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Jun. 28th, 2009 08:43 amWhile I'm at the Library, I'm trying to take advantage of the free lectures they offer. I don't go to every single one, but I pick and choose the ones I'm most interested in. This week I attended two.
The first lecture was by Dr. James Clark, a paleontologist who has done a lot of research in China. The short version of his discovery is this: he's found a dinosaur that more conclusively proves that birds and dinosaurs are related. It all has to do with the fingers. I did enjoy that lecture quite a bit, but to be honest I went to it sort of as a nod towards Zack, who wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up.
The second lecture was actually more of a book talk. It was given by Michael and Elizabeth Norman to launch the release of their new book, Tears in the Darkness. It tells the story of the Bataan death march, from the perspective of American, Filipino, as well as Japanese soldiers. They spent ten years writing and researching this book. The presentation was very moving. There were several veterans there, both American as well as Filipino. At the end, a representative from the Filipino embassy stood up and presented the author's with a plaque of appreciation for their work in helping the Filipino soldiers receive the recognition they deserve for their part in WW2. He then started to tell how his grandfather (perhaps great grandfather) came to the US over sixty years ago to advocate for veteran's benefits and official recognition of the Filipino soldiers. He became very emotional when he told us how proud he was that this year, finally, his grandfather's dream has been realized. It was very moving, and I found myself wiping away a few tears as he spoke. I did purchase the book and had both author's sign it. I can't possibly afford for this to become a habit, buying every book from the author's who come through this summer, but I found myself so touched by this story I knew I needed to read it.
They signed it "To Tina *****--a student of history." I didn't tell her what to write, she just ascertained that on her after a few moments of conversation. Elizabeth also told me, as I prepared to leave, that they'd written this book for my generation. I assume she means so we won't forget what our ancestors sacrificed for our present-day freedom. The whole experience left quite an impression upon me.
The first lecture was by Dr. James Clark, a paleontologist who has done a lot of research in China. The short version of his discovery is this: he's found a dinosaur that more conclusively proves that birds and dinosaurs are related. It all has to do with the fingers. I did enjoy that lecture quite a bit, but to be honest I went to it sort of as a nod towards Zack, who wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up.
The second lecture was actually more of a book talk. It was given by Michael and Elizabeth Norman to launch the release of their new book, Tears in the Darkness. It tells the story of the Bataan death march, from the perspective of American, Filipino, as well as Japanese soldiers. They spent ten years writing and researching this book. The presentation was very moving. There were several veterans there, both American as well as Filipino. At the end, a representative from the Filipino embassy stood up and presented the author's with a plaque of appreciation for their work in helping the Filipino soldiers receive the recognition they deserve for their part in WW2. He then started to tell how his grandfather (perhaps great grandfather) came to the US over sixty years ago to advocate for veteran's benefits and official recognition of the Filipino soldiers. He became very emotional when he told us how proud he was that this year, finally, his grandfather's dream has been realized. It was very moving, and I found myself wiping away a few tears as he spoke. I did purchase the book and had both author's sign it. I can't possibly afford for this to become a habit, buying every book from the author's who come through this summer, but I found myself so touched by this story I knew I needed to read it.
They signed it "To Tina *****--a student of history." I didn't tell her what to write, she just ascertained that on her after a few moments of conversation. Elizabeth also told me, as I prepared to leave, that they'd written this book for my generation. I assume she means so we won't forget what our ancestors sacrificed for our present-day freedom. The whole experience left quite an impression upon me.