On Thursday evening, I participated in a program put on by Baylor's Ob/Gyn Department. For my segment of the presentation, I discussed Anne Fadiman's book
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The book brings to light clashes between Eastern beliefs and Western medicine. Specifically, I focused on cultural perceptions of placentas and how one nation's medical waste (US) is another tradition's 'jacket' for the soul, possessing true spiritual significance (Hmong). It was nice to be on the other side of lecturing, for even just a few minutes.
The Houston Grand Opera churned out another production just a week after the last. This week's ticket:
Chorus!, a compilation of chorus numbers from various operas. Risa, Jon, and I thoroughly enjoyed this operatic sampler. We agreed that this performance (a Houston first) was the best of all the selections we've seen so far (though I did love Pagliacci).
Chorus! was very artistic but in an intriguing way- much more palatable than
A Midsummer Night's Dream. I imagine the choreographer had a daunting task coordinating the movements of the musical mob. The costuming was genius: black and white interrupted with the occasional, dramatic splash of red. Brilliant crimson accents signified the 'other,' outsiders in a sea of conformity. The intermission mingling and appetizers were also a marked improvement over last week's soggy nachos (they even had brie!). Rest assured, there will be no opera until mid-April, giving me plenty of time to study without interruption.
And now for some catching up-
- Check out my photographic proof above that I finally got around to painting the bare areas in the kitchen after replacing the stove. Though this amateur paint project was completed a month ago, I thought I should finally show off my handiness around the house (haha...hah..riiight).
- The collage below highlights some amazing dancing moments from Brandi and Peter's wedding. I feel terrible that I ruined so many of their reception pictures with my killer moves. For anyone in need of a good laugh, enjoy!
- After Friday night, my weekend activities centered around hitting the books. Despite my good intentions while studying at Teahouse with Teresa and Dane on Saturday, I ended up being far too sleepy to make any headway in my immunology textbook. I studied with Ian on Sunday before indulging in the hour-long Office episode after the Super Bowl. Monday was actually quite productive, which pretty much brings me up to the present! Phew.
Wentworth's brush with fame on the blog last week whet his appetite for more internet glory, so he decided to dive headfirst into the thick of things... more accurately, he face-planted in the flour. I was minding my own business cooking in the kitchen when good ol' Went decided to powder his nose- and the rest of his mug- in the mixing bowl. The photo montage above captures our little heart-to-heart that followed. Disciplining the little guy can be such a daunting task.
