Adventures of a Tofu Slut

I think Nuit Blanche is a fascinating idea -- a massive arts and culture festival, one night only, 7pm to 7am -- but, sadly, I'm pretty certain I'm too lame to stay up overnight, let alone be active and interested. We'll see. Some friends are going, starting at midnight, so maybe I can convince myself that I'm a night person long enough to join them for some of it.

Still, this is one of the reasons I love living in Toronto. I love that stuff like this goes on, even if I don't personally take part. Big cities are great for that -- no interest is too small.

(Oh, man, there's some truly interesting stuff happening! The secret city tours are calling to me. And artist-run transit! Maybe I'll break through the sleep barrier after all...)

I went to the opera last night with sarcasma and sanity_clause - Poul Ruders' adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale, making its Canadian premiere at the COC. (starfishchick, we wandered through the theatre at intermission, keeping an eye out for you, but obviously didn't see you, or else I wouldn't be typing this right now. Yeah.)

( In which I exclaim over the opera )

( In which I ramble on about growing up around music and theatre )

Also, I'd just like to say that writing coherent reviews of things is high on my list of things I wish I could do. Also reviews that don't use the word "great" with quite so much abandon.

Normally I read (books, magazines, papers, online journals, TWoP recaps):

• over breakfast
  
• on the subway on the way to work (about 40 min.)
  
• at work, when I really should be doing work
  
• during my lunch hour
  
• at work again
  
• while waiting for my classes to begin, or on the the treadmill at the gym
  
• on the subway on the way home again
  
• over dinner
  
• after dinner, or during commercial breaks if I'm watching TV

So far, the hardest part hasn't been not reading while at home on the couch - on Sunday we were out all day, plus vestra was around in the evening to distract me, and last night I didn't even get home until 9 - but not reading during the random moments. I mean, I carry a book with me at all times, even if I'm running across the street to the grocery store. On the way home last night I got hit with a 15 min. subway delay, and I stood there getting more and more frustrated. If I'd had a book, I wouldn't have even noticed. It's only been two mornings of commuting, but I can feel my brain atrophying already. Plus I ended up spending money I didn't have yesterday, in an effort to occupy myself for the hour before my dance class started, where normally I would hang out at work and read.

On the plus side, I think I missed an entire snotty argument on one of my work-related listservs which I'm also not reading this week, and I have an excuse not to read Billboard, so that's kind of nice. Plus there's a small possibility I'm getting more done at work. Maybe.

Did you know that Burlesque is back? It is *the* hot thing in Toronto right now, or at least it seems that way, judging by the number of Burlesque shows happening each week. I went to one on Friday night (with Sasha van Bon Bon and her Scandelles), and it was so much fun. It's a return to the days before strip clubs, where exotic dancers had feathers and fans and pasties with tassels, where breasts were saggy and bodies had lumps and the audience loved all of the performers, perfect or not.

This particular show had women and men, dancers, singers and a drag king. The audience was equally split between men and women, mostly young, mostly "alternative", although not entirely. Besides the classic fan number and Las Vegas Showgirl number, there was a number involving a cake, and I sure hope there were showers in the dressing rooms, because the dancer had cake everywhere by the time it was over. There was a strange conceptual number with a drag king and a woman who did an eerie imitation of a RealDoll, and a traditional bath scene, complete with bubbles. There was a guy who looked just like a member of KISS, and a guy who looked like a Nazi with fishnets who stripped down to just a hat to "Mein Herr".

And, in the middle, they did Bare-a-oke -- basically burlesque karaoke. Audience members who'd never danced before were given pasties and costumes and got up and stripped to old-style music, and seemed to have a fabulous time.

I learned my lesson, though -- not only is Burlesque back, it's crazy popular, and if you're short like me, get there early so that you can see without standing