Obsession with chicken wings... and making them healthfully

For some unknown reason, around the time of the most recent Super Bowl Sunday, I renewed my obsession with chicken wings. I had been obsessed with chicken wings while we lived in Hamburg more than a year ago, primarily because I hated all other food options and the hotel we lived in had chicken wings on the menu -- one of the few choice items besides a mixed green salad. I also discovered chicken wings at Burger King in Hamburg and was delighted to have done so, which, looking back, truly reveals how desperate I was to find food other than bratwurst. (And cooking ourselves was not an option, since we had no kitchen.)

The renewal of my chicken wing obsession in New York is slightly odd, however, as on that Sunday I suffered from a severe stomach flu that had spread through our creative team during casting the previous week. This flu finally took me as its victim on Super Bowl Sunday. That day, I could not stomach anything -- I was hungry, but could not keep anything down. And on that day, the only thing I suddenly craved and seem to have the will to eat were chicken wings.

Perhaps it was my stubborn core that insisted I take some part in the Super Bowl Sunday tradition. I don't watch football, I hardly know its rules, but Super Bowl Sunday is one of those American traditions that I wanted to share with David -- it was his first one, after all. We had been invited to a party, but were unable to attend since I was laid out ill on our couch. But I was committed to David having fun regardless. So, like a good wife, I insisted that he go and buy chicken wings and anything else he wanted -- chips, dips, cider (he doesn't drink beer), you name it.

Being Super Bowl Sunday, however, we were unable to buy simply the amount of chicken wings enough for two people. The fewest chicken wings one could buy from Atomic Wings (where the oil is non trans-fat... which means better for you than they would be otherwise) were 50. David bought them anyway, and he ended up watching the entire football game drinking cider, while I nibbled at a wing here and there and slept through most of it on the couch. We had chicken wings left over for days.

Since this Super Bowl Sunday, I have been startlingly passionate about chicken wings. We had chicken wings as a part of a Thai take away lunch at casting in Toronto -- I was THRILLED. Chicken wings made me happy. I had once watched others eat chicken wings and not understood their value, wondered, in fact, what people found so delicious in chicken wings, since there seemed to be so little meat on the wings.

I am a changed person. I think chicken wings make delicious snacks. They are portable in a zip-loc baggy, and with restraint, could be had in small numbers and be filling as well as satisfying. I was hooked.

The problem with chicken wings bought at restaurants and fast-food chains, however, is obvious: they are not good for you. They are fried, most likely in trans-fatty oil, and who knows what is in the seasonings. At home, David and I have been steadily adhering to a more organic diet (thanks to Whole Foods), and, since David avidly has been reading Kevin Trudeau, our life is currently in the process of weaning out all "poisonous" materials (except alcohol). Chicken wings had no place in our healthful lifestyle...

...until we found a way to make ORGANIC chicken wings ourselves. That's right. That's passion for chicken wings. We bought organic chicken wings at Whole Foods, made our own organic soy sauce based marinade with fresh, organic herbs, and also bought organic barbeque marinade from, yes, Whole Foods (so we could make 2 types of wings). We marinated the wings for 48-hours, and they took about 2 hours to cook in the oven (preparations included). Tremendously time and energy consuming, but the results were worthwhile. Last night, around 10:30pm, we sat down in front of a meal of the most delicious and healthy chicken wings we have ever eaten. Tender, moist, flavorful, with all the finger-lickingly satisfying elements of the chicken wing experience. David and I were both in heaven.

While it is perhaps slightly odd that one would have a home-cooked meal of chicken wings that requires so much time and energy, we thoroughly enjoyed making the wings and are ecstatic that we have some leftovers to bring to work today. And in a way, this is a good, healthy move -- after making our own version of chicken wings that are so delicious, we are less likely to eat chicken wings anywhere else. David and I are already thinking of ways to spice our next batch of wings.

Now if only we could find the time to marinate and cook them more often...

TM

Storm A-Coming

Storm coming into New York City, captured from our office balcony. (Courtesy of Robin's cell phone camera.)

Severe weather alert! (We hope we will get home ok...)

Lift Practice...

David was doing push-ups at work today, and so I offered to help by requesting that we practice our lift. Robin made a photographic documentation of this practice session. I daresay we are getting better at this, and I am pleased to find, upon seeing the photos, that I do not look like a completely deluded disaster.

This one above, however, was one of the "Don't break it, don't break it!" moments, a la the film (lifts in the lake).

It's all about balance, I am understanding, and hopefully, at some point, we shall be able to do the lift in an upright position... because, as cool as this lift is, it is slightly reminiscent of a baby (as in an infant) being lifted up in the air.

Back in Nueva York

David and I returned to New York from Toronto yesterday to find a completely green-ified New York -- by which I mean, all the trees have sprung into full green leafiness whilst we have been away. Central Park looks stunning! And the air is slightly muggy, indicating that summer is not too far off. David is slightly upset that, yet again, he has missed the week in New York during which all the trees seem to burst into green, as last year we were in London casting.

Work continues to be busy, casting complicated and unfinished (both in Amsterdam and Toronto), and our life at the moment has been overtaken by the chaos of unpacked suitcases, which makes finding matching socks or anything else utterly impossible.

But so it goes. Hopefully, we will get back into the swing of New York things before our next trip abroad (in less than 2 weeks), long enough to feel a little bit "back home and settled."

P.S. In the mean time, I shall happily and proudly report that my spinning has been steadily improving with practice... as is the lift, although I have bruises over my hip bone.

Cinco de Mayo!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

David and I had a lovely day off today, having lunch at Pangea in Yorkville (gorgeously fresh food), wandering around that area, and browsing through Holt Renfrew, an upscale department store, where David scored a lovely lavender shirt.

We have taken a siesta, and will dine this evening at Senses Restaurant around the corner. And afterwards, we shall celebrate what is left of Cinco de Mayo by watching SPIDERMAN 3 on IMAX!

Cannot wait. Yum. And fun!

TM

Spinning, spotting, and trying out the lift...

"You're a good teacher..."

It's a line from our show, said by Baby to Johnny. Very often, actors who work with David repeat this very line to him, with deep earnest appreciation. David is a terrific teacher, and this is evident in the tremendous gratitude expressed by performers worldwide who have worked with him in an audition or in a production or both.

This afternoon, David taught me how to spin properly. He has taught me dance steps before, but I had never attempted to truly conquer how to spin and spot. In our hotel room, we held our first lesson -- and I felt I understood how performers felt when they tell David, "You're a good teacher." He is. I have now learned to spin a bit better -- albeit not perfectly, still on the wobbly side -- and I can now be found practicing down the halls of our hotel spotting on the EXIT sign at the end of the hall. David has also taught me the lift -- still not THE lift, but a practice version of the lift, wherein he lies on the bed and lifts me from that position. It is thrilling, and I must confess I hope one day to do THE lift with him.

TM

A Look Back...on Amsterdam

(Tomoko on one of the many bridges over a canal in Amsterdam)

Our week in Amsterdam was fabulous. The casting process was great, and we found some very good company members. We were impressed with the Dutch talent we saw -- although we had been told over and over again how small the Netherlands were and thus how small the talent pool is, we found that there are more all-around talents in the Netherlands than we have seen in most other countries. Most of the dancers can act and sing. Each actor came in meticulously prepared, with all the lines memorized. Actors apologized when they did not bring a prop with them (such as a golf club for Jake). We have never seen such committed auditions -- performers thought nothing of ripping off their shirts or having their shirt ripped off, and making out on the floor without being asked (sometimes for what seemed like an embarrassing eternity). The people were sweet and lovely, and tremendously giving. We still have some holes to fill in the cast, but we finished the week feeling quite good about the progress we'd made.

(David by where the Rijks Museum was, before the construction.)

Working in Amsterdam in the spring is a gorgeous experience. The city is simply stunning, with all the fresh greenery and the canals. Although we nearly got run over by bicyclists several times over (urban bike lanes are not something New Yorkers are used to), we fell deeper in love with the city. We changed rooms in our hotel half way through, which made a big difference to our stay. The hotel moved us to a larger room on the ground floor with its own terrace, which was airy and bright, with high ceiling and more closet space. We ended up loving our hotel and our room, as well as the location -- close to various museums and restaurants, as well as the Leidsplein, the city center. We could walk to most places, and it made our stay wonderfully enjoyable.

As I wrote before, we ate very well in Amsterdam. One night we found our way to Le Garage, only to remember that we'd been there before, almost a year ago on our first trip together to Amsterdam. David had wanted to go there since we arrived, as it got great reviews in the travel guides we have, but we did not remember that we'd already been there until we entered the restaurant. The restaurant decor is quite specific, and not easily forgotten -- bright, casino-style lighting over a black and red with mirrors all over motif. Luckily, we also remembered that the food was great -- and so we had a delicious meal. We got a bit tipsy on the wine along the way, however, and behaved in our usual silly manner on our walk home through the park from the restaurant.

(Aboard the Supper Club Cruise)

Our most unusual dining experience was the Supper Club Cruise. We had been to the Supper Club in Rome, but only to the club, and so we thought it would be fun to try dining at the club in Amsterdam. The Supper Club Cruise takes place on, of course, a cruise. The dining area consists of what is basically a massive sunken bed. Everything is white, and the tables are coffee tables on top of a white mattress with white cushions. One must take off one's shoes while dining and lounging, and one does not know what the menu will be. There is a DJ playing, and the dinner is served as the boat cruises around Amsterdam. The boat docks at the end of dinner, and turns into a club. We had a lovely 5-course meal, one of which was served in a silver DOG BOWL. A little odd, but the salmon ceviche was delicious. We had a fun time, befriended our dining neighbors, and enjoyed the music as well as the original ambience.

We really can't rave enough about Amsterdam. Beautiful, fun, culturally rich, lovely restaurants, beautiful people... and some terrific parties to be found. We highly recommend it.

TM

Back in Canada-land

We flew from Amsterdam to Toronto yesterday -- and have finished our first day of auditions in Toronto today. Long day, especially with jet-lag and all. It's strange to have done casting in Dutch in Amsterdam for a week and suddenly find myself back in Toronto casting for the show in Canada. One company to the next! I hardly know where I am anymore, half the time. Anyhow, we shall re-cap Amsterdam when we have the chance -- but in the mean time, we are happily situated in our room at Hotel Le Germain in Toronto, and we are off to dinner at one of our favorite Toronto restaurants, Lee.

TM

Dutch Tarzan

Last night David and I traveled to Hague after auditions to see the Dutch version of Tarzan. The show is a Stage Entertainment production (same as us), so our casting director was able to organize the whole evening for us. We were very well taken care of: A car drove us from Amsterdam to Hague, an hour's car ride. Once at the theater, we were met by someone from the production staff, who gave us food at the cafeteria (not great, but we were happy to get some hot food) and then escorted us to our seats. We had great house seats, and after the performance, we were escorted out again through back stage, given the show CD and photo programme, taken to our car, and were driven back to Amsterdam.

Not bad.

We had been interested in seeing the Dutch production of Tarzan, because we'd heard that the choreography had been changed from the original Broadway version. This decision was an unfortunate one, as we felt that the Dutch production lacked the magical, wonderful gorilla movements and choreography that made the show special for us. While some scene transitions were cleaner and the theater space was used well for the production, all in all, this version of Tarzan made us want to go back to New York and see the original one again. Because of the less than wild reviews that the show received when it opened on Broadway, Stage Entertainment and Disney decided to bring in a different choreographer to try to make it more widely appealing. I think this was a mistake. The show now seems more like Lion King -- big, beautiful and spectacular, but not as innovative. (We find Lion King sort of dated now...)

The actor who plays Tarzan is wonderful, however, as was Jane. We did not like the father gorilla at all -- the actor had very sloppy gorilla movements. Some of the dancers were nice, but not nearly as fierce as those in the New York production. Despite not understanding Dutch, I think that this production was not as fabulous as the one we saw in New York.

But! It was great to get out of Amsterdam and take in a different show, in Dutch, for a change. We also got to see several tulip fields along the car ride, so it was a terrific evening.

TM

So far in Amsterdam...

(Artsy "mirror-effect" photo of David at the Mansion)

Our fourth night in Amsterdam -- so far, we've had a fantastic time and have found some good people for our Dutch production. The weather has been beautiful, and we are enjoying a sunny, warm spring here.

David and I are in love with Amsterdam. The city is gorgeous and laid-back, very tranquil, yet it has an urban buzz that keeps us engaged. The people here are lovely and open, too, and that most of them speak fabulous English (in addition to about 4 other languages) and are attractive don't hurt.

As we always seem to do in Amsterdam, we have eaten very well on this trip. On the first night, we had a gorgeous meal at a Moroccan restaurant, where we ate wonderful seafood tagine. The ingredients were fresh and, while simple, spiced perfectly, not overwhelmingly as some tagines we've had have leaned toward. On Monday night - our second night - David and I went to Blue Pepper, which is supposedly one of the best and most original restaurants in Amsterdam. The restaurant serves a contemporary Indonesian cuisine. It was my first experience with Indonesian food. Apparently, there is a large Indonesian population in the Netherlands and so there are many Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam. David and I had never tried Indonesian food here, however, as I am not very tolerant of spicy food and David was concerned that there would be little for me to eat from an Indonesian menu. We were pleasantly surprised at Blue Pepper -- the dishes all had heat to them, but I could eat them just fine. The spiciness was one that enhanced the flavors within the dish and added a physical sensation, as opposed to one that killed all palate sensations and thus rendered the dish un-tastable for a spiciness-intolerant like myself. Last night, we went to Mansion, which was a terrific experience. The Mansion is a restaurant/lounge club space in the form of, of course, a "mansion." We had beautiful "modern yet authentic" Chinese cuisine. Delicious, delicious food! All our dishes were wonderful, and the intimate, glamorous atmosphere made us feel great after a long day of casting. We ate well and drank margaritas (in martini glasses) and took some silly photos.

(Below...David and Tomoko lick margarita surfaces as a acting exercise for "committing to silliness.")

In Amsterdam...

We arrived in beautiful, sunny Amsterdam after a pleasant albeit sleepless overnight flight. Our hotel, the Bilderberg, is a boutique hotel in the museum district of the city -- great location, but our room is very "boutique"... which is, frankly, too small for us to comfortably share for a week of flat-out auditions without killing each other (which won't be good for the show). There is no closet space to speak of, only a closet that is big enough to hold our spring coats and a few other items. There are no drawers AT ALL. Since we have traveled with two suitcases EACH (as we are going from Amsterdam straight to Toronto), this space won't do. We will have to investigate tomorrow about switching rooms...gah!

For the time being, with our room overtaken by our luggage, we had a wonderful dinner with Eleanor, Conrad and Penny at a Moroccan restaurant in walking distance. And the night is gorgeous, fresh and mild, so besides the state of our accommodations, we are happy.

Scrambling yet again...

We are off to Amsterdam tomorrow to cast the Holland production -- we will be there for a week. From there, we are off to Toronto for a week and a half... we are, of course, not at all packed yet, as we have been busy busy all week this week. The usual packing scramble has begun... we are going to get some dinner now, as our task at hand is so daunting, we need to let ourselves have a bit of a breather (we were casting until 8:30pm tonight).

New work computer...

My computer at work has been acting out recently (or rather, basically not working) -- so I've got a new Mac desktop! And it has the built-in camera with my favoritest program, Photobooth. We have taken a photo of ourselves on it, with "Cartoon" effect.

Glam Pics - GenArt Film Festival

Last week was GenArt Film Festival and we attended a couple of screenings and after-parties . Our photos taken at one of the parties are on www.joonbug.com. Since they were nice, we thought we'd put them up here -- the photos were taken at the after-party at PM Lounge for a short film titled "No Diving" and an independent feature film titled "Chalk."
Incidentally, I have no idea what I am looking at in this above photo, but it is rather (unnecessarily) dramatic. Meanwhile, David seems to have mastered the pose he takes in both photos and hits the mark every time (with slight difference in the face, perhaps).

(We did not care for the feature film "Chalk," but we did enjoy the party at PM.)

Dirty Dancing Toronto - $1.8 Million in one day!

Check out this fabulous news on Playbill.com: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/107389.html

A Look Back on Chicago...

(David trying to touch the clouds from the plane.)

David and I had a wonderful time in Chicago, although the trip was short (3 nights, 2 full days). Our first impressions were good -- we look forward to spending more time there, hopefully in the warmer months. Everyone we encountered seemed very nice and easily conversational, from the hotel staff to theater staff to restaurant staff to the dancers and actors we saw... Chicago seemed like a city where its inhabitants were happy.

A bit of musing about Chicago (a week later...):

ON W CHICAGO CENTER:
This was our first time staying at a W Hotel... and I must confess, I was at once excited and nervous about the prospect of staying in the W Chicago Center. Why? Because I looked up the hotel on Trip Advisor. The wonderful thing about Trip Advisor is that it is informative -- the site is laden with reviews from real people. The terrible thing about Trip Advisor is that it could inspire a certain amount of alarm, fear and dread, should there be one or two extremely negative and skeptical reviews about a hotel. Even more terrible thing about Trip Advisor is when one checks out one's hotel on it when one has no option of changing hotels -- the situation we were in in Chicago, and, of course, in which we generally find ourselves. (Since the general manager arranges our accommodations.) The Trip Advisor reviews of W Chicago Center were mixed -- some people liked it, others did not. One review by a newlywed couple, in particular, described in great detail how their computers AND their computer bags were stolen from their locked room. It was an "insider job." This reviews instilled terrific anxiety in us as we considered the safety of David's brand new Powerbook Mac -- not to mention his new, gorgeous Crumpler backpack (of which he is very proud).

Fortunately, we found the W Chicago Center lovely. Our room was spacious, with a comfortable bed and a nice view onto Chicago. David marveled at the flat screen TV, while I made sure to take home all the Bliss Spa products that were complimentary in our bathroom (there is a Bliss Spa Salon in the hotel). While the club-like elevators were somewhat strange (lit like a club with house dance music pumping within it at all hours), we enjoyed the lobby lounge bar as well as the Whiskey Bar... hey, what's not to like about a hotel that makes drinking at all hours tremendously easy? We fell in love with the margaritas at the W... toasty tequila flavor very present in a light, refreshing fresh lime juice and triple sec concoction. The staff were nice, too, and that there was a little boutique in the hotel didn't hurt (David bought a cute tee shirt)... so all in all, we enjoyed our first W Hotel experience.

(Also, we returned to NY with David's computer AND backpack safely with us.)

ON FOOD IN CHICAGO:
We arrived late on Easter Sunday, which meant a lot of restaurants were closed or had closed early. Eleanor, David and I rushed to a slightly out-of-the-way Tex Mex restaurant called Coobah, which was good, although not excellent and without frills. It was interesting to take a car journey out of where we were staying, which is in the city but in a business-y area, to what seemed more like a residential neighborhood. Although it was not our shining culinary experience of Chicago, it was a mellow, first night dining experience.

(David & Tomoko at Blackbird)

The second night, David and I went for a romantic dinner at Blackbird, which was wonderful. We had a beautiful bottle of wine recommended by our very thoughtful and sweet waiter -- a Central Coast white wine, 2004 Treana from Mer Soleil Vineyard. It was just to our taste -- fruity, medium-bodied blend of Viognier and some others, with a surprisingly clean dry finish. Some nights after a long day of casting, there is nothing better than sitting down together for a relaxing, long meal sharing a lovely bottle of wine (I suppose this situation is lovely most days, but it is indeed very nice after seeing one actor/dancer after another and having to be very focused). The food was excellent and innovative, and the dessert (a chocolate mousse with a paper thin wafer underneath) delicious. We had a fantastic time, and befriended our waiter, who turned out to be a real pro in the Chicago restaurant industry. He gave us his contacts at other restaurants we'd read about ("Ask to be seated in the area with Rex (the waiter)," he'd say), and wished us our speedy return to Chicago. (Blackbird's sister restaurant, Avec, is next door. It's a wine bar restaurant with a nice selection of wines. We went there post-dinner and saw our waiter there again, had a nice chat (he was there post-work with his colleagues). Lovely lovely man. We liked Avec for its wine, but we did not like the bright-bright lighting -- we like prefer to drink wines at a counter with a more dim lighting.)

On the third and last night, we ate at the restaurant in our hotel with Eleanor. Eleanor and David ate red-wine braised short-ribs and I had a rib-eye steak with garlic crust. All meat dishes were excellent, and we had a great time. It was a lovely way to cap off our first casting trip to the Windy City.

ON CASTING IN CHICAGO:
We spent our first day of casting seeing dancers from the Joffrey Ballet as well as dancers from other dance companies. Ballet dancers at the Joffrey level are basically certified to be non-human, I have come to understand. I have never seen a girl leap so high, leg kick so readily or feet point so perfectly. It was an exciting day. The treat -- for everyone -- came when Cynthia Rhodes, the original Penny from the film, stopped by to say "Hello." She is gorgeous, radiant, and absolutely generous and warm. David was over-the-moon thrilled to meet her, and ardently wished that she would take up the idea of demonstrating the mambo with him... but alas, she was too modest ("Oh, I'd step on your toes!" she said). I must confess, I did not expect to be starstruck -- I was just intent on making sure David got to meet her when she arrived, as he was in the other room -- but I was awe-struck by her brilliant person. She is beautiful and sui generis.

I also took a couple of photos of David in action teaching the dancing. (Cynthia Rhodes, by the way, whispered to me while watching David teach the mambo, "He is totally adorable!" This comment, of course, brought a wide smile to David's face when I told him.)

ON OUR TRIP BACK TO NEW YORK:
Our flight to Chicago was easy and smooth, and we even arrived about 20 minutes early. Unfortunately, our trip back to New York did not go as well. Because of the weather (snow starting to fall in Chicago), we sat on the tarmac for 5 hours. A machine had to be brought to our plane to defrost it entirely, which is not exactly a comfort-inspiring event. The defrosting process was a funny one, as the plane basically gets doused with pink-ish liquid that is eerily reminiscent of Pepto Bismal. We did have a lovely flight back into New York, however, and flew directly over the city and by Central Park, which allowed me to take some interesting bird's eye photos of New York.
TM

Change of Plan...

Have not had a moment to post photos and blog about our Chicago trip, which was excellent. We were originally supposed to fly to Madrid this afternoon, but plans have changed and our Madrid casting trip has been postponed... which means we are in New York for another week before we fly to Amsterdam. Hurrah! While we are sorry to miss our trip to Madrid, we are ecstatic about having another week in New York, during which we might put our life in order (a bit) and pack sufficiently for our imminent casting tour.

And this shall give us some time to catch up on our blogging...

In the Windy City

We arrived safely and easily into Chicago last night. We are staying at the W City Centre -- so far very nice, our room is spacious and with a nice view onto the city (we see a sliver of what we believe is the Sears Tower). The lobby is rather swanky and the elevator is like a club in itself... which is amusing and slightly odd at the same time. About to rush off to Ballet Chicago now for a day of seeing some serious dancers. For the time being, we wanted to share that we have already discovered that the the Whiskey Bar at the W City Centre Chicago has one of the best margaritas we have ever drank, outside of Mesa Grill in New York.

A Marathon of the Theatrical Kind

Tonight, Eleanor, Michael, David and I went to see the marathon of The Coast of Utopia, the Tom Stoppard play in 3 parts (Voyage, Shipwreck, and Salvage), at the Lincoln Center. This theatrical marathon began at 11am and concluded at 11pm, with a lunch break and a dinner break along the way. The Coast of Utopia is one of those rare theatrical events a New Yorker interested in the theater mustn't miss -- it surely will be remembered and discussed for years for happening at all, due to its magnitude and complexity. David and I were excited about the event for its event-ness itself, but we quickly fell in love with the production and thrived in our 12-hour experience with all 3 parts of the play. The cast boasted Jennifer Ehle, Martha Plimpton, Amy Irving, Ethan Hawke, Billy Crudup, Richard Easton and Brian F. O'Byrne as its main actors, with a huge ensemble. The set, by Bob Crowley, was gorgeous and genius; the lighting by Brian McDevitt stunning. The acting was fantastic all around, and, instead of feeling like we had crammed too much in one day (as it is possible to see the 3 parts on separate nights as well), we finished the day feeling that the marathon was the best way to see The Coast of Utopia -- it was a journey for the actors as well as for the audience. Jennifer Ehle was beautiful and wonderful, as was Billy Crudup, who transformed so completely that he was almost unrecognizable. Ethan Hawke was impressive, too, which redeemed him in my eyes as a stage actor. The last time I saw Ethan Hawke was in Henry IV at the Lincoln Center, in which he played Hotspur and was extremely disappointing (he struggled with the language and looked like a drowned rat). Tonight, he was passionate and charismatic as well as endearingly engaging throughout the 3 parts. The entire production was executed beautifully... and we left the theater feeling we'd witnessed a spectacularly special show. The Coast of Utopia reminded us of the beauty and power of theater, just how wonderful and magical a theatrical experience could be.

We are now up trying to pack to fly to Chicago tomorrow night, for 3 nights. Normally, we would feel slightly more stressed at the prospect of packing up the very last minute, with a casting session in the morning in New York and then an evening flight to a different city. Luckily, The Coast of Utopia has left us quite happy and fulfilled that, for a change, this mad dash to pack and attempt to get some sort of sleep doesn't seem as bad (at least until tomorrow, perhaps, when we suddenly feel very tired and sleepy).

TM

Seder Serendipity

Hey,
So tonight was my first Passover Seder (pronounced Sader) at Elizabeth's house in Brooklyn -- Elizabeth is a friend of Eleanor's, whom we have also befriended. I knew nothing of this Jewish celebration until 5:15 pm tonight when Tomoko very intelligently suggested that I might like to research a little about this event before I launched into matza and bitter herbs. Tomoko has been to several Seders and has a solid feel for the rituals which go hand-in-hand with this cultural event. Unfortunately, she was not able to give the precise description to me, explaining, "It's the Jewish Thanksgiving - lots of food, lots of relatives." A quick ten minute chow down on the Wikipedia database revealed a crash course into understanding Passover Seder... Did you read it? The link stuff is good - no? If you didn't read the link - and you don't know anything about Seder and you get invited to go - not to worry, the best thing about the ceremony is that it is very considerately explained to you as you go through it -- drinking strategic glasses of wine along the way -- it actually is written, "drink now" in the Haggadah. If you are considerate enough to read the link (that I painstakingly put into the blog) you will know that even the poorest man is OBLIGED to drink at least four glasses of wine (or pure grape juice) at Seder. Tomoko's first comment I remember at the table tonight was, "It's like a drinking game!" -- right then it all fell in to place - this is why she likes Seder so much.

Elizabeth's Seder was as tasteful as it was engaging. Elizabeth, who is a vegetarian, created a wonderful and innovative vegetarian meal that ended in the most beautiful flourless chocolate cake I have had at anyone's house - ever.

The guests are what made the evening the most enjoyable. We met a bonafide Frisbee World Champion and now avid kite surfer and his two groovy kids. We met a Tai chi master who is exhibiting his photographs in Essen, Germany, and his beautiful Columbian wife, a sculptress. All the while Finnea, Elizabeth's adoptive African American daughter, now two, wowed the crowd with sentences in English and French (she can also say "kiss" in Arabic). She is well on her way to being tri-lingual at age two - bugger I'm jealous.

All-in-all a great evening. Certainly one to inspire anticipations for next year. I am NO LONGER a Seder virgin.

Cheerio,
David

P.S. Tomoko doesn't really regard Seder as a "drinking game." There are aspects of reading the Haggadah that she loves and by which she is moved (e.g. opening the door to let the Elijah in to the home... she also likes the part when the matza's hidden for the kids to find, which we didn't do today). But mostly, she likes the cultural and communal aspect of Seder, which is why she relates it to Thanksgiving. But be warned. There are rumours circulating that sometimes the ceremony - wine or no - can go on for FAR too long. I've heard as long as two hours before you can eat anything more substantial than matza and bitter (salty bathed) herbs.