surf'n'turf

I almost hit a fish on my bicycle yesterday. I don't know how it got into the road, where it came from or anything, but as I was riding home from yoga I thought "Hmmm, that stick looks like a fish" and then realized as I almost ran over it (eeeeeewwwww) that it was indeed a real fish. It was by a "river," by which I mean basically a really big waste water ditch, but I can't imagine fish live in there. Anyway, how would it get out? Unless someone caught it and just left it in the road. Irrepressible, in my mind there is the image of a fish just leaping over the guardrail and landing on the road, but I believe that is just some sort of weird fantasy.
In other news, I have miraculously finished all of my gender reading for the whole week as of tonight. This is nothing short of a miracle. In addition to the Japanese article, there was our first piece of real drag theory, an excellent article about race and why exactly drag kings are so damn hot. I wish I could just copy my whole reader and give it to interested people, there is some great stuff in there. Anyway, I think I'm going to refresh my mind on Judith Butler, in case we get into an argument soon as to whether sex is also performative and not just gender. Or maybe I'll just be lazy for once, either way.

another me

I'm reading this pretty cool article about cross-dressing and androgyny in Japanese theater, specifically in the context of this particular very popular theater troupe of all women who perform as both sexes. A little bit like the opposite of kabuki, kind of, although there are also important differences. It's really interesting that, although the womens' performances reinforce stereotypes in their portrayals of men, they have also frequently used their performance or their subsequent actions as a subversion of dominant ideas. Anyway, this little poem is by one of the women who was a very popular male performer.

Today is my farewell party.
To love?
N-O.
Inside am I a man? A woman?
I strike a pose as one
and the other one grows bored.
Well,
when the next page is turned
another me.

stupid spiritual guidance

I got accosted by one of the krishna people today. I hate carrying my viola sometimes because everybody feels like it gives them license to talk to me about anything vaguely related to music. I can't tell you how many people have seen my case, asked what I played, and then told me for twenty minutes about how they played the tuba in fifth grade. Anyway, so this guy asks me if I know music is the soul of god or some such thing, and I recognized him, because several months ago he actually managed to talk me out of two dollars for one of those little books they hand out. So I said, "Look, I don't need one of your books." He pressured me, and asked for a donation, so I told him to leave me alone and let me walk on my way. He followed me, saying he was already walking that way, so I just turned around and went the other direction. Grrrrr. I just hate it when people won't just leave you alone, and it always seems like I get the ones who are really persistent. A few months ago, another guy with a shirt that said "Jews for Jesus" wouldn't leave me alone and kept asking me who I thought Jesus was. That resulted in another walk-away. It's kind of depressing, really, all these people who I'm sure think they are trying to help people, and maybe even have some valid things to say on occasion, and all they're doing is pissing people off.

weird

Did anybody else know that Ani covers a Dusty Springfield song called Wishin' and Hopin' on the soundtrack for My Best Friend's Wedding? That seems really strange to me. I wouldn't have expected her to pop up there.

draggin' ass

Well, to make up for the goodness of the first week, I feel really crappy today for no apparent reason. I have a headache, feel kind of nauseous, weak, just generally gross. I had my first drag class today, and I'm already worried it's going to be too much work for me to handle. We have a response paper (1 page) due Thursday, but I have rehearsals practically all day tomorrow and I don't know if I can focus enough to write one tonight. It's bad when you are already stressed out by the second class. But it still sounds cool, so I will probably stick it out. This is probably the last for-fun class I'm going to be taking for a while, and I want to make the most of it. There is a week on the syllabus called "Phallus Week." Now that's my idea of a good time.

soon the laws of gravity will cease to function

I've been riding my bike a lot lately, due to nice weather (finally!) and I've noticed something kind of strange. I always seem to be riding uphill. I know that this is completely impossible, as you can't ride uphill going both directions on the same streets, but the illusion is quite pervasive. Also, if it's windy, I always seem to be riding into the wind, even if I turn and go another direction. It's almost like Evanston is some sort of mini Twilight Zone.
Aside from that, the weather is gorgeous today. It's sunny and fairly warm but still with a bit of nippiness, and the sky is blue blue blue. People are out in their yards all over the city, undoing the damage of winter. At the entrance to the school, this whole big patch of grass is covered with purple crocuses today. I've never really appreciated spring before, since it doesn't really happen so much in Tucson and in Flagstaff it just means it's going to be incredibly windy for a while. Here, it is such a welcome relief after all the grey and coldness. Yay for spring!

holy crap

Whooo, I got in the Civic Orchestra, the one I was all stressed out about the audition for a few months ago! Which means that next year I'll have a real job (pays $6000, could be worse) and be stressed out beyond belief. I'm really excited, though, I've been daydreaming about doing this for years. I have to say my first week back here has been one of the better ones so far!