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March 31, 2007
Lessons from Liu and Julie Andrews
We saw Turandot at the Met last night. It was Puccini's final opera. It was outstanding. Beautiful sets. Beautiful costumes. Beautiful orchestra. Beautiful singing.
With all the inward complaining I do about the hot yoga I do (every day), I realize that I can make plenty of small excuses for my practice. “I’m tired.” “I don’t feel 101%.” “My back hurts.” “It’s hot.” “It’s humid.” “I’m dehydrated.” I have the entire selection of excuses at the ready. I can cut short a pose with any one of these excuses. And it doesn’t take more than a nano-second.
But can a diva? There she was, Hei-Kyung Hong, belting out Liu's stunning aria. Can she say, mid-way through, “I just don’t feel up to it. I’m shutting down now and walking off the stage. It’s too hot in this costume. I’m dehydrated. My voice sounds like shit.”
No, she can’t. She has lots going on in her mind - the set, her feet, her voice, her role, the costume, the orchestra. It is a complex set of variables requiring her absolute attention, concentration, discipline, focus, and skill.
About two-thirds through this morning’s yoga journey, the instructor said something like this: “It’s usually around about here [insert the most uncomfortable, barfiest, overwhelmingly hot, out-of-control feeling you can imagine] when I feel like throwing it in. Walking out of the room. I swear at myself. I think that I never want to come in this hot room again. Then something enters my mind, like Julie Andrews singing The Hills are Alive and it inspires me to find the strength inside myself to carry on”. He even invited us to picture him as Julie Andrews in a skirt and apron if it would inspire us.
At that very moment, Julie Andrews was not the image that would serve to inspire me today. Nick in a skirt and apron, maybe.
But he said something that set off a whirlwind in my mind. What are the thoughts that inspire us to do things that are challenging, that require the courage that we think we don’t have, and that force us to step out of our element?
Is it the people that we choose as our extended family that provide us with inspiration? Does our immediate family inspire us? What do the answers to these questions mean about the people that we choose as our closest friends? Do I inspire others? Do I inspire myself?
There I was, dripping a steady stream of smelly sweat, my spine stretched, when I went through the list of people in my life who inspire me. The list surprised me.
Who’s on your list? Why are they on your list? What was the last decision you made that was unlike you? Why did you make that decision? Were you inspired by someone close to you? Did you thank them, and explain to them how important their advice had been to your decision?
Life is beautiful.
Posted by dave at 07:19 PM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2007
'snot fair
Five events from yesterday: my cold is lingering, it was 25c (77f) here in New York, I hate meatloaf, I left the hot yoga room during a class, and I walked out of an opera.
So my story begins. (By the way, if you don’t find the wonders of the human body a source of a good laugh, close your browser now.) I woke yesterday feeling considerably better, probably 90%. I went for a run, and had to stop at a public loo along the Hudson River to blow my nose. All I could find was single ply toilet tissue. Of course, my sinuses decided to pick that exact moment to unleash a torrent of glutinous, gelatinous goo about the consistency of yogurt. I will spare the slimy details. This was only the beginning.
I decided to go to yoga at 1:30. No eating 2 hours before meant an early lunch. I had ordered groceries from Fresh Direct on Monday, and instead of olive oil, they sent meatloaf. I grudgingly heated it for lunch, with a fresh salad and some papaya. It all felt like a nasty lump in my tummy. OMG, this would make for a tricky yoga class.
I got to yoga in time to chill before the class, and compared notes with Erik, the instructor, who is suffering with a similar cold. I chose the front row. Right in front of the mirror. About an hour into the class, I was in “wind-removing pose”. Yes, this pose temporarily cuts off the blood circulating to the colon. Helps with digestion. Apparently, it helps to pass gas. And meatloaf. I suddenly felt like I was going to explode.
I decided to persevere. My rule: never, ever, leave the hot room. On to the first spine-strengthening pose. The set up is simple. Face down on the mat, hands palm-down under your deltoids (boobies), elbows up in the air like grasshopper wings. Peel yourself off the floor using only lower back strength. On my way up, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. A huge smear of slime was creeping out of my nose and down toward my chin. What now? I looked at Erik, who saw immediately my plight. I waited until the pose was over, and bolted for the door. Ten minutes blowing and pulling, and it was over. There was no way there was anything left in my sinuses. I probably managed to unleash a bit of brain matter in the process. I rejoined the class.
Onward to see Madama Butterfly at the New York City Opera. I swiped my MetroCard and it bleeped “Please swipe again”. For those who have never ridden the NYC subway system, you need to understand that the MetroCard is a stored-value card, which is the flimsiest piece of plastic. You don’t want this to get wet or it would dissolve. Hence, the periodic “Please swipe again”.
I turned, and the woman behind me had already swiped hers. We began a MetroCard dance. I went through on her fare, then turned to swipe my card. She entered on my fare. The train was right there, and we both hopped on. It was a New York moment that happened instantly. It could have unfolded any number of ways, but she was so polite and nice about it.
I met Chis at Rockefeller Center, and we took advantage of the beautiful summer-like weather to wander up to Lincoln Center through Central Park. We arrived in time to grab a bite to eat, then went across the street to see the performance. The biggest problem with the New York State Theatre is that it is designed for ballet. This means the acoustics make the orchestra strong, and the stage soft. You just don’t want to hear the tip-tapping of ballet shoes. This is not good for opera. I could barely hear the tenors in the first act. It was so bad. The second act was significantly better. Butterfly’s duet with Suzuki was spectacular, but Butterfly’s famous aria was disappointing. During the second intermission, we left.
It was a surreal day. I was lying in bed last night thinking that I had watched my day unfold as it had, as though I was watching a movie. A bad b-movie. It was like someone else had done all these things.
I slept restlessly.
Posted by dave at 12:34 PM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2007
Pillsbury Doughboy
About a week ago, I finally felt that I had shaken a flu bug. It had lingered around, nagging at me, but not really settling in and debilitating me the way flu normally does. I practiced yoga all but one day through the whole thing.
I woke Thursday morning with a nasty tickle in the back of my throat. I know this tickle. The precursor of a wicked cold. I started popping Cold FX (a ginseng derivative) and doubled up on my daily EmergenC intake. By Thursday night, we were halfway through the New York City's production of "La donne del lago" when I had finished my first pocketful of Ricola.
I woke Friday morning with a full-on cold.
I missed yoga Friday and today. OMG, I miss it. Chis came back from yoga this bright Saturday morning and announced that it was one of those classes where the teacher cooked everyone, and he left thinking he might never go back. Apparently, it was a good day to be sick.
I announced that I had to get out. I was sick of being sick, and needed to feel human again. We decided to go for a walk. The plan was simple. Up to 25th Street, drop into a few galleries, then carry on to the Hudson River trail. Down the river to 15th Street, then over to Chelsea Market for some Fat Witch Brownies, a tuna steak, and some fresh veggies. Then to our favourite flower stand and home for some tea.
On our journey, and I can't remember exactly where, because we would have gone back to take a photo, there was a pile of garbage outside a building. A typical New York scene. In the pile of garbage was a clear plastic bag with a large white stuffed toy. Face down, we could tell it was the Pillsbury Dough Boy. It was the white baker's hat that gave him away. The typical New York scene had become a long discussion about how the Doughboy wound up in a plastic bag on the curb. Organized crime? Failing to heed the warnings about the high fat content in those Crescent Rolls? Had he been done-in by a spatula?
We had a swell laugh.
You can create your very own Dancing Doughboy.
Posted by dave at 06:48 PM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2007
La donna del lago
Last night, we saw our first New York City Opera (not to be confused with the Metropolitan Opera) performance. Rossini's "La donna del lago" is a not-often produced opera based on the romantic metrical poem written by Sir Walter Scott titled "The Lady of the Lake". Set in sixteenth century Scotland, the opera weaves the tale of the daughter of an outlawed Scotish clan leader, torn between her duty to her father to marry the man of his choice, to marry the man she loves, or to marry a man whose generosity humbles her. The man she loves was performed by mezzo-soprano Laura Vlasak Nolen. Yes, a woman played a man. A nice gender-bending twist. (A few years ago, we saw Ewa Podles perform the role of Julius Cesar, and she was spectacular! And don't forget that many female roles were played by castrati). Laura's performance was outstanding, and in my mind, she stole the show. It helps that we met her recently at an opera event on the Upper West Side.
While I recommend seeing this opera, I wouldn't go out of my way to see it again. The music is, at times, a little disjointed, and the first act is verrrrrry long. Which is made up for by the second act, which is much better. Go see it!
Posted by dave at 09:44 AM | Comments (0)
Crazy World
Am I the only one? This ad makes me crazy!
Posted by dave at 09:41 AM | Comments (0)
March 17, 2007
Uncle O'Grimacey
Remember Uncle O'Grimacey? The character McDonald's used to market the triple-thick Shamrock Shake? O'Grimacey spoke in a terrible Irish accent, sized and shaped like Grimace but with fuzzier, lime green fur and a vest that was apparently lifted from an overweight Macy's cashier.
And here's the jingle: "Shamrock Shakes, they're a beautiful green! The most beautiful green that we've ever seen!" That's it. All two lines. What? Did Kevin Federline write this when he was 2?
McD's pulled the electric-green shake (note it is not called a "milkshake" because there is no milk) from all restaurants in New York State. But if you're really craving a little taste of Irish tradition (?!) you can search for restaurants on the web.
YouTube has the original Shamrock Shake ad.
Here's a wannabe copycat recipe in case you just have to satisfy the craving.
And this from "The Onion", America's Finest News Source in a 1997 article titled "Sinn Fein Leaders Demand Year-Round Shamrock Shake Availability": "According to Irish legend, the Shamrock Shake first appeared when a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of St. Matthew's Cathedral in Belfast cried a 16-ounce quantity of the green beverage in 1605."
Now, go out and find yourself an artery-clogging Shamrock Shake, and have a Happy St Patrick's Day.
Posted by dave at 08:46 AM | Comments (0)
March 14, 2007
Cool Photo
Big news here. The scaffolding came down yesterday from around our building. I bumped into one of the construction guys yesterday, and complimented him on how nice the building looked. He asked if I had seen the photo. What photo? He emailed it to me today.
I think it's taken from the roof of the building on the southeast corner of Sixth Ave and 20th Street.
Posted by dave at 06:21 PM | Comments (0)
March 13, 2007
Psycho Yoga
Wondering what happened to us? Not updating the site, life must be pretty boring? Not at all.
Many of you know of my love of Bikram yoga. I have taken it to a new level lately. I now practice 7 days a week, and sometimes I practice twice in a day. I even go to classes that are taught in Japanese. Not because I'm trying to learn Japanese, but because it is a test of my ability to focus and concentrate.
Oh, and here's the biggest "oh, heavens, he's flipped". I'm considering going to Bikram teacher training. Yes, to become a certified yoga instructor. Crazy, I know. But I have seen such an incredible transformation in my body that I feel compelled to find out why this works so well.
These words of inspiration from Lululemon, the Canadian yoga-culture clothing retailer:
Observe a plant before and after being watered and relate these benefits to your body and brain.
Breathe: this lets you live in the moment.
Listen, listen, listen and ask strategic questions.
Sweat once a day to regenerate your skin. [no problem there]
Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle them.
You always have choice and the conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
Visualize your eventual demise. It has a profound effect on how you live in this moment.
Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.
Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top. Be creative. Do one thing a day that scares you.
Wake up and realize that you are surrounded by amazing friends.
Posted by dave at 02:23 PM | Comments (0)