Ah, it seems like only yesterday that I was volunteering at the mini silent film festival and starting my new job. The official SF Silent Film Festival felt forever from now.
Well, time flies. It’s been about five months, and it’s time for the festival! Thankfully my job is going well, so I’m excited to spend a bit extra on getting out into the SF arts scene. Opera, movies, theater… I’m blowing it all on inspiration.
The Silent Film Fest runs this Thursday-Sunday, and a full pass is 220$. Tempting, but still too much for me. If I’d volunteered, I would have gotten free access to the shows, but I forgot to sign up. I think I’ll probably see one or two during the weekend, at 15-20 bucks a pop.
The Half Breed (1916)– Douglas Fairbanks as a half Indian outcast who lives in a hollow tree in the forest + finds looooooove. Also, this is my new screensaver.
Yeah, I’m still daydreaming about luggage. We all have to have hobbies. Clockwise, from the top.
This Po Campo bag is a really great copycat version of the Kate Spade Saturday  Weekender that I wanted. The leather is unfortunately “vegan” (PFTT BULLSHIT ITS PVC JUST CALL IT THAT) but it’s only 95 bucks and looks like it would double quite nicely as a gym bag since it has elastic straps for a yoga mat. Here’s a lovely review of the bag from a cute blogger with 180 style from me :).
Here’s the Kate Spade version for comparison. Love that green. 150$
More Kate Spade. Vintage inspired trunk wheeled luggage. Since we’re dreaming here. In real life that is 700 bucks and that makes me sad. The little pink Ni Hao luggage tag is cheerful at only 6 bucks. Sold.
A simple and sturdy duffle from LL Bean Signature. 60$
So of course I’m not a convert for duffles, but the other day I saw my boss’s Filson bag. Â I guess duffle bags aren’t so bad if they look like that. Unfortunately Filson bags, like most beautiful things are PRICEY- 250+++. That’s not right!
If I get the Kate Spade Weekender, which I might, I’m going to write a review because there are basically no non-sponsored reviews/photos of the bag online. Did anybody anywhere ever buy this bag? What the heck. It’s infuriating.
Yesterday was kind of a crap day. I’ve been feeling a bit muddled and isolated, despite the clear weather and the fact that I just got back from a fun camping trip with friends. I wasn’t looking forward to biking home in a foggy state, and the traffic home didn’t look inviting. As I exited my office on First street, I noticed that there was a lineup of Muni buses all the way down to the Ferry Building! Nuts.
I hopped on my bike and plodded down Market Street. Around Kearny or so I misjudged the light and ended up cutting through a crosswalk seconds after the light had definitely changed for pedestrians. I tried not to run into anybody, but one 20 something woman was running across and we almost ran into each other. “JESUS CHRIST” she grumbled. Then she made it across to the other side of the street, and unsuccessfully chased after a 5 bus that was pulling away. She turned to me as I biked past her and yelled “This is all your fault!”
I didn’t react immediately like I wish I could have. I’m the type of person who can overreact like crazy to racism/sexism/any sort of ism but I’m slow to respond to any other situation, especially a confrontation. All I could think was “Did she really just say that? What the hell?” Oh and of course my second thought was that she should get a bike if she’s so unsatisfied with Muni :).
I used to get very upset when total strangers got angry with me. For some reason I thought that if someone I didn’t even know got angry at all then I must have actually done something terrible or acted like a bitch (bitchy resting face!!). Then I learned that people are complex, and people are assholes. But most likely  that angry woman just got caught up in her own story. She can tell herself that it was my fault for running the light that she missed her bus. I can tell myself that she was acting crazy and not paying attention to oncoming traffic. What’s true? Who cares? Life (and even reality) is the stories we tell ourselves. It’s a lesson I keep trying to learn.
Normally I don’t think too much about which operas to see. I just see something that looks interesting enough and I’ll buy a ticket. Often the opera is an adaptation of something that I’m already interested in (The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Moby Dick), or is a classic that I feel like I HAVE to see.
When my friend Cindy first sent me a link to a “Yale/Harvard night at the opera”, The Tales of Hoffman didn’t really sound all that enticing. But months passed, and I kept encountering the banner ads for the show- on Divisadero street, on my ride to work. That picture of a haunted man followed me everywhere. And then the radio ads. Oh god, every day, several times a day.
When I finally decided to see the show, it was the last week of performance. I noticed that Cosi Fan Tutte (also advertised on NPR) was also in its last week. I hemmed, I hawed. Which to see? I couldn’t possibly see them both, could I?
This is one benefit of being an adult, I guess. Last week I treated myself by going to the opera twice (Monday and Wednesday). Cosi Fan Tutte is Mozart’s light and raunchy comedy about men wagering that their fiances won’t cheat on them while they pretend to be “away at war.” Â Tales of Hoffman is Jacques Offenbach’s final opera, a dark reimagining of the writer E.T.A. Hoffman’s love life, based on his short stories. Offenbach was famous for his comedies, and this was a big change for him, but ironically, it’s now what he’s known for.
On the night of the first opera (the Mozart) I had dinner at the Boxing Room, a New Orleans style chi chi restaurant. Next to me  sat a wealthy older couple who were going to BOTH OPERAS I was going to! The same nights too! I asked for their opinion. The woman, who was the more avid opera fan had already seen both a few weeks earlier. She said that the singing for Cosi was lovely, but the set was shit. Oh. What about the Tales? Great music and performances, but she hated the set as well.
What the heck did that woman have against the sets??? I was a little annoyed, but still excited. Which would I like better? The humorous classic by the famous Mozart, or the goth tragedy by a composer I’d never heard of (but who apparently created the famous “can can” music)?
As it turns out, Mozart’s silly tale of love and the complexity of human nature was cute, but kind of a slog to get through. MY GOD IT SOUNDED SO MOZART. TOO.MUCH.HARPSICHORD. Also, the lady was right. The Monte Carlo based sets were total shit. It looked amateur. I felt tired and wondered if I could do another 3.5 hours a few days later.
There was no need to worry, because the Offenbach blew me away. Â I would say that it must be seen, but you can’t since it’s over now. Hopefully they’ll play a recording of this particular production sometime in the future. I think it’s one of my favorite operas ever. Seeing it made me realize what exactly I love and look for in operas.
What I Like
Awesome sets. That lady had it totally wrong. The minimalist set based on the work of  Leon Spillaert was awesome, and wasn’t just decoration, the set design helped in telling the story. It twisted and turned in on itself time and time again.
Interesting costumes. If the lead is wearing something that I would wear, I will probably like the opera.
Modern audiovisual/bells and whistles- There were pyrotechnics, video projections of eyeballs and ghosts, a singer basically doing gymnastics on a catapult with hidden wires (see :40 on the trailer video) and so much more. I’m a sucker for cheap tricks.
Solid performances all around. You can’t just have one strong singer to hold it all together. I was entranced by Hye Jung Lee, who played Olympia, the singing mechanical doll.
A huge ass chorus- Cosi Fan Tutte was missing that big sound that you can only get with dozens of people singing  together.
A villian who is having too much fun- Christian van Horn played the 4 different incarnations of the Devil. It was a joy to watch. After checking out his bio site, I realized that I’d seen him in a few other SF Opera productions over the years.
Killer music. This goes without saying, right?
A bit of humor. It helps you get through the 3+ hours.
Psychological drama! The story was twisted and Freudian. Hot.
A tragic story. I just like the sad ones better, I guess.
Also, here’s a longer highlights reel from Tales of Hoffman:
PS- SF Opera’s production of Moby Dick will be airing on Great Performances in November. Yeah, that’s a long time. Here is something to tide you over: Watch the entire Macbeth, with Sir Patrick Stewart!
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