Another poster said:

...whatever Puccini and his collaborators had in mind, somehow that’s not what’s being seen on the stage–that’s why Madame Butterfly is such a contested piece of art. Especially when Madame Butterfly is still seen in a country, like the US, that continues to stereotype APIA women as “submissive girls.” So, Madame Butterfly is seen, therefore, as another vehicle that folks just looooove as art but perpetuates that stereotype.

I don't understand this point because I also see the evilness of the west (represented by Pinkerton) and the east (represented by Butterfly) being a victim of the evilness. However, one stereotype I DO see is that Butterfly is a love-struck teen.

So really, what *IS* supposed to be shown on TV, film, etc when it comes to non-whites? You can't make an Asian woman too submissive/tragic, because it's stereotypical/racist. She can't be a bitch either, because that's the dragon lady stereotype. She probably can't be a doctor (or accountant), because that's what lots of Asian parents want their kids to become (nor can she be a music prodigy....Asian parents stereotypically send their kids to CLASSICAL music lessons). Maybe that's why writers have trouble putting non-white characters on TV. They're worried that someone will be turned off.  In any case, it's probably better to confront stereotypes and learn why it's wrong than to ignore it all together.

Un bel dì, vedremo
levarsi un fil di fumo
sull'estremo confin del mare.
E poi la nave appare.
Poi la nave bianca
entra nel porto,
romba il suo saluto.

Vedi ? È venuto !
Io non gli scendo incontro. Io no.
Mi metto là sul ciglio del colle e aspetto,
e aspetto gran tempo
e non mi pesa,
la lunga attesa.

E uscito dalla folla cittadina,
un uomo, un picciol punto
s'avvia per la collina.
Chi sarà ? chi sarà ?
E come sarà giunto
che dirà ? che dirà ?
Chiamerà Butterfly dalla lontana.
Io senza dar risposta
me ne starò nascosta
un po' per celia
e un po' per non morire
al primo incontro;
ed egli alquanto in pena
chiamerà, chiamerà:
"Piccina mogliettina,
olezzo di verbena"
i nomi che mi dava al suo venire.
Tutto questo avverrà,
te lo prometto.
Tienti la tua paura,
io con sicura fede l'aspetto.

Giacomo Puccini (compositeur), Giuseppe Giacosa et Luigi Illica (librettistes) - Madama Butterfly

Tu pleures ? pourquoi ?
Pourquoi ?... c'est la foi
Qui te manque !... Écoute ! Sur la mer calmée,
Un jour, une fumée
Montera comme un blanc panache !
Et c'est un beau navire, qui, faisant relâche,
Entre dans la rade !
Entends sa canonnade !
Écoute et regarde !
Moi, d'accourir, je n'ose ! Non, non ! je reste là, guettant
Sur la route ! J'écoute ! Pourtant
Qu'il men tarde,
Presque joyeuse, l'heure s'écoule !
... Voici qu'on peut distinguer, dans la foule,
Un homme qui chemine,
Et gravit la colline !
Qui est-il ? qui est-il ?... Jusqu'au seuil il arrive.
Que dit-il ? que dit-il ?
Je l'entends "Butterfly" sans qu'il me voie !
Moi, je me tais cachant mon émotion trop vive,
Par badinage... et pour ne pas mourir de joie.
Et lui, le cœur en peine,
M'appelant, redira : "Petite femme aimée,
Au parfum de verveine !"
Doux noms auxquels je suis accoutumée !
Tout cela
Adviendra,
Je te l'assure ! Sois désormais sans crainte ! Moi,
Du profond de l'âme, j'ai foi.

Version française de Paul Ferrier présentée à l’Opéra-Comique le 28 décembre 1906 - Madame Butterfly

July 28, 2008 City of Ocean City Bicycle Auction
Approximately 100 bicycles to be sold. 10am @ 46th St. & West Ave. (located behind the Firehouse & Post Office/north end of building) Registration at 9:30am. Drivers license or valid I.D. required to register. All items sold "as is/where is". Payment: Cash or local check w/I.D. Raindate: July 29th . For more information call 609-525-9356.

Asbury Park

Wednesday, July 23


Soul Project at Tim McLoone's Supper Club, 7:30 pm

Outside the Box at The Stone Pony, 7:30 pm, all ages

The Phantom Rockers, Creepin Cadavers, Dewey Decimal at Asbury Lanes, 8 pm, all ages

Cornerstore Espionage, Jeta Grove, Dream Thief at The Saint, 8 pm

Thursday, July 24

Asbury Park Concert Band featuring Dorian Parreott's All Star Jazz Band, south end of boardwalk, 7 pm

Don Dazzo & Everlounge at Tim McLoone's Supper Club, 7:30 pm

Karma Wash & the Cosmic Dryer, The Brainbox, Bugg Juice, Lemon Juice at The Saint, 8 pm

Bonfire at the Third Ave. beach, 9 pm

Friday, July 25

Open house at Liberty Natural Gas community information center, 1412 Main St., noon-3 pm

Mayor's Chill-Out jazz and blues series with Greg Cambone at the Transportation Center, Main St., 6-8:30 pm

Barry and the Penetrators at The Stone Pony, 7:30 pm, all ages

McLoone, Celestino, Smith & Murphy at Tim McLoone's Supper Club, 8 pm

Running Still at The Saint, 8 pm

Black Diamond Heavies, Sikamor Rooney, Mike Huntz Honorable Discharge, The Victor Williams Band at Asbury Lanes, 8 pm

Saturday, July 26

Main Street Farmers' Market in Fireman's Park (between Sunset & Fifth), 9 am-1 pm

Third annual Frank Budd Track & Field Meet at the Asbury Park High School Track and Field Oval, registration begins at 8:30 am, info: 732-361-7051

Farmers Market at Casino Arcade, 9 am-1 pm

Michael Patrick's 2nd annual Country Revival at The Wonder Bar, noon

Atomic Bitchwax, Red Lyte District, One False Move at The Stone Pony, 7 pm, all ages

Latin concert at Convention Hall

Madame Butterfly with soprano Tami Swartz and tenor Raul Melo as Pinkerton, conductor Anton Coppola, Metro Lyric Opera 50th Anniversary Season, Paramount Theater, 8 pm

Dan Petraitis, Pat Guadagno, Barbara King at Tim McLoone's Supper Club, 8 pm

Anthony Fiumano and the Medicine Chest, The New Rick Barrys, The Spinning Leaves, Terminal Reynaldo at The Saint, 8 pm

Avalon

July 26, 2008 - Reggae Beach Concert - 30'th & Beach - 12:00pm - Sponsored by APAC

Hear the animated "Verdict" perform and original mix of popular reggae, soca, and calypso plus hits of Bob Marley, Arrow, Barron, UB-40, and Paul Simon. Learn Caribbean dances such as the Butterfly and Dollar Wind. Free. Call 967-3066 for information.

For a brochure about APAC and APAC sponsored activities, click here.

July 26, 2008 - Reggae Dance Concert - Avalon Community Hall - 7:00PM - Sponsored by APAC

Join the "Verdict" for a high energy party. Bring your own food and beverage. Ice provided. Call 967-3066 for reservations. Cost: $15.00.

For a brochure about APAC and APAC related events, click here.

July 26, 2008 - Safe Boating Course - 9:30-5:30 - Senior Center - Sponsored by the Library

LAST ONE FOR THE SEASON

The Avalon Free Public Library is offering the Boater Safety Course on Saturday, July 26. Class hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Senior Center. Members of the U.S. Delsea Power Squadron will be teaching the basics of safety such as seamanship, boat handling, boat types, rules of the road, navigation aids, regulations, adverse conditions, trailering and introductory piloting. Upon successful completion of the exam, the NJ Boater Safety Certificate will be issued.

Classes are limited to 20 people. Registration is required by calling Frank Leone of the Power Squadron at 609-398-2649. Course is free. Payment of $25 for materials and license fees must be received for registration to be complete.

Stone Harbor

July 24th 2008 Music on the Lawn

Sponsored by St. Mary's Episcopal Church
7:30 - 9pm
St. Mary's Church - 95th Street & Third Ave
For more information - 368-5922

Sea Isle City

July 22 Movies Under the Stars, Dusk

July 23 Just In Time (Rock �n Roll), 7:30PM

July 24 Family Night Dance Party, 7:30PM

July 24 Philadelphia Flyers/Phantoms, Hooked on Hockey, Hockey Rink, 59th St. & Central Ave, 263-0050, Time: TBA

July 25 CMC Bar Assoc. 5K Run/1K Walk, JFK Blvd. & The Beach,
Registration 5:30PM, Start 6:30PM, 463-0313

Ocean City

July 24th, 25th, & 26 Quilts By The Sea
The Shores at Wesley Manor Proudly Presents Quilts By The Sea July 24th, 25th, & 26th -10A.M. To 4 P.M. Vintage and Antique Quilts will be on display Demonstrations & Lectures For more information or directions phone 609-391-6321 Email: RFISCUS@THESHORES-UMH.ORG WWW.UMH-NJ.ORG

July 25, 2008 Cahal Dunne's Grand To Be Irish Show
July 25, 2008 - Cahal Dunne's Grand To Be Irish Show and Atlantic Avenue. Tickets are $15 per person - general seating, available at the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office-609-525-9248, Down The Shore Realty 2163 Asbury Ave - 609-398-3199 or Coastal Realty 330 Atlantic Ave. - 609-399-3889. A benefit for the Ocean City Exchange Club Scholarship Fund

July 27, 2008 King's Brass
7:00pm at Ocean City Tabernacle, 550 Wesley Ave.. Featuring a nine-piece Virtuoso Ensemble. For more information call 609-399-1915 or visit www.octabernacle.org

Wildwood

July 26 2008 Radio Disney Concert

Wildwoods Convention Center's Oceanfront Arena - The Wildwoods Tourism Authority and Morey's Piers proudly presents a Radio Disney Concert starring Raven, Drew Seeley and Mitchel Musso. Show time - 2pm. Tickets- $27.50 - $35 - $45. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com, or call 1-800-736-1420 or by visiting the Convention Center Box Office daily from noon to 8 p.m.

July 26 & 27 2008 16th Annual Co-Ed Frisbee Ultimate Frisbee Tournament

On the Beach between Oak & Poplar Avenues, Wildwood. A 4-on-4 team competition for players of all levels. 18 & over. Sat: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sun: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free to spectators. Entrance fee for participants. 856.696.9705 or http://www.wildwoodultimate.com

Madame Butterfly ... A point of view

O femeie, un Fluture, un Punct de vedere.... Nimeni nu-i intreaba pe fluturi care e punctul lor de vedere, desi ei zboara deasupra noastra si s-ar putea sa-si fi facut deja o parere.

Cons (I always think the bad should come first so it can be gotten over as soon as possible):

• The set was not so exciting (bland and reminiscent of last year's Cosi Fan Tutte). 
• The costumes were not very pretty (in fact, some were just ugly). However, the costumes for Sharpless (sung by John Hancock) fitted him well and added to his dignified presence. Also, The Bonze's wig was amazing. It stood out about 8 inches from the back of his head and went down to his knees. Like a sick variantion on a Barbie-doll-esque theme.
• Worst of all, B. F. Pinkerton (sung nicely by Frank Lopardo) had two major faux pas regarding his military uniform: while "outside," he took off his hat and fanned himself, and, horror of horrors, unbuttoned the top few buttons of his jacket. This did not go over well with my military-minded mother.

 The last point is interesting. Was it simply a blunder on the part of the director? Or, was this outward disregard of military regulations an indication of his inner lack of ethics...and a foreshadowing of his future betrayal of Madame Butterfly's trust?

Pros:

• Madame Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) was beautifully sang by Shu-Ying Li (here is an interview with her). What a wonderful performance--I would have liked to go back again just to hear (and see) her.
• Tyler Backer (the small boy who played Sorrow, Madame Butterfly's son) is a cutie--and did well acting. I can't imagine being so young (maybe 5 years old) and staying calm with such a large audience watching.
• While this is my first Madame Butterfly production to see, I've read that Madame Butterfly typically stabs herself before Pinkerton comes into the house. In this performance, she dies just as he opens the door and sees her. This kept my attention on high because I knew she was going to kill herself and yet she didn't 'til much later than I expected.
• The orchestra (conducted by Edoardo Müller). Enough said.
• Good acting all around. No thoughts of "yeah, he sings well, but can't act worth diddly."
• The Bonze's wig.

All in all, it was a fun evening and worth the drive. I'm excited about the Cincinnati Opera's other productions this summer.

I have always wanted to visit Rosalind's garden to take a look at the tree after I reading Andrew's article as well as heard from members from the local gardening fraternity of how majestic it is. My wish was finally granted yesterday when I was invited to Rosalind's house after the gardening talk at the library.

I was impressed when I saw the tree. Rosalind's broad-leaved fig tree (Ficus auriculata) is the main focal point of her garden. It is about as tall as her two-storied property and its dome-shaped canopy provided much welcomed shade over the koi pond below as well as for the front porch. It can potentially grow much larger, from what I have read.

I was told by Rosalind that the tree has helped to shield away much of the glaring sun and she can now sit at the garden table situated at the porch at any time of the day to watch the lively kois swimming in the pond and to enjoy the peaceful greenery of her garden.

Unlike the dense canopies of some large-growing fruit trees, the canopy of this species of fig allows some sunlight to stream through and that enables plants to be grown on ground below the tree. This will therefore give room for ideas to create a beautiful shade garden below the tree rather than having to put up with the sight of a bare patch of soil. In Rosalind's case, she grows a variety of shade-loving plants which include various ferns and a perfect carpet of flame violets, Episcia.

The common name of this fig arises from its very large ovate leaves that can grow up to 30 cm in length. Its large slightly glossy leaves are of a beautiful jade green colour and are rather rough to touch. The new young leaves of the tree are red to start with and they turn green when they are mature. Do you know that the leaves of this fig tree are dried and infused in hot water to make a medicinal tea?

This tree I saw at Rosalind's garden has a thick trunk with several branches that extend elegantly upwards. It looked as if the trunk and branches have been deliberately fashioned to look this way; something that could only be seen in bonsai specimens. The branches also hosted a myriad of epiphytes such as a staghorn fern and several hoyas.

The broad-leaved fig produces flowers that appear on spurs that extend from the main trunk and primary branches — a trait known as cauliflory that is characteristic of figs. The figs this tree produces are edible and they are pear-shaped, reaching a size of about 5 cm when ready to be picked and consumed. They are brownish-green when young and take on a red colour when ripe. These can be made into a jam or dried.

This fig species is definitely one to consider to grow in the garden if one desires to grow a tree that is not just only ornamental but produces edible fruits too. It is a tree to grow for those of us who want to be different. It is a tree for those who do not want to fall into the same category of people who grows the usual fruit trees such as mango, rambutan and guava - there are just to many people who has a mango tree grown right in front of their houses. What's more, this fig tree is relatively pest- and disease-free.

Above is another excellent view of the fig tree in Rosalind's garden. I was told that Andrew Tan also stood at the same spot to snap a picture of this famous broad-leaved fig tree. The orange glow from the setting sun completed this perfect shot as it lit up the fig tree's trunk.

Many thanks to Rosalind and Wee Lee for the opportunity to visit them and Cheow Kheng for arranging the trip and making it possible.

The first event was community planting at HortPark which commenced at about 10 am. I was so tired out by work in the past week that I overslept quite a bit and had to take a cab to rush down to Hyderabad Road. The skies were overcast and that meant quite a comfortable day ahead without the glaring sun that was well-suited for outdoor gardening.

My friends, namely, Albert, Chong Ren, Eng Ong, Phillipe and Xuan Hong, were also there to support the community planting event organised by the Community in Bloom (CIB) at their display plot at HortPark. Shirley from CIB invited us from Green Culture Singapore to introduce us to gardening enthusiasts from the various community gardening groups. It was nice to be able to meet up and interact with fellow community gardeners!

Take a look at the pictures below that are saturated with lots of smiling faces that I took during the community planting event:

It is a good initiative by the CIB to organise community planting sessions at the CIB plot at HortPark. In my opinion, this serves as a good opportunity for community gardeners from various groups to come together to know each other. After the casual planting activity was over, we were treated to some refreshments and I felt quite pampered as the CIB has ordered some Delifrance coffee and tea as well as some pastries. How nice right?

We then adjourned to the Fruit Room located below the Visitor Center at HortPark for a talk by Dr Varughese Phillip from the Agri-Veterinary Authority (AVA) on the fertilisation of plants. He covered some basic knowledge on plant nutrients, the types of organic and inorganic fertilisers that can be used to feed our plants and ways to spot nutrient deficiencies in our plants. These are something that would be useful for beginners. I was happy to meet up a friend, Ms Rosalind Tan, our famous Madame Butterfly from Alexandra Hospital, whom I have known from doing gardening, at the talk.

The activities at HortPark ended roughly at about 1 pm and I was back in my lab in NUS to do some labwork. I guess I was a little slow with the work on hand but I knew I cannot rush through the cell culture work that I have planned to do. I had to be meticulous and focussed with what I was doing and that took me a full two hours. It was around 3 pm when I was done and I had take another trip via a taxi to fly me down to Bishan Community Library to attend a talk that was organised by GCS, CIB and the National Library Board (NLB) at 3.30 pm.

The speaker of the talk was Mr Gan Cheong Weei, a fellow member from the GCS discussion forum. As mentioned before, he is a butterfly enthusiast as well as a avid Nature photographer and in this talk, Mr Gan shared with members of the public on how to use the popular "point and shoot" digital cameras to take good plant pictures. It was very well-received, I must say as the room was filled. The talk was concise and definitely not too technical. The tips given throughout his talk were very useful as well.

It was about past 4 pm when the talk ended. I was then pleasantly surprised by an invitation to visit Madame Butterfly's home. It was a long-awaited visit that I had been eagerly looking forward to go on. The notion of the visit erased the fatigue and pain from a throbbing headache that were probably a result of a rather hectic day.

Rosalind's house was easy to spot from a distance because when we were near it in the car, I could see her signature broad-leaved fig tree (Ficus auriculata) that fronted her porch. Her broad-leaved fig tree, now several decades old, was a sight to behold where it majestically stands as the main focal point of her garden.

Rosalind also brought me on a tour of her garden where I expectedly saw many butterfly plants that were grown to serve as a source of food for her caterpillars. I also got to see her caterpillar nursery where she nurtures caterpillars until they pupae. These were then brought back to Alexandra Hospital's grounds to be released into the butterfly garden there.

What our Madame Butterfly has done - bringing her work back home - is evidence of how serious and passionate she is in her work at Alexandra Hospital. Most people leave their work at the office after work. She doesn't. She is indeed a gem of Alexandra Hospital, our local natural heritage and Singapore.

 Até que ponto a paixão pode confundir paradoxos???

***

Porém, este post não deveria ser sobre Butterfly, mas sobre Turandot... Sua ária mais famosa: Nessun Dorma.

Il principe ignoto

Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! Tu pure, o Principessa,

nella tua fredda stanza

guardi le stelle

che tremano d'amore e di speranza...

Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me,

il nome mio nessun saprà!

No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò,

quando la luce splenderà!

Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio

che ti fa mia.

Voci di donne

Il nome suo nessun saprà...

E noi dovrem, ahimè, morir, morir!

Il principe ignoto

Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle!

Tramontate, stelle! All'alba vincerò!

Vincerò! Vincerò!

 Fonte: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nessun_Dorma

Este vídeo pela comoção do público.

Opera is not only about the visual aspect but also the music and I believe that there is a beauty in ENO tying these two aspects so well together. One does not compete with the other, and that is a task in itself. A special mention also has to go to one Edward Gardener, conductor and all-out legend at ENO.

ENO conductor, Edward Gardner was recently the winner in the RPS (Royal Philharmonic Society) Award Conductor category, in recognition of his work with the English National Opera (ENO), including his production of Britten’s Death in Venice and his wide ranging work from Mozart to Birtwistle being admired by the jury for ‘high musical standards'. He has really excelled himself in all aspects of conducting and stage direction, working closely with the directors. This was very evident in both Madame Butterfly and Aida, which aired earlier this year.

I urge anyone who is close in London to go and see an opera, or two, at ENO. Although the libretto is in English and not everything is purist, the music and message still last and the performances from singers, insrumentalists and conductor is amazing.

ENO is truly a hidden gem.

Houston Ballet’s performances of Madame Butterfly in Montréal mark the second round of exchanges between the two companies. Previously, Houston Ballet presented Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montréal at the Cullen Theater in 2005 with Ohad Naharin’s ballet Minus One, and the following spring, Houston Ballet performed the classic Giselle on Les Grands’ 2005-2006 season.  The model of reciprocal exchange is one of the innovative ways Houston Ballet and Les Grands are keeping large-scale touring of dance alive.  Following our performances here over the next three days, Houston Ballet will again present Les Grands in Houston in November 2008 as part of Houston Ballet's Cullen Series.  They will perform Didy Veldman's TooT and Stijn Celis' Noces.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
While the crew is busy loading in the Butterfly production at Place des Arts, the dancers’ journey north starts with airport bus-calls at 8:00 am from Houston Ballet Academy to IAH.  As there are no direct flights between Houston and Montréal and as Continental Airlines (the official airline of HB) has only smaller aircraft going into YUL with our routing, getting the company to Canada requires a stopover and two separate itineraries.  Half of the group travels through Cleveland and the other half travels through Newark.  Luckily we had no delays and both groups arrive on time (5:30 and 6:15).

The evening is free to recover from the travel day and rest up for the marathon day on Thursday.  Oliver Halkowich, the company’s resident foodie, lead a group of dancers to Le Club Chasse et Peche, while Ballet Mistress Louise Lester and I head to Au Pied de Cochon.  Both groups return with raves for the local fare.

Thursday, May 01, 2008
Thursday morning starts with a master class given by Ballet Master Steven Woodgate to local dance students at Ballet Divertimento.  To deepen our impact on the communities we visit, Houston Ballet provides at least one master class in each city we tour to.  This was the first of two Montréal master classes arranged by our presenter, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montréal and US Consulate General. 

The dancers start their day with company class at noon at Place des Arts followed by their one and only dress rehearsal from 2:30-5:30.

7:00 PM
In a similar format to Houston Ballet’s Dance Talks series, Stanton Welch participates in a pre-performance lecture/discussion about the creation of Madame Butterfly.  I’m impressed with the sophistication and insight of the questions from the audience.  Montréal obviously loves and supports dance, and they are very complimentary of Houston Ballet.

8:00 PM, opening performance
The company, lead by principals Amy Fote and Ian Casady as Cio-Cio San and Pinkerton, danced beautifully.  The audience response in Montréal is quite reserved throughout performances compared to Houston audiences where they respond after solos or pas de deux.  Here they generally wait until the end of the act to respond.  I noticed this when we were here performing Giselle.  Obviously the audience loved Madame Butterfly—they jumped out of their seats and gave the company a standing ovation!

I managed to sneak in a few shots from backstage before the performance:

Friday, May 02, 2008
This morning, Ballet Mistress Louise Lester taught the second master class at École supérieure de ballet contemporain de Montréal.

This afternoon the dancers have a couple hours of rehearsal after company class, and tonight Mimi Hassenboehler and Nicholas Leschke dance Cio-Cio San and Pinkerton. Tomorrow night, Melody Herrera and Connor Walsh have their first full performance of the ballet.

From all accounts, the company is having a great time here in Montréal, and we hope to come back soon.

-Jim

In the meantime, check out this great preview article for the performances in the Montréal Gazette.

So, pretty much, I'm going to be writing in here more often than any place else, so get bookmarking. This blog will likely be the best read of your life (I can hope.)

So without further adieu, here goes:

This weekend was pretty intense.

Friday:
In Robert's Fellows, we discussed the history of China and what to expect when we get there! I'm so excited, in case you didn't know. Jordan came by to visit and he went shopping with me for a super secret surprise gift. I got back to SV in time to work at the Front Desk. I feel really bad for Danielle. I can't imagine working 8pm-2am every single weekend. I soldiered through, thanks to some 90's Trivial Pursuit.

Saturday:
Got up at the crack of dawn to drive down to EMU to check out the MORHA Business Meeting. It was nice to see some people again, and I facilitated a couple of committees. One was on homeless college students. It was really depressing, but I can say that I thought it was eye opening to a lot of people. Score. After that, I grabbed dinner with Renee and a couple of her friends, and got back to SVSU. Jordan came over, we went to experience Danny's new house, and then we went Mixxing. I feel as though Saturday is definitely the night to go to the Mixx.

Sunday:
Woke up and took Jordan to his car before heading with the RFs to see Madame Butterfly at the Midland Center for the Arts. All I can say is..Wow. If you've never been to an Opera before, I highly recommend it. You might not think you like opera, but give it a chance. I teared up a couple of times, I'll admit.

Long story Short, this girl, Butterfly falls in love with and marries and American soldier. He goes back to America, but says he will come back for her. Flash forward 3 years, and Butterfly has given birth to the soldier's son, and she has completely Americanized herself while waiting for his return. He eventually comes back, but has married an American. Knowing that her life will never be comeplete without him, Butterfly kills herself. Great show.

After that, I got back to SVSU to catch the tail end of the URA Banquet. I was awarded the "Housing/Residential Life Staff Member of the Year" Award. I was shocked, and am very thankful for the wonderful honor. :)

There was FINALLY a new Desperate Housewives on tonight. ABSURD is all that I can say.

Speaking of ABSURD things, NRHH was out of control tonight, and I can honestly say that I was very disappointed in some people, their actions, and decisions. As a group, we seem to have trouble making common sense, grown-up decisions. Not that I point blame anywhere, but I think we will get our act together for next year. On that note, I was also elected Vice President of Membership and Chapter Events. I'll be doing it Fall Semester and Mary will do it Winter Semester.

So, that was a lot.

P.S., if you've never seen/heard any of Madame Butterfly, here's an amazing YouTube video for you to check out.

Art has a way of bringing me "back" when things get muddled. When I'm nervous, I blast the fourth movement of Tchaikovsky's fifth. When I want to relax I put on something soft, and when I want to dream anything by Rachmaninoff will do.

I planned to devote Thursday night to a show in hopes of salvaging an otherwise dismal week. I had too many options: Bach playing at the Phil, something-or-other at Carnegie Hall, and a free concert at the library.

I gave up after an evening at the library and returned home. If not for the New York City Opera's broadcast of "Madame Butterfly" I would have spent the whole evening whimpering that I wasn't hearing Joshua Bell and the MSO.

By the way, did any Mobilians that read this blog attend? I'm dying to know what happened!

From: http://www.tsl.org 

Aeons ago beyond the confines of time and space, you and your twin flame stood before Alpha and Omega, the Father/Mother God, and vowed to bring to earth a portion of God's creativity—to bring energy from the Spirit plane of your being, your I AM Presence, into the world of form for action, for good works—and then to return to the plane of Spirit having mastered time and space.
        Learning to translate spiritual energy to the physical plane required a series of incarnations in both masculine and feminine embodiments. In this way, each twin flame had the opportunity to reflect the fullness of the Father/Mother God.
Had we remained in constant harmony, we would have shared the beauty of the relationship of cosmic lovers throughout our many incarnations on earth. But as soon as we lost our harmony with each other and with God— through mistrust, through fear, or through a sense of separation from our divine identity—we allowed darkness to enter our lives, creating worlds of negative energy between us and our twin flame. We found ourselves farther and farther apart until we passed as ships in the night, tragically unaware of each other's existence.
Each incarnation apart from our twin flame was spent either creating negative karma or balancing some of the karma that stood in the way of our reunion. At times we assumed various relationships with our twin flame—husband/wife, mother/son, father/daughter, and sister/brother—in order to unwind the negative strands of energy we had woven into our subconscious through our misuse of free will.
Often, when people learn that they share a unique mission with their twin flame, they begin to search physically for that one special soul instead of seeking their wholeness within. This is always a detour on the path to soul liberation.

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: The Alchemical Marriage

Cosmic law requires that we first define our own identity in God before we can completely unlock the spiritual potential of our twin flames. For until twin flames achieve a certain level of mastery and oneness with their own Real Selves, they are often unable to cope with the weight of their negative karma amplified by the very presence of their twin flame. The same unique factor that gives twin flames their great spiritual power—their identical blueprint of identity—can likewise cause the amplification of their negative patterns.

Ultimately each and every one of us must learn to change the negative patterns—the base metal—of the human ego into the gold of our divine or Real Self. This is called the alchemical marriage—the marriage of our soul, the feminine aspect of our being, to the 'Lamb' who is the real and enduring spiritual self, the masculine aspect. The love of this beloved Christ Self, i.e., that part of us who maintains constant contact with the Source—the I AM Presence—is an incomparable love. This is the Beloved for whom the saints of East and West have given their all.

By daily accelerating consciousness through their communion with God, the saints gradually transcended the human ego. Eventually their souls merged with their real spiritual self as they ascended back to the heart of God. "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: Inner Contact of Twin Flames

Your twin flame may have already won this soul liberation and reunited with God—or he may still be struggling to find the way. Where your twin flame is—what his state of consciousness is—can greatly influence your own ability to find wholeness.

Because both of you share the same blueprint of identity—like the design of a snowflake, unique in all of cosmos—whatever energy you send forth is imprinted or stamped with that specific pattern. According to the law that like attracts like, all energy you release cycles to your twin flame—either hindering or helping him on the path to wholeness.

When you send forth love or hope, these qualities will uplift your twin flame. But if you are burdened with frustration or hatred, your twin flame will likewise feel the weight of these misqualified feelings. Sometimes the inexplicable joys or depressions you feel are the moods of your other half registering on your own consciousness.

You can accelerate your progress on the Path if—in your prayer, meditation, or dynamic decrees—you call to your I AM Presence for the inner heart contact with your twin flame. You can make the following invocation:

This inner contact magnifies the light and attainment you each have and releases the awesome power of the polarity of your love, enabling you to stand strong against the conflicts that inevitably come to the door of all who would defend love.

Inspired by the grandeur of love, artists, writers, and composers throughout the ages have expressed both love's exalted heights and tragic depths. In many of their masterpieces, we can sense an inner understanding of twin flames, their love for one another, and their encounters with karma and cosmic law.

Mrs. Prophet has interpreted several famous operas from this perspective. Although some of the arias and duets give us a glimpse of the majestic love of twin flames, these stories often end in sorrow, tragedy, or death because one or both of the lovers fail a test of personal mastery—having not yet sealed their own individual path in God.

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: Madame Butterfly

Puccini's Madame Butterfly tells the story of the American Lieutenant Pinkerton and his contract marriage to Butterfly, a trusting fifteen-year-old Japanese girl. These two souls symbolize twin flames. Their Eastern and Western cultures represent both the masculine and feminine polarities of twin flames as well as the gulf that separates souls who have not yet balanced their karma and must endure the pain of separation as a result.

Pinkerton, a man hardened by the world, has lost the sense of the purity of true love. Although he is attracted by the beauty and charm of Butterfly, he deliberately plans to desert her for an American wife. However, Pinkerton and his Japanese bride do share intense moments of love—their souls uniting as one flame commemorating their original wholeness in God. And the fruit of this union is the conception of a child—a symbol of their great love.

But the Lieutenant is ignorant of this development and blinded by his own selfish desires. He goes home to America leaving Butterfly trusting in his eventual return.

Pinkerton does return, several years later—with an American wife. In her grief at this desertion by her twin flame, Butterfly takes her life.

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: Lohengrin

Wagner's opera Lohengrin illustrates the relationship of twin flames when the one who has ascended into Spirit endeavors to assist his beloved—still undergoing the tests and initiations on earth.

Elsa is falsely accused of murdering her brother, but she has absolute faith in the arrival of a knight in shining armor to save her. Lohengrin, Elsa's ascended twin flame, answers her inner call and descends from higher planes to rescue her. He glides across a lake in a boat pulled by a swan, symbolizing a God-realized soul coming from another octave.  

They are married, but Lohengrin, Guru (teacher) to his twin flame, instructs Elsa that she may never ask his name. This is her great test of love—the same test Cupid required of Psyche. Neither Psyche nor Elsa could resist the temptation—both succumb to the human frailty of curiosity and discover the true identity of their lovers. Because of this disobedience, cosmic law requires their separation once again. Lohengrin returns to the plane of Spirit—there to await his twin flame's self-mastery and their ultimate reunion.

Literature abounds with famous lovers who may very well have been twin flames: Dante finally reaching the point where Beatrice could present him to Christ, Penelope faithfully tending the flame of love that draws Ulysses home from his wanderings, Evangeline tirelessly searching for her beloved, Shakespeare pouring forth his love to the lady of the sonnets, Romeo and Juliet, Launcelot and Guenevere, Tristan and Isolde, Hiawatha and Minnehaha, Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. All shared a love typical of twin flames.

Even looking at the flow of history reveals the importance of twin flames. The pharaoh Ikhnaton and his Queen Nefertiti were twin flames working together to bring the worship of the one God to a world floundering in the throes of polytheism. These same twin flames reembodied as King Clovis and Queen Clothilde to bring Christianity to France in the sixth century.

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: Love of the Guru and Chela

Although twin flames assume every possible relationship in order to develop love's full potential, the Guru/chela relationship is the most exalted of all. For through it the one who has attained Christ consciousness can draw his other half to God by the magnet of their love. The one who is farther along on the Path becomes the teacher of his beloved—able to use the immense power of their love and essential oneness to accelerate the consciousness of his twin flame.

This was the case with Mark and Elizabeth Prophet, twin flames who shared twelve years together in the Guru/chela relationship. Mark trained Elizabeth for the role of messenger for the Brotherhood, and together they were able to fulfill the mission of their twin flames by bringing forth the Brotherhood's teachings for the Aquarian age.

Although Mark passed on in 1973, returning to Spirit where he continues to hold the Alpha polarity of their love, his presence is vitally felt by his wife, Elizabeth, their four children—and by all who support their mission. Mark and Elizabeth Prophet are a living example of the eternal love of the Guru and the chela.

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: Soul Mates

Not all of the beautiful and soul-fulfilling loves are those of twin flames. There is also the love of very close, kindred souls called soul mates.

"A soul mate is different from a twin flame. Soul mates share a common mission and comparable stage of spiritual development . They come together because they are working on the same type of karma and the same chakra simultaneously. So soul mates have an attraction that is based on the sacred labor and on the path of self-mastery. A soul mate is like the echo of oneself in Matter working at the same task to fulfill a blueprint for God."

Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus, were soul mates sharing the responsibility for nurturing the Christ within their son. Both of their twin flames were in the octaves of light holding the balance for their mission. Many people today who are still balancing karma but who are on the spiritual Path find themselves drawn to their soul mates for the fulfillment of a shared dharma or sacred labor.

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: Karmic Marriage

Besides twin flames and soul mates, a third kind of marriage relationship is frequently seen—the karmic marriage.

Here, the two individuals are drawn together for the balancing of mutual karma. These marriages are often difficult but they are important in achieving mastery on the Path. The husband and wife also gain the good karma of sponsoring and nurturing their children.

Some of these marriages may give the opportunity for the balancing of severe crimes of murder, betrayal, or extreme hatred.

Very often the only way that we can balance that hatred is by the intense love expressed through the husband-wife relationship.

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: The Marriage Union

God has blessed the human institution of marriage as an opportunity for two individuals to develop wholeness through the exchange of their Alpha-Omega polarities. Whether the union of twin flames, soul mates, or karmic partners, the marriage of man and woman is meant to be mystical, a commemoration of the soul's reunion with the beloved I AM Presence through the Christ, the blessed Mediator.

Jesus demonstrated the importance of marriage as an initiation on the Path when he chose to perform his first public miracle at the marriage feast of Cana—changing the water into wine. The essence of his message was that unless marriage be transformed by the Holy Spirit, it will only be an outer experience. It is our choice as to whether we are content with a marriage based on the water of the human consciousness or whether we require a marriage based on the wine of the divine consciousness.

The cosmic interchange of divine love in the marriage relationship is meant to be the same creative love that framed the universe in the beginning when God as Father gave forth the command, "Let there be light," and God as Mother answered, "And there was light." This creative flow can be expressed not only in physical union but also during cycles of dedicated celibacy as each partner goes within to commune with his beloved I AM Presence.

The exchange of the energies of the sacred fire in sexual union is for the transfer of spheres of cosmic consciousness— causal bodies of light. The light energy resulting from this fusion enhances the positive qualities of each of the partners and strengthens their own divine identity—enabling them to carry their shared burden of karma.

As the union is consecrated to the love of God, the harmonious blending of pure Father/Mother energies yields the Son, the Christ consciousness—whether it be in the form of a child, an inspiration, a successful enterprise, or a work of art.

When this exchange is not spiritualized through a recognition that God is both the lover and the beloved, the two individuals may experience physical pleasure, but they also unknowingly take on each other's karmic patterns without the benefit of a spiritually transmutative love.

This may explain the frequent identity crises suffered by those who have intimate relationships on a casual basis; they take on so many karmic identities, effectively neutralizing their own, that they no longer know who they really are.

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: The Circle of Oneness

The Great White Brotherhood has released a ritual for the consecration of the sacred union of husband and wife and for the sealing of this interchange in the purity of God's love. It is from the meditation of the angels of love for the protection of holy matrimony:

A vital mission awaits those whose energies are in harmony with divine love. As Mrs. Prophet relates: "I have seen twin flames whose love was never abated, who could hold the balance for an entire city and whose daily invocations would be the transmutation of hatred and of crime and of murder, holding that inner balance....

This is an high and holy calling. It's not for the mundane who desire the pleasure cult and its sensuality. This is the real inner path for those who understand that there is a cosmos aborning within us, that there's a world to be saved, that millions of souls need our love and therefore it can never be a selfish love."

In the cynicism of our age, however, we've lost the sense of the power of pure love. We no longer have the buoyant joyous attitude toward life where each day is a new opportunity to give our love as a unique gift to those around us.

Too often we underestimate our ability to transform lives through our example. Djwal Kul, known throughout the world as the Master D.K., once related this story of the miller and his wife.

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Twin Flames and Soul Mates: Aquarian Age Alchemy

Even as the miller and his wife silently communicated their love to others, you and your twin flame also influence countless lives around you through your "radioactive" thoughts, feelings, and actions. You have an opportunity to assist life or to place a burden upon it—either by interacting with the negative energy of your past karma cycling to the surface of your consciousness or by recognizing this energy as a challenge to your harmony and love and transmuting it.

The key to transmuting or changing past karma and fulfilling your mission with your twin flame is the violet flame, a spiritual energy given by God to man for his acceleration into the Aquarian age. This action of the Holy Spirit transforms negative energy—anger into love, irritation into peace, suspicion into trust— so that you can influence life positively as you work toward your ultimate victory on the Path.

When you visualize this violet flame and call it forth into your consciousness, it instantaneously begins to change negative energy patterns accumulated over thousands of lifetimes. You can begin to experience feelings of joy, lightness, and hope. It's as if your entire consciousness were being dipped into a chemical solution of purple liquid which dissolves the karma of centuries.

This is the dispensation many people have been waiting for. This is why we've been evolving these tens of thousands of years, why we have gone through all of the understanding of God the Father and God the Son. Now we come to the Holy Spirit energy, the sacred science of alchemy, of self-transformation—through the violet flame.

The Great White Brotherhood has released a violet flame mantra for the Aquarian age: "I AM a being of violet fire, I AM the purity God desires." "I AM" is the affirmation of the God within, the I AM Presence—the same Presence who declared to Moses "I AM THAT I AM"—"This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations." Daily immersing ourselves in the cleansing energy of the violet flame is the quickest and most effective way to maintain our harmony and accelerate our consciousness for our ultimate reunion with God and our twin flame.

This is the baptism of the Holy Ghost that was prophesied in the New Testament by John. This is the gift of God for the Aquarian age. This is how the days are shortened for the elect—for the homeward journey, the overcoming of the round of the wheel of rebirth.

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The Yearning for Wholeness

The oncoming Aquarian age is an age for the understanding of God's energy in polarity as the masculine and feminine principles of the universe. How we experience that energy as our true identity, how we understand it as the essence of twin flames, and how we use it as the integrative power of divine love for the betterment of mankind will determine whether or not we survive as individuals and, ultimately, as a human race.

You may be reading this article because the only thing that stands between you and your twin flame is a layer of negative energy just waiting to be consumed by the joyous, bubbling action of the violet flame.

Your mission, your twin flame, and your ultimate reunion in the heart of God await you!

Uma das óperas mais imediáticas do reportório lírico italiano, de Giacomo Puccini, sobre a trágica história de uma bela jovem japonesa (Cio-Cio-San – Butterfly) que se apaixona e se devota apaixonadamente por Pinkerton, um oficial da marinha americana, com quem casa.

Pinkerton retorna aos EUA mas Butterfly aguarda-o, sempre.
Mas é destroçada quando Pinkerton regressa com a sua mulher (americana).
Um melodrama que se baseará em factos reais, e que retrata as dificuldades de coexistência entre culturas e diferentes tradições de vida. A obsessão do amor de Cio-Cio-San, a sua sorte ou a sua desgraça.

A ópera é baseada num romance de John Luther Long e na peça de teatro escrita por David Belasco.

28 e 29 de Março, às 21h30, no Coliseu dos Recreios, onde poderá recolher mais informação.

Preço: Entre 12,50 e 37,50€

Telefone: 213240585

Above & Beyond @ Madame Butterfly, Ferrara
Saturday 23.02.2008

www.myspace.com/aboveandbeyond - www.anjunabeats.com - www.aboveandbeyond.nu

For the second time the Above & Beyond guys back to Ferrara after the fantastic night  (i was there!) of 29 september 2007.

No les dejare la versión Opera, pues hoy conseguí un vídeo animado bastante mágico, que cuenta en solo 10 minutos esta trágica relación.

Espero les encante este corto tanto como a mi ;-)

click here to read full review 

The temperature in the theatre when the Technicians arrived this morning was Baltic cold. By the time the dancers arrived it had come up in temperature a little. The entire lighting rig was switched on and class took place. Every 5 minutes heated discussions were taking place with the local staff through our Interpreters Flora and Cathy. The heating was switched on but it barely registered. During the Technical Rehearsal it was discovered that there was a fault with the heating system. The dancers agreed that they would still perform and we promised them that we were doing our best to remedy the situation. By Showtime it was still cold. But the heating system had kicked in properly. But by the end of the show it was still cold. Young, our Promoter apologised profusely and it was made very clear that the next venue in Yangzhou had to be fully heated prior to the dancers arrival for class and if it wasn't then there would be a possibility that the dancers would say they would not dance that performance. He relayed this to the local partner and we were reassured from both of them that heating would be on and there would be no problem. We shall see!

Just before the Technical Rehearsal, the children arrived to play trouble. They were the largest children that we have ever seen to play the role. Also, the boy took some coaching to do the job. But into costume he went. After the rehearsal he was on the side of stage with his mother and Chun - our Stage Manager. Chun was talking to his mum when the child kept interrupting saying he wanted the toilet. His mum said ok and he pulled his trousers down and weed next to portal 3!!. After mopping it up all was well. He went on fine in the performance until at the final entrance in the doorway he stood there and wet himself. Poor dancers had to carry him around after.

The performance went very well but the audience was very noisy throughout

The get out started at 9.45pm and we shut the doors of the last container at 11.45pm - a record for this tour.

First thing tomorrow we hit the road again to Yangzhou and start the fit up at the Grand Theatre