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text 2015-06-11 19:38
Tips for Reading in Restaurants Without Being Weird, Awkward, Or Getting Ketchup On Your Book


Book Sandwich! via pebrenegre

 

I support your right to get your book* on anywhere and everywhere. And what better place to read than on a bookish dinner date with yourself? You deserve it. Now before you dress yourself up—or down, whatever your style—and grab your book, here are some helpful tips for a perfect restaurant book date.

 

*I will be using book to represent e-readers, comics, any and all reading material. We're equal opportunity readers/eaters here!

 


Pitch Perfect

 

First off: you’re neither weird nor awkward.
Okay, I don’t know you, so maybe you are, but don't fret—you’re neither of those things just because you want to eat dinner with a book. Trust me, everyone around you has their nose in their smartphone even while people are talking to them. You’re awesome. And your book is awesome.

 

You are what you eat.
Or more importantly your book might wear whatever you eat. Which means that chili-dog place isn’t the best choice for tonight. I mean, yes, your book would look adorable in a bib but I’m here to keep you and your date clean. Best food choices are non-messy, non-drippy and don’t require both hands to eat. Oh, and the squirts-out-the-other-end (looking at you poorly wrapped burrito) probably best to leave for another night or only eat it with a fork and knife.

 


Frasier

 

Baby wipes aren’t just for babies.
You don’t want to get home, relaxed and stuffed, to discover a mysterious stain or gooey spot on your book. This especially applies if you choose books because of their covers and regularly stand in front of your bookshelves admiring the beauty of your books. Before you sit pull a Niles Crane and wipe, wipe, wipe! And then smile and be really nice to your servers so they don’t think you were insulting their cleaning abilities.

 


original image via Himalayan Happenings

 

It’s all about the placement.
You want your plate of food between you and your book. This way, while the airplane spoon is en route to your mouth, you don’t have to worry about any of it plopping in the center of your book. Our goal is to not hear splat! Also, depending on the size of the table, you can have your book on the side of the plate opposite the hand you eat with. Yes, singular. We are only using one hand for eating on this date.

 

Hand designation.
If you’re not planning on eating it, don’t get ketchup on it. This is why each hand gets assigned a job and swapping is not allowed! Sorry to sound like the hand-police, but it’s important to choose one hand for page turning and one hand for getting dinner from the plate to your mouth to avoid getting food, smears, and grease on your book.

 


via Woman’s Health Magazine

 

Can I have a straw?
It’s best to keep your glass on the table and slurp your drink through a straw. If not every time you pick up the glass, bring it to your lips, then place it back down you will risk that accidental bump, slip, and potential table flood.

 


via The eBook reader

 

Protection.
Easiest way to keep your e-reader clean is to have it inside any of the many options for keeping it safe. I personally use the waterproof Ziploc-bag-looking ones in the pool, which means a spilled glass of wine won’t be short-circuiting my reader. Yes, people will stare if you lick spilled wine off your case.

 


Matilda

 

Read funny at your own risk.
Laughing with a mouth full of food could result in food spraying (gross) and/or choking (total book date ruiner), and/or being stared at (apparently people stare when you’re laughing hysterically and sitting alone). Now, if you want to make friends, ignore my strangers-staring warning and get your laugh on—people will ask what’s so funny and it’ll turn into a conversation where you recommend the current hilarious book you’re reading. This is how book clubs and the best friendships start, right?

 


Now I can see you’re getting hangry and holding that fork like a weapon because you want to get your food order in to get to the best part, eating and reading, so I’ll leave you to enjoy. Book appétit!

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review 2014-01-20 13:50
Nodame Cantabile, Vol. 1 - Tomoko Ninomiya

Review for the whole manga. :)

I finished this series a week or so ago. And wow what a ride it was. Finally I had a chance to read the whole manga, and not just parts of it. I must say, now that I read the manga, that the anime and jdorama did quite a good job. Most we find in the manga is also found in the anime or jdorama.

The first few manga volumes focus on Nodame and Chiaki, how they met, how they grew together and how they both are struggling with various things that life throws at them. This part was ok, it was hard to get through things at times, especially how Chiaki was acting (all mean and harsh) and how Nodame was acting (overly dramatic, stalkerish and in overall I found her just weird at times). But it also had wonderful things happening. Also the side characters were just awesome, I really loved them and their antics.

The second part of the manga focusses on them being Paris, how both are starting with new things. Nodame with school, Chiaki with conducting. How they both are adapting to life in there. Especially in the case of Nodame, who didn't have a chance to learn French (I loved the parts that she learned French by watching anime, or that she was using some strange dictionary and almost got Chiaki in trouble). We also meet various other characters, all living in that house. They are all trying to work hard and try their best.
I loved this part especially since it focusses so much on Chiaki and Nodame, and their relationship. Especially Chiaki, he is more and more getting to love Nodame. You noticed it already, but in these parts it is just all the more obvious, that although Nodame is totally nuts and at times annoying, he truly loves her.

Then we get the part where Chiaki decides to move out, and he gets busier and busier. This was the part where I at times cried. Poor Nodame, he never cared to tell her in advance that he was leaving the apartment. I seriously wanted to smack Chiaki for that, how he treated Nodame. I am sure he could have told her, sure she might have snapped and acted weird, but that is a normal response. Someone you love so dearly leaves you.

The ending... well let's say I was seriously disappointed with it. I expected a lovely ending, where things would finally be finished. Either be a wedding, or a proposal, or something else exciting, instead it ends like how the normal volumes do. With nothing. It is a really disappointment. I went through 23 volumes, cheered and cried, laughed and shouted, and what do I get? A totally crappy ending that doesn't finish or end anything. 
So I am just hoping the mangaka will pick it up again, or at least tries to make a decent ending. 

In overall, I would really recommend this series to everyone.

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