Last week, I had signed up for Opera in the Movies. I knew it was not the Metropolitan Opera; it was the Royal Opera of London, but what I didn't know was that it was in 3-D! Yes, I typed that right, not HD, but 3-D. I almost left - I mean, who can imagine it? But I was already there when I discovered it, and I had already bought the ticket, so, well, why not? It was Puccini's Madame Butterfly. Puccini is not my favourite - gasp! - but I haven't seen Madame Butterfly for at least a decade, so I guess it was time. And, lo and behold, it was - after the initial bit of getting used to the whole 3-D thing - wonderful! So, thumbs up, see it if you can - great music, great staging, and - 3-D. Another belt notch!
The next night was set to be another movie night, this time The National Theater of London in HD, playing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. It is creating quite a buzz in London, and I was really looking forward to it. And, indeed, it was a wonderful piece of theater. Imagine trying to act the part of an autistic (Aspergers) kid? The play itself, the acting, the staging, all wonderful. So, are you sensing a "but"? About 35 minutes before the end of the play, the HD transmission conked out. No more movie! Of course, the theater provided tickets for future special events, but that wasn't the point - how does it end?
And that is why got created the Internet!!1
Another thing to see if they ever show an encore.
Last Friday, I had another first. Friend Robin McGillveray, who lives just north of Seattle, had asked if he could stay at my place on Friday night, as he was coming up to Vancouver for a blue grass concert, and, oh, by the way, did I want to come? He highly recommended the group, the Bills, and I decided to go. I am always telling people to broaden their horizens, and it would have been pretty hypocritical for me not to go just because I thought I would hate blue grass. So, the game was on.
Robin had collected a group to go to the concert, including John Reay, of my bridge boys. We met John for dinner at Milestones for dinner
Yes, that's John, enjoying himself as usual.....
and then headed off to the venue, St. James Church in Kitsilano, to meet the rest of the crowd.
And the concert was well worth it. I am not sure I would classify their music as strictly blue grass, but it was a lovely sound, they were all consumate musicians, and it was a hugely fun evening, topped off by the ride home with the top down in the balmy air, blasting the newly bought CD! A very worth while stretch of the boundaries!
Followed by a weekend of eating: Dim Sum on Saturday morning with a lot of the same Friday night group; a trip to Bellingham on Saturday evening to meet Mariah and Mar (who had come up from Seattle and were meant to come up to Vancouver for dinner but had forgotten their passports!); and breakfast (dim sum again, in fact) with friend Lorrie on Sunday morning. (Normally, I wouldn't eat dim sum two days in a row, but when I found out that Lorrie had never had dim sum, well.....
I don't have to explain dim sum to you guys, do I? Alright, I can't get an answer, so I will explain just in case. Dim sum is chinese breakfast, small plates of either slimy or fried stuff. It used to be brought around restaurants on carts, you pointed at what you want, and the women (and it was always women) none of whom could speak a word of English would stamp your "bill", which would be calculated into dollas and cents later. These days, very few places still have carts, which is kind of a shame; they have been replaced by menus. On the other hand, the food is hugely better. And the Fisherman's Terrace, my current favorite, is one of the best, evidenced by the fact that my friends and I are often the only "round eyes" in the placd!
Time for bridge again on Wednesday, but with a bit of a twist. Tom, our usual 4th, is in Europe with his 82 year old mother, visiting his sister in Switzerland. However, Jules, who has been out of our bridge loop for ages, had called. He was back from China, and would love to play some bridge. And so it came to pass! Another restaurant meal, at the Millstone Creek Inn in Coal Harbour not far from John's apartment (another thumbs up, a chain, but predictably good food), and another great night of bridge.
Well, as you can tell from the posts, I have been having a busy summer, full of theater and music and bridge and friends. Another busy weekend coming up, and off to New York on Monday night for more Springsteen (in the Meadowlands in New Jersey), theater and museums. You will hear from me.
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