It is shortly after noon as I write this and I have nothing scheduled for today entertainment-wise. I have spent the morning working on things on my Japan/China To-Do list and this afternoon I will begin the process of getting the apartment ready for my departure on Thursday, a much bigger deal than usual because I will have family using the apartment while I am away.
On May 16th my niece Donna Jadamec of Denver, CO, her husband Joe, and their young daughter Josie, will arrive in The Big Apple and land in my apartment. They will be in town for the wedding of one of Joe’s siblings and will leave on the 19th. They already know that the apartment is an alcove studio and a bachelor pad but I still have lots of things and stuff to do to get it ready for them. And, truth-be-told, cleaning and household chores ain’t one of my strong suits and that is why I have allowed myself plenty of time before my Thursday departure for my own travel adventure.
Speaking of Japan/China - about a month ago I bought two rather expensive travel books by Lonely Planet, one for Japan and the other for China and I quickly became overwhelmed. Why? Well, the Japan book is 868 pages and the China book is 1028 pages and that is more information than I could ever absorb. Also, they are heavy and bulky and I might not be able to take them with me because I am very very concerned about the weight limits imposed by both the airlines and the tour group.
Just looking at them now sends the alarm off in my head and the voices begin, like: “what are you going to eat in Japan because you hate sushi? ... how can you get around alone if you don’t understand the language, written or spoken? ... what the fuck is yuan? ... did you know that bottled water in Japan costs 120 yen but only 2 Y in China? ... why doesn’t Hong Kong use the same currency as the rest of China? ... how many people will be on the tour with me? ... why the fuck am I doing this? ... etc. etc. etc. whatever and so on ...”
Ah, the sun is out and now I know what I will do this afternoon - watch the Yankee/Seattle game at 1:00 and then go see a movie, either 21 or Forgetting Sarah Marshall, or Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Cleaning and chores in the evening. Yeah.
On Saturday evening I saw a new musical called Cry-Baby which just opened to very mixed reviews. It is based on the 1990 John Waters movie and is set in Baltimore (think Hairspray) in 1954. The central conflict is between two teenage groups, the straight-arrow Squares and the greasy, lawbreaking Drapes. My seat was in the mezzanine of the cavernous Marquis Theater and the mezzanine was only 1/4 full on a Saturday night - not good at all.
I can certainly understand the mixed reviews but some of the songs were really funny, like the opening number: “The Anti-Polio Picnic,” and later on in the show “Girl, Can I Kiss You, With Tongue?” What saved the show for me was the outstanding choreography and the young energetic ensemble. I don’t think the show will last very long.
Happy Birthday to Grandson Topher Falletta of Gainesville, FL - today is number 26.
It is hard to believe that this blog is now almost a month old and this will be my 31st post. Rock on Billi Pod!!!
Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com
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