Fun at the Movies

Summer in Portland is filled with fun and free activities for everyone. In Pioneer Courthouse Square alone, there have been a lot of events already as part of the "Summer at the Square" celebration. Every Tuesdays and Thursdays, they've been having their "Noon Tunes" mini-concerts featuring regional bands I've never heard of. Then they held a sand sculpting contest last weekend. I went there when Starbucks was sampling their new seasonal drink- Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino with Chocolate Whipped Cream- and when a soda company was giving out free root beer floats. I'm not a big soda drinker anymore but I decided they were nice little treats.

And I just got home from a fun night at the Square with their first "Flicks on the Bricks" outdoor movie series. This is I believe the third year in which for four consecutive Fridays they've been screening movies for the public for free. I wasn't going to go at all because the films weren't new by any means or even classics by the list they provided- "The Birdcage", "Ghost Buster" and "National Lampoon's Vacation". The kick-off film, though, was "The Goonies". I've heard of it but never watched it and falls into the type of movie I might have watched if there was nothing else on TV at the time- back when I still had a TV. Then I heard there was going to be free popcorn so that kind of changed my mind. I figured I'd at least stop by to check it out because it would at least have been something to do. And for me, especially now, life is all about experiences and adventures- or "non-adventures", in my case.

The movie was scheduled to start at dusk but I thought with the sun setting so late in the summer days that they were actually going to start sooner than that. So I got there at 6pm and as always I was way too early again. But I grabbed a spot by the waterfalls and watched as they inflated this big almost-movie-theater-sized screen. Aside from the regular food carts around the Square, there was also a yogurt stand- Active Culture Frozen Yogurt- who were sponsors of the event.

People were already there or coming in and sitting on the steps or on the chairs and cushions they brought along with their blankets, pillows, snacks and other things to make themselves all comfortable. A family even brought along an inflatable mattress. I thought there was a sizable number there already since I didn't realize just how popular "Flicks on the Bricks" was but the Square got packed. There was hardly any room to move. Truly, Pioneer Courthouse Square transformed into Portland's "living room" as it is described by some people.

The movie didn't start well after 9pm- when the sun wasn't able to cast a glare on the giant screen. For 3 hours, I occupied myself by people watching, writing on my journal, and reading a book- and, eating popcorn, of course. The free bags were courtesy of Cricket, another sponsor, and they had enough for 2,000 people. I ate 6 bags waiting for the movie to start- and another 8 while watching. Naturally, that meant I broke my rule of not eating after 8pm but once again I didn't mind because it just completed the experience. Popcorn and a movie- they just go together like peanut butter and jelly.

"The Goonies" was a fun enough movie and everyone else seemed familiar with it already and had a fondness or affinity towards it. They were clapping and hollering and just enjoying themselves and the feeling was infectious. I'm really glad I came.

Block Party

The Craft PDX Block Party was a free community event put on by the Museum of Contemporary Craft. On its second year, it was also to celebrate the Museum's one-year anniversary in its new Pearl District/ North Park Blocks location- although it's actually been part of Portland's cultural landscape for at least 70 years.

Funny thing- I got my dates mixed up and I mistakenly waited in the park for almost two hours the day before the actual event. And there I was thinking they were being disorganized since they were still having to set up mere minutes away from when I thought they were scheduled to start.

Anyway, a craft block party was not what I was normally into but it was something to do on a Sunday afternoon. Boasting of lectures, live music, and art demonstrations, I decided to see what it was all about. The venue was held not only in the Museum itself but also spilling out into the streets on three sides of the building under tents to provide shade from the sun.

Out there, I walked by stalls where different guilds were representing a specific craft- sculpting, woodworking, weaving, and glass blowing just to name a few. There was also a place for kids to play with clay and make figures. Another area was reserved for making your own raku pots- a specific way of firing pottery which creates designs on the wares. Food carts were also lined up to provide nourishments for those who had more than a hunger for the arts and crafts.

I then went inside the Museum of Contemporary Craft. Needless to say, I felt out of place there as I knew nothing about art. I just looked at each piece, lingering longer on those that caught my eye for one reason or other. One of which was a collection by John and Robin Gumaelius. (Information were provided by pieces of paper next to each display and not from my inherent knowledge of artists and their works.) They made sculptures that were a mixture of bird and human forms. For example, the body of a bird was also a human head. They were definitely different.

Then there were these cool movable glass sculptures by Andy Paiko. One was called "Spinning Wheel" which was very elaborate in design. Another was "Balance"- a glass-blown scale. Mostly there were ceramic vessels- like bowls and vases but there were also furniture, jewelry, and some tapestries. A popular piece was of a bent over happy child with flowers stemming out of its butt appropriately entitled "Flower Child".

On the second floor was a retrospective exhibit of a Pacific Northwest artist named Ken Shores. What was cool was his "Feather Fetishes" display in which he combined ceramic sculptures with feathers to create something new and interesting.

I also sat through a lecture on the Museum's history that was commemorated by the publishing of "Unpacking the Collection". The curator and author- Namita Gupta Wiggers- was the speaker. While the lecture was comparable to being in class again- and it did kind of drag towards the end, I found it fascinating how deep people can sometimes get with art, finding meaning in what I'd call just very colorful bowls.

After that I went back out where a stage was set up and listened to the Scrambled Ape- one of the five bands scheduled to play throughout the day's festivities. Their sound was what I thought of as catchy funky music because I really can't describe music well either. But as put in better terms by one of the members, they played cartoon jazz which is exactly what it sounded like- a very fitting background music if Wile E. Coyote was chasing the Road Runner at that very moment.

All in all, the Craft Block Party was a very pleasant enriching experience. It was incredible that the Museum would hold a free community event giving people a chance to explore the world of arts and crafts when they normally wouldn't be exposed to those things. I was also amazed once again by how supportive and encouraging Portlanders were of their local talents and by how volunteerism really helped with the running of these kinds of events.

The History Boys

"The History Boys" by Alan Bennett won a Tony Award for Best Play during its American run in 2006. But like all things Broadway, I had never even heard of it. Then there were posters for a new production playing in Portland earlier this year and I was surprised there was a film version so I checked the latter out to see what all the buzz was about.



One of the reasons I liked "The History Boys" was because it shared many elements with another favorite movie of mine- "Dead Poets Society". Both take place in schools so the cast of characters center around students pressured to do well not only with their education but also with life in general. The students are taught by teachers with very eccentric methods of teaching and they all ultimately learn more than what's in the lesson books. And while "carpe diem" was the catchphrase for "Poets", the "Boys" had "pass it on". Yet for all their similarities, each movie was unique in its own way.



Another thing that made watching the film version such a treat was that the original cast that performed it onstage revived their roles for this movie adaptation. It made me wish I had seen the play but I did the next best thing by listening to the audiobook version of it. Although I would say it was more of a dramatization than just a straight out reading of the play in the sense that there were no stage directions being read out loud. (But I guess they don't really do that since that would be weird if they did.) It was just like having it all played out but with no visuals. This did cause some problems as you didn't immediately know the setting or if a special technique- like a flashback- was being used. I would say though the movie captured all the important moments- and the spirit- of the play and even managed to make it much more moving.

Fireworks and Free Chocolates

Riverfront was bustling with activity. People searched for areas to get a good view of the firework displays later that night and to enjoy the music from the Waterfront Blues Festival. Parties were being held in the many boats that were docked in the marina.

Even if it weren’t a holiday, I still would have been there because I liked the energy of the place and it made me feel relaxed and calm. Any negative thoughts I may have had seemed to temporarily be forgotten as I enjoy the scenery around me. I think it must be having the four elements of nature that does the trick for me. Basking in the heat of the sun, cooling off from the occasional breeze, watching the rippling surface of the river, green grass below and green leaves above, it's a perfect place for a picnic. Restaurants and shops also take up a strip of the esplanade.

It would be nice to live in this part of town. Or to have friends with boats to idly pass the afternoons drifting slowly down the river.

I'm glad I didn't pay for the festival since the music could be heard from blocks away in every direction and it's not like blues is my type of music anyway- although the admission was only $10 plus a donation of 2 cans of nonperishable food items to support the Oregon Food Bank.

I really hadn't planned on getting there so early but for the sake of festivity I decided to just wait it out to the end. A family of five set up camp to my right and a cordoned off area for a private party of festival staff and volunteers was to my left. I think it might be cool to volunteer for next year's festival.

The fireworks were naturally a dazzling display of lights. I liked the ones that reached higher than the rest and their burst was a wide range, ending in rains of twinkling stars. From where I stood, I saw fireworks being shot from two different barges- one stationary and the other moving down the river. Of course I could be wrong about that second part as I got distracted towards the end of it, not only because it had been going on for quite awhile but also because someone from the private party was passing out a box of chocolates. And sadly I broke my rule of not eating after 8pm but this was a special occasion- not specifically for me but in the sense that it was a national holiday- so I wasn't going to beat myself up over it. And, just a reminder, it was free chocolates. Free. Chocolates.

The Kite Runner

I finished watching "The Kite Runner"- a good enough movie but it just goes to show how much is lost between the book and the film. A positive thing that the movie had going for it was how it was able to skip the parts that dragged the book down especially the melodramatic incidents of the last chapters. It was also fascinating to learn through the bonus features how international the whole film project was from the cast and crew to the locale- Afghanistan was shot in China!



"The Kite Runner" is such a story about friendship, redemption and forgiveness that it was easy to get emotional while watching the movie but not necessarily because of the scenes playing out. My mind was going off on all kinds of tangents. It's sad that war and poverty is still so much a way of life. And, equally sad is how religion gets twisted to justify violence. And I thought of simpler times in general. Oh, nostalgia! The movie also made me wish I was more aware and in tune of my culture.

Murder on the Orient Express

"Murder on the Orient Express" is a movie I've been wanting to watch but was never really in the mood to actually sit through it. Old movies just aren't my style and this was from 1974. But once I got around to it, I found the film highly entertaining.

The movie is, of course, based on Agatha Christie's mystery novel featuring her famous detective- and my favorite- Hercule Poirot. When you've formed your own idea of how a character looks, it's hard to get into someone else's portrayal of them. However, Albert Finney played the part of Poirot well and even had the detective's famous moustache. The rest of the cast was very star studded. The names I was able to recognize included Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York, and Wendy Hiller.

The movie mostly stayed true to the book and without having it seem like a lifeless re-enactment of it. I think that's what makes any adaptation good- if it can retain the spirit of the original source but can bring its own interpretation and energy into it. The cleverness of the crime and solution was captured as well. I also enjoyed the small jokes I caught in reference to the casting like the reference to "Psycho" with Anthony Perkins' character's close attachment to his mother on this film.

According to the "making of" documentary, the movie was meant to be a throw back to old-fashioned glamorized filmmaking. With the cast, costumes and music, I think "Murder on the Orient Express" achieved its goal. In another bonus feature- "Agatha Christie: A Portrait"-, it was nice to see pictures of the literary legend in her later years. This movie just reminded me of how much of a genius she really was.

Volunteering

I figured that while I was still terminally unemployed, it would be a good time to check out what volunteering opportunities there were out in the world. Or, at least, in my immediate vicinity. I was hoping there'd be some at Central Library since it was close by and I was familiar with that environment. I was thinking I could check in and shelve items. I attended a meeting there last week to see what was available. I felt so old that day. I was surrounded by mostly teenagers and some were so young they had a parent with them for supervision. It lasted about an hour- going over some background information on the library district and the different areas in which to volunteer in. Unfortunately, there were no spots at that location but finding out about my work history, one of the coordinators suggested I check out the Friends' Library Store. So I did.

Friends is a non-profit organization run by volunteers that helps support the library system with its sales of not only donated materials like books, CD's and DVD's but also of greeting card, postcards, bookmarks, book ends, literary gifts, shirts, hats, posters, drinks and snacks. For such a small space, I was surprised they could fit all that in.

The interview went well. While my previous work experiences were impressive enough, I think what made them decide to take me was talking to one of my ex-bosses whom I was told said "great things" about yours truly. I'm not sure what the exact words were but it felt nice that someone would have "great things" to say about me.

I just finished my first day there even though I was practically doing everything I would have done working in a bookstore- but without getting paid. The highlight was definitely interacting with the customers. There was a nice lady, who was not only a reader but a booklover as well, and we talked about some good books we've read and even recommended some titles to each other. I missed those connections.

I enjoyed myself and am glad I've rejoined the ranks of the contributing members of society. I look forward to volunteering some more with Friends.

Starlight Parade

The Starlight Parade kicked off the annual Portland Rose Festival- over a week long celebration that included the Waterfront Village (a sort of carnival with rides and food booths), a fireworks display, Fleet Week, and the Grand Floral Parade.

I wasn't exactly sure what it was but someone described it as Portland's version of Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade. I was definitely curious and it had an interesting name. Many streets in downtown were closed off and spectators had set up camp on the sidewalks since that afternoon.

I found a spot by Central Library at about 8pm. Kids were enjoying themselves- running around, playing with light sabers and eating cotton candy- while the grown ups kept watch and talked amongst themselves. There was a sense of excitement and community all around.

It started with the Starlight Run- a marathon that runs the entire parade's route of 3.1 miles. At first I was wondering why some of the runners were dressed up as Dr. Seuss characters, clowns and why one guy was wearing a huge cardboard cutout of the Brady Bunch board with him taking the father's square. Apparently, it was also a costume contest for individuals and groups. The run was for all ages with kids running on their own, being pushed in strollers or riding on the shoulders of a parent. It looked really fun and something I'd like to do next year- sans wearing a costume.

As I was in a corner, part of the fun was seeing how the big vehicles would maneuver the sharp turn without running anyone over. Then there were those people who kept trying to cross the streets in the midst of a procession. I wondered where the homeless people went as there weren't any offensive smells.

Then there was the actual parade of lit-up decked-out vehicles, floats of various businesses and local clubs and associations, and high school marching bands and cheerleaders.

It didn't end until a little after 11pm. I'm sure the parade would have run smoother had it not been for the MAX trains that crossed the route. The weather actually held out (meaning it didn't rain) although a little on the chilly side. It was my first time watching a parade in its entirety and it was definitely interesting.

Mark Twain

I watched a film on Samuel Clemens a.k.a. Mark Twain. It was directed by Ken Burns who has made a name for himself with other acclaimed documentaries, most recently "The War". Told through photographs and Twain's own words with insights from scholars and writers, it was an enjoyable way to learn about someone who I was only familiar with through having read a couple of his books- "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"- as a schoolboy.

Mark Twain became a hugely celebrated public figure for his incredible way with words, using them not only to make people laugh- which he did so successfully- but also to explore/expose certain faults of American society. His private life was full of one heartbreaking loss after another and a rollercoaster ride of triumphs and failures. I was just in awe of the way he lived his life and the talent- especially his wit- that I can only wish to fraction of. He was an amazing man and I think deserves all the praise he gets. I will definitely be reading more of his works.

Library Events

Libraries are one of my favorite places in the world- as a reader, naturally, and as a saver. They have the reputation of being these ancient stuffy buildings with out of date books and stern librarians waiting around corners ready to "shoosh" you with the slightest noise from your lips. But that's not the case anymore. Not only do libraries have the latest releases in books and a whole array of reference materials but they also have the most recent DVD's and CD's ready for check out. They also provide computers with internet access and rooms to hold meetings and special events.

Central Library is one such library. I have already written about how beautiful and interesting it is architecturally but I have been lucky enough as well to check out a few of their programs and exhibits.

The library held a Portland Opera preview of "Aida". Opera isn't my type of music at all and it was for lack of anything else to do that day and with a bit of curiosity that I decided to check it out. I was glad I did for I had a surprisingly wonderful time learning a little history about operas- Verdi's in particular as he created "Aida"- and listening to wonderful performances. I was surprised how his music was familiar in that its been used many times in movies, TV and other media. It was amazing how powerful the voices were and incredible the effect it had on the audience, including myself.

Central Library also holds monthly exhibits in its Collins Gallery. In April, it was the Tears of Joy Theatre's 35th celebration of its puppets and masks. I particularly liked the Pinocchio, Aladdin, Greek mythology, and Arabian Nights displays. I was amazed by the craftsmanship and detail that was put into each one.

May's exhibit is dedicated to Pierre Lecure, a French poet who made beautiful books with the help of printmakers and other artists to showcase his work. I've always loved books but it was usually the words that captivated me so it was incredible to see the books themselves as part of the art. There were about 40 books in display. Different textures of paper were used ranging from rare Mexican bark and airy China paper. Each book had its own unique style and design and housed in different materials like woodcuts and in an ultra light balsa wood box. Often times the poetry themselves would complement the colorful collage of pastel paper or mirror the etchings made on the opposite page creating a sense of movement with the words. The opening reception on May 6th talked about Lecure and his works and offered refreshments not only of cookies, vegetables, cheese and crackers but also of very filling wraps.

I am looking forward to future events Central Library will be holding. The ones I mentioned were just what I've taken part in but it has also had swing dance lessons, writing workshops, computer and language classes just to name a few- and all for free. I think one of the smartest things anyone can do is to get a library card and take advantage of everything it has to offer.