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...to my entry, "A Note on Central Ohio Weather", and further proof that Columbusites are, in fact, crazy. I'm in Chicago for a church conference and I heard on the weather today that the city is expecting four to six inches of snow tomorrow morning. The weather forecaster spent all of three minutes delivering this news, and concluded his broadcast thus: "So be prepared for this small snow shower tomorrow." And I'm sure the good people of the Windy City will actually be prepared for the snow, as opposed to running around like chickens with their heads cut off, raiding Wal-Mart for deicing salt, hotwiring a lawnmower to blow snow, or hijacking the nearest snow plow. Not that anyone in Columbus does that...I hope. But all the same...
BRACE YOURSELVES, COLUMBUS. NOTHING. IS. HAPPENING. (BUT SOMETHING MIGHT.) [cue footage of reporters blowing in the wind]
This is Storm Team Jenn, signing off from Chicago.
We went to Wild Lights at the Columbus Zoo on Saturday and it was spectacular. I've been to the zoo several times this year, but the Christmas lights are something else. Besides the regular lights festooning every imaginable piece of flora (that is not accessible to the animals, of course), they have light-up snowmen, inflatable snow globes, lighted animal silhouettes, and more. Very very pretty and festive. One important tip: arrive earlier in the afternoon (we got there around 3) to check out the animals, then stay until the lights come on (around dark at 5:00). When we left around 6:30, the line of cars to get into the zoo stretched all the way through Dublin to infinity and beyond. Granted, this was the last weekend before Christmas and the weather was pretty good, so that might have contributed a bit, but I still recommend getting there early.
My friend Kailin, who attends University of Chicago, came down to campus to visit me yesterday and we decided to go to the North Market. We missed the #7 bus we intended to take, so we decided to walk. Only problem: the market turned out to be significantly farther south than I remembered from the map I glanced at online. I had thought it was in the Short North before Goodale, but it is actually just inside the 670 innerbelt. Oops. The weather wasn't too bad, though, and it was good exercise.
The market itself is indoors and there are lots of specialty shops selling fresh meat, cheeses, seafood, and produce; prepared foods like salsa, gourmet popcorn, chocolate; and a few specialty stores selling cookware, jewelry, and green-friendly knickknacks (including organic PMS tea). Prices are about what you'd expect in a typical grocery store without any discounts or markdowns.
We had lunch at Benevolence Cafe, which features almost completely vegan food and eco-friendly business practices. I had a BOGO coupon, which is good, because $5 is honestly a little steep for the bowl serving of soup they gave us. The food was tasty, but I probably wouldn't be willing to pay full price for it.
On our way back to my apartment, we stopped to browse Global Gallery, which carries a lot of fair trade and sustainable gifts. I was sorely tempted by the alpaca wool blankets, but I couldn't make myself pony up for it. It's nearing the end of the month and my next quarter's scholarship money hasn't come in yet...but maybe later...
Yesterday we were hit by the second major storm of the season, all before Christmas, no less. I suppose I should now explain a weather phenomenon that (I believe) is exclusive to central Ohio: meteorological mania. Here in Columbus even the prospect of snow is enough to set off alarms in TV stations across the city, where I can only assume rabid, semi-human reporters hover in anticipation of The Next Big Storm. If/When The Next Big Storm finally comes, they are set loose by their producers to battle the roaring elements in order to bring you the incredible, earth-shattering news that... It. Is. Snowing.
Or they air something like the following segment I caught on the 11 o'clock news Friday night:
This is StormTeam 4 reporting. This is the current radar image of the central Ohio area, and as you can see, nothing is happening.
I am writing this as a fair warning to out-of-state students, and as a semi-apology to students from anywhere north of Columbus. Yes, we're scared of snow. Yes, we run around like chickens with their heads cut off when snow is imminent (or even remotely possible). But you know what? Considering what we do when the football team loses (and wins), this sort of reaction really should not be surprising.
This is Storm Team Jenn, signing off. And it is not snowing anymore.
My one self-imposed homework assignment over break is to research my options for post-baccalaureate teacher licensure. Most of the schools I've looked at actually do primarily undergraduate licensure; OSU is one of the few schools that (almost) mandate the Master's of Education. From what I know, high-performing suburban schools like the one I attended also prefer their teachers to have the Master's, but I have also heard that graduates with a higher degree can also price themselves out of some entry-level jobs, so I'm going to e-mail some of my previous teachers and seek their opinion on that issue. Ideally I could stay at OSU for another five quarters, but I do need to have alternatives lined up in case that doesn't work out.
I've also taken a look at the applications, including the personal statement and essays. All this brings back memories of the college application process, when I had to try and distill my (then) seventeen years of existence into 500 words or fewer. Now some people have published books dedicated to six-word memoirs, but I am personally not looking forward to condensing my past, present, and future into two double-spaced pages again. It has to be done, though, and I'll manage.
(This entry is 206 words, by the way. Oh, wait, 214. Oh, wait...)
...where my stuff is?
...where I sleep?
...where my family is?
I ran into a former professor of mine this morning at the RPAC, and he asked me, "Shouldn't you be at home?" "I am at home," I replied. Later, I asked my roommate Michelle if another of our roommates, Roxanne, had come home last night. "Oh no," said Michelle, "she went home last night. And she's coming home tonight." At which point the semantics lobe of my brain packed up and left for Jamaica in protest.
Home. That's a fluid word, especially after you come to college. While I was in the dorms, home was definitely still my parents' house, if only because I had to pack everything up and leave my dorm room during every school break. But here it is, Christmas vacation, and I am not under my parents' roof. I'm staying here to put in some extra work hours, because most everyone I care to see is here (except my family), and because my room in my parents' house now consists of about four pieces of furniture: a bed, a desk, a bookshelf, and a nightstand. I am easily bored, so an extended stay in such an environment would probably rob me of my sanity and cause a great deal of unnecessary snappishness. But I think that after three years "on my own" the greater part of me still regards my parents' house as home. My entire childhood is in that house, as is that adolescent period of which we do not speak. I know all the rules there, and everyone knows me. We don't always get along perfectly, but we manage. I suspect that feeling will not diminish until I literally have a house and household of my own. And I think that's okay.
P.S. My parents invited me and Drew up for hot pot this weekend. Yay, authentic Chinese food!
So I guess the real test of whether you have successfully learned your way around OSU is whether you can navigate your way to your classes based on the sidewalk alone, as you duck your head against blasts of arctic air and pelting kamikaze snowflakes.
The view from my window this morning, which prompted me to barge into my roommate's room at 6:45 in the morning whisper-yelling, "It's SNOWING!!!" (Don't worry, she was already awake for a 7:30 final.)
My only hope for this winter is that West Ninth does not become the world-class bobsledding venue it was for much of last winter. A water main burst and the resulting flood froze in the subzero temperatures. I sincerely hope it doesn't happen again, not least because I live here!
I experienced a weird feeling of nostalgia on my way back from my last final. Watching the convoy of parents coming to reclaim their offspring for the month, I was acutely aware that for the first time I would not be immediately fetched back to my childhood home to live out of a bag and defend my decision not to eat meat. And that's okay. It was my decision, my parents are cool with it, and I think it is better for all involved. (Absence makes the heart grow fonder, yes?)
But philosophical musings aside...I'm done! Time for an evening of Noodles&Co and Space Balls!
So I've been meaning to go on the Christmas Gallery Hop in the Short North since freshman year and yesterday I finally got around to it with my boyfriend. And while all the festive Christmas decorations were nice, I think I will wait to more fully enjoy a Hop during warmer weather. I think I could make a whole day of it in the spring or summer. Plus I will probably go with girlfriends, since most of the galleries and shops are distinctly oriented towards the XX-chromosome persuasion, although Drew was a very good sport about the whole thing.
The southbound COTA buses seemed to be extremely scarce, so we walked almost all the way to the Arts District before finally flagging down a bus, only to realize that we were already there. Sort of at a loss of where to go, we wandered through the Sherrie Gallerie and particularly enjoyed the work of Jack Earl:
Then I spotted Cookware Sorceror and that could have been the end of the evening right there, but I restrained myself to buying a candy thermometer (which would have come in handy a few hours earlier when I was making candied pecans). Later, we stopped by On Paper, another place where I could do a lot of damage in a weak moment. So much stationery, so little time! (Do people even write letters anymore?)
We looked through a few more galleries, then Drew stopped for a snack at Philips & Son Coney Island. There is a ridiculous amount of food in the Short North, by the way, but neither of us was really able to stomach two large dinners in a row. I am definitely going to try Benevolence Cafe whenever I make an excursion down to North Market, though, and I'm also plotting a German Village adventure sometime over break. I may have to invest in some thermal underwear if I'll be traipsing around outdoors all the time...
To celebrate the end of the quarter yesterday, my boyfriend took me out to dinner at Martini Italian Bistro and then to Columbus Symphony Orchestra's first Holiday Pops concert. It was really nice to get off campus and see the city, get dressed up and eat good food, and just pretend for a few hours that I don't have three exams to study for.
Details in Extended Entry:
Restaurant Review: Noodles & Company
Restaurant Review: Martini Italian Bistro
Concert Review: Columbus Symphony Orchestra
Restaurant Review: Noodles & Company
Restaurant Review: Martini Italian Bistro
Concert Review: Columbus Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops Concert
Lunch: Noodles & Company is perhaps my second favorite little eatery beside Panera. My friend won a drawing for a free Noodles Global Tour, which involved five of us being treated to a tasting of almost everything on the menu. I had to restrain myself from sampling too much from the Mediterranean menu since I knew I would be having Italian for dinner. I've bolded the ones I tried and starred my (new) favorites.
Salad - Generally, these were overly dressed for my taste.
Chinese Chop Salad
Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Mediterranean Salad
Soup/Appetizers
Thai Curry Soup* This is my absolute favorite. With noodles in the broth, this is probably enough for a meal in itself.
Tomato Basil Bisque
Pot Stickers
Noodles
Japanese Pan Noodles*
Pad Thai
Bangkok Curry w/ Shrimp Similar to the soup but actually not as spicy. I say the soup is better, but that may also be due to the fact that I tried this in the second round of noodles and was already three-quarters full.
Penne Rosa w/ Parmesan Chicken
Pesto Cavatappi* These are the most exciting noodles I've ever eaten, in terms of shape. They're hollow tubes curled in a spiral, and the pesto sauce gets into the noodle and makes for a generally yummy experience.
Pasta Fresca
Wisconsin Mac & Cheese
Mushroom Stroganoff
House Marinara
...and then they gave us gigantic cookies and Rice Krispies treats. I probably ate more in that one meal than I usually do in a whole day, or at least that's what it felt like! But it was neat getting to sample lots of different things and now I know what I should order when I go there.
Dinner: Martini is a Cameron Mitchell concept restaurant with two locations, one downtown next to the North Market (another place I want to visit) and one in Polaris. As a bistro it's done up in that slightly-pretentious eclectic look rather than a more rustic traditional Italian place, a testament to the homogeneity of culture, but I was honestly just happy about using cloth napkins. (They do put paper over the tablecloths, but they don't give you crayons, so it's okay.) We had a reservation but probably would not have needed one to be seated. It was busy but not crowded, and probably has the best restaurant bathroom I've ever been in, featuring mouthwash, lotion, a lint roller, and other necessities. The house bread is excellent, and that is high praise coming from me because I rarely, if ever, deign to spend my calories on bread. The server drizzles olive oil on a dish for dipping in a very swank way, and the oil itself is light and tasty. Somewhat unfortunately, I was still quite full from lunch, so I didn't think I could handle a full-fledged entree. If I ever go again, I will probably get the gnocchi vegetali or the arrostito vegetali, but as it was, I got the zuppa pomodoro, a tomato soup with pesto drizzle, and the Martini salad. My boyfriend got the night's special, which was Chilean sea bass on a bed of wilted spinach and polenta, with a Marsala-fontina sauce and two portobella mushroom fries. I sampled a bite and it was extremely good, but also screamingly expensive. Entrees tend to average between $20-$25 so it's not cheap, but it's definitely not the most expensive of Cameron Mitchell's offerings. Besides, splurging once or twice a quarter is okay.
Concert: Columbus Symphony Orchestra plays several Holiday Pops concerts throughout the month of December. We picked up $10 tickets through Explore Columbus (one of the best perks of being an OSU student, if I may say so) for seats in the middle balcony. Our view was decent, though the seating seems to have been designed for people about 25% smaller than the average modern American. (I'm 5'6" and would occasionally bang my knees on the row in front of me.) The concert itself was great; don't let anyone tell you Columbus has no arts scene. These musicians are seriously talented, tackling a classical repertoire including Handel and Vivaldi, as well as seasonal favorites including a hilarious musicological journey through the Twelve Days of Christmas. (Think 12 lords a-leaping to John Philip Sousa...) There were also singers from Columbus Children's Choir, dancers from BalletMet, and of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus. It was great to feel very cultured and very childlike at the same time.
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