! ! !

It's COMING!

Next weekend, people, one of my (if not my actual) FAVORITE San Francisco festivals.
My feet are already tapping!

I. CAN'T. WAIT!

------
Edited to add this poem - whose author, I think, would choose to remain anonymous - which captures some of the essence of the festival:

oh spanakopita, you look niceta
next to vegetarian moussaka
the night is young, let me danceta
next to hot men in tight pantseta...

All I can say to that is OPA!!!!

sensory perceptions

Prokofiev
Tchaikovsky
Saint-Saens
Bolivian pipes
Laughter

Salteñas
Crab quiche
Dried mango
Yuca Frita
Caffe latte

Dagon's temple
Olive colored suits
Leopard-print fmp's
Dahlila's boudoir
Sunset over GGBridge


Silk sleeves
Warm paper
So-ripe-they-almost-squish figs
Sequins
Wind

Donuts baking
Aftershave
Vanilla candles
Orangemate
Cinnamon tea

perspective

Jaime's uncle and two cousins were in the first plane that crashed into the WTC 6 years ago today.

when worlds collide

seriously. my mind is blown. it's really funny.

i had lunch today with like...14 other people - about half of whom i knew previous to our lunching together. it was fun and we had a good time eating, laughing, getting to know one another.

fast foward to tonight. a few friends and i are self-described 'social experimenters'; ie: social network site users/chatters/etc which now and then provide the occasional date.

so, one of the 'social experiment' sites i hadn't checked in about...3 months or so. but i had a reminder email, so i thought i'd check it out. why not? bored, doing laundry, sure!

turns out i had a message in my box from someone, from back in July (when I was crazy). well, i recognized the person who sent me the message. from lunch today. WILD.

A few Alaska pics . . .

(The full set is up here for your viewing pleasure.)

87 hours

5:00 p.m.: leave house
5:30 p.m.: arrive at BART
6:15 p.m.: arrive at SFO
9:10 p.m.: leave SFO
5:30 a.m.: arrive at JFK
6:00 a.m.: watch sunrise over Queens
7:00 a.m.: arrive in midtown
7:15 a.m.: sleep!
12 noon: lunch and blessed coffee
1:00 p.m.: walk to and thru Times Square
1:30 p.m.: hop subway to WTC site
1:45 p.m.: fight the crowds at WTC site
2:30 p.m. walk up to Chinatown
3:00 p.m.: get serenaded by a puppet singing "Under the Boardwalk"
3:30 p.m.: Pizza break at Vincent's in Little Italy
4:30 p.m.: Look for that one purse shop Alan swears is "just on the next block"
5:00 p.m.: Find shop
5:30 p.m.: Head to Joe's Pub
6:00 p.m.: Get free entrance to the show at Joe's Pub (courtesy of Alan)
9:30 p.m.: Mind is now blown from the concert Stephane Wremble just gave
10:30 p.m.: Arrive at Max Brenner's "chocolate by the bald man" cafe
11:00 p.m.: Consume chocolate and coffee
12:00 a.m.: Decide to head home
1:00 a.m.: -sleep-
8:00 a.m.: Where am I? What time zone?
9:00 a.m.: blessed nectar of the gods coffee time
9:45 a.m.: negociate subway singlehandedly
10:15 a.m.: arrive at correct destination in time to meet alicia for church
12:00 noon: church ends
12:30 p.m.: still debating which dim sum place to frequent
12:35 p.m.: board Ford explorer for trip to chinatown
1:00 p.m.: arrive at The Golden Palace
2:00 p.m: sated and also have an autograph
2:30 p.m.: decided not to wait in the 2-hour line for serendipity
2:35 p.m.: order frozen hot cocoa at dylan's candy bar
3:00 p.m.: decide to walk to met museum
3:15 p.m.: decide to turn around and walk to hotel to put on more comfy shoes
4:00 p.m.: start out again for the met museum
4:45 p.m.: arrive at museum
5:15 p.m.: museum closes
5:30 p.m.: nat shows up at closed museum
5:45 p.m.: head to west village pier to gaze at the sights
6:45 p.m.: watch breakdancers in wash park
7:30 p.m.: get on subway
8:00 p.m.: eat real NYC foldover style pizza
9:00 p.m.: head to Times square
9:30 p.m.: fight crowds at hard rock
10:00 p.m.: fight crowds at coldstone
10:30 p.m.: watch cop pose for photos
10:50 p.m.: applaud cop for posing for so many photos
11:00 p.m.: arrive at Rockefeller center
12:00 midnight: forced to leave "top of the rock" observation deck
12:45 a.m.: back to hotel
1:45 a.m.: sleep
9:00 a.m.: up. coffee. nectar. mmmm.
11:00 a.m.: checked out of hotel
11:15 a.m.: real NYC bagel
12:00 noon: walk to time warner building
12:15 p.m.: walk to lincoln center
12:30 p.m.: take opera shots in front of the met
12:45 p.m.: real NYC cab to natural history museum
1:00 p.m.: wander around museum
1:45 p.m.: try to get planetarium access
2:00 p.m.: no go on the planetarium access
2:05 p.m.: dinosaurs!
2:45 p.m.: nat arrives at museum
2:55 p.m.: real NYC cab agrees to take all 5 of us back to hotel
3:15 p.m.: head for the E train
3:30 p.m.: say our farewells
4:15 p.m.: arrive JFK
6:30 p.m.: leave JFK
9:45 p.m.: arrive SFO
12:51 a.m.: what time zone am I in? where am I?
8:00 a.m.: the alarm will go off and I will have to go to work

The last frontier

...no, it's not space (that's the 'final' frontier....)

The last frontier is Alaska. And it is truly a place to behold. I'm working on uploading my pictures.

The family and I (plus Sibling's gf) had an amazing time. We were in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier National Park, Whittier and Anchorage. Some of these places are only reachable by boat and plane, perhaps by train. Or, there is just one road in and out. But only in the summertime when it's not buried under snow. Then it's time to bust out the dogsleds.

The sheer scale of things in Alaska boggles the mind. The sky is huge (even bigger than Texas, oh yes); the ocean is vast; the mountains are really that green. I feel like I've been on another planet. And the diversity of wildlife! We saw: Beluga whales, humpback whales, orcas, bald eagles, moose, all varieties of bear, elk, reindeer, HUGE spawning salmon, musk ox, porpuses, harbor seals, puffins and sea lions.

We had daylight from 5:30 in the morning to 10 at night. The people are generous and friendly.
I cannot wait to return and get a chance to explore this part of our country on a deeper level.

je me trouve....

sans mots. mdrrrrrrrr.

c'etait une semaine tres interessante. et je dois laisser tomber mon imagination. parce que - si je ne la laisse pas - ca sera dangereux pour moi. bon. on verra.

je suis fatiguee, heureuse et j'ai TROP de choses a faire avant mes vacances (ceux qui commencent lundi, finalement!)

et, comme c deja tard, je dois me couchee.....

ack ack ack ack

c'est rien. c'est rien. c'est rien. ca m'est egale. ca m'est egale. ca m'est egale....

alors pourkoi c si difficile de laisse tomber tous ce qu'elle dit...presque tout le temps. alors....elle m'ennerve.. c'est ca. c'est au point que je ne peux pas la supporter pas....mais peut-etre c seulement moi qui n'a pas de patience...surtout maintenant. alors, mon Dieu...donne-moi de la patience...et de grace.....

The glove has been thrown . . .

. . . and I shall accept the challenge.

Pinafore has been getting - almost across the board - great reviews from bay area critics. This is wonderful for the whole company and hopefully shall extend to some full houses during our remaining performance weekends. (Let me know if you'd like to come see it!)

However, (and I know it's just my own pride), I can't help but feeling a little like the 'weak link' in some folks' eyes. I know there will always be good and bad reviews - and opinions are completely subjective, I shouldn't let them get to me, etc - but part of this one did, and has been eating at me a little bit.

[MezzoSF] sang Buttercup. In a production dedicated to the memory of two historic Buttercups, it can’t have been easy, but she did a good job. She sounds a bit like someone sticking to the score; I hope she will come to be more outrageous in the part. Buttercup, like many G&S mezzos, should be a scene-stealer.

The thing is, I tend to agree with her - at least about my first performance when the review was done. I have noticed that I do improve throughout the run of a show - there is a vast difference between my first and last show. Not that the first one is "bad", but it's like I'm not fully enveloped by the character - that I am "sticking to the score" as it were. I don't know why I am like this - maybe it's fear? Or I am just feeling inhibited? I know that with each performance, I dive deeper into the character. What I need to learn is how to dive in deep sooner.

I can't help but compare myself with my colleagues who have done this show a million times before. But of COURSE they have more layers in their characterizations - they're being reunited with an old friend. Whereas myself, I am meeting Buttercup for the first time. But even that does not suffice as an excuse, for I know that I am not the only lead doing this show for the first time. Which makes me wonder . . . what is it I'm afraid of? It's ACTING, for crying out loud! There are no consequences . . . I can pretty much do whatever I would like to do. Most people only dream of that, and here is my golden opportunity. Hmmmmm. Is it my introvert rearing her head? I mean this role is a little more - earthy is perhaps the right word - than what I usually play - much more extroverted.

Anyways. This being said. I accept my critic's challenge, to be more outrageous. I shall not venture to be a scene-stealer; rather, I shall venture to be more connected to Buttercup. We'll see...

like sand through the hourglass...

...so are the days of our lives.

not that that has anything to do with this post..really...except maybe for the late hour, and how it keeps getting later and later and I need to go to bed...but first i wanted to write down a few thoughts.

Tonight was a night of connections - old, new, established...all around it was good. I love people. I love loving people. It can be hard, sure...but the benefits greatly outweigh the detrimental parts (most of the time). And yes - I still need my "alone" time...but you get the idea.

Some of those connections happened at our first sitzprobe tonight for Pinafore. The orchestra sounds amazing - they always do, actually, with this little company. Got to see a familiar face from last year (we'll call him "junior") who plays the viola. He's the image of his father (2006's conductor)...and it's so fun to see them together. Actually, they were both there tonight. It had been a long time (a year, in fact) since I saw Jr. anywhere other than [insert social networking site here], and he always makes me laugh. Kid is funny. And his dad - well, he just always knows the right thing to say. He's very much an encouragement/encourager to me as a musician, and I am just very grateful for him in that way. I respect him and his opinion immensely.

Fast Forward to post-rehearsal. My favorite Romanian tenor had a good-bye party tonight. He leaves to move back home to Brasov on Tuesday. It was a small party, and we had wine, vodka, food, just chilling. I will miss him a good deal. We've not been friends, really, except for this year, but we just connected very well and easily. I look forward to a trip to Romania...! Also, at his party, was this mysterious girl, "Irene"...who looked too familiar. Finally, it comes out that I went to grad school with her FATHER (she's 17), and she is just here visiting the states on holiday (he is also Romanian). When I realized who she was, I just about fell out of my chair....I had heard her dad talk about her - but he moved back to Romania a couple years ago, and we've not spoken in a while....so, to see her sitting there...with her father's eyes. It was crazy. Truly - and I could only feel like this joy bubble up in me...just happiness at getting the chance to meet her, and share with her about her life, her dad, etc. It was amazing, actually.

So. Now it's 2:15am. I am truly mindblown, happy, and sad all at once. All because of love and relationship with other people. La vita e'bella....si?

ahhhhhhh

Ahhhhhhhhhh..........sigh of contentment.

It's been a great evening. I had a birthday party tonight. Nothing too formal - just about 20ish folks crammed into our living room from all different social circles, eating, drinking wine, making new friends (and reconnecting with old ones!)

It is a wonderful thing to be surrounded by people you love, and who love you back. The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses mixed with smiles and hugs. Even the folks who were tired after a long day (week!) of work felt at home enough to find a hidden corner and read for a bit. This is what is important to me . . . being open, welcoming, and warm; cultivating relationships - both old and new (though this gets harder as I get busier); creating an atmosphere of "home"; sharing joy and struggles with those in my tribes. It was a great night. I haven't had a party chez moi in a long time, either, so it was nice to do that again.

One note - amazingly people all pretty much left at midnight (a "decent hour"). Perhaps it is a sign that yes, I really am getting older! Well, that, and Harry Potter was released at midnight tonight. I know of at least three folks headed to apres-party at various bookstores around the bay. (I finally caved myself and ordered one on amazon.com today!)

Oh..and for those of you interested, my friend Mark's Wizardrock band - Marked as His Equal - has just released a new CD. Check out his myspace page here.

d'oh

It's after midnight. In fact, it's 12:15. And there are two *EXTREMELY* happy little birds. Outside of my window. Chirping away and away . . . carrying on such a lovely little conversation with one another.

ack!

my iPod's out of battery...d'oh! Earplugs???

sputum

-Looking forward to 28. Should be great.
-Bastille day is Saturday. I am so excited. Every year I am like "oooh this year I'll celebrate" and I never do. But this year I am! yay.
-I just found out an ex of mine is married. Crazy! But I'm happy for him.
-I am looking foward to dinner tomorrow at Cafe Claude
-I am learning to say "yes" to the right thing(s). You'd think this would be easy for someone who has a hard time saying "no".
-God is able. God loves me.
-Go see Ratatouille. It is such a great film!
-Oh...and what may be the awesomeist celebreality show yet: Scott Baio is 45 . . . and Single. Thanks, Vh1!

World views

Yesterday, on 07-07-07, the New 7 Wonders of the World were announced. This project was started by a British adventurer, who started a foundation to protect some of the world's heritage sites, which need additional funding to be restored. UNESCO can't do everything by itself, people.

So, the "new 7 wonders" were chosen by a world vote - via internet and texting. Yours truly did participate a few months ago, casting my vote for the 7/21 candidates I thought should win.

The original wonders of the world - the 7 wonders of the Ancient world" are slmost all disappeared. Only the Pyramids in Giza remain. (The 6 others being: the Lighthouse of Alexandria; the Temple of Artemis; the Statue of Zeus; the Colossus of Rhodes; the Hanging Garden of Babylon; and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus).

The "New7Wonders" now - in random order:
Chichén Itzá (pyramid), Mexico
Christ Redeemer (statue), Brazil
The Great Wall, China
Machu Picchu, Peru
Petra, Jordan
Roman Colloseum, Italy
Taj Mahal, India

Exciting!
------
I had a conversation last night with a friend about national anthems, and how most of them are all about war, blood and guts. The conversation, naturally, turned to France, seeing as Bastille day is on Saturday (and we have plans to celebrate). So we start singing La Marseillaise at the top of our lungs, walking down Bush street. We get to the end of the second line . . . and don't remember the words. Ack. Our dreams of being able to sing along with the Frenchies a week from now were dashed.
Until now.
Can I tell you how much I love wikipedia? So! In case you're interested - and I know you are! - here are the lyrics and translation (first verse only):

Allons enfants de la Patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé!
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé. (bis)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes!

Aux armes, citoyens!
Formez vos bataillons!
Marchons, marchons!
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons!

Arise childen of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us, tyranny's
Bloody banner is raised (repeat)
Do you hear in the fields
The howling of these savage soldiers?
They are coming into your midsts,
To cut the throats of your sons, your wives!

To arms, citizens!
Form your battalions!
Let us march, let us march!
May tainted blood
Water our fields!

namesake

This is a random entry. Hence the name "random laundry". Work is killllllllllin me slowly and softly today. I might. Just. Snap. so. Here we go. Let's start things off with a survey, shall we? Feel free to do the same on your blog, if you so choose to make this a meme...

1. Who took your default pic?
I don't have one on this site. (I took this from a myspace bulletin, can you tell?)

2. Exactly what are you wearing right now?
Blue jeans, white shirt, tennis shoes and a grimace.

3. What is your current problem?
Neckpain from sleeping crooked. Bronchitis remnants.

4. What makes you most happy?
Friends, family, love, laughter, music, movies, travel, foreign languages and cultures.

5. What's the name of the song that you're listening to?
streaming radio 105.7 la kalle

6. Do you like MTV?
sometimes

7. Name something that annoys you about people?
insincerity
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1:
MYSELF

1. Nickname(s)?
K, kates, daniel, sibling, grace

2. Eye color?
blue

3. Hair Color?
"blonde"
-----------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2:
FAMILY

1. Do you get along with your parent(s)
Yes

2. Are your parents married/separated/divorced?
married - this year makes 40

3. Do you have any Siblings?
yes, one brother

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3:
FAVORITE

1. Ice Cream:
mint cookie

2. season:
fall, spring

3. Book(s):
Outlander series, LOTR, historical fiction, travelogues

4. Band:
u2 is my all-time favorite

5. Food:
Chicken Caesar salad

6. Drink:
Water, Tea, Coffee

7. Past time
musical activities, movies, spending time w/my friends

8. Pen color:
blue

9. Store:
book stores, music stores
--------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4:
DO YOU-

1. Write on your hand?
yes

2. Call people back?
yes - usually

3. Believe in love?
yes

4. Sleep on a certain side of the bed?
at home, on the left. Hotels: whichever side the alarm clock is on.

5. Any mental health issue?:
hahahha to be sure.
------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5:
HAVE YOU-

1. Broken a bone?
no, actually. Chipped a piece off my kneecap once, but I didn't break it.

3. Had physical therapy?
many times.

4. Gotten surgery?
wisdom teeth out; had oral surgery for that time I ran into a metal bar with my mouth in grade school.

5. taken any pain killers?
not today

6. Have you ever gone scuba diving/snorkeling?
snorkeling, yes.

7.Ever been stung by a bee?
no

8. Thrown up at a doctors office?
yes

9. Sworn in front of your parents?
not often!
------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6:
Who/what was the last:

1. Movie you saw in the movie theaters?
Ocean's 13...fab!

2. Person to text you?
nat

3. Thing you touched?
mouse

4. Thing you ate?
chicken caesar salad

5. Thing you said?
nope

6. Had a detention?
no

7. Person you hugged?
sibilng, probably

8. Person you kissed?
V

9. Person you called?
Mom

10. Person to call you?
Work call

11. Book you read?
"Pretty little mistakes" it is basically a 'choose your own adventure' book for grown-ups. *awesome*

12. Last time you cleaned your room...?
too long ago
-----------------------------
And continuing on the random thread.
Things I'm looking foward to experiencing this weekend (trying to cram in a lot, here:
-"Gypsy Caravan" movie (only in town for one week!)
-French lesson (teaching) at Cafe Claude (never been)
-Bocce ball (learning)
-Free Candela concert @ Yerba Buena Gardens
-Kryolan's make-up sale (hopefully I'll have time to get to it)
-Ratatouille w/Sibling
-Church
-------------------
And, next week is birthday week...WOW!

argh

it's laaaaaate late late late and I am awake awake awake.

it was the cup of coffee at 7pm. I forgot to ask for decaf, and drank it anyway. i though maybe because I was sick and sleepy, it wouldn't really have that much of an affect on me . . .

wrong.

coffee + 3 hour nap = no sleepy time for KT. argh.

oh well.

---
Anywyas this evening had a lovely game night at my French student's house. Our CLG is on a summer schedule: one week study, one week social night, etc etc ad nauseum until September. It is actually quite good, because we are getting to know each other better relationally . . . which hopefully will make our study times better, as we are establishing deeper levels of trust I think. Team buidling, trust building, relationships...these things take time.

Anyways, our team won OUTBURST! And one of the funniest categories of the evening was something along the lines of other words for 'farts'. I mean. Really. It was pretty funny...and the other team only could guess 5/10 words for that category!

---
In other news...I finally found my camera. I had been racking my brain, trying to remember where I left it and freaking out that I lost it - I mean, I have a very photo-worthy summer coming up, what with my birthday, performances, backstage pics, vacation and a wedding all in the next 3 months. Turns out the camera was hiding in the Green Bean's glove compartment. WHEW. It ran out of battery, and I had left it hiding in there, I guess. I am relieved. I just wish I had remembered sooner, for 'rona's and my photo shoot down at Fisherman's wharf a couple weekends ago...

----
et finalement...je voudrais ecrire qqchose en francais maintenant. mon anniversiare arrive en qq jours...et j'ai envie d'inviter qqpersonnes chez moi..PAS bcp de personnes..mais c difficile. parce que si j'invite cette personna ci, je dois aussi inviter celle-la...etc etc etc....et vraiment, il y en a qq d'eux - de ma groupe si tu veux - qui sont...'biens'..mais nous ne sommmes pas proches amis. alors...mais c MON anniversaire, oui, et je voudrais avoir des personnes chez moi qui j'aime bien...et pas les autres qui m'ennervent. est-ce que ca c trop a demander? nous sommes tous adults...je pense...? hahahah alors, on verra, on verra....j'avais rien dire ce soir, et personnne a rien dire en ce qui concerne la soiree...alors..bon.

et maintenant...au lit!!

I know, I know . . .

I haven't been writing much of late - sorry - but here is a little tidbit I found interesting.

Guess what George Michael's real name is . . .

Yorgos Panayiotou (!) Who knew he was Greek?

Here's another interesting one: Freddy Mercury. Birth name: Farrokh Bulsara. What? He was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania...! Crazyness.

These fine bits of knowledge and more courtesy of this site here.

cracks me up every time

red letter day

It's been quite a day already and it's only 8:45 in the morning! I have found out that one of my oldest and dearest friends (our parents were friends before we were even born) is going to be a Mom! Baby F will be born in December. And, as this is an Air Force baby . . . as my friend K said "It was conceived in Korea, discovered in China, and shall be born in Italy." Wow! I am so excited - I can't believe it. Work will be very hard today.
Also on the exciting news front - one of my dearest friends from SF just landed the title role in Madame Butterfly - - - this is huge for her, because I think for a long time, people just didn't know where to cast her...so YAY!!!! I can't wait to go hear her (not until 2008, but still!)

wow. Praise God for His blessings - both big (baby! role!) and small (mmm delicious French espresso made in the comfort of my own home!)

whew!

I was going to write this whole tirade about how I felt old because I have now officially been out of high school for 10 years (ack)...but really...can't complain. Because I have experienced some amazing things over the last 10 years (it IS a little trippy) and I wouldn't change that *gasp* decade for anything. HAHAHA!!