qui tacet consentire videtur

Yes, let this be a sign/
Let this road be mine/
Let it lead me to my past/
And bring me home/ At last
— ‘Journey to the Past’, Anastasia OST

After much anxiety and distress, my summer plans have finally become more or less confirmed.

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Ah, Muse of HUMA C1001-1002, why do you mock me so?

φαίνεταί μοι κῆνος ἴσος θέοισιν
ἔμμεν’ ὤνηρ, ὄττις ἐνάντιός τοι
ἰσδάνει καὶ πλάσιον ἆδυ φονεί-
σας ὐπακούει

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April, and the new season of J-doramas has begun! Although finals are around the corner and I really shouldn’t be watching any kind of television, the spring season is really good.

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And what a day.

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So tonight I saw my all-time favorite Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera. It is everything that The First Emperor should have been: Zefferelli-style epic spectacle, beautiful set, compelling libretto. And of course, my all-time favorite aria, Nessun Dorma. Even though it seemed a little faux-chinois, I enjoyed it - monks, lion dances, and the hilarious trio Ping Pang and Pong. Unfortunately the family circle seats I got were a little too high up and part of the view of the far back of the stage was obscured, which was very irritating. They should’ve got the sightlines right. Next time I’ll pay more to get better seats, since now I can actually afford them.

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While I was at the conference, I shared a room with a Phd student from Germany and fellow at the Russell Kirk center. Though we didn’t get to talk much over the two days, he noticed that I was a little depressed after the second day of the conference and asked why. Although it was more of an ongoing melancholy (and one that won’t cease for a while) rather than something to do with the conference, I said that I regretted not having gotten to know everyone while I was here. He replied that if I had actually met everyone who came, I would probably have regretted not having interacted with them in depth. I like to think that I emphasized quality over quantity, and made real connections with a few people, though it is unlikely that our paths will ever cross again.

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I somehow woke up in time for breakfast and the opening ceremony, which was fortunate since the first lecture by George Nash was actually very interesting. He explained the Burkean Traditionalism that Russell Kirk espoused, as opposed to the other factions within the conservative movement (like the classical liberal aka libertarian school that I am more knowledgeable about), which was especially fortunate since I brought my laptop along and incorporated the material into my homework essay, which happens to be about, among other things, Edmund Burke. I skipped the rest of the lectures (except for an interesting lunchtime one on ‘crunchy conservatism’) as they were a lot more technical/esoteric in order to finish my essay, which I did sitting in the piano lounge outside where some of the student participants were either chatting or sleeping. Unfortunately that was all the homework I could finish.

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The day started poorly when Supershuttle called to say that the bus would be coming 40 minutes early. I got up, changed, and waited downstairs but nobody called. When I called Supershuttle, they said the bus had already came and left, and they had called my cell phone but I didn’t pick up. I am starting to hate Cingular more and more. However, just before I ran out to get a cab to Laguardia, I checked my e-mail and: I am in the Koch summer fellows program! Which confirms that I will be interning in DC over the summer, since funding is now assured. More about this next time.

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ALADDIN: Well, it’s not much, (he pulls back the curtain and exposes the palace) but it’s got a great view. Palace looks pretty amazing, huh?
JASMINE: Oh, it’s wonderful.
ALADDIN: I wonder what it would be like to live there, to have servants and valets…
JASMINE: Oh, sure. People who tell you where to go and how to dress.
ALADDIN: It’s better than here. Always scraping for food and ducking the guards.
JASMINE: You’re not free to make your own choices.
ALADDIN: Sometimes you feel so–
JASMINE: You’re just–
BOTH: (in unison) –trapped.

It seems to me that the answer is obvious, yet I keep getting asked: What do I like about her?

The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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