A day of snow gives rise to reflection, or at least to slacking off. So. Spent the weekend at the House of Wa, meeting new and interesting people and visiting the Sackler Gallery's exhibit of Asian games.
Yeah. An entire exhibit devoted to games. [By Asian they mean 'everything on the Asian continent,' including Persia and India. Though excluding Russia, oddly.] A mother-of-pearl-inlaid Mah Jongg set belonging to the heirs of Confucius. Carved chess pieces that would've been at home on a Warhammer tabletop. Surprisingly little go equipment, though I suppose they felt if you've seen one set of shell and slate stones you've seen them all. [Though they had one white-and-ginger-agate set, too.] Like Atlanta, more neat stuff than I can really put into words that mean anything.
Not that I'll have any better luck with people. Somewhere between hanging onto Liam's jacket trying to slow him down and watching a gorgeous pillared sunset out the window of a Chinese restaurant that used to be a French restaurant, I decided that I should really spend more time wandering around places. Having a native guide is optional but recommended. [There's a Navy memorial in DC, featuring masts and a large map of the world, and famous naval-type quotes. Like Farragut's torpedoes, or Ensign Don Mason's "Sighted sub, sank same." I had no idea.] I should also spend more time with people who say things like the subject line up there, or who talk sensibly about computerised go and De Ludis Orientalibus and a guy in a gorilla suit. Or who can cheerfully diagram their own soap opera [complete with wanking marine action figure] and go about their lives. [Now /that's/ entertainment.]
I'm not too sure what exactly it is I'm looking for, but I've not found it in Blacksburg.
Yeah. An entire exhibit devoted to games. [By Asian they mean 'everything on the Asian continent,' including Persia and India. Though excluding Russia, oddly.] A mother-of-pearl-inlaid Mah Jongg set belonging to the heirs of Confucius. Carved chess pieces that would've been at home on a Warhammer tabletop. Surprisingly little go equipment, though I suppose they felt if you've seen one set of shell and slate stones you've seen them all. [Though they had one white-and-ginger-agate set, too.] Like Atlanta, more neat stuff than I can really put into words that mean anything.
Not that I'll have any better luck with people. Somewhere between hanging onto Liam's jacket trying to slow him down and watching a gorgeous pillared sunset out the window of a Chinese restaurant that used to be a French restaurant, I decided that I should really spend more time wandering around places. Having a native guide is optional but recommended. [There's a Navy memorial in DC, featuring masts and a large map of the world, and famous naval-type quotes. Like Farragut's torpedoes, or Ensign Don Mason's "Sighted sub, sank same." I had no idea.] I should also spend more time with people who say things like the subject line up there, or who talk sensibly about computerised go and De Ludis Orientalibus and a guy in a gorilla suit. Or who can cheerfully diagram their own soap opera [complete with wanking marine action figure] and go about their lives. [Now /that's/ entertainment.]
I'm not too sure what exactly it is I'm looking for, but I've not found it in Blacksburg.