threesixfive: april

my april in pictures. or supersize me on my flickr.

enjoy.

return of the ninja girl

looks like my daimyo was so pleased with my rigoletto mission that i'm being sent out on another assignment for my ninja clan.

i will be reporting from the flydeck, hiding behind the wings, infiltrating the orchestra pit and moving stealthily along the bowels of the queen elizabeth theatre tomorrow night for vancouver opera's dress rehearsal of salome.

i shall employ my ninja skills of illusion, espionage and scouting and tweet my findings on vancouver opera's twitter. follow along if you want in.

i hear there's to be a beheading. i wonder who will have a hand in that?

you tarzan. me jane. let's swing.

how impressionable we are as children.

to see something superfreakinfantastic and glom onto it as kids and never really letting go of the idea even when we become adults. such was the oooh ah, oooh ah reaction i had as a little girl watching the return of the jedi when it was first released. the moon of endor.

the ewok village.



cuz really, how flippin' cool would it be to live in a primeval forest, using rope ladders, swinging vines and wooden catwalks to get to your thatched roof huts in the trees? and don't even get me started on the speeder bike chase scene.

i've always been keen on treehouses, says the girl who used to get scraped knees and shins climbing up trees. i did grow up with 2 brothers after all. i never got to spend a night in one so it's always been an unrequited childhood fantasy of mine.

nowadays there are treehouses for adults to indulge their inner child. get a load of these:


this japanese lantern on stilts called the 4 treehouse by lukasz koz.


though not a true "treehouse", the yellow treehouse restaurant by peter eising and lucy gauntlett.


with a shape inspired by a geodesic dome, the o2 sustainability treehouse designed by dustin felder.


and one that is but a 2 hour ferry ride away from vancouver! (you know what THAT means) the hanging bubble shaped freespirit spheres designed by tom chudleigh.

and the very best part? i have someone as passionate as i am about treehouses to have outdoors adventures with. an ex-treehouse builder, to boot.

the little girl in me is stomping her hush-puppied feet, shaking her pig-tailed head and squealing with excitement.

coming to a window near you

art by christopher hataway

the good folks at the bozo project just gave us a shout-out on their blog for being the first international outpost of bozos. and yes, we're strutting around like peacocks from this recognition and accolade. woot!

so i ask: when are we going to have a bozo bop clown convention?

you're taking me over

talk about a girl crush. i've been a huge fan of shirley manson and garbage ever since lady miss manson stomped onto the music scene with her mini shift dresses and knee high boots in only happy when it rains. eye-liner and kick-ass rock n' roll attitude, shirley manson is a one woman tour de force: band frontwoman, solo artist, actor, style icon and charitable activist.

i love manson's songs as much as her style. although most of her lyrics are all i am woman, hear me RAWR, there's no mistaking her vulnerability, longing and passion in this ballad.

thank the musical heavens for ms manson.

blogoversary girl

today my blog turns one.

i can't believe i've been blogging for one year now. so many things have happened. lucky for me, most of them were great and memorable.

so tonight after floating down the aisles of ikea (yes, i sure know how to rock and roll on a saturday night), i bought a treat for myself: an 6" x 6" tuxedo truffle mousse cake. (which will probably take a couple of days for me to finish)

when i started this blog, it was a way for me to get all the thoughts out of my head. chugging along and doing my own thing, i never expected to befriend so many other wonderful and supportive bloggers from around the world.

so to everyone who've come along with me on this journey, thank you so much for reading and for all your kind comments.

my love for writing has been re-kindled this past year and y'all have helped to add to this good feeling.

i am my own worst enemy

i am not a purr-fect person.

i get restless, scattered and anxious.

i can be impatient and elitist.

i am hard on myself due to a perfectionist nature.

i have an over-active imagination which causes me to worry.

i'm afraid of mediocrity and living a life unrealized.

but all these negative traits about myself i accept. and every time i am plagued by uncertainty and insecurities, i get humbled (time and again) when i realize there are so many blessings bestowed upon me. that the universe is watching out for me. and that there are so many people who want to help me. and realizing especially that there are bigger and more important things in the world than just me.

i am thankful.

one earth one love

make every day earth day.

it's a mod world

in 1979 a british film about a teenaged mod named jimmy cooper and his vespa riding clique was released. the movie dealt with your typical teenage angst stuff: rival gangs culminating in a showdown, disenchantment with the system, feelings of alienation and experimentation with sex and drugs. that cult classic movie was called quadrophenia.

i saw this movie when i was just entering high school and it made such an impression on me that thereafter i would dream of scooters, boys in parkas and tailored suits and girls with shift dresses and kitten heels. mommy was a mod. daddy was a mod. so a love for 60s style was something i naturally gravitated towards.

so imagine my delight *gasp* to find out that there is quadrophenia: the opera and that it's making its premier in the uk a couple of weeks from now! the touring production will travel around england until october.



i do have holidays coming up...

the queen of all drama mamas

to get myself into the headspace of our upcoming opera, i rented the relatively hard to find 1923 black and white, silent movie version of salome, starring alla nazimova in the title role. an appetizer before the main course, if you will.

i was intrigued at first because i'm a fan of the art deco era. the stills of the movie stayed true to fin-de-siecle artist aubrey beardsley's illustrations of the printed edition of oscar wilde's salome.



spliced with intertitles, the movie with the one set cost a whopping $350,000 to make. and it's evident the money was sunk into the lavish look of the movie: the lighting, the set design but most of all, the costuming designed by natacha rambova, nazimova's close friend and collaborator.

however, where the movie goes off the rails (as if the story itself doesn't already do that) is the acting. or should i say the OA (over-acting). art house movie aside, this movie is hyper-stylized in not only the look but the emotions as well. every melodramatic movement, every head tilt and bulging eye moment exaggerated. it's no surprise that it reminded me of rudolph valentino movies, like the sheik, since rambova was valentino's soon to be wife.



with the camera at a respectable distance, nazimova in her blond bobbed wig looks alittle like circa 80's cyndi lauper. but when the camera zooms in for the "i'm ready for my close-up" shot, even the cleverest soft focus lighting could not disguise nazimova at the age of 42 trying futilely to portray a vixen-ish teenager.

the make up worked well, particularly caked on to herod's and herodias' visages, which made them all the more believable in their grotesquery and depravity. the wigs were memorable in their strangeness, especially salome's wig made of bouncey moth ball sized pearls wired onto tightly wound springs and the male guards with their cotton ball wigs.



of course i was watching salome for 3 things:



the erotic dance of the seven veils which turned out to be nothing more than pitifully swaying without rhythm or structure under a flimsy piece of chiffon.



the beheading and the kiss scene were completely omitted. no actual beheading took place; rather, it was all implied. also, salome holding the silver charger supposedly carrying the head of jokanaan did not actually lift up the head of jokanaan to kiss it. instead, nazimova used her long cape to cover the charger and herself, while crouching on the floor to kiss jokanaan's mouth.

there's no doubt that this avant-garde movie was daring for its time, especially with its flamboyantly gay overtones. it proved so untouchable that it took years to find a distributor for the film and also effectively ended nazimova's producing career.

course, with the passage of time comes appreciation or at the very least, curiosity and homage to nazimova's salome. gloria swanson's crazy dame character norma desmond in sunset boulevard pays tribute by making salome her comeback movie.



although over the top in decadence and camp value, nazimova's salome may be worth a look, especially if you dig the whole art deco/art nouveau look. because really, don't we all want to indulge the little drama queen in all of us sometimes?

my blueberry mornings

blueberries. the very thought of blueberries makes me beam as if i'm lit from within. nothing makes me smile more than a breakfast made of true blue blueberry juice, sliced bananas in blueberry yoghurt and eggo waffles with butter and aunt jemima syrup.



wong kar wai's movie, my blueberry nights, may not be one of his best movies but it does have the sweetest, most romantic kissing scene that i've seen in a long time.



with a melody that reminds me of henry mancini's moon river, cat power's the greatest is a haunting, poignant and unforgettable song.

move for me

i've been excited for week's end to arrive and to see studies in motion: the hauntings of eadweard muybridge at vancouver playhouse. (click on the trailer for the brilliantly edited video of the play)

this awe-inspiring production had everything that i appreciated: dance, movement, theatre, costuming, visual arts, lighting composition and photography.



studies in motion was inspired by the life, work and ghosts of real life victorian photographer eadweard muybridge.

back in the late 19th century, muybridge was determined to unlock the mysteries of motion. using animals, human models and multiple cameras, he captured the essence of motion and came very close to inventing moving pictures. but so obsessive was he that he often failed to realize that his models were not merely subjects but real men and women with lives and loves. the question the play raises is whether this detailed exploration of human movement will lead muybridge to an understanding of the human heart. - vancouver courier

what was surprising but yet one of the best things about the play was that the cast performed scenes completely in the buff; male, female, young, old. all body types. this lent itself to seeing human movements unobstructed by any clothing in sequences of calculated, workman-like movements.

the way the movements were disseminated were also wondrous and so effecting from an audience standpoint.



in this production, director kim collier and choreographer crystal pite deliver sophisticated riffs on muybridge’s photographic inquiries. a man falls to the ground and several others capture the stages of his descent in separate poses as lights illuminate them one at a time, like flashbulbs. - georgia straight



dubbed the grandfather of modern cinema, muybridge's photographic studies in motion would also prove to help dancers, artists, doctors, scientists and anyone who's interested in the kinesiology of the human body.







the play like the man was eccentric, brilliant and impactful. unlike anything i've ever seen before, studies in motion: the hauntings of eadweard muybridge may very well be the most unforgettable theatrical work i'll see all season.

my heart beats for you

colour me nerd. well, actually colour me geek, as i am "the geek" in our little trifecta at work. (selina being "the nerd" and christopher being "the dweeb").

i actually enjoy cruising the national georgraphic science website with all its topics on the human body, environment, earth, space, travel and culture.

and i find this angiogram of a healthy human heart visually captivating. it looks quite cosmic, doesn't it?

like the existence of a mysterious hexagon above saturn's north pole and the photo and video that captured this phenomenon, life and its mysteries are endlessly fascinating.

say hello to my little friend

vancouver opera has added a new member to the fold.

his name is bozo. currently sharing office space with christopher on the 3rd floor, bozo's main raison d'être is to brighten up your day. (what a surprise it'll be for the people in the buildings across the street from us)



our fearless leader christopher is participating in the bozo project, a fantastically fun public project first launched in new york.

we're seeing how long it'll take before we get a phone call from the neighbouring offices asking us, qu'est-ce que f*ck?

never say opera folks are boring.

dippee mo-dee

got tickets to see depeche mode in seattle this august. YES to a road trip and at least a 3-day weekender.

i remember being at their 1990 violator tour and it pretty much set the bar for all the other stadium concerts i went to afterwards. and although favourite dm member, alan wilder, has long since left the band, i'd still go to see depeche as a trio.

tour of the universe begins its worldwide domination may 6.

Depeche Mode - Martyr

a rendez-vous

meet me under the cherry blossom trees so that we may wait for the petals to fall and watch them blow away...

happy pescetarian anniversary

i just passed my 3 year anniversary for not eating meat last month. march 8 to be exact.

it was a decision i made during my time in new york after reading these two books: 101 reasons why i'm a vegetarian by pamela rice and skinny bitch by rory freedman and kim barnouin. (and watching super-size me.)



101 reasons why i'm a vegetarian slaps you with the cold hard facts of the meat industry while skinny bitch also slaps you with the same facts but in that best friend telling you you look fat in that dress tough love kinda way.

far from vegetarian purr-fect because i do eat seafood, dairy, cheese and eggs, i committed myself to eating as low on the food chain as possible.

the reasons for my decision are myriad: environment, health and ethics.

i just can't believe how easy those 3 years have been.

sweden is more than just ikea

swedish shoegazin' indie pop band, the mary onettes, has been a favourite of mine since i stumbled by happenstance onto the band's myspace page a few years ago. i took an instant liking to the shimmery and jangly guitars, 80s influenced synths and a singer possessing a voice that soars with a hint of melancholia.

it also doesn't hurt that they draw their musical influence from other favourite bands i grew up listening to: joy division, new order, echo and the bunnymen and jesus and mary chain.

the mary onettes is one of those bands that once you have a listen, you'll find yourself wanting to hear more.

a hunger for blood

i love vampire lore and movies and lucked out in renting the last blu-ray copy of let the right one in, a swedish movie about vampires. the less you know about this movie, the better. so i'll keep this post short and sweet: anyone who calls themselves a vampire movie buff has got to watch this movie. tonight. preferably curled up next to your favourite person under a faux fur coverlet.

a prayer for you and me

you know you found someone pretty wonderful when they possess the same childlike curiosity and adventurous spirit as yourself. (also thinking the same things at the same time) after spending the afternoon at queen elizabeth park and then driving around different neighbourhoods to view cherry blossoms trees and the million dollar homes, we spied some colourful flags criss-crossing each other and hung out on outdoor lines on someone's property.

wanting to further investigate, we parked the car and walked up the drive as the gate was opened. there in front of us was a monk in saffron robes. i approached the monk and he was agreeable when i asked if we could take some pictures of the fluttering flags.



turns out they were dar cho, tibetan prayer flags inscribed with powerful symbols, prayers and mantras. the cotton flags are placed outside where the wind can carry prayers and peaceful vibrations across the city.

but i did not find all this out there as the monk spoke limited english. having uploaded my pictures, i read further about the prayer flags and was incredibly humbled as i reflected on what we had the honour to come across and the kindness to strangers from this monk who welcomed us to take in what tibetan tradition consider holy; raising prayer flags up for the benefit to all sentient beings.

"prayer flags are simple devices that, coupled with the natural energy of the wind, quietly harmonize the environment, impartially increasing happiness and good fortune among all living beings."

and it breaks my heart that such benevolent people should still be oppressed in this day and age.

a wander among the bells

photo credit: paul zarucki

in the world of perfumes, the essence belonging to that of bluebells is the hardest to bottle. the delicate and fresh scent is that elusive.

there is one perfume that captures it in such definition and depth. and for that reason, it is one of the perfumes that i wear on only special occasions.

as much as i adore peonies, gerberas, daffodils and tulips to brighten up my home, it is clusters and fields of bluebells that will make me smile from ear to ear. second to bluebells would be the cherry blossoms (especially along 16th avenue) that seem to have taken over the vancouver landscape overnight.

i've been wanting to spend the afternoon at queen elizabeth park the past couple of weeks because i wanted to see what flowers were in bloom and was pleasantly surprised to find a section of spanish bluebells and daffodils at the park. (true bluebells are only found on the british isles) and because it had been slightly damp and overcast the past couple of days, i could really smell the earthy sweetness of these flowers as i leaned over to take it all in.



lunch on the grass by the duck pond, watching ducks, mallards and geese socialize and bathe themselves and a meander through the 90+ acre park taking pictures and polaroids is the best activity to kick off a long weekend.

so run, don't walk to your nearest picturesque park today. bring your favourite company, a picnic and a blanket and revel in naturalistic beauty in whatever concrete jungle you're living in.

hella crazy

what woman hasn't felt like one sashay from becoming completely unhinged? (most normally around "that time of month"). and sure, every woman has a "dark side" but most women never cross the line of going batshit crazy or frightening the bejesus out of people.

the truly crazy female on the other hand, appears normal on the surface but then quickly over time, the facade is eroded as cracks and fissures in her composure start to show. at first, moments of insanity may be brushed off; being thought of instead as having an intense and mercurial temperament. especially when crazy comes wrapped up in a beautiful package.

but it's hard to keep looking the other way when unpredictability snowballs into balls-out instability, accompanied by volatile tendencies.

as we prep for our upcoming opera, salome, i am reminded of all the whacked out women we've all known and loved. on screen that is. the following celluloid females are the epitome of ticking time bombs.


left: "what goes around comes around" - rebecca demornay in the hand that rocks the cradle
right: "he will cheat on you again - that's a promise. and when he does, don't come crying to me, because... i've had it with you" - jennifer jason leigh in single white female


left: "no. wire. hangers. ever!" - faye dunaway in mommy dearest
right: "you are blanche. you are in that chair!" - bette davis in whatever happened to baby jane?


left: "i won't be ignored" - glenn close in fatal attraction
right: "i can see your dirty pillows" - piper laurie in carrie


"i'm your number one fan" - kathy bates in misery

but in the pantheon of stories about crazy women, salome tops them all.

oscar wilde's story goes a little something like this:

king herod murders his brother so he can marry his brother's wife.
herod lusts after his step daughter salome.
salome lusts after the prophet john the baptist.
john the baptist rejects salome.
salome demands his head.
salome performs necrophilia to the head of john the baptist.
disgusted, king herod has salome killed.


"oh, why didst thou not look at me? if thou hadst looked at me, thou wouldst have loved me. i know it well, thou wouldst have loved me. and thy mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death."
(photos from royal opera house production, london uk)

yes, salome is a certifiable nutjob. a freakshow that is one step beyond. but that's what makes her so watchable.

and we can't wait to introduce her to the good folks of vancouver.

as bette davis said in all about eve, "fasten your seatbelts. it's going to be a bumpy night."

the dunny-nator

during my time in new york, i was introduced to the wonderful world of dunnies and other vinyl toys at kid robot, my plastic heart, toy tokyo and giant robot. who knew there existed such a thing as dunnies?

since i lived 4 short subway stations away from the kid robot flagship store in soho, jesse would ask me if i could go to the launches of new toys and snag him an exclusive or limited edition of dunnies.

not fun = waiting in lines that more often then not wrapped around the block. sometimes i'd be at the front of the line, sometimes i'd be at the back of the line.

fun = being a part of all the excitement that goes with a launch.

i've lost count how many launches i went to (there were many), but it certainly opened my eyes to another kind of fanaticism; that of vinyl toy collectors.

i got to talk to lots of people who were pretty hard-core. these fans who spent every cent they had for these collectibles. they would describe to me how their collection would take up entire rooms in their homes. how they would skip work so that they can line up at crack of dawn at KR. how their wives/girlfriends put up with their obsession. now that's devotion.

and funny thing is that not once did i buy a dunny for myself. sure they were fun to pick up for jesse but i never felt compelled to buy one for me.

however, that changed today when i was given a dunny at work. my very own dunny! the awesome thing about dunnies is that they come as blind boxes. you don't know what's inside until you open 'em up.



AND it's from the ye olde english series, which launched at selfridges in london earlier this year. just purr-fect for an anglophile like myself!


the beefeater dunny is just too adorable for words

introducing mimic black - my new desk protector.



he looks all about the kicking ass and taking names, doesn't he?