Falling off the Wagon

I am most definitely slacking on these adventures. In my defense however, I had two friend dates, both of which could be seen as adventurous.

Eating Mexican food in Chinatown, it has been alleged, could truly have put my tummy in peril (all was well, thank goodness). That episode on Thursday was supposed to be an adventure, as I had plans to ask someone who appeared to have been in Chinatown when it actually was Chinatown about the area's history. Now, this could have been really fascinating, as I like random interviews, but I felt a little racist. I mean, I'll admit that I can't tell country of origin by sight, and what if the person I'd approached wasn't Chinese? Major faux pas. Or, what if a shopkeeper was just as new to the area as Urban Outfitters. I refuse to be one of those people who thinks they're all liberal and aware and PC, but then fails epically. So, rather than sounding like the kid who's "best friend is black! HONEST!", I skipped it, and ate my Chipotle.

I diiiid do some google research though. Apparently Chinatown was more of a Germantown until the 1930's, and hasn't been "authentically" Chinese since about the 80's. The city actually built the famous bridge more to commemorate what was once there rather than what is.

It's actually pretty sad to me, and yet another comment on gentrification in the District (I haven't made any on this blog to my remembrance, but it's a ponderance of mine in real life). Basically there isn't much of old Chinatown left (we looked, and so did this great photojournal). Apparently both Chocolate City and Chinatown suffer from urban renewal. Who knew?
So that I'll count as half an adventure, since I didn't totally follow through, but learned something anyway.


I also went out on Friday, and didn't get home until after midnight! I know what you're thinking "Whoooaa! Party animal!" It could be construed as an adventure, since I didn't know most of the people, and don't usually stay out that late anymore.

So together, I'll count it as 1 adventure total last week, which works since I still need to make sushi. I'll find a way to work in three this week and stay on track. Go team!

Shout outs!

There have been requests for shoutouts, and I am quite willing to make a shameless plug and bring in some traffic to the blog, because I'm a member of Generation Y and we like attention.

Dear ladies of Duke in DC: thanks for a wonderful Thursday. Forever.Duke.
Dear Abbigator: Told ya, this is just for you!
While I'm shouting out Dukies: Hi Topeka! (You better read this miss. And let me know when you do.)

Okay, that's about it for that.

In other news, it is Saturday and I'm being kinda lame and have no further plans than the cleaning I already completed. This whole work life balance thing is a bit difficult... It seems I have an on and off switch and need to purchase some dimmers. I've decided to flip the work switch on since I got this super great job, and doing all that work makes me very tired come weekends or week nights. Generally, I can make it out in the world for about 1 activity a week (sometimes admittedly less). If there are suggestions for balancing a 45 hour work week, and being a healthy, social 20 something, while still saving money to move out within a couple years and own, not rent, I'd love to hear them.

Til then, I think I'll take a nap.

Random Ponderance of the Week

I know there are lots more important things I could write about, and should gather my thoughts on, but something has really been perplexing me, and so I'm taking a friends' suggestion and writing about it.

What is the purpose of men yelling out of car windows at women who are walking by? Or for that matter, attempting to communicate at all when the two parties are moving incompatibly (i.e. driving in opposite directions, across an intersection, the aforementioned driving v. walking/biking/jogging... you get the idea)?

Now, I'm not talking about obscenities or catcalls. That's another post, and would inspire more annoyance than curiosity. I am just truly confused about why a man would call out to me while I'm taking my daily lunch break walk, when he's in a car and knows good and well he's not pulling over. I mean, it doesn't stop my fresh air fitness, but I find it silly.

The action doesn't seem to serve any real purpose- he's not making any sort of real connection- most of the time I can hardly even see his face to remember him, if that was his goal. We don't exchange names, certainly not contact information, and on the days when I'm trying to make a phone call, he's not even likely to get a wave.

(a fellow confused victim of the drive-by holler)

I just don't get it. Not that I'm under the delusion that every man is looking for commitment, but like, what could you want that you can get in 5 seconds on a street in the middle of the steam of a DC summer? You aren't going to give me a ride, which is the only incentive I could see for a woman entertaining the nonsense that is a drive-by holler. And why on Earth would you want to roll down your window, letting out all the good air conditioning?
When this question was posed to a few guys I trust to be honest, they said (after, of
course assuring me that they NEVER do this) it was pretty much the closest thing to real life facebook. Translation- no risk, because he can drive away before the rejection comes. Hiding behind his steering wheel is probably even more effective than hiding behind a computer screen, since I don't even have a profile to block. Of course, the corollary to this lack of risk is a lack of success. You will, 87% of the time, get nothing of substance from this interaction. (That 87% is for the women this MUST work on or it wouldn't have become a technique.) In fact, with women of temperaments other than mine, you're likely to get annoyance instead of amusement, which would seem to be the opposite of the goal of such interaction...

But, perhaps this isn't really about anything of "substance." Perhaps it's just an attempt to be heard in an anonymous world? Like a real-time facebook status, maybe these guys just want someone to know they're there... I guess I don't begrudge them that, I mean, everybody needs somebody, and maybe that's the closest they get.

Still, I gotta put this up there with facebook poking- wasteful and odd, and pretty much pointless. Thumbs down guys, thumbs down.