week's worth of pictures had mysteriously disappeared, and a number of those remaining were corrupted and wouldn't show. Some of them were even from this morning. We tried hooking up his camera directly, taking out the CF card, any combination of things, and nothing worked. I checked out a website, which seemed to say it could be salvaged, so we decided to leave it for the time being. I mean, what could we do about it?
Lunch was a nice picnic in the park with #1: sandwiches from Rollin' To Go. It was a really beautiful day, with a good breeze and nice sun. When I'm staying in Noyes everything feels so relaxed, I just want to take things easy and chill all day.
Jingli had a go at the swings, and I think that image will stick with me for a long time. He refused to let me get a picture, and I'm still kicking myself for missing the chance. Sometimes you see something, and what's happening and how it's laid out just speaks volumes, and you know you need to take that picture. Well, I felt like that, but I didn't take it.
As we waited on the El platform at Noyes, I couldn't help but notice Jingli was really withdrawn and quiet. I'm sure it was pretty traumatizing, finding out your pictures are gone. Poor guy, he looked so sad sitting there, I thought he was gonna cry. But then he doesn't like to show any weakness; he's such an alpha male, it can get a little infuriating at times.
I tried to cheer him up by wondering aloud if the soaking in NYC had damaged my portable hard drive (I know, it was a stupid idea, bringing it out). Not only were there pictures from this trip on it, but all my college digital pictures were on it, including my graduation pictures. No backup. If they were gone, that was it. I think I'd be beyond crying at that point. I'd probably just nod, then go out and shoot someone. I'd left the USB cable behind at Arielle's, so there was no way of checking, and the end of the cable that connected to the drive was sufficiently weird such that I had to go back to the store I bought it from to get a replacement.
(By the way, I eventually got a replacement cable a few days ago - i.e. mid-April - and thankfully everything on the drive was fine. I have since moved everything on it to my laptop. The drive was rather shaky anyway, and I intend to sell it to some unsuspecting shmuck online.)
I don't think my attempt worked. It was rather weak, anyway.
Belmont had cool stores, and actually the Haight-Asbury region in San Francisco really reminded me of it. We found a great poster store and went nuts again; I swept up some H.R. Giger designs at a really good deal. There were also a whole bunch of vintage stores and a hip army surplus store. A bunch of shit was bought. As we walked around I felt rather sad I hadn't taken the time to really walk around these stores before this. I mean, I was only familiar with the army surplus place and one or two of the stores.
It was close to dinnertime by then, and a quick subway trip later, we were at Pizzeria Uno, only the best pizzeria in the world. They serve an unbelievable deep dish pizza, with heaps of fillings that taste like heaven. I would seriously kill for it. In fact, I bring everyone that visits me in Chicago there, because if you haven't eaten here, you haven't been to Chicago. Amazingly, the wait was only twenty minutes. When I've waited for almost three hours before, twenty minutes is nothing.
After we finished dinner, it was pouring outside. New York flashback. But this time, it even hailed at one point. I shrugged. Chicago shows its crazy weather again, big surprise.
I was going to bring him to the Magnificent Mile and show him the pretty lights at night, but it seemed that wasn't going to happen. We went to the Improv Olympic instead, because improvisational comedy's kinda fun. The girl at the counter told us there was a show that had started half an hour ago. I remembered the shows lasting a really long time, so I thought it was fine. It ended twenty minutes later. Boy, did we feel cheated. She never told us anything when we bought the tickets, she just kinda looked at us weird. Bitch.
The rain had stopped, and the Signature Lounge seemed like a good idea. We went back to the Magnificent Mile and took a 96-storey elevator ride up the John Hancock Center. It really is the best way to see Chicago from up high. For the price of a drink, you get a great view. Why get ripped off by ridiculous observation deck entry fees? And the view beats the Sears Tower's any day, with the coastline laid out before your eyes.
Above is Navy Pier, which I'm ashamed to say I've never been to. We didn't manage to fit it in this time round either. There's a sweet ferris wheel and stuff.
We had drinks and chilled, taking tons of pictures for lack of anything better to do.
I think we must've spent hours there, until I called Sarah to find out what they were doing and realized that a whole bunch of them were waiting for us back at the apartment. Eileen had baked a chocolate cake, and they had been waiting for hours, apparently. Feeling terrible, we left immediately.
Sarah (L) & Eileen (R)
The girls were there, and crazy Nate Eddy, and even Dana. Some people had apparently came and left, and I feel really sorry about that. Nonetheless, the cake was delicious, and it was wonderful hanging out with everyone.
On couch, L to R: Nate (#1 - DeYoung), Zach & Nate (#2 - Eddy)
In mirror, L to R: Me & Eileen
Got up bright and early - well, relatively speaking - to show Jingli around the ol' NU campus. It was really nice walking around and seeing the campus again. Very comfortable, like slipping into a pair of old worn shoes. Even though the campus isn't as pretty during this time of year, it's still something. I still haven't forgotten the irony of seeing the lake lit up for the first time only on my Graduation Day. We slowly meandered our way through the buildings, heading for the Lakefill. No matter what, it's still the nicest spot on campus, in my opinion.
Lake Michigan behind
Louis Hall was next, and we met some people at The Cage: Brian Perkinson, Jim Joyce and Kevin Richey. A little tour of Louis ensued, and I took almost perverse pleasure in pointing out the exact little editing room where I lived for a few months (Avid 2, for those wondering). We went around the TV studio, the graphics rooms, the Avids, even the sidewalk where me and Martha used to lie down, smoke and look up at the sky. It felt good.
We were about to head back to the apartment when we ran into (rather amazingly) Anthony and Win-Sie outside Louis. I couldn't very well just walk away, so we ate with them at (shudder) Norris. Catching up was nice, but I don't think I'll see him for a very long time.
Back at the apartment, Jingli found to his horror that there was something wrong with his CF card. A week's worth of pictures had mysteriously disappeared, and a number of those remaining were corrupted and wouldn't show. Some of them were even from this morning. We tried hooking up his camera directly, taking out the CF card, any combination of things, and nothing worked. I checked out a website, which seemed to say it could be salvaged, so we decided to leave it for the time being. I mean, what could we do about it?
Lunch was a nice picnic in the park with #1: sandwiches from Rollin' To Go. It was a really beautiful day, with a good breeze and nice sun. When I'm staying in Noyes everything feels so relaxed, I just want to take things easy and chill all day.
Jingli had a go at the swings, and I think that image will stick with me for a long time. He refused to let me get a picture, and I'm still kicking myself for missing the chance. Sometimes you see something, and what's happening and how it's laid out just speaks volumes, and you know you need to take that picture. Well, I felt like that, but I didn't take it.
As we waited on the El platform at Noyes, I couldn't help but notice Jingli was really withdrawn and quiet. I'm sure it was pretty traumatizing, finding out your pictures are gone. Poor guy, he looked so sad sitting there, I thought he was gonna cry. But then he doesn't like to show any weakness; he's such an alpha male, it can get a little infuriating at times.
I tried to cheer him up by wondering aloud if the soaking in NYC had damaged my portable hard drive (I know, it was a stupid idea, bringing it out). Not only were there pictures from this trip on it, but all my college digital pictures were on it, including my graduation pictures. No backup. If they were gone, that was it. I think I'd be beyond crying at that point. I'd probably just nod, then go out and shoot someone. I'd left the USB cable behind at Arielle's, so there was no way of checking, and the end of the cable that connected to the drive was sufficiently weird such that I had to go back to the store I bought it from to get a replacement.
(By the way, I eventually got a replacement cable a few days ago - i.e. mid-April - and thankfully everything on the drive was fine. I have since moved everything on it to my laptop. The drive was rather shaky anyway, and I intend to sell it to some unsuspecting shmuck online.)
I don't think my attempt worked. It was rather weak, anyway.
Belmont had cool stores, and actually the Haight-Asbury region in San Francisco really reminded me of it. We found a great poster store and went nuts again; I swept up some H.R. Giger designs at a really good deal. There were also a whole bunch of vintage stores and a hip army surplus store. A bunch of shit was bought. As we walked around I felt rather sad I hadn't taken the time to really walk around these stores before this. I mean, I was only familiar with the army surplus place and one or two of the stores.
It was close to dinnertime by then, and a quick subway trip later, we were at Pizzeria Uno, only the best pizzeria in the world. They serve an unbelievable deep dish pizza, with heaps of fillings that taste like heaven. I would seriously kill for it. In fact, I bring everyone that visits me in Chicago there, because if you haven't eaten here, you haven't been to Chicago. Amazingly, the wait was only twenty minutes. When I've waited for almost three hours before, twenty minutes is nothing.
After we finished dinner, it was pouring outside. New York flashback. But this time, it even hailed at one point. I shrugged. Chicago shows its crazy weather again, big surprise.
I was going to bring him to the Magnificent Mile and show him the pretty lights at night, but it seemed that wasn't going to happen. We went to the Improv Olympic instead, because improvisational comedy's kinda fun. The girl at the counter told us there was a show that had started half an hour ago. I remembered the shows lasting a really long time, so I thought it was fine. It ended twenty minutes later. Boy, did we feel cheated. She never told us anything when we bought the tickets, she just kinda looked at us weird. Bitch.
The rain had stopped, and the Signature Lounge seemed like a good idea. We went back to the Magnificent Mile and took a 96-storey elevator ride up the John Hancock Center. It really is the best way to see Chicago from up high. For the price of a drink, you get a great view. Why get ripped off by ridiculous observation deck entry fees? And the view beats the Sears Tower's any day, with the coastline laid out before your eyes.
Above is Navy Pier, which I'm ashamed to say I've never been to. We didn't manage to fit it in this time round either. There's a sweet ferris wheel and stuff.
We had drinks and chilled, taking tons of pictures for lack of anything better to do.
I think we must've spent hours there, until I called Sarah to find out what they were doing and realized that a whole bunch of them were waiting for us back at the apartment. Eileen had baked a chocolate cake, and they had been waiting for hours, apparently. Feeling terrible, we left immediately.
Sarah (L) & Eileen (R)
The girls were there, and crazy Nate Eddy, and even Dana. Some people had apparently came and left, and I feel really sorry about that. Nonetheless, the cake was delicious, and it was wonderful hanging out with everyone.
On couch, L to R: Nate (#1 - DeYoung), Zach & Nate (#2 - Eddy)
In mirror, L to R: Me & Eileen
posted by cinewhore @ 8:30 PM
0 mindfucks
0 Comments:
gimme some mindfuckery
<< Home