Home again, home again!

Grade 8's!  Welcome home.  I hope you had a great time at camp.  I had fun with the Grade 8's who remained behind.  We did some drama activities in the theatre.  There is no journal for this week since we didn't get to have class on Friday.  Make sure you practice the Shakespeare and we will see your conflict mimes on Monday, I hope.

Grade 9/10 Drama:  What scares you?  How do you feel when you're scared?  Describe the sensations in detail.  What do you do when you're really scared?

Theatre Production 11/12:  What enhances a scary scene?  Think of at least three things and explain why you think they help make something even more scary than it already is.

Acting 11/12:  If you were going to create a two minute mime for a performance of your own, what would you do?  Describe a mime you could create by yourself.  What would you wear?  What would you do?  What would the story be?

Directing and Scriptwriting 12:  Write your one page scene in which something big happens!

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

It's funny how certain bits of verse stay with you.  At this time of year, that line of Keats from Ode to Autumn always pops into my head.  I don't know the rest of the poem, but today, on my walk with dear Daisy (my dog), it was very misty in the park and the geese were congregating, getting ready for their big trip south, and I said it out loud as I looked out at the inlet and could only see the rocks closest to me -- everything else was misty white.

My brand new furnace came on of its own accord this morning.  Good to know that it works!  All the stuff we had done to the house this summer is finished and now, I hope we can enjoy it.

Since it was raining yesterday, I got a DVD from the library (I know I'm living in the past, man) of the tv show "Mad Men".  I know most people have already seen it, but I haven't and I heard it was great.  I find it quite shocking.  I wonder if it catches that time period as it was.  I suppose almost everyone smoked.  Both my parents smoked and my sister smoked (I never did, thank goodness).  Everyone in movies smoked -- there's that crazy, supposedly romantic, scene with Bette Davis and Paul Henreid in "Now Voyager" where he lights two cigarettes and then gives her one -- ooo!  The way they treat women!  It makes you think we have come a long way -- I read an article this summer in The Guardian about how much better the world is now than it was fifty years ago -- how there are many fewer people living in poverty and life expectancy is going up and we have figured out how to cure many diseases and things like that.  When you experience the smoke of forest fires hovering over our city and hear about the succession of hurricanes causing havoc and worry about intercontinental ballistic missiles, you think things are terrible, but perhaps it's the glass half empty-half full argument all over again.  I worry about all those things, but I am definitely in the glass half full camp.

Hope you had a great weekend!  I wonder how all you graduates from Steveston-London are doing in your new lives.  I hope it's all very exciting and wonderful.  Try not to get overwhelmed and give yourselves time to adapt to all the changes.  I read that one of the scourges of university is loneliness. It is natural to feel lonely when you've left everything and everyone you know, but soon, you will know people and get used to your new normal.  Trust me -- I know whereof I speak.

Here's the whole poem if you need some lovely imagery to start your day:

SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,	5
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,	10
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;	15
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twinèd flowers;
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;	20
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barrèd clouds bloom the soft-dying day,	25
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;	30
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Tomorrow . . .

The recitation for Senior Drama:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death.
Out, out, brief candle!  Life's but a walking shadow,
A poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more; it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.

That's from Macbeth.

Welcome (back)!

I hope your first week of September was just stupendous.   I always find it a terrible shock to get so busy so fast!  From lazy summer days of reading and walking and lounging, to making my lunch and driving my car and preparing and teaching my classes, it's from 0 to 110 in what seems like minutes!

Anyway, sorry I didn't post this last night.  My son will tell you our WIFI is terrible and I couldn't get onto the computer. . .

Here are your journal topics for week one of September.  This is JOURNAL #1.  Do them weekly and it won't be an issue.

Grade 8:

What should Ms. Kosar know about you?  You should certainly include any drama experiences you've had (elementary school plays, classes in public speaking, reading Shakespeare in your spare time . . . )  You can include anything else you think might help me teach you and understand you better.  Also, please tell me whether or not you have stage fright.  Lots of people do -- you won't be the only one.  Perhaps you could add what you expect from Drama this term.

All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances
And one man in his time plays many parts.

If you say that daily, you'll learn it!

Everyone else:

Write about a movie or a play you've seen recently.   It doesn't have to be new, just fresh in your mind.  It doesn't have to be in English.

Provide the title and a brief (two sentences tops) summary of the plot.  Describe the setting or settings.  Choose one actor -- what was their performance like?  (Provide details, like describing one scene.)  Who is the director?  Find out something about the director -- style, how they became a director, etc.  Did you like it?  Why or why not?

Brothers (and sisters) in arms

Almost another month since I wrote -- very bad (as Trump might tweet).  But I've been busy, folks.  My sister was here and we were out and about almost every day.  And I have all these prosaic house matters to deal with -- new windows, blah, blah, blah, which take a great deal of time . . . and money!

Today is a day to demonstrate our love for all of our brothers and sisters in the world -- there is a rally at the Vancouver City Hall at 12:45 to show that we embrace our country's true nature -- that we are diverse and that we embrace that diversity -- that it makes us stronger and happier and safer and better.  We are going to go -- maybe some of you will be there, too.  After all the racial strife and the ugliness of the events last week in Charlottesville in the United States, I think it's important for all of us to stand up for what we believe in.

In other news, we went to the Bard on the Beach twice last week and saw "The Winter's Tale" and "The Merchant of Venice".  The two productions were very different -- "Winter's Tale" was quite regal and traditional.  It looked spectacular and I liked how the director was able to theatricalize it -- I don't think it works otherwise.  If it's not theatrical and clearly told as a story, then the ending is quite silly.  (Of course, it is one of the "problem" plays and presents lots of problems to those brave enough to tackle it!)  My sons liked it but hated the ending.  I won't tell you what it is -- you'll have to see for yourself.  I really liked the female friendship angle that it presented and the performance of the woman who played Paulina (I am not sure which actor it was, as there were two performing the role through the run) was terrific.

"Merchant of Venice" was just alive with energy and nastiness.  Antonio and Bassanio were part of a really repellent gang of young toughs, taunting Shylock in the streets and photographing the results with their phones.  When Shylock entered the court room, they all yelled viciously at him and it was quite shocking and powerful.  Although, as a comedy, it ends with a wedding, the weddings were not completely happy ones and the finale was an uneasy peace, at best.  Very thought-provoking.

Okay, I'm off to get ready to go to the rally.  It is called "Stand Up to Racism Metro Vancouver" if you are looking for more information.

Dunkirk

Okay, so I go a whole month without one blog post and now I make two in one day, but I saw "Dunkirk" and I must say, it was fantastic.  Right from the start, it was completely terrifying and shocking and very emotional.  The episodic style was so compelling and I felt like Christopher Nolan had put the film together like you were actually there -- it felt confusing and unbelievable and terrible and yet there were lots of really beautiful scenes -- the sweep of the beach and the peacefulness of the little town with all the fliers falling from the sky, fliers that said, "you are surrounded".  There isn't much dialogue, but all the actors are terrific and I think it catches both the heroism and the senselessness of all of it.  I like that he chose this moment of the war -- not a big victory in battle but a retreat in which all the "little boats" saved the broken army.  He captured the navy, the army and the air force and tried to show the nightmares that each faced and even the civilians, with Mark Rylance playing a man who had a small boat that he took to help the cause.  I understand that it is a huge hit, even in the United States, and well deserved, I think.

It is fairly easy to make me cry, but I cried throughout the movie and I wondered partway through if I could stand it, because it was so terrifying and emotional.  But I was glad I stayed for the end.  If you are thinking of seeing a movie, this is the one to go to.

Summer's lease hath all too short a date!

Wow!  I have been remiss in writing in my blog these days.  I see I haven't written for almost a month which might well be a record for me.  It isn't that I have been particularly busy, although I have been up to all sorts of things.  Here is a bum's rush version of my activities so far this blissful summer holiday.  The first week of July, I went away with a couple of other teachers to Mayne Island.  We stayed right on the beach and watched the birds and went cycling (gruelling -- lots of hills and I am used to relatively flat cycling at Rocky Point Park) and kayaking (I was concerned about this beforehand, as I am not a swimmer AT ALL, and wondered how I would manage if the kayak tipped over -- I was assured that would not happen {it being quite difficult to tip a sea kayak, I was told} so off we went and it was lovely and I really enjoyed it -- we saw seals and their pups and a variety of sea birds -- until we tipped {we hit the incoming tide!} and had to be RESCUED!!)  I got a stellar bruise on both my legs from falling out of the kayak, but was unscathed except for that.  (Although the water was super cold, and as we struggled to shore, I wondered how long it takes for hypothermia to kick in.)

I have a big list of "to do's" for the house and have made a good start on all of that.  (Boredom alert -- the following paragraph is news for me, but perhaps not interesting to anyone else on the planet.)  I got our furnace replaced and have had people come in to measure the floor in our entranceway and tomorrow a man is coming to measure some windows which need to be replaced.  Then, I need a new washing machine and a dishwasher.  My only real comment on this is that I find it very difficult to have people clumping around in the house, looking underneath things and finding out what a bad housekeeper I am, etc.  I don't think I am alone on this.  Today, I'm taking my car in for an oil change (fascinating stuff, huh?) and I am going to see "Dunkirk" while I wait for the car.  I have heard it is excellent ("Dunkirk", not the car).

I went to see "The Drowsy Chaperone" at Theatre under the Stars in Stanley Park last week.  As many of you know, I am not a wildly enthusiastic musical fan, but if you are looking for some good theatre in a beautiful spot, this is really an ideal outing.  The show is heaps of fun -- very funny and with lots of great singing and amazing dancing -- and it's CANADIAN (written as a gift for somebody and then suddenly, there it is on Broadway and winning Tony Awards and all sorts of things).  I try to see one of the offerings from Theatre Under the Stars every year and I am never disappointed.  If you're having guests from out of town, it is really ideal because it combines Stanley Park (which is so iconic, of course) and also some pretty lively entertainment.  I was particularly impressed with the tap dancing in this show -- I don't know many kids who are accomplished tap dancers, but everyone in this production seemed to be able to tap up a storm, and it's like Steve Martin used to say about the banjo, you can't be sad when you're tap-dancing (or watching tap dancing!)

My sister is coming next month and we are planning to see "The Winter's Tale" and "Merchant of Venice" at Bard on the Beach.  I don't think I have ever seen a production of Merchant of Venice, and so I'm looking hugely forward to that.  And of course, to my sister's visit, as well.

I have been attending aquafit classes religiously at the local pool.  It is outdoors so while you're aquafitting, you can watch the birds and look at the trees, so it isn't like being stuck in a smelly old pool, which I hate.

Daisy and I have been really enjoying our walks, of course.  On the hot days, we go early in the morning (I can't sleep in, even when it's an option) and see all the birds and look at where the tide is and try to avoid other dogs!  Then, one of us takes her out in the evening again.  She gets very overheated if she tries to go in the middle of the day -- that's when she goes to one of the many creeks in Port Moody where she can lie down in the cold water.

I've seen several older movies which I will review briefly here:  "What We Do in the Shadows" is a New Zealand "mockumentary" about these vampire flatmates and their adventures.  Quite funny and entertaining, although perhaps a bit gory (not anything too disturbing, though);  "A Beautiful Mind" which amazingly I had never seen before.  I did not like it.  It is about a math genius who struggles with mental illness.  I did not like Russell Crowe's performance (I felt like it was soulless), and I did not like the story, which I thought made everything so clear and simple (and I don't think the real guy's life was clear or simple AT ALL).  I think this simplification is something that Ron Howard does (he's the director, in case you didn't know), and I am looking for ambiguity, not pat answers, at this point in my life (I can't remember if I have always looked for it, but maybe I have);  "Her" with Joaquin Phoenix, about a guy who falls in love with an operating system, played by Scarlett Johannson.  I did not like this one either.  I read a review that said that the idea of the movie is more interesting than the execution, and I agree with that.  I liked the scenes of the Los Angeles skyline and I liked his apartment and the elevator, but I found "Samantha" (the operating system) really irritating and the long shots of Joaquin Phoenix staring did not evoke much in my consciousness.  The movie seemed very long and that is not a good sign.

I have been reading a lot, of course.  I am presently reading Between Us, by Richard Ford.  It is a memoir about his parents and so naturally, it leads one to think of one's own parents.  I feel very lucky in that my parents were the people they were.  Firstly, they loved my sister and me whole-heartedly (if you think that's true of all parents, think again).   Secondly, they were both enthusiastic and lively story-tellers, which I think my sister and I have inherited.  They were both very interested in politics and passed that on to us.  My mother was the person who taught me to relish the beautiful small things in life -- the things that bring us joy.  She taught me to love to read (one of the great loves of my life).  She taught me to count my blessings (I have said this before -- I can never feel sorry for myself for long, because I hear my mother's voice in my head saying, "you are so lucky!  Think of all the good things in your life!" and there are always many more good things than bad.)  She taught me to try to walk in other people's shoes before you judge them.  My dad taught me that it is never too late to change (he had an epiphany late in life and it made his whole life better and happier), that you have to stand up for yourself, that you can say what you think, that you can yell what you think, and that people will still like you.  That you can change your mind.  That you can be forgiven.  That it's okay to show people that you love them.  (And that it's good to love people.)  They were both dear, good people and I think of them every day, even though it has been a long time since they died.  And every day I am grateful to them for what they gave me.

That's a nice note to end on, I think.  I will report on "Dunkirk" after I see it.