Sunday, August 19, 2012

Rang De Basanti Dance Party

Last night my husband and I went to the Rang De Basanti/Jai Ho! Bollywood Dance Party at Chop Suey 1325 Madison St.  It was so much fun!  I got a henna tattoo on my hand.


It would probably be darker, but henna darkens with body heat, and my hands are usually cold.  At the party they gave dance lessons, but I was waiting for my henna to dry, so I just watched and enjoyed the music.  Before we left my husband ordered us some virgin margaritas.  They were okay.  I wanted a virgin mojito, but it seems like no bartender outside of Florida knows how to make them.  Or has mint on hand.  Luckily, I make a mean mojito and margarita, so I can make them at home. 

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Most Recent Read: Replay

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/sharon-creech?before=1315522054

Reading Replay reminded me Sharon Creech is an incredible writer.  Her writing is all about dynamic relationships between friends and family, which encourage the reader to examine his or her own life.  I need to reread some of my favorites, Bloomability, The Wanderer, Walk Two Moons, etc.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

More Shenanigans and Whale Watching

More Pacific Science Center!  


My husband looking through a periscope!  


Oh no!  They all got shrunk! Oh wait, the table is big.  


I held a cockroach!

Pike Place Market!



Beecher's Cheese!  So much cheesy goodness! Yum!


A craft-tag-along-buddy conscientious store


Zeeks!  But this time we tried a new pizza.  Daily Bite to follow. 


Deception Pass from the water





Minke Whale!  


Another picture of a minke whale!


Whitney Studied on the boat.  Go Whitney Go!  

Monday, August 13, 2012

Pacific Science Center: a Visual Tour (Aka Oodles of Pictures)

My husband's two sisters are visiting us for a couple days, so we have been showing them around Seattle.  Today we went to the Pacific Science Center and Saw the Tutankhamun exhibit.  It was incredible!  The whole area is climate controlled.  The air was like a winter day, exceptionally dry but fresh.  The entire wing of the museum was crawling with security guards and staff.  Moreover, alarms kept going off when individuals would get too close to the artifacts.  I spoke to one of the museum workers, Diana I believe it was, and asked if she ever touched the statues when no one was looking.  She said "heavens no, I would get fired so fast!"  I mentioned that at the museum in Cairo, where the artifacts are on loan from, you could rub your hands all over the statues and no one would care!  Diana said I know, but it is in an American museum so there are guards everywhere.  She mentioned that it is even harder at the Pacific Science Center because there are so many children and most of the exhibits are hands on.  But patrons have been really good about not touching the statues and other artifacts.  

The King Tutankhamun Exhibit: The Golden King and Great Pharaohs 


This Cartouche Desk has my favorite color, desert turquoise


Sarcophagus for Prince Thutmose's Cat


My erudite husband appreciating the exhibit


Sarcophagus for Prince Thutmose's Cat








Akhenaten is my husband's (and my) favorite Pharaoh.  



"[Akhenaten] is especially noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing worship centered on the Aten, which is sometimes described as monotheistic or henotheistic. An early inscription likens the Aten to the sun as compared to stars, and later official language avoids calling the Aten a god, giving the solar deity a status above mere gods.  Akhenaten tried to bring about a departure from traditional religion, yet in the end itwould not be accepted" (Akhenaten).


It is incredible the ancient paint still remains


Plus, Akhenaten looks awesome.  





So Much Ancient Bling! 



"You chose poorly!"




Golden Diadem, Earring and Necklace


The biggest earring ever

 

Scarab Beetle Pectoral "All these parts of the pectoral are symbols.  The scarab stood for the sun god, Re-Kheperi.  The Egyptians saw the scarab beetle rolling balls of dung (its food) across the ground, and this reminded them of the sun traveling across the sky.  So the pectoral shows the sun god rolling the sun across the sky.  The wings show that it is flying" (Scarab Pectoral).



Could you imagine cracking through the wall and seeing King Tutankhamun tomb.  You can see the look of wonder on his face.  Literally an anthropologist's best day E V E R.



My Sister-in-Laws, Hayley and Whitney


Cat Face!







A 3,000+ year old Egyptian board game, that looks surprisingly like a wii remote


Egyptian Board Game


Could this be the original blue man?




This Mini Sarcophagus held Tutankhamun's heart.  


I believe this sarcophagus is gold, inlaid with blue lapis lazuli, red carnelian, and turquoise (Scarab Pectoral).


This is one of Tutankhamun's earrings, of which he had at least six pairs.  It is surprising that most of women's fashions started with men.  Examples include, tights, hats, wigs, high-heels, and earrings.



This fan was surrounded by fossilized ostrich feather dust


Another Scarab Pectoral 



"Ancient Egyptians believed that gold was the skin of the gods? When Howard Carter discovered King Tut's mummy in 1923, golden covers adorned his fingers and toes. The gold pieces were to protect the king's body from magical danger" (Pacific Science Center).


Awesome Golden Shoes  






Whitney learning at the Science Center


My Husband


My Husband, and two sisters on the "hamster wheel"



Whitney on the high-rise bicycle


My husband and two sisters got shrunk for a bit


My husband and Whitney making music


Whitney and Hayley wanted to try the Tornado tunnel, but it wasn't working so they just took a picture inside


Butterfly!


Blue Butterfly


Black and Blue Butterfly


More Butterflies


A butterfly landed on a girls hand nearby






Works Cited
"Akhenaten." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Aug. 2012. Web. 13 Aug. 2012. .
"Pacific Science Center." King Tut: The Exhibition. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2012. .
"Scarab Pectoral." Scarab Pectoral. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2012. .