Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Arts Gratia Artis


I think I have rested from my weekend of high and low art. You can decide which is which. Thursday, which is the new Friday, My Sweet and some coworkers with a concert by my favorite local band, the Bottom Dwellers. Watching talented men having fun in their creative element is one of the few moments when we are reaching human potential.


Saturday was spent in San Francisco. There were three main goals: to eat some "real" Japanese food, watch the dancing at a Japanese festival, and to explore some area we haven't been to yet. The first was a given, and in Japan Town there was an Bon Odori celebration. This was a celebration put on mostly by people whose parents or grandparents were the ones who actually danced the real thing in Japan. About a third of the participants knew then steps and almost half were not of Asian descent. There were several college age guys with their blond hair banded in a ponytail. My Sweet kept laughing and saying, "We never do like this in my country!” But over all people were smiling and joining in all the festivities.

I have to say though, the sighing of the day happened while we were exploring a new park near the Presidio. Floating before us was a flock of people on Segues. Obviously they were renting from the same company because they were wearing helmets and neon green "Hey don't shoot me" safety vests. Or were they? Maybe they are the reincarnation of the 80's group DIVO. As I was searching for a good image, I found out I was not the only one struck with this idea.

The last day of my weekend was definitely the classiest. Whoops, sorry, I said I would let you decide which was classy and which wasn't. Refreshing Sunshine and I went with two other gals to high tea, Gershwin and Escher. There is a wonderful tea restaurant in Old Sacramento that served up a wicked high tea. The decor was very 30's art deco, and we feasted on many tasty treats including a cold cucumber, cantaloupe and, get this, jalapeño soup. Yes, you read me right, jalapeño. There was just enough kick to balance to coolness of the cucumber and melon. After the refreshments, we went to the Crocker Museum to refresh our spirits with a piano recital. We were too late to get chairs, but we went upstairs which turned out to be better because dimensions were added because I could listen to Rhapsody in Blue while staring at masterpieces of Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. Then I got to check out the geometric mindbenders of Escher. Some people's brains work so beyond me.

Anyway, it is time to be off and enjoy another weekend.

Joie de Vivre ~ A Hearty Joy of Living!

2 comments:

Just Me said...

Susan, the tea shop is the Earl Grey Manor. You can check them out at http://www.earlgreymanor.com/. They are having A Dickens of A Tea in December that sounds like total fun!

Just Me said...

I forgot to mention that on Oct. 6th and 13th Ann Evens is giving tea lessons. She is amazing!