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Good Food & Other Small Happinesses
I've caught up on all my back readings from last week's class-shopping and sickeness, and am ahead in readings for Shakespeare (The Tempest. It's even more amazing then I'd thought before. Each sentence...my God).
I'm trying to translate a poem for one of the May Day awards, a beautiful thing it is; and it makes lovely comparisons between writing and stars, from what I can tell so far.
They had rasperries, completely unexpectedly, in the dining hall today, along with a sampling of salad dressings, one of which tasted like the stuff they put on salad at Aoi.
Mr. Matshuita is coming here tonight to teach Iaido and Kendo, all the way from Japan. I'm nervous, but in a good way.
The orginaizational stuff for the martial arts club stuff seems to be going really well, and there's a naginata seminar on the eighth...I can hardly wait!
I've found Orsinal, a website that has free games. They're original, beautiful, and wonderfully fun. They induce Miyazaki-film-like laughter.
Tomorrow's Movie Night.
And I think I'm finally kind of starting to deal with the last few mental splinters left in my life.
Off to read more Shakespeare, and feeling suprisingly content.
I'm trying to translate a poem for one of the May Day awards, a beautiful thing it is; and it makes lovely comparisons between writing and stars, from what I can tell so far.
They had rasperries, completely unexpectedly, in the dining hall today, along with a sampling of salad dressings, one of which tasted like the stuff they put on salad at Aoi.
Mr. Matshuita is coming here tonight to teach Iaido and Kendo, all the way from Japan. I'm nervous, but in a good way.
The orginaizational stuff for the martial arts club stuff seems to be going really well, and there's a naginata seminar on the eighth...I can hardly wait!
I've found Orsinal, a website that has free games. They're original, beautiful, and wonderfully fun. They induce Miyazaki-film-like laughter.
Tomorrow's Movie Night.
And I think I'm finally kind of starting to deal with the last few mental splinters left in my life.
Off to read more Shakespeare, and feeling suprisingly content.
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The (counts) fourteen...(no, wait, there are more now) people in my head also approve. :) There are many people in my head involved with the Tempest....many many many many....
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My knowledge of Japanese weapons generally isn't as good as I'd like. I've done some very basic iaido, but it really only extends to a basic draw and a few katas. I couldn't even do the kneeling-down one without knee-pads, which I think is sort of cheating.
My knowledge of Japanese weapons generally isn't as good as I'd like. I've done some very basic iaido, but it really only extends to a basic draw and a few katas. I couldn't even do the kneeling-down one without knee-pads, which I think is sort of cheating. <:) As for the naginata, I've never even picked one up, though I'd like to learn it, so I'm very envious of the seminar.
On a different tack, I can understand your reaction to <i>The Tempest</i>. It does show that it was Shakespeare's final play. He pours all the things he's learned from his previous works into it -- and the subject matter itself is fairly powerful. It's certainly a fitting swansong, and no surprise at all that it's one of the Bard's most borrowed works, with references to it in cult sci-fi, hit musicals, one of the better graphic novels and many other things.
I was lucky enough to see Vanessa Redgrave as Prospero at the Globe, not long after it reopened -- with friends from a newsgroup, as it happened. Interesting performance, especially as it was performed largely in the style the King's Men would have used. Redgrave herself was quite unassuming when we spoke to her afterwards, but didn't sign autographs, much to my friends' chagrin. <:)
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I used to do Iaido and Kendo, but had to drop Iaido this semester, as I just didn't have time and was taking it on a kind of trial basis anyway.
It was really neat--our regular sensei, Ken, and his father, Mr. Matshuita, did a really amazing demo; the energy in the room was just amazing. To quote a friend of mine, Dustin, who came to watch: "Wow, that older sensei was so fast!"
The Tempest, actually, wasn't his last play--that's a lot of criticism from the turn of the (last) century that somehow finds its way into the scholarly community from time to time. They know it was first played sometime around 1611, and there are other plays he wrote that were performed/premiered after that date. I think they've been able to tell from the editing, and such.
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Shame you didn't have time to keep up the iaido classes. Kendo is fun, and quite instructive in some ways, but in my somewhat limited experience, it lacks a certain grace and focus compared to iaido (and presumably kenjutsu, which I've never seen taught).
Interesting to hear your friend's comment -- I suppose it's surprising for some to see an older teacher exercise the full extent of his skill because we live in a culture where people tend to slow down, taking a less active role in life, as they age. I'm going to try and avoid that myself, but it would probably help if I started doing martial arts again. They've been conspicuously absent from my schedule of late. :/
As for The Tempest, I think there's probably some room for debate. :) I've had a look at a couple of sources, and both the RSC and the BBC appear to agree with me. Plus, Morpheus says it's his final play in The Sandman, IIRC. So blame Neil Gaiman. ;)