Interstitiality

SBL Thoughts

I just got back from the AAR/SBL meeting in San Antonio. Here are some random thoughts and observations:

-Increasingly, I go to AAR/SBL more to see friends than to hear good papers (though I heard that Margaret's paper was excellent and AKMA's response was well-received)

-We had a pretty good turnout for the open papers session of the Asian and Asian American hermeneutics group. This year our session could have been labeled “Issues in Korean and Korean American Biblical Interpretation.”

-The Monday 4-6:30 session is not a good time to have a panel at SBL.

-Monday Night Football (and fantasy football) is a good way to keep in touch with friends from graduate school

-Sometimes I have to go to San Antonio to see my colleagues and friends from Hyde Park. Sad but true.

-Princeton Seminary has the longest reception at AAR/SBL (four hours). The food is also primo!

-The Riverwalk in San Antonio has more Tex-Mex restaurants than all of Illinois.

-Every Tex-Mex restaurant has the same combination platter: two enchiladas, a tamale with chili con carne, a crispy taco, beans, and rice.

-People in Texas, and people who are tourists in Texas, still haven’t figured out that Hooters is not a family establishment.

-Some books are still expensive at 50% off. I bought one book for $62.50, after the discount. You do the math.

-Denny’s still has the best buy for a cheap breakfast. A large fruit filled pancake, one egg, two sausages, two pieces of bacon, and hash browns for $4.99.

-San Antonio folks don’t like rain (and we got plenty of it).

-The Alamo is smaller than I imagined (who says that everything is big in Texas?)

-Waitresses at San Antonio bars have a tendency to call you “baby” or “babe” (no I did not go to Hooters). I have never been called “baby” or “babe” so much in my life. It put my male ego into shock.

Posted by Frank Yamada at November 24, 2004 09:07 PM