The Silent "I"

Garage Catharsis 101

 

Not a scene from Hoarders, but my actual garage.

 

Last fall, I attended a wonderful weekend retreat in Palm Springs called Camp Mighty.  The purpose of Camp Mighty was for the participants to focus on what they hope to accomplish in their lives and create a "life list" along with a plan for achieving five goals this year. 

I have to say, when I started looking at other people's life lists, I had a little bit of smug satisfaction in knowing that I'd accomplished many of the things they have yet to do.  Go around the world? (check) Meet and marry the man of my dreams (double check) See the Grand Canyon? Easter Island? The Galapagos? The Great Wall? Iguazu Falls? Greenland? Northern Lights? A Total Eclipse?  (been there, done all that). I chalk that up to being considerably older than most of the participants, but there's still some life left in this old girl, so I set out to make my list.

One of the things I put on my list of 5 goals for 2013 is to clean out my garage.  While my teammates at Camp Mighty are busily buying houses, producing plays that they wrote, and taking kids on Disney Cruises, I'll be wheezing and sneezing my way through a garage that should be listed in the city directory as a secondary landfill site. Sure, it would be more fun to plan a trip to Australia or go ziplining or write a screenplay or learn to shoot a gun (also on my life list), but the garage is the first thing I'm tackling in 2013.

I'm a little ashamed to admit that the photo above is of my actual garage on January 1, 2013.  I spent a few hours that weekend and most of MLK weekend moving things around, getting rid of empty boxes, and clearing a path from the house to the driveway.  Here's what it looks like now (without the bikes, which were moved back in after the photo)...

As you can see, not much changed.  I did, however, locate the following:

1. My State Bar of California Admission Certificate.  This should come in handy if anyone ever dares to question my bona fides to sue their asses.
2. Unopened mail, addressed to my husband, from 1987.  I delivered this to him, saying "Special Delivery! From the Reagan Era!"  He was not amused.
3. A folding stroller. Since my son is 12 and is closer to driving age than stroller age, I'm pretty sure we won't be needing it any more.
4. Some kind of prayer rug that made me think my husband might be a secret garage Muslim like Brody on Homeland.  It turns out it was a souvenir cloth his grandmother brought back from a trip to Iran in the sixties, when she met the Shah of Iran and had tea with him. I guess we should keep that, given that neither of them are still alive now.

Going through my garage has been like being on an archaelogical dig of my own life.  Many of the items have some memory attached to them, either for my husband or myself, so it's a much harder task to get rid of things than I originally thought it would be.  The garage has become a repository for the flotsam and jetsam of our life story together as a family, and before that, as individuals.  In some ways, our garage is full of reminders of the life list we've fulfilled so far.

What I've done so far to try to accomplish this:

• Created a Pinterest board of inspiring garage photos and how-to blog posts.
• Made an appointment with a professional organizer to get some expert help.
• Given away 2 items on Freecycle. I posted a third, but evidently, no one needs a fan in the winter around here.
• Found out where we can recycle, since our local recycling center closed last year. Hint: it's in Sunnyvale.
• Bought a table to sell Alex's old toys at the Parents Club of Palo Alto & Menlo Park's annual Rummage Sale. I have also enlisted my semi-pro garage saler BFF, Terry, to help in that endeavor.
• Donated 2 VCRs, a DVD player, a CD Player, a TV, a boombox, and a box of random cables to an elementary school e-waste collection fundraiser.

My friend, Stefania, suggested I rent a dumpster and start flinging stuff in it, but since a large portion of the stuff in the garage doesn't belong to me, I figured I'd better start small and work my way up to the dumpster. Consider that Plan B, at least for now.

If anyone wants to call the people from Clean House, I wouldn't object.

Photos: Glennia Campbell, (c) 2013

The Lion King in SF: Long Live the King!

 

Jelani Remy, as Simba in The Lion King

My family had the opportunity to see the latest incarnation of The Lion King at San Francisco's  beautiful Orpheum Theater recently, courtesy of SHN.  My son and I had seen the show about 7 or 8 years ago, when he was a very little tyke who was scared to death of the big stampede.  He was so scared, in fact, he hid under the seat until the wildebeast stampede was over. As a jaded, world-weary 12 year old, I wasn't sure how he might respond to what had been one of his favorite, yet most traumatic, stories of his childhood.  At twelve, he was as enthralled with this production as he was with the one he had seen at age 5, and more impressed than ever with the showmanship, the dazzling costumes, puppetry and sheer magic of the production.

Prior to the show, we had a chance to meet the stars of the show, Syndee Winters and Jelani Remy, who play the adult Nala and Simba, respectively.  Both are hugely talented singers and dancers, and are destined for great things on the stage or movies and television, wherever they chose to land.  They were wonderful with all the moms and kids, answering questions and posing for pictures with everyone. 

The Lion King is not a show that is easy to write about; so much of it is visual and defies words.  From the waving grass on the savannah represented by dancers posing and contorting themselves on the ground, to the African-inspired songs sung in Swahili, to the visual schtick of comic relievers Timon and Pumbaa, the show is chock-full of stunning imagery and auditory delights.

This is a show I can recommend for the entire family, although, be forewarned that some scenes may be intense for the youngest children.  There were a 3 year old and 5 year old sitting in front of me who took the whole thing in stride, but my son was a little more sensitive to loud noises and the death of Simba's father, Mustafa when he was 5.  Know what your child's sensititivies and tolerances are for loud noises, the idea of a parent's death, and a tremendous amount of visual stimulation and plan accordingly. Older kids will definitely love the music, costumes and jokes.

If you are looking for a real holiday treat, or a terrific present for grandparents, go see this staging of The Lion King before it leaves San Francisco on January 13, 2013.  Tickets are available on-line at SHNSF or by calling 1-888-746-1799.

 

Photo Credit: Top photo by Joan Marcus, courtesy of SHN/Disney. Used with Permission. Bottom Photo by Glennia Campbell, The SilentI.com, All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure: We received three complimentary tickets and some Lion King promotional products from SHN Orpheum, but no financial or other compensation for this post.  As always, the views expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of SHN Orpheum or the Disney Corporation.

 

Cavalia Opens in San Jose

Internationally acclaimed circus-style show Cavalia by Normand Latourelle, one of the creators of Cirque de Soleil, arrived in San Jose, California last week amid a flurry of manes and tails and hooves, and local press. Cavalia combines beautiful trained horses, daring feats of riding and acrobatics, lights and music for a spectacular entertainment.  It's a mash-up of horse show and circus, a "Horse de Soleil," if you will. I was there on their arrival with a number of bloggers, newspapers, and TV stations to cover the event.  It's not every day a world-renowned show like this comes to town.

I was driving on Highway 101 near the airport week before last when I noticed a huge white castle-like structure on the side of the highway, normally reserved for empty lots and office parks.  I don't go that way often, but I knew it didn't belong there.  I wondered what it was and saw the sign that said "Cavalia" with a picture of a horse.  I thought maybe San Jose was opening up some new Renaissance dinner theatre or hosting some kind of show pony competition.  I looked it up and found out that it was something much more.  When I received an invitation to attend the press preview, my curiosity got the better of me and I had to see it for myself.

The horses arrived on Friday, much to the delight of the trainers/performers who ride and care for the horses while they travel.  The horses were back from two weeks of R&R at a large horse farm, a kind of horse spa, where I'm sure they enjoyed idyllic frolics through verdant pastures, pedicures, and plenty of fresh air.  The performers also had time off, and were lined up outside the stable to greet their horses when they arrived by truck.  The company had finished a successful run in Mexico City a few weeks prior, and were ready for prime time in San Jose.

Performer Fairland Ferguson came out to greet the members of the press on hand and answer questions about the show, the horses,  and the performers.  There were several young girls along with their moms in attendance, who all wanted to know how one trains to become a performer in Cavalia. Fairland noted that she had grown up around horses and after finishing college had learned trick riding in a dinner-theatre show in her home state of South Carolina.  The performers hail from around the world, and we cold hear them speaking French, Spanish, and English as they milled around waiting for the horses to arrive. 

The horses finally pulled up and the excitement was palpable. It was clear that the performers and the horses share a special bond.  We were then treated to a tour of the stables and a short demonstration in the practice tent of various riding techniques used in the show.

On Tuesday, we were invited back to see a sneak peak of the show, with full costumes, music and lights.

The show is ostensibly about the evolution of the relationship between horses and people, so the opening scene is very austere: a beautiful horse running freely around the arena, and a man in simple costume giving hand an voice commands and befriending the horse.  The segment ends with the man riding bareback on the horse, with no saddle, bits or bridles, just holding onto the horse's mane. It is a simple, gentle performance that was touching and beautiful.

Later, acrobats bound in from the sidelines and perform some amazing tricks, including a guy doing about 30 one-armed handsprings in a row that made me tired just watching him.  A troupe of dancers whirled around while the acrobats performed gravity-defying flips and formed various human pyramids and towers.

In the following segment with a backdrop reminiscent of the Coliseum, Roman riders thundered in, circling the arena, with a rider standing atop a pair of perfectly sychronized, incredibly fast horses.  How the riders kept their balance is a mystery to me, although performer Fairland Ferguson earlier told us that "you have to develop big thighs" to do this.

Probably the most enchanting portion of the show was what looked to me like a fairy tale sequence in which female aerialists, hanging by the thinnest of silver wires, dropped down to swoop above and around male riders and horses.  It was a beautiful, ethereal scene, like colorful birds or angels descending into the theater to protect and guide both horse and rider. The women performed some lovely acrobatic dance moves in the air, while snow fell all around.

As the show progresses, the tricks and settings become more elaborate and fast-paced, culminating with acrobats, aerialists, and two dozen horses all performing simultaneously. It was a dizzying spectacle, and it was hard to know where to look at times with so much happening at once.

Cavalia runs in San Jose from July 18-August 12, 2012. Tickets are available through their website, and range from about $50-$250. VIP packages are available that include dinner and some special access. If you like horses, circuses, or just plain fun, go see it.  You will surely be entertained and delighted.

Disclosure: I was invited as part of the media corps to cover the arrival of the horses and a complimentary short preview of the show. I did not receive any compensation for writing this review. All opinions are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cavalia.

Photos: All photos were taken by Glennia Campbell for TheSilentI.com. Sets, costumes, and scenes depicted are copyright of Cavalia and were photographed permission.  All Rights Reserved.

Annular Eclipse: May 20, 2012

 

Eclipse Watchers in Redding, California

 We traveled up to Redding, California last weekend to pursue one of our favorite family activities: viewing a solar eclipse.  This time, we didn't need a fancy cruise ship or a trip to the Sahara Desert or even an airplane to get to the site.  We just drove our trusty, dusty Lexus RX300 about four hours north.  

An Annular Eclipse is one in which the moon covers most, but not all, of the sun.  What's left is known as the "Ring of Fire".  You don't get the same twilight effect or the diamond ring of a total eclipse, but it is still a pretty spectacular sight.  The moon moves slowly over the sun, leaving only a golden ring shining through.  The center line of this particular annular eclipse ran through Oregon, Northern California, Nevada, New Mexico, and the Texas Panhandle. It's a once-in-every-forty-years sight at any given location, so it was worth the drive north to see it in all its glory.  The last annular we viewed was in Costa Rica when Alex was 18 months old.  

We headed out on our 2012 eclipse adventure on Saturday, May 19, after a rushed packing job that left us without sunscreen, lawn chairs, or hats.  As much as we travel, you'd think we wouldn't forget essentials, but it happens to the best of us. We made do with what we had, which included a golf umbrella in the car, and even a grocery bag that Frank fashioned into a hat so his head wouldn't roast.  Thankfully, I found an emergency supply of sunscreen in my purse.

Sundial Bridge

We met up with some local friends who are also eclipse buffs the night before for dinner.  We weren't quite sure where the best viewing spots would be, so we debated the various spots that were recommended by the local astronomy club as good bets.  We decided to play it by ear, waiting to see what the weather would be prior to making a decision. 

On Sunday, we woke up to cerulean skies and little cloud cover.  The news reported that it would be hot, so we thought that being near water would be a good bet.  We spent the morning touring Redding, which is a lovely little town with view of Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta off in the distance, surrounded by lakes made from the hydro-electric dam nearby.  The Sundial Bridge over the Sacramento River is something of an architectural marvel, with a tall spire swooping above the river like a tall-masted ship flowing in the wind.  We walked across the glass-tiled bridge and enjoyed the views of the river and hundreds of tiny birds swooping over and under the bridge.

Abel Gance's Napoleon, Epic Silent Movie: Guest Post by Frank

My husband, Frank, discovered that Abel Gance's epic silent film, Napoleon, was playing with a live orchestra in Oakland last weekend.  When I found out it was 5 1/2 hours long, I told him, "You're on your own, bub."

This is his account of a classic movie-going experience that may not be repeated.

I had the good fortune to get a ticket last weekend for the final showing of Napoleon, Abel Gance’s silent movie masterpiece. I recall hearing about the version released with a score by Francis Ford Coppola's father in the early 1980’s, but I skipped it then, and always wondered what I’d missed.

Now, for the first time in 30 years, a new, more complete restoration was on offer as part of the 2012 San Francisco Silent Film Festival, It was being shown with a live performance by the Oakland East Bay Symphony, playing an original score conduced by the composer Carl Davis. Billed as a once-in-lifetime experience, I snapped up a ticket online and headed to Oakland on Sunday, April 1.

This French movie was made in the 1920s, and was first shown in 1927. The director, Abel Gance, got funding to make 6 films to chronicle the whole life of Napoleon. He blew the entire budget on just the first installment, which only carries us through Napoleon’s early life, but even with this limited material, the film is over 5 hours long.

At first, we see him as a teen at boarding school, commanding a snowball fight among his peers. We watch the French Revolution and Napoleon’s imprisonment and the effect this has on him. We see his military talent (and defiance of authority) at the Battle of Toulon in 1793, his romance and marriage to Joséphine, who turns out (at least according to the movie) to have been imprisoned with him (and was saved by a judicious bureaucrat who literally ate – yes, tore up and swallowed - her paperwork rather than letting her be guillotined). The film finally ends with Napoleon’s invasion of Italy in 1796.

Holiday Entertaining with Fresh & Easy

This weekend, I was thrilled to host a house party for some of my blogger and work friends sponsored by Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets.  The folks from Fresh & Easy brought in some of their best holiday fare for us to try out, including Brie & Cranberry Pastry Puffs, Mini Beef en Croutes, and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp appetizers. The appetizers are in the prepared foods section of the store, and are uncooked when you buy them. Just pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes, and you have tantalizing, decadent appetizers that seem like you've been slaving all day to prepare. I mean, seriously, how could you go wrong with brie cheese wrapped in butter pastry? Or anything at all involving bacon?

A few months ago, I went to an event in San Francisco to launch new Fresh & Easy stores in Northern California.  I had never heard of Fresh & Easy before that, and was delighted to learn that they offer fresh, wholesome foods at reasonable prices. Fresh & Easy is owned by the British supermarket chain Tesco.  They are in the middle of opening stores in California, Nevada, and Arizona. In addition to their own branded products, they also offer some of the top name-brand items and fresh bread from Il Fornaio bakery. 

APEC Summit on Women & the Economy

Romi Haan was a housewife in South Korea with a problem: how to keep the floors clean without spending hours a day doing it.  Because of the ondol tradition of heating homes through the floor, Koreans spend a great deal of time at home in a central room, on the floor.  As Romi says, "Koreans live on the floor. We sleep on the floor. We eat on the floor. We sit on the floor. We play on the floor." 

Keeping the floor clean is serious business for Korean women, and means daily washings, down on their hands and knees.  Romi wanted to free herself of this daily chore, or make it a little easier for herself and her friends.  So, she imagined a steam cleaner to do just that: clean the floor with less effort and cut the time spent on washing the floor in half. It was a way to get women up off the floor and out into the world.

When Romi approached a bank about a government loan program to get her product made, the bank officer asked her, "What company did your husband bankrupt that makes you now have to work?  Are you doing this for him?"

When she told him that her husband was not the reason she wanted to go into business, he didn't believe her. Her application was denied. Romi didn't take no for an answer, and persisted with her dream. She mortgaged her home and quit her job to pursue her invention.  She was able to get her business up and running in three years, but faced other hurdles. 

When Romi tried to market and distribute her product, she was met with skepticism and disdain by male buyers for department stores. She would go in to talk to them, and they would ask her, "Why do you need a steam cleaner when you have a vacuum cleaner?"

She explained that a vacuum cleaner would sweep the floor, but her cleaner would mop it. After an hour-long discussion the buyer would ask again, "Why do you need a steam cleaner when you have a vacuum cleaner?"

Ten years later, Romi Haan is now the CEO of a multinational, multimillion dollar appliance and beauty products company, Haan Corporation. She is one of the few female CEOs in South Korea, and her business is thriving. She represents a new breed of Korean women executives and a model of successful entrepreneurship. Her story is not atypical of the challenges that women face in the global economy, but her success is unfortunately too rare.

I was privileged to hear Romi's story firsthand at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women & the Economy Summit in San Francisco recently. The conference brought together women leaders, government officials, diplomats, and corporate innovators to discuss actions to improve the lives of women in the Asia-Pacific region, and by doing so, the world's economy. Recognizing that women are a vast, largely untapped resource for change and growth, the group spent a week in San Francisco working on plans for change.  This was one of several meetings around the Pacific Rim leading up to the APEC Summit in Hawaii in November, which President Obama will attend.

The Conference Keynote was delivered by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a woman who has inspired a generation of women to enter political life to try to dismantle the political barriers that keep women from fully participating in economic growth.  Secretary Clinton's speech was a call to action, for all nations to tap the power, creativity, and drive of women to help elevate all people, across all regions.

San Francisco: 5 Best Educational and (and Fun!) Places for Kids

Driving across expanse of the Golden Gate Bridge on my first trip to San Francisco in 1993, I wondered where on earth the people who live there would ever go on vacation--or why. It seemed to me then, as now, that if you lived in a city so beautiful and charming, you'd never want to leave.

On sunny days, the view of the gleaming city by the bay is unparalleled.  The tall spires of commerce offer the perfect counterpoint to sailboats skimming across the cool grey-blue waters of the San Francisco Bay. Even through dense fog, the iconic red ladders of the Golden Gate bridge invite visitors from all over the world to experience the city's mystery and history.

Whether you're visiting San Francisco for the first time or the fortieth, there's always something new to discover.  San Francisco is known primarily for activities and attractions for adults--from gourmet food to sports to theatre and music.  Lesser known are the fantastic opportunities for kids.   These are my Top 5 Educational Attractions for Kids:

1.    Located in the heart of Golden Gate Park in the museum complex that boasts the DeYoung Museum and Japanese Tea Garden, The California Academy of Sciences is dedicated to making science fun for both kids and adults.  Inside, you'll find a multi-story bubble that houses numerous species of butterflies flitting about, and displays featuring insects and animals of the rainforest.  it's like taking a walk inside a giant terrarium.  If you're really still, a butterfly or two might take a liking to you and hitch a ride on your finger.  Down below, you can learn about hundreds of species of fish and water animals at the Steinhart Aquarium.  Our favorite? Claude the Albino Alligator.

2.    Ever want to swim with sharks without getting wet?  Try the Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39 for a unique underwater view. The Aquarium at Pier 39 is a hidden gem of an attraction buried in a sea of themed chain restaurants and t-shirts shops. Walk through a tunnel and find yourself surrounded by sharks and colorful fish.  It has all the benefits of deep-sea diving without all the gear and discomfort.  As you're looking around at the fish, they seem to be looking back at you. I sort of wonder if they think they're looking at a people display (humanarium?) instead of the other way around.

3. Further  west along the coastline, take the kids to visit a real Civil War fort. Located right under the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point offers a glimpse back in time.  Build in the mid-19th century, Fort Point has been used as a look-out and a point of defense for the San Francisco Bay in both the Civil War and World War II.  As museums go, there is not a whole lot here, but the fact that a brick building of such a large scale is still standing in earthquake-prone San Francisco is a marvel in and of itself.  Park Rangers offer some very entertaining stories about the fort and its uses.  Our son loved running around the halls of the barracks, doing his own version of a Civil War reinactment using imaginary weapons. The Fort is only open 3 days a week, from Friday through Sunday from 10-5, so plan your visit accordingly.

4.    Also in the Fisherman's Wharf area, be sure to visit the Maritime National Historical Park at Hyde Pier, where four historic ships are open to the public for tours.  We particularly liked the cargo ship Balclutha, with its tall masts and cramped sleeping quarters for the deck hands.  Our son loved exploring all the nooks and crannies of the ship, and was particularly pleased to be allowed to ring the ship's bell.

Yahoo! Mother Board Summit: The Mother of All Conferences

Recently, sixty-five moms from all over the US and Canada descended on Palo Alto and Sunnyvale to attend the invitation-only Yahoo! Mother Board Summit.  The moms are a high-powered group of bloggers who are plugged in to all the latest trends in marketing and social media, and were invited to participate in a one-day conference at Yahoo! Headquarters in Sunnyvale. I was fortunate enough to be invited, and had a wonderful time connecting with old friends, and meeting some great new friends.  I was happy, for once, to not have to travel to a meeting.

I have been on the Mother Board for three years, from its inception.  At the beginning, we answered surveys and tested out new Yahoo! products and gave the marketing team feedback.  In the past year, it has grown into a community of 80 bloggers who support and advise each other through a Yahoo! group and on the pages of the Yodeling Mamas blog. 

The Mother Board Summit was a mix of practical advice for bloggers, marketing focus group for Yahoo! products and services, and socializing over great food and drinks.  The women on the Yahoo! marketing team and Voce Communications did a fabulous job of organizing the content, and shepherding the attendees from place to place.

Disney World of Color Road Show: SF, Sacramento, San Diego & LA Play Host to Disney Marvel

Last week, some local mombloggers and I were treated to a very special Disney show in San Francisco.  For a few hours that night, the historic Legion of Honor was transformed from it's normal ornate facade into everything from a Mayan temple to a Chinese Pagoda to a techno-marvel that looked like a giant motherboard.  How? Through some lights, cameras and a little Disney magic.

The World of Color Road Show is traveling to four cities in California (San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and Los Angeles) to promote the wonderful World of Color light and water show at Disney California Adventure.  The Road Show doesn't have the fire and water, but it does transform a landmark building into a marvel of light and color.  The show runs 12 minutes, and has a different theme for each city.  San Francisco's theme was "Love".

July 15-18, SACRAMENTO:  The theme is "Nature" with forest and garden scenes from such films as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Pocahontas,” “Bambi” and “Alice in Wonderland.”  The show will be presented in historic Old Sacramento, and webcast live from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. each evening.

July 22-25, SAN DIEGO: “Water” is the theme, with scenes from “The Little Mermaid,” “Finding Nemo” and others projected onto the U.S.S. Midway Museum at Navy Pier.

July 31-August 1, LOS ANGELES:  Check out "Sky", featuring scenes from such classic Disney films as "Alladin" and "Fantasia", projected onto the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles.

Each show features a live online presentation that is repeated continuously from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Check out these fine Bay Area blogs for more information on the World of Color Road Show and the World of Color show at Disney California Adventure:

• Xiaolinmama
• Tippytoes & Tantrums
• Who's the Boss? (excellent tips on how to get a good spot at the Disney California Adventure World of Color show)
• Techmamas