Tag: Life

Update on me… and more!

Emma1 Comment

Hey everyone,

How is your summer going?  Last week in DC was VERY humid (like Bangladesh, BUT not as extreme).  But I’m sure plenty of people were badly affected nonetheless!  I joined the pricy, but nice/clean Washington Sports Club (WSC) in downtown Silver Spring and plan to go to the group exercises classes Mon-Thurs.  Since I had a coupon, I bought some (comfy) gym clothes from Land’s End.

 

From eBay, I bought this (super cute) yoga bag and mat set.  These are made by Gaiam.   

      

On Thursday, a storm came in around 4 p.m. out all of a sudden.  The sky became unusually dark and threatening before the lightening, thunder, and heavy rainfall (for a short time).  There were electricity, Metro, traffic, and tree-falling problems.  But this time, power outages occurred mostly in Alexandria (NoVa), not so much in MoCo (where Dad and I live).

Dad is happy to have a new 40″ Samsung HD TV for the (upstairs) living room.  He bought a 32″ TV before, but thought that was a BIT too small.  Next up for the house- a backyard deck.     

 

What I’m currently reading:

Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father by Richard Rodriguez

War Dances by Sherman Alexie

 

What I’m currently watching:

Horatio Hornblower (Collector’s Edition)

Bored w/ modern TV shows?  Check out this old-fashioned, British action-adventure series (which includes 8 full-length movies on 8 DVDs) starring a very young Ioan Gruffudd and Jamie Bamber.  Midshipman Horatio Hornblower is a 17 y.o. boy when he first joins the Royal Navy in 1795.  The Brits are at war w/ France, so there are plenty of battles at sea, hand-to-hand sword combat, and even some mystery and romance.  Aside from that, you see the development of a bright, honorable, well-intentioned youngster as he grows from a boy to a man (and leader).     

 

St Elsewhere (Season 1)

See the medical drama that came before ALL the rest!  Though the pace is slower than ER, the issues faced by the docs, nurses, patients, and their loved ones are often very touching and realistic.  The ensemble cast includes energetic up-and-comers Denzel Washington (confident; bold), Howie Mandel (funny, yet sensitive), and David Morse (an obvious inspiration for ER’s caring family man- Dr. Mark Greene).  I know what you’re thinking- Howie Madel as a doctor!?  Trust me, it’s a GREAT role!  The wonderfully natural, empathetic veteran actors bring gravitas to the show.  Look for guest stars before they were famous.  Another cool note: Tom Fontana worked on this show before Homicide.  (The first season is on DVD and on Hulu.) 

Thanks for visiting!

EMMA

A sudden storm…

Emma1 Comment

Hi everyone,

There was a brief, BUT very powerful, storm in DC area yesterday (SUN, 7/25).  There was no electricity in the house from 4 p.m. onwards.   Our neighbor’s aunt was locked out of the house, so she came to hang out w/ us for a while.  (The nabes had gone off to an event.)  I felt bad b/c we ONLY had little 4 stubby little candles (and I was in a cranky mood)!  This lady, who looked young and in good shape for her age, immigrated to the US just 3 yrs ago from Gazipur (a village).  Back in Bangladesh, she raised 2 kids (now grown and settled).  In recent years, her husband and both in-laws passed away.  She had to wait 10 yrs to get the visa to join her relatives!  Luckily, ALL her brothers and sisters are in the West (Canada and US).  These days, she’s working and trying to become more of an “independant” person. 

I went to bed around 10 p.m. and listened to the iPod nano radio until midnight.  I woke up at 3:30 a.m. for a few mins. and saw that the electricity was back.  In the morning, I saw that several trees were uprooted; one big tree blocked a road.  The storm caused most damage in Montgomery County, MD.  (On NPR this morning, I heard that VA folks didn’t have it so bad, except some rural parts of Loudon County.)

But here’s something COOL… 

A few weeks ago, a lady named Muriel, who manages Diego Hartfield’s official web site, contacted me about using my ’08 US Open photos of Diego.  Those photos are now on the site! 

http://diegohartfield.net/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=233

What I’m currently reading:

Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez

What I’m currently watching:

Lark Rise to Candleford (Series 2)

Quantum Leap (Season 3)

The Tudors (Season 2)

All the best,

EMMA.

My 1st Broadway play!!!

Emma2 Comments

That’s my first love- the theater.  –Denzel Washington 

INTRODUCTION

This past Saturday, I went to NYC to see my first Broadway play, the Pulitzer Prize winning Fences by August Wilson.  Fences is part of Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, a collection of ten plays.  Each drama explores a different decade in the 20th century, and each examines the lives and struggles of African Americans.  The 13-week limited engagement of Fences is at the Cort Theater (138 W. 48th St. btwn 6th Ave & Bdwy).

Playwright August Wilson

Fences is a powerful family drama set in the late ’50s starring Denzel Washington (twice an Oscar winner) and Viola Davis (recent Oscar nominee).  This is a character-driven story with one simple set (action takes place on the front porch of a humble little house).  I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the 9th row (close to stage). Once I got over the “Wow, I’m seeing Denzel in person!” feeling, I really got involved in the play.  The (diverse) audience enjoyed it very much, too.  We laughed, we got teary-eyed, and… WE SAW DENZEL!!!

Denzel Washington (Troy)

At one point, Denzel’s character enumerated all that he had to give before exiting the stage.  One elderly woman called out: “I’ll take it!”  LOL!  And yes, he is JUST as handsome up close as onscreen. 

As expected, Denzel stopped traffic in front of the theater for some minutes while people hovered about seeking pictures or just a glimpse before the limos set off.   Unfortunately, he didn’t stay for autographs, but I noticed the young actor who played his son (Chris Chalk) signing playbills.

PREMISE

At the start of the play, Troy Maxon (Denzel Washington) is a 53 yr. old former Negro League baseball player who hauls trash in the Hill District of Pittsburgh w/ his best pal Jim Bono (actor/theater educator Stephen McKinley Henderson).  Troy lives in an old house w/ his 2nd wife Rose (Viola Davis) and their 17 y.o. son Cory (Chris Chalk).   Though Troy is illiterate, he is a hard-worker hoping to get a promotion.  Troy and Rose seem to have a solid (yet passionate) relationship after 18 yrs. together.  Cory works at the A&P (grocery store), but hopes to attend college on a football scholarship.

Viola Davis (Rose)

When Lyons (Russell Hornsby), Troy’s 34 y.o. son from a previous marriage, drops by on a FRI (payday) to ask for $10, Troy is NOT too amused.  He tells Lyons that he’s a married man now, and needs to take care of himself and his wife.  (Lyons’ wife works as a laundress, though she has trained as a nurse.)  Troy advises him to “learn a trade,” but Lyons insists that he’ll stick to music.  “I’m not like the rest of you- I’m a musician,” Lyons says with bravado.  Rose and Bono persuade Troy, and he grudgingly allows Rose to loan out the $10.  (Rose, a practical AND caring woman, is the keeper of the family purse.)  As Lyons picks up his horn to leave, the disappointment is evident on Troy’s face.  “He’ll be back,” Troy concludes.

While Lyons was visiting, Troy’s younger brother Gabe (Mykelti Williamson) dropped by.  Gabe, a WWII vet, has a “metal plate in his head” and is now mentally handicapped.  We learn that the Maxon house was bought w/ money from Gabe’s veteran’s benefits.  But Gabe recently moved out of the house to live in a boarding house.  “I got two rooms!” he enthusiastically tells Rose.  Gabe sells fruit in the neighborhood to earn a bit of money for his room/board.  

Though Rose is patient/kind with Gabe, his presence is an irritation to Troy.  “I done everything I can for the boy,” Troy exclaims w/ exasperation when Rose worries about Gabe’s health/habits.  Being in the hospital wasn’t right for Gabe, Troy rationalizes, b/c “what did he go over there and get his head blown off for” (if he can’t have freedom).

Troy has been waiting for Cory to help him finish the fence around the yard.  But Cory has been practicing football after school.  Cory announces to his parents a recruiter is coming to see him soon, and needs his Troy’s signature to sign him up (to play for a college in North Carolina).  Rose is very proud of her son, but Troy is skeptical.

Chris Chalk (Cory)

We learn that Troy has gotten a position as a driver, so he won’t be working in the back of the garbage truck w/ Bono anymore.  (Driving positions usually went to white men.)  When Bono points out that Troy can’t drive yet, Troy shoots back: “Everyone doesn’t gotta know my business!”  He’ll learn how to drive before it’s time for him to take up the new position.  Lyons comes by w/ good news- he has a steady gig at a good club.  Troy’s surprised when Lyons offers to give him back the $10 he borrowed.   When he invites his father to come hear him, Troy refuses by saying “I’m too old to be going to clubs.”           

Cory is desperate for his father to understand; he names different athletes (including blacks and Jews) who have excelled in baseball.  Troy bitterly tells Cory that he’s more stupid than he thought, and that there’s no future in sports for a black man.  Troy is enraged when Cory tells him that he’s quit his job at the A&P to concentrate on football.  Father and son square-off, and it looks like they will come to blows!

To learn what happens, go read (or see) the play! 

 

THEMES

Baseball is one of the themes of the play.  On stage right, a ball of rags is tied to a branch.  Both Troy and Cory practice swinging at the ball at the start of the play.  Later on, when the father and son argue, the bat will be turned on Troy – though Troy will ultimately win in that confrontation.  At the end of Act One, he warns his son: “You swung and you missed. That’s strike one. Don’t you strike out!”

Troy was a great baseball player, at least according to his friend Bono.  Although he played for the Negro Leagues, he was not allowed to on the white teams.   The success of Jackie  Robinson and other black players is a touchy subject for Troy.  He never earned the recognition or the money which he felt he deserved – and discussion of professional sports will often send him into a tirade.  Though Rose insists that “you were too old,” Troy feels it was solely racism that kept him shut-out.

During Act Two of Fences,  he uses a baseball metaphor to explain why he had an affair:

I fooled them, Rose.  I bunted.  When I found you and Cory and a halfway decent job . . . I was safe.  Couldn’t nothing touch me. I wasn’t gonna strike out no more.  I wasn’t going back to the penitentiary.  I wasn’t gonna lay in the streets with a bottle of wine.  I was safe.  I had me a family.  A job.  I wasn’t gonna get that last strike.  I was on first looking for one of them boys to knock me in.  To get me home.  …then when I saw that gal . . . she firmed up my backbone.  And I got to thinking that if I tried . . . I just might be able to steal second.  Do you understand after eighteen years I wanted to steal second?

Father-son relationships are very crucial in Fences.  On the stage, the emotionally strained relationship between Troy (who’s based on August Wilson’s stepdad) and Cory is highlighted.  At one point, Corey asks “Why don’t you like me?”  Troy is amused by this question, and retorts w/ “I don’t have to like you!”  Troy goes on to say that he gives his son food, a roof over his head, and provides for his life.  But Cory wants more from his father, but Troy is incapable of expressing that.     

But the unseen relationship of the play is the one between Troy and his father, who was a sharecropper in early 20th century Alabama.  Troy reveals secrets from his youth to Bono and Lyons in one (quietly powerful) scene.  After noting some of his father’s brutish behavior, Troy (who fled from home at 14) flatly calls him “The Devil.”  (Denzel really shines in this scene!) 

Freedom is another theme in Fences.  Several times Troy exclaims that he “needs to be free.”  But from what?  To the audience, he seems to have a lot going for him (at the opening of the play).  He has a supportive wife, talented sons, and a loyal best friend.  He’s struggling to make ends meet, but he’s NOT alone.  Everyone in the community is (of course) dealing w/ ingrained racism.  

As Troy’s character is revealed, we realize that he can NEVER be free of the one man he hates- his father.  Though Troy says he doesn’t behave like his old man, Troy is very hard on Cory.  When Cory gets angry and obstinate, Rose says w/ frustration: “You’re just like him!”  Perhaps we can never be free of our past, parents, and mistakes- they make up our character.     

THE ACTING

With such a stellar cast, the acting could NOT be anything but top-notch!  Denzel hit JUST the right notes w/ his role; he made Troy a believable (yet flawed) character.  With this type of character, some actors could go over-the-top, but Denzel keeps it grounded.  Troy is a complicated man, though HE would never admit to that.  He is charming, funny, sarcastic, hard-headed, etc. just like all of us.  But he DOES NOT analyze his actions; that’s just NOT his way.

Viola Davis’ role grows as the play goes on.  She does a terrific job in portraying Rose, a woman of great character and integrity.  We sense that Rose could’ve done much better for herself, given her sensibility and sensitivity, but she stuck with Troy out of love/passion/loyalty.  She invested a lot in their relationship, and is DEEPLY hurt when it breaks.  But, above all, Rose is a survivor, and Viola Davis suits this role to a tee.  There is no sense of acting.      

Related Links

Official site (w/ a GREAT NYT video interview)

http://www.fencesonbroadway.com./index.html

Denzel finds his “voice” in Fences

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126195963

About playwright August Wilson:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Wilson

2 short interviews w/ Denzel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKsDRcuePnk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edtA7NapVKY

Spring is here!

EmmaLeave a comment

Update on me:

Last Wednesday night, I went to a speed dating event at K St Lounge hosted by Professionals in the City.  [I had been to this lounge when South Asians for Obama (SAFO) had an event last year.]  This event was also geared toward South Asians around my age, though there were 2 guys who were not South Asian.  It was a pretty fun event, though I thought it could’ve been better. 

First of all, there were TOO many people- 27 men and 30 women!  It took more than 2 hours to talk w/ every guy.  The time (4 mins) went by VERY quickly w/ few exceptions.  When you go to events like this, there are bound to be 1 or 2 people who have ZERO interest in talking w/ you (not even to be polite).  They will just hem and haw, not bothering to think up a topic to discuss.  In my opinion, 4 mins is just TOO short.  I think 7 mins would be better.  

Second issue: quite a few people came w/ their friends to this event.  Okay, maybe they wanted to feel comfortable going with a little group.  Or they just have single pals.  But the POINT of this event was to meet NEW people!  The petite gal sitting next to me also came by herself, and I chatted a bit w/ her.  She commented that most of her friends are getting married, not going out as much, and so on.

I didn’t have HUGE expectations going into this event.  I arrived a BIT early and noticed that people were talking w/ their pals or just standing about.  I wanted to go up and chat w/ some gals, but they didn’t come off as very friendly.  Or maybe they were a little nervous?  Okay, on to the guys!

The guys (expect perhaps 2 or 3) were Indian Hindus.  One guy said he was 1/2 Bengali (mom’s side) after I mentioned I was Bangladeshi.  As you may expect, most were American desis (born and raised in US).  But I was surprised to see many immigrant and 1.5 gen guys (and gals) at this event.  (At a similar event in NYC 2 years back, there were very few immigrant guys and no immigrant gals!) 

All the guys were professionals (of course!); most work w/ the fed govt (IT contractor, IT manager, computer engineer).  I think there was only 1 investment banker, 2 lawyers and 2 or 3 research scientists.  A few of these guys impressed me, BUT I don’t think I clicked w/ any.  Too bad!  At least I took a chance. 

You can check out the web site below if interested.  This organization holds events in various cities.               

http://www.prosinthecity.com/dcevents.php

 

Movies I’ve Seen Recently:

Gran Torino (2008)

I saw this movie while my mom was visting; she REALLY likes Clint Eastwood.  I thought there were some nice/funny moments, BUT it seemed implausible to me (especially the ending). 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205489/

Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

This is a melancholy romance/drama set in Austria.  It has great atmosphere and lighting.  It’s worth a look!   

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040536/

 

Recent iTunes Downloads:

BardCast: The Shakespeare Podcast 

http://bardcast.blogspot.com/

Chop Bard

http://www.inyourearshakespeare.com/chopbard.html

 

What I’m watching:

Babylon 5: Seasons 1 & 2 are on Hulu.  This sci-fi series (5 seasons total) came out around the same time as Star Trek: DS9.  I’ve seen 8 eps so far, and it get’s getting good!   

http://www.hulu.com/

Wow, it’s already 2010!!!

EmmaLeave a comment

Dear readers,

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a GREAT holiday season w/ family/friends!  My mom and little brother came from Indy to visit us in DC.  They got to see the house Dad just closed on in Silver Spring, MD.  Hopefully, Mom can find a job and move here in the next few months.  We ate (a LOT), watched movies, and hung out w/ a few relatives and family friends.  One of my dad’s younger cousins and her hubby had a baby girl; they live just 45 mins. away in MD.  It’s good to be in touch w/ family.

One of my aunties (a younger cousin of Mom) and 2 of her kids (18 and 24) came to visit NYC & DC from Sweden.  This aunt has met the king of Sweden, works in finance, and assists immigrant women in getting acculturated in their new county.  VERY cool, right?   Her son and daughter are very sweet, laid-back, and smart (fluent in 3 languages: Swedish, Bengali, and English). 

For my b-day, we went to Sam Phai, a Thai restaurant (1019 King St, Old Town Alexandria) with fresh/delicious food.  If you happen to be nearby, check it out!    

Thanks for visiting my corner of the web,

EMMA. 

 

Movies/TV Shows Seen Recently:

State of the Union (1948)

In my opinion, Hepburn+Tracy=Movie Magic!  This film, directed by Frank Capra, is refreshingly modern (with its themes), fast-paced, and funny.  It also stars a very young Angela Lansbury; she plays a tough/single DC powerbroker.  Lansbury’s character, Kay Thorndyke, is in love with Grant Matthews (Spencer Tracy), a self-made Midwestern businessman who she encourages to run for president.  But Matthews already has 2 young kids and is married to a very strong woman, Mary (Katherine Hepburn).  Though the Matthews have a close relationship, their marriage is put under pressure during the campaign.  Mary has to keep an eye on the scheming Kay, a former senator’s daughter who projects her ambitions onto Grant.  Mary also worries that Grant’s plans and high moral principles will get squashed by the new political experts around him.       

Mary Matthews: Another thing – he used to hate to hear me swear. Whenever I’d let with something, he’d smack me on my sitter, hard. I’ve done a lot of swearing on this trip.
Jim Conover: And no smacks?
Mary Matthews: It’s a small request, but I’d give anything for a good smack on my south end.

  

Adam’s Rib (1949)

Amanda: What I said was true, there’s no difference between the sexes. Men, women, the same.
Adam: They are?
Amanda: Well, maybe there is a difference, but it’s a little difference.
Adam: Well, you know as the French say…
Amanda: What do they say?
Adam: Vive la difference!
Amanda: Which means?
Adam: Which means hurrah for that little difference.

This is another Hepburn/Tracy film; it’s about married lawyers in Manhattan who end up supporting opposite sides.  Adam Bonner (Tracy) is an ADA assigned to the case of a philadering hubby who was shot by his wife.  Adam’s wife, a defense attorney named Amanda, jumps in to defend the accused wife.  Their loving relationship is put to the test during the much-publicized trial.  

 

Slings & Arrows (2003-2006)

To be, or not to be, — that is the question
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?

-Hamlet (Act III, Scene i)

The theater is NOT dead, as this intelligent/quirky Canadian TV series proves.  It stars Paul Gross, the handsome star of  ’90s TV series, Due South, created by Paul Haggis.  (Due South was the first Canadian show to cross-over to the US and achieve primetime success.)  Slings & Arrows, a combo of comedy and drama, puts the spotlight on theater folk- onstage and off.  The ensemble cast includes well-established Canadian stars (Gross/Colm Feore/Geraint Wyn Davies), rising youngsters (Rachel McAdams/Sarah Polley), and comedians (like Mark McKinney of The Kids in the Hall).   

 

Can artists and businesspeople compromise to keep a struggling theater festival alive?  Can relationships (between friends, couples, and co-workers) withstand the pressures of putting on Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear?  Watch this terrific show (3 seasons/3 DVDs) to find out.  (You CANNOT see something like this on US TV!)   

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387779/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slings_and_Arrows

 

Some Recent Music Downloads:

Chris Young (I’m in LOVE with his wonderful voice!)  

You know this old world is full of singers
But just a few are chosen
To tear your heart out when they sing
Imagine life without them
All your radio heros
Like the outlaw that walks through Jesse’s dream

No, there will never be another
Red-headed stranger
A Man in Black and Folsom Prison Blues
The Okie from Muskogee
Or Hello Darling
Lord I wonder, who’s gonna fill their shoes

–Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes (sung by George Jones)

Warm, rich, and pure are some fitting words to describe Chris Young’s voice.  Or you could just stick with GORGEOUS!  His lyrics are touching and simple, but with a modern sensibility.  This young singer (just 24!) is proof that reality TV isn’t ALL bad: he won Nashville Star back in ’06.  Chris has been a working singer/songwriter since his teens.  He lists Keith Whitley and Randy Travis as his main influences.  In the flock of rising country singers, Chris soars above the crowd!

Drinkin’ Me Lonely: This is my fave so far- a sensitive song w/ great lyrics!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMbs-NAdREM

Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song): A BIG hit on country radio now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWP7ZtVLPd4&feature=channel

Rainy Night in Georgia: A new version of a classic song.

The Man I Want to Be: A simple song re: forgiveness in the true country tradition  

 

http://www.chrisyoungcountry.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisYoung