Author: kittys8_wp

Guaranteed – last visit ever to NYC in December

Of course NYC is going to be crazy in December. Shoppers, tourists – and  now police and political protesters everywhere. But last weekend’s trip sent me Over The Edge. 5th Avenue was a nightmare – literally shoulder-to-shoulder with the masses. Don’t think I can handle those crowds again.

But despite my bitching, we had a good time and did entirely touristy things. And the weather was perfect – crisp, clear Autumn days.

Rockefeller Center was also packed, but it’s the first time I’ve seen the tree up and decorated, so we persevered.

img_0510

 

It all felt very Christmasy, between the skaters at Rockefeller Center and our hotel room directly overlooking the Wollman Rink in Central Park. Shout out to Serendipity!

Our hotel (The Pierre) from Central Park:

img_0594

After a quick line-up (I lie – well over an hour), we also went up WTC1 to the observatory on the 102 floor (really 100-102), for a spectacular view of the new Frank Gehry tower (Beekman Tower) and the bridges of Manhattan over the East River (Manhattan Bridge to the north, Brooklyn Bridge to the south):

img_0559

And of course the 9/11 memorial, which is beautifully understated – serene and somber.

https://www.911memorial.org/design-overview

img_0566

Just happened to be standing by the name of a 9/11 victim with the same name as my brother:

img_0567

And visited Grand Central Station the morning before we left – it always surprises me how beautiful it is.

img_0582

Book club Christmas potluck next week

And I always make the cliched but amazing Green Bean Casserole.

https://www.campbells.com/kitchen/recipes/classic-green-bean-casserole/

Honestly, it’s just so good.

Still reading Zoe Whittall’s The Best Kind of People, which is our December read. Very disturbed how quick the family is to entertain the possibility that dad could be guilty of the sexual assault charges. I assured G. that if he were charged, I would have his back 100%. No doubts.

Hear hear Rosie

Thanks Mary Jane for bringing this piece to my attention.

Rosie DiManno in The Star defends free speech. And the amazing lawyer Marie Henein, who vigorously and professionally represents those facing the overwhelming power of the state.

Hail to the University of Chicago, then, which sent a welcoming letter to incoming freshmen at the beginning of this semester, bluntly stating that campus political correctness is antithetical in their institution of higher learning.

“Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called trigger warnings, we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual ‘safe spaces’ where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own,” the dean of students wrote to members of the class of 2020.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/11/24/marie-henein-haters-part-of-a-worrying-trend-dimanno.html

PS – this post is not defending rape culture. It’s defending intellectual rigour. Get over it.

My mind and heart are open

From Pete (and the Globe & Mail):

IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY

What does money mean to you? You may not have given it much thought in the past but you should think about it now. A Venus-Pluto link on your birthday could bring untold riches your way, but only if your mind and heart are open to them.

Onegin deserves standing ovation and then some

Barb and I saw the National Ballet of Canada’s Onegin last night. I almost always prefer the National Ballet’s short pieces to its full-blown story ballets. But the very traditional Onegin ends up being one of my favourite ballets for so many reasons.

First, as Barb says, it’s just so Russian. The class struggle of Onegin’s aristocrat vs. Tatiana’s provincial family; the pageantry (the sets, sigh); the desperately unfulfilled romance; the ill-advised flirting; the glove slap (throwing down the gauntlet!); the tragic duel. It’s a Russian soap opera that would make Dr. Zhivago proud.

Second, the dance. Onegin is a classic ballet that showcases the male principal dancers as much as the ballerinas. Guillaume Cote was perfectly elegant and arrogant as Onegin in Acts I and II, with a surgically seductive smile. He was perfectly tortured and then determinedly charming in Act III, as he tries to win over Tatiana. Naoya Ebe’s Lensky excelled as Olga’s romantic, devoted, and fatally jealous suitor.

I adore Tatiana’s Act I dance with Onegin, who steps into her dreams through her mirror, takes her in his arms, and cements her love for him with a passionate pas de deux. Greta Hodgkinson’s Tatiana is equally innocent and besotted; her prince has leapt off the pages of her romance novel and into her bedroom.

And then – the compelling story. You start off rooting for Olga and Lensky in particular – they are such a well-matched and loving couple. But don’t get too invested.

It’s a tough ending. If you believe in karma, you will not be pleased. Onegin does not get his just rewards for murdering his good friend Lensky.

Sure, Onegin is thwarted in his seduction of the mature and happily married Tatiana. Tatiana finds her resolve and ultimately sends him away. She’s now his unattainable perfect princess, avenging the young and devoted country girl who was disposable to him. (Aside: Really, NBC, why that dowdy brown frock in Act III?)

But Tatiana very nearly gives in to his charms; she starts to run after him after she’s expelled him from the room. Don’t forget there were a few kisses in that bedroom. Tatiana will torture herself, dwelling on her weakness and impropriety. She will bear another lifelong scar from Onegin.

One also suspects Onegin will get over his heartbreak sooner than he should, relishing his almost-conquest of Tatiana. And then he will move on, recklessly, to his next victim, without thinking of the consequences. Wash rinse repeat.

And my final thought is for Olga. Honey, just dance with the one who brung you. Saves a lot of heartache.