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Meaningless Rant: Columbia University Bookstore Sign

Posted on April 22nd, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Meaningless Rants, NYC.

I spend my years in Brooklyn fighting back against a curriculum referred to as Teacher’s College, which is put forth by the bright minds at Columbia University.  I detest said curriculum with a passion, for while I’m sure it works very well in rich white suburban neighborhoods, it does not work in impoverished inner-city ghettos.

So, I found some joy in seeing this sign each time I went to Columbia to attend a professional development session (obviously they didn’t send their best out to have this sign made).

From the above sign, I can surmise one of two things about this bookstore: it either A) sells books for educators, books for classroom supplies (which are inanimate objects incapable of reading), and books for children, or B) it sells books for educators, classroom supplies (presumably also for educators), and children (doubtfully for educators - I think most of us have enough of these in our classroom, but perhaps they’re available for slave labor or some such).

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Trooping: New York Comic Con 2009

Posted on February 17th, 2009 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Costumes, Food, NYC, Star Wars.

[Me, breaking out of my germ infested apartment, wearing stormtrooper handcuffs and sporting a stolen E-11.]

As I had spent the week with a triple digit fever, spending time in Midtown Manhattan with 60,000 of my closest friends was not high on my priority list, but I did, in the end, manage a few hours, plus a brief appearance at the Legion dinner.

[Snowtrooper making a withdrawl at the ATM.]

Too exhausted to suit up myself, I walked the floor with Kris, spotting him and helping him take some fun pictures…

[Myself with an R2 unit - wee!!!]

…and I served my time at the Legion table, which had such a hideous location this year that I proposed that next year, if we don’t get a floor on the main table, we don’t bother with the table at all.

[Myself with a Republic backpack, and a baby Rotta the Hutt - I want an ABS version of this backpack.]

I walked the floor briefly and looked at some of the toys and such.  The above $35 Republic backpack was very tempting, but I want a hard, ABS backpack, and this one, while supposed with cardboard, is still soft…and not right…  When someone makes these, send me a note and I’ll send a payment through PayPal.  Seriously.  I want one.

[Best costume of the con: the Incredible Hulk.]

I also saw some neat costumes, but this towering hulk, who easily cleared 7 feet, was quite impressive.  (I love seeing people’s creativity come out at cons.)

[Stout’s burger, with swiss and guac, and a side of sweet potato fries.]

After the con, the 501st and Rebel Legions headed over to Stout, on 33rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, where Danny and I indulged in burgers.  Burgers and fries run you $10, but you have to pay an additional dollar for each topping.  I wasn’t well, so it’s hard to judge, but it was made to order and was quite satisfying, even though I was dying, so if you’re in the area, give it a try.

[Steve Sansweet, head of Lucasfilm fan relations, I believe.  He looks like he could be my uncle in this pic.]

Steve Sansweet stole my chair when I stood briefly for some reason I can’t recall.  Now the temptation was there to forcefully reclaim my chair, but as I was still on the mend, and as it seems like a bad idea, I instead stole Steve I.’s chair when he stood for a moment (and Steve I. was nice and did not steal it back.)  Sansweet was a really nice guy, spent the whole evening with the Legions, and sat at out table signing trading cards for us to snatch up.  Good times.

Randomly:

{OM NOM NOM NOM!]

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USA: NYC: Ted’s Montana Grill 2: The Search for the Bison Burger

Posted on December 7th, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Food, NYC.

We had been to Ted’s Montana Grill before to try the buffalo meat, but the burgers on the menu looked mighty tempting, too.  We agreed to come back another time for them.  (And then our lives got horribly busy and burgers left my life for a month and a half.)

The bison burger was delicious, although I would have to have a beef burger accessible to do a taste test and figure out how they’re different.  Miserable, exhausted, overworked and underpaid (as the rest of America) we had inhaled half our burgers (made to order, mine a perfect medium-rare, pink and juicy) before I realized we had forgotten to photo-document the experience.  Oh well - we’ll have to go back again.

With huge, juicy burgers that include your choice a side order (or get two half-sides, like me) for $10 to $15, Ted’s Montana Grill makes an excellent choice for a burger spot when you’re in Times Square.  It’s on 51st Street between Broadway and 7th Ave.  Mmmm…I get hungry just thinking about it.

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USA: NYC: Cup Diner & Bar

Posted on November 22nd, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Food, NYC.

I’m starting to get accused of being a food snob, but I really don’t think I am.  I just really enjoy eating…almost as much as I enjoy complaining when I’m dissatisfied.  But that doesn’t make me a food snob, does it?  (And this is all relevant because I’m about to start complaining.)

I went to Cup (in Astoria, Queens) with some friends, who are big fans of the place.  Three of us ordered Hot Chocolate, which they would do well to advertise as Lukewarm Chocolate soas not to mislead customers (and no, it was not busy.)

It was late night, and I ordered a dessert: the hot chocolate fudge brownie, topped with ice cream, nuts, and a few other things, the marshmallows and whipped cream I asked them to hold.  It took a long time, much longer than my friends’ burgers, even though I asked it to be served at the same time…this was perhaps because they had to run to the corner store and buy the brownies.  I got four of the thin, pre-packaged brownies, which I recognized as the ones that come in boxes of 12 for $1.49…I recognized them because I’ve purchased them for my first graders before.

Talk about disappointment.

The fries were OK - pity they gave us a bottle of spoiled ketchup to go with them.  I didn’t have the burgers, but my friends weren’t asked how they wanted them done, and they came out well-done, so I’m not sure how enjoyable they could have been.

To Cup’s credit, the lentil soup was most delicious, and the decor was quite neat.  But soup and decor are not enough to win my affection.

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USA: NYC: West Bank Cafe

Posted on November 9th, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Food, NYC.

Ray: Believe it or not, Danny went out for burgers with me, unchaperoned.  (Though, had we known it would be good, we would have kept it for a group night.)

[Image from the West Bank Cafe website.]

Danny and I went to the West Bank Cafe - based off a recommendation he overheard on the bus, so we weren’t sure what to expect, but it was, overall, a pleasant surprise.  They did mix up our cheeseburgers, giving me the rare patty and Danny the medium-rare.  I sucked it up and ate the rare ground beef - yes, it was purple in the center, and that seems a bit wrong for a burger to me, but it was still delicious.  They eventually got Danny’s burger right, though it took them forever.

[Ah, juicy cheeseburger goodness.]

The fries were excellent.  Fresh, in-house, with delicious seasoning.  No onion rings available, unfortunately (though I wouldn’t have minded testing the fried calamari.)  Definately the classiest burger place we’ve been to, and it was a yummy burger, but at $13.50, I’m left thinking that for one more dollar, I could go back to Rare.  Still, if your burger joint needs a wine list and a dessert menu, West Bank Cafe just might be the place for you.

LOCATION: 407 W 42nd Street (between 9th and 10th Aves)

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USA: NYC: Village Halloween Parade

Posted on November 3rd, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Costumes, NYC, Star Wars.

(Can’t label it as a troop as it wasn’t an official event…still, I was trooping.)

[These awesome skeletons start off the parade each year.]

It’s that time again: yes, the time when all the women and gay men of New York City use Halloween as an excuse to dress up like prostitutes and hit the streets, massing in downtown Manhattan along 6th Avenue.

[Randomly ran into Havoc at the 43rd Street costume store!] 

We were supposed to be walking with the Kostume Kult, but we lost that pretty early on.  We headed forward to find a less crowded area so Danny could run (cause, unlike normal troopers, he can run in armor.)  I found a small marching band and danced along to the beat - a dancing stormtrooper can make just about anyone smile, I find.

 
[Left to right, it’s Danny, myself, Danielle, Denis, and Ian]

We had a few people come out and join us.  Denis (TK-7333) from the French Garrison came out and spotted us, along with his wife, Danielle.  Eric came out to do photography for the event.  Other than that, I saw Ruby, Jen, Ralph, Jessica, Ian, Coop, and a number of other troopers that I didn’t recognize.  There were also two giant wookies.

 
[Ruby and Jen, in an awesome pair of costumes at Batman and Batgirl.]

Ruby learned that night that he can tickle me by reaching in the side gaps in my armor…obviously, I need to close those up somehow…  It’s not very effective armor if I can be taken down without a single shot being fired…  “Ticklish soilders fall in battle”.  The shame…

[It fascinates me how I still look girly, even in stormtrooper armor.]

Now, the down side to the event was that dancing around caused my suspenders to looser, and my ab and back plates were slipping, which in turn caused my thigh pieces to slip, and eventually pinch the back of me knees as they came in contact with my shin armor…  It was horribly painful.  When we got home I checked…I thought it was just a bright red armor bite (I was insanely tired) but in truth, it broke skin and bled.  I know this because I have scabs on the back of my knee now.

[Myself (TK-7888): Stormtrooper giving high-fives to the crowd…awesome image.]

Sad of a story as that is, there is still the warmth of knowing I made hundreds of people smile…  I wonder if my new dancing stormtrooper routine has made it up onto YouTube yet?

4 comments.

Trooping: Puppetry Arts Theatre Halloween Carnival

Posted on October 28th, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, NYC, Star Wars.

[Myself, TK-7888, patrolling the crowd]

My second Brooklyn troop - the first being the Brooklyn Cyclones game at Coney Island, which got rained out…  This was another rainy day, but thankfully, the gymnasium hosting the event had a roof.  (I’m still bummed that Skutch didn’t get to throw out the first pitch in his TC…it would have been awesome.)

 
[Left to right, it’s Mary Alice, Ray, Julie,Kris, myself, and Mike]

Fairly small event - three stormtroopers, two bounty hunters, two rebel scum, and Darth Vader deigned to grace us with his presence after he got off work.  (It’s always confusing when I have to explain to people where Darth Vader is: “Umm…he’s at work…on his Star Destroyer…”)

[Stormtrooper with cotton candy…  Canival Trooper?]

The event might have been more fun if we had had more opportunity to interact with participants…make paper bag puppets together with kids or something…but the crew running the event wouldn’t let us do anything but walk in circles without buying tickets…  I’m not gonna pay to do volunteer work.  However, Mike did buy some tickets…Ray and I used them cotton candy.

[Ray and myself, holding what might as well be our love child…mini-Joker]

Darth Vader was asked to help judge the kids’ costume context…which is kinda funny, as Darth Vader can’t really see in that helmet…  But there was only one costume that really mattered to us geeks: the toddler in the purple Joker suit, green hair, face paint, the whole nine yards…  Who thinks to dress up their toddler as a psychopathic killer?  Brilliant.

[Kris, Grimace, and myself (TK-7888)]

The other big thing, Ray insisted, was getting pictures with McDonald’s Grimace.  I have to admit…that photo’s a keeper: Darth Vader, Grimace, and a stormtrooper…classic.

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USA: NYC: Trailer Park Lounge & Grill

Posted on October 19th, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Food, NYC.

[Decor at Trailer Park Lounge & Grill]

So, I went to a Birthday at Trailer Park Louge & Grill, which I looked up on the ‘net before the event.  While fame often means the owners feel little need to make decent food, it boasted having been featured on Food Network, so I figured it was probably decent.  Having run about the city sampling different burger joints, I was curious how a famous place would compare.

[Myself with Ruby, the birthday boy.]

Trailer Park boasted an 8 oz. burger…no fancy burgers…no toppings choices…but a plain burger can be might good, so I ordered one, medium-rare.  What I got was a thin, weak, slightly burnt medium-well burger, a flat slab of ground beef no more than four ounces in weight, a single leaf of lettuce, a single slice of tomato less than half the size of the burger, and three slices of pickle.

 
[Skutch, wearing my glasses.  One nerd to rule them all, right?]

The burger had no juice, had no flavor.  It tasted like one of those frozen hockey puck-like patties.  Now, maybe that was the goal, to explicitly serve crappy, white trash food…but if that’s the goal, really, I could just stay home, save some cash, and have a Hot Pocket.

 
[Myself, with the champagne in a can…not woth the $7.75 I paid.]

The disappointments weren’t limited to the burgers.  The service blew.  We had a reservation for 8pm, and we arrived at 8pm, but we had to wait until 9pm for our table, which rather pissed us off.  The tater tots, which I’d heard were delicious, paled in comparison to the frozen ones my mom bakes.  And my champagne in a can was not only tiny, but came served already opened, which made me wonder if it actually came in a can, or if they just fill cans with bottled champagne.

 
[Part of the group at Trailer Park…going ’round the table, vaguely left to right, it’s Eric, Jenn, Ruby, Kris, myself, Julie, Danny, and Ralph]

About the only redeeming quality of the place was the sweet potato fries, which were crispy, not soggy, and quite sweet.  The decor was neat, but it didn’t make up for all the other short-comings of the place.  The next time my friends and I drop $500 on a meal, some decent service and tasty food are called for.

[Somebody needs to photoshop in the Elvis Trooper here…]

2 comments.

USA: NYC: Red Mango

Posted on October 11th, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Food, NYC.

[Me, at Red Mango.  Context, after complaining about men, below:
Rebekah: (snacking on health food) ”Anna, do you want a date?”
Anna: “No!  I’ve got my date [with frozen yogurt]!”]

Speaking of women and their magical dessert stomachs, here’s another delight that I’ve discovered in New York City: frozen yogurt.

But not the frozen yogurt you know!  This frozen yogurt taste like…yogurt…that’s semi-frozen…like…no…I mean, really!  It has this slightly sour flavor that I find absolutely fascinating.

You can get the plain flavored frozen yogurt, or try the green tea (delicious) or cappucino (if you’re a coffee lover, which I’m not.)  Then it’s on to the toppings!  Their fresh fruit toppings are absolutely delicious!  But then a little bit of dark chocolate never hurt anyone, and the mochi is SO YUMMY!

There’s a few locations, and multiple store fronts that may or may not be the same company.  Both Red Mango and Pink Berry appear to be identical - there might be others.  Google Map your most convenient location.

[Random: The Empire State Building was looking pretty against a clear blue sky as we walked up Broadway.]

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Trooping: Anime Festival 2008

Posted on September 28th, 2008 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Costumes, NYC.

[Myself as the Kitty Trooper…who knew it would be so popular?]

The 501st trooped New York City’s Anime Festival.  I wasn’t going to go, but Ray and Skutch conned me into it.  Skutch wanted to troop the line, so I volunteered to head out early for that, only to have Skutch out of comission with disease and the line to be all of 20 hardcore fans.

 
[The Kinko’s Copy Ninja…brilliant.]

It actually took Ray and I a while to find the convention…we were beginning to wonder if it really was being held at the Javits Center.  I had been told this was as big as NYCC…ah, the lies.  It’s no bigger than Big Apple Con, though the aisles are wider, at least.

 
[Myself with the Robot Chicken Scientist…AWESOME!]

The big difference between the comic cons and the anime cons is that at the anime cons, you might think that costumes are required to get in the door: EVERYONE is dressed up (though admittedly to varying degrees.)  At comic cons, costumes are limited to hired and volunteer staff, plus perhaps a hardcore few.  So largely, this post features costumes.

[Gingi from Shrek - it would have been even better if a leg had been missing, or if he had been on crutches.] 

I guess the boring thing, to me, about the anime festival, is that you don’t find the same variety in costumes that you find at a comic con.  Comic cons have people dressed up as just about anything that anyone ever found an excuse to obsess over.  Anime is almost exclusively girls in short skirts and boys with big weapons.  That may have its appeal, but it isn’t as interesting, IMHO.

[Myself with the No Face from Spirited Away…this was a briliant costume…the person’s got the neck craning down to “look” at me.] 

Same problem with the vendors.  Every few tables is selling the same set of plushies, or the same type of costumes, or the same array of imitation weapons.  I get bored.  But then, there are the random creative costumes that bring joy to my day…

 
[I always see a couple guys dressed up as Mario and Luigi (who I found out that day I know through a degree of separation) but today I found two girls as the Mario brothers…but the tall and skinny one had the Mario costume on…I was confused…]

Having gotten dressed around 9:00am, I was pretty tired by early afternoon (whether the exhaustion comes from work or my classes or an oncoming illness, I know not, but I’m not the trooper I was this past summer.)  I unsuited a bit early, put on my glasses, which don’t fit under my new helmet, and stumbled around the floor.

 
[There’s an Obi-wan quote from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, when Anakin turns to the Dark Side, and Obi-wan declares: “Only a Sith deals in absolutes.”  This t-shirt: “Absolut Sith: Only a Sith deals in Absolut” is a pun on that quote…and it made me smile.]

We found ourselves self-important, strutting around with our “Professional” passes on.  I’m not exactly sure what we’re professionals of, but hey, it’s not a label that I’m going to push away.

 
[Self-important off-duty troopers, left to right, it’s Lou, myself, and Crashley.]

We also found the need to scream and shriek like giddy school girls every time we saw Rob, our fellow stormtrooper who stayed suited up until the very end of the convention…  I know.  We’re lame.

 
[Trooper groupies.  ‘Nuff said.  Left to right, it’s Lou, Crashley, Rob, me, Jen, and Ruby.]

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