text:
(Image Credit: Michael Rincon)
Stanford had what could only be described as an underwhelming week last week in falling to a loss to Pepperdine and defeating UC Santa Barbara 1-0 with a late winner, and things don't stand to get any easier this week as the Cardinal take on a Santa Clara side that has already knocked off the Aussie-laden UCLA this season. The Cardinal were perhaps guilty of trying to walk the ball in on a few occasions against teams that stacked the defensive line, but Beattie Goad, among others, came up with some moments that could have ended in goals, including one scintillating cross from the Aussie senior that was headed onto the crossbar against Pepperdine. Stanford may actually benefit from playing a team like Santa Clara, who will be far more attack-minded than either of last week's opponents, potentially opening up the pitch for the Cardinal attack, with Beattie Goad hopefully one of the beneficiaries as the senior looks to continue an outstanding senior season.
Whilst Stanford are playing a side that has already beaten UCLA, the Bruins themselves will travel to Hawaii face a Pepperdine side that upset Stanford just a week ago. Prior to that result, this contest would have appeared to be a breeze for the Bruins, but the Waves changed that line of thinking with their win over Stanford. UCLA will still come in as favourites, particularly having knocked off defending national champions Florida State and nationally ranked Wisconsin already this season, and with Teagan Micah having already picked up four clean sheets this year, sneaking a one-goal victory will be an incredibly difficult task for the Waves. Rachel Lowe also returned to the UCLA rotation last week, and will surely be hoping to see extended minutes as the Bruins attempt to put Pepperdine to the sword.
The Bruins will then face host side Hawaii in a game featuring no less than five Australians across the playing and coaching staff of both sides. Hawaii midfielder Eliza Ammendolia was a teammate of both Teagan Micah and Rachel Lowe at Western Sydney Wanderers, and with Kiri Dale also on the Rainbow Wahine roster and former Washington State and Matildas defender Rachael Doyle on the Hawaii coaching staff, there will be plenty of reasons for Aussie fans to catch Monday morning's game.
Ashleigh Lefevre has built on last season's performances to emerge as an integral part of Illinois' starting lineup in 2019, and with the Illini kicking off conference play this week against in-state rivals Northwestern, the sophomore finds herself tasked with helping her team get off to a good start against a team picked to finish just one spot below them in the Big Ten. This really is the kind of game Illinois need to win if they are to atone for last year's controversial omission from the NCAA Tournament, with a middling conference schedule in 2018 perhaps the team's downfall. However, with a 6-1 record to this point, Illinois are looking in good form, as is Lefevre.
Sandra Hill had seen only limited minutes coming into last week's pair of games, but the Grand Canyon fullback gained her first start of the season against North Dakota, and played 185 of 200 minutes across two games to re-establish herself as a member of the Antelopes' lineup. This week sees Grand Canyon celebrate Senior Day against Cal State Northridge, and whilst Hill may not be a senior, both she and the remainder of the Antelopes lineup will be hoping to turn around their form to celebrate the occasion with the team's second win of the season. It won't be easy though, particularly against a Cal State Northridge side that has posted five wins in their eight games to this point. But with Hill back to shore up the side, things may just be turning around for Grand Canyon as they prepare to move into conference play.
Full Schedule
Alabama State (Sophie Bui)
This week: v North Alabama – 9am, Saturday September 21; @ Mercer – 4am, Monday September 23
Chicago State (Sarah Clark)
This week: @ Oral Roberts – 10am, Saturday September 21; @ Tulsa – 5am, Monday September 23
East Tennessee State (D'arne Boato)
This week: v Hampton – 7am, Thursday September 19
Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)
This week: @ Long Island – 6am, Thursday September 19; @ West Virginia – 9am, Saturday September 21
Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)
This week: v CSU Northridge – 6am, Monday September 23
Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia, Kiri Dale)
This week: v Washington State – 3pm, Friday September 20; v UCLA – 11:30am, Monday September 23
Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson Carr)
This week: @ Penn – 8am, Saturday September 21
Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)
This week: v Northwestern – 10am, Saturday September 21
La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)
This week: v George Washington – 3am, Monday September 23
LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)
This week: v Florida – 10am, Friday September 20; v James Madison – 4am, Monday September 23
Marshall (Laura Farrelly)
This week: @ Florida Atlantic – 9am, Friday September 20; @ Florida Gulf Coast – 3am, Monday September 23
Mississippi (Aimee Medwin)
This week: v Missouri – 10am, Saturday September 21
Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Kristy Helmers, Shauni Reid)
This week: @ Lamar – 10am, Saturday September 21
North Dakota State (Eden Taylor-Wineera)
This week: @ Eastern Washington – 9am, Saturday September 21
Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)
This week: @ North Texas – 10am, Saturday September 21
Rhode Island (Teresa Morrissey)
This week: @ Dartmouth – 9am, Friday September 20; v Saint Louis – 3am, Monday September 23
Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)
This week: v Belmont – 9:30am, Saturday September 21; v Eastern Illinois – 5am, Monday September 23
Stanford (Beattie Goad)
This week: @ Santa Clara – 12pm, Monday September 23
Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)
This week: @ South Florida – 9am, Sunday September 22
UCLA (Rachel Lowe, Teagan Micah)
This week: v Pepperdine – 12:30pm, Friday September 20; @ Hawaii – 11:30am, Monday September 23
UMBC (Abi Jordan, Teal Kilbride)
This week: v George Washington – 9am, Friday September 20; v New Hampshire – 4am, Monday September 23
Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)
This week: v UNC Asheville – 5:30am, Thursday September 19; v North Florida – 3am, Monday September 23
Wyoming (Indianna Asimus)
This week: v South Dakota – 11am, Friday September 20


text:
How is physics research being used to change your life? We opened our doors as part of Oxford's science and ideas festival to showcase some of the ways research can become technology, and physics can move from the lab into your life.
Students taking a break from their undergraduate laboratory experiments will notice two new canvases displayed in the foyer of the Physics Teaching Labs. These colourful canvases are inspired by the themes of space and cosmic rays, and were created in 2017 by students at Ysgol Gynradd Rhoscolin (Rhoscolin Primary School) on Anglesey, Wales working with artist Catrin Williams. Dr Karen Aplin, Head of Physics Teaching Labs 2009-2018, was a co-investigator and scientific advisor to the project.
The University of Oxford has marked the opening of the Beecroft Building, a new 8,950sqm building for experimental and theoretical physics.
World wide web pioneer Sir Tim Berners-Lee and donor Adrian Beecroft joined the Chancellor, Lord Patten of Barnes, and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Louise Richardson, to officially open the new state-of-the-art facility located in Oxford University's science area in Parks Road.
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS, a member of the Astrophysics group in the Department of Physics at Oxford, was chosen by a panel of leading scientists to receive the $3m (£2.3m) Special Breakthrough Prize in fundamental physics for her landmark work on pulsars and a lifetime of inspiring leadership in the scientific community.
Catchy songs are great way to make a message 'stick', but can we use song to enthuse young people about science? What if they're the ones writing the songs?
At three local events this summer, three researchers (Nathan Adams, Dr Neil Bowles, and Dr Donal Hill) teamed up with songwriter, Jonny Berliner, and 537 local residents to create three brand new songs based on current physics research at the University, covering distant galaxies, planetary science and particle physics.
Researchers from Oxford's Centre for Applied Superconductivity (CfAS) in Oxford Physics have uncovered the impressive properties of a novel superconductor, marking it out as the best of its kind with huge technological potential.
A new milestone in the study of the Higgs boson
ATLAS observes elusive Higgs boson decay to a pair of bottom quarks, a confirmation of the 'Yukawa couplings'
By Prof Daniela Bortoletto. 28 August 2018, Geneva
Overall there were 72 members of the Department who took part or contributed to the activities during the Outreach Development Day on 20th April 2018.
It was an opportunity for researchers who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm for physics outreach to share best practice with others in the Department.
The day began with a 'Storytelling skills for scientists' training session by Robert Holtom. At lunchtime there was a hands-on showcase of activities and demonstrations from a number of departmental outreach initiatives, including:
Stargazing+ at O'Hanlon House
On Thursday 17th May a team of our researchers visited O'Hanlon House, a resettlement centre for around 66 homeless people in central Oxford, to talk about space and the Universe.
Nuclear quadrupole resonance sensor for safer wireless power
Wireless power transfer (WPT) is likely to be widely adopted throughout the automotive industry as it represents the most simple and effective charging solution for electric vehicles. A strong magnetic field, generated by a car and the ground can present certain safety risks, should a person or animal enter the field.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
INT CFMorecambe VS Port Vale, guests may win
Match Time:
International Club Friendly -- Morecambe VS Port Vale
Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips| Asian Handicap Odds|Line-ups& H2H Stats
1. After 26 rounds, Morecambe got 4 wins, 7 draws, 15 losses and placed the 23 of the England League 2. In the last 20 games, Morecambe got 4 wins, 5 draws and 11 losss. The win rate is 20.0%, the handicap odds win rate is 35.0%, the over win rate is 55.0%.
2. After 26 rounds, Port Vale got 9 wins, 11 draws, 6 losses and placed the 10 of the England League 2. In the last 20 games, Port Vale got 6 wins, 7 draws and 7 losss. The win rate is 40.0%, the handicap odds win rate is 50.0%, the over win rate is 45.0%.
3. The handicap first odds of this game is Morecambe 0.90-0/-0.5-1.02. Under the same Handicap first odds of Sbobet in history: Total 1724 matches, the home team got 622 wins, 521 draws and 581 losses. Home win rate: 36.08%; Draw win rate: 30.22%; Away win rate: 33.70%; Home odds win rate: 44.90%; Draw odds win rate: 0.00%; Away odds win rate: 55.10%.
4. The Over/Under first odds of this game is 1.11-2.5-0.80. Under the same Over/Under first odds of Sbobet in history: Totol 7124 matches, the home team got 3007 wins, 2038 draws and 2079 losses. Home win rate: 42.21%; Draw win rate: 28.61%; Away win rate: 29.18%; Over odds win rate: 44.01%; Draw odds win rate: 6.96%; Under odds win rate: 49.03%.
5. The 1x2 first odds combination of this game is 2.98-3.20-2.31. Under the same 1x2 first odds of Sbobet in history: Total 16 games, the home team got 1 wins, 5 draws and 10 losses. Home win rate: 6.25%; Draw win rate: 31.25%; Away win rate: 62.50%.
Nowgoal 1X2 Picks: Morecambe(29.8%), Draw(29.1%), Port Vale(41.2%)
[Livescore] [Soccer Results] [Soccer Fixtures]
(Disclaimer:Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Nowgoal. We disclaim any responsibility and accepts no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage arising from any inaccuracies.)


text:
UFO Boxer Quilt
The quilt for my brother is finished, delivered and much appreciated by the recipient. Here he is with his daughter (my niece) and the Boxer Quilt.
These are fun quilts to make for boys, young and old. The fun part is picking out fabric for the boxers that reflect the recipients interests or memories, and I always include one Christmas boxer as a reminder of all the wonderful Christmas presents our aunts' made for us when we were little. This quilt was filled with lots of car and tool boxers, but my favorite was the Scooby-Do fabric (middle, 3rd row). It reminded me of watching Saturday morning cartoons with my brothers.
I have made 4 of these quilts, 3 for my brothers, with one more to go, and one for myself that is pink and black and the boxers are all dog fabrics. It is machine appliqued and quilted and works up fast.........except if you procrastinate, like some people.
Finally, this little shirt/jacket is pretty much done. I have some hand sewing to do on the collar facing and hem, and it needs buttonholes. I have put it aside for now though because unfortunately while I love it, it is a little too snug to button and it doesn't look good open. I took the side seams out as much as I could and I had to remake the sleeves because they were WAY too tight. The sleeves are perfect now but there just wasn't enough on the seams to let out anymore.
It doesn't look like much on the hanger but it does look nice on although the length seems shorter than it shows in the picture. The sleeves are not as puffy as they appear in the picture either. I cut out the belt but there is really no room for it. I'm hoping it will fit someday soon and I will then put the buttonholes in.
It is a surprisingly flattering design and I would like to make it again, but I would add some to the seams and the length, may 1"-2". But I will move on to something else right now.
I want to make a simple hip-length wrap coat for winter. I've got some hi-lo black corduroy and hot pink flannel-backed satin for lining. I've cut out the pattern pieces and will do a quick muslin just to check basic fit as it is a pretty loose fitting style. I don't really need a winter coat for a few months so I can take my time with this and work on it in between other things.
This blouse is up next in a red/white/black cotton print. Probably the short-sleeved collarless one. I made a muslin of the sleeveless version months ago and it came out very nice. I just have to watch the sleeves as I have arm issues.............................
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Back to Sewing
Labels: Sewing Updates
2 comments:
- AnonymousSeptember 5, 2009 at 3:37 PM
Oh, Chris! I absolutely LOVE both of those patterns!! Your jacket is so pretty. That fabric is fabulous. The boxer quilt idea is fantastic. I can just see those being treasured heirlooms. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!ReplyDelete
The jacket is really cute and I hope you can wear it soon. I've made the blouse pattern a couple of times and is a very falattering style.As for the boxer quilt, What a great pattern! A great idea for men and boys. Hmmm.Now I may have to try one for my grandson!ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
- Carol
- Hello and welcome to my blog. Here I will be showcasing all my design team work, general crafting and digital scrap booking.I hope you enjoy seeing my creations and listening to my ramblings. If you leave a comment I'll know you've been and be able to visit you in return. I read and appreciate all comments which are left - good or bad! Thank you for taking the time to visit me. Pop back soon. Carol xx
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Alnwick Gardens
11 comments:
So exciting Carol I love the grounds and the castle wedding is getting closer :) great photos huggles hun Sue xxReplyDelete
I would like to use your sketch from the Christmas Challenge Blog #58 for a baby card I am making. I would have sent this request by email but did not find it so I am using your home blog. It's a beautiful sketch and I would certainly give you credit!ReplyDelete
Beautiful setting for a Wedding, lovely garden piccies and WOW tree house. CarolxxReplyDelete
Beautiful photo's Carol.xxReplyDelete
Good Morning Carol. What a stunning venue for the wedding. Loved looking at those beautiful pictures. Have a Good Day. Hugs Rita xxxReplyDelete
Looks a great day out Carol so glad your sharing your photos and that you had a good time xReplyDelete
Wow Carol, there are going to be some seriously beautiful wedding photographs - such a beautiful place and that 'fountain' is awesome! Thank you for sharing them with us Karen xReplyDelete
Fabulous photographs Carol, that sure is one fab tree house.ReplyDelete
Beautiful pictures Carol and what an idyllic setting for a wedding! Susan xxReplyDelete
Thank you for sharing, Rick and I went there last year and seeing your photograph brought back lovely memories.ReplyDelete
Linda xxx
Oh! My! Word! stunning pictures, thank for sharing them with us.ReplyDelete
What a magical setting for a wedding.
LOVE that tree house mind you who would`nt
Have a Great Day
Many thanks for taking the time to comment on my post. Constructive comments are always welcomed and appreciated on my creations. Carol x


text:
I have had a quiet weekend, but a rather busy week overall. The details for Lámhdhéanta/Handmade are coming together. We have instructors for Crochet, Felting, and Patchwork. We have space at Aiseanna na hOige, the local community centre. Funding for marketing is underway and I just need to sort out the insurance issue. We are in pretty good shape for September 25th!
I spend yesterday afternoon getting started dyeing. I received a nice Merino lace weight wool and a lovely blend of Merino/Alpaca/Silk in a chunkier weight. I am really happy with the colours! Today I over-dyed a vest that I felted on Thursday a deep red, but the light faded and it is now a misty, dirty rain so there will be no photos taken now. I am so delighted with the dyeing process. I love mixing the colours and testing out new fabrics. I spent the morning on the Internet and YouTube.com trying to figure out how Chad Alice Hagen dyes her wool so beautifully. I think she must use encaustics somehow, perhaps the new technique of using soy wax? I am going to try that and see if it works. It can't hurt and the soy wax washes out with simple soap and water, so it doesn't involve chemicals and messing around. Chad Alice's notebooks that she makes are sooo gorgeous. I would love to be able to dye pieces with such vibrant colour and texture. I am perhaps light years away from that! But I have my Wollknoll order to play with and new dyes that came this week. I mostly use Jacquard Acid Dyes, but Arty's little pen liquid dyes for microwave dyeing (from www.rainbowsilks.co.uk) is handy because you can quickly space dye pieces with the pen tip. I got some prefelt from Wollknoll, as well as a kilo of undyed Merino, some cotton gauze for nuno felting, and the Merino knitting yarn for dyeing. That will keep me busy for the next week.
I also made the rest of the appliques for my brother and sister-in-law's wedding blanket. Or rather their wedding present! Here are a couple of the appliques that I felted and machine stitched. I decided not to add too much ornament to the appliques because this blanket will need to be washed and glitzy stuff will most likely fall off with normal wear and tear. This blanket is 100% wool and will last a very long time, possibly the rest of their lives, if they take care of it. It feels like it has been hanging off the arm of my chair, patiently waiting for me to complete it, for a very long time. I crocheted nine panels and the stitched them together like a traditional nine patch quilt. The rest of the quilt is simply filling in the gaps, but the variegated purple wool is a nice silk and merino blend that's baby soft. All of it should be nice and soft. I hope they like it because I have spent about 70 hours on it so far. Sewing a traditional quilt would have taken far less time!
Must go rescue dinner! Free range roast chicken, one of my favourites, with roasted onions and garlic and spuds and broccoli. Life is good!
|Sneak peek: almost finished!


text:
Some posts on this site contain an affiliate link. Clicking on an affiliate link does not increase the cost of the product if you buy it. It does mean that I MAY make a commission if you purchase the item. Affiliate links are used in an attempt to offset the operational costs incurred by running this website. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MOM KNOWS IT ALL 2018 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE – Wham-O Frisbee Sonic
Frisbees have been around for about as long as I can remember. They're so popular because they're very portable and affordable, and get people playing outside. And, they're fun for the whole family including the dog! Wham-O has introduced a new version of the Frisbee that will be a hit with families everywhere. It's sure to be a hit this holiday season due to its exciting new features. Meet the Wham-O Frisbee Sonic.
Wham-O Frisbee Sonic
The product(s) featured in this post was provided at no cost to me. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own and have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.
Wham-O has been producing some of the most trusted toys in the market for nearly 70 years. From the Slip 'N Slide® and Frisbee® to the Hula Hoop®, Boogie® Board and Hacky Sack®, Wham-O is one of the most iconic brands in the toy industry.
Wham-O® has squared the circle! The next evolution in toys is the 'square' Frisbee®, called the Frisbee® Sonic. Not only is it a completely unique Frisbee® experience, it actually works better than the traditional Frisbee®. It's easier to throw; it's easier to catch; and it's easily this year's ultimate conversation-starter. The square-like, sine-wave shape mimics many things in nature. The alternating twists and turns of the design resemble a bird in flight as it spins through the air. The Sonic's hovering technology lets Frisbee® falls right into your friend's hands.
The perfect gift for the outdoors enthusiast, the Frisbee® Sonic is available in holiday colors red and green. Recommended for ages 5 and up. You can purchase the Sonic on the Wham-O website, where it retails for $14.99. You can also keep up with Wham-O on social media, on Facebook and Twitter.


text:
Set in Rhodes Park, the most requested place to do business in Zambia, the Lusaka Centre occupies a prime location that's attracted all kinds of businesses. The centre is on the second floor of this ultra modern building which, with its mirrored glass frontage, makes an impressive statement and overlooks neatly landscaped green space. Business neighbours include logistics and car hire, airlines, offshore incorporation services, refrigeration and maize milling companies. The building is situated in an area that has a real international flavour. As well as restaurants offering food from a variety of nations, the building is next to the International School of Lusaka and the French International School, as well as Lusaka International Airport - providing great accessibility. It's well served by bus and rail links.
Pour des personnes ou des équipes de toutes tailles.
Bureaux permanents ou partagés disponibles.
Utilisez le centre comme adresse professionnelle.Acheter maintenant
Espace informel de travail et de réunion en libre-service.En savoir plus
Utilisez nos salles de réunion pour vos présentations, entretiens et rencontres avec vos clients.
Différentes options pour les amateurs de flexibilité.Acheter maintenant
Trouver un site


text:
A Chinese circus featuring animal performances was canceled after citizens called for a boycott and tipped off authorities, in what activists billed a victory for a growing animal welfare movement.
The promotional material for the Jinan Animal Carnival Festival suggested the shows would have bears lying on their backs twirling flaming rods, tigers riding horses and a monkey riding a goat.
Chinese regulations ban animal performances, but animal rights activists estimate hundreds of shows still take place each year. They say animals are kept in poor conditions and trained under fear and stress to perform tricks. Read full story here.


text:
Residential homeowners and commercial builders and remodelers looking for high quality and affordable bathroom granite countertops in Nashville, Tennessee, and the surrounding areas use MC Granite Countertops Nashville warehouse for their bathroom vanities countertop projects. AT MC Granite Countertops Nashville more than 50% of our business comes from referrals and repeat customers. "This means customer satisfaction at its best!
With over 15 years experience in residential and commercial bathroom granite countertops sales, template, fabrication, and installation, MC Granite Countertops Nashville Warehouse is family owned and operated proudly to serve Georgia and vicinity since 2000.
At MC Granite Countertops Nashville, we are proud of our incredible record of highly satisfied customers with our fabrication and installation of bathroom countertops in Nashville and the surroundings areas.
If you are thinking about bathroom remodeling in Nashville contact MC Granite Countertops Nashville for all of your granite countertop needs. You will be happy you did!.
A tough decision you will have when planning your bathroom remodeling is deciding what granite color will be perfect for your Bathroom countertops but will also meet your budget.
With MC Granite Countertops Nashville Warehouse you get a 100% Warranty in Labor and Materials.At MC Granite Countertops, we focus on helping you select the perfect granite color for your bathroom countertop project based on your color preference, not on the price. MC Granite Nashville will not attempt to sell you the most expensive granite available but instead we take pride in helping you choose the best color for your kitchen. Our large color selection allows us to offer you the right color at the right price.
At MC Granite Countertops of Nashville, we backup what we promise with our 100% Lifetime Warranty on Fabrication, Installation and Material of your Bathroom Countertops.
See what customers are saying about MC Granite Countertops in Google or Yahoo Reviews, and find out why we are rated a "FIVE STAR COMPANY" , or Go on to check us out at the BBB "Better Business Bureau.


text:
Founder Terri Lee Bolles Nominated for the Ordinary Extraordinary People Award
Project Mental Health Freedom is proud to announce that our founder, Terri Lee Bolles, has been nominated for the Ordinary Extraordinary People Award! She is currently in the top 12 nominees, and the final six honorees will be announced in late August. A banquet in their honor will be held on Octobe…Read More


text:
Play and Interplay – A series of concerts and discussions between musicians and the audience
Anu Vehviläinen
Sibelius Academy, DocMus Department
Spring 2011
(English translation: Päivi Tikkanen)
This publication reports the experiences and results of planning, preparing, and implementing the Play and Interplay (Vuorovaikutus-workshop) project at the Sibelius Academy in the autumn of 2010. This interactive project included 14 concerts by 53 musicians from all Sibelius Academy performance departments and forums for discussion for an audience of 25, invited via two adult education centres. The following areas of interest for the Sibelius Academy were covered in the project: interaction between musician and audience, art education, development of concert events and formats, and the musician as an artist. The objective was to find research and development subjects for these areas of interest. The project was supported by the Sibelius Academy Development Centre.
This project was part of my Open Artist – Dear Audience (Avoin taiteilija – Arvoisa yleisö) programme, which includes several subprojects, operating at the interface between artists and the audience. The objective of the programme is to shed light on and demystify the concept of an artist and to find new research and development subjects. In addition to the Play and Interplay project, the programme includes literature and lecture series on being an artist and a series of communicative piano recitals.
Below, I will present some conclusions, development subjects, and open questions that resulted from the project to be used to the advantage of the Sibelius Academy. Chapter 6 describes two new projects, currently in preparation, that emerged from the Play and Interplay project.
1. The implementation of this project made it a positive experience both for the audience and the performers.
2. Education projects not only enhance the well-being of the audiences and music life but also can be an important factor in the personal growth of a musician. Therefore, professional music education should be developed keeping the relationship with audiences in mind.
3. The musicians who participated in the project considered education projects to be a meaningful and important part of their work as artists.
4. Musicians seem to become more engaged in education projects when they feel that attention, consideration, and respect are shown for them and their personas.
5. The audiences first reacted to the musicians in a critical manner and later in a supportive one.
6. The audience members became more tolerant toward unfamiliar genres.
7. The audience group became more familiar with and understanding of the work of a musician, which made them more appreciative of the profession.
8. The project was long and regular enough to enable the participants to not just become more knowledgeable but also to learn by experience.
Development subjects
1. The education of musicians should include audience projects on what it means to be a musician.
2. The writing of concert programmes.
3. Discussion and listening groups sharing the musical experience in a group.
4. "Music clinics" focusing on different areas and genres of music (e.g. modern music).
5. Sharing the practice process with the audience.
6. Sibelius Academy season tickets for themed concert series.
Open questions
1. What kind of criticism does a musician need? What is the significance of audience feedback for a musician and for music and for an artist and the arts? How and when should it be possible to level criticism at an artist?
2. What makes a successful concert? What extra-musical factors (premises, speech parts, performer's habitus, etc.) can spoil a concert despite an excellent musical performance?
3. How can the audience be invited to express more of their opinions and views?
1. Background
I came up with the idea for the Play and Interplay project in the autumn of 2009. As a performing pianist, I had given plenty of thought to my relationship with the audience and experimented with various methods of communicating with the listeners other than just playing the piano. During my doctoral studies (Sibelius Academy 2001–2008), I had given lecture concerts, where I did not just play the piano but talked to the audience and also answered their questions after the recital. Hearing comments from the audience was an enormous pleasure for me. Toward the end of 2009, I planned a series of "communicative piano concerts" for the coming spring with a shorter programme than what is typical in a traditional recital. I would play for about 40 minutes and then give a cursory talk about the background of the works, and, finally converse with the audience about the concert. The audience was invited to ask questions, and I asked them questions, as well: about the impressions the musical works had inspired, their customs related to concert-going, and so forth.
These interactive events started a flow of mental activity in me. First, it was interesting to hear about other people's impressions of works I already had a special bond with. Second, after I heard how a work of music affected a member of the audience, performing and succeeding in the performance became less important for me. Discussions with the audience seemed to be a meaningful addition to normal concert practices. Unfortunately, the discussions had usually just got going when we had to stop. This led to the idea of a method of interaction that would take my experiments one step further and be more fixed as a format. The result was a project with a specified audience group and an opportunity for them to come together on a regular basis.
2. Planning
I planned the project around the turn of 2009–2010. I decided to compile a concert series based on an existing repertoire: The Sibelius Academy Soiva Akatemia concert series is quite an extensive and high-end presentation of the university's performance palette. In the series, I included at least one performance by each participating department (the DocMus department of music performance and research, the departments of piano music, vocal music, orchestral instruments, church music, jazz, folk music, music education, and composition and music theory, and the early music study line). The concert series, then, included two concerts tailored for the project by students from the DocMus department; other concerts were from the Soiva Akatemia series.
The programme of the concert series is attached to the Finnish version of this report (Appendix 1).
To convene the audience group, I was advised to contact adult education centres in the metropolitan region. As a result, groups from the Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki and the Finnish Adult Education Centre of the City of Helsinki each promised to provide an audience group; the rest was up to me.
The planning took six months, and the plans changed after every discussion about the project. My key partners in discussion during the project were Risto Vehviläinen, an expert in project management, and Anna Krohn, a Sibelius Academy producer. In addition, I talked to dozens of people about the practices and principles of this project. I met an array of people who enriched the project with their comments even before it was launched. My own ideas about the audience were developed in discussions with musicians, where they expressed their views on the relationship with the audiences and education projects. Several of them shared my views: it is commendable for musicians to seek contact with the audience, share their ideas about their work, and communicate in as many ways as possible.
3. Preparation
The preparations, an extensive and varied series of actions, are described in detail in the Finnish version of this report (Appendix 2).
4. Implementation
4.1. Objective
The objective of the project was to find research and development subjects related to the interaction between a musician and the audience. My personal goal was to create a context for proper discussions that would bring to light more than the sporadic meetings with an artist usually arranged for the public would. I was not looking for a specific format; I just wanted to create an open, audience-friendly atmosphere for the discussions.
4.2. Concerts and musicians
The project included performances by approximately 60 musicians. Of them, 53 participated in the discussions. In the preparatory phase, I had informed the musicians about the idea of the project. When the concerts drew nearer, I wanted to see the musicians face to face. Shortly before every concert, I met with them to discuss the themes and processes of the concert and, above all, the relationship with the audience. These meetings were a rule at the beginning of the project. Toward the end of the project, fewer meetings were arranged due to personal schedules and other intervening factors. However, I made efforts to meet every performer and discussion participant, even if only briefly, before the actual concert so that we would at least recognize each other's faces when the discussion began.
I also asked for feedback about the discussion with the audience from all the musicians. I phoned every one of them after the concerts and had the chance to listen to interesting and thoughtful reflections. Unfortunately, due to lack of time toward the end of the project, I failed to listen to the ponderings of all participating musicians and, therefore, cannot present comments from all of them.
4.3. Audience group
The first concert took place on Tuesday, 7 September 2010. A total of 31 participants had enrolled in the audience group via the adult education centres. The group met before the first concert at the Sibelius Academy's R-Building. The number attending was 23.
I informed the group about the background and some practicalities of the project and then gave the floor to the group. I asked the participants, in turn, what they expected from the project and what their relationship to music was. I soon realized that we were starting from a point that was better than I had ever expected. The group consisted of people who were sincerely willing to participate in the project and share their thoughts with the group. The idea of openness and active sharing seemed to have penetrated. The group participants described their musical and other interests and learning expectations vividly. The first meeting lasted for an hour; then it was time to listen to the piano recital of the composer-pianists Holmström, Kilpiö, and Pohjonen.
The group participants shared information about themselves to their own liking. Occupational statuses were not shared as a default, nor did I inquire about them. According to my estimate, most of the participants were between 30 and 60 years of age; one or two of them may have been younger or older. My view of the group was that they were mostly professional adults with an interest in music–at least in listening to music, but often also playing an instrument or singing. This information is based on my personal assessment, not statistics. Musical interests were, however, communicated overtly by the participants during the group discussions. There were two participants who never showed up after the first meeting. However, three new, extremely active members joined the group at a later stage of the project. The average attendance for the discussions was 10-15. Some of the participants found it difficult to attend the discussions, which took place at a fairly late hour.
All participants shared a few characteristics: they were nice, friendly, and adaptable. I felt privileged to work with them immediately. The constitution of the group was a mystery to me up to the first meeting, and I relied completely on the adult education centres for this. I had not outsourced anything other than compiling the audience group, and it was the only thing that was outside of my control. When I then met with the group, I could not believe how lucky I was. If there had been problems, such as hostile participants in the group, the project could have been much more challenging. However, the circumstances were ideal: for a series of top concerts I had a brilliant and active audience. Things could not have been any better.
4.4. Communications
To record the essential parts of the discussions, I decided to recruit a scribe; as the moderator of the group, I was not able to take notes. At this point, I was lucky to find Päivi Järviö, a researcher, vocalist, and assistant for the DocMus Department. She attended all concerts and discussions but one (and was then replaced by Leena Julin, a pianist) and documented most of the information that was exchanged in the post-concert discussions. She is a rapid and accurate scribe, which ensured an extensive recording of the discussions. Päivi Järviö was also present at the first meeting and the two separate feedback sessions to take down what was said. Her excellent skills made it possible for me to concentrate on the moderation of the discussions.
During the summer months, I had launched a web site (www.vehvilainen.net) with information on the project. A summary of each discussion was published on the site. A day after each concert, Päivi Järviö sent me her transcription of the related discussion. I then edited, summarized, and uploaded the text on the web site, where it was available for anybody interested. The site featured a newsgroup as well, where comments were invited and received for the summaries. At times, the audience group posted their thoughts after the concert in the newsgroup.
The discussions are available at http://www.vehvilainen.net/?cat=22 (in Finnish).
Most of the weekly communication took place on a mailing list, which included most of the group members. I was able to reach those not on the list by SMS messages. I usually confirmed the coming concerts via the mailing list or SMS. Sometimes I attached the concert programme if it was available in time. I mainly reminded the group of the time and place of the concerts.
4.5. Discussions
I kept the discussions restricted to the members of the pre-selected audience group because I wanted to provide the group with a relaxed atmosphere, which could have been disturbed by any stray listeners. The discussion usually started before the musicians arrived. I asked the participants to share their views on the concert. It was usually at this point that any possible criticism was vented. The musicians usually arrived at the meetings in a haphazard manner: sometimes one by one, sometimes as a group. At the beginning, I was open to all formats of moderation. Gradually, I ended up preparing targeted questions to be asked at points of silence among the audience and to be left out at points of independent discussion between the audience and the musicians. The first post-concert discussion was a surprise for me. I had prepared a long list of questions but ended up trying to decide who in the animated audience was to speak next, not getting much chance to speak myself. I was happy to notice that unexpected topics were taken up in the discussions. I had launched a search for the voice of the audience, and there it was.
5. Results
5.1. Observations by the musicians
I received feedback from both the musicians and the audience group in connection with the concerts and discussions during the entire project. The feedback was always positive: The audience commented on the concerts, and the musicians praised the audience and deemed the discussions successful and well-designed. The musicians seemed more or less astonished: where did this excellent audience come from? As mentioned earlier, I collected systematic feedback from the musicians, as well, especially at the beginning of the project. I phoned them the day after the concert to hear what they thought about the discussion and interaction after the concert. The majority of the musicians were extremely positive about the events; no more than two of them were highly critical.
Excerpts from the feedback from the musicians are available in the Finnish version of this report (Appendix 3).
5.2. Audience feedback
I invited feedback from the audience in two ways: I arranged two discussions (which were documented), and I issued questionnaires. The feedback discussions took place in connection with the last two concerts on 1 and 8 December in the R-Building café. In the first meeting, I issued a questionnaire to all participants, giving some background information on the questionnaire topics, and asked them to fill it in. We also discussed some of the most unforgettable moments in the project. In the second meeting, the items in the questionnaire were our inspiration for a discussion of feelings about and experiences of the project. The questionnaire was answered in writing by 18 of the 25 participants. The total of 25 included all those who were present more than once. From these, only two attended once or twice; the rest attended more than five times.
The questionnaire is available in the Finnish version of this report (Appendix 4).
There were a number of questions to answer, which caused some discrepancy in the results. For example, question number 6, "What was good?", elicited similar answers as question number 10, "What was your experience of the concerts?", and so on. The participants were advised to answer the questions freely, using their own words; as a result, the answers are not uniform. The participants' memories, level of attention, willingness to write, and style of writing are all reflected in the answers. At the same time, this method served my needs by allowing the participants to voice their individual opinions better than a multiple choice form would have done, and it helped me to come up with new ideas for the interaction between a musician and the audience.
Excerpts from the audience feedback are available in the Finnish version of this report (Appendix 5).
5.3. Summary of the results
The comments received from the musicians and the audience, as well as my own observations during the project, form the basis of the results of this project. I have divided the results into three groups: 1. conclusions and opinions, 2. suggestions for development subjects, and 3. open questions, which continued to exercise the minds of the audience and the musicians, not to mention myself.
5.3.1. Conclusions and opinions
– The implementation of this project made it a positive experience both for the audience and the performers.
o Interaction in the project was deemed positive for both the audience and the musicians. No more than 2 of the 53 musicians were critical of the discussions.
– Musicians participating in the project considered education projects to be a meaningful and important part of their work.
o Several musicians feel that the 19th-century idea of a musician as a remote genius is outdated, and they accept interaction in the education projects as a meaningful part of their work.
– Education projects enhance the well-being of not just the audiences and music life as such, but they can also be an important factor in the musician's personal growth.
– Education of music professionals should also be developed in terms of the audience relationship.
o Musicians can reflect thoroughly on their work by sharing their profession and relationship with music with the audience; this is vital for an artist.
o The project put into specific terms some of the issues associated with the relationship between a musician and the audience.
o Encountering the audience in discussions is challenging for a musician and evokes a number of thoughts related to the central questions of artistic work.
o All musicians should ask themselves, at least once during their careers, what their relationship with the audience is.
o This need will be met through my project titled "The Birth of a Musical Performance" (Musiikkiesityksen synty).
– Musicians seem to become more engaged in education projects when they feel that attention, consideration, and respect are shown for them and their personas.
o An important part of the project for me was meeting with the musicians. It gave me a chance to prepare for the discussions better. I also wanted to make the musicians feel that education projects are respectful and attentive toward them.
o After several one-on-one discussions with as many musicians as possible before the discussions with the audience, I felt that my approach to the project was personal and simple enough throughout the project. Despite the great number of participating musicians, the project never got out of control or became "faceless".
– Audience feedback as a form of criticism
o Musicians often receive feedback only through newspaper criticism, which is always the opinion of one individual, or as polite phrases from colleagues. Comments from "laymen" are a welcome addition to this scanty repertoire.
– The audiences first reacted to the musicians in a critical manner and later in a supportive one.
– The audience group became more familiar with and understanding of the work of a musician, which made them more appreciative of the profession.
o During the autumn-long process, the audience group became more aware of what and how to communicate with a musician immediately after a concert.
o The group's understanding and respect for musicians and their work was enhanced.
o The group was overwhelmed by the chance to meet musicians after the concerts. The group came to know each other quite well during the 14 sessions, which made the participants less anxious about addressing the musicians and speaking in public, something that is not easily achieved in occasional meetings with a musician. The musicians contributed the discussions with plenty of information, and they also shared of themselves in a way that is not common in the art music sphere. In this way, the artist, who used to be a remote and mysterious figure, became more "human", a phenomenon greeted with satisfaction.
– The learning process was enhanced by the regular meetings.
o Because of the regularity of the schedule and extensive duration of the project, the audience group was cohesive and learned a lot.
– The audience members became more tolerant toward unfamiliar genres.
– The audience group's learning outcomes were extensive.
o The group reported having learned about music terminology, works of music, composers, musical instruments, and different genres. Hearing the musicians talk in person made them more approachable and human. The discussions as a whole shed light on the demanding nature of the work of a musician. The versatile education provided by the Sibelius Academy was also presented. The project included music from various genres, which encouraged the audience to attend concerts of a more varied nature. The role and responsibility of a listener in a concert were also considered to be important.
o The project provided the participants with more knowledge and, above all, experiences. Several participants reported having experienced an inner development process triggered by the regular concerts and discussions. This was often considered to be the most important learning outcome of the project. A number of participants said that they had learned something about their own habits and attitudes. They considered the project to have broadened their minds and encouraged them to explore new frontiers.
o The group was active in proposing themes and topics for the discussion. An important theme was the listener's responsibility for a concert. As the project progressed, the deepening reflection of the themes was appreciated by a number of participants.
– The private nature of the discussions was an advantage.
o A closed group was a beneficial choice in that it promoted the learning process in the group, alleviated anxiety about public speaking, and helped to create a friendly atmosphere in the group.
5.3.2. Development subjects
– More audience-friendly concert programmes
o It was noticed during the project that the standard of concert programmes in the different Sibelius Academy departments varied; some departments did not provide concert programmes at all. The Sibelius Academy lacks an agreement on how to write a good concert programme.
o This deficiency will be made up by my new initiative, Käsiohjelma tänään (Concert Programmes Today).
– Concerts with discussion groups
o The audience group appreciated the chance to come together in connection with a concert: listening to a concert together and talking about it was an experience that many would like to continue in the future.
o Study circles, listening to music, and discussing it in writing after a concert.
– Play and Interplay to become a regular feature at the Sibelius Academy
o A number of participants stated a straightforward wish for this method of interaction. Factual knowledge about music was considered less important (only one of the respondents wished for more emphasis on informational content). Two more important factors: a) becoming familiar with the artists and their profession via discussions and b) the evolution of personal processes in the meetings and discussions.
o The participants appreciated being a part of the discussion group as equals: though not professional, their comments were considered interesting.
– Music clinics
o Clinics to elaborate on the theoretical and analytical content of a specific field in music.
o Clinics on modern music.
o Concerts with both modern and traditional music, which would lower the threshold for exploring new phenomena.
– Sharing the practice process
o A course or workshop uncovering a musical process: the process before a performance with practice and rehearsal sessions.
o This wish will be met through my project, Musiikkiesityksen synty (The Birth of a Musical Performance).
– Season tickets for Sibelius Academy concerts
o Various types of season tickets for the Sibelius Academy concerts were proposed. A concert series such as the Play and Interplay project, with a versatile, pre-selected programme, will encourage the audience to attend concerts with various types of music.
5.3.3. Open questions
– What kind of criticism does a musician need? What is the significance of audience feedback for a musician and for music and for an artist and the arts? How and when should it be possible to level criticism?
o Whose criticism should musicians listen to – or should they? Is the audience a paying customer with the right to make a complaint if they don't like what they hear?
o Should a musician listen to anybody's feedback? Or can a musician refuse to listen to criticism? Musicians closing their ears – is it arrogance or self-protection?
o Interaction always depends on the people involved. Important factors include expressive skills, choice of words, and personality. Interaction poses a risk.
o Oral interaction immediately after a concert – what can be asked, and what cannot? Are there any better points of time or methods? What are they?
o How useful is audience feedback? Is it harmful? How?
– How can the audience be invited to express more of their opinions?
o The voice of the audience that was being looked for was heard in the numerous questions and comments by the audience. The musicians did not really present any questions to the audience, even when offered a chance and encouraged to do so.
o What can a musician ask the audience?
o How can the audience's opinions be solicited?
– What makes a successful concert?
o Which extra-musical factors (premises, speech parts, performer's habitus, etc.) can spoil a concert despite an excellent musical performance?
o What is the responsibility of the audience for a concert?
6. Further projects
Two further projects based on the Play and Interplay project are being prepared for next autumn. One focuses on the preparatory process of a music performance and the other on concert programmes.
1) The Birth of a Music Performance is a project based on the results of the Play and Interplay project, developing further education and providing a new learning environment in a context that focuses on education projects and expands the traditional role of a musician. The project personnel comprise Anu Vehviläinen and Pertti Haukola, M.Sc. (Technology), MBA. The project includes a course by the DocMus Department directed at doctoral students and the public.
In this project, interaction will take place prior to the concert. The musicians and the audience group will have a chance to discuss the process of preparing a music performance. The project will research the preparation process before a concert, playing an instrument, musical works, and the participants' various ways of thinking and doing that complement each other. The experiences and findings of the project will be collected. The objective of the project is to examine how the interaction in this process benefits the musicians and the audience. Another objective is to find new ways of interaction between a musician and the audience.
The course included in this project will be directed at doctoral students and members of the audience interested in understanding the preparatory phase before a concert as an entity, the process of playing an instrument, and musical works, as well as at non-professional musicians looking for impulses and new ideas for the preparation of their performances.
a) This project will provide doctoral students with a chance to share their musicianship and to articulate their tacit knowledge, to explore the structure of their personal artistic processes, and to bring about a new interactive phase in a new learning environment. The project will also provide doctoral students with influences and approaches not typically present in music education: the audience group participants, with their various backgrounds, will provide a view of different ways of thinking and acting.
b) The audience group participants, for their part, will examine the process of playing and the birth of a music performance; they will compare these processes with their own expertise, learn from them, and share ideas born from this with the group.
2) The Concert Programme Today will answer the question regarding the content and meaning of a concert programme raised in the Play and Interplay project. The audience group's final feedback forms included several comments on concert programmes. The standard of concert programmes in the different Sibelius Academy departments varied; some departments did not provide concert programmes at all. The Sibelius Academy lacks an agreement on how to write a good concert programme. The Concert Programme Today project will address this deficiency. Currently, even good concert programmes are quite unbalanced, a fact that this project will explore, looking for new possibilities.
The project has two stages:
The Sound Concert Programme initiative will provide Sibelius Academy students with an online resource stating the basic requirements for a concert programme. This resource will help performers write a professional and presentable concert programme. The initiative will be implemented in association with the Sibelius Academy's producer team.
The Programme with Potential initiative will push back the frontiers of concert programme writing with regard to both text and format. The first undertaking in this initiative will concern the Department of Vocal Music: Anu Vehviläinen will produce the concert programme for Yhden yön juttu (One Night Stand), an opera by Olli Kortekangas, to be premiered in the new Helsinki Music Centre. Vehviläinen will follow the work of as many people involved in the production as possible, and interviews will be conducted. The objective is to produce musician-oriented text for programmes; explore the possibilities of a concert programme, partly online; and shed light on the various processes involved in the production.
Another experimental programme will be created in the autumn 2011-spring 2012 season for a production/concert to be defined later. This undertaking may involve one of the DocMus Department doctoral students.


text:
Come join us and learn how to support struggling readers as well as those with dyslexia. Bring your questions for Dana Kay Brenner who is a Certifed Academic Language Therapist. Dana's experience covers more than 4000 teaching hours! We are very thrilled to have Dana available!
Saturday May 20th 2017 @ 10:30 AM
128 S Sawyer St, Shawano, WI 54166


text:
SEE ALSO: Pray, tell me, why are we like this?The challenge is aimed at empowering learners with disabilities access to quality reading materials well as promoting publishers in developing quality reading materials for all students. The winner will receive prizes also accessing the templates tailored for eKitabu in publishing their works. They will too have access to practical materials provided by the digital curriculum provider. Will Clurman, CEO and Co-founder eKitabu affirms, ''Sustainability of publishing in Kenya is our focus in this new initiative with local publishers, Kenya Publishers Association, and All Children Reading—A Grand Challenge for Development. The Content Development Challenge will encourage innovation by recognizing and rewarding excellence for quality, early grade, digital reading materials that are accessible for all learners, including learners with disabilities, leaving no one behind." All entries are to be submitted at toolkit.ekitabu.com as from September to January 2019 with prizes such as cash rewards for those publishers who will produce digital books that are accessible in categories of 1st runners up and 2nd runners up positions set to be awarded on June 2019 in a grande prize giving ceremony. Attending Nairobi International Book Fair earlier Thursday, Chairman Lawrence Njagi commented, "Kenya has a vibrant publishing community full of original ideas and authorship. The Content Development Challenge will incentivize the best Kenyan creativity to achieve equity, quality, and inclusivity in Kenyan education through accessible digital content."
SEE ALSO: Men have critical role to play in breastfeeding


text:
Recent passings of note:
Around Madrid this last weekend, springtime giving way to summer:
Madrid, te quiero.
Recent passings of note:
Around Madrid this last weekend, springtime giving way to summer:
Madrid, te quiero.
[continued from previous entry]
During the 1980s, my parents began migrating to Florida for the colder months, spending more time there with each passing year. I, on the other hand, had headed west, returning to the northeast after a year and a half of trying out life in L.A.. staying in Half Moon for most of that winter while my parents cavorted among the palm trees, 900 miles to the south.
One Saturday morning in November, the doorbell rang. On answering, I found a 70ish man standing out on the stoop, a wan version of the Mr. Matthieson I remembered from childhood. Shorter, smaller, red hair fading to gray. I opened the storm door, we shook hands, saying hello, our greetings producing breath mist in the chilly air. When I asked if he'd like to step inside, he refused with a shy smile, saying he didn't have much time, though appearing pleased to have received the invite. He said that he and his wife wanted to get in touch with my parents but didn't have their Florida phone number. I wrote it down, handed it over. A moment of small talk, we shook hands again, he headed down the driveway, waving briefly as he moved off.
That was the last time I saw Mr. Matthiesson, though not the last time he impacted my life. If it had been, I'd have a fine closing to the story — tidy, concise, slightly poignant. Not always the way life wraps affairs like this up.
Two or three years after my last encounter with Mr. M., things had improved between my parents and him to the point that they asked him to look after the house during their months away — stopping by on a regular basis to make sure everything was all right, agreeing to be the person the security alarm outfit would call in case of problems.
And a day arrived when the Matthiesons' phone rang, someone from the security firm calling to say that one of the security sensors in the basement had gone off. A sensor indicating water accumulation.
Mr. M. pulled on a pair of rubber boots, took a walk down the road to the house. Where, on entering the basement, he discovered that the hose to the water pump had come apart, that water was indeed pouring in, beginning to accumulate. The solution: flick off the pump's wall-mounted power-switch — the flow of water would cease, clean-up and damage would be minimal. Or at least more minimal than if the pump were left on.
Apparently, despite sporting rubber boots, despite a couple of nearby, in-plain-view, grabworthy lengths of wood tailor-made for switch-flipping, Mr. Matthieson could not overcome a fear of electrocution. And after some panicked blithering he fled, returning home to call my brother (located an hour and 40 minutes south of Half Moon). My brother made a hurried drive north to shut the pump off. By the time he got there, the basement contained a foot of water.
An unpleasant development in any house. Particularly unpleasant in this house, run by my mother, a professional pack-rat who'd passed many enjoyable decades hoarding cartons and bags filled with dreck. Much of which had ended up on low shelves and storage spaces in the basement.
My brother pumped out the water before returning to his life and 9-to-5 job. I had a more flexible situation, meaning the remaining clean-up became my responsibility.
What I found on arriving: damaged furniture, ruined carpeting, mold and fungus blossoming in corners and hidey-holes. Rusting tools. Many boxes of now-dead tchotchkes, knick-knacks, keepsakes, memorabilia. And many large garbage baggies stuffed with scraps of cloth — remnants of maternal sewing projects (held onto because you never know when you'll need them), perfect for soaking up water and becoming heavy as cast iron.
As you might imagine, Mr. Matthiesson was summarily relieved of all duties connected to the house. I don't believe I ever heard my parents mention him again.
There are no sweeping judgments to be made from all this. I hardly knew this man, know little about the person he was. I know nothing, really, about his internal landscape, am not qualified to judge him. He was someone who passed through my earlier years, who struck me as a decent human being. Someone whose mid-life years brought a series of left-hand turns, beginning with a blow to the head and extending out from there — the kind of unexpected shifts big novels are sometimes constructed around. Though in this case, to my knowledge, not building to a dramatic climax. (On the other hand, what do I know? Some of this life's most dramatic climaxes may be of the small, quiet variety.)
Just an individual who passed through this world, impacting the people around him in various ways, as we all do. With some moments of genuine drama and others of unintentional comedy. Same as the rest of us.
And worthy of mention. As we all are.
Springtime in Madrid, along el Paseo de Recoletos:
Madrid, te quiero.
During the majority of the portions of my early life spent in the town of Half Moon, north of Albany, N.Y. [see entry of October 15, 2001], I had one friend to hang out with. Jeff Matthiesson — four years younger (a major difference in those years), pudgy, with white, white skin, freckles, a brush cut. His father owned and worked at the gas station up the road. Their family lived in the small apartment above the business (garage/small store), tight, cramped quarters for a clan of five.
I hung out with Jeff most days, generally up at his place, providing me with some relief during the long summer seasons spent trapped in the woods with my family. Killing time, mostly — around the garage, up in the apartment, out in the surrounding acres of open country and woods. Talking, reading comics, drifting through the fields or along the river.
Mr. Matthiesson: a redhead, with muscular arms, a ruddy complexion and fair skin that burned easily during the summers. Mrs. Matthiesson: round-faced, with brown hair cut in a bob. Slightly heavyset, even a bit dumpy. Hard workers, both of them, putting in long days between the gas station and taking care of their growing family. Not people I remember smiling much — probably tired, constantly laboring to stay ahead.
My parents were close with Jeff's folks. They socialized regularly, my father (a shop teacher, the original handyman) helped them convert a big old barn into a house, creating more space for what had become a clan of six.
All of which resulted in the Matthiessons being a fixture of my life for quite a while. Until my junior high years, when I found myself with less and less desire to pass hours with Jeff, drifted away, stopped going north with my parents during the warm seasons, finally lost contact with the Matthiessons altogether.
During my years in high school, my parents planned and built a house on the land in Half Moon, moving up there as soon as I graduated. Somewhere during that time I noticed that mentions of the Matthiessons, once common, had suddenly become rare. My passing questions about them were met with terse, uncomfortable replies, imparting little information apart from clear, nonverbal indications of a major change in situation. Which made me curious.
It took a point blank interrogation to get my mother — not one to discuss difficult issues directly, never mind comfortably — to tell me what was going on. The story turned out to be gratifyingly strange, classically strange.
What happened:
While working on a car during the course of what probably started as a normal day, Mr. Matthiesson suffered a blow to head. A hard enough blow to knock him out. Hard enough to give an intense shock, all the way down into the deepest parts of his system.
My mother said the blow caused a personality change, that the post-accident Mr. Matthiesson was a different individual from the person they'd known. I can't say. What I know is that he came to, looked around, decided he no longer wanted to be where he was, that the life he'd been living — a difficult existence of hard work in what at that time was a dreary part of upstate New York — was no longer acceptable. He moved out of the house, found an apartment in Waterford, a town a few miles to the south, took up with a younger woman. I think he stopped working at the garage, found another job.
Scandalous, incomprehensible happenings for that part of the world. Changes that left people like my parents aghast, that must have left Mrs. Matthiesson feeling stunned, bereft, ashamed.
The Matthiessons didn't divorce. They led lives as separate as they could manage, money matters and four kids forcing regular contact. And that's how things stood for a few years. Every once in a while one of my parents dropped a passing comment about the situation, short on details, then immediately clammed up. I gathered they'd taken Mrs. Matthiesson's side, something I suspect most everyone did. I gathered Mr. Matthiesson remained troubled, difficult to deal with, that his life seemed to be drifting in no particular direction, despite all the changes. With time, I got the vague impression that the Matthiessons were having more contact, until my mother mentioned one day that Mr. M. had moved back into the house.
And from there, the Matthiessons were a couple again. Not necessarily a happy one, but more in line with how middle-class folk thought things should be. For quite a while, my parents seemed to regard Mr. Matthiesson with an attitude of heavy disapproval, as if their opinion of him had been damaged irreparably. As if he were on probation for an unlimited period, maybe forever.
[continued in next entry]
Madrid, te quiero.
I am having one of those mornings where — so far, at any rate — I have been unable to drag myself to full consciousness. Forcing me to toss down two cups of high-test in an attempt to get my sorry (though adorable) butt into gear — a rarity, as more than one fully-caffeinated cup tends to get me rocking back and forth in my seat, autistic-like. This morning's infusions have hardly shown up on my nervous system's radar screen.
Patience. Tranquility. Blahblahblah.
The upside: the demands of the day don't require more of me than:
a) bringing some recycling to one of the neighborhood drop-off points (Done.)
b) picking up a paper (Done.)
c) picking up some groceries (Done.)
d) picking up new pair black fishnet stockings (sorry, that was from the to-do list of a character in an Almodóvar film I saw yesterday.)
d) doing a bit of writing (You're reading it.)
e) doing some schoolwork (er… soon… right after I finish this.) (no, really.)
And a handful of other items. Nothing earthshaking, nothing that should challenge my basic motor functions too strenuously.
Updates will follow as warranted.
Madrid, te quiero.
This morning: tried to sleep in. A neighbor had their television on, watching the arrival of the wedding attendees at the National Cathedral. A murmur just loud enough to keep me from drifting back off once I'd come awake and become aware of it.
Gave in, got up. Cranked up the T&V, kept it going while I showered, etc. Saw a friend on one channel — a newscaster with one of the Spanish networks — sitting with a compatriot in some elevated location with a great view of the city's west side, commenting on the various mucky-mucks arriving for the ceremony. Realized all over again how boring that kind of thing is to me. Shut it off, headed out to the gym.
Not many people about, like any other Saturday a.m. here. Streets and plazas appeared a bit cleaner than normal, probably due to the overnight rain — putting a lid on the Friday night revelry, resulting in less debris for morning clean-up crews. Virtually all businesses were closed, the few cafés in operation all had the TV going, the eyes of customers and staff fixed on the wedding coverage.
No TV playing at the gym, no radio. Just blessed quiet. Rain started up while I was inside, greeting me with an intense downpour when I stepped back outside. Thunder pealed, the kind that starts near one horizon and rolls across the sky.
The Metro remained practically deserted during the ride back here, when I emerged from the station in the plaza down the street rain continued falling. Ducked into a cafetería for a shot of caffeine, the tail end of the wedding ceremony playing on the TV at crisp, clear volume. Church music: choir singing, organ playing. The two 20-somethings behind the bar supplied their own liturgical tunes in response:
Customer: Un cortado, por favor.
Barkeep: (In the style of Gregorian chant:) ¿Un corrr-ta-dooooo?
Customer: Sí.
Barkeep: ¿De má-qui-naaaa?
Customer: Sí.
Barkeep: Ahhhh-mennnn.
I sat for a while. Sipped, ate, read the paper. People passed in and out of the cafetería. Music (live and from the TV) came and went. The rain eventually let up. I came back home.
It's now after 1. The streets outside remain deserted, quiet. Overhead, the drone of a helicopter periodically swells then fades, the only indication of how close this neighborhood is to the route of the wedding motorcade, where the royal entourage is now making their post-ceremony trip through the city.
A good day for relaxing. Think I'll do some of that.
This evening along Gran Vía, wedding come and gone, rainclouds long vanished — two images before the police were loaded into vans and carted off, one image of a brief few moments of freedom between their departure and the return of traffic:
Madrid, te quiero.
The crowds turning out to enjoy the lighting displays set up as part of the pre-wedding make-Madrid-shine effort have become a phenomenon, growing larger with each passing evening. Becoming, last night, so sprawlingly enormous (250,000-300,000, according to the media) that they simply took over that part of the city, provoking major, unexpected traffic tie-ups, attracting national news coverage.
There are those who think this week — the conjunction of perfect weather, preparations for tomorrow's wedding, and the focusing of world attention here for that event — has been cathartic, a lift to a city in need of one after the bombings of two months ago. That the flood of people taking to the streets has been a sign of Madrid opening back up after a deep shock. Could be, and that might explain the gentle official reaction to last night.
The police: patient, respectful, doing everything they could to accommodate the crowds. Rather than attempt to control the growing river of gawkers, they directed reduced traffic carefully through the area until the swelling number of pedestrians made that impossible, then eliminated motor vehicle access altogether, turning the streets over to the crowds.
The mayor, rather than reacting with panicked attempts to control the surging anarchy, embraced the turnout, practically beaming (this from a man who rarely shows any expression at all) at the success of the displays, at the way the city has come out to enjoy them.
Yesterday evening, I made a return trip to the area — an easy ten-minute walk from here — in an attempt to get more photos. With no idea that the scene would be what it turned out to be. So many people that the crushing congestion in the broad sidewalks quickly became dangerous, police having to lift people out over the curbside railings into the street to prevent injuries. At which point, it all just turned into a free-flowing explosion of humans out enjoying themselves, unrestricted by anything. Happily, breezily chaotic. Everyone with cameras, taking photos of the lighting displays, of the unexpected anarchy, of each other.
In descending order:
a) the main post office building, la Plaza de la Cibeles
b) la Calle de Alcalá, looking east toward la Plaza de la Cibeles
c) la Calle de Alcalá, looking west toward la Plaza de la Puerta del Sol (not visible)
So much happy partying that the national security services became nervous, asking the city to abort tonight's lighting displays — concerned that the crowds might prevent the completion of preparations for tomorrow's motorcade/wedding/etc. Tonight was to have been the final evening of the big pre-event celebration — the city will now have to resort to its normal Friday night mode of all-night revels. (Sniffle.)
An interesting factoid mentioned in one of the countless news stories about wedding prep./security: there's an extensive network of underground tunnels below Madrid — 5,000 miles' worth. They're now being methodically searched and patrolled, and will continue to be until the last of the international wedding guests packs up and disappears.
Meanwhile, early yesterday morning: woke from a dream in which I learned that a 42 foot high wave of water had rolled through Manhattan, information with a massive implied death toll.
I was somewhere north of N.Y.C. when I found out, in a private office of some kind. Big, entirely done in dark wood, the lights discretely low.
A balding 50-something male in a suit sat behind a sizeable desk at one end of the room, a 50ish woman at a desk or table across from him. (His office, though, not hers.) Desk man spoke with a soft Austrian accent, telling me and the woman about the killer wave, going on to say that he'd realized the owners of the five biggest banks were behind it, as if were a realization that should be obvious to everyone. I kept my smartmouth thoughts to myself.
A 42 foot high wave of water. What am I, a walking trailer for the latest disaster film?
Friday night: rain moved in several hours ago. The crowds that had been accumulating around the center ready for fun diminished some, the high spirits of the remaining die-hards muted but not smothered. Every TV channel is occupied with pre-wedding activities and the hordes of royalty, world leaders and famous types that have invaded Madrid over the last 24 hours for the event.
I had the impression that a fair number of folks would ignore the wedding ceremony tomorrow a.m. Silly me. Even my Spanish instructor, one of the last people I would have expected to be up for something like this, said he'd be out of bed with the telly on. Me, I may go to the gym. Depends on how grinchlike I feel in the morning.
A final note: this evening someone found this page via a search for "scissors orange x-ray butt."
Hard to improve on that as a summing up.
Madrid, te quiero.
A recap, for those not paying close attention to the details of life in Madrid this week:
Two days from now, Saturday morning: the royal wedding.
In preparation for that event, the city's been getting a fast spit-shine (streets suddenly cleaner than normal, big arty banners covering expanses of construction/rehab, nighttime lighting on certain key buildings enhanced with eye-catching colors).
Virtually all local media outlets are currently obsessed with everything relating to the wedding.
Measures taken to address security concerns have begun impacting daily life in increasingly visible ways — beginning last weekend, everyone entering the country via highway and railway gets stopped for security checks; beginning tomorrow, all motor vehicles will be barred from certain major thoroughfares around the city center; beginning this evening or tomorrow, parking lots around the city center will be closed. A no-fly zone will be enforced over the city on Saturday, possibly on Sunday as well. And on Saturday, 200 sharpshooters will be arrayed on rooftops along the processional royalty-waving-to-everyone route taken through the city center. (That last doesn't really impact daily life, but is worth noting just for the hell of it.)
It's something to watch unspooling, all this. Big pomp, in an endearing, slightly off-kilter old-world-meets-new-world way, the local reaction seeming mighty complex. Yes, the media is on it like a cheap suit. And yes, there apparently is an audience for all the wedding-related media noise. Yes, the number of Saturday morning viewers is expected to be huge, as is the 3-D turnout along the motorcade route here in town.
An event of this pedigree, after all — a commoner (ex-newscaster, in this case) marrying into the royal realm, world leaders and European royalty in attendance; high romance, with a resonant aura approaching that of the fairy-tale — doesn't come down the pike every week. For which I am grateful, because it could get real damn tiring. Wearing, even. Annoying. Abrasive. Brain-numbing.
Not that I'm suggesting for a moment that the current once-in-a-generation happening is any of those nasty adjectives. Truly, sincerely, I am not. (No, really.) It is, in all its strange aspects, just too freakin' interesting to be any of that.
For instance, the mixed feelings I see in the community around me — a sense of pride, on one hand, at the city being the center of so much attention, along with a frank, unashamed enjoyment at the sudden show of ambient eye-candy, particularly the lighting displays taking place come dusk around certain plazas and buildings. Last night at sunset, big crowds collected around la Plaza de la Cibeles and down el Paseo del Prado, a concentration point of light and color. Many thousands of people, mostly Spaniards as far as I could tell, many with cameras out, all happily gawking away. Lots of ironic commentary to be heard, co-existing comfortably with genuine, unfeigned delight, neither reality contradicting the other. Fun.
Madrid gets lit — la Plaza de la Cibeles, yesterday evening:
On the other hand, I've heard plenty of carping about the money being spent on the whole wingding. And closer to home, the shutting down of parking garages and main thoroughfares in the city center is causing some local businesses to go dark for the weekend come Friday afternoon. Not because they want to — because they believe the disruption of access to the center will mean far fewer customers and a dropoff in business drastic enough to warrant closing up shop. The Metro will be open, operating free of charge on Saturday until 4 p.m., but few Madrid residents are expected to be out shopping that morning. Good time to stay at home and watch royalty get hitched.
One thing that's becoming more true with each passing nanosecond: however one feels about the nuptial thing, it'll all be over soon.
I have no idea if I'll wind up turning on the tube Saturday morning. I hope to be asleep, frankly, not awake debating the question, as I'm still recovering from last weekend's combo of high activity level and little sleep. It's entirely possible, though, that I'll drag myself out of bed at a distressingly reasonable hour, pull on clothes, limp to a neighborhood espresso pusher (where the royal hooha will be probably be on at high volume, the lost souls in attendance staring blankly at the screen). At which point I'll remember I should be out on Gran Vía watching the motorcade with the rest of the city, under the watchful eye of all 200 sharpshooters. So that I can write something semi-informed about it afterward.
Might happen. Or it might not. I'll find out Saturday.
T-shirt seen yesterday in the Madrid Metro:
NO, TAMPOCO fui invitado a la BODA REAL
(NO, I wasn't invited to the ROYAL WEDDING EITHER)
Madrid, te quiero.
This last Friday night: during the course of a late, late dinner with friends (a couple — her Spanish, him an American living here for many years), me having just written an entry here about royal weddings, etc., I asked my companions' thoughts on the Spanish royal family. A simple question, producing immediate, lively commentary — mostly from her, him generally listening, a smile on his face.
Her opinions: not wildly complimentary, frequent use of terms like 'imbecile' and 'asshole' providing a major clue (though leavened with one or two appreciative points re: King Juan Carlos). Including expressed displeasure over the amount of state money being spent on preparations — a complaint I've heard with increasing frequency amid ever-swelling media coverage of the event.
Money is clearly being tossed around, in part to give the city a sprucing up in certain high-profile locations. And I will confess to enjoying what I've so far seen of it.
Madrid is overrun with construction and rehab. It's everywhere, in exuberant, cheerfully-unsightly profusion: big scaffolding structures covering entire exterior walls of many-story buildings, generally covered with bright green or blue scrim to minimize the possibility of errant chunks of this and that clocking passing pedestrians. In an effort to reduce the eyesore factor (or take advantage of high-traffic locations), the expanses of scrim are sometimes turned into enormous billboards. [See entry of November 27, 2003.] Someone in the city government pondered that concept and had a brainstorm re: camouflaging the most obvious examples of city-center construction ugliness. The first examples have begun materializing along Gran Vía — enormous reproductions of paintings by Goya. Landscapes, expanses of sky. Large enough to have a genuine impact on the look of a plaza or section of street.
Gran Vía/la Plaza de Callao, Madrid:
The city has been beefing up already-existing flower beds in public places, and according to news reports, security officers will be looking to foil citizens who attempt to make off with any of the flowers. Nighttime illumination of buildings, already something the city does well, will be taken up a notch, using many more colors, something the city government supposedly inaugurated officially a few short minutes ago.
And in the traffic circle near Atocha train station, scene of March 11's most damaging terrorist attacks, the city will be installing 192 trees in memory of those who died in the bombings. Not planting — creating a small, temporary urban forest in big pots, to be relocated and planted for real in el Retiro, Madrid's version of Central Park, post wedding weekend.
T-shirt worn by an unidentified male near la Plaza Mayor over the weekend: DO NOT COMMIT
At last week's Cannes Film Festival: Ugly bags of water
Madrid, te quiero.
Today in Madrid: la Feria de San Isidro, commemorating one of Madrid's patron saints. Meaning a morning in which most local businesses — food tiendas, cafeterías, you name it — were closed and dark, leaving confused non-natives wandering about in search of groceries or a shot of caffeine.
The overwhelming abundance of shuttered shops took my half-awake little brain by surprise, too. Grabbed a paper at the local news kiosk, located a local watering hole for a quick hit of espresso. The paper mentioned San Isidro, everything suddenly made sense, I found myself coming to full consciousness reoriented in linear time. Much better.
Spring returned yesterday, after a couple of weeks of drastically untypical May conditions — unseasonably cool, often gray, rainy. The day started out with a chilly edge then blossomed sweetly into spectacular vernal weather, the kind that reminds me all over again how good my little body feels when springtime truly takes root.
Between the holiday weekend and the return of user-friendly temperatures, last night's Friday evening version of the city was buzzing. I rendezvoused with a couple I know for dinner (you know you're in Spain when friends make dinner reservations for 11 p.m.). On stepping out of the restaurant at 1:30 a.m., the streets were busier, noisier than they are at 1:30 p.m. The hubbub continued well past me turning off the bedside light shortly before 4 a.m.
There is nowhere quite like this city.
This afternoon: la Feria de San Isidro, la Plaza Mayor, Madrid:
Madrid, te quiero.
Royal romance: it's currently happening in a big way in this corner of the world. And I'm not talking your standard tabloid rubbish re: the Princesses of Monaco. A trio of major springtime weddings has gotten underway around the continent — last month in Holland, today in Denmark, next weekend here in Madrid. One right after another. Glamorous, high-profile gatherings of royal clans from around Europe and points in the Middle East, providing both legitimate media outlets and the pink press with huge amounts of easy reporting fodder.
Given the local media's fascination with the famous ('los famosos') and Spain's many centuries of kings/queens/etc., the local royals are an easy, comfortable fit, an anachronism many view with a cynically-cocked eyebrow, yet continue to accept as an adornment on the Spanish political system, as a strangely alluring aspect of the culture. An aspect that provides pomp and happy distraction, that the political world accepts (mostly) and that the commercial world can wrap itself around, currently pumping out commemorative royal wedding flotsam with joyful abandon.
Coming from a culture with no state royalty (ignoring the Kennedys-as-Camelot thing), I've never had a whole lot of interest in the vestigial monarchy deal. A quirky part of the old world, I figured, an ocean away and easy to ignore, apart from the ubiquitous updates on the Windsors' peccadillos. And then I found myself in the old world. Suddenly royalty is a part of the background of daily life.
Walking around the west side of Madrid's city center, it's hard to ignore the sprawling influence of the royal palace. Keep an eye on local political hooha, it's hard to miss the benign, affable presence of King Juan Carlos and family. Read the papers, turn on the TV these days, it's impossible to avoid the swelling coverage of the future King, Prince Felipe, and his bride-to-be, Letizia. Also, how security for the wedding will impact life here next weekend. The major story these last couple of days re: that last bit: the establishing of a no-fly zone around the city for the wedding day.
I pondered all this at dinner last Saturday night, sitting at a table with individuals from four countries with long histories of the royal sort, three of those — Spain, Norway, Holland — with some version of it still up and running. (The fourth, France, killed off its royals a couple of centuries back in a wild spasm of cultural makeover.)
Most Spaniards I've talked with re: the royal family refer to it dismissively, to one degree or another, though that generally seems tempered by genuine appreciation, even affection. In part, I think, because the Spanish royal family doesn't get itself into trouble. They do their job (without acting out), and it not only seems to matter to them that they do their work well, there seems to be genuine feeling for their country, genuine emotion lurking behind the royally restrained exterior.
On the other hand, one Spaniard I know — an anchorperson for the daytime news on a national network — does not appear to care a whole lot for the royals, and talks about the hands-off policy the press follows (re: reporting on royal family problems/troubles) in tones of disgust. Without itemizing, he assures me that they have their scandals, their misbehaviors. After saying that, he looks off to one side, shaking his head slightly, expression not sanguine.
Ah, well. Can't please everyone.
Madrid, te quiero.
For what it's worth, an item from this evening's newscasts here in Madrid:
a poll conducted by Spain's Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas asked a sampling of slightly less than 2500 people what they thought of the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq.
The results:
Very good: 50.0%
Good: 26.8%
Indifferent: 8.1%
Bad: 5.8%
Very bad: 4.5%
Don't know: 4.3%
No comment: .5%
Madrid, te quiero.
And the
lion tiger shall lay down with the lamb monkeys, horses, deer, peacocks, geese, wild pigs, etc.
Whoa! Dude, I think I'm peaking….
And fashion notes from New Zealand: a different twist on winter undergarments.
Madrid, te quiero.
Saturday night: found myself in attendance at a dinner given by my neighbor, a bright, attractive 50-something woman who runs a residencia for students. The kind of international affair I used to experience regularly during my first months in Madrid, when I spent weeks and weeks in intensive language classes, slapping together what I hoped would be a workable foundation of spoken Spanish. Three and a half hours a day penned in a classroom with people from all over, punctuated by frequent extracurricular activities — bouts of conversation over midday meals or plates of tapas/cups of coffee; nights out wandering the city. Fun, with a multi-national character I'd never experienced before. Stimulating. Satisfying.
The last time I found myself in a gathering of that sort was Christmas Eve [see entries of December 27, 28 and 30]. My current language classes — the adult-ed variety: three evenings a week, an hour and a half at a pop — are also an interesting mix of nationalities, but the students have day jobs, have lives that consume their time/energy. More serious overall, mostly a bit older, less given to frivolous bursts of socializing.
I've been curious about the flat across the hall (in keeping with my chronic, nosy craving to get a peek into virtually any living space — an extension of my overdeveloped people-watching thing). This is an old building, with cozy, compact apartments. Not cramped, but not wildly spacious, at least if you want to pack more than two residents into one. And depending on the space and the residents, two can be pushing it.
Groups of students come and go, days of quiet giving way to busy periods, various languages echoing in the hallway — Spanish, French, English. When I'm in my kitchen, I often hear my neighbor, Esperanza, at work in hers. Or her TV, her radio (usually playing Radio Olé, the only Spanish station I'm aware of dedicated completely to Spanish music, a strange mix of (a) pure, potent traditional, (b) sentimental, muzacky pop, and (c) more blatantly commercial top-40 fare).
Her kitchen/pantry is right off the apartment's entryway, I'd been in there on a couple of occasions, chatting. Saturday night was my first opportunity to scope out the rest of the space. Esperanza rustled about finishing up food-prep., two of the attendees keeping her company (a smart, attractive, post-university, spikey-haired Norwegian woman; an intelligent, college-aged French guy — both extremely simpático, both speaking very decent Castellano). Introductions, a bit of chat, then I grabbed a couple of platters of tapas-style stuff and sherpaed them to the other end of the flat, where the small living room had been transformed into a dining zone.
A tall, shaven-headed, late-20's male sat on the living room sofa. Quiet, appearing uncomfortable. Dutch, it turned out, from Amsterdam, speaking very limited Spanish. Esperanza appeared, placing a big platter of cauliflower (steamed, then briefly sautéed in olive oil and garlic — addictively good) on the table, everyone took a seat.
A scene like this is one version of paradise for me — a table covered with plates of excellent food, all of which I have permission to ravish (within civilized limits). It's all I can do to keep myself from regressing to a primitive, slavering state, gruntingly shoveling piles of chow into my mouth in a frenzied display of primordial impulses.
We're eating, we're conversing. I'm enjoying my companions, I'm checking out the surroundings. Esperanza has Radio Olé playing its weird mix of tunes, volume just low enough that the music doesn't infringe on talk. A forest of framed photographs is arrayed atop a low table off to one side, family and friends smiling out at us.
[continued in entry of May 14]
Madrid, te quiero.
Doing the Saturday morning market thing at el Centro Comercial Barceló, in the barrio of Chueca, Madrid:
Madrid, te quiero.


text:
Replacement water spout to fit EAM3500, ESAM3500 and ESAM4500 Delonghi coffee machines.
Have a question about this item?
Your Name (required)
Your Email (required)
Your Message
There are no reviews yet.
You must be logged in to post a review.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


text:
[Met Performance] CID:61840
La Bohème {142} Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 01/25/1916.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
January 25, 1916
Mimì....................Frances Alda
Rodolfo.................Enrico Caruso
Musetta.................Ida Cajatti
Marcello................Antonio Scotti
Schaunard...............Riccardo Tegani
Colline.................Andrés De Segurola
Benoit..................Pompilio Malatesta
Alcindoro...............Robert Leonhardt
Parpignol...............Pietro Audisio
Sergeant................Vincenzo Reschiglian
Conductor...............Gaetano Bavagnoli
Unsigned review from unknown Philadelphia newspaper
Audience Biggest Since Ruffo and Melba Sang in 'Rigoletto'
Ida Cajatti as Musetta, Makes Her First Appearance Here
Puccini's "La Bohème" with Caruso as Rodolfo last night attracted to the Metropolitan Opera House the largest audience since the memorable occasion three seasons ago when Titta Ruffo and Melba made their joint appearance in "Rigoletto." Standees were five deep in both the parquet and the balcony, and the crowds in the gallery, even before the curtain was raised, became so great that Manager Alfred Hoegerle closed the ticket offices with the announcement that the fire regulations would not allow him to admit another person to the auditorium.
The crowded promenades and the repeated salvos of applause which greeted the singers recalled the scenes of the local premier of "The Girl of the Golden West," now five seasons past. Those who knew Philadelphia in the heyday of its operatic life went still further back and compared last night with Oscar Hammerstein's production of Strauss's "Salome."
Such comparisons are really more apt than those of later date, for the humor of last night's audience, despite the fact that it was largely attracted by the magic name of Caruso, showed greater concern with Puccini's highly colored tale of the irresponsible life of the Latin Quarter than with an individual singer in the cast. Evidently the diet of old Italian and later German opera which the New York Company has provided for Philadelphia this season sharpened the appetite for Puccini.
From the first curtain, Caruso, Frances Alda, and the other principals, seemed to catch the spirit of the dark line of standees at the back of the auditorium and presented the work with vigor and zest. For the second time this season Caruso loosed his golden tenor. None would have thought of seeing Antonio Scotti seize Ida Cajatti, the Musetta, and set her on the table in the Cafe Mamas, on his fiftieth birthday. This was Cajatti's first appearance here and the audience justly refused to become over-zealous at her work. It may improve with greater familiarity with the local auditorium. Gaetano Bavagnoli conducted.