serene’s posterous

Last Friday, I went to my first baseball game...San Francisco Giants vs Houston Astros.  The AT&T Park is a nice space, but it was very windy and cold sitting on the bleachers.   I was definitely glad that I had my fleece and windshirt.

I don't think I understand the appeal of baseball.  Despite the valiant attempts of the group I went with, I don't think I had a handle on what was happening on the field.  Apparently it was unusual that the Giants were up by 13 runs (including 2? home runs) to nil in the first three innings.  We didn't stay to the end of the game - nothing much happened after those first few innings.  I guess baseball games are an excuse for people to hang out and eat expensive food from the concession stands?

I liked the movie.  It was all very beautifully filmed, and despite the title, I think Daisy, played by Cate Blanchet is the central character.  Her luminosity simply shines through even as she ages.  Brad Pitt, unfortunately, didn't quite make me feel for his character.  He plays it too cool and distant maybe.  And also, there isn't enough of a sense that he is young man trapped in a an old man's body or later, a young man with years of experience behind him.

Eu-Jin questions, "What is this movie saying?"  Ultimately, we are not quite sure if there's a deeper message other than everything changes.

   

My two favorite dances this week were the Mia Michaels contemporary danced by Kupono and Kayla, and the Wade Robson jazz danced by Brandon and Janette.  Kupono was scarily creepy in the first dance (that smirk!), and Kayla, for the first time this season I think, made an emotional connection.  The Wade Robson piece is just so stylised and fun, and fit so well with the music.  Love it!

Kupono and Kayla:


Brandon and Janette:


I liked this weeks' NappyTabs choregraphed group dance too:

Sweet little romantic comedy starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.  Sure, it is almost by-the-numbers movie making, but London is pretty and the acting is top notch.  You just have to believe that it is possible to fall in love in a day...

I baked these last minute for a friend's bake sale, so I had to make do with whatever ingredients I had at home.  I tried to make the cookies vegetarian (butter OK, but no eggs), so I roughly used this recipe, with some changes.  I used 1/2 cup of butter, doubled all the spices and fresh ginger, used 3/4 cup brown sugar, replaced the molasses with honey, skipped the raisins, and instead of rolling the dough balls in sugar, I just sprinkled some turbinado cane sugar over the flattened dough balls before baking.

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!

One of the most interesting talks I attended this week was by Tim Westergren of Pandora.  He didn't have slides and just sat on the table (sometimes sitting on his hands, which is a habit that I have too) and started talking.  He is certainly the chief evangelist for the company.

When you think about it, it is really hard to scale a business which requires musicians to listen to music and analyze them in over 400(?) attributes.  There is a huge body of music out there, and there's always new music coming out.  But the amazing thing is that Tim Westergren is still passionate about his business despite the terrible lows he faced in the business, inspiring people, and not compromising on his beliefs to make more money.  There are no top 10 lists and no accepting of money to play or analyze music.

I was inspired to go play with Pandora again.  And it is a really great tool, and it does pick the music that I like with uncanny accuracy and reminds me about artists that I haven't heard in a while and perhaps introduce me to more music that I like.  The minus is just that the sound quality isn't all that great.  I would describe it as somewhat tinny.

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.