The fish was fresh, not odorous, and not slimy... all are Good Things. A bit chewy... I liked what I tried to varying degrees... it was hard to keep the rice from crumbling, though.
These sound like purplecthulhu's first reactions, who is now an enthusiastic muncher of sushi. (Unfortunately, we also now know a lot more about the environmental damage done by irresponsible fishing and aquaculture, so we only eat it a lot less. I want to be reasonably sure that has been ethically sourced - minimal dead dolphins, population replacement, that kind of thing).
To me, the ECD calls seemed fewer and simpler than contra or square dancing... granted, my footwork was not much better than walking around. But it was *graspable* to me... we did some dances towards the end that even the veterans said were complex, but it was still a *lot* of fun. The dances were:
Zephyrs and Flora Isle of Wight Sleeping in the Attic Sellenger's Round Spring Garden (Spring Garden had four A-B-C-D sections, each relatively complex...)
Up With Aily - 9/8 version Quite Carried Away Softly Good Tummas
I'm still quite vague on how to do half-heys [sp?] and would look up plaintively for someone to point me ;-). My friend and houseguest EW was responsible... she'd been talking to me about English Country dancing for over two years.
This sounds like a real success story! BACDS.org has listings for many dances in your area. They are low impact, so Pat might be able to do them also. And isn't the music beautiful!?!
The music... was delightful. There was a guest performer (Shira Kammen) and I bought one of her CDs there. EW suggests likewise that I could take patgreene...
*bounce* *bounce* I adore Shira! She's a fabulous fiddler, and a great person (and lots of fun!!).
I studied vielle with Shira Kammen at the Medieval Music workshops I took years ago. She and the rest of Ensemble Alcatraz used to make up a good portion of the staff. Actually, they're ALL great. I highly recommend seeing them in person if you can manage it. Kit Higginson is rather quiet personally, but just astoundingly competent on his instruments (recorder and psaltery). And Peter Maund is just a GOD of percussion--we used to joke that "at no time do his fingers leave his hands!" And Cheryl Fulton is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet, as well as a FABULOUS harpist on a huge variety of harps. As well as having gorgeous long blonde hair.
Love them all, but especially Shira. She used to play really funny jokes at the workshop, and didn't even try to kill me for my truly AWFUL playing. :^)
I could imagine you and Pat English dancing together for sure. "If you can walk, you can dance!"
Ah, I get it now! I figured out why you thought I was talking about someone named Pat English. Here's that sentence again, with some clarifying punctuation:
I could imagine you and patgreene English-dancing together for sure. "If you can walk, you can dance!"
Heys take a while to figure out. I find that every caller teaches them slightly differently, and eventually one runs across an explanation that clicks. Until then, as you've discovered, people are perfectly willing to point. Or push. :-)
granted, my footwork was not much better than walking around.
Do they do complex footwork where you danced, then? I know that originally ECD often involved fancy stepping, but I thought that the modern tradition generally just used walking and skipping steps. Maybe that's an East Coast thing.
To me, the ECD calls seemed fewer and simpler than contra or square dancing...
I've never really done contra, because it's too fast for me - too much strain on my hip. ECD has more dances with slow tempos, which gives you time to adjust to/figure out new calls, but I think the actual number of different figures in ECD is greater than in contra. Wait until you get to things like crossover mirror heys. *grin*
The presentation was... thoughtful. I rather wished that I didn't need to destroy the presentation in order to eat it. Symbolism in food... The fish could be a bit tough to bite through without causing the rice substrate to crumble, But the pieces were large for one mouthful. Flavor varied by type, but nothing was unpleasant. I also sampled some dumplings, mixed tempura as well as teriyaki. Mmm...
And I learned which end of the chopsticks to use for serving, and that it would be considered rude in Japan to deburr their edges... altogether, it was both tasty and educational. A lovely distraction from the prior week's nastiness.
minifrown, because ideally the rice shouldn't crumble. (And neither should you feel compelled to deburr your chopsticks. The reason it's considered rude is because it implies "the restaurant gave me chopsticks that would cause me to injure myself!".)
What symbolism do you see? What I see is a Japanese esthetic principle that everything should be beautiful, even the most mundane things.
The restaurant implication makes sense... hopefully most Japanese eating places will provide higher-quality chopsticks, unlike the cheap US disposable wooden ones that really do require deburring after breaking them apart.
I saw symbolism in the plate placement order (animal, then plant, then sea), symmetry and balance in presentation (even manifest in the odd-shaped tempura vegetables). Or the balance of smoked - raw - steamed on the plate (salmon, yellowfin, prawn) Or a vertical band of seaweed that restrained the long horizontal unagi. Plates of dumplings on opposing corners, flanking the sushi like rooks on a chessboard. Perhaps I was just reading in too much to a simple meal, but I thought I saw multiple layers of meaning beyond simple nourishment. It was fun.
(nods) yep, my first time ever. Only geekchick had seriously threatened to take me, previously... I still wouldn't have gone this time if I hadn't been headed to Japan in three weeks (alone, at this point), and figured I'd better try it over here first. That way I could ask questions...
Timing was good... my dinner companion was wise and experienced in the ways of sushi, and she could teach me new things while I was adapting to the novelty. Given the way the last week had gone, it was a welcome distraction. I'm told that I looked dubious, screwed up my face, looked startled and then relaxed.
I had a sampler... smoked salmon, yellowfin tuna, prawn, eel (unagi). And tried part of a California roll. And wasabi is my friend, yes ;-).
I want to try it again before I fly Eastward... (smile).
When I think of Irish, I think of lots of seemingly-impossibly-complex footwork while the upper torso remains motionless... probably influenced by all of those "Lord of the Dance" TV specials ;-). Where does Greg usually go to dance?
irish dance really IS like that! for the most part. there is very little upper body movement.
greg dances with a group called the merry pranksters. they do a lot of the ren faires in northern california. i don't know if he has ever danced with anything local. he might like to hear about it! he is on lj...dancingguy i suggest you contact him!
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Very fresh!
Date: 2003-05-01 12:01 am (UTC)Re: Very fresh!
Date: 2003-05-01 10:23 pm (UTC)Re: Very fresh!
Date: 2003-05-01 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 05:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 05:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 10:38 pm (UTC)Zephyrs and Flora
Isle of Wight
Sleeping in the Attic
Sellenger's Round
Spring Garden
(Spring Garden had four A-B-C-D sections, each relatively complex...)
Up With Aily - 9/8 version
Quite Carried Away
Softly Good Tummas
I'm still quite vague on how to do half-heys [sp?] and would look up plaintively for someone to point me ;-). My friend and houseguest EW was responsible... she'd been talking to me about English Country dancing for over two years.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 11:02 pm (UTC)BACDS.org has listings for many dances in your area.
They are low impact, so Pat might be able to do them also.
And isn't the music beautiful!?!
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 11:15 pm (UTC)Shira!!
Date: 2003-05-02 09:37 am (UTC)I studied vielle with Shira Kammen at the Medieval Music workshops I took years ago. She and the rest of Ensemble Alcatraz used to make up a good portion of the staff. Actually, they're ALL great. I highly recommend seeing them in person if you can manage it. Kit Higginson is rather quiet personally, but just astoundingly competent on his instruments (recorder and psaltery). And Peter Maund is just a GOD of percussion--we used to joke that "at no time do his fingers leave his hands!" And Cheryl Fulton is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet, as well as a FABULOUS harpist on a huge variety of harps. As well as having gorgeous long blonde hair.
Love them all, but especially Shira. She used to play really funny jokes at the workshop, and didn't even try to kill me for my truly AWFUL playing. :^)
I could imagine you and Pat English dancing together for sure. "If you can walk, you can dance!"
Re: Shira!!
Date: 2003-05-05 10:21 pm (UTC)I could imagine you and
Re:
Date: 2003-05-02 05:13 am (UTC)granted, my footwork was not much better than walking around.
Do they do complex footwork where you danced, then? I know that originally ECD often involved fancy stepping, but I thought that the modern tradition generally just used walking and skipping steps. Maybe that's an East Coast thing.
To me, the ECD calls seemed fewer and simpler than contra or square dancing...
I've never really done contra, because it's too fast for me - too much strain on my hip. ECD has more dances with slow tempos, which gives you time to adjust to/figure out new calls, but I think the actual number of different figures in ECD is greater than in contra. Wait until you get to things like crossover mirror heys. *grin*
I'm glad you had a good time.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-04 11:41 am (UTC)A couple of the men glared or looked exasperated at my confusion, but the women were uniformly helpful, smiled and pointed...
Do they do complex footwork where you danced, then?
No, but some people did small kicks or skips at appropriate times (compared to my shuffling-around ;). The caller only asked for simple steps.
Wait until you get to things like crossover mirror heys. *grin*
(eyes cross and bug-out... *)
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 10:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 09:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 10:53 pm (UTC)And I learned which end of the chopsticks to use for serving, and that it would be considered rude in Japan to deburr their edges... altogether, it was both tasty and educational. A lovely distraction from the prior week's nastiness.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-02 09:12 am (UTC)What symbolism do you see? What I see is a Japanese esthetic principle that everything should be beautiful, even the most mundane things.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-04 11:53 am (UTC)I saw symbolism in the plate placement order (animal, then plant, then sea), symmetry and balance in presentation (even manifest in the odd-shaped tempura vegetables). Or the balance of smoked - raw - steamed on the plate (salmon, yellowfin, prawn) Or a vertical band of seaweed that restrained the long horizontal unagi. Plates of dumplings on opposing corners, flanking the sushi like rooks on a chessboard. Perhaps I was just reading in too much to a simple meal, but I thought I saw multiple layers of meaning beyond simple nourishment. It was fun.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 12:09 pm (UTC)What did you think? What did you *eat*?
-J
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 11:10 pm (UTC)Timing was good... my dinner companion was wise and experienced in the ways of sushi, and she could teach me new things while I was adapting to the novelty. Given the way the last week had gone, it was a welcome distraction. I'm told that I looked dubious, screwed up my face, looked startled and then relaxed.
I had a sampler... smoked salmon, yellowfin tuna, prawn, eel (unagi). And tried part of a California roll. And wasabi is my friend, yes ;-).
I want to try it again before I fly Eastward... (smile).
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 12:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 10:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 04:58 pm (UTC)english country dance...well, it's for some, but not for me. i'll stick with irish! ex-hubby (greg) does english country.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 10:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-02 12:07 pm (UTC)greg dances with a group called the merry pranksters. they do a lot of the ren faires in northern california. i don't know if he has ever danced with anything local. he might like to hear about it! he is on lj...