serene’s posterous

Photo credit: Kelsey McNeal/FOX

I liked all of the couple dances this week, so I can't really pick out a favorite.  Maybe it was because none of the songs really jumped out at me.  I was a little surprised that the quickstep by Karla and Vitolio was fun and clever.  The quick change of Karla's dress was incorporated perfectly.  I liked Evan and Randi's delightful broadway better than the judges did...it is all about those little movements!  The vampire dance of Kupono and Kayla was enjoyable too.

The quickstep!

This is a lighthearted memoir by Eve Brown-Waite about her experiences in Peace Corps in Ecuador, her eventual marriage to her recruiter, and finally their lives in Arua, Uganda.  I enjoyed the witty descriptions of her life in the book because it gives a sense of how things were (and probably still are) in Ecuador and Uganda.  It is hard to be a do-gooder!

Photo taken by Eu-Jin

Saw this article in WSJ today.  When Eu-Jin and I were in Turkey in January this year, we spent many hours in the archaeological museum in Istanbul.  A lot of the time was spent peering at the Alexander Sarcophagus, walking around it and observing details that weren't apparent on the first look.  It was probably one of the most beautiful classical antiquity I have ever seen.

While the burial chamber depicts Alexander the Great, the sarcophagus was probably carved for Abdalonymos, one of Sidon's kings.
 

Photo credit: Mathieu Young/FOX

My favorite dance this week is by Randi and Evan.  It is choreographed by Mia Michaels, and it is just such a silly dance.  It is all about Randi's booty!  And I noticed a distinct trend here where a big part of liking the dance is the music.  This week it is Koop Island Blues by Koop.  The dancing starts at 2:25 in this video.



I also liked this week's group dance - mixing the elements of ballroom and hip hop.  But I have to say it is somewhat raunchy.

I am currently a little obsessed with roasting cauliflower.  It is probably a little warm these days to be firing up the oven, but I haven't been able to resist.  I have been mostly tossing the chopped up cauliflower with smashed garlic cloves, a little salt and pepper, olive oil and curry or chili powder.  And then baking in the oven for about 20min at 400°C.  I just love how the cauliflower gets brown on the edges.

I had some frozen Coho salmon fillets from Trader Joe's in the freezer, so I decided to make Teriyaki Salmon.  I had some Kikkoman Kotterin Mirin in the fridge, so I mixed that with some soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil, and marinated the salmon with this mixture.  I added some garlic cloves and sliced ginger to the mix too.  Broiled the salmon for about 5-10min, until the salmon was cooked, and then sprinkled some chopped scallions over. 

Next time, I may want to sprinkle some sugar over the salmon, and broil a little longer to get a sugar crust.

Photo credit: Mathieu Young/FOX

I didn't find this week's SYTYCD as compelling as last week's performance show.  Perhaps more dancers were out of their comfort zone?  My favorite this week was the contemporary piece performed by Jonathan and Karla, and choreographed by Stacey Tookey.  But I am not sure if it was because I love the song Falling Slowly by The Frames, and that colored my impression.



On the results show, I liked the group dance choreographed by Mia Michaels.  Although, I wished the camera work wasn't so frentic.  The music - Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder - was great.

Hmmm...third novel read in a row that has been made into a movie that I have not watched. 

I have always enjoyed reading historical fiction and to be immersed in some other time period.  I am not very familiar with the historical details in the Tudor period in England other than it was a tumultous time in England's history with the breaking from the Roman Catholic Church, and that King Henry VIII had several wives.  I imagine that Philippa Gregory took some liberties with the historical details for dramatic effect.  But since she used the lesser known Mary Boleyn as the narrator, she had somewhat more flexibility to take "artistic license".

The book was an easy read...it is mostly about plot development.  There was some sense of the rigid, claustrophobic life and all the politicking in the court.  Ultimately I wasn't too impressed by the book, it reads too much like a breathless fluffy throwaway.