It must be Monday
Jun. 6th, 2005 09:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bethlakshmiWhy does life suck so much? Oh yes, it's Monday.
Bathroom Saga
Redid floor in bathroom and painted the baseboards and chair rails in that room a nice burgundy/dark rose color. Bathroom is arguably spiffier than it has ever been since I've owned the house, as the floor has always been in rough shape. Still need to do silicon gel caulking, but that's all that's left. Should take picture.
Sweating with Lakshmi
Taught my Indian dancing ladies and even had time to get them measured for cholis. We just finished what is "day 2" in the schedule, after 3 classes. Obviously on the one hand, that's distressing. Is there too much material for a 5 day intensive to possibly work? Well... yes and no. The "yes" - it took me 6 months to learn this, it was the first dance I learned. Me, being reasonably intelligent, having a resonably good memory, having practiced it regularly, and already having a couple of points in "memorize choreography" - I'm on the above-average end of dance student. If it took me 6 months, there are some prodigies who only need 3, but a decent segment of the population would need 8-12 months!. So... "yes" - this dance class can't be taught in 5 days.
"But what the heck, Lakshmi?" is the obvious question. The "no" part of "yes and no" - is that in my experience, you don't (or shouldn't) actually come to a Pennsic class to learn a choreography. After all - teach a man to fish... I know I haven't actually retained any choreography I've ever learned in an intensive. The only way I can learn them so they will stick is in a long-term class. So, why learn a choreography you will never use?
- it is a sampler - it's a way to string practice moves together and not get bored
- learning transitions - it's great to know a set of moves, but how do you go from move A, to move B - a choreography forces a teacher to teach that, and forces students to practice it.
- combos - we often learn moves for a set of body parts - a choreography gloms them all together
- learning rhythm - working with a choreography forces a stringent rhythm that practice does not
- aesthetics - there are ways to structure a performance, learning a choreography shows one dancer's take on how to do that.
- memorization skills - every time we learn a choreography, we improve our ability to learn future choreographies. This part of the brain is trainable.
- "jumping back in" - there's a skill to getting lost and joining in again. No one is 100% perfect, we all get lost. Catching up is a crucial skill, and the process of learning choreographies really enforces that.
So... the question is - will I be able to teach this choreography so that my students will get something meaningful out of it. I think the answer is "yes" - but I will have to be careful. Things to remember:
- students will not be able to retain information from day n to day n+1 - Pennsic is about the worst set of conditions for memorization capabiliy imaginable. We are underhydrated, malnourished, under-slept, overly stimulated, emotions are on a roller coaster, quiet meditation time and space is at a minimum.
- set expectations properly
- be ready for frustrated people, plan for time after class to do a little emotional support work
So... my ringers are doing extremely well - they are absorbing a lot information very, very quickly. And, well, they have to. They actually need to *retain* the information, where my Pennsic students do not need to retain this info, unless they wish it. My ringers have a task - be Lakshmi's Dancing Damsels, so Lakshmi doesn't wear herself out. They also get to be my guinea pigs.
Even had time to measure the choli-less ladies for cholis. Now... that makes it sound like I'll manage to produce a choli now... not quite true. But I can make a choli that doesn't fit quite right, and then work on actually getting it right...
Other fun
Had the Palio test feast at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
new_man's house. A gang of us got together and lingered over some lovely Pennsic-gifted mead and told fun stories. It was quite wonderful. No surprise, he's a consistently fabulous cook. If you are SCAdian and near Boston - GO REGISTER FOR PALIO FEAST!! MmmmmMMMMmmmm....
On Sunday went to The Blue Room for brunch. The Blue Room might be one of the few things that topsnew_man's cooking. It's got an exquiste multi-salad, fabulous meat lunch, paired with eggs and pancakes for breakfast, and a dessert side board too fabulous to describe. We got there pretty frequently, but it's not cheap - $23 for the buffet, plus drinks, tax and tip. And it needs reservations.
Followed decadent stuffing of self with trip to the zoo. Now... walking around in the heat, with a tummy THAT full is not a great plan. But Franklin Park Zoo is pretty cool, and we didn't hurry. Did get trounced by Dorchester Day - a town parade in Dorchester, that consumes the entirety of Dorchester Ave. Dorchester Ave. being the main road that connects *everything* in Dorchester, and which must be crossed to get anywhere from anywhere. But... we're pros.
The zoo was lovely. Franklin Park Zoo is very educational, and works to make sure its animals are healthy and happy. It has some fascinating exotics - like warthogs, pygmy hippos, and tapirs. This is my second trip, and it's really growing on me.new_man has a special fondness for gorillas (and for zoos in general), of which the zoo has at least four, in a lovely big space which can be seen from all sorts of angles. We even got to see a gorilla baby being cared for by the ?mother?.
Finished up by a trip to pick up airport cargo and eat at Faneuil Hall - a lighter meal to balance the extravaganza of eating the test feast and then Blue Room. Topped that all off with some serious homework work, so that I don't feel too nervous about this week's homework.
Stupid Tooth Saga
So... I stupidly schedule a tooth consult for 8:30 this morning. The only way I can explain that is shock. I get up at 6:30, get ready, fill out my dental forms and get in the car... work my way around 93 traffic, only to hit the Pike and stop. absolutely stop. between the Cambridge tolls and the next exit. After it becomes apparent that there is no way I will make it to the doctors even 10 minutes late, I call. I reschedule for - get this - tomorrow at 11:00. Now... why didn't I ask for that initially? Because I am stupid. That's a much better time - I can go to work first, I can drive up 95 in no traffic. I can grab lunch on the way back... Lovely.
Of course, as soon as I hang up on the cell phone, traffic miraculously starts moving. It's jammed by construction, which I pass in 5 minutes and am to work early, even with a trip to Starbucks. And, of course, I'm left wondering if I could have made it, anyway.
Sigh. I suppose I should thank my stars that this isn't anything painfully (literally) urgent. My face isn't throbbing. It doesn't even twinge or feel funny. I feel great - no pain anywhere. Not even particularly sniffly. Just a little tired from being up so freaking early. So... this is not 24 more hours of pain. This is just a hassle.
But... argh. Monday is starting with a vengence.
Bathroom Saga
Redid floor in bathroom and painted the baseboards and chair rails in that room a nice burgundy/dark rose color. Bathroom is arguably spiffier than it has ever been since I've owned the house, as the floor has always been in rough shape. Still need to do silicon gel caulking, but that's all that's left. Should take picture.
Sweating with Lakshmi
Taught my Indian dancing ladies and even had time to get them measured for cholis. We just finished what is "day 2" in the schedule, after 3 classes. Obviously on the one hand, that's distressing. Is there too much material for a 5 day intensive to possibly work? Well... yes and no. The "yes" - it took me 6 months to learn this, it was the first dance I learned. Me, being reasonably intelligent, having a resonably good memory, having practiced it regularly, and already having a couple of points in "memorize choreography" - I'm on the above-average end of dance student. If it took me 6 months, there are some prodigies who only need 3, but a decent segment of the population would need 8-12 months!. So... "yes" - this dance class can't be taught in 5 days.
"But what the heck, Lakshmi?" is the obvious question. The "no" part of "yes and no" - is that in my experience, you don't (or shouldn't) actually come to a Pennsic class to learn a choreography. After all - teach a man to fish... I know I haven't actually retained any choreography I've ever learned in an intensive. The only way I can learn them so they will stick is in a long-term class. So, why learn a choreography you will never use?
- it is a sampler - it's a way to string practice moves together and not get bored
- learning transitions - it's great to know a set of moves, but how do you go from move A, to move B - a choreography forces a teacher to teach that, and forces students to practice it.
- combos - we often learn moves for a set of body parts - a choreography gloms them all together
- learning rhythm - working with a choreography forces a stringent rhythm that practice does not
- aesthetics - there are ways to structure a performance, learning a choreography shows one dancer's take on how to do that.
- memorization skills - every time we learn a choreography, we improve our ability to learn future choreographies. This part of the brain is trainable.
- "jumping back in" - there's a skill to getting lost and joining in again. No one is 100% perfect, we all get lost. Catching up is a crucial skill, and the process of learning choreographies really enforces that.
So... the question is - will I be able to teach this choreography so that my students will get something meaningful out of it. I think the answer is "yes" - but I will have to be careful. Things to remember:
- students will not be able to retain information from day n to day n+1 - Pennsic is about the worst set of conditions for memorization capabiliy imaginable. We are underhydrated, malnourished, under-slept, overly stimulated, emotions are on a roller coaster, quiet meditation time and space is at a minimum.
- set expectations properly
- be ready for frustrated people, plan for time after class to do a little emotional support work
So... my ringers are doing extremely well - they are absorbing a lot information very, very quickly. And, well, they have to. They actually need to *retain* the information, where my Pennsic students do not need to retain this info, unless they wish it. My ringers have a task - be Lakshmi's Dancing Damsels, so Lakshmi doesn't wear herself out. They also get to be my guinea pigs.
Even had time to measure the choli-less ladies for cholis. Now... that makes it sound like I'll manage to produce a choli now... not quite true. But I can make a choli that doesn't fit quite right, and then work on actually getting it right...
Other fun
Had the Palio test feast at
new_man's house. A gang of us got together and lingered over some lovely Pennsic-gifted mead and told fun stories. It was quite wonderful. No surprise, he's a consistently fabulous cook. If you are SCAdian and near Boston - GO REGISTER FOR PALIO FEAST!! MmmmmMMMMmmmm....On Sunday went to The Blue Room for brunch. The Blue Room might be one of the few things that tops
new_man's cooking. It's got an exquiste multi-salad, fabulous meat lunch, paired with eggs and pancakes for breakfast, and a dessert side board too fabulous to describe. We got there pretty frequently, but it's not cheap - $23 for the buffet, plus drinks, tax and tip. And it needs reservations.Followed decadent stuffing of self with trip to the zoo. Now... walking around in the heat, with a tummy THAT full is not a great plan. But Franklin Park Zoo is pretty cool, and we didn't hurry. Did get trounced by Dorchester Day - a town parade in Dorchester, that consumes the entirety of Dorchester Ave. Dorchester Ave. being the main road that connects *everything* in Dorchester, and which must be crossed to get anywhere from anywhere. But... we're pros.
The zoo was lovely. Franklin Park Zoo is very educational, and works to make sure its animals are healthy and happy. It has some fascinating exotics - like warthogs, pygmy hippos, and tapirs. This is my second trip, and it's really growing on me.
new_man has a special fondness for gorillas (and for zoos in general), of which the zoo has at least four, in a lovely big space which can be seen from all sorts of angles. We even got to see a gorilla baby being cared for by the ?mother?. Finished up by a trip to pick up airport cargo and eat at Faneuil Hall - a lighter meal to balance the extravaganza of eating the test feast and then Blue Room. Topped that all off with some serious homework work, so that I don't feel too nervous about this week's homework.
Stupid Tooth Saga
So... I stupidly schedule a tooth consult for 8:30 this morning. The only way I can explain that is shock. I get up at 6:30, get ready, fill out my dental forms and get in the car... work my way around 93 traffic, only to hit the Pike and stop. absolutely stop. between the Cambridge tolls and the next exit. After it becomes apparent that there is no way I will make it to the doctors even 10 minutes late, I call. I reschedule for - get this - tomorrow at 11:00. Now... why didn't I ask for that initially? Because I am stupid. That's a much better time - I can go to work first, I can drive up 95 in no traffic. I can grab lunch on the way back... Lovely.
Of course, as soon as I hang up on the cell phone, traffic miraculously starts moving. It's jammed by construction, which I pass in 5 minutes and am to work early, even with a trip to Starbucks. And, of course, I'm left wondering if I could have made it, anyway.
Sigh. I suppose I should thank my stars that this isn't anything painfully (literally) urgent. My face isn't throbbing. It doesn't even twinge or feel funny. I feel great - no pain anywhere. Not even particularly sniffly. Just a little tired from being up so freaking early. So... this is not 24 more hours of pain. This is just a hassle.
But... argh. Monday is starting with a vengence.
