The Amazing Race kicked off again last night. I love that show. It gives me a peek into a world tour, with some totally bizarre local customs, things I'd never see otherwise, featured. This year there's a couple from the Boston area, Lance and Keri. I think they were told to use a Boston accent when they gave their brief intros, because I haven't heard it intrude into any of their speech since. They're a little annoying. There are a couple of Harlem Globetrotters, Flight Time and Big Easy, two very likable guys. There are the gay brothers, the poker-playing girls (who lied and said they worked with the homeless), the older couple (the woman is a little hyper), the super-pure Christian types, a guy with Asperger's syndrome and his friend, a former Miss America and her husband...and already two couples have been eliminated. I'm relieved the yoga instructors were the first to go. Every time that guy Eric opened his mouth I wanted to scream. He was so smug. When they lost, he said, ''To be the first team eliminated, now the shame, the pain is gone for everybody else. We took a beating for everybody.'' AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaa!!!!!
The first stop on the tour was Tokyo, Japan, where they competed in a game show. I already knew Japanese game shows were odd (that human Tetris one, where contestants had to fit through shapes that were moving towards them, for example), so the wasabi-bomb game didn't seem that far out of the ordinary. One of each pair of contestants had to eat a large amount of wasabi spread on rice and wrapped in what I assume was seaweed. I'm not a huge fan of sushi, or I'd be able to remember what they call that stuff. Nori? My older son would know. (So did Google - it's nori.) I can only consume a small dab of wasabi, though, and was surprised that the contestants managed to gobble down such a large amount without passing out.
My younger son was watching the show with me, and he had just played a video game set in the Shibuya area of Tokyo, where the contestants were seen walking. Wikipedia lists two Nintendo DS games set in this area. I'd ask him, but he's at work. (AT LAST! He finally got a job last week.) (It's at Staples and doesn't pay much, but there's opportunity for advancement.)
The first lap of the show was a non-elimination round, not a surprise, I guess, since they'd already eliminated somebody at the beginning of the show. The poker-playing liars women came in last after losing two of the 20 people they were supposed to have escorted to the pit stop. I would have been delighted to see them go, but no, we're stuck with them for a little longer. Oh, well, at least they're entertaining, and their lies aren't going to hold up for long - a Japanese poker fan recognized them.
The teams went on to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Here they had to spread mud around fruit trees (supposedly it would help them to grow) and one team member had to herd ducks. A couple of people remarked that after that they were planning to eat duck for supper. I can imagine...Anyway, Garrett and Jessica were eliminated. They hadn't made much of an impression on me yet, so I don't have much to say about it.
I might end up blogging this show the way I do American Idol. We'll see how I feel next week.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance
Last night I attended the live performance of the Season 5 top 12 dancers of So You Think You Can Dance. For anyone who isn't sure what this is, it's a TV reality show where dancers compete, and it's addictive. The tour came through Boston last night, and I bought cheap seats.
That may have been a mistake. My seats were on the floor at the Agganis Arena, which is designed for basketball and hockey. I couldn't see a thing except for what was on the Jumbotrons. Every time I looked towards the stage, spotlights shone in my eyes.
I dragged my younger son along (he had watched the season along with me this past summer). He's a big person, and I'm a big person, and the seats were the portable ones which, while padded, were designed for easy storage rather than comfort. Before the show, I bought a t-shirt, black, with the tour stops listed on the back and all of the dancers pictured on the front. I put it right on over the shirt I'd worn to work. I was wearing a long purple skirt, so I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but I didn't care.
We were surrounded by tweener girls. The five girls in the row in front of us looked like sisters. During the intermission, the older woman with them (Mom, I assume), bought them all t-shirts (the same one I had already bought for myself) and posed them for pictures. Oh, by the way, it said on the tickets that cameras were prohibited. Odd, everybody seemed to have them anyway. One of these girls yelled "I love you, Jeanine!" at a very quiet moment. (Jeanine is the dancer who won the competition this year.) I think the girl was more pleased than embarrassed, and I'm sure Jeanine didn't mind, either.
I'm not sure how many girls there were behind us - four or five, anyway. One of them kept yelling "I love you, Kupono!" He's the hot Hawaiian dancer. She has good taste.
The woman sitting next to me kept standing up because she couldn't see. After somebody behind us told her to sit down, she and her daughter left. I suspect they went upstairs to find some standing room with a view. One of the little girls from behind me came up and sat on the back of the seat at the end of the row. Nobody yelled at her to get down; maybe she wasn't blocking anybody's view. After awhile, I moved into the empty seat between us (where the woman had been) and found I could see a little better. I caught a few glimpses of the dancers. When I tried to take a picture with my phone, all I could see was bright lights, though.
The show was great. They did all of the best routines from the season - the one where Evan couldn't keep his eyes off Randi's ass, the Bollywood routine danced by Jason and Caitlin, the addiction piece danced by Kupono and Kayla, and my personal favorite, the breast-cancer dance done by Melissa and Ade. You can't watch this without choking up. At least I can't, and last night was no exception. When Phillip (the "popper", an untrained dancer who was tremendously appealing) did his solo routine, he got a standing ovation with the loudest cheering of the night. And there was a running gag involving Phillip, Jeanine, and the Russian folk dance that was one of the most poorly received dances of the season. They kept coming on stage and trying to perform the dance, and the other dancers kept chasing them off. Once they came on in some kind of medical scrubs, pushing a gurney (a prop for the next routine) which turned out to have the boom box with their music for the dance on it. Finally, towards the end, all the dancers ended up doing the Russian folk dance together.
After the show, we walked to Kenmore Square because there were so many people already waiting for the subway up by the Arena. When we got there, there was a mostly empty car on a train that was going all the way to North Station (so many Green Line trains stop at Park Street or Government Center, and we have to change for the Orange Line, which you can only do at Haymarket or North Station). We sat near some people who had also been at the show - we compared t-shirts.
It was after midnight by the time we got home. This morning I let myself rest until almost 6 instead of getting up at 5:30 as I usually do. I'm still a little out of it today. But it was worth it. I can never make myself do anything that takes me out of my comfort zone - like going out on a weeknight. This time, I went ahead and did something.
That may have been a mistake. My seats were on the floor at the Agganis Arena, which is designed for basketball and hockey. I couldn't see a thing except for what was on the Jumbotrons. Every time I looked towards the stage, spotlights shone in my eyes.
I dragged my younger son along (he had watched the season along with me this past summer). He's a big person, and I'm a big person, and the seats were the portable ones which, while padded, were designed for easy storage rather than comfort. Before the show, I bought a t-shirt, black, with the tour stops listed on the back and all of the dancers pictured on the front. I put it right on over the shirt I'd worn to work. I was wearing a long purple skirt, so I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but I didn't care.
We were surrounded by tweener girls. The five girls in the row in front of us looked like sisters. During the intermission, the older woman with them (Mom, I assume), bought them all t-shirts (the same one I had already bought for myself) and posed them for pictures. Oh, by the way, it said on the tickets that cameras were prohibited. Odd, everybody seemed to have them anyway. One of these girls yelled "I love you, Jeanine!" at a very quiet moment. (Jeanine is the dancer who won the competition this year.) I think the girl was more pleased than embarrassed, and I'm sure Jeanine didn't mind, either.
I'm not sure how many girls there were behind us - four or five, anyway. One of them kept yelling "I love you, Kupono!" He's the hot Hawaiian dancer. She has good taste.
The woman sitting next to me kept standing up because she couldn't see. After somebody behind us told her to sit down, she and her daughter left. I suspect they went upstairs to find some standing room with a view. One of the little girls from behind me came up and sat on the back of the seat at the end of the row. Nobody yelled at her to get down; maybe she wasn't blocking anybody's view. After awhile, I moved into the empty seat between us (where the woman had been) and found I could see a little better. I caught a few glimpses of the dancers. When I tried to take a picture with my phone, all I could see was bright lights, though.
The show was great. They did all of the best routines from the season - the one where Evan couldn't keep his eyes off Randi's ass, the Bollywood routine danced by Jason and Caitlin, the addiction piece danced by Kupono and Kayla, and my personal favorite, the breast-cancer dance done by Melissa and Ade. You can't watch this without choking up. At least I can't, and last night was no exception. When Phillip (the "popper", an untrained dancer who was tremendously appealing) did his solo routine, he got a standing ovation with the loudest cheering of the night. And there was a running gag involving Phillip, Jeanine, and the Russian folk dance that was one of the most poorly received dances of the season. They kept coming on stage and trying to perform the dance, and the other dancers kept chasing them off. Once they came on in some kind of medical scrubs, pushing a gurney (a prop for the next routine) which turned out to have the boom box with their music for the dance on it. Finally, towards the end, all the dancers ended up doing the Russian folk dance together.
After the show, we walked to Kenmore Square because there were so many people already waiting for the subway up by the Arena. When we got there, there was a mostly empty car on a train that was going all the way to North Station (so many Green Line trains stop at Park Street or Government Center, and we have to change for the Orange Line, which you can only do at Haymarket or North Station). We sat near some people who had also been at the show - we compared t-shirts.
It was after midnight by the time we got home. This morning I let myself rest until almost 6 instead of getting up at 5:30 as I usually do. I'm still a little out of it today. But it was worth it. I can never make myself do anything that takes me out of my comfort zone - like going out on a weeknight. This time, I went ahead and did something.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
In the Dark
Last night, I was settling in to watch "More to Love" (a guilty pleasure; I wouldn't even set the DVR to record it) when the power went out.
It was around 8:30 on a beautiful evening, warm and pleasant. Most of our power failures are weather-related, but that wasn't the case here. I looked out the window, and all the houses on my street were out. I decided to go out and walk around a little, to see if I could figure out how widespread the power failure was. Even though I tried to see where my cat Peaches was before I opened the door, he managed to bolt out. What can I say? It was dark. He immediately dashed across the street. My son started to chase him, but soon gave it up. Stupid cat.
The sky was still glowing with light pollution. The clouds appeared illuminated. But there were no lights in the houses for as far as I could see. A lot of the neighbors came out into the street to see what was going on. I think it's funny; I hardly know my neighbors, I only see them when something like this happens. And, of course, it was dark, so I couldn't see them very well even then.
Back inside, I dug out some candles and my cheap glass candlesticks, and my son and I illuminated the house with candlelight. It wasn't quite enough to read by, but it was pleasant. My son commented that he had wondered about how people in the past, before electricity, could really see after dark; he didn't think candles would provide enough light. But they did.
Eventually Peaches came home. I was relieved. He was clearly pleased with himself, to pull one over on us like that. Stupid cat, to cause us unnecessary worry.
I've lived in this house for six years, and I don't remember any power failure lasting longer than half an hour. This one lasted two and a half hours. I went to bed about an hour and a half into it. I had to brush my teeth by candlelight. I woke up again when the lights came back on (and not just because my son cheered).
So it wasn't until this morning that I found out how "More to Love" had come out. Really, I just watched it for the fashions! But Luke (the bachelor, who resembles my younger son and at 26 is really too young to be getting married) asked Tali, the beautiful Israeli girl and my favorite among the finalists, to marry him. I wonder how it'll all turn out. Will they really get married? Or will it be like every other Bachelor/ Bachelorette show ever recorded? (Except the first Bachelorette, I guess; they got married, and they're still married. I never really watched any of them.) Will anybody ever do an article on where the contestants bought their beautiful clothing? I've been looking for a new sundress all summer, and there were several I would gladly buy as long as they weren't too expensive.
It was around 8:30 on a beautiful evening, warm and pleasant. Most of our power failures are weather-related, but that wasn't the case here. I looked out the window, and all the houses on my street were out. I decided to go out and walk around a little, to see if I could figure out how widespread the power failure was. Even though I tried to see where my cat Peaches was before I opened the door, he managed to bolt out. What can I say? It was dark. He immediately dashed across the street. My son started to chase him, but soon gave it up. Stupid cat.
The sky was still glowing with light pollution. The clouds appeared illuminated. But there were no lights in the houses for as far as I could see. A lot of the neighbors came out into the street to see what was going on. I think it's funny; I hardly know my neighbors, I only see them when something like this happens. And, of course, it was dark, so I couldn't see them very well even then.
Back inside, I dug out some candles and my cheap glass candlesticks, and my son and I illuminated the house with candlelight. It wasn't quite enough to read by, but it was pleasant. My son commented that he had wondered about how people in the past, before electricity, could really see after dark; he didn't think candles would provide enough light. But they did.
Eventually Peaches came home. I was relieved. He was clearly pleased with himself, to pull one over on us like that. Stupid cat, to cause us unnecessary worry.
I've lived in this house for six years, and I don't remember any power failure lasting longer than half an hour. This one lasted two and a half hours. I went to bed about an hour and a half into it. I had to brush my teeth by candlelight. I woke up again when the lights came back on (and not just because my son cheered).
So it wasn't until this morning that I found out how "More to Love" had come out. Really, I just watched it for the fashions! But Luke (the bachelor, who resembles my younger son and at 26 is really too young to be getting married) asked Tali, the beautiful Israeli girl and my favorite among the finalists, to marry him. I wonder how it'll all turn out. Will they really get married? Or will it be like every other Bachelor/ Bachelorette show ever recorded? (Except the first Bachelorette, I guess; they got married, and they're still married. I never really watched any of them.) Will anybody ever do an article on where the contestants bought their beautiful clothing? I've been looking for a new sundress all summer, and there were several I would gladly buy as long as they weren't too expensive.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Daily entry
Yesterday I wrote on a different blog. Does that count? Of course it does, if I say so. It's not as if I had a huge audience here (or at the other location either, for that matter). I wish I did...but then I'd have to come up with something interesting to say, every day. Which I also wish I did. I've got so many fascinating thoughts. All I need to do is get them out of my head and onto the page.
Since Senator Ted Kennedy died, I've been thinking about him and how much he will be missed, not just by Massachusetts but by the entire country. He was one public figure whose heart was in the right place. I voted for him every time he came up for reelection, because he always represented me - us - so well. As far as I could tell, he truly cared for people. He didn't abuse his wealth and power the way so many others do. He wasn't perfect, but I don't want to recount his faults right now. I'm too busy brooding over my own...
Since Senator Ted Kennedy died, I've been thinking about him and how much he will be missed, not just by Massachusetts but by the entire country. He was one public figure whose heart was in the right place. I voted for him every time he came up for reelection, because he always represented me - us - so well. As far as I could tell, he truly cared for people. He didn't abuse his wealth and power the way so many others do. He wasn't perfect, but I don't want to recount his faults right now. I'm too busy brooding over my own...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Boston Moving Day
September 1, as I mentioned yesterday, is unofficial Moving Day in Boston. Today when I went out for my lunchtime walk, I saw U-Hauls and Ryder trucks and other vans and cars double-parked or looking for a parking space. I work in the South End, where supposedly more vehicles with resident parking stickers exist than there are parking places for those vehicles. There are some beautiful homes in the South End, red-brick row houses with rounded fronts, wrought-iron railings, and tiny, neat gardens. I was thinking as I walked yesterday that living in one of these buildings might be nice - but even if by some miracle I could afford it, I'm too old to compete for parking spaces! Too set in my ways, at least; I feel I deserve a parking space reserved especially for me. The one in my driveway works fine - although last night when I turned into my driveway, the neighbor's gray cat was stretched out in my parking space. My cat Peaches was talking to him from the safety of the window. I can't tell if they're friends or enemies. Gray Cat got up and stalked away, annoyed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
