I haven't really mentioned daily life in a while. That's because I've gone to ground a bit this last week - I'm going to blame it in part on studying/working. Another part, which I will probably explore in a future post, has involved some soul-searching about what I'm doing, and what I want to do with my future. (Yay!...?)
There have been neat moments. Excellent coffees, wandering through new parts of London, stumbling on a dim, cozy bar with fantastic G&T's (not literally, of course). I tried a fun and challenging Latin jazz dance class, and hope to return to it soon. I saw some belated Guy Fawkes Day fireworks on my birthday - we were standing on Waterloo Bridge in the pouring rain, which made it feel utterly English.
I also went to a classical concert at Cadogan Hall this past week, in the service of continuing my musical education (and just listening to pretty things). I'm learning the music as well as the habits of the crowd; they seem like a conscious attempt to be more "civilized" than the rock concerts I'm used to. People don't clap in between segments of the piece, only at the end. And no one shrieks or hollers, unless it's an appreciative "brava!" at the end of the entire performance.
I keep wanting to applaud though, because the silence feels like lack of acknowledgement. The pause is pregnant with the audience's shifting and repressed coughs until the music begins again. I keep wondering, "can I clap yet?" They restart and I close my eyes to appreciate the sound.
The lovely soprano who sang with the Philharmonic seemed so self-possessed. That was the phrase that occurred to me at the time, and then I - of course - started thinking about the words a bit more. The idea of "self-possession," and whether one can be too self-possessed (yes). I have been guilty of that. I want to share more and give more of myself. I'm working on the 'how,' but at least it's a start.
Anyway, that's some of what's been rolling around my head lately. What's in yours?
Love,
Annie
There have been neat moments. Excellent coffees, wandering through new parts of London, stumbling on a dim, cozy bar with fantastic G&T's (not literally, of course). I tried a fun and challenging Latin jazz dance class, and hope to return to it soon. I saw some belated Guy Fawkes Day fireworks on my birthday - we were standing on Waterloo Bridge in the pouring rain, which made it feel utterly English.
I also went to a classical concert at Cadogan Hall this past week, in the service of continuing my musical education (and just listening to pretty things). I'm learning the music as well as the habits of the crowd; they seem like a conscious attempt to be more "civilized" than the rock concerts I'm used to. People don't clap in between segments of the piece, only at the end. And no one shrieks or hollers, unless it's an appreciative "brava!" at the end of the entire performance.
I keep wanting to applaud though, because the silence feels like lack of acknowledgement. The pause is pregnant with the audience's shifting and repressed coughs until the music begins again. I keep wondering, "can I clap yet?" They restart and I close my eyes to appreciate the sound.
The lovely soprano who sang with the Philharmonic seemed so self-possessed. That was the phrase that occurred to me at the time, and then I - of course - started thinking about the words a bit more. The idea of "self-possession," and whether one can be too self-possessed (yes). I have been guilty of that. I want to share more and give more of myself. I'm working on the 'how,' but at least it's a start.
Anyway, that's some of what's been rolling around my head lately. What's in yours?
Love,
Annie