Well, since classes ended last week, I've had a bit more free time than usual, which has been nice. I took a few nice little walks. David went home on Monday, so I have the room to myself until I go home on Friday morning.
I had a take-home final for Great Poems due today, which was actually reasonably fun to complete, which is unusual for any test. I have two finals tomorrow, in QR and in German. I'm kind of worried about both of them, but I'm going to put a lot of time into them tonight to make sure I don't fail them or anything. I sort of wish they were earlier on in the week, so the lapse between when class ended and when the finals are would be a little smaller, but I'm sure I'll be fine.
On Monday, I went to a really great taping of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. It was an episode with Bonnie Hunt, Matthew Broderick, and John Mayer, and I like all of them at least to some extent. John Mayer was there with John Mayer Trio, and I'm not sure I like them quite as much as I like him as a solo artist. There was a really long wait to get in, as you have to be screened and sorted and all, but it was worth it. I never paid much attention to Conan O'Brien, so I didn't really know what to expect, but he is one of the funniest people I've ever seen. He's kind of like Jon Stewart. He has a way with his face that he can make just about anything seem funny.
This has been a pretty nice week. I probably should have done more studying than I have, but hopefully I'll be fine with the rest of my finals. Today, I'm walking to Penn Station to get my tickets to go home because of the MTA transit strike.
At our last meeting of Great Poems class we came up with the idea to start a poetry club, so some of the people in the class are getting together to make that happen. I really hope it becomes a real thing, as I'd love to go to a poetry club and to continue having the challenge of writing poems on a regular basis. Taking that class has made me think more about continuing to write poems. I really like poetry. It's fun.
Also! In England and Wales, today is the first day for legal same-sex unions, and Elton John and David Furnish are now legally married! It's absolutely great that the wedding went off without a hitch. The only thing that disappoints me is that sources like BBC are trying so hard to equate their marriage to straight marriage that it comes off as being a belabored effort. If they just covered it like any other wedding, that would serve to equalize it much more effectively. Anyway, I'm just really happy about that development. Gay marriage will be in American soon. And if it isn't here soon, at least now we can move to Britain!
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Thursday, December 15, 2005
End of classes, Rent x 3
Well, I've had the last of my classes, and tonight was my last night of work until January, so the officially is essentially over besides for finals. I have one take-home final and two finals, and they all take place next Thursday (the take-home is due Wednesday at a poetry party).
Last night, I went to see the Rent movie for the third time with Len Shaffer, Christina, and her boyfriend, Richard. It was quite a fun evening I must say.
I was recently reading through some theatre articles and came across some rankings for people's favorite cast recordings of 2005, so I figured I'd take some time in this entry to write about some of my favorite recordings of the year.
Hair, The Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording
Standout Songs: "I Got Life" (Adam Pascal), "Hair" (Raul Esparza), "Easy to Be Hard" (Jennifer Hudson), "Walking in Space" (Sherie Rene Scott)
Other Comments: After having listened to the OBCR and movie soundtrack for Hair, I easily welcomed this new recording of one of my favorite shows. I tend to like newer recordings over older ones simply for the sound quality, and this is particularly the case for Hair since its OBCR hasn't held up well over the decades. This recording gives some of the songs a bit more of a contemporary feeling, and many of the performers have interesting takes on their songs. This was a very fresh recording of a show many consider dated. Definitely worth adding to a cast recording collection.
The 25th Annual Putname County Spelling Bee, Original Broadway Cast Recording
Standout Songs: "I Speak Six Languages" (Deborah S. Craig), "The 'I Love You' Song" (Celia Keenan-Bolger)
Standout Performances: Very much an ensemble performance
Other Comments: I can imagine opinions as to this recording are probably varied. It took a while for it to grow on me, particularly since the idea of having adults sing as children would can come off as grating. The songs are well written, however. William Finn (Falsettos, A New Brain) is rarely off in his composition skills, and this recording is certainly very entertaining, particularly when it takes a more serious turn with Celia Keenan-Bolger's rendition of "The 'I Love You' Song."
Bright Lights, Big City, Studio Cast Recording
Standout Songs: "Brother" (Gavin Creel), "Kindness" (Sherie Rene Scott), "Heart and Soul" (Gavin Creel, Sherie Rene Scott)
Standout Performances: Gavin Creel, Christine Ebersole, Jesse L. Martin
Other Comments: This show feels a lot like Rent. Based on the book of the same name by Jay McInerney (which is very good), this is a contemporary musical that captures the book perfectly. The performances are great all around. Some of the lyrics can be sloppy, but the score makes up for it with its energy. It's interesting that Jesse L. Martin (of Rent/Law & Order fame) is in a musical so similar to Rent. Patrick Wilson of Angels in America/The Phantom of the Opera fame is also excellent. This isn't necessarily a must-have recording, but it's really great overall.
The Light in the Piazza, Original Broadway Cast Recording
Standout Songs: "Passeggiata," "The Beauty Is," "Say it Somehow," "The Light in the Piazza," "Dividing Day," "Love to Me"
Standout Performances: Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, Matthew Morrison
Other Comments: The Light in the Piazza has easily the best score of this season on Broadway and, along with Caroline, or Change, one of the best scores of this decade. It's a very lush, classically-influenced score, full of rich string melodies that float effortlessly below the beautiful voices of the cast. The three leads, Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, and Matthew Morrison, are uniformly perfect and do excellent work with the score, which has no low points. It takes a few listens for the unique sound of the score to feel entirely comfortable, but after the music begins to settle with you, it's hard to get it out of your head.
Billy Elliot, Original London Cast Recording
Standout Songs: "The Letter," "Electricity," "Solidarity," "Grandma's Song"
Other Comments: I've been waiting a long time to hear this score, written by Elton John and Lee Hall. What I found intesting is that the original director, chorographer, and screenwriter of the movie were involved with the movie in their same roles (with Lee Hall, screenwriter tackling both book and lyrics). The musical comes off as being on a scale slightly too big for its humble story, but, that aside, the score works well on its own. I can't help but feel as if the stage show might seem a little bit too Broadway, particularly in moments like "Expressing Yourself," which takes a moment from the movie (Michael introducing the subject of cross-dressing) and turns it into a lavish production number about "expressing yourself." The moments that work bet for me are those that stay true to the quiet nature of the movie ("Grandma's Song," "The Letter")or allow the emotions of the movie to be heightened in song ("Electricity"). "Solidarity" is one of those songs that seems a bit too big for the plot, with a singing band of miners commenting on society, but it's definitely catchy. I had it playing over and over on my iPod for a few days.
Pacific Overtures, Broadway Revival Recording
Comments: Well, this is one of my favorite Sondheim scores, so I was excited to have a new recording of the show. There really aren't any standout performances or songs, but I think it's mostly a testament to the ensemble nature of the show and the care that Sondheim puts into the uniform quality within his scores. Nothing seems out of place. I like the smaller feeling of the orchestrations on this recording and the crisper nature of the quality. Several minor players from the original Broadway cast are back again, and B.D. Wong is in great voice as the Reciter. This is another of those recordings that isn't really essential to a collection but that I enjoyed immensely.
Worst Recording: Sweet Charity
Honorable Mentions for Best Song (in recordings not featured):
"Days of Plenty" from Little Women, sung by Maureen McGovern
"I Love to Travel" from The Frogs, sung by Nathan Lane and Roger Bart
"Nothing Is Too Wonderful To Be True" from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, sung by Sherie Rene Scott
Honorable mention also goes to the movie soundtrack of Rent.
Last night, I went to see the Rent movie for the third time with Len Shaffer, Christina, and her boyfriend, Richard. It was quite a fun evening I must say.
I was recently reading through some theatre articles and came across some rankings for people's favorite cast recordings of 2005, so I figured I'd take some time in this entry to write about some of my favorite recordings of the year.
Hair, The Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording
Standout Songs: "I Got Life" (Adam Pascal), "Hair" (Raul Esparza), "Easy to Be Hard" (Jennifer Hudson), "Walking in Space" (Sherie Rene Scott)
Other Comments: After having listened to the OBCR and movie soundtrack for Hair, I easily welcomed this new recording of one of my favorite shows. I tend to like newer recordings over older ones simply for the sound quality, and this is particularly the case for Hair since its OBCR hasn't held up well over the decades. This recording gives some of the songs a bit more of a contemporary feeling, and many of the performers have interesting takes on their songs. This was a very fresh recording of a show many consider dated. Definitely worth adding to a cast recording collection.
The 25th Annual Putname County Spelling Bee, Original Broadway Cast Recording
Standout Songs: "I Speak Six Languages" (Deborah S. Craig), "The 'I Love You' Song" (Celia Keenan-Bolger)
Standout Performances: Very much an ensemble performance
Other Comments: I can imagine opinions as to this recording are probably varied. It took a while for it to grow on me, particularly since the idea of having adults sing as children would can come off as grating. The songs are well written, however. William Finn (Falsettos, A New Brain) is rarely off in his composition skills, and this recording is certainly very entertaining, particularly when it takes a more serious turn with Celia Keenan-Bolger's rendition of "The 'I Love You' Song."
Bright Lights, Big City, Studio Cast Recording
Standout Songs: "Brother" (Gavin Creel), "Kindness" (Sherie Rene Scott), "Heart and Soul" (Gavin Creel, Sherie Rene Scott)
Standout Performances: Gavin Creel, Christine Ebersole, Jesse L. Martin
Other Comments: This show feels a lot like Rent. Based on the book of the same name by Jay McInerney (which is very good), this is a contemporary musical that captures the book perfectly. The performances are great all around. Some of the lyrics can be sloppy, but the score makes up for it with its energy. It's interesting that Jesse L. Martin (of Rent/Law & Order fame) is in a musical so similar to Rent. Patrick Wilson of Angels in America/The Phantom of the Opera fame is also excellent. This isn't necessarily a must-have recording, but it's really great overall.
The Light in the Piazza, Original Broadway Cast Recording
Standout Songs: "Passeggiata," "The Beauty Is," "Say it Somehow," "The Light in the Piazza," "Dividing Day," "Love to Me"
Standout Performances: Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, Matthew Morrison
Other Comments: The Light in the Piazza has easily the best score of this season on Broadway and, along with Caroline, or Change, one of the best scores of this decade. It's a very lush, classically-influenced score, full of rich string melodies that float effortlessly below the beautiful voices of the cast. The three leads, Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, and Matthew Morrison, are uniformly perfect and do excellent work with the score, which has no low points. It takes a few listens for the unique sound of the score to feel entirely comfortable, but after the music begins to settle with you, it's hard to get it out of your head.
Billy Elliot, Original London Cast Recording
Standout Songs: "The Letter," "Electricity," "Solidarity," "Grandma's Song"
Other Comments: I've been waiting a long time to hear this score, written by Elton John and Lee Hall. What I found intesting is that the original director, chorographer, and screenwriter of the movie were involved with the movie in their same roles (with Lee Hall, screenwriter tackling both book and lyrics). The musical comes off as being on a scale slightly too big for its humble story, but, that aside, the score works well on its own. I can't help but feel as if the stage show might seem a little bit too Broadway, particularly in moments like "Expressing Yourself," which takes a moment from the movie (Michael introducing the subject of cross-dressing) and turns it into a lavish production number about "expressing yourself." The moments that work bet for me are those that stay true to the quiet nature of the movie ("Grandma's Song," "The Letter")or allow the emotions of the movie to be heightened in song ("Electricity"). "Solidarity" is one of those songs that seems a bit too big for the plot, with a singing band of miners commenting on society, but it's definitely catchy. I had it playing over and over on my iPod for a few days.
Pacific Overtures, Broadway Revival Recording
Comments: Well, this is one of my favorite Sondheim scores, so I was excited to have a new recording of the show. There really aren't any standout performances or songs, but I think it's mostly a testament to the ensemble nature of the show and the care that Sondheim puts into the uniform quality within his scores. Nothing seems out of place. I like the smaller feeling of the orchestrations on this recording and the crisper nature of the quality. Several minor players from the original Broadway cast are back again, and B.D. Wong is in great voice as the Reciter. This is another of those recordings that isn't really essential to a collection but that I enjoyed immensely.
Worst Recording: Sweet Charity
Honorable Mentions for Best Song (in recordings not featured):
"Days of Plenty" from Little Women, sung by Maureen McGovern
"I Love to Travel" from The Frogs, sung by Nathan Lane and Roger Bart
"Nothing Is Too Wonderful To Be True" from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, sung by Sherie Rene Scott
Honorable mention also goes to the movie soundtrack of Rent.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
"Off to Andersant" and the nearing of the end of the semester
5 classes
2 days of classes
1 essay to be finished
1 take-home final to complete
2 finals to take
2 days of work left
9 days till I go home
Time is simply flying. I can't believe that the semester is almost over. Most of my work for classes is done; all I have left to do is put the finishing touches on my essay for Writing the Essay and finish my take-home final for Great Poems. After that is done, I only have two writen finals to take -- German and Quantitative Reasoning. I have to say I'm slightly worried about my finals, but my grades are, overall, pretty good.
Today was my roommate, David's, birthday. I'm not sure if the grammar in that last sentence was sound, but that's how I chose to convey my thought. Anyway, Jaron, Sam, David, and I went to Cafe Le Figaro (I may also be messing up the spelling of that name). I didn't get anything because of my lack of expendable money, which I'll go into later. Anyway, it was still a very fun time. David and I also exchanged Christmas gifts, which was nice. I got him a green jeweled frame that I was horribly afraid he would dislike, and he got me a scarf from H&M that matches a sweater I have that is really neat. It sort of completes a set in a way, as I have another scarf in the same style with different colors -- I'll have to rotate them depending on my moods, cool colors for mellow moods and warm colors for ecstatic ones.
On Saturday night, I went to see David's one-act, Off to Andersant, as part of the College of Arts and Science Theatre (CAST) night of one-acts. It was one of five short plays that were put on. The first two weren't to my liking; David's was the wittiest of them. The most riotous was the last play, Laurastrata about an assembly of the first wives (and a few others). Overall, the entire evening was great. It was interesting to see the way David's mind works dramatically. A lot of the comedy in the play reminded me of the essence of David if that can be summed up into a ten minute play.
I've been working on things for school relatively efficiently in the past few days. Last night, I got my work done early enough to hang out with Ally for a few hours and watch her bootleg DVD of Rent, which was of pretty good quality, certainly good enough to sit through the whole thing. Today, I got a good deal of the reading that's due for Wednesday for Great Poems -- The Best American Poetry 2005. I have to read the whole book, chose the best and worst poems, and then write a poem worse than the worst poem in the book. It's a neat assignment, but the book is pretty time-consuming. Tomorrow will be slightly more hectic: I have class at 11, a break from 12:30 to 3 where I can finish reading the book, then another class at 3:30 and work at 6, which means I have to put the final edits into my Writing the Essay paper and write my poetry assignment between 10 and when I go to sleep. Hopefully, I'm efficient.
Work is going relatively well. My nights are hit or miss. Sometimes I do well, and sometimes not. Last time I worked, my boss pulled me aside as if chiding me for not keeping up with the pack, so I'm getting slightly worried. I've definitely been improving during my time at the job, and I'm getting better at being persuasive so I feel as if I should be getting more pledges than I do. I really wish I had a different job, and I'm thinking of taking a look for a new one this weekend so I can effectively give my boss two weeks' notice, but we'll see how it goes. It's not so much that the job is demanding, but I feel sleazy having to call people and bug them for money -- no matter how much I know that the job I'm doing helps the university, I can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable. Anyway, the job is certainly not bad -- it pays fairly and is easy enough to perform well at. My boss is fair and so are the supervisors, so I won't be disappointed to continue there through this school year. We'll see what happens. I can't afford to be out of work right now, but I'm thinking of going to Gap or TLA Video and perhaps a few other places (bookstores?) and seeing what I can do.
Oh, so I suppose the next topic of discussion is my money situation. I had about $35 dollars left in my checking account for my use until my printer ran out of ink and I had to go out and make an emergency ink purchase. Now, my checking account is just about obliterated. My savings account has $80, and I owe $65 of it to Christina and $12 of it to Ally. I get $100 or slightly more when I get paid tomorrow, so then I'll be relatively financially stable, as my mom is depositing a check for me to get a book for school, repay me for my ink cartridge, and pay for my train ticket home. Gosh...I never knew money was so complicated until I had to be such a thrifty person. I can't even believe how many Broadway shows I went to see earlier in the semester when I should've been saving money. I suppose after the holidays, when I get paychecks and still have a stash from whatever I get for Christmas, I'll be a little bit more comfortable financially. Ugh. I need to make more money (another bit of a reason to get a new job).
Anyway, I hope everyone is having a nice beginning to their holiday season. I, for one, can't wait to watch White Christmas and perhaps spend New Year's in NYC (perhaps at the Life Cafe). Whee!
Also, going to see Rent (the movie) for the third time on Wednesday with Len, Christina, Olga, Richard, and Ally. Yay!
2 days of classes
1 essay to be finished
1 take-home final to complete
2 finals to take
2 days of work left
9 days till I go home
Time is simply flying. I can't believe that the semester is almost over. Most of my work for classes is done; all I have left to do is put the finishing touches on my essay for Writing the Essay and finish my take-home final for Great Poems. After that is done, I only have two writen finals to take -- German and Quantitative Reasoning. I have to say I'm slightly worried about my finals, but my grades are, overall, pretty good.
Today was my roommate, David's, birthday. I'm not sure if the grammar in that last sentence was sound, but that's how I chose to convey my thought. Anyway, Jaron, Sam, David, and I went to Cafe Le Figaro (I may also be messing up the spelling of that name). I didn't get anything because of my lack of expendable money, which I'll go into later. Anyway, it was still a very fun time. David and I also exchanged Christmas gifts, which was nice. I got him a green jeweled frame that I was horribly afraid he would dislike, and he got me a scarf from H&M that matches a sweater I have that is really neat. It sort of completes a set in a way, as I have another scarf in the same style with different colors -- I'll have to rotate them depending on my moods, cool colors for mellow moods and warm colors for ecstatic ones.
On Saturday night, I went to see David's one-act, Off to Andersant, as part of the College of Arts and Science Theatre (CAST) night of one-acts. It was one of five short plays that were put on. The first two weren't to my liking; David's was the wittiest of them. The most riotous was the last play, Laurastrata about an assembly of the first wives (and a few others). Overall, the entire evening was great. It was interesting to see the way David's mind works dramatically. A lot of the comedy in the play reminded me of the essence of David if that can be summed up into a ten minute play.
I've been working on things for school relatively efficiently in the past few days. Last night, I got my work done early enough to hang out with Ally for a few hours and watch her bootleg DVD of Rent, which was of pretty good quality, certainly good enough to sit through the whole thing. Today, I got a good deal of the reading that's due for Wednesday for Great Poems -- The Best American Poetry 2005. I have to read the whole book, chose the best and worst poems, and then write a poem worse than the worst poem in the book. It's a neat assignment, but the book is pretty time-consuming. Tomorrow will be slightly more hectic: I have class at 11, a break from 12:30 to 3 where I can finish reading the book, then another class at 3:30 and work at 6, which means I have to put the final edits into my Writing the Essay paper and write my poetry assignment between 10 and when I go to sleep. Hopefully, I'm efficient.
Work is going relatively well. My nights are hit or miss. Sometimes I do well, and sometimes not. Last time I worked, my boss pulled me aside as if chiding me for not keeping up with the pack, so I'm getting slightly worried. I've definitely been improving during my time at the job, and I'm getting better at being persuasive so I feel as if I should be getting more pledges than I do. I really wish I had a different job, and I'm thinking of taking a look for a new one this weekend so I can effectively give my boss two weeks' notice, but we'll see how it goes. It's not so much that the job is demanding, but I feel sleazy having to call people and bug them for money -- no matter how much I know that the job I'm doing helps the university, I can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable. Anyway, the job is certainly not bad -- it pays fairly and is easy enough to perform well at. My boss is fair and so are the supervisors, so I won't be disappointed to continue there through this school year. We'll see what happens. I can't afford to be out of work right now, but I'm thinking of going to Gap or TLA Video and perhaps a few other places (bookstores?) and seeing what I can do.
Oh, so I suppose the next topic of discussion is my money situation. I had about $35 dollars left in my checking account for my use until my printer ran out of ink and I had to go out and make an emergency ink purchase. Now, my checking account is just about obliterated. My savings account has $80, and I owe $65 of it to Christina and $12 of it to Ally. I get $100 or slightly more when I get paid tomorrow, so then I'll be relatively financially stable, as my mom is depositing a check for me to get a book for school, repay me for my ink cartridge, and pay for my train ticket home. Gosh...I never knew money was so complicated until I had to be such a thrifty person. I can't even believe how many Broadway shows I went to see earlier in the semester when I should've been saving money. I suppose after the holidays, when I get paychecks and still have a stash from whatever I get for Christmas, I'll be a little bit more comfortable financially. Ugh. I need to make more money (another bit of a reason to get a new job).
Anyway, I hope everyone is having a nice beginning to their holiday season. I, for one, can't wait to watch White Christmas and perhaps spend New Year's in NYC (perhaps at the Life Cafe). Whee!
Also, going to see Rent (the movie) for the third time on Wednesday with Len, Christina, Olga, Richard, and Ally. Yay!
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Working, movies
Well, this has been quite a long week overall. I worked three days, did quite a bit of work on my third progression paper for Writing the Essay and had a generally hectic week. This semester is winding down, but I feel the pressure of finals and the final push to the end starting to build up. On the other hand, things are doing pretty well.
On Thursday night at midnight, I went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with Ally, Christina, and her boyfriend, Richard. We had a really good time. The movie was pretty good, though I thought some of the villains were laughable. It was kind of like Lord of the Rings for kids. For her birthday and Christmas, Ally and I got her a pair of really neat glass earrings and a book about Festivus (for the restuvus) with a forward by Jerry Stiller. She seemed to generally like both. It was great to see Christina again. Last weekend, we also went to Rockefeller Center and did some shopping together. Rockefeller Center is crazy around this time of the year, particularly on the weekends. All of the older tourists come in from all over in their fur coats acting as if they own the city, thinking of the Radio City Christmas Show as if it were the highest art available.
I got some good new stuff for myself: a coat from Gap that I saved a lot of money on, a pair of corduroy pants, a new white shirt with some ruffles on the front that I like, and a brown pinstripe hat. I also got the Billy Elliot London cast recording, which I paid more than I should have for. However, it's really good. Some of the songs are a little silly, but, its being a musical and all, you do have to suspend disbelief a bit.
Tonight, I went to go see Brokeback Mountain on my own. It's the first time, I think, I've gone to a movie alone, but it was nice, because, rather than picking up a conversation right afterwards about something other than the movie, you're left to reflect on the story after you leave the theatre. I have to say it was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. The acting was just great all around, and the story was one of the saddest ever, up there with Philadelphia, which still packs the highest emotional punch for me of the "gay" movies I know. I have to agree with my roommate David when he says that, as long as movies are made about gay people just about their being gay, there's not a whole lot of a breakthrough occurring, but I still can't help but feel that someone straight who didn't quite understand the life of a gay person could have watched that movie and perhaps seen something they hadn't seen before. Plus, it's still important that movies that take gay characters seriously are seen, particularly in a world where it seems we want to make gay characters the butts of jokes.
I couldn't help, watching the movie, but wonder if that could've been my life if I hadn't come out of the closet, and it seems as if that's the way a lot of people would've felt watching it who are gay. I thought about the guy I met at the Attic, a gay youth center I went to the night before I came out to my parents, who was in his fifties and who had only recently come out of the closet after having been married, and his life was essentially the life of these characters. There are probably so many people out there who, even if they aren't in the same situation exactly, have the same emotions as those characters. It was just so good.
Anyway, I definitely recommend Brokeback Mountain. I also want to go see Memoirs of a Geisha and The Producers soon. This Wednesday, I'm going to see Rent (movie) for the third time with Ally, Christina, Christina's roommate Olga, and Len, the same guy I met at 2 AM earlier in the semester with his friend and walked around with. I'm quite excited to see it for a third time. Rent definitely earns my pick for sentimental favorite movie of the year if Brokeback, so far, would win my best picture award.
On Thursday night at midnight, I went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with Ally, Christina, and her boyfriend, Richard. We had a really good time. The movie was pretty good, though I thought some of the villains were laughable. It was kind of like Lord of the Rings for kids. For her birthday and Christmas, Ally and I got her a pair of really neat glass earrings and a book about Festivus (for the restuvus) with a forward by Jerry Stiller. She seemed to generally like both. It was great to see Christina again. Last weekend, we also went to Rockefeller Center and did some shopping together. Rockefeller Center is crazy around this time of the year, particularly on the weekends. All of the older tourists come in from all over in their fur coats acting as if they own the city, thinking of the Radio City Christmas Show as if it were the highest art available.
I got some good new stuff for myself: a coat from Gap that I saved a lot of money on, a pair of corduroy pants, a new white shirt with some ruffles on the front that I like, and a brown pinstripe hat. I also got the Billy Elliot London cast recording, which I paid more than I should have for. However, it's really good. Some of the songs are a little silly, but, its being a musical and all, you do have to suspend disbelief a bit.
Tonight, I went to go see Brokeback Mountain on my own. It's the first time, I think, I've gone to a movie alone, but it was nice, because, rather than picking up a conversation right afterwards about something other than the movie, you're left to reflect on the story after you leave the theatre. I have to say it was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. The acting was just great all around, and the story was one of the saddest ever, up there with Philadelphia, which still packs the highest emotional punch for me of the "gay" movies I know. I have to agree with my roommate David when he says that, as long as movies are made about gay people just about their being gay, there's not a whole lot of a breakthrough occurring, but I still can't help but feel that someone straight who didn't quite understand the life of a gay person could have watched that movie and perhaps seen something they hadn't seen before. Plus, it's still important that movies that take gay characters seriously are seen, particularly in a world where it seems we want to make gay characters the butts of jokes.
I couldn't help, watching the movie, but wonder if that could've been my life if I hadn't come out of the closet, and it seems as if that's the way a lot of people would've felt watching it who are gay. I thought about the guy I met at the Attic, a gay youth center I went to the night before I came out to my parents, who was in his fifties and who had only recently come out of the closet after having been married, and his life was essentially the life of these characters. There are probably so many people out there who, even if they aren't in the same situation exactly, have the same emotions as those characters. It was just so good.
Anyway, I definitely recommend Brokeback Mountain. I also want to go see Memoirs of a Geisha and The Producers soon. This Wednesday, I'm going to see Rent (movie) for the third time with Ally, Christina, Christina's roommate Olga, and Len, the same guy I met at 2 AM earlier in the semester with his friend and walked around with. I'm quite excited to see it for a third time. Rent definitely earns my pick for sentimental favorite movie of the year if Brokeback, so far, would win my best picture award.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Yesterday and today...poems, work, checks, and the Elvis
So, yesterday was quite a long day. Besides for class, I walked around downtown for several hours. I walked all the way down to Battery Park, around the World Trade Center, around Canal Street. It was pretty fun. Unfortunately, I didn't see any Rent bootlegs, though I did talk to a shady guy who seemed to have a pretty good collection.
After my long, long walk, during which I started to feel sort of malnourished, I decided to splurge a bit and eat out at Peanut Butter & Co. on Sullivan Street. It seemed like an enticing idea, most things on the menu containing peanut butter, so I figured it was worth a try. I had "The Elvis," which is a grilled peanut butter sandwich containing bananas and honey. It was quite excellent and relatively reasonably priced considering how outrageous most restaurants are. I've figured that there isn't too much more splurging to be done in the near future, considering what's coming up: holiday shopping, Lisa's visiting my dorm (and we're seeing a show). I have $150 from the paycheck I just got that has to last me until my last paycheck, which I get shortly before leaving for break, which should be more like $100 or perhaps slightly less. I'm slightly worried really, considering how far all that money has to stretch.
Today was the longest day. I had 11-12:15 class, 12:30-3 class, and 3:30-4:45 class, followed promptly by work from 6-9:30. And work went by so slowly, because I didn't get any pledges.
Anyway, now it's almost over, and Thursday is slightly better, because I have a nice break between classes where I can take some "me" time.
I've decided I want to post a poem on here just for fun. It was this week's assignment for Great Poems class, and the assignment was to write a poem in the style of Wallace Stevens's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." It's not really supposed to make much sense or have a clear point, but I thought it was pretty fun. Post comments if you enjoy/hate it. I won't be offended if you think it's crap.
XIII
A friend told me our bodies
Are seventy-five percent water.
Standing in the rain,
I add the drops on my hat to the drops within me,
Measuring impossibly.
After my long, long walk, during which I started to feel sort of malnourished, I decided to splurge a bit and eat out at Peanut Butter & Co. on Sullivan Street. It seemed like an enticing idea, most things on the menu containing peanut butter, so I figured it was worth a try. I had "The Elvis," which is a grilled peanut butter sandwich containing bananas and honey. It was quite excellent and relatively reasonably priced considering how outrageous most restaurants are. I've figured that there isn't too much more splurging to be done in the near future, considering what's coming up: holiday shopping, Lisa's visiting my dorm (and we're seeing a show). I have $150 from the paycheck I just got that has to last me until my last paycheck, which I get shortly before leaving for break, which should be more like $100 or perhaps slightly less. I'm slightly worried really, considering how far all that money has to stretch.
Today was the longest day. I had 11-12:15 class, 12:30-3 class, and 3:30-4:45 class, followed promptly by work from 6-9:30. And work went by so slowly, because I didn't get any pledges.
Anyway, now it's almost over, and Thursday is slightly better, because I have a nice break between classes where I can take some "me" time.
I've decided I want to post a poem on here just for fun. It was this week's assignment for Great Poems class, and the assignment was to write a poem in the style of Wallace Stevens's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." It's not really supposed to make much sense or have a clear point, but I thought it was pretty fun. Post comments if you enjoy/hate it. I won't be offended if you think it's crap.
“Thirteen Ways of Looking at Water”
I
Yesterday, I paid $3 for 12 ounces of water.
That’s about a quarter per sip.
II
On this island,
We’re surrounded by water.
I would never know without the boats;
I’ve seen them only twice.
III
In some parts of the world, water is scarce,
And people conserve it, bathing rarely.
I, on the other hand, take long baths and gulp
Tall glasses.
IV
Swimming through a warm pool,
I imagine myself a shark,
Cutting the water
Like a child.
V
Gathered around a fount,
Suits chatter about last night’s serial,
A ritual of water and flickering light,
Almost like the cavemen.
VI
As fish swim by,
I stand level with the water,
Imagining what it must be like to have gills,
Propelling myself toward
My reflection in the glass in an aquarium.
VII
In Louisiana,
Entire towns lie beneath water.
I stand in the rain in Washington Square Park and wonder
What that must be like,
These puddles up around my neck.
VIII
Jesus, I am told,
Walked on water.
“Be not afraid,” he said.
Who wouldn’t be?
IX
It’s far too early,
But I slip from my clothes behind the curtain,
Water slithering down my skin
Like sheets of clean
Or snakes.
X
Waking from a dream of something I forget,
I look out of my window and see
A rainbow in the water,
Flecks of light falling
I think of Stevie Wonder –
“Ribbon in the Sky.”
XI
Black umbrella in tow,
I tap my feet on the pavement,
Humming and swinging around a traffic pole,
Singin’ in the Rain.
David asks me if people sing in the streets like in musicals,
And I tell him yes,
Disregarding water-logged All-Stars.
XII
I look at a panel by Wilson Bentley –
Snowflakes, hexagonal beauty.
This is not what I think of
When I think of water.
I
Yesterday, I paid $3 for 12 ounces of water.
That’s about a quarter per sip.
II
On this island,
We’re surrounded by water.
I would never know without the boats;
I’ve seen them only twice.
III
In some parts of the world, water is scarce,
And people conserve it, bathing rarely.
I, on the other hand, take long baths and gulp
Tall glasses.
IV
Swimming through a warm pool,
I imagine myself a shark,
Cutting the water
Like a child.
V
Gathered around a fount,
Suits chatter about last night’s serial,
A ritual of water and flickering light,
Almost like the cavemen.
VI
As fish swim by,
I stand level with the water,
Imagining what it must be like to have gills,
Propelling myself toward
My reflection in the glass in an aquarium.
VII
In Louisiana,
Entire towns lie beneath water.
I stand in the rain in Washington Square Park and wonder
What that must be like,
These puddles up around my neck.
VIII
Jesus, I am told,
Walked on water.
“Be not afraid,” he said.
Who wouldn’t be?
IX
It’s far too early,
But I slip from my clothes behind the curtain,
Water slithering down my skin
Like sheets of clean
Or snakes.
X
Waking from a dream of something I forget,
I look out of my window and see
A rainbow in the water,
Flecks of light falling
I think of Stevie Wonder –
“Ribbon in the Sky.”
XI
Black umbrella in tow,
I tap my feet on the pavement,
Humming and swinging around a traffic pole,
Singin’ in the Rain.
David asks me if people sing in the streets like in musicals,
And I tell him yes,
Disregarding water-logged All-Stars.
XII
I look at a panel by Wilson Bentley –
Snowflakes, hexagonal beauty.
This is not what I think of
When I think of water.
XIII
A friend told me our bodies
Are seventy-five percent water.
Standing in the rain,
I add the drops on my hat to the drops within me,
Measuring impossibly.
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