Snowed in in Portland, OR! At least I am with my sweetheart...
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
The What
Its been a while, and I can tell through your silence that your are passive aggressively sulking, oh blog readers of my imagination. Well never fear, Kate is here, with a big recommendation for you! I just finished reading Dave Eggers' recent book, What is the What, which tells the amazing (and for the most part true) story of a Sudanese refugee. It is a highly enjoyable read, though I will not pretend that it didn't depress and enrage me greatly. If you buy this book, all of the proceeds go to helping rebuild Sudan and contributing to the needs of the Sudanese refugees living in America.
http://www.amazon.com/What-Vintage-Dave-Eggers/dp/0307385906/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228604053&sr=8-1
Here is the myth:
"God made the monyjang tall and strong, and he made their women beautiful, more beautiful than any of the creatures of the land...and when God was done, and the monyjang were standing on the earth waiting for instruction, God asked the man, 'Now that you are here, on the most sacred and fertile land I have, I can give you one more thing. I can give you this creature, which is called the cow'...God showed man the idea of the cattle, and the cattle were magnificent. They were in every way exactly what the monyjang would want. The man and woman thanked God for such a gift, because they knew that the cattle would bring them milk and meat and prosperity of every kind. But God was not finished. God said, 'You can either have these cattle, as my gift to you, or you can have the What.'"
The story goes on, but the essential question we are left with is; What is the what? Read the book, tell me your answer to this...
http://www.amazon.com/What-Vintage-Dave-Eggers/dp/0307385906/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228604053&sr=8-1
Here is the myth:
"God made the monyjang tall and strong, and he made their women beautiful, more beautiful than any of the creatures of the land...and when God was done, and the monyjang were standing on the earth waiting for instruction, God asked the man, 'Now that you are here, on the most sacred and fertile land I have, I can give you one more thing. I can give you this creature, which is called the cow'...God showed man the idea of the cattle, and the cattle were magnificent. They were in every way exactly what the monyjang would want. The man and woman thanked God for such a gift, because they knew that the cattle would bring them milk and meat and prosperity of every kind. But God was not finished. God said, 'You can either have these cattle, as my gift to you, or you can have the What.'"
The story goes on, but the essential question we are left with is; What is the what? Read the book, tell me your answer to this...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Investment advice
Hello? Hellllooooooooooooooooooo? Anybody out there? Its me, Fever Kate. I have emerged from the cocoon that is the Nalanda campus where I have lived almost non-stop for the last month. I have Suzuki-ed with Leon Ingulsrud, I have Grotowski-ed with Erica Berg, I have made my first solo piece that had other people in it, I have toiled on behalf of the honeybees, I have drank many ounces of booze, I have slept little. And suddenly I am expected to have days off? Highly suspicious...Hey kids, what time is it? Its "Kate references a depressing political documentary time"! Last night I watched Maxed Out, a lovely portrait of several families who's loved ones (ranging from teenagers to mothers) have offed themselves because they were drowning in debt. Oh but don't fret, even those of us who have not yet succumbed to credit card debt have much to plague us--the national debt which is eating away our tax dollars in interest, the dissappearing social security fund, the increasing difficulty in getting a home loan. At the end of the movie the economist that was their specialist throughout is describing the most desperate Americans, and I suddenly realized she was talking about me! "Living paycheck to paycheck, unable to pay their medical bills, if even one thing goes wrong in their life it can set off a financial catastrophe" Yep, that sounds about like the tightrope that I am walking. Yet I know I am much better off than most of the people who were interviewed. I have invested in myself, rather than stocks and bonds, I believe this is the most secure investment that can be made. I am healthy, educated, growing into a more well-rounded person every day. And I may just make it through the semester without any credit card debt, though the student loan debt will be a proud badge that I wear for most of my adult life. Okay, so investment advice: Don't eat crap, work on yourself, do yoga, do what you love, don't trust anybody that offers you a free lunch and has a place to sign for it. And remember that you don't need money to be happy--cheesy but true. And never ever ever think that your life is worth less than your financial debt. Money is a symbol that represents goods and services--it has no inherent value, whereas you inhabit in your being all the value that there is in the universe.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Judge
I can't believe how fast its all going. Next week I will go home for Thanksgiving and then it is only two weeks until the end of the semester.
Today we got into some theory in my Grotowski class, which my analytical brain was very thirsty and grateful for. I am really fascinated with the way Erica (our teacher) breaks down the components of our personality into "observer" "experiencer" and "judge". I have some notion of observer and experiencer from Yoga and Buddhist philosophy, but I never realized until this work how attached I am to my Judge. As Erica says, the Judge is very seductive and sly, and often our experiencer thinks it is hearing the voice of the observer when it is really the judge. So without even thinking about it, we take certain things as fact that are really judgements, especially when it comes to ourselves. For example, right now I might be thinking "Don't write about that, Kate, nobody cares about your obscure Grotowski shit!" That's the voice of my Judge all right. To see myself objectively might be a life's work!
These ideas are interesting in connection to our art making, but even more awe-inspiring when I think of how it could change my life, to fully notice when the voice inside me is a judge. Erica encourages us not to label the judge as bad, but rather to take the energy that the judge creates in us and to use that energy in our work. It is a form of power, but to get lost in the judge's voice will make you powerless. Following? Well I hope not, because I am paying a pretty penny to actually get this stuff so why should you be able to understand it from reading a sloppy blog entry?
Okay, that's enough sass from me. I must get back to work.
Today we got into some theory in my Grotowski class, which my analytical brain was very thirsty and grateful for. I am really fascinated with the way Erica (our teacher) breaks down the components of our personality into "observer" "experiencer" and "judge". I have some notion of observer and experiencer from Yoga and Buddhist philosophy, but I never realized until this work how attached I am to my Judge. As Erica says, the Judge is very seductive and sly, and often our experiencer thinks it is hearing the voice of the observer when it is really the judge. So without even thinking about it, we take certain things as fact that are really judgements, especially when it comes to ourselves. For example, right now I might be thinking "Don't write about that, Kate, nobody cares about your obscure Grotowski shit!" That's the voice of my Judge all right. To see myself objectively might be a life's work!
These ideas are interesting in connection to our art making, but even more awe-inspiring when I think of how it could change my life, to fully notice when the voice inside me is a judge. Erica encourages us not to label the judge as bad, but rather to take the energy that the judge creates in us and to use that energy in our work. It is a form of power, but to get lost in the judge's voice will make you powerless. Following? Well I hope not, because I am paying a pretty penny to actually get this stuff so why should you be able to understand it from reading a sloppy blog entry?
Okay, that's enough sass from me. I must get back to work.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Beeeeeen a while
Hello imaginary friends,
I know I have not posted for a while, this is because I have been at school for 13 hours every day trying to create 6 minutes of watchable performance about the missing honeybees. You would think I would have something by now, but I am convinced that I might just be a hack. Of course, this stage in the creation process is always a bit like this, since I have gone crazy and lost all perspective on who I am, what I like, or why I am doing this. Last night my rehearsal was visited by Leon Ingulsrud of the SITI company, who is our visiting artist right now. He is the least intimidating celebrity theater artist, and we spent most of the feedback session making stupid jokes (Leon's specialty) about bees. Then we had margaritas and I was privvy to his stories of "how it really happened"--"it" being the beginning of the SITI company. I have a hangover today, but it was all worth it. It is kind of amazing just to be sitting in this tiny Mexican restaurant after they have closed and they are vacuuming the floors and here I am talking to this person who has lived the life I can only fantasize about, but then maybe I am living this life! This is the funny thing about growing up, and about being a dream chaser--if you climb that mountain long enough you will eventually get to the top, it is just inevitable. And once you get there it won't be so shocking, because you will be like "duh, I've been climbing this damn mountain for 10 years so of course I am at the top." I am in no way insinuating that I have reached my peak, but simply that I have come quite a ways and I can look down and see the life I used to have and I can look up and see the life that is very much within reach to me and it is incredible.
I know I have not posted for a while, this is because I have been at school for 13 hours every day trying to create 6 minutes of watchable performance about the missing honeybees. You would think I would have something by now, but I am convinced that I might just be a hack. Of course, this stage in the creation process is always a bit like this, since I have gone crazy and lost all perspective on who I am, what I like, or why I am doing this. Last night my rehearsal was visited by Leon Ingulsrud of the SITI company, who is our visiting artist right now. He is the least intimidating celebrity theater artist, and we spent most of the feedback session making stupid jokes (Leon's specialty) about bees. Then we had margaritas and I was privvy to his stories of "how it really happened"--"it" being the beginning of the SITI company. I have a hangover today, but it was all worth it. It is kind of amazing just to be sitting in this tiny Mexican restaurant after they have closed and they are vacuuming the floors and here I am talking to this person who has lived the life I can only fantasize about, but then maybe I am living this life! This is the funny thing about growing up, and about being a dream chaser--if you climb that mountain long enough you will eventually get to the top, it is just inevitable. And once you get there it won't be so shocking, because you will be like "duh, I've been climbing this damn mountain for 10 years so of course I am at the top." I am in no way insinuating that I have reached my peak, but simply that I have come quite a ways and I can look down and see the life I used to have and I can look up and see the life that is very much within reach to me and it is incredible.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
WooHoo!
WoooooooooooooHooooooooooo!
Woo!
Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!
I came home tonight and my landlords had hung an American flag in front of our house. May it fly proud once again (sniff).
Ayayayayayayayayayayaya!
Woooooooooohooooooo!
Thank you, fellow Americans, for coming through and renewing my faith in humanity.
Love,
Kate
Woo!
Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!
I came home tonight and my landlords had hung an American flag in front of our house. May it fly proud once again (sniff).
Ayayayayayayayayayayaya!
Woooooooooohooooooo!
Thank you, fellow Americans, for coming through and renewing my faith in humanity.
Love,
Kate
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
OMG Honey bee!
Hi guys,
tonight we focus on the issue of missing honey bees. We do this because I am embodying the ghost of a honey bee for Halloween, and also for a performance piece I am creating.
We do this because we love honey bees.
Here is a link to a pretty cute You Tube video about honey bees:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOIP0UPiLvA
and in case disco aint your thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m5vt07W2n4&feature=related
Yo, where my bees?
Okay, you've already heard of the missing honey bees, so tell me what you think happened to them, and don't worry about "science" and "facts", just make it an interesting story...the creator of the best bee story will get a free ticket to my "dance of the bee ghosts" at Naropa University on November 22nd.
tonight we focus on the issue of missing honey bees. We do this because I am embodying the ghost of a honey bee for Halloween, and also for a performance piece I am creating.
We do this because we love honey bees.
Here is a link to a pretty cute You Tube video about honey bees:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOIP0UPiLvA
and in case disco aint your thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m5vt07W2n4&feature=related
Yo, where my bees?
Okay, you've already heard of the missing honey bees, so tell me what you think happened to them, and don't worry about "science" and "facts", just make it an interesting story...the creator of the best bee story will get a free ticket to my "dance of the bee ghosts" at Naropa University on November 22nd.
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