Ever heard of the Balboa? If you live here you're probably thinking Balboa Park. Cool beans. I love Balboa Park. But my latest Bal love is a dance by the same name. Check it out:
These guys are ridiculously world-class dancers. The footwork's so slippy I think it looks like they're dancing on ice. Don't miss the his-n-hers slides at 1:01 and 1:12!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOvpPRhYyng
And yes, the dance originated in this general area of the country.
29 February 2008
23 February 2008
leisure on a rainy day
I've been off of blogging for about a year and have just resumed, so this morning I checked a few friends' blogs that I used to like to read. Yeah, most of them haven't posted for a year or so either. I wonder why we all opened blogs after college and then abandoned them about the same time? Most likely we all were trying to keep in touch with our relationship network during the post-college diaspora, and then had about the same timeline for face-to-face local relationship networks taking substance and replacing the online one. I guess that's a good thing.
This morning I'm not sure what to do with myself, which doesn't happen too often. Ironically, just last night I taught (or rather, facilitated discussion) at my small group Bible study and my topic was Playtime - a God-centered perspective on rest, recreation, and entertainment. The discussion was so good. Loved it. And here I am the next day with two hours before I meet someone and no idea what to do in this time. Perhaps... perhaps I shall just wander outside and breathe some of this beautiful fresh air. It's been rainy and drizzly for a couple weeks now, but today the sun is shining and everything has that wonderful rain-washed quality. Mmmm, don't you love the smell of wet pavement?
This morning I'm not sure what to do with myself, which doesn't happen too often. Ironically, just last night I taught (or rather, facilitated discussion) at my small group Bible study and my topic was Playtime - a God-centered perspective on rest, recreation, and entertainment. The discussion was so good. Loved it. And here I am the next day with two hours before I meet someone and no idea what to do in this time. Perhaps... perhaps I shall just wander outside and breathe some of this beautiful fresh air. It's been rainy and drizzly for a couple weeks now, but today the sun is shining and everything has that wonderful rain-washed quality. Mmmm, don't you love the smell of wet pavement?
14 February 2008
TiVo, Mr Tilney, and me
I spent this past Saturday through Wednesday housesitting for my boss while she and most of the office were out of town at the annual company convention. She has a lovely condo with an ocean view and two kitties and... TiVo. Now my boss and I have a good relationship, so she had lined up a bunch of things on the saved programming that she knew I would like, mostly 3 Jane Austen movies (PBS is in the middle of airing a bunch of new adaptations).
Understand that I don't watch television at home. DVD's, certainly, but not TV. I was shocked at how lulling and siren-ish that square black box is, especially when you can special-order and ffwd/rwd any TV show you like. There is a nearly inexhaustible feed of interesting and entertaining shows and well done films on cable that you could spend all your leisure time absorbing. And man does it make your "real" life seem less interesting! I'm reminded of a girl I knew in the theatre department who had a massive collection of movies and from what I could tell she spent most of her time sitting in front of her computer watching them. I'm sure inside her head it was filled with color and depth and excitement and human characters and emotion and everything that comes with watching a good story done well. But on the outside her life looked like that of a blob.
So I approach you, ladies [and gentlemen], in a moralizing strain. (By the way, that is a quote from Henry Tilney, who I now have a giddy bubbles-and-butterflies crush on thanks to TiVo's replay function.) ...moralizing strain: Life is definitely too short to watch television. At any rate, it sapped me of my inclination to do good things like cook or hang out with Jesus or work on my lesson plan for small group. It was good to have it for a day or two, but after that much better to get out of its reach.
The other part of this is that since everyone's been gone at the office, I have had almost nothing to do but read articles online for about three and a half days straight. It's like being paid to sit in a library! I read the complete online text of Northanger Abbey at gutenberg.org and a ton of cultural, literary, political, religious, and frivolous articles as well. My brain feels fatly fed. Yum yum. And my body is restless.
Conclusion? I love having my own little apartment under my domain, and I loved the Austen film adaptations but lost my head for a few days over too many stories (yes, it is possible to read too many novels, or watch too many movies), and I'm looking back on the week thinking about how a superabundance of entertainment and lack of occupation did not suit me at all.
Finally, if you can't imagine Britney Spears and Jane Austen happily merged, please click here.
Understand that I don't watch television at home. DVD's, certainly, but not TV. I was shocked at how lulling and siren-ish that square black box is, especially when you can special-order and ffwd/rwd any TV show you like. There is a nearly inexhaustible feed of interesting and entertaining shows and well done films on cable that you could spend all your leisure time absorbing. And man does it make your "real" life seem less interesting! I'm reminded of a girl I knew in the theatre department who had a massive collection of movies and from what I could tell she spent most of her time sitting in front of her computer watching them. I'm sure inside her head it was filled with color and depth and excitement and human characters and emotion and everything that comes with watching a good story done well. But on the outside her life looked like that of a blob.
So I approach you, ladies [and gentlemen], in a moralizing strain. (By the way, that is a quote from Henry Tilney, who I now have a giddy bubbles-and-butterflies crush on thanks to TiVo's replay function.) ...moralizing strain: Life is definitely too short to watch television. At any rate, it sapped me of my inclination to do good things like cook or hang out with Jesus or work on my lesson plan for small group. It was good to have it for a day or two, but after that much better to get out of its reach.
The other part of this is that since everyone's been gone at the office, I have had almost nothing to do but read articles online for about three and a half days straight. It's like being paid to sit in a library! I read the complete online text of Northanger Abbey at gutenberg.org and a ton of cultural, literary, political, religious, and frivolous articles as well. My brain feels fatly fed. Yum yum. And my body is restless.
Conclusion? I love having my own little apartment under my domain, and I loved the Austen film adaptations but lost my head for a few days over too many stories (yes, it is possible to read too many novels, or watch too many movies), and I'm looking back on the week thinking about how a superabundance of entertainment and lack of occupation did not suit me at all.
Finally, if you can't imagine Britney Spears and Jane Austen happily merged, please click here.
09 February 2008
Strictly Ballroom?
Just lately I've started swing dancing again - it's been about 3 or 4 years since I did it much, and I'd forgotten how ridiculously fun it is. I did ballroom dancing last fall and really enjoyed that, but now swing's doing it for me.
Tonight I went to a ballroom party/dance and you know, it just felt like the night never maxed itself out. In contrast with my night out Thursday when I Lindyed, swung, and Balboaed for three laughing, sweaty hours and left replete and happy, tonight was civilized and correct and didn't seem very social. My leg muscles are a bit tired but the rest of my body and my breathing is tense and frustrated, like it expected to be poured out and got left at the point of expectation with no pouring out. I am now eating wheat thins and chocolate to reach that satisfied feeling. Ha ha!!
I wonder if it has to do with being a performer, that I expect an evening of dancing to be something you give every last drop of energy to. Maybe a little bit. But I think I just like going swing dancing best. However, Strictly Ballroom is still one of my favorite movies.
Tonight I went to a ballroom party/dance and you know, it just felt like the night never maxed itself out. In contrast with my night out Thursday when I Lindyed, swung, and Balboaed for three laughing, sweaty hours and left replete and happy, tonight was civilized and correct and didn't seem very social. My leg muscles are a bit tired but the rest of my body and my breathing is tense and frustrated, like it expected to be poured out and got left at the point of expectation with no pouring out. I am now eating wheat thins and chocolate to reach that satisfied feeling. Ha ha!!
I wonder if it has to do with being a performer, that I expect an evening of dancing to be something you give every last drop of energy to. Maybe a little bit. But I think I just like going swing dancing best. However, Strictly Ballroom is still one of my favorite movies.
03 February 2008
A very quiet return
Greetings, friend. This stranger returns to the page.
My mind is full of images of twigs and leaves and the smell of damp earth. Good things. Clean, homely things. Simple things. My quiet weekend of rain and reading, baking and online chatting and more rain, has brought this on.
I read somewhere once that a man's prayer was that he would never lose his sense of wonder, and I pray that as well. I pray it for you too, if you're reading this. I can't think of many better gifts.
I would like to say that my aunt Ayala over at www.fiberfanatics.com is really amazing and I like her style, especially her blog, and also that the process of figuring out life and seeking contentment is mysterious and vexing but a fantastic adventure nonetheless, and that I enjoy being a woman, and an artist, and one who considers the inner workings of her mind. Also that I never want to exhaust myself in the pursuit of hipness and relevancy. In conclusion, Leaves of Grass is a brilliant title for a book of poetry.
My mind is full of images of twigs and leaves and the smell of damp earth. Good things. Clean, homely things. Simple things. My quiet weekend of rain and reading, baking and online chatting and more rain, has brought this on.
I read somewhere once that a man's prayer was that he would never lose his sense of wonder, and I pray that as well. I pray it for you too, if you're reading this. I can't think of many better gifts.
I would like to say that my aunt Ayala over at www.fiberfanatics.com is really amazing and I like her style, especially her blog, and also that the process of figuring out life and seeking contentment is mysterious and vexing but a fantastic adventure nonetheless, and that I enjoy being a woman, and an artist, and one who considers the inner workings of her mind. Also that I never want to exhaust myself in the pursuit of hipness and relevancy. In conclusion, Leaves of Grass is a brilliant title for a book of poetry.
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