Foolish, Foolish Story Jam

This is what I posted on Facebook.

Story Jam's topic for April is Foolish, so I felt my calling! Last night we practiced telling our stories, which we'll be telling again at Piano Fight on Wednesday, April 12.

Here you see Will Spargur, Megan McMahon, and Justina Wu, who lead the Beyond Borders Story Jam, and those telling foolish stories in April, John Blessing, Jenny Moylan, Vickie Baranetsky, Iting Jiang and Arslan Butt, John Schilder is the man with the beard and the NW Regional Engagement Manager at Hostelling International USA, where we met last night.

If you like to tell stories, you might like to join this group, who make story-telling a lot of fun! You don't have to be a Return Peace Corps Volunteer, but many are

I'll tell more later!.

ACT's 50th Anniversary Open House Deserves a Standing Ovation

At the risk of sounding stingy, I'll admit that I think audiences are too generous with standing ovations, but I was among the first to stand after the reading of Under Milk Wood by some of the same actors I'd seen in 1967, the year ACT was born, and I felt I was applauding for the whole afternoon as well.  If I were the Chronicle's  "Little Man," I'd be leaping out of my chair to cheer, which I literally was doing at the conclusion of Under Milk Wood.

Earlier I'd thought I might leave the 1:00 to 5:00 PM open house early and see Get Out just a few blocks away, but everything about the open house made me want to stay.

The staff appeared to have been given the role of Charming, and everyone gave convincing, heart-felt performances in that role!

We got to go down to the Wig Room and hear more than I ever knew I'd want to know about wigs.  (I already knew I'd want to see the one Marge Simpson wore in Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play.)  The Wig Master made other details interesting too.

We were given the opposite of the usual directive "Don't Touch.  No Photos."  We were encouraged to touch  costumes, try on hats,  and take pictures.  A photographer from Say Ya took pictures of us with 50 ACT background.  Here I am wearing my bold eye-glasses and my even bolder Nordic horned Helmet:

 We  also got to see the little orchestra pit.  Amazing what can come out of so small a place.

We went behind the scenes and talked to the man who is in charge of getting the sets to function and see demonstrations by the Fly Man,  who literally brings down the curtain and has probably been told too many times that he knows the ropes.  I cringed myself when I told him that and then thought, "They all have to be good actors so they can pretend NOT to have heard these tired plays on words!

There was a memory wall on the Mezzanine where the Say Ya photo booth kept busy taking pictures of us visitors with the ACT 50 background.  What a wonderful souvenir--and the photographer was as charming as the ACT staff!

Downtown High School students gave monologues on the third level.

Young Conservatory singers had an open rehearsal in the garret (fifth level), and it was fascinating to hear such young people singing songs from World Wars I and II!  They even sang the song my mother wanted to go sing in London's  Berkeley Square  on her 90th birthday,(which she missed by two weeks), "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square."  (I've cropped this so we can focus on the halo above one of the singers.  The other singer seems to be wearing a Frisbee.)

On the Geary stage itself were artistic talks by ACT's original company members, a short performance by the kids from the Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, Dramaturg Michael Paller's talk about his book on the 50 years of ACT, A Five-Act Play:  50 Years of ACT, and  A.C.T.'s New Works Program with associate Artistic Director Andy Donald introducing Dipika Guha, a playwright on commission, and Casey Lee Hurt, who played "Revival" for us.  (A member of the audience praised his music in The Unfortunates.)

The day ended with a 90-minute reading of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood with actors who'd been in the production in 1967 and then a refreshments served to donors back up in the garrett.  Here's Carey Perloff leading in a toast.  She said they'd been dreaming of a spectacular celebration for the 50th anniversary of ACT, and I felt that the dream had come truth--in spite of the current electored president's budget cutting funds to the arts (while giving a 10% increase to the military).

I think it was Rene Auberjonois who quoted something someone said about being able to tell who had just been on stage because of the afterglow similar to that after making love.  I felt that afterglow!

Sing-Along with "Moana" Magic

I was wondering how this was going to be.  Could children read the Supertitles for a sing-along?    I talked to a father waiting in line with his toddler and wife, and he told me that the children would know the songs, and he was right.  There was something very touching about hearing a little girl of I guess four singing out, "I am Moana!" 

I'd been to a sing-along of Broadway's best at the JCC and at one for The Wizard of Oz at the Public Library, and of course I'd had mine own at every major birthday gathering.  But this was my first at the Castro, and they really know how to do it.  We got a bag of magic:  a crown, bubbles to blow, a light-stick to wave, popper to pop, and (I don't know why) a comb.  We were given instructions, and at the beginning two women in muu muus had the children in costumes walk across.  

We were instructed to let it out with "Ahs" and "Watch out, Moana" and cheers, and people really got into it.  

The little girl behind me said, "She's so nice!" about little Moana when she was shading a turtle with a leaf.

I loved the feeling, and I'm sure the kids and parents will remember this as even more wonderful than the matinees Dana and I went to as children.  

Ilhar Omar and Minnesota

I was really impressed by what the women did in Iceland back in October, when they figured that since they were getting 14-18% less than men, they'd work 14-18% less of the 9 to 5 workday and took off at 2:38, when they protested the difference in pay in front of Parliament.  

I was interested to read that Iceland will be, according to an announcement they made on International Woman's Day this year,  the first country in the world to make employers prove they offer equal pay regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality.

But what interested me even more was this sentence in the news article: 

            While other countries, and the U.S. state of Minnesota, have equal salary certificate policies, Iceland is thought to be the first to make it mandatory for both private and public firms.

I hadn't realized that Minnesota stood out in that way! 

Then, while reading What We Do Now:  Standing Up For Our Values in Trump's America, I came to an essay by Ilhan Omar, "We Are All Emigrants," and found out that she is the first Somali-American legislator in U.S. history, as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

I'll be visiting my sister Dana outside Chicago after Javier and I visit friends in Arizona, and I'm seriously suggesting that she and I take a trip there!

Icelanic Women Just Leave Work at 2:38 PM

Did you know that women in Iceland left work at 2:38 pm in October because it's calculated that women are working for free after that hour while men, earning more for the same job, are getting paid? Now Iceland has become the first country in the world to make employers prove they offer equal pay regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/09/international-womens-day-iceland-will-first-country-order-firms/

Trump's Bluster Burying Real News and Mother Jones Getting a Surge in Reader Support

"What bluster is burying/While Trump grabas spotlight with combative comments, appointees' major moves go largely unnoticed."

On a cheerier note, Mother Jones has gained popularity since Trump got electored.

Headlines on Just One Day

The newspaper really does make fascinating reading.  I've finally gotten around to doing this year what I intended to do in previous years:  clipped out particularly interesting or "telling" articles and taped them into my huge tablet.

Here are some from March 8, 2017--yesterday:

"Violent ararchists might be the greater of evils at protests" by Otis R. Taylor Jr.  (They couldn't be doing more harm for our cause if they were planted.  Are they?)

"Children suffering 'toxic stress,' study says"  Children in Syria are attempting self-harm and suicide in response to prolonged explsure to war--developing speech disorders and incontience.  Some are even losing the capaciy to speak.  This is a report from Save the Children.

And editorial "End the California sand rush" made me aware that Cemex removes sand to sell it to those in construction landscaping, and industyr--40[pound bas sold at Home Depot.    How's this for a quote:  "The U.s. geological Survey reported in 2006 that the region's beaches were disappearing faster than any others in California 'due to the artifically high erosion in the southern portion of the Monterye Bay caused by llng-term sand mining operations.'"

"Fewer heavy Americans are trying to lose weight.;"

The US has deployed THAAD to South Korea.  http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/US-moves-parts-of-controversial-missile-defense-10982148.php

In Asia "Study says progress hindered by graft" reveals that "bribery and other forms of corruption are hinderig poverty alleviation and hurting public health in Asia. "Across the region, nearly a third of those surveyed had paid a bribe to a police officer in the previous year, while 22 percent had made such payments for schooling, and 18 percent paid them to access a public hospital.  Berlin-based Transparency International said it conducted the survey of randomly selected people between July 2015 and January 2017."

 "Hacking by CIA alleged/WikiLeaks releases data purportedly showing how spy agency accesses phones, TVs"

"Health Care plan runs into trouble/Consevatives ridicule bill as 'Obamacare 2.0'"  This is also referred to as "Obama-care Lite,""Ryancare," and "RINO-care."  Two people who have spoken out on this are Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, who says "Weshould have gone for Medicare-for-all...I would go so far as to say any Democrat who doesn't embrace the vision of Madicare-for-all and single payer should not be the nominee of our party."  (More on this later!)

"Honor-killings claim by Trump exploits fear, observers say" by Hamed Aleaziz.

Guantanamo Ba:  "PResident Trump blames Obama for prisoners released by Bush.

Shadow Cabinet:  Chronicle reaers suggested Elizabeth Warren and others.

"Finding a new life, new love in NY/Memoir (by Bill Hayes:  Insomniac City)/Memoir recounts relationship with long-celibate Oliver Sacks."

Pressing your high top shoes can now bring pizza to where you sit.
Nope makes it possible for you to get a fake call when you want to be interrupted at work.
IMDb now lets viewers search for films by their F as in female reading, and there are more than 20,000 F movies listed--those directed or written by women or having "significant" female characters.

A Day without a Woman at SF City Hall

Today I went  to the Civic Center for International Women's Day and A Day without a Woman and met an artist, Jane R. Willson,  whose work is on exhibit now in Supervisor Hillary Ronen's office at City Hall. 

Here are a couple of links:

Jane R. Willson  https://www.dropbox.com/sc/q87ts43jxdyeafr/AABeG2TYjyPuHfcrb-nuWp9Va

a Day without a Woman  https://www.dropbox.com/sc/szit9ovc5v7q5yp/AAC2laYpXDISH9cTjsIm5Heca

The close-up of the Lysistrata earrings is appropriate for this Day without a Woman because that play is about women who refused to go to bed with their men until their men stopped waging war, so it was a Night without a Woman--lots of nights!  (We had a reading of  it  at CCSF in 2003 but didn't succeed in stopping the Shock and Awe attack on Iraq!)

Finding Kili

In preparing a story on teaching English as a Singing Language, I keep thinking of Kili, my star pupil in that field!  I found something I wrote her about 8 years ago:

Finding Kili

Kili was a Tongan child I remembered as having, maybe being, the spirit we all seek—in others and in ourselves.    She stood out among the children, already out-standing, who walked me home after school and lined my hut.  When Vincent, the British hospital administrator I’d met through the Peace Corps doctor,   drove up to my hut to ask me out because there were no phones in the village, Kili was among the children who asked him where he went in that shiny white car of his.  (There were no cars in the village, either.)  Vincent politely said that someday he would drive us all to the beach in that white car, and Kili jumped for joy, applauding in the air.  Then, feet hitting the ground, she asked, “What’s the name of the day?”  I adopted  Kili’s phrase on the spot and still use it to get a commitment out of vague suggestion.  “What’s the name of the day?”  Vincent named the day, and when it came,  Vincent took us all to the beach,  thanks to Kili.

          Kili was the first to learn the  songs I taught the children at school—the songs Welsh governesses and Austrian nuns teach kids—and she even picked up the songs I just sang around the hut.  There was one from Camelot with the words “Only you, only I.  World farewell, world goodbye.”  When Kili asked, “Who is going to the beach besides Salika, Paula and me?” and I said, “Only you, ”  Kili sang out, “Only you, only I.  World farewell, world goodbye!” 

Just what I’d always dreamed of:  Someone who knew that life should be a musical with people dancing down the street and bursting into song when given the proper cues.

                But upon my arrival in Ha’ateiho I heard that Kili wasn’t in Tonga because her brother had died, and she’d gone to his funeral in New Zealand. 

                So I’d settled  for the coronation of Kingi Siaosi Tupou V, an the eco-message I wanted to take back to Tonga (the place I’d learned it), and a stay in Ha’ateiho with the son and daughter-in-law of ‘Ana Taufe’ulungaki, a remarkable Tongan woman who’d begun teaching English the same year I had and in the same village, ‘Atele, adjacent to Ha’ateiho.   Thanks to ‘Ana, my two weeks in Tonga were wonderful and had the kind of reunions I’d dreamed of.  Still something was missing.  Kili.

Then the last day I was in Tonga, the Sunday night before the Monday I was to return to San Francisco, I heard that Kili was back from New Zealand.  Nolini, one of ‘Ana’s daughters, drove me to her house, which was close to where I was staying and just a few yards from the spot where my fale had once stood.

But her son said Kili was at the Catholic Social Hall, so Nolini drove me there.

When Kili saw me, she said “Ouiaoue!  Tina Peace Corps!”  And after we’d hugged, she introduced me to her whole beautiful family.  Later that evening, she walked over to see me at home.  I feared that Tongans never walked anymore; they all seemed to have humongous vans. So I was impressed that she was walking.  I was also impressed by her total recall.  She said she remembered all the songs I taught them—old melodies with new words--and was so mad when the radio got them wrong.  I asked her about “The Twelve Days of Christmas” because I’d forgotten what Tongan items I’d substituted for the English ones, and she remembered every single day! 

                On the twelfth  day of Christmas my true love gave to me

               

Twelve girls who could hiko (juggle)

Eleven  lakalaka

Ten  men drinking Kava

Nine boys drawing water

Eight women beating tapa

Seven ducks a swimming

Six goats a grazing

Five turtle rings!  (Note in 2017:  Not so eco-wise!)

Four  ukeleles

Three ‘umued pigs

Two  matted slippers

And a flying fox in a toa tree.

                Kili could even get the song to scan.  When I commented on her amazing memory, she told me she’d only gone through Form 2 or Form 3 because she had to go back to Niua, her island, where there was “Nothing flour, nothing sugar, nothing eggs, nothing anything!”  and there were no boats to get her to school, but if she’d been able to go on to Form 4 and 5 and 6, she could really have done well.  As it was, she worked hard and had gone to New Zealand to plant tomatoes in the freezing cold so she could earn money…to buy a van. 

We talked and sang and recited special memories, and she apologized because, she said, “I don’t speak English properly.” 

I thought her English was just beautiful, and so was she—still the spirit of Ha’ateiho, found again!

Vegan Peace Corps Pot Luck!

Northern California Peace Corps Week Events

Today! Peace Corps Week Kickoff Veg*n Potluck Lunch & Hangout - February 26, 2017, 1:00pm - 3:00pm @ Jay's house in San Francisco (Member Event)

Our food came from Mauritania among other places.  We came from Mauritania, Nicaragua, Armenia, Madagascar, and Tonga.