Quatrains

I'm apparently late to the party, but I just stumbled across the poet Rumi. Some favourites:

You think you are alive
because you breathe air?
Shame on you,
that you are alive in such a limited way.
Don't be without Love,
so you won't feel dead.
Die in Love
and stay alive forever.

It is your turn now,
you waited, you were patient.
The time has come,
for us to polish you.
We will transform your inner pearl
into a house of fire.
You're a gold mine.
Did you know that,
hidden in the dirt of the earth?
It is your turn now,
to be placed in fire.
Let us cremate your impurities.

I am so drunk
I have lost the way in
and the way out.
I have lost the earth, the moon, and the sky.
Don't put another cup of wine in my hand,
pour it in my mouth,
for I have lost the way to my mouth.

More at http://www.rumi.net/rumi_poems_main.htm

Silk Road Project concert

I went to a classical concert last Saturday of the Silk Road Project. It was absolutely phenomenal. It's a company founded by YoYo Ma (yes, he and his cello were there) that incorporates instruments and musicals styles from all over the world and across many periods in time. It's a sort of classical-jazz-world-improvisation type of fusion that's unlike anything else I've heard. They've recorded a few albums that are on itunes (audio on their website too); I recommend giving it a glance and if they come to your city, go and watch it live.

I also got to hear YoYo Ma say the phrase "Go Blue!"

What the doctor said

a poem by Raymond Carver, for our consideration as we think about the relationships we build with patients.

He said it doesn't look good
he said it looks bad in fact real bad
he said I counted thirty-two of them on one lung before
I quit counting them
I said I'm glad I wouldn't want to know
about any more being there than that
he said are you a religious man do you kneel down
in forest groves and let yourself ask for help
when you come to a waterfall
mist blowing against your face and arms
do you stop and ask for understanding at those moments
I said not yet but I intend to start today
he said I'm real sorry he said
I wish I had some other kind of news to give you
I said Amen and he said something else
I didn't catch and not knowing what else to do
and not wanting him to have to repeat it
and me to have to fully digest it
I just looked at him
for a minute and he looked back it was then
I jumped up and shook hands with this man who'd just given me
something no one else on earth had ever given me
I may have even thanked him habit being so strong

Accidental photographer

Apparently a photo I took while out one sunny day in Philadelphia has been selected as a finalist for a Schmap guide. This is the second time a photo of mine on Flickr has been noticed; a newspaper asked me for permission to use a photo I took of David Blaine in the fishbowl in NYC (remember when he lived underwater for 9 days in Lincoln Center?).

I'm generally not a talented photographer, but I guess blind squirrels really do find nuts once and a while.

Le Nozze Di Figaro

On Saturday night we headed to the Metropolitan opera to see Bryn Terfel and Simon Keenlyside in The Marriage of Figaro. It was a spectacular performance, but Anja Harteros stole the show. She played the Countess and received a longer standing ovation than either Terfel or Keenlyside. Her act II aria "Porgi, amor" and act III aria "Dove Sono" were riveting. Ekaterina Siurina was a lackluster Susannah in the midst of such a powerhouse cast; really only shining in her act IV aria "Deh! vieni, non tardar." It was only too apparent in the act III duet "Sull'aria" which soprano was carrying the show. There were two hilarious moments; one when a prop rolled off the stage and hit a cellist in the head (she finished the act and left), and another when Figaro motioned to Susannah to spank him in Act IV. Clearly, the Met and Terfel have a sense of humor.

On a different note, the dinner we had afterwards was also quite spectacular. Yum.