Transitory Spheres
Jun. 8th, 2004 05:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wojelahFor those of you not attuned to the music of the spheres, Venus made a once-in-a-100-year transit across the face of the Sun today. Marla's dad's a surgeon, and sent her exposed film. Held in front of your face, it allows you to look at said orb and marvel at the tiny black speck that is in fact a huge planetary mass. Very cool.
In other news, the magical mystery vanishing paycheck has finally made an appearance, so two hours on the phone with the evil bank may have done some good. My case is nearly not as sympathetic as that of another summer, Werner, whose bank card was eaten by an ATM a few short hours into his stay in Brussels and who then lost his wallet, including green card, in London this weekend. To further complicate things, the replacement card (sent by the bank, to its own branch in Brussels) is being held hostage by the express mail service, since the bank's branch is apparently an "undeliverable address".
And, in upcoming news, AMSTERDAM THIS WEEKEND.... I'm going on my own, so if there's no word on Monday, assume I've refused to leave. And draw your -own- conclusions as to why. :)
UPDATE:
The Tokyo Ballet last night was amazing. Very simple in its details, no froufy tutus, interesting music, and incredible dancers. The middle piece involved mobsters, a drag queen, and a man who didn't die despite being beaten, stabbed, and hung. We didn't purchase the program (and here that's the only way to get one), so I'm pretty sure something fairly important got lost in translation (and, as we had slightly obstructed seats, I'm pretty sure we missed a few major plot points, but I'm not sure that would've made a difference). The last piece, done to Ravel's Bolero, was just cool. Naked torso, white lights, black pants and stage, brilliant red large table, and entirely male cast. I do not generally -like- Bolero (for the simple reason that after listening to the whole piece, the theme has been repeated a sufficient number of times that you end up humming, singing, murmuring, etc., until there's no room for anything else in your brain). It didn't matter. Absolutely amazing.
The theater, however, was NOT air conditioned, and up in the nosebleed seats it got a bit stifling. Werner and Esther had left early, so afterwards we met them at Place Sablon, where they'd gone to grab dinner somewhere. A bottle of Gewurtztraminer, an attempt at a Dame Blanche, and an odd cheese plate later, we called it a night. Lovely :)
In other news, the magical mystery vanishing paycheck has finally made an appearance, so two hours on the phone with the evil bank may have done some good. My case is nearly not as sympathetic as that of another summer, Werner, whose bank card was eaten by an ATM a few short hours into his stay in Brussels and who then lost his wallet, including green card, in London this weekend. To further complicate things, the replacement card (sent by the bank, to its own branch in Brussels) is being held hostage by the express mail service, since the bank's branch is apparently an "undeliverable address".
And, in upcoming news, AMSTERDAM THIS WEEKEND.... I'm going on my own, so if there's no word on Monday, assume I've refused to leave. And draw your -own- conclusions as to why. :)
UPDATE:
The Tokyo Ballet last night was amazing. Very simple in its details, no froufy tutus, interesting music, and incredible dancers. The middle piece involved mobsters, a drag queen, and a man who didn't die despite being beaten, stabbed, and hung. We didn't purchase the program (and here that's the only way to get one), so I'm pretty sure something fairly important got lost in translation (and, as we had slightly obstructed seats, I'm pretty sure we missed a few major plot points, but I'm not sure that would've made a difference). The last piece, done to Ravel's Bolero, was just cool. Naked torso, white lights, black pants and stage, brilliant red large table, and entirely male cast. I do not generally -like- Bolero (for the simple reason that after listening to the whole piece, the theme has been repeated a sufficient number of times that you end up humming, singing, murmuring, etc., until there's no room for anything else in your brain). It didn't matter. Absolutely amazing.
The theater, however, was NOT air conditioned, and up in the nosebleed seats it got a bit stifling. Werner and Esther had left early, so afterwards we met them at Place Sablon, where they'd gone to grab dinner somewhere. A bottle of Gewurtztraminer, an attempt at a Dame Blanche, and an odd cheese plate later, we called it a night. Lovely :)
