a wrinkle in time

dear mom,

for mother's day, i'm going to send you something that you would never ever buy yourself. or that you wouldn't think to get. or that might surprise you enough to say, gee, this is pretty cool! or that you might even need. which is why i'm not taking dr. kim up on his mother's day special offer. you look great, and you'll thank me one day. at least i think you will.

love,
becca

__________________________

dear dr. kim,

thanks for ruining every san francisco mom's self-esteem. you really understand how to put the "happy" in happy mother's day.

becca

SFB, "Jewels," 4/25/2009

San Francisco Ballet
"Jewels"
April 25, 2009, 8PM

George Balanchine’s “Jewels” is well regarded for its homage to modern ballet’s roots. This plotless ballet, which debuted in 1967, is comprised of three abstract sections: “Emeralds,” “Rubies,” and “Diamonds” to represent France, the US, and Russia respectively. While the choreography may not be groundbreaking, dance aficionados still praise “Jewels” for its wide range of emotions and for being one of Balanchine’s timeless ballets. Often presented in parts, the ballet as a whole is rarely seen on stage outside of New York, but our fine city is sparkling this week with San Francisco Ballet’s superb take on “Jewels.”

Normally, I prefer the sultriness and pizazz of “Rubies,” but Sofiane Sylve’s take on the lead swan-like principal role in “Diamonds” has me thinking otherwise. Sylve danced the pas de deux with a pure, unaffected grace and fragility that left me gasping for breath by the end. Her partner, Pierre François Vilanoba, matched her as best he could, but in “Jewels,” as in most of Balanchine’s work, the majority of the focus is on the women. The demi soloists shone brightly, including Lily Rogers and Jennifer Stahl, and Quinn Wharton, a tall, sandy haired fellow, danced with a kingly presence. One of the things that differentiates “Diamonds” from the other two sections is the big wow moment when the corps enters, sweeping its feet across the stage with the stark brightness of the cream colored costumes radiating simplicity and elegance, and this time was no different. The only caveat I had was with Tony Walton’s white lite-brite/scatter plot effect across the back scrim (which continued in corresponding colors through the other two sections). Sorry, but I’m not a fan. Please bring back the Tiffany blue background and extravagant chandeliers, I beg of you.

For more, go here...

Sofiane Sylve and Pierre-François Vilanoba in Balanchine's "Diamonds."
Photos © Erik Tomasson

gimme good face

i logged on to facebook today, and the three ads on the righthand side included


nice one, facebook. advertise a grilling station featuring smokin' ribs to a vegetarian? and engagement items to someone who is simply "in a relationship" (at least as far as you know)? you guys must be doing awesome, ad-wise. and yes, all three ads received downward thumbs (plus the reason being "offensive") from me.

things i've seen this week

following up on the range rover in florida, i've had a few funny or odd sightings here in SF over the past week.

i see this lady almost every evening (mon-fri) on 3rd street. she has a pair of tongs with a mesh bag at one end, and she sifts through the trash for soda cans and adds them to her bag of random stuff. if you're trying to throw something out while she's poking through the garbage, she'll whip out the tongs and grab said item out of your grubby little hands... watch out!

i hope they aren't expecting any waterford crystal deliveries.

i always thought these were called traffic light buttons. now i know they're called sally.

at least it's not my range rover.

recently, i visited some family and one very special, fantabulous person in florida, and this was the best photo from the trip. and by best, i mean funniest.