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Jun. 25th, 2004 01:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drscottSince LJ has been so hard to use lately, I haven't tried to comment or do entries. This will probably be my last entry before leaving for Phoenix Wednesday.
Our houseguest Frans from Holland just left for the city, where he'll attend an opera and stay overnight at a hotel before heading back to Amsterdam. It's always enjoyable to have him visit because he is so widely read and traveled (knows six languages, has been everywhere.) Last night we talked about a book he is reading (in the original Afrikaans) about the Boer colony, its origins as a VOC (Dutch East India Company) enterprise, and the evolution of Afrikaans out of the original Dutch language. We ended up talking about one of the few operas I have seen live, Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites, a stirring story of French nuns guillotined during the Revolution - a cheery tale to say the least. From there we discussed one of his aunts, who had entered a convent of a cloistered order (no talking, no contact with outsiders, poverty, etc.) in the 30s and stayed there until her death, while family visits went from a yearly single glance through a briefly-opened curtain and some whispered talk to (in the 70s) eating meals together. He spoke of her wonder at being herded onto a bus to vote (and see the outside world for the first time in decades) when the Netherlands finally refused to send a special poll worker to take the votes of the convent residents.
While we're gone, our friend Erik (who also works at Sun, at least for a few weeks longer) will house-sit. He's just back from his assignment in Sydney, where he left a bf and an improving life. His cross-cultural skills (Japanese/English) will make it easy for him to find a new job, one hopes.
Phoenix will be my sixth Convention. I won't make any special effort to dance all hours, but will try to relax and enjoy the resort we're staying at (the Arizona Biltmore.) I see the high today was 108, so we'll probably spend time inside and at the pool. It will be fun seeing the Usual Suspects.
Our houseguest Frans from Holland just left for the city, where he'll attend an opera and stay overnight at a hotel before heading back to Amsterdam. It's always enjoyable to have him visit because he is so widely read and traveled (knows six languages, has been everywhere.) Last night we talked about a book he is reading (in the original Afrikaans) about the Boer colony, its origins as a VOC (Dutch East India Company) enterprise, and the evolution of Afrikaans out of the original Dutch language. We ended up talking about one of the few operas I have seen live, Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites, a stirring story of French nuns guillotined during the Revolution - a cheery tale to say the least. From there we discussed one of his aunts, who had entered a convent of a cloistered order (no talking, no contact with outsiders, poverty, etc.) in the 30s and stayed there until her death, while family visits went from a yearly single glance through a briefly-opened curtain and some whispered talk to (in the 70s) eating meals together. He spoke of her wonder at being herded onto a bus to vote (and see the outside world for the first time in decades) when the Netherlands finally refused to send a special poll worker to take the votes of the convent residents.
While we're gone, our friend Erik (who also works at Sun, at least for a few weeks longer) will house-sit. He's just back from his assignment in Sydney, where he left a bf and an improving life. His cross-cultural skills (Japanese/English) will make it easy for him to find a new job, one hopes.
Phoenix will be my sixth Convention. I won't make any special effort to dance all hours, but will try to relax and enjoy the resort we're staying at (the Arizona Biltmore.) I see the high today was 108, so we'll probably spend time inside and at the pool. It will be fun seeing the Usual Suspects.
