Saturday, November 26, 2005
No day but today...to see the movie...to share the message...to live the experience of Rent
I just saw Rent the movie. It was...IS...so good! And I'm so glad that it is. I was worried that the movie would lessen the experience and the power of that story. I'm sure I wasn't alone in that worry. But the movie gave the story a fresh interpretation, gathered some amazing talent to play the cast of Rent, and blew its audience away with the same energy and inspiration that the Broadway production gives its audience members. I laughed, I cried, and I left the theater feeling very reflective--as I have done all 3 times I've seen Rent on the stage.
Rent is such a powerful story. A story about love, friendship, and what's truly important in life. A story that speaks to a generation of youth that feels very alone, very unnoticed, and very mobile--in the sense that we often don't stay in one place for very long. Rent, through its characters, its music, its emotion, its energy, carries a message of hope to all of us. We are not alone. We are not unimportant. Love is the binding force that keeps us going, that keeps us together, that helps us face each day. And we can't wait until tomorrow to share and rejoice in the gift of life all around us. Friends are here, now. Life is here, now. No day but today. And what's great about that message is that it applies to everyone, regardless of whether or not they have AIDS, like most of the characters in the show/movie. Life goes on, it's up to us to grab on and enjoy the ride. Otherwise, life will simply pass us by as we wait by the window for death to knock at our respective doors.
"I can't control my destiny. I trust my soul, my only goal is just to be. There's only now. There's only here. Give in to love, or live in fear. No other path. No other way. No day but today."
Rent is such a powerful story. A story about love, friendship, and what's truly important in life. A story that speaks to a generation of youth that feels very alone, very unnoticed, and very mobile--in the sense that we often don't stay in one place for very long. Rent, through its characters, its music, its emotion, its energy, carries a message of hope to all of us. We are not alone. We are not unimportant. Love is the binding force that keeps us going, that keeps us together, that helps us face each day. And we can't wait until tomorrow to share and rejoice in the gift of life all around us. Friends are here, now. Life is here, now. No day but today. And what's great about that message is that it applies to everyone, regardless of whether or not they have AIDS, like most of the characters in the show/movie. Life goes on, it's up to us to grab on and enjoy the ride. Otherwise, life will simply pass us by as we wait by the window for death to knock at our respective doors.
"I can't control my destiny. I trust my soul, my only goal is just to be. There's only now. There's only here. Give in to love, or live in fear. No other path. No other way. No day but today."
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
The indifferent balance between the Pru and John Hancock
So, it's true, I'm still obsessed with this view. I still can't put my finger on what it is. There's something so peaceful and beautiful about the silence of the view as you pass over the Longfellow Bridge, the silent bustle of the cars passing on the Longfellow Bridge and on Storrow Drive across the river. And the silent giants that seem almost indifferent to their surrounding buildings which can't even hope to compare to the powerful height that the Pru and the John Hancock possess. It's completely mesmerizing for so many different reasons that I ponder every day to and from work. I love it!
I said that the Pru and the John Hancock towers seem indifferent to the buildings that surround them. They also seem pretty indifferent to one another. They're so completely different, for being in such close proximity to each other. The Pru is considered by many to be the uglier of the two...a tall box dropped in the middle of the Boston skyline. Many a person has asked me why I like this "eyesore" so much, in fact. The John Hancock is much more graceful and seems to blend into the flow of the skyline much more smoothly. More like it was built than plopped down. And their differences speak to their utter indifference toward one another. It's not even that they seem to fight. They've just found a co-existence that they can share through ignoring each other in their own silent, towering ways.
I've noticed quite recently, though, with the shortness of days that has come with the changing of seasons, that each tower gets it time of day to stand out as the dominant tower of the skyline. Again, not like they're fighting for this spotlight, but the way each was built allows both to show themselves more or less depending on what time of day they are viewed. In the morning, when the sun is up or rising, the Pru sticks out almost like a sore thumb in the skyline. [I can't truly say "sore thumb" because I like the Pru too much, but you catch my meaning.] The Pru was built in such a way that it almost repels the rays of sun and the warmth of light in the daytime hours. So the Pru dominates the skyline view from the Longfellow Bridge, while the John Hancock, with it's mirrored glass on all sides, catches and reflects the sunlight, blending into the colors of the sunrise and reflecting the rest of the city in it's lower half. It blends into the background, as if conceding the spotlight to the Pru if it cared enough to think of it's sister tower in the skyline (which, as I've already established, it does not due to the indifference between the two).
My ride home from work almost always finds me in twilight or darker parts of the growing evening. And at this time of day, the John Hancock finds its time to shine. Without the natural light of day, the mirrored sides of the John Hancock are no longer visible, and instead we see the lights emanating from the inside of the tower. Those lights demand the attention of those viewing this skyline, as they're the brightest in the full scope of this view. The Pru, on the other hand, dims itself into the background. One can see lights from the inside of the Pru as well, but because of all of the other material making up the tower that is the Pru, those interior lights are significantly dimmed, enough to make the Pru appear to step into the darkness of the background while the John Hancock demands the spotlight.
An interesting relationship these two towers have, right? A natural balance between their time in the foreground of this view off the Longfellow Bridge, without ever really appearing to notice the other tower's existence. Never a fight, never a push-and-pull, never a tug-of-war for attention, just a natural back and forth from foreground and background as the hours of the day pass them by.
Fascinating...
I said that the Pru and the John Hancock towers seem indifferent to the buildings that surround them. They also seem pretty indifferent to one another. They're so completely different, for being in such close proximity to each other. The Pru is considered by many to be the uglier of the two...a tall box dropped in the middle of the Boston skyline. Many a person has asked me why I like this "eyesore" so much, in fact. The John Hancock is much more graceful and seems to blend into the flow of the skyline much more smoothly. More like it was built than plopped down. And their differences speak to their utter indifference toward one another. It's not even that they seem to fight. They've just found a co-existence that they can share through ignoring each other in their own silent, towering ways.
I've noticed quite recently, though, with the shortness of days that has come with the changing of seasons, that each tower gets it time of day to stand out as the dominant tower of the skyline. Again, not like they're fighting for this spotlight, but the way each was built allows both to show themselves more or less depending on what time of day they are viewed. In the morning, when the sun is up or rising, the Pru sticks out almost like a sore thumb in the skyline. [I can't truly say "sore thumb" because I like the Pru too much, but you catch my meaning.] The Pru was built in such a way that it almost repels the rays of sun and the warmth of light in the daytime hours. So the Pru dominates the skyline view from the Longfellow Bridge, while the John Hancock, with it's mirrored glass on all sides, catches and reflects the sunlight, blending into the colors of the sunrise and reflecting the rest of the city in it's lower half. It blends into the background, as if conceding the spotlight to the Pru if it cared enough to think of it's sister tower in the skyline (which, as I've already established, it does not due to the indifference between the two).
My ride home from work almost always finds me in twilight or darker parts of the growing evening. And at this time of day, the John Hancock finds its time to shine. Without the natural light of day, the mirrored sides of the John Hancock are no longer visible, and instead we see the lights emanating from the inside of the tower. Those lights demand the attention of those viewing this skyline, as they're the brightest in the full scope of this view. The Pru, on the other hand, dims itself into the background. One can see lights from the inside of the Pru as well, but because of all of the other material making up the tower that is the Pru, those interior lights are significantly dimmed, enough to make the Pru appear to step into the darkness of the background while the John Hancock demands the spotlight.
An interesting relationship these two towers have, right? A natural balance between their time in the foreground of this view off the Longfellow Bridge, without ever really appearing to notice the other tower's existence. Never a fight, never a push-and-pull, never a tug-of-war for attention, just a natural back and forth from foreground and background as the hours of the day pass them by.
Fascinating...
Sunday, November 20, 2005
The colors of Boston
I was riding the bus home from the Watertown Mall Target, and I was thinking about how I see Boston. Rather funny thing to think about on a Sunday evening bus ride? Perhaps...but I bet you could make a very interesting collection of stories out of the kinds of things people think about on the bus or the T, huh?
Anywho, back to my story. I was thinking about how I see Boston. And I realized that I see it in specific colors depending on where I am. Red for Cambridge, Somerville, Watertown, and places connected to the Red Line. Green for BU, BC, Allston, Brighton, Brookline, and places connected to the Green Line. And similarly for the other two lines. Downtown is a myriad of color because it's where the 4 colored areas of Boston collide and intertwine.
It's an interesting way to travel Boston...because in the periphery of my vision in any given place in the city and surrounding Metro area, I see the color of the area I'm in. When I see a map of the Boston Metro area, my imagination fills in the areas with their respective colors. When I see a new part of Boston, I mark it on my mental map with one of the 4 colors.
I guess, for me, it's just one more way to get to know Boston. One more way to see Boston for the unique and interesting city that it is.
Anywho, back to my story. I was thinking about how I see Boston. And I realized that I see it in specific colors depending on where I am. Red for Cambridge, Somerville, Watertown, and places connected to the Red Line. Green for BU, BC, Allston, Brighton, Brookline, and places connected to the Green Line. And similarly for the other two lines. Downtown is a myriad of color because it's where the 4 colored areas of Boston collide and intertwine.
It's an interesting way to travel Boston...because in the periphery of my vision in any given place in the city and surrounding Metro area, I see the color of the area I'm in. When I see a map of the Boston Metro area, my imagination fills in the areas with their respective colors. When I see a new part of Boston, I mark it on my mental map with one of the 4 colors.
I guess, for me, it's just one more way to get to know Boston. One more way to see Boston for the unique and interesting city that it is.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Think in color
Dream in color
See in color
Wrap color around you
Enjoy the wonder of a colorful world
And take pleasure in the explosion that a thousand colored bouncy-balls create when unleashed down a San Francisco street...
Colour like.no.other
See in color
Wrap color around you
Enjoy the wonder of a colorful world
And take pleasure in the explosion that a thousand colored bouncy-balls create when unleashed down a San Francisco street...
Colour like.no.other
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
What? 2 posts in one night? Unheard of!
[and I'm using capital letters again...but it's not the same post, so there. Deal.]
Must share...the laughs...it's just too good to pass up...
My horoscope from Yahoo! -
The rest of the world may be dealing with jealousy and resentment, but you've received a free pass from the Universe. Share that optimism now with whoever inspired it. You know who to call. The ghostbusters? Hmmm... 555-2368...
[Okay...I looked that up online...but I get points for finding it right? I wonder who would answer if I actually called that number. The Ghostbusters did work in NYC...not too hard to figure out what the area code would be. But perhaps I'm just too lazy and not quite interested or geeky enough to make the effort... Hmm... This aside has gotten way too long...it's starting to become an entity all its own...almost completely separate from the main post! It's sort of reminding me of this book I read: "Book" by Robert Grudin, where the footnotes completely hijack the story for a good 6 or 7 pages. Quite hilarious. I highly suggest reading it.]
Must share...the laughs...it's just too good to pass up...
My horoscope from Yahoo! -
The rest of the world may be dealing with jealousy and resentment, but you've received a free pass from the Universe. Share that optimism now with whoever inspired it. You know who to call. The ghostbusters? Hmmm... 555-2368...
[Okay...I looked that up online...but I get points for finding it right? I wonder who would answer if I actually called that number. The Ghostbusters did work in NYC...not too hard to figure out what the area code would be. But perhaps I'm just too lazy and not quite interested or geeky enough to make the effort... Hmm... This aside has gotten way too long...it's starting to become an entity all its own...almost completely separate from the main post! It's sort of reminding me of this book I read: "Book" by Robert Grudin, where the footnotes completely hijack the story for a good 6 or 7 pages. Quite hilarious. I highly suggest reading it.]
just because...
...i haven't posted in awhile...
...life is good...
...creepy 33 year olds don't exist in my immediate surroundings (long story, see november 3rd post called "don't forget the rubik's cube" for a bit more info)...
...i danced so much this weekend i'm too tired to dance at all this week...
...i stayed up for 25 hours on saturday...
...my friend called from california and we talked about her wedding...
...i just finished watching 3 episodes of the gilmore girls (mild obsession, mild, i promise)...
...i'm more than mildly obsessed with the gilmore girls ;P...
...i haven't used capital letters once in this post and don't intend to at all...
...i'm smiling, happy, and want you to be smiling too!
...life is good...
...creepy 33 year olds don't exist in my immediate surroundings (long story, see november 3rd post called "don't forget the rubik's cube" for a bit more info)...
...i danced so much this weekend i'm too tired to dance at all this week...
...i stayed up for 25 hours on saturday...
...my friend called from california and we talked about her wedding...
...i just finished watching 3 episodes of the gilmore girls (mild obsession, mild, i promise)...
...i'm more than mildly obsessed with the gilmore girls ;P...
...i haven't used capital letters once in this post and don't intend to at all...
...i'm smiling, happy, and want you to be smiling too!
Monday, November 07, 2005
The ultimate fans...
...or ultimate mockers...
Either way, these 2 Chinese students are HILARIOUS!!! And they take their performance so seriously, too! Way to go and make complete fools of yourselves, and then post it all over the Internet. Rock on. I am such a big fan.
My favorite part is the guy I can only assume is their roommate sitting very calmly in the background, seemingly oblivious to them as he works/plays on his computer. Talk about concentration on his part...not to laugh his ass off!
This link needs to be a permanent fixture on my blog as well, so it gets a coveted place on my sidebar, but it must be highlighted by a post because it's that hysterical!!!
[Credit for leading me to the all the laughs this video has brought must go to my roommate, by way of her friends, for sending it to me.]
Either way, these 2 Chinese students are HILARIOUS!!! And they take their performance so seriously, too! Way to go and make complete fools of yourselves, and then post it all over the Internet. Rock on. I am such a big fan.
My favorite part is the guy I can only assume is their roommate sitting very calmly in the background, seemingly oblivious to them as he works/plays on his computer. Talk about concentration on his part...not to laugh his ass off!
This link needs to be a permanent fixture on my blog as well, so it gets a coveted place on my sidebar, but it must be highlighted by a post because it's that hysterical!!!
[Credit for leading me to the all the laughs this video has brought must go to my roommate, by way of her friends, for sending it to me.]
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Spell what?
I love spell checker. Not because I'm a bad speller...I'm actually quite anal about good spelling. No, because the spell checker program always comes up with the funniest 'corrections' for words it doesn't recognize. My latest favorite?
freakin' is not in the spell checker's list of words, so it decides I must have meant foreskin
Hil-ar-i-ous!
freakin' is not in the spell checker's list of words, so it decides I must have meant foreskin
Hil-ar-i-ous!
Don't forget the Rubik's Cube!
We've all had them. The dates that were so bad, you get home and start laughing because it's so amusing you actually made it through without strangling him (or her)! And it's not just the one. No, we all have that secret arsenal of really horrible dates logged in our memories, ready to come up for air when we need a really good story at a party to get some laughs or when we're reminiscing with old friends about those things we did and will never really understand why. And they all fit into categories so well, don't they? The one where you got a flat tire. The one where neither of you talked the ENTIRE time. (Yeah, that was the one in 9th grade...) The one where you almost started chewing your arm off because you needed something to liven up the extreme boredom you felt. The one where he started talking about your 1 year anniversary on the first date. (Okay, so there were a couple of those...who's counting?)
Of course, I haven't listed every category, every scenario, every "classic date gone wrong" story type. I only highlight the ones that have happened to me personally. [Yeah, 'cuz I get to...it is my blog after all!]
And I can honestly say that in every one of those scenarios, except for the 9th grade one, I had my trusty Rubik's Cube with me. I didn't always intentionally bring it along. Sometimes I just simply forgot to take it out of my jacket pocket, or my car, or my purse. But it's been there with me through all of the torture, the uncomfortable silences, and truly "wtf" moments on every bad date I've had. (True, it's also been with me on the good dates, but that's not our topic this evening...)
It doesn't usually make an appearance. (That tends to be pretty rude in many social circles...) But it's become a source of comfort for me, a comfort that I haven't fully recognized until this week. (Yes, it might be completely true that I very recently had a pretty awful date, and the Rubik's Cube was indeed in my coat pocket the whole evening...) It's like having a security blanket in hard cube form, pocket-sized, and a bit less childish than a blanket. And any first date is awkward and a bit scary...it's nice to have something familiar to hold on to when I need to calm my nerves a bit.
Now, you've read this far, and your mind is filled with thoughts like:
"My god, what a geek!" or
"I cannot believe this girl brings a freakin' math puzzle with her on every date she goes on..." or
"That's so cute!" or
"Hmm, I'm totally stealing that idea for my date this Saturday in case it flops."
So, to answer the thoughts running through your mind, I say:
"Not 'geek.' Nerd."
"Believe it. You know you're just jealous that you didn't think of it first..."
"Um, yeah!" and
"I charge $5.00 per idea you feel you must steal from me. Pay up."
Okay, okay. Ha, ha. Answer the real question everyone's asking already!
Why a Rubik's Cube???
Quick answer: Why not?
Longer answer: I'm one of those people who always needs to be moving something, however subtle the movement is. I have a hard time paying attention to things unless something is moving...my foot during a movie, my fingers on the steering wheel while I'm driving, and oftentimes, my hands manipulating a Rubik's Cube as I'm walking home or listening to a friend or talking on the phone. Solving the Cube is a soothing exercise for me, something that comes almost second nature now because I've been doing it for so long. So, the Cube tends to be in a pocket or a purse or a bag of mine. And it always ends up with me somehow when I go out with someone. :)
Linus has his blue blanket. I have my Rubik's Cube. Little wonder we two are so alike...
Of course, I haven't listed every category, every scenario, every "classic date gone wrong" story type. I only highlight the ones that have happened to me personally. [Yeah, 'cuz I get to...it is my blog after all!]
And I can honestly say that in every one of those scenarios, except for the 9th grade one, I had my trusty Rubik's Cube with me. I didn't always intentionally bring it along. Sometimes I just simply forgot to take it out of my jacket pocket, or my car, or my purse. But it's been there with me through all of the torture, the uncomfortable silences, and truly "wtf" moments on every bad date I've had. (True, it's also been with me on the good dates, but that's not our topic this evening...)
It doesn't usually make an appearance. (That tends to be pretty rude in many social circles...) But it's become a source of comfort for me, a comfort that I haven't fully recognized until this week. (Yes, it might be completely true that I very recently had a pretty awful date, and the Rubik's Cube was indeed in my coat pocket the whole evening...) It's like having a security blanket in hard cube form, pocket-sized, and a bit less childish than a blanket. And any first date is awkward and a bit scary...it's nice to have something familiar to hold on to when I need to calm my nerves a bit.
Now, you've read this far, and your mind is filled with thoughts like:
"My god, what a geek!" or
"I cannot believe this girl brings a freakin' math puzzle with her on every date she goes on..." or
"That's so cute!" or
"Hmm, I'm totally stealing that idea for my date this Saturday in case it flops."
So, to answer the thoughts running through your mind, I say:
"Not 'geek.' Nerd."
"Believe it. You know you're just jealous that you didn't think of it first..."
"Um, yeah!" and
"I charge $5.00 per idea you feel you must steal from me. Pay up."
Okay, okay. Ha, ha. Answer the real question everyone's asking already!
Why a Rubik's Cube???
Quick answer: Why not?
Longer answer: I'm one of those people who always needs to be moving something, however subtle the movement is. I have a hard time paying attention to things unless something is moving...my foot during a movie, my fingers on the steering wheel while I'm driving, and oftentimes, my hands manipulating a Rubik's Cube as I'm walking home or listening to a friend or talking on the phone. Solving the Cube is a soothing exercise for me, something that comes almost second nature now because I've been doing it for so long. So, the Cube tends to be in a pocket or a purse or a bag of mine. And it always ends up with me somehow when I go out with someone. :)
Linus has his blue blanket. I have my Rubik's Cube. Little wonder we two are so alike...
