"Both patients survived" or "The way light plays"
I GOT TO DO SUCTION!!!!!!!
TWICE!
It was SO cool! Yesterday, we only had one RDA (Registered Dental Assistant) in the office, and while she was helping out on a root canal, DW called me in to help with a cleaning. OMG, I was telling everyone, even the next patient, who was like "Uh, I'm only signing the consent form if missy42 doesn't do suction." But guess what? DW had done too much build-up on him after his root canal, and the endodonist and RDA had already moved onto the next patient, so I got to do suction AND hold his tongue back. And guess what? Both patients survived! I'm so proud of myself.
Saw the Icons of Sinai exhibit at the Getty Center today. It was the exhibit I supposed to see on my birthday, but no one could make it, and I wasn't feeling so great that morning, so we put it off until Mom realized that next weekend was the last weekend, and she didn't want to go the day it closed. It was AMAZING. Whatever my feelings for The Church, these pieces are beautiful.
I was amazed at how many people just look at these things straight on, though. I even had to teach my mom about getting the icons from various angles to see the way light plays on them, the texture, where the panels have warped over time, and if you can, go around and look at the back. I mean, that is why you're there, after all, to get the "feel" of it, even if you can't touch it. Otherwise, you may as well just look at the pictures in a book. There was one woman there in a wheel chair, and after looking a few pieces from the various heights, I decided she had a really good angle to see the illumination. And ALL sorts of people were at the exhibit - I heard all kinds of languages. And as we were leaving, we saw a group of nuns dressed in full habit getting off the elevator that we were about to take down to the car. Definitely got a sense of Los Angeles as the melting pot it is. It was great.
I think the most amusing tidbit was the oldest surviving Bible in Arabic that was found "by accident" in a part of the monastery that was blocked off for a long time. The oldest Arabic Bible! I can just imagine someone going "Oops! Who left this lying around?" My favourite piece was a picture of St. Catherine, for whom the monastery began being referred to as when her remains were brought there. I actually kinda wish they had put the icons in even more context. Specifically, I know the video said that the icons were used as part of their worship. I wish we could have been shown or at least told how they were used rather than the captions being heavily focused on the symbology. And I would have liked more photographs from the actual monastery, so we could get an idea of where exactly the pieces could be seen in their native context.
Made some interesting general observations, too. Like how these Medieval artists were able to mesh the story of Moses discovering the Burning Bush from the Old Testament with that of The Virgin conception. Their explanation was that a bush that burned without being consumed foreshadowed the birth of a child to a woman who hadn't "sinned." It struck me as a bit far-fetched at first, but I think I've come to like the idea. The part about Mary not "sinning" by not having sex still bugs me, but then it did before I saw the exhibit.
I also noticed that in Christian iconography, the thing that killed a martyr tends to eventually come to represent that person. Jesus and his cross, St. Catherine and her wheel (though to be thorough, St. Catherine was beheaded, but only after they tried to kill her on the wheel). I actually find that realization kind of disturbing. Though I suppose an important part of their story is that they would sacrifice their life for what they believe in. Nevertheless, when I die, please don't do that to me. For example, if my heart ends up killing me, make my symbol a unicorn. Or, if I'm skewered in the stomach by a unicorn (and yes, I have been told once that this is what will happen to me if I believe in unicorns, complete with the creature dragging my soul down to Hell), then let's not have a unicorn come to symbolize me, okay? Thanks.
Also, while I was there, I kept looking at the icons and thinking "I should make lj icons of these and have a caption saying "this is a real icon." Or something like that. Yeah, we'll see if that ever happens.
tigerseye17 is heading off to boot camp tomorrow. I know she'll be back in a few weeks, but I'm going to miss her.
♥
TWICE!
It was SO cool! Yesterday, we only had one RDA (Registered Dental Assistant) in the office, and while she was helping out on a root canal, DW called me in to help with a cleaning. OMG, I was telling everyone, even the next patient, who was like "Uh, I'm only signing the consent form if missy42 doesn't do suction." But guess what? DW had done too much build-up on him after his root canal, and the endodonist and RDA had already moved onto the next patient, so I got to do suction AND hold his tongue back. And guess what? Both patients survived! I'm so proud of myself.
Saw the Icons of Sinai exhibit at the Getty Center today. It was the exhibit I supposed to see on my birthday, but no one could make it, and I wasn't feeling so great that morning, so we put it off until Mom realized that next weekend was the last weekend, and she didn't want to go the day it closed. It was AMAZING. Whatever my feelings for The Church, these pieces are beautiful.
I was amazed at how many people just look at these things straight on, though. I even had to teach my mom about getting the icons from various angles to see the way light plays on them, the texture, where the panels have warped over time, and if you can, go around and look at the back. I mean, that is why you're there, after all, to get the "feel" of it, even if you can't touch it. Otherwise, you may as well just look at the pictures in a book. There was one woman there in a wheel chair, and after looking a few pieces from the various heights, I decided she had a really good angle to see the illumination. And ALL sorts of people were at the exhibit - I heard all kinds of languages. And as we were leaving, we saw a group of nuns dressed in full habit getting off the elevator that we were about to take down to the car. Definitely got a sense of Los Angeles as the melting pot it is. It was great.
I think the most amusing tidbit was the oldest surviving Bible in Arabic that was found "by accident" in a part of the monastery that was blocked off for a long time. The oldest Arabic Bible! I can just imagine someone going "Oops! Who left this lying around?" My favourite piece was a picture of St. Catherine, for whom the monastery began being referred to as when her remains were brought there. I actually kinda wish they had put the icons in even more context. Specifically, I know the video said that the icons were used as part of their worship. I wish we could have been shown or at least told how they were used rather than the captions being heavily focused on the symbology. And I would have liked more photographs from the actual monastery, so we could get an idea of where exactly the pieces could be seen in their native context.
Made some interesting general observations, too. Like how these Medieval artists were able to mesh the story of Moses discovering the Burning Bush from the Old Testament with that of The Virgin conception. Their explanation was that a bush that burned without being consumed foreshadowed the birth of a child to a woman who hadn't "sinned." It struck me as a bit far-fetched at first, but I think I've come to like the idea. The part about Mary not "sinning" by not having sex still bugs me, but then it did before I saw the exhibit.
I also noticed that in Christian iconography, the thing that killed a martyr tends to eventually come to represent that person. Jesus and his cross, St. Catherine and her wheel (though to be thorough, St. Catherine was beheaded, but only after they tried to kill her on the wheel). I actually find that realization kind of disturbing. Though I suppose an important part of their story is that they would sacrifice their life for what they believe in. Nevertheless, when I die, please don't do that to me. For example, if my heart ends up killing me, make my symbol a unicorn. Or, if I'm skewered in the stomach by a unicorn (and yes, I have been told once that this is what will happen to me if I believe in unicorns, complete with the creature dragging my soul down to Hell), then let's not have a unicorn come to symbolize me, okay? Thanks.
Also, while I was there, I kept looking at the icons and thinking "I should make lj icons of these and have a caption saying "this is a real icon." Or something like that. Yeah, we'll see if that ever happens.
tigerseye17 is heading off to boot camp tomorrow. I know she'll be back in a few weeks, but I'm going to miss her.
♥