Spark

Tuesday night I took my mom to The Belfry Theatre to see a show at their Spark Festival. A Festival of "new plays and new ideas". I took her to a play I have been looking forward to seeing for a while called A Brimful of Asha.  

The synopsis from the Spark website is: 

Real-life mother and son, Asha and Ravi Jain, each defend their side of this true (and very Canadian) story of generational and cultural clash. When Ravi takes a trip to India his parents decide it is the perfect time to introduce him to potential brides. Ravi is not sold on the idea of getting married-at least not yet-but Asha fears that time is running out.

I first heard about the show on CBC's Q with Jian Ghomeshi (my CBC boyfriend) and was completely taken with the idea. The interview with Asha and Ravi is wonderful and funny. And despite the cultural differences, Ravi and Asha sounded just like most Canadian mothers and sons.

The play proved to be every bit as charming. It is immediately brought to every ones attention that Asha (mom) is not an actress and doesn't intend to be one either. It is really 90 minutes of story-telling and conversation. The lights even stay up for the first 3/4 of the play making you feel like you are in their dining room. (They handed out Samosas to start and shook peoples hands as they walked through the door!).

This is by no means a review, but I really wanted to share the experience with you. What a fun play to take my mom too, while they talked about generational differences, parents always being right, and at one point Asha even stops Ravi mid story as he has absent mindedly leaned against the table and she makes him get up and find a chair! Obviously it had all been well rehearsed, but they were so charming and honest with each other (as only a real life mother and son could be) that it was easy to believe that this argument about marriage changes every night, and is fuelled by new fires.

Listen to Ravi and Asha on Q here:

Interview – CBC Radio – Q with Jian Ghomeshi – Ravi and Asha on Q

And this is what I wore  -->

This might be the bravest I've been out here yet. Its weird the amount of freedom living in a new place has given me in feeling like I can really be whoever I always wanted to be.

A year ago, you could not have convinced me I would wear a regular length top and leggings out to the theatre! But here we are. And I like it.

With jeans and a little more casual in the office.

The shirt is satiny and feels totally glamorous, even when paired with jeans. Matthew took me along to a lecture he gave at UVic yesterday and it was the first time I have ever been introduced to a University class as a theatre professional. So I was really glad I was feeling slightly more glamorous than most days.

Yesterday I was back to casual with a nice comfy half button down shirt.

It sort of feels like I am wearing the top half of a onesie and I like it, but the buttons at the top won't stay done up, so I feel a little as though I am "popping out". It's the first swap item that I have considered may end up in the next swap.

Today I am wearing another new top that I absolutely love, but I'll have to wait until Rob or Amber can help me take a photo of the back of it, because that's the best part.

Stay tuned.

Swap Into Spring Item #2

This sweater is going to become my favorite go to sweater in no time. It reminds me of the beautiful cable knit sweaters we see in the Irish shop that I both know I can't afford and feel guilty about not making myself. The yarn is the right amount of soft, it is the right amount of off-white. More cream then white really and the buttons are beyond perfect.

I will wear this sweater around the house, in the office out for dinner, with dresses and skirts, jeans and yoga pants.

Putting it on this morning was like putting on an old friend already.

Today I'm wearing it with my favorite yoga pants. Working in an office space with only one other person (who isn't all that concerned with what I look like) and rarely venturing out can slide into a slippery slope of too casual pretty fast. So I try not to let that happen. Besides, sometimes Matthew will ask me to come along to a meeting, and we have volunteers coming in that I should look professional in front of,  or I will have to run and see the girls at Intrepid, or someone will pop by for a visit. So while the office is already casual and I wear jeans every day (but try to dress them up with my amazing new every day boots and a nice top) sometimes its nice to not even do that. Since Matthew is out of the office on Fridays and I try to make Fridays a sort out the end of the week and the office day, I've declared casual Fridays around here. For myself. Since there really is only, me. But I try not to let those casual Fridays slide too far into, "I hope nobody sees me" Fridays.

Today is close to one of those. I didn't shower this morning. Until I moved out here and in with Rob I was mostly a night time showerer, but I am trying to change over my habits and get up with Rob, or shortly after him in the morning so I can have an hour to wake up and with my New Yorker, and who knows maybe this blog ;). The last few weeks I have been slowly transforming into someone that loves to shower and blow dry my hair in the morning and get ready for work. Something I've never really done. Work has been getting into a touring van, or opening up the Lodge and making coffee, or heading into a  rehearsal where I might as well be comfortable, or getting ready late afternoon to run a show... getting ready for a typical work day is a little beyond me. Rob tries to help by making me a cup of coffee in the mornings before he leaves. Then I feel so guilty about my cup of coffee steaming away done there that I have to get up. And he really does make the best coffee ;). I'm getting there, a day at time.

Up Close.

Here are some fun book related links to take you into the weekend! Rob and I have been on the go a lot for the last few weeks and I am really looking forward to a weekend of sleeping in and laying around with a good book and The New Yorker. You can see all of the things I'm reading off to the left now, including the blogs I'm addicted to. Do you like the new blog look?

CBC Bookies  --  For all my amazing reader friends who keep me in so many suggestions of books to read my library hold list has gotten completely out of hand!

And in honour of International Women's Day  --  10 Great Books For Girls and Boys

Now excuse me while I go buy all of these book for Lucy and Rosalie ;)

Also in honour of International Women's Day  --  Check out my song section for my favorite song about being a woman.

It's Ember's new favorite sweater too.