La Boheme  UT opera company production.

 

OH we had such a good time at the opera. WAY exceeded my expectations. Wilma was also ENTHUSED.

The Carousel theater is a small round theater next to the big theater on the UT campus. It was a full house, but I think I heard there were 150 seats. That means it was INTIMATE theater. The actors exited and entered from the aisles as well as from back stage. And the stage was extended to a semi circle on the floor, so sometimes someone was singing 5 feet from me. (I was in the second row--there were only, I don't know, 6 rows).

The staging was minimal, and as in the play we went to, the actors came out and moved the props between scenes. The setting was supposed to be post apopaclypse Paris (the original La Boheme would have been late 19th century Paris. I think it was written 1896. The kids had a good time styling their hair and shopping the thrift shops for exotic clothes. They were quite colorful.

A vocal coach for the university sat beside us, and gave us some background on the production. It was neat to see her enthusiasm. The entire production was high energy. Funny when it could be. I think the kids carried off humor better than drama. Since we were so close, the actors could use body language effectively. And their voices filled the theater. BIG voices. I loved the lead tenor's voice. Next week I go to the big Atlanta production of Carmen, and I'm thinking, sitting up in the first balcony, I will be missing the intimacy and enthusiasm of this student production. Since I'm not an expert, the singing was great to me, the acting was delightful.

November birds

November birds dancing in the still blue sky.

Weaving patterns of air

A flock drops in from the sun, 

Another swirls in from the trees to the left.

Curling past each other

Spiraling in and out

Separating and joining

Sharing the same sky at different heights

Another group appears from the other direction

Joining the dance

Outliers fly over my head

Their wings golden, translucent in the sun.

I lift my arms and wave and dance with them, swaying.
Earth to rain motions with my arms mimic their flight.

The flocks lift above me, cycle apart like ram's horns,

Joining their kind in the November sky.

Namaste. I see you. I am with you.

Spiral Dance

There was a time when the humans on the earth were smaller in number, and made a  lighter footprint on the earth. One small band of humans had carved a home for themselves, and learned to grow food in cleared fields, and keep some animals to supplement their hunting and the gathering of wild plants.  Seasons passed into generations, and the people lived as they always had. Religion was a dance, celebrated with body, mind and soul.

************

The days were getting longer, sunrise and sunset crept northward on the horizon toward the  stones marking the furthest points the sun would reach. The fields were planted and green with new growth. Excitement stirred in the community, it was time to prepare for the midsummer's night festival for the Goddess.

The gathering ground in the middle of the village was swept clean. Sacred stones were retrieved from the pile in which they they were stored between festivals. Deirdre, the priestess, directed the young boys as they laid the stones out in a large spiral, working out from a sacred inner circle. Wood was brought for the fires,  the small Goddess fire in the center, and the two large fires to mark the sunrise and sunset points at the outer edge of the spiral.

Every man in the village, from the youngest, who had just done their manhood ceremonies at winter solstice, to the wizened, shriveled old grandfathers who still carried the hope and desire to honor the Goddess, carefully prepared their dancing masks. Feathers and fur, previously collected and stored, were brought out and carefully attached. Crushed rocks were mixed with oils to paint vivid colors. Horns and tusks saved from slaughtered animals were attached, so that when the mask was placed on his head, each man would become the Horned God.

The women gathered flowers and leaves to weave into garlands, to adorn their hair, waists, arms thighs.  Deirdre set several young girls to grind ochre to make the red paste for painting Goddess symbols on bodies.

As the heat of the day waned, a supper of bread, vegetables, fruits and beer was served. Everyone would need nourishment for the long night of singing, dancing and lovemaking, but wouldn't want to be weighed down by a heavy feast. The little children were put to bed, with some of the older children charged with watching them. Others of the older children would be allowed to stay up late, taking turns playing the drums and rattles and joining in on the songs and chants.

The solstice stone glowed orange as the setting sun passed over it, and the sunset and sunrise fires were lit, As the drums started a slow throbbing, all the people gathered at the edge of the spiral,  forming a large circle.  Each man proudly wore his horned mask, and the women were beautiful in their flowers. The youngest boys clumped together in a shy, nervous bunch, but the mature men stepped between them, dividing them. "No Goddess will step out of the spiral if she sees all you babies waiting for her," teased Broka, "she has to have some hope that a REAL man will be stepping up to worship her."

Priestess Deirdre walked first to the sunrise fire, then to the sunset fire, pulling some burning twigs from each. She approached the entrance of the spiral, and stopped. The drums silenced. All the people breathed as one, as Deirdre stood with head bowed in silent prayer, asking the Goddess' favor on the ceremony.  Deirdre raised her head, raised her arms holding the tiny fires, and stepped into the spiral, turning in slow circles. The gibbous moon cast silver on her long unbound hair woven with flowers, her  heavy breasts, belly softly rounded from childbirth, and wide womanly hips, as she circled round and round, slowly making her way deeper into the spiral.  Drums began again, softly, as Deirdre sang:

I am  Mother
Sing my praises
Worship me with body and soul

From my womb
Pours blood and water
Giving  life to all the land

Grain and fruit grow
From my blessing
New life thrives at my command

I am  Mother
Sing my praises
Worship me with body and soul

Celebrate 
the gift I give you
Light the fires of life again

As Deirdre finished the last verse, the four oldest women of the village entered the spiral and started the song again. More drums picked up the beat, and all the people in the circle joined in the song, slowly stepping  counterclockwise around the spiral edge, clapping hands in rhythym with the song. Next, five women of the village who were heany with pregnancy stepped forward and entered the spiral. These were the  blessed of the Mother.

When Deirdre,  the crones, and the pregnant women reached the inner circle, she knelt down and lit the Goddess fire. The women first attended her, rubbing the ochre over her body, painting a spiral on each breast, and painting the downward pointing triangle on her pubis. Then Deirdre and the crones painted the Goddess symbols on the pregnant women's breast and pubis, and large spirals on the mounds of their bellies.

 Again the drumming stopped, as did the singing and dancing. All was silent except for the soft crackling of the fires. Again, the whole community breathed with one breath. Deirdre lept  over the fire and became the Goddess. The celebration had begun.

The dancers continued the slow cicle around the perimeter.  As a woman would approach the entrance to the spiral, if she were ready, she would leave the circle of dancers and start to spiral inward. Slowly turning as she spiraled in, singing and clapping hands. some of the women brought with them gifts of food and drink for the women in the Goddess circle.  Deirdre stayed in the circle to welcome some of the arriving women. She helped the crones and pregnant women rub on the ochre and embraced each woman as she jumped across the fire, becoming the Goddess. Soon though, the circle was filling, and it was time to spiral back out, Deirdre leading the women, singing, dancing ,skipping and leaping, spiraling out and out.

The men and a few of the women who had not yet started to spiral in continued the slow dance around the perimeter, chanting and singing Goddess songs. As Deirdre rounded the outermost ring of the spiral, she admired all the circling masked Gods. She timed her exit from the spiral so that a beautifully crafted mask carried on a well muscled chest and abdomen with long sinewy arms and legs and  approached the exit. Deirdre was pretty sure she knew who's face was under that mask, and he was a young man who could use some expert teaching on how to best honor the Goddess.  She stepped out of the spiral and held out her hand to the young Horned God. He took her hand in both of his, knelt before her, and kissed her hand.  She signaled him to rise, and holding his hand led him out of the light into the moonswept darkness of the field.

South America trip: Peru

Peru
Wednesday April 4 was a sea day, sailing west across the southern coast of Peru. I came back to the room after my 4pm yoga class, and opened the door to a roomful of jumping parents. Mom had won $276 at bingo!
Chad had assigned me to do experiments on tub drains. I can report that at about 15 degrees latitude south, water circled the drain in my tub in the clockwise direction.

We had an elegant dinner this evening. Mom and Dad had a gift from their travel agent of tickets to the Pinnacle Grill, a separate restaurant, that is even more upscale than the dining room. As far as I am concerned, the main advantage is, it is quiet.  But since it was available, I had NY strip, and for dessert baked Alaska. Here is a picture of, I think, Mom's lamb chops (might be Dad's).

The waiter lit the liquor on the baked Alaska cake next to the table. The room was dark, and the blue fire cascaded beautifully from the lighter down to the cake. I said "Dad, camera!" but he didn't get it in time. The waiter said, "you want a picture? Here, I'll do it again." So I had twice flamed baked alaska.

April 5 (Thursday). During the night, the ship rounded the horn of the continent, and we again sailed north. Shortly after changing to the northerly direction, we docked at the port of General San Martin (named for the co-liberator of Peru, with Simon Bolivar), near Pisco. There was NOTHING at this port. NOTHING. A dock, some fuel tanks, a little bazarre of native crafts set out to siphon some dollars from the tourists. I bought an alpaca wool scarf.  The soil (or rocks) were red/brown, contrasting to our last port in Arica, which was all gray, but again nothing was growning.

Our tour today was to Islas Belestras, a nature preserve a few miles off shore. An open speed boat picked us up right off the ship and motored us first down the coast so that we could see the Candleabra, a 50 meter high drawing of a cactus etched into a hillside along the shore. Again, as with the figures in Arica (and the NASCA lines in the Atacona desert)  their origin and meaning is unknown. It was awesome!

The small boat took us right up to the many caves, arches, and sea stacks which provide shelter for 150 species of marine birds including the Humboldt penguin, cormorants, boobies and pelicans. We also saw hundreds of sea-lions. We couldn't stop snapping photos. Here are just a few. This was the most beautiful place of the entire trip.

Friday, Apr 6. The morning found us at the port in Lima, Peru. We will overnight here. We took a tour to the historic section of Lima. Buildings date back to the 1500s. We toured Casa Aliaga, a city house, occupied by the same family for 17 generations. We drove through Plaza San Martin. All the buildings in the square are PURPLE, commemorating Peruvian indepenence from Spain in 1821. We drove on to the Plaza de Armas. On this square are the palace of the governor, the state capitol, and the cathedral of Lima (I think the regional government was also on the square. Today was Good Friday. As we walked to the square we passed vendors selling palm fronds with crucifices tied in them, of a size to carry. 

Today 300,000 people made a pilgrimage starting with a ceremony outside the cathedral, to include brass bands and cannons, and walking to seven Lima churches on a 10 mile route. The color was purple. Many men were in black suits with purple ties. Young women carried tiny babies.

The colors in Peru are soft earthy shades of purple, blue, gold, red, green.  Many of the old buildings have moorish wooden carved balconies. These allow women to be outside, but above the street and invisible.

We finished our tour of Lima in the new section, Miraflores, where all the pricey shopping and hotels are. We walked around the Parca de l'amour, on a cliff above the ocean, and watched the surfers.

Saturday, April 7. On this second day in Lima our focus was archeology and anthropology.  We saw pottery from different periods. Moche, bce 200 to ce 800, Chimu 900-1400, and Inca 1100-1500.
Many of the most beautiful pots were in perfect condition because they were made to be put in burials. There were also gloriously decorated burial pots for storing the dead.

After the museum, we were bussed 40k to the archeology dig at Pachamac, an Incan and pre-Incan site. The digging is still going on. We hiked up to the temple of sun, which is partially unburied.

Looking down from the archeology site to the village. Many Peruvians live a meager life.

Next stop on the tour was to a hacienda for lunch on the patio. Mamacona ranch raises Peruvian Paso horses,  known for a smooth ride. It is distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral gait called the paso llano, between a walk and a gallop, where only one foot is on the ground at anytime. A  brass band played while the horses and people in traditional dance dress danced together (Appeared Spanish to me, big flowing  skirts, the women looked like flowers). We were served Pisco, the national liqour, with lemonade. While we were at lunch, the dancers changed costumes into what seemed a more South American style, and danced folk dances. As often happens with these shows, the dancers pull the tourists onto the floor for a simple dance. I always say yes, because I love to dance.

Peruvian people are small, with sharp planed facial bones. I was intrigued that one of the dancers was a big strapping boy, with a German face. I googled, and learned that around 1850 there was a program encouraging German immigration to Peru, mostly to settle the Andes to provide a link between the coasts. Currently 160,000 Peruvians are of Germanic descent.

Dad, on horseback for possibly the first time ever, at age 86.

Sunday, April  8 Trujillo. northern Peru.

We didn't reach the dock in Trujillo until mid morning. Since I am always up, I went to the 7am stretch class.
As soon as the ship would let us off, we started our tour. We were first taken to the Plaza de Armas in the city. The large square is surrounded by official buildings, each painted a different Peruvian color. The Cathedral was gold, the courthouse blue, other buisness buildings were reds and greens.

We boarded the bus for a short drive out to El Cuidad de Moche.. We turned off the road and drove through a small village with narrow streets. The Moche Temple of the Moon has been excavated through several levels. The guide told us each of the five levels was built on top of the previous at hundred year intervals. Their are burials in the temple, and alters for human sacrifice.

We got back to the ship in time for me to join the sunset tai chi class. A day that includes  sunrise yoga, walks through an ancient temple, and ends with tai chi, is a day well lived.

South America trip: Chile

Wow! It was a good flight. Maybe a bit bumpy, but all the connections were good, and on time. The airports were fine, I actually slept a little on the plane, and we didn’t even have to pick up our bags, the Holland America team collected them for us (brought back opposing memories of my old fly/camping trips when you could check three bags each for free, then haul the mountain of bags out to the rental car). Santiago is in a valley, and is semi-arid, like eastern Colorado. The trip into the city was along a wide riverbed, mostly dry. On either side of the highway were very poor looking barrios (or so I thought at the time, I hadn’t yet seen Peru). We didn’t see the business district, because a 6 km tunnel took us under it.

The Santiago Sheraton is what you would expect from a Sheraton, and it had an exceptionally beautiful pool area. We had a lovely lunch, of which we had no idea the cost. Chilean pesos are in the area of 400 some to the dollar.  It is early fall in Chile, and yes, the sun is in the northern sky. Santiago is at the same latitude as Atlanta, except in negative numbers. We lounged in a cabana by the pool, played some cards, and then as the sun set, moved to seats around a gas fire pit and ordered ice cream. Dad wanted a sundae, and they didn’t quite understand how to make one, but they gave it a good try. Just no syrup.

March 31. Boarding the Veendam in Valparaiso, Chile.
Our first tour in Chile was actually the bus trip from Santiago over to the coast. We rode the tunnels through mountain ranges separating the valleys, and got our first look at ocean fog, which is the main source of moisture for watering the crops in this part of Chile.

Stepping onto a ship is always a big moment. Leaving the land, sailing, an artificial home for a time. Off to see and do extraordinary things.

April 1. The ship brought us to a morning wake up in Coquimbo/La Serena, Chile. I had my first of several Lido omelets, and headed off the ship for my trip to Cerro Tololo Inter-american Observatory. There was a bit of a moment when the crew swiped my ship ID to sign me off the ship. The photo on my card was of a white haired lady. MOM. They had our pictures on the wrong cards. They also had our credit cards mixed up. It took a couple trips to the purser's office to get that all straightened out, but eventually our cards had our correct photos, and when we shopped, it was billed to our correct accounts.

The bus took us through the Elqui Valley (famous for wines and orchards) to the gravel road which wound up the mountain through quisco cactus, until we got too high for cactus. Then there was gravel.

The scientist at Cerro Tololo were celebrating their part in the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics:
 "The Nobel Prize committee announced that the 2011
Nobel Prize in Physics has been won by three astronomers, for the
discovery that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up. Saul
Perlmutter (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab) led the Supernova
Cosmology Project while Brian Schmidt (Australian National University)
and Adam Riess (Johns Hopkins/Space Telescope Science Institute) were
leading members of the High-z Supernova Search team. Present (Chris
Smith) and past (Mark Phillips, Nick Suntzeff, Mario Hamuy, Bob
Schommer) Cerro Tololo staff members were also members of the High-z team.
Both teams announced their results in 1998. This unexpected finding
led to the idea that the acceleration is driven by the mysterious dark
energy and that the Universe we see (stars etc) are a very minor
component. (SAUL PERLMUTTER BTW IS ONE OF SHELDON'S NEMESES ON BBT)
They also wanted us to know their connection with Nicholas Sanduleak, an astronomer who did a lot of star mapping from Cerro Tololo, and who lived to see the star named after him go super nova in 1987.
We returned down the steep gravel one lane road in a 45 minute trip back to the Elqui Valley, where we were fed a lovely lunch with much local wine in the garden of a hotel.

April 2. Sea Day. We took part in various of the ship's Explorations programs, including yoga, computer/photography classes and a lecture on the history of Chile.

April 3 Tuesday

Arica, Chile

Started the day with the 7am stretch class, then watched the ship pull into port.

Our excursion today was "The High Heartland of Chile," an all day bus trip to the village of Petra, at about 12,000ft elevation. As soon as the town of Arica ended, the Atacoma Desert took over. We at first were driving through the Lueta valley, and the valley floor had some irrigated crops, but it was several degrees of magnitude dryer than the Elqui Valley. Where the slopes of the Elqui were dotted with brush and cactus, the slopes of the Lueta are devoid of any growth. If there was a lichen somewhere, I didn't see it. What CAN be seen on the north facing slopes are numerous petroglyphs, made by cementing black lava rocks (the guide said the nearest lava is hundreds of miles away) onto the gray slope. We saw representations of giant men with backpacks, llamas, eagle, condor, cougar

They are among the many mysterious contructions in the Atacoma desert. No one remembers how, when, or why they are there.

Before leaving the Lueta valley, we stopped at the village of Pocachile. We visited the church and graveyard. The graveyard was quite festive with tents and flowers. The guide explained that families celebrate feast days with their dead, bringing the whole family, food, and music to the cemetary.

We left the valley to climb into the mountains. The road rises in ridiculously steep switchbacks. Big trucks use the road to come down from Bolivia. We saw two that had careened off the road. At 7000 feet the complete desolation of the desert is broken by candelabra cactus. They are gone again by 8000 feet, but above that the desert was in gay bloom (they had had record rains in January). Whole sides were purple with lupine (I think) as well as yellow and pink flowers, and some green bushes.

We got high enough to see the Andes in the distance, and the 16,000 ft volcano which defined our skyline.  We were fed empanadas  and cacao leaf tea for lunch in the community center at the  village of Petra, an oasis watered by runoff from the volcano.