Saturday, June 16, 2007

The train was crossing the San Francisco bay underwater when I checked the concert tickets. It was the 5th time I checked them since we left Glen Park station. Row 124, seats 19 and 20. The seven minutes inside the transbay tube seemed forever.

It was a mistake the last time I hopped on a BART train going to the East Bay. The type of commuters should have given it away - most of them seemed almost ready for a prized nap. I only realized that I took the wrong train when it didn't make a stop in the next 2 mins but rather continued to accelerate on its way to the transbay tube.

The landscape was different this evening eventhough it was in the middle of the week. The ride was strangely noisy, people were chatting loudly and the majority, just like me, were not in their work outfit. Could it be that they were also going to the same place as I was?

I checked again for the tickets where The Police world tour is written. The Salvadoran made a signal the we were to get off on the next stop. Suddenly, I could feel the excitement build. I checked the tickets yet again.

~ral


Monday, June 11, 2007

Ethnic Dance in the City

- The dancers last night were amazing, weren't they?
- Yeah, they were all great.

It took us a while to find the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. We knew where the palace is but neither one of us knew the palace has a theater until yesterday. Good thing we arrived at the venue an hour before the start of the SF Ethnic Dance Festival. During the intermission, we learned that a bunch of ticket holders were late because of parking problems. We went to see the first of its three-weekend show.

- Which performance made an impression on you the most?
- Actually, they were all good. It is hard to compare them since they're ethnic dances.
- Fair enough. For me, the Middle Eastern belly dance impressed me the most. I also liked the acrobatic Chinese lion dance, and the Flamenco, and the Tahitian boys . You're right. It is difficult to pick a favorite since they represent different cultures.
- I thought the Mazatlán dancers performed like they are professionals. They must be.
- Yeah. I noticed that the dances from countries colonized by Spain incorporate tapping of the shoes as part of their dances, except the one from the Philippines.
- Ok, the Balinese dance was kindof slow.
- I thought so too. I think it is because their dance involves a lot of facial expression and hand movements. You have to seat really close to see what is really going on. The music was nice though.
- Isn't it funny that what I thought were Aztec warriors were really Tahitian dancers? The shells should have given it away.
- Yeah. I was worried that one of the coconut shells will fall from one of the female dancers.
- That would have been a performance!

~ ral



(The photo of the Palace of Fine Arts above was taken on a fog free Spring weekend in San Francisco's Marina District.)