saw strindberg’s “dance of death” today at trafalgar studios. small theater. i was sitting in the front row, almost inside the set, an unwitting part of the conjugal storm exploding on stage. modernized to accommodate a strong, equally devious woman, this prelude to “who’s afraid of virginia woolf” is a vicious battle of equals. brilliantly acted by kevin mcnally, indira varma and daniel lapaine. tomorrow morning off to stratford-upon-avon for the whole day, to see “merry wives of windsor” and “the orphan of zhao.”
Category: travels
by the 4th day in london…
attended sunday mass at westminster abbey this morning. have seen the mind-blowing, multi-media “experience” that’s “the master and margarita” (based on the book by bulgakov), “the magistrate” (a victorian farce with john lithgow), “a chorus of disapproval” directed by the legendary trevor nunn and my first panto today, at the royal theatre (jack and the beanstalk). whoa.
the master and margarita at the barbican
just saw “the master and margarita” at the barbican. what spectacular use of multi-media and amazingly versatile actors. it’s a 3 1/4 hr production full of ideas and fantasy. a bit overwhelming but unforgettable. must read bulgakov’s novel. more about the stage production here.
Renaissance to Goya: prints and drawings made in Spain
went to see this exhibit at the british museum today. was amused by a print, by one of goya’s contemporaries. the time is early 1800s, during the french occupation of spain. the print shows a “spanish patriot” defecating (literally) on napoleon’s plans for the “regeneration” of spain. he’s using a portrait of napoleon’s brother joseph, as toilet paper. lol. sounds like occupation in the name of “democratization and human rights.” plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose! more about the exhibit here.
london!
off to london tomorrow for about 20 days, for a class in theater. can’t wait to see multi-media experimental plays along with some good old shakespeare and everything in between. will report soon, from across the pond.
san juan del sur
san juan del sur is a lovely village on the pacific ocean, in nicaragua. this is the view from our family room window.
urracas and ometepe island
the white-throated magpie jay, or “urraca”, is ometepe island’s official bird. the island is famous for its pre-colombian petroglyphs and stone statues – the oldest petroglyphs dating back to 1000 bc. more on ometepe island here.
mombacho y las isletas
after trekking all the way up to the mombacho craters and zip-lining thru a coffee plantation, we got to socialize with some brazen monkeys on one of the 365 islands created by mambacho’s last eruption, some 20,000 yrs ago.
in nicaragua!
after leon and the san jacinto volcanic fields, we are now in granada.
vegas and the grand canyon
so vegas is a glorified disney world/cruise ship/strip mall, but the grand canyon is absolutely mind-blowing! i knew that vegas wouldn’t be my thing. after the first moment of shock and amusement at the blatantly fake statue of liberty and eiffel tower, the strip just struck me as a sad sad place. the tourist traffic is relentless and the pawn shops r pretty visible, esp around the old strip. at some point it was the city of crime and sin i guess, now it’s just a depressing mall. but i enjoyed the drive to the grand canyon and all the tiny towns we came across. had lunch in seligman for example at lilo’s westside cafe where they serve german-american food. bought some arizona honey too – pecan flavored, totally delish.
pictures below:
1) elvis is everywhere in las vegas.
2) the beautiful lake mead on the way to arizona.
3) the grand canyon, close to sunset.
4) ravens are much bigger and shinier than crows.
5) a view of the grand canyon from the old watchtower.
6) the havasupai people have lived on the southern rim of the canyon for centuries.
7) with my son.
police action on occupy denver
november 12, 2011: cops, in full riot gear, closed an intersection on market street to “tackle” occupy denver. i was told by someone that they used pepper spray, pinned protestors to the ground and arrested them.
back from denver!
at my friend tami’s wedding in denver, 11/11/11. photo by missi.
fall 2011 – weekend trips to finger lakes
brooklyn, oct 2011
pakistan’s gandhara art in ny!
back from seeing pakistan’s gandhara art at the asia society museum in ny! brilliant!
…
Asia Society Museum presents an exhibition of spectacular Buddhist sculptures, architectural reliefs and works of gold and bronze from the Gandhara region of Pakistan, most never exhibited before in the United States. These artworks show the rich artistic heritage of Gandhara as a geographical and historic region and as a particular style of art. The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara reveals the complex cultural influences—from Scytho-Parthian to Greco-Roman traditions—that fed the extraordinary artistic production of this region from the first century B.C.E. through the fifth century C.E.
At its height, Gandhara—whose center was situated in present-day Peshawar in northwest Pakistan—encompassed Bamiyan in Afghanistan, Bactria, the Hindu Kush, and the Punjab region of northwest India. The majority of Gandharan art known today is Buddhist in origin. Buddhism reached Gandhara as early as the third century B.C.E., and began to flourish in the first century C.E. as Silk Road trade and cross-cultural connections from the Mediterranean to China fostered its spread.
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More here.
