Oh, look, it's a rant! Miley Cyrus and the VMA's.

If you follow me on various social media, chances are you've seen some comments from me already about the reaction to Miley Cyrus on the VMA's. Usually, when I take a stance on an issue, I can find someone who has fairly well articulated what I think. Tonight, I've found a lot of posts that get distracted. They seem to go along the lines of "We should leave Miley alone. She's an adult. But maybe it's actually because she's a child and doesn't know any better."

Y'all, maybe it seems different when you're 40, but I'm pretty sure 20 is old enough to make your own decisions. You may not like those decisions. You may find that the only way you can deal with those decisions is to say "It's okay, she's only 20." Miley Cyrus may have made the same decision if she was 120 with a lifetime of wisdom behind her. Doesn't change the fact that those are not your decisions. They belong to someone else and really, really don't affect you.

Other bloggers have thrown out the empathy card--"Imagine if you were a sheltered Disney star." I don't really love this approach. Instead, why don't we imagine that you've made a decision that not everyone in the entire world would agree with? Would it be anyone's business? Probably not unless that decision was to commit an act that is harmful to those around you.

So, so many blame it on attention seeking behavior. But honestly, what is pop music if not attention seeking behavior? Robin Thicke's use of mostly naked back up dancers is just as attention seeking. This is the VMA's! Not exactly a Sunday morning sermon. And anyway, what is so inherently wrong with attention seeking behavior? If she wants attention, that's fine! She can totally want attention. Why do we condemn her for that? Is she supposed to be sitting demurely in a corner labeled "Ladylike behavior"? What if it has nothing to do with us, after all? Maybe Miley just wanted to dance that way because expressing herself makes her feel good.

That smile just creeps me out.

Maybe it's because I don't have my panties in a bunch over Miley's dancing, but throughout the performance I was incredibly distracted by how creepy Robin Thicke was. He is almost twice her age and assumes a role of control as soon as he comes out on stage. The attitude of the performance is not that he and Miley are acting as equals in a duet. I get the feeling of a patronizing predator with a young dancer. I did find a few articles that found it similarly distracting--this quote from the Washington Post kind of covered it for me*:

While Cyrus was condemned for grinding on Thicke, very little criticism has been laid on the singer himself for his role in the performance. The nastiest of the comments have implied that Cyrus is somehow diseased because of her preferred dance methods.

The most annoying thing I've seen from the VMA feedback is the allegation that Miley Cyrus may have an eating disorder from MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski. Seriously? Honestly, she looks entirely too healthy to have an eating disorder. We see quite a lot of her in the VMA performance. Enough that you can see that her ribs don't stick out, that her hair, teeth, and skin appear healthy. She may or may not, but if she did, it would be a very private matter. 

Did this performance somehow harm you? Did Miley Cyrus make you a personal promise to behave in a virginal, ladylike manner in public for all eternity? Did you think her name really was Hannah Montana?

My only complaint was that Blurred Lines was even performed. Really hate that song.

*I don't agree with this article's take on the use of black back up dancers. The issue isn't that they're twerking, it is that they're used as props and side kicks, while the other white people in the video are treated as friends and equals. More about that here.

Travel Tip: Don't go to the museum when you could just go to the gift shop.

One such book carried by MoMA

Museums in NYC are huge, exhausting, borderline spiritual experiences. Like the Met, the Museum of Modern Art is huge. Both actually have secondary properties with exhibits because they're so huge. Since we only stayed in NYC for 6 days, I definitely did not have time to hit all of the great art exhibits. Following some great advice from the family friends we were staying with, I elected to skip MoMA and just go to the MoMA design store.

I spent two hours in the store. There is a fantastic mix of MoMA merch, innovative products, and sleek design. My favorite things were probably the children's books. They have a variety of cute and creative introductions to famous works of art through board books. As an art nerd, I love it. There were so many neat products that I wish it weren't so far from home. Some of the dishes and furniture would have been difficult to drag back to my car via the subway...

Since I skipped the full museum, I had enough time to see Grand Central Terminal. You know, the one in all of the movies? It really is that gorgeous in real life. It was crawling with tourists snapping photos when I went, so I limited myself to just a few snap shots. If you visit, I would recommend sticking close to the walls and keeping the photos to a minimum. No one wants to be the tourist that gets between a New Yorker and the door on their way to work.

To round out my tourist-y activities, I made a point to get a pastrami sandwich from Katz' Deli (the one from When Harry Met Sally). I had never had pastrami before (do you know of good pastrami in AR?). It was moist, delicious, and perfectly complimented by the rye and mustard. I ate half of the sandwich and took the other half for lunch the next day (it was still awesome as leftovers).

On one of my non-touristy excursions, Kristina and I explored the Brighton Beach area. The signs nicknamed it "Little Russia by the sea". It's a Russian-Jewish neighborhood right next to Coney Island.When I say "Russian neighborhood", I mean the signs were in Russian, with teeny tiny English translations at the bottom. The karaoke flyers passed out by the promoters on the sidewalk? Also in Russian. With no translations.

We had great Russian food though. We went to a restaurant called the Nargis Cafe. It was basically a cheap Russian bar, but the food was great. Kristina and I split an order of Babaganoush with bread. I ordered an awesome meat pie and Kristina ordered a chicken heart kabob. According to her, it was delicious (I don't do organ meat). We were seated quickly and the restaurant had quite a lot of character for such a cheap menu. The bar in the corner had color changing lights behind the bottles that were really pretty.

After we ate, we went to a neighborhood grocery store to pick up some snacks for the next day. Have you ever seen a grocery store that sells baklava the way Kroger in Conway sells chicken strips? Because it's awesome. There were a variety of Russian cookies and chocolates (and other groceries, but how is that interesting?). I may or may not have bought quite a bit of it to bring home and devour in Arkansas.

Travel Tip: Bring something to do on the subway.

The last few days, it has seemed like I've spent more time on the subway than anywhere else. New York is huge! To get from place to place, it was often at least a 20 minute subway ride (if not longer). My purse is too small to carry books these days, so I pulled out my mp3 player that is still loaded with audio books from the drive to the coast. The audiobooks served a dual purpose--the books were entertaining and they helped cover the chatter of the crowded subway car.

However long the rides are, they always lead to great places. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a shining example of one of those great places. The met is so large that you have to approach it with a game plan. There is no way to see everything in one day! I narrowed my focus to just a few exhibits, including the photography displays, an exhibit of 17th-early 20th century interior design sketches, the arms and armory wing, and a new exhibit called Punk:  Chaos to Couture. Other highlights included a small exhibit of work from Faberge, recreations of palatial rooms, and a display of Mod houseware. Anyone ever read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler? There's a reason they were there for days. I spent about 5 hours and didn't see even a fraction of the art.

New York City is covered in art, though. The architectural design is astonishing. Even ordinary apartment complexes were a sight. I made a point to visit several other landmarks known for their design (although there is no way to see them all). The Cathedral of St. John the Divine had gorgeous stained glass as well as  a variety of interesting gargoyles. They actually have such a variety of imagery that they host guided tours and discussions about the symbolism. My personal favorite from their calendar?

Secrets of St. John the Divine: Spotlight on Hidden ImagesSunday, August 18, 1 pm – 2 pmWhat are a stripper and the signs of the zodiac doing in our stained glass windows? Find out on this tour that puts the spotlight on surprising images in glass and stone. Led by Senior Cathedral Guide Tom Fedorek.

Yup. A stripper. How's that for a cool cathedral? 

One of the best landmarks that I visited was the Brooklyn Bridge. Kristina and I walked across it at night, so it was the ordinary great view and sparkly lights. The bridge itself is old and cool, but it is in the best location. Walking from the Brooklyn side to the Manhattan side, you can see the Manhattan bridge, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and lights, boats, and skyscrapers all around. If I lived there, I would walk across it every day. Who doesn't like sparkles?

We also went to the Statue of Liberty. As the employee scanning our tickets put it, we took the ferry both ways to see "a big green statue". It was neat to see the statue in person, but it ate up most of a day. It makes a nice backdrop for a selfie. The ferry was fun though! And a nice change from the subway.

Travel Tip: Remember that NYC is way bigger than DC.

When we got to NYC, my mind was kind of blown. I had gotten used to the size of DC. DC was big, but comfortable. NYC? Not exactly homey.

The first day here was the best day. Possibly in all of forever. We went to see Wicked at the Gershwin Theater! I have wanted to see Wicked since my cousin Gabby had seen it and I’d relentlessly pestered her for all of the details about the show. Even as a kid, I loved the idea of adding complexity to the characters of Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical was beautiful. I loved all of the characters and every last song. The set? So beautiful and detailed. It was like being in Oz. Overall, a magical experience. 

DC on the left, NYC on the right

More than anything, we've just been exploring. There is beautiful architecture everywhere! Anywhere you look, it's totally different from Arkansas. After figuring out the Subway (it's much bigger than the Metro in DC).

We visited Times Square! It was so neat to visit, but there's not much to do after you've taken a picture on the stairs and looked at the ads.

Vintage dress from shopping in DC

So after we spent about 15 minutes in Times Square, we went to Central Park. There was so much going on! Everywhere I looked, there was a monument or someone doing some kind of street performance. My favorites were some guy blowing bubbles and a group doing a dance routine.

It's like that everywhere. Everywhere you look, someone is doing a routine or selling food from a truck. It's great. I don't think you could ever get bored.

I just want to go everywhere and see everything. But that's absolutely not going to happen. Tomorrow, I'm planning to see some of the great architecture and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And everything. That's still my goal.

Travel Tip: Always have a back up plan.

So, last night we got to Lake Taghkanic State Park. It was too late to check in. So of course, we drive past the check in station and go looking for our campsite anyway.

It was dark. We couldn't find our campsite.

Then we start looking for hotels that are open that time of night. Yes, at 2 am, we were in the car calling random hotels hoping someone would answer and be cheap. After the 3rd or 4th call, we call Warren Inn and they have a room.

My bed didn't actually have sheets. But the room was $65. That basically sums up our experience in this hotel.

This morning we were able to go check in at the park, set up the tent, and go spend some time at the lake. It was nice, even if the lake was a bit too crowded.

View from our spot on the high way.

Then there's thunder. Followed by lightning. We high tailed it back to the car and went back to the campsite to throw a tarp over the tent. Then we jump in the car to find a coffee shop to ride out the storm.

I'm following the GPS directions through some pretty heavy rain when all of the sudden, we hear the weather advisory predicting heavy thunderstorms including high winds and QUARTER SIZED HAIL. Then, it starts hailing. And then we run into a flooded out section of the Taconic State Parkway.

In case you don't know, I drive a Chevy Cobalt. That's a small car. There were SUV's pulled over, so I pull over, throw on my hazard lights like everyone else, and wait. And wait. And wait.

About half an hour later, a state trooper comes through. Then an hour and a half after that, a state trooper stops to tell us that their plan is to turn everyone around from the back of the line. 5 miles back.

Lots more waiting happens, finally we get through, there's more flooding and we're rerouting on the fly. Finally we make it to this little diner and make new plans for the night.

Turns out the flooding originated at the park where we were camping, so it's closed. We've ended up back at the skeezy motel, but in a slightly nicer room, still 65 bucks. We hope that we will be able to head toward the city tomorrow. Upstate NY has not been kind to us so far.

Travel Tip: When everyone suggests watching fireworks across the river, watch them across the river.

We started our 4^th of July at the National Museumof the American Indian.  If you don’t know DC well, getting to the museum took us past the parade set up and things at the National Mall. There were all kinds of different dancers and bands and floats! You know, parade stuff.

The museum was excellent! The building is brilliantly designed to mimic the structure of nature, so guests are advised to start at the top floor and explore their way down. None of the walls were flat; all had an organic curve to them. As the Smithsonian puts it: 

Photo from Smithsonian Institute

The building needed to be a living museum. The building is aligned to the cardinal directions and the center point of the Capitol dome, and filled with details, colors, and textures that reflect the Native universe. Native people believe that the earth remembers the experiences of past generations. By recalling the natural environment that existed prior to European contact, the museum’s landscape design embodies a theme that runs central to the NMAI—that of returning to a Native place.

As an introduction, the museum has put together this great video. It is kind of multi-dimensional. Part of it shows on a textile screen, part of it on a large rock, and part of it is on the ceiling. It was definitely worth watching! Short enough to keep attention, but long enough to be worth your while. And it’s a good reason to sit, which is welcome after climbing 4 flights of stairs. The top floor (where we spent most of our time) was split into two sections, “Our Universes” and “Our Peoples”. “Our Universes” was my personal favorite. The exhibits were divided by tribe and each exhibit explained a bit about the belief systems of that tribe. It was absolutely one of the most successfully arranged museums I’ve been in. “Our Peoples” was primarily made up of artifacts from different tribes, which was cool, but held less meaningful information.

My favorite part may or may not have been the food. The cafeteria features food from different tribes! How cool is that? I had some lentil soup (the sign said it was South American) and then cheese fry bread (I don’t remember its region, but it seemed to be pretty common to all of the areas). It. Was. Delicious.

From the Hirshhorn Museum website

After we ate, we walked down to the Hirshhorn Gallery. They had an entire exhibition of mixed media works called "Over, Under, Next"! The works were predominately modern, which I enjoyed. My favorite installation was one of different pages stuck to the wall with straight pins. There was also a tank with snails and cabbage, representative of the brain and its decay. My other favorite exhibition was the Barbara Kruger display.

We ended our sightseeing at the Hirshhorn to get back to the hostel for a barbeque! Because free food. And because barbeque. There was potato salad, watermelon, coleslaw, hot dogs, burgers, and more. We hung out with the other residents (several of whom were from different countries).  After dinner, we headed back into the city to get our spot for the fireworks!

Everyone had recommended a different spot for the best viewing. Across the river here or there, in this neighborhood or that. We settled on a (pretty crowded) spot on the National Mall, in front of the Washington monument. They only lasted about 20 minutes, but it was such a neat experience to be able to see the 4^th of July fireworks in the center of our National monuments. I (again) forgot my good camera in the hostel, but I was able to get some decent photos with my phone. Made for a great picture of the Washington Monument, but if I was to be in DC on the 4^th again, I would probably go ahead and go across the river. Where it might be a bit less crowded.

Travel Tip: Look up a map before you head out

Feedsack dress on display

I got up early today and made it in to the city early! I spent time wandering around the gardens at the Smithsonian and the Smithsonian Institute. Overpriced coffee in hand, I walked down to the American History Museum. I've wanted to go for years, so I had high expectations.

ERA charm bracelet

"When you ride alone, you ride with Hitler!"

AHM absolutely met those expectations. It was great. The exhibits were interesting and many of them were interactive. Each part was presented more as a story to be shared than a didactic lecture. My favorite parts were the pop culture artifacts, like Elphaba's original costume, the first Kermit puppet, and the First Lady's dresses.

Me, Colby, Alex, and Kristina

After hitting up the Smithsonian area, Kristina and I met some friends who are interning in D.C. for lunch at Union Station. They have a large food court, but we didn't really look around. Instead, we were hooked right off the escalator by a man giving free samples of sandwiches. They were really good! And free gelato came with every sandwich purchase. The portions were generous and the prices were fairly low.

We spent about 2 hours in Union Station, then Kristina decided to go back to the hostel. I wasn't really ready to go back to Takoma yet, so I looked around for something to do. Then I saw the Postal Museum. I almost didn't go--I was just going to hop on the Metro and find something else to do-but I decided to check it out.

Some parts were kind of dull. I'm not really a stamp enthusiast, so I just looked at the stamp gallery briefly before deciding to move on. Then I stumbled onto the cool half of the museum! Half of the museum has clearly been designed with younger visitors (think kids) in mind. There are interactive games and puzzles for kids of all age groups. Not only did I think these activities were cool, but the children seemed to be taking advantage of them as well! The best part? I bought Edgar Rice Burroughs stamps!

 We rejoined to close the night with the use of a Groupon at Addis Ababa, an Ethiopian restaurant. We used Google Maps, mobile, to locate the restaurant. Even though we should have been about half a mile away from the metro station, I still managed to get turned around. Definitely should have planned the route before we left the hotel!

Once we got to Addis Ababa, the food was delicious! The sauces were served on fresh injera, which was a whole new type of grain experience for me! The food was perfectly spiced, particularly the lentil sambusa. The downsides? It was pricey. Even with a Groupon, it was pricey. The service was really good sometimes but abominably slow at others. Again, we were served huge portions. We brought the leftovers back to the hostel for future munching!

The hostel is still classified under "interesting experience." We've met more people, which has been really cool. Never at a loss for something to do here, even when you're just trying to have a quiet night in your room. It's nice that it's so open here, though. It gives it a more homelike feel!