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I have been interested in seeing “Cirque du Soleil”, and finally got a chance to experience. The group is in LA now. The show was very imaginative, creative, beautiful, thrilling, funny, and colorful. And of course, the level of the acrobats was just amazing and the combination of music, film and action was just perfect, […]

I was enjoying slow and relaxing Sunday afternoon doing my favorite puzzles on paper. It was a perfect So-Cal weather. And I suddenly noticed I was in the world of Charles Ives. So many birds were singing their songs and possible gossiping in my backyard. New neighbor was playing Armenian Rap Music. It was already […]

子供の頃、度々父方の祖父母の家に遊びに行った。夏休みには、長期に渡って、滞在。楽しい日々を過ごさせてもらったものだ。本当に感謝している。そんな夏休みの折、我々はご近所の親戚の家と分けて、良くスイカを食べたものだ。昔のスイカの皮はとっても厚く、もったいないので、祖母はそれを糠みそ漬けにした。ちょっと変わった食感で、美味しかった。昔の台所は、いつも暗くて、北向きの寒いところにあった。そして、その隅っこに樽が鎮座していたような気がする。今年の夏は、何故かスイカを頻繁に食べている。そして思ったのは、スイカの皮が本当に薄くなったことだ。これでは、漬物には到底出来ない。食べ物というのは、それにまつわる思い出も付いてきて、本当に楽しい。  

I was reading the book “the Danger of Music and Other Anti-Utopian Essays” by Richard Taruskin, and found a very interesting essay about Horowitz and Tchaikovsky. In this essay, he quotes an article on Horowitz in Grove Dictionary from 1980. I am lucky to still own this old version of Grove Dictionary (Paper Copy!!). 20 […]

I was actually surprised that the story of this movie is from the movie I just saw a few weeks ago. “Project Nim” was a documentary film, and it is no doubt that “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is based on Nim’s story. Please see my review on this movie in the past […]

This was another beautiful evening at Hollywood Bowl with friends. The program was Choral Fantasy and 9th Symphony conducted by Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos. I believe Choral Fantasy was Beethoven’s study to prepare for 9th symphony so it was a nice programing to hear them back to back. I had a very nice experience besides music and picnic. There was a Hispanic […]

It is a real serious movie. Inspired by true events, Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) is an American police officer, divorced with a daughter, who takes a job working as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Her sincere expectations of helping to rebuild a devastated country are dashed when she reveals dangerous reality of corruption, cover-up and intrigue amid […]

I have been reading a book ” “Hitler’s Emigres and Exiles in Southern California: A Windfall of Musicians” by Dorothy Lamb Crawford, and found a wonderful quote from a great cellist, Piatigorsky. This is from P. 64 to P. 65 in this book. -You don’t have to be a genius to know your shortcomings, because […]

I have been meaning to visit this exhibition for a while, and finally I found the time to go! And I must admit I was very lucky. Mondays are free admission so there was a line to enter the museum. The group of visitors approached me and offered the special VIP admission. So I saved […]

If you want to have breathless 90 minutes, you should watch this movie. It is non stop action and thriller movie with great casts. Since it is a French movie, I could not recognize any actor and actress, but everyone did an excellent job. I would say casting is actually too good (?).  Bad guys look […]