Day 18

Ah, the Internet coupon. It seems like such a good deal at the time until it's a week before it expires and then it's the mad rush to figure out when to use it up. With our fandango.com livingsocial coupon we saw Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame at the Regal on 42nd. We saved $30 by buying the coupon and then the livingsocial pyramid scheme ultimately made it a free coupon. Still, adult movie tickets, plus the surcharge, is ridiculous. Another $15 on snacks, and it's almost a $50 date at face value! The movie wasn't the best quality--the CG wasn't the great and the titles were pixelated. The movie is available online nowadays, and seeing it on a huge screen didn't add much to the experience. The Regal seats were kind of nice though and the theater was relatively clean and empty. I'm not sure I'd recommend the movie, but I guess if you like martial arts-y Chinese movies, you should give it a chance. The fight scenes were well choreographed, and it was nice to watch a story about the ascension of China's only empress. The Sherlock Holmes parallel isn't too far off--there's forensics and wisdom and a drive to solve puzzles.

We went to Kyotofu for dinner: curry (from a box) and soba (probably the same kind in our Japanese food pantry), but the chilled asparagus soup with croutons was good.

I got out from work late again today--even though I got to work right on time. (It really doesn't get lively around there until 9:30 I've determined, and until everyone gets back on regular-hour mode, they seem to hang around until 6ish still.) When I got home, I saw the third episode of Skins UK. (Jal plays the clarinet! Though the actress couldn't really piece the instrument together correctly. She tried putting the horn on the top part of the instrument--realized her mistake and then got it right; she also didn't hold the key down to prevent the adjoining parts from being smooshed when assembling. I've not played the clarinet for nearly ten years now, and I think that scene was nonsense. But whatever.) 

It's hard to leave the apartment once in it, but when I left I saw the cab from Cash Cab and the van that drives behind it, right in front of the entrance of my apartment building. The cab/van had too many white people around it to be anything but something for television or something. (It was inauthentic to be a real cab and a real van.) The cab had some serious electronics in the trunk and the van had some equipment and a monitor. It registered what it all meant after I crossed the street. I posted the photo of it on Google+.

It didn't rain on me today--I can't tell if it's rained at all today. I hope it stops raining. There are a bunch of sailors in town. Arrrgh, matey! Narwhals.