JITPLEECHEEP

Following the career advancement, investigations, philosophical struggles, and cultural explaining of Royal Thai police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, the main character in John Burdett's Bangkok series has been one of my favorite literary excursions over the past few years. Sonchai, the half Thai/half American (farang) son of a former prostitute and current brothel owner (he is a part owner), is a devout, spiritual Buddhist who wrestles with the karmic implications of his role as a minion (and later consigliere) of his boss, one of the two leading drug barons in Thailand. We are first introduced to him in Bangkok 8, suffering from the loss of his best friend and police partner who is murdered via use of poisonous snakes, and his exploits are continued in Bangkok Tattoo and Bangkok Haunts, which are interesting and enjoyable but did not quite live up to the first book. Along with his mother and boss, other recurring characters include his faithful assistant and devoted foil, Lek, a pre-op transsexual male (katooey); a female American FBI agent that he taps for special intelligence when required; an Army general and rival to his boss in the drug trade; and numerous prostitutes and colorful personalities who come in and out of the stories (not to mention the rather interesting victims of the crimes he is investigating).
So it was delightful that Burdett's recent addition, Godfather of Kathmandu, was as strong and interesting as the first volume. Jitpleecheep here is dealing with the heartrending loss of his only son and his wife's decision to run off to a Buddhist nunnery, as he is called to assist in the mysterious murder of a prominent and wealthy American film director, while at the same time brokering a high-stakes drug deal with an equally mysterious Tibetan lama (Tietsen), who wants to use profits from the sale to get back at the Chinese. He is valuable to his boss because he can easily traverse the different cultures. Soon he is immersed in the complicated worlds of Chinese/Thai secret societies, a brilliant chemically-dependent pharmacist murderess, a tantalizing Tantric mistress/actress, a upward striving junior police detective, and other members of Thai society (as well as individuals in Tibet and Hong Kong). In all of the books the protagonist talks directly to the reader, explaining various aspects of culture and religion, as well as his thought processes as he works his way through various investigations. There is no way for this reviewer to assess how accurate the author is in describing the inner working of Thailand, but the stories are colorful and engaging, and I recommend them highly. Almost all of the characters are richly complex and compelling. Burdett's descriptions and explanations of Thai society are equally good.

MAGICIANS

Last night I was treated to two magicians. I took the boys (after dance practice for Joey and finishing reading Call of the Wild with Chimo) to see the local magician John Tudor at the Columbia Children's Theater. I would say he is an entertaining, though average, magician, but what he is really good at is developing rapport with the kids (and the adults enjoyed it too). The seventy-plus crowd was receptive and appreciative, and he put on a pretty nice show. He blends silly puns and a bit of storytelling with his sleight of hand, and overall I had a nice time, as did my boys (which is what it is all about for me).

Then I watched a real magician, Devon Downey, of the Carolina Gamecocks, as on the hardwood they defeated a #1 team for the first time in their history, the previously undefeated Kentucky Wildcats. Even had the Cocks lost, I would have been proud of them, because they played hard for the entire game. Yes, we got a few lucky bounces (you simply need a few of those to counter some things), but I have to applaud his teammates as well, who stepped up when they needed to, on defense and in providing a little point support. Downey made about four or five shots that were nothing short of amazing, and I am glad that he got to showcase his talents to a national audience. The crowd was wonderful, and I don't think they stopped jumping on their feet for practically the whole game. The win was especially shocking when you factor the loss of two first-string big men we have lost for the year. I hope one or two big-time prospects saw the game and consider coming here to play.

TEA SPIDERS

I hear snapping jaws of intolerance
and hatred, dripping with bile of
irrational anger: stoked, stroked, fired
by pseudojournalists and narrow-minded
commentators spinning fabrications
like deadly spiders in darkened holes,
each web of deceit mending the false
strands, repeatedly sheared by truth,
how dare they take the sacred name
of painted Patriots protesting.

LIFECHANCE 2010

Tonight, Columbia was treated to a wonderful experience, a crowd-pleasing performance put on by the Columbia Classical Ballet and several guest artists from around the world. Lifechance: International Ballet Gala of the Stars not only gathers great dancers and offers fresh material to dance lovers of the Midlands, it raises money for charity, in this case for the Palmetto Health Children's Hospital Special Care Center. It also, I think, allows local dancers the chance to work with their peers, develop new skills, and form networking friendships that can be helpful down the road. Despite its size, Columbia does not lack for opportunities to see a wide range of dance, but this annual event (the fourteenth)---put on largely through the hard work of Radenko Pavlovich---brought together a diverse and accomplished group. This year's production was probably the best attended and most rewarding ever. Thanks to our good friend Renata Franco, the boys and I were treated to excellent seats and we left the auditorium inspired and thrilled. The Koger Center seemed to be practically sold out and the dapper crowd was in the mood for high-level entertainment and was very appreciative of the presentation. They came to see the best young dancers displaying their talents and they were not disappointed.

The star of the show was hometown favorite Brooklyn Mack, whose coach and mentor is Pavlovich, and he did not let down his legion of local fans. Although many of the male danceurs were excellent, when Mack steps----no, SOARS---onto the stage, he is a thing of beauty and energetically shows why he is such a sparkling talent. His jumps are tremendous, his enthusiasm infectious. He feeds off the crowd, and the Washington Ballet is lucky to have him as a principal. His Song for You, done to the music of Donnie Hathaway (one of my favorites) was wonderful, as was his duet with Grace-Anne Powers in Le Corsaire (though I think I would have liked a better selection of costumes for that one). Many times I heard people gasp in awe and comment positively on this jump or that move.

Not to be outdone by any measure, the corps of Columbia Classical Ballet gave three beautiful performances. While Satanella and Majissimo were delightful in every way, I was simply blown away by the job they did in Assassin's Tango. It was an absolutely delightful arrangement, and it had the crowd atwitter. I thought all six ballerinas and the six guys were great (and as always, the ladies were lovely). I must compliment the choice of costumes, especially the black outfits, in all three parts. The dancers were crisp and seemed to be enjoyed themselves. Lauren Frere and Journy Wilkes-Davis have become something of a pair on stage (they also starred together in the recent Nutcracker), and since both are tall and svelte, they match well in their duets. Of course, my favorites are Renata and Akari Manabe, but then again I am somewhat biased. Akari can simply melt you with her smile and Renata is a genuinely beautiful spirit. Kaori Yanagida (and I think Aoi Anraku, though I might be wrong) got the center stage in the first dance. DeeDee Rosner and Kaleena Burks were also great. I think the company really showed the crowd how lucky we are to have them here. Satanella was very good and set the tone for the evening. They can really be proud of their performance tonight. I may not be a ballet afficiando, but I was really impressed and pleased to have seen it.

I will not bore you with a detailed description of every guest performance, though I will say that they were uniformly excellent and each brought a different flavor to the banguet. We were treated to dances put on by five members of the Boston Ballet. Several really stood out. Lia Cirio and Sabi Varga's Tsukiyo pas de deux was sensual and impressive. Cirio is strong, almost feline, in her command of the stage. I thought there was a little too much arm movement in As One, but overall, she is impressive, as was her partner. Jeffrey Cirio, James Whiteside, and Whitney Jensen were also good.

Two dances given by members of the Trey McIntyre Project of Boise, Idaho, were crowd favorites and extremely well performed. Chanel DaSilva and Dylan G-Bowley's Wild Sweet Love was athletic and playful, and really got a rousing reception. G-Bowley's Nitelite was equally impressive. I would love to see Mack and DaSilva share the stage in a duet someday.

The adorable (ok, she's only thirteen) Alexandra Parsons of North Carolina danced two beautiful numbers and she definitely has a wonderful future ahead of her. Alexander Buber (of Belarus via Japan) was crisp and light in much of his dancing, and I enjoyed the Flower Festival at Genzano, with the lovely Kayo Sasabe. Much credit should be given to Sasabe, whose initial foray onto the stage was interrupted by a technical glitch; the crowd warmly applauded her return. Rounding out the first act were Meaghan Hinkis and Alberto Velazquez, from New York's American Ballet Theater, in Don Quixote, and I thought both were good, though Hinkis seemed to outshine her partner.

My only criticism was that too often, dancers standing in the wings had their shadows projected onto the backscreen, possibly by the lighting being at a bad angle or the performers standing too close to the stage. For example, it was disconcerting when G-Bowley was performing his modernist dance, to see the shadow of Parsons twirling behind him. Most people probably didn't even notice it, though.

Overall, I think the night was wonderful. I am delighted that my son dances with this group. I wish I was about twenty and could dance with them. Much thanks should be given to the cities of Forest Acres and Columbia for providing funds for the arts, because we are a much better community because of it.

FIDDLE AND THE DRUM

For ballet fans who enjoy a mix of classical with contemporary, athleticism with fluid motion, unorthodox steps with multimedia, the Alberta Ballet delivers a wonderful performance (on dvd) of dance inspired by the artwork (projected in a large cyclopic eye during the show) and songs of Joni Mitchell. Fiddle and the Drum---a short, but energetic, ballet---laments the state of the planet and contemporary times (from war, to environmental disaster, to social issues), yet concludes with a hopefulness that mirrors in many ways the optimism of the young during the Obama campaign. The minimalist costuming (little more than body suits and briefs, with silky shirts in some scenes), the dancers are shaded in green with splotches of coloring in hair and on body to mimic the pictures and nature. A child appears in several scenes, dressed in white, representing innocence and hope. The dancers are uniformly toned, muscled, and cut. I especially liked the dances associated with "Sex Kills," "Three Great Stimulants," If I Had a Heart," and "If." I liked that in many parts there were three couples performing the exact same steps, in unison. I enjoyed the parts when the whole company danced together, with exuberance and joy. At times there seemed to be a possible influence (which might be disavowed by the choreographer) of Groupo Corpo.

John English

Last night I took the boys to see a short concert put on by the Columbia Children’s Theater and Cultural Council that featured local folk guitarist/banjoist John English, who apparently has been a favorite among children and adults. He played a mix of original music and children’s songs that sparked good audience participation. About 40 to 45 people attended, a mixed crowd representing the elderly down to toddlers. He was accompanied by an attractive young lady (possibly a daughter or granddaughter) who played sax and helped with the movements in several of the children’s pieces. Both my boys seemed to enjoy themselves.

PROFESSIONAL

In the other room, I heard a lot of huffing and puffing, as Chimo was playing with his legos. Then I heard, "Arrrggggg. I need the address of this company, cause these things aren't hanging together. Legos sucks."

After a few minutes of this, I called him back and asked him what the problem was. He said that his spacecraft wasn't holding together. I told him he needed to calm down and then said, "and all you need to do is put some. . . "

He stops me and says, "Dad, don't worry about it. I know how to make modifications to my design. I am a professional. Besides, don't you know that professional engineers are supposed to get mad when their constructions aren't working right?"

And then he returned to his tasks.