My first "real" solo singing adventure

Well ... so this isn't the very first time ever I've sung all by myself before an audience. I have sung at recitals where it was just me, all by myself.

And I've sung in duets and quartets, sometimes having a line or a measure all to myself. So tonight was not really a "first time ever in my entire life" kind of experience.

But it was the first time I had a solo piece in a major concert performance with a chorus: the piece was Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana," and I sang "In Trutina." This is considered a soprano solo, and I'm certainly no soprano -- but our Maestro, Urs Leonhardt Steiner, and I are in agreement that it's an ideal vocal vehicle for an Alto, and as a Mezzo Soprano, it is really right up my alley.

Now, let me say up front that the performance was in a bar in San Francisco's North Beach -- but a solo is a solo, and a gig is a gig, and I'm here to say that I nailed it! "In Trutina" is tricky, there are a couple of long sustains (3 measures, thank you!), and I didn't run out of breath. The opening measure is also syncopated, which also makes it tricky, and I didn't do a very good job in rehearsal last week. But I worked on it with my voice teacher, and practiced every day, and in the end, I believe I did a good job.

I get to repeat this experience in 12 days at Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. I'll be continuing to work hard at this until then.

Wish me luck!

The last night at Merrie Monarch

Back on the floor at Kanaka'ole Stadium, with half an hour to go before the Royal Court enters and the night's festivities begin.

Today is when I got the most serious flak about the absence of the Academy from this year's festival. It came from two ladies from ... Lake Tahoe!! They had traveled here "specifically to see you folks" and were really disappointed. But eventually understanding. One other friend gave me a mild but sweetly intentioned "scolding" (as in, "What happened to you guys?"), but that's been the extent of it. When people have commented, the bulk have said, "Oh, we love you! Are you coming back?"

Of course I tell them, I hope so!

Last night's kahiko performances included a noho hula usually reserved for royalty which was very different and very exciting. The night ended with three hula ma'i in a row, and I cannot begin to interpret what that was about. The crowd was pleased, though ... lots of smiling faces!
;>

Tonight will be challenging: 27 halau plus judging. We're gonna be here for a while!

Unless something unexpected happens, this will be it for me until we get back home.

See you all soon,

Pat

Japanese ladies make mayhem in Hilo

I'll never understand it. Why the "Miss Aloha Hula" night at the Merrie Monarch competition turns calm and mild-mannered Japanese women into running / pushing / shoving / yelling / hysterical maniacs. It happens every year: one person gets in line and saves spaces in line for 10; the doors open, and they run into the stadium as fast as they can, throwing coats and purses and umbrellas onto every empty seat they can find. Then they stand at their posts, yelling across the stadium at each other, must be something like, "Here! Here!!! Your seat's here!!!" Then they shove their way into their seats ... for about 10 minutes. Once that first wave settles, half of them abandon their saved seats for better pickings.

Meanwhile, local folks get shoved aside, banged with purses, and yelled through as though they don't exist.

All of this mania for the opportunity to witness beautiful hula.

I keep wondering if they'll ever get the disconnect. I'm not holding my breath.

From the floor at Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium

I ran into Kapua, who said she heard AHA pulled out of the ho'ike because "there were not enough dancers."

Here's what was in Tuesday's Honolulu Advertiser:

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090414/BREAKING01/90414083

Our B&B mates were home early, so it must have been an early night.

More to follow ...

Pat

Now it begins

Aloha, e kakou!

Today was my first encounter with the inevitable question for this year's 46th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival: "What happened to AHA?"

I was asked this by Kumu Kenneth “Aloha” Victor of Halau Kala'akeakauikawekiu. Keith and I are staying until tomorrow at the Sheraton Resort & Spa on the Kona side, where Kumu Aloha's halau practices on Monday evenings. Never being one to pass up an opportunity to see hula (and having been thoroughly impressed with the keiki of Halau Kala'akeakauikawekiu, who we had seen in a free performance on Friday night), Keith and I went to the advertised, open practice of the le'a class at the hotel on Monday night.

After the class, we went to thank Kumu Aloha for the opportunity to observe; the conversation naturally got around to who/what/where, and when I stated that I study with Kumu Mark at the Academy, the immediate response was: "What happened?"

I'm happy to report that this question was posed with true concern, and with no attitude or anger. Kumu Aloha just seemed genuinely concerned that something unfortunate had happened.

I expressed to him Kumu Mark's concern about the impact of trying in 12 short weeks to prepare the full complement of dancers for the MM Ho'ike, and how he had decided it was not in the best interest of the Academy to try and do both the Japan tour and the Ho'ike; he truly seemed to understand.

Keep in mind, I'm still in Kona ... so we'll see what happens in the next few days in Hilo. And we'll see how fast the "hula telegraph system" works on Hawai'i Island!

Me ke aloha,

Pat

Can it get better?!? I mean, really?

I can't be the only one who feels like they've awakened from a very long, very bad dream.

I've been trying to get to the bottom of this strange sense of disorientation I've been experiencing. It's not a bad or unpleasant sensation; just ... odd. Familiar, sort of. Just in the way that I feel like I've been here before, and that I keep expecting it to end -- to wake up, as it were.

Back in late August of last year, despite all evidence to the contrary, a large part of me remained cynical and doubtful that the status quo could be upset. My co-worker and I counted down the days until early November, each day subconsciously expecting the boom to really drop, for martial law to be declared, for the absolute end to any possibility of anything vaguely resembling, er, ho- ... ho-p ... just couldn't bring myself to really say it .... hope. That was it, hope.

November came and went. Hope started to surge up from the place I'd lost/buried it back when the oil fields were ignited in Kuwait. Luckily, I got really busy and so the days sped by and I didn't notice that that ... hope thing was hovering around. Probably rising. But it could be ignored in the crush of rehearsals and performances and parties and and and being too busy and tired to notice.

Then somehow, January 20 arrived. Without mishap or tragedy. And I was joyful, like so many people around the world. It felt like belonging to the entire human family, simply sharing that joy. I got up just in time to watch the unfolding of the day, with relative peace of mind, thanks to C-Span. No nattering commentatoring, just the images of faces, smiling faces, so many smiling faces.

Then the words began, and there was that thing, that hope thing, that sensation of life bursting out of my chest, rolling down my cheeks, forcing disbelief into the shadows. Even on that cloudy day, there was such shine, such sunshine.

No catchy soundbites, just straight true talk. Talked to me like a grown-up, like I would understand, like I could see the sense of it, like I was seen, like I deserved respect. No nasty threat talk, no Big Daddy Knows Best dumbing down babble, no ... lies. Just a man with a vision and the determination in the set of his jaw to see it through.

Whoa. What a way to start a morning.

Thanks to the Rev. Joseph Lowery, the ceremonial stuff ended with words that had me laughing out loud. You got your "Amen!", Mr. Bushy-Browed Preacher Man!! www.youtube.com/watch

The rest of the day was hazy, even when the sky cleared. Dreamlike, it was. An afterglow. A rainbow high.

This morning, I awoke with more thoughts in my head about what might be going on in the nation's capitol since

since

since there was a funeral in that majestic place and the whole world watched, weeping.

THIS morning, though, my head was buzzing: shouldn't they replay the oath bit, just to make sure it's done right & proper? Which balls did they go to? Did they stay out late? Will he really start working today, first thing? Can he dance?

OK, OK, I'll explain that last bit. I'm a dancer. Being able to dance is really important to me. Dancing is about being in your body, not just in your head. And when you're in your body, it is possible that you can live closer to your heart. Things that your head would accept may not pass muster when you live closer to your heart. At least I do so believe. It's because I'm just starting to wake up again. I'm just realizing how much I've missed joy and hope. Dancing is joy. See? Makes sense, right? It does to me, at least, and when I got my answer, the joy just burst out and wouldn't stop bouncing me around the room: www.youtube.com/watch

Once I had that answer, I had to find out about the rest. The balls, that was enlightening. Ten. In one night. Fortunately for them, most of them were in the same convention center building. But still!!!

And they danced at every single one.

So I surprised myself by not anticipating that he'd take it easy today. I didn't really have a clear opinion, one way or another, but I did have a mighty curiosity. And as the day spread out before me and the news reports started building, I just woke up. I saw myself and felt my feelings and I realized hope had won. I HAD been asleep, or doped, or duped, or all of the above. It had been such a long, long, unimaginable stretch of months and years that I had felt benumbed. So much sorrow, so much despair, so much pain, frustration, anger, impotence: a recipe for checking out. So much more hopeless than hopeful.

And on a dime, it turned. This is what helped break the shell that had engulfed me:

OBAMA'S WHIRLWIND FIRST DAY: ECONOMY, WAR AND MORE
(from an article by David Espo, AP Special Correspondent)

In his first day at work (after dancing at inaugural balls past midnight with first lady Michelle Obama), President Barack Obama entered the Oval Office and:

• summoned top military officials to the White House to chart a new course in Iraq
• issued new ethics rules for his administration
• hosted a reception at the presidential mansion for 200 inauguration volunteers and guests selected by an Internet lottery
• took the oath of office again
• presented a draft of an executive order that would close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year and halt all war crimes trials in the interim
• presided over the White House meeting on the economy
• made phone calls to leaders in the Middle East to convey his "commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace from the beginning of his term"
• announced to his staff that "As of today, lobbyists will be subject to stricter limits than under any ... other administration in history." The restrictions included a ban on gifts by lobbyists to anyone serving in the administration.
• imposed a pay freeze for about 100 White House aides who earn $100,000 or more
• dropped by a party for his staff at a packed DC Armory, telling his supporters that they deserve credit for his historic election victory, in part because they didn't know any better. (He said they simply didn't know that a guy like him shouldn't win, that their fundraising model wasn't typical and that the odds were stacked against them.)
• Obama and his wife also played host and hostess for a select 200 at an open house. "Enjoy yourself, roam around," a smiling Obama told one guest. "Don't break anything." [Yes, Virginia, he has a real sense of humor!!]

Furthermore, within hours of Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, his administration froze last-minute Bush administration regulations before they could take effect. Among them was an Interior Department proposal to remove gray wolves from Endangered Species protections in much of the northern Rocky Mountains, and a Labor Department recommendation that would allow companies that manage employee retirement plans to market investment products to plan participants.

No, I haven't gone silly. OK, all right, sillier. Barack Obama is not a magician, and he certainly cannot solve all of our nation's ailments in a single stroke. If he could, he'd be a superhero, and he wouldn't need the White House. And he's not a progressive with an agenda just like mine. But what he is starting out to be is an ethical man with a solid moral compass who can and will serve as the example our poor bedraggled nation needs. With a laundry list like that for his first day at work, he's impressed me enough that I dare to hold hope in my heart that my homeland can be saved -- and to give me a reason to get back to helping that effort with energy and trust. Starting with recalling how to honor and respect the President of the United States. Giving him his due props, and giving him a chance to do right by all of us, his fellow citizens.

Near the end of the day, I got this from a friend. Despite all the rambling above, it pretty much sums up how I feel at this moment:

Dear World,

We, the United States of America, your top quality supplier of the ideals of liberty and democracy, would like to apologize for our 2001-2008 interruption in service.

The technical fault that led to this eight-year service outage has been located, and the software responsible was replaced November 4, 2008.

Early tests of the newly installed program indicate that we are now operating correctly, and we expect it to be fully functional on January 20, 2009.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the outage. We look forward to resuming full service and hope to improve in years to come.

We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


Good night America, and may whatever deity you choose to believe in (even None) bless you.

Believe me, I do feel your pain

If you're one of those folks who is disgusted with the election of Barack Obama, who can't stand the sight of him, won't listen to him speak, and who feel completely disenfranchised by his election -- you're not alone.

I know exactly how you feel.

I spent 20 of the last 28 years (beginning with Ronald Reagan) avoiding any announcements made by a President. I would turn off the radio or TV if I heard their voices, and refused to listen to what they had to say. I didn't feel like I was living in my own country anymore.

So, yes, I am pleased that there is an apparent change in store. At the same time, I understand that one man alone cannot effect change alone. But I am hopeful.

I would just like to share these thoughts with those who now feel as hopeless as I have over the last almost 30 years: unless you are extremely wealthy, can you honestly say that your life is better as a result of the policies and beliefs of the man who has occupied the White House most recently? Are you pleased that we are involved in wars which we hear little about but that are draining our revenues? Have you or someone close to you lost a child in war? Are you really better off than you were eight years ago?

If you have any doubt that you might not be, I would suggest that you simply give the new administration a chance. You may not like Obama, but you may find he's on your side all the same.

Stunned, overjoyed and humbled

My cynicism for and about my country has been silenced.

My capacity for hope has been rekindled.

I'm stunned -- just as I was when the Berlin Wall was chipped apart.

I'm overjoyed -- a majority of American people have spoken and wonder of wonders, I agree with them.

I'm humbled. Someone I had come to loathe, Senator John McCain, spoke words of conciliation and cooperation that I had thought outside of his purview. If he can go there, I cannot continue to hold him in such scorn.

Life is amazing.

So let me say "Thank you, American voters!" You've convinced me: Yes, we can!!

Palin stylist draws higher pay than policy adviser / Evita Song: Rainbow High

Photo caption: AP –Republican vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks to a crowd during a rally
Photo caption: Wife of Argentine President Evita Peron addresses a rally

By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – An acclaimed celebrity makeup artist for Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin collected more money from John McCain's campaign than his foreign policy adviser. Amy Strozzi, who works on the reality show "So You Think You Can Dance" and has been Palin's traveling stylist, was paid $22,800, according to campaign finance reports for the first two weeks in October. In contrast, McCain's foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, was paid $12,500, the report showed.

McCain's campaign said the payment covered a portion of her work in September and a portion of October. An earlier campaign finance report showed Strozzi was paid $13,200 for a portion of September.

In recent days, McCain and his running mate have tried to douse a furor over how their side spent their money. The Republican National Committee came under scrutiny after the party committee reported earlier this week that it had spent about $150,000 in September on wardrobe and cosmetics after Palin joined the GOP ticket.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune and Fox News on Thursday, Palin said the clothes bought for the Republican National Convention were not worth $150,000 and said most have not left her campaign plane. She also said the family shops frugally.

"Those clothes are not my property. We had three days of using clothes that the RNC purchased," Palin told Fox News in an interview that aired Thursday night.

There was no evidence of additional clothing purchases in the most recent reports.

The Obama campaign has said it paid for hair and makeup costs associated with interviews or events, but neither the campaign nor the Democratic National Committee has paid for clothing.

***************************************************************************************
www.youtube.com/watch

[Eva’s dressers:]

Eyes, hair, mouth, figure
Dress, voice, style, movement
Hands, magic, rings, glamour
Face, diamonds, excitement, image

[Eva:]
I came from the people, they need to adore me
So Christian Dior me from my head to my toes
I need to be dazzling, I want to be Rainbow High
They must have excitement, and so must I

[Eva's dressers:]
Eyes, hair, mouth, figure
Dress, voice, style, image

[Eva:]
I'm their product, it's vital you sell me
So Machiavell me, make an Argentine Rose
I need to be thrilling, I want to be Rainbow High
They need their escape, and so do I

[Eva:]
All my descamisados expect me to outshine the enemy
I won't disappoint them
I'm their savior, that's what they call me
So Lauren Bacall me, anything goes
To make me fantastic, I have to be Rainbow High
In magical colors

You're not decorating a girl for a night on the town
And I'm not a second-rate queen getting kicks with a crown

Next stop will be Europe
The Rainbow's gonna tour, dressed up, somewhere to go
We'll put on a show

Look out, mighty Europe
Because you oughta know whatcha gonna get in me
Just a little touch of
Just a little touch of
Argentina's (Alaska's?) brand of star quality

You think they'd have learned by now

The Republicans, that is. I mean, they didn't dig too deeply into Palin's credentials, or somehow they missed the at-the-time ongoing Troopergate scandal; the pregnant teenaged daughter; the son with so many DUIs he had to enlist in the Army; the secessionist hubby history; the librarian firing incident; the travel expense fiasco. Etc., etc.

You think they'd have learned, you know, that they have to do their homework.

But noooooooooo -- now they foist "Joe the Plumber" on us. I'd feel sorry for old Joe if he wasn't cut from Palin cloth: screw my past and/or my present, I'm goin' for the Big Time! So I'm not competent for the job? Who gives a fuck? I'M GOIN' FOR THE BIG TIME!!

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/10/17/mccain-wrecks-joes-life/

This would be moot except for the interview I heard today on "As It Happens" with some woman who's still undecided, and who thinks McCain et al. have some good points. (big sigh)

Are you still undecided?

Maybe these bits will help you make up your mind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAyK-enrF1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDofbll86dY (this one is 13 min. long, but worth every second)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I5tNyvrztY

Really, vote Absentee -- please

If you think I'm a crackpot and overstating the case on this subject, check this out:

http://daytonos.com/?p=3449

Save your vote -- vote absentee

There's still time to register to vote using an "Absentee Ballot."

You don't have to be out of the country to use it; and for many of us, it's the only way to guarantee that our votes will not be hacked into someone else's favor -- or outright destroyed. You can make a copy of your ballot choices this way, too.

I've had my own troubles with an electronic voting machine, and I will never use one again ...

If you're still undecided ...

... check out this short film ...




http://tinyurl.com/6d9xqb
[sorry, folks, I'm not being able to upload actual links, so you'll have to cut & paste]

A brilliant idea for $10

Dear Friends,

Hope you'll think of lots of people who will also think this is an inspired idea!

Instead of (in addition to?) us all sending around emails about how horrible she is, let's all make a donation to Planned Parenthood. In Sarah Palin's name.

And here's the good part: when you make a donation to PP in her name, they'll send her a card telling her that the donation has been made in her honor. Here's the link to the Planned Parenthood website:

https://secure.ga0.org/02/pp10000_inhonor (please cut and paste)

You'll need to fill in the address to let PP know where to send the "in Sarah Palin's honor" card. I suggest you use the address for the McCain campaign headquarters, which is:

McCain-Palin for President
1235 S. Clark Street
1st Floor
Arlington , VA 22202

P.S.: make sure you use that link above or choose the pulldown of Donate--Honorary or Memorial Donations, not the regular "Donate Online"

No blank check for Wall Street

Dear Friend,

Congress is on the brink of making a one-sided deal to give George W. Bush a blank check to bail out his pals - offering nearly (or perhaps more than) a trillion taxpayer dollars to Wall Street to cover its bad debts. That works out to somewhere between $2000 and $5000 from every American family. So what do the taxpayers get in return?

Nothing. No new regulation or oversight to help avoid this kind of crisis in the future. No public interest givebacks to help people whose homes are in the hands of the banks. Perhaps most shockingly of all, the taxpayers get absolutely no share in the profits if and when these finance giants bounce back, even though we are now assuming a great deal of the risk.

This is worse than a bad deal - this isn't a deal at all. This is a blank check to some of the richest companies in the world.

I just signed a petition calling on key members of Congress to impose a few sensible conditions to this bailout in order to protect the American people -- I hope you will too.

Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/no_blank_check/?r_by=944-1082230-6GHMIrx&rc=confemail

Thanks!

Truth by Repetition by Calvin Trillin

(Sarah Palin, via speeches, and the press, via news accounts, discuss her position on the "bridge to nowhere.")

I told them thanks, but no thanks, Palin said.

We'd rather pay for it ourselves instead.

But here's a tape on which you clearly say

You're for the bridge. The federals should pay.

I told them thanks, but no thanks, Palin said.

We'd rather pay for it ourselves instead.

You weren't opposed at all until the day

That Congress made that project DOA.

I told them thanks, but no thanks, Palin said.

We'd rather pay for it ourselves instead.

And then you thought it perfectly OK

For you to take the money anyway.

I told them thanks, but no thanks, Palin said.

We'd rather pay for it ourselves instead.

But... oh, skip it.

This article can be found on the web at:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081006/trillin

Someone's done their homework on McNasty, too

I have an e-mail name/address for the person who wrote this, but I don't have their permission to post that. But what they wrote is too valuable to keep to myself:

"I have voted in every presidential election since I had the right to vote. Yes, I have been raised as a democrat, but also to question the status quo and be open minded. I have tried to be open minded when it comes to republican candidates and there have been some I actually would have been OK with, which is probably why they didn't get elected. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt but I also do my due diligence as far as finding out who they really are, just as I do with democrats.

"I am trying not to be this way, but when you hear things, look them up and everything you see is supportive of what has been said, it begs the question... How can I not share? I was really inspired by Obama and Gore's speeches last night. For some reason, McCain has still got a "pass" in regards to his military service. The media, the politicians, everyone seems to be content to commend him on his service. It's one of the major points in McCain's bid for president but...

"McCain was a crappy officer and pilot. (Remind you of anyone?) The following links are the results of a Google search for McCain's military record. At first, I thought, "so he got shot down and was a POW and broke under the pressure." It cannot have been an easy ride and he's not Rambo. I have never believed that made him fit to be president, but shit happens in war and he made it through. There is something to be said for that. I really, truly did this search to get an idea of his service, thinking that it would be a somewhat normal service record of a Navy pilot. Plus he flew a bad ass plane (see pic below). Nothing in the media had dwelled on it so I figured it would be relatively boring, showing he was an average pilot who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Unfortunately it is quite the opposite. All these links basically say the same thing from different sources. Just read one and you'll get the idea. When I read the first article, I thought "grain of salt," it's the internet after all. Everything I found, though, says the same thing and I have found nothing to the contrary despite an ardent search. (Google Search: mccain military record)

www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/mccain_post_card_word%5B1%5D.pdf

arclightzero.wordpress.com/2008...reer/ [this post appears to have been deleted]

www.forandagainst.com/article...resident

He also doesn't want any POW information to ever get out...

www.vvof.org/mccain_hides.htm

Again, find me something about Obama like this and I'll put it out there. I am trying to be as unbiased as possible but it is hard. Here's one though: read the link about POWs and you'll see why Kerry is on my shit list now.

pass it on...

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Christian Porn? I am so out of the loop ...

www.thenation.com/doc/20080...wypijewski

I want an answer to the very last question

www.thenation.com/doc/20080929/pollitt