11.23.2005
ugh
Ever been singing and had absolutely nothing click? The conductor's mind is in the clouds, the choir just isn't responsive, and you're actually doing a lot of damage with your own mistakes? That was Magdala last night.
Worst. Evensong. Ever. Worse yet, my parents were in attendance. As was probably the largest audience Magdala has had in chapel yet. It's so discouraging...
Worst. Evensong. Ever. Worse yet, my parents were in attendance. As was probably the largest audience Magdala has had in chapel yet. It's so discouraging...
11.22.2005
foo'ba'
Just got done with Monday Night Football. Which, I guess, goes by the significantly less cool name of Tuesday Morning Football. What's consistantly amazing, and Derek and I say this every time we watch football in the UK, is that the announcing on British TV is so phenomenally bad. Bill Simmons took on a question this weekend regarding horrible announcing at football games (read the column, it's funny), but there's no comparison if we take British commentators into consideration. First of all, no one should have to watch a game commentated by an Irishman and some washed up American former player. Who, if I'm not mistaken, compared giving birth to being a lineman. They also batted a whopping 0.000 for calling and explicating the plays correctly, attributing crowding the QB to a blown pass when it's clear to everyone watching the game that Brad Johnson just slipped, etc. I enjoy yelling at the screen when I watch football, but it's usually gotta be directed at the players and not the idiot announcers.
Extra funny: the sauerkraut cut-away, in which we were taken on a super-sped-up tour of how bottled and canned sauerkraut is made while being serenaded by raucous polka music. And the sight of former Vikings player [was it Jim?] McMahon wearing what appeared to be a giant (and fresh) deer pelt while head-bopping to music that he clearly was not listening to, as there were no earphones anywhere around him. And the supicious lack of sound or logos that accompanied the end of the sentence: "Monday Night Football is brought to you by..." It became clear to us that these sponsors aren't allowed to have their names shown on British TV, but the Brits are not allowed to "edit" any of the MNF broadcast. As a result, they were only able to cut the audio feed and eliminate the logos being splashed up, thus leaving the viewers with a silent pan over the Packers hall of fame.
Finally, it was weird to be rooting for the same team as Derek. We're good friends, but I'm from Boston and he's from Manhattan. Last year, during the Superbowl, he took pleasure in leading the Brits who were watching the game in raucous cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles. He even rooted against the Patriots two weeks ago simply out of spite, not because he likes the Colts, but because the Patriots must go. Oddly enough, instead of following in his father's [dubious] footsteps to root for the Giants, Derek's favorite team has long been the Vikings. He attributes it to really liking the color purple. Which Pat Robertson would take as a mark of his sexuality, but that's another rant for another time. So yes, very odd to be rooting for the Vikings as well. It's not that I really like the Vikings either, but I really can't stand Green Bay.
Extra funny: the sauerkraut cut-away, in which we were taken on a super-sped-up tour of how bottled and canned sauerkraut is made while being serenaded by raucous polka music. And the sight of former Vikings player [was it Jim?] McMahon wearing what appeared to be a giant (and fresh) deer pelt while head-bopping to music that he clearly was not listening to, as there were no earphones anywhere around him. And the supicious lack of sound or logos that accompanied the end of the sentence: "Monday Night Football is brought to you by..." It became clear to us that these sponsors aren't allowed to have their names shown on British TV, but the Brits are not allowed to "edit" any of the MNF broadcast. As a result, they were only able to cut the audio feed and eliminate the logos being splashed up, thus leaving the viewers with a silent pan over the Packers hall of fame.
Finally, it was weird to be rooting for the same team as Derek. We're good friends, but I'm from Boston and he's from Manhattan. Last year, during the Superbowl, he took pleasure in leading the Brits who were watching the game in raucous cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles. He even rooted against the Patriots two weeks ago simply out of spite, not because he likes the Colts, but because the Patriots must go. Oddly enough, instead of following in his father's [dubious] footsteps to root for the Giants, Derek's favorite team has long been the Vikings. He attributes it to really liking the color purple. Which Pat Robertson would take as a mark of his sexuality, but that's another rant for another time. So yes, very odd to be rooting for the Vikings as well. It's not that I really like the Vikings either, but I really can't stand Green Bay.
11.20.2005
family
Family's here! In unrelated news, yesterday was international toilet day! OK.
Went to Eton to visit Matt again - watched the wall game. The wall game was introduced by the referree, who was, incidentally, also Matt's head of house. Said Mr. Grenier, the wall game is possibly a metaphor for life: there's lots of effort, and you might gain a little bit of yardage, you might lose a little bit, but in the end, it's usually pretty much a draw. The point of the wall game is to make the ball hit one of the two goals: either a tree on one side of the stretch of wall, or a door on the other. According to legend, no one has scored a goal in the wall game on St. Andrew's Day (the big homecoming game) since 1909, though it is possible to score a "shy" by other means. Full details, from the Eton College website, may be found here. Indeed, they are not mistaken when they say that "Few sports offer less to the spectator". It is intensely boring to watch.
Mom and Dad are here, and it's lovely to see them. Currently, they are in Bath, having gone to Salisbury yesterday. I'm glad they're having a good time. They're coming to Oxford this coming week a few times to hear me sing. :)
Went to Eton to visit Matt again - watched the wall game. The wall game was introduced by the referree, who was, incidentally, also Matt's head of house. Said Mr. Grenier, the wall game is possibly a metaphor for life: there's lots of effort, and you might gain a little bit of yardage, you might lose a little bit, but in the end, it's usually pretty much a draw. The point of the wall game is to make the ball hit one of the two goals: either a tree on one side of the stretch of wall, or a door on the other. According to legend, no one has scored a goal in the wall game on St. Andrew's Day (the big homecoming game) since 1909, though it is possible to score a "shy" by other means. Full details, from the Eton College website, may be found here. Indeed, they are not mistaken when they say that "Few sports offer less to the spectator". It is intensely boring to watch.
Mom and Dad are here, and it's lovely to see them. Currently, they are in Bath, having gone to Salisbury yesterday. I'm glad they're having a good time. They're coming to Oxford this coming week a few times to hear me sing. :)
11.14.2005
concert
On Saturday Night, the Oxford University Orchestra kicked off its 2005 - 06 season with a massive concert. Epic might work as a description, except that it wasn't very long. It was just intense.
We opened with pure, unadulterated cheese: the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony. You can say what you like about this piece: I think it's fun, it's massive in scale without being too overbearing. It certainly doesn't feel like it has the weight of the world on its shoulders. Which is not to say that it's light or frivolous: it's a Beethoven 4 and not a Beethoven 5. Of course, most people know it not as the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony, but as the theme to the movie "Babe". For that, perhaps, we should be disappointed. It truly is a gorgeous piece of music, though again, the music snobs would certainly like to point out that it's really got no point as a piece of music.
The second half was Shostakovich 10: a symphony written immediately after the death of Stalin, whose constant interference (if one can call the threat of a dictatorial madman in your work and persona life an 'interference') had been a source of frustration and fear. This is Shostakovich's rude gesture directed at the grave and memory of Stalin, but the totality of the Soviet machine makes even this work seem a bit tentative and still fearful. It's terrifying that even after Stalin's death, Shostakovich was still scared out of his mind and was unable to present a work which truly reflected how he felt.
Both of these pieces make up an incredibly intense concert, and I was pretty much shattered by the time we finished the Shostakovich. Not to mention the fact that they're both really quite difficult to play. In any case, it was a lovely concert and, being short, I was home with plenty of time to get a good night's rest.
We opened with pure, unadulterated cheese: the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony. You can say what you like about this piece: I think it's fun, it's massive in scale without being too overbearing. It certainly doesn't feel like it has the weight of the world on its shoulders. Which is not to say that it's light or frivolous: it's a Beethoven 4 and not a Beethoven 5. Of course, most people know it not as the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony, but as the theme to the movie "Babe". For that, perhaps, we should be disappointed. It truly is a gorgeous piece of music, though again, the music snobs would certainly like to point out that it's really got no point as a piece of music.
The second half was Shostakovich 10: a symphony written immediately after the death of Stalin, whose constant interference (if one can call the threat of a dictatorial madman in your work and persona life an 'interference') had been a source of frustration and fear. This is Shostakovich's rude gesture directed at the grave and memory of Stalin, but the totality of the Soviet machine makes even this work seem a bit tentative and still fearful. It's terrifying that even after Stalin's death, Shostakovich was still scared out of his mind and was unable to present a work which truly reflected how he felt.
Both of these pieces make up an incredibly intense concert, and I was pretty much shattered by the time we finished the Shostakovich. Not to mention the fact that they're both really quite difficult to play. In any case, it was a lovely concert and, being short, I was home with plenty of time to get a good night's rest.
11.11.2005
stock is going up
Well, it's been a long time since I posted (a whole week!) and it's been a full one.
So let's start at the beginning.
Yes, I went down to Eton to see Matt play. I'm always impressed to watch him play football (soccer), as he's really got a gift for it. I was at college and teaching for all of his middle school and high school career, so I missed a great deal while he was growing up. He's got good skills, and I'm always proud to see him on the field. We went out for dinner at an all-you-can-eat Chinese place. Now, you're probably thinking that two Chinese guys in England could do a lot better. And you're right, we probably could have. But this was an interesting concept where you ordered as many little dishes as you wanted and they cooked your order to spec. And you can order more, and more, and more. Amazing. Plus, they've got Peking duck, which you can just gorge yourself on. I did. :)
On Tuesday, Magdala went to Arundel Castle. I forgot to bring my camera, so I don't have any photos, but just google it - it's gorgeous. Interesting note: during the English reformation, the chapel at the castle was cut into two: one Protestant and one Catholic. The partition is still up, and in fact, to get to the Protestant side of the chapel, it is necessary to leave the castle. Arundel is a cute little town, though. It's kind of artsy and there are seagulls everywhere. And the fastest-moving river (the Arun) in England flows through (hence Arundel). That reminds me of my friend Arun from college. He was in the Nassoons with me and we ended up calling him "Scalper", y'know, because he's Indian. No, not that kind of Indian, that's what made it funny. You know what? Shut up. I'm not sharing any more jokes with you.
Unfortunately, my stomach gets a bit dodgy on long bus rides, and Tuesday night I felt right awful.
Turned in more of my thesis yesterday and met with my supervisor today. He's been liking my stuff more and more, though this next chapter is the most difficult one I've got. Much more reading to be done...
Dr. Ma told several fun stories in lecture on Thursday. Among my favorite was about a guy at the battle of Chaeronea who met his death by having a cut made in the top of his head from temple to temple. Basically, the top half of his face fell off. If that wasn't bad enough, Dr. Ma recited a haiku. A HAIKU about the battle of Chaeronea. I reproduce it here:
Bright summer morning
Afternoon slaughter, you cut
off my face. A mask.
Dr. Ma is so weird.
So I've not had time to cook for myself recently: it's been very busy since we're leading up to the orchestra concert tomorrow (Whoo hoo! Shostakovitch 10 and the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony). So for lunch today, I took the liberty of buying some nice food for cooking. I made a pan-seared minute steak (like, way thin steak) with a shallot and port wine sauce. Hey, if you're going to eat well, for goodness sake, eat well.
So let's start at the beginning.
Yes, I went down to Eton to see Matt play. I'm always impressed to watch him play football (soccer), as he's really got a gift for it. I was at college and teaching for all of his middle school and high school career, so I missed a great deal while he was growing up. He's got good skills, and I'm always proud to see him on the field. We went out for dinner at an all-you-can-eat Chinese place. Now, you're probably thinking that two Chinese guys in England could do a lot better. And you're right, we probably could have. But this was an interesting concept where you ordered as many little dishes as you wanted and they cooked your order to spec. And you can order more, and more, and more. Amazing. Plus, they've got Peking duck, which you can just gorge yourself on. I did. :)
On Tuesday, Magdala went to Arundel Castle. I forgot to bring my camera, so I don't have any photos, but just google it - it's gorgeous. Interesting note: during the English reformation, the chapel at the castle was cut into two: one Protestant and one Catholic. The partition is still up, and in fact, to get to the Protestant side of the chapel, it is necessary to leave the castle. Arundel is a cute little town, though. It's kind of artsy and there are seagulls everywhere. And the fastest-moving river (the Arun) in England flows through (hence Arundel). That reminds me of my friend Arun from college. He was in the Nassoons with me and we ended up calling him "Scalper", y'know, because he's Indian. No, not that kind of Indian, that's what made it funny. You know what? Shut up. I'm not sharing any more jokes with you.
Unfortunately, my stomach gets a bit dodgy on long bus rides, and Tuesday night I felt right awful.
Turned in more of my thesis yesterday and met with my supervisor today. He's been liking my stuff more and more, though this next chapter is the most difficult one I've got. Much more reading to be done...
Dr. Ma told several fun stories in lecture on Thursday. Among my favorite was about a guy at the battle of Chaeronea who met his death by having a cut made in the top of his head from temple to temple. Basically, the top half of his face fell off. If that wasn't bad enough, Dr. Ma recited a haiku. A HAIKU about the battle of Chaeronea. I reproduce it here:
Afternoon slaughter, you cut
off my face. A mask.
Dr. Ma is so weird.
So I've not had time to cook for myself recently: it's been very busy since we're leading up to the orchestra concert tomorrow (Whoo hoo! Shostakovitch 10 and the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony). So for lunch today, I took the liberty of buying some nice food for cooking. I made a pan-seared minute steak (like, way thin steak) with a shallot and port wine sauce. Hey, if you're going to eat well, for goodness sake, eat well.
11.04.2005
news
Well, not much news to present here, except that it was my Mom's birthday yesterday. I think she had a good time. :)
I'm going down to Eton to see my brother tomorrow. I'm excited to watch him play football.
Did my laundry today. Gross.
Meh. Boring day. Headed to the library now.
Honestly, I wish this post were more exciting, but really, I'm a very boring person today.
I'm going down to Eton to see my brother tomorrow. I'm excited to watch him play football.
Did my laundry today. Gross.
Meh. Boring day. Headed to the library now.
Honestly, I wish this post were more exciting, but really, I'm a very boring person today.
