A Contemplative in the City...for 25 more days and counting

So, if I end up moving when I am planning to, I will be leaving Washington D.C. in just 25 days. Wow. Some friends and relatives who used to live in D.C. have told me that I need to make sure that I take advantage of all that the city offers...because when you live here often times you start to take for granted all of the cultural opportunities that surround you.

I think that I have at least tried to take advantage of many cultural activities here in our nation's capital, but as I realize how quickly I will be leaving town, I begin to think of the myriad of things that I have wanted to do while living here, but never have gotten around to doing. Funny how drastically your perspective changes when you are preparing to life a place or a certain stage in life. There are dozens of museums, restaurants, and parks that I still haven't made it to. While I would love to think that I could at least hit up a few of these attractions, the fact of the matter is that my time will be quite limited as I prepare to move. Perhaps though, I can fit in an excursion or two as I take a break from packing or planning.

In any case, I anticipate that my blog will take on both a nostalgic tone as I reflect even deeper on my experiences here in D.C., as well an eager anticipatory tone as I look toward my ensuing adventure.

And what will become of my blog after I move? Somehow, "Contemplative in the City" won't fit quite so well. "Contemplative in Music City"? maybe so...but perhaps it will take on a much different flair all together. Stay tuned.

Thoughts on the movie "Last Train Home"

I knew today was going to be a rainy, chilly day in Washington D.C., and I thought it would be the perfect day to see a movie in the theaters.

I have been wanting to check out the E Street Cinema, a Landmark Theater in downtown Washington D.C. that shows independent films, documentaries and classic films. I enjoyed my first trip there today, and thought it was a very nice, pleasant theater...much more sophisticated and less rowdy than your typical "pop" theater. (Their snack bar includes an espresso bar...very cool).

I looked up what was showing and decided to see the film "Last Train Home" with my brother and a friend. This is a documentary film about a Chinese migrant family and the sacrifices, struggles, and hardships that they endure in order to support their children as factory workers. While the parents work thousands of miles away in the city at a grueling, crowded clothing factory, their son and daughter live in the farm with their grandmother who raises them and sees that they are diligent with their studies.

The story particularly focuses on the coming of age of the rebellious teenager daughter whose bitterness towards her absent parents drives her to runaway from her studies in the country and seek her independence as a factory worker herself. Meanwhile, the parents struggle with their guilt and sorrow at the sacrifices they have had to make in order to provide for their children: they have to slave away in the city and only can see their children once a year during the New Years Holiday. The utter chaos and desperation that these migrant workers experience is exemplified most starkly during their journey back to their families. The movie is titled "Last Train Home", because every year during the holiday 130 million migrant workers desperately wait and struggle to get train tickets back to see their loved ones in the countryside.

This movie is poignant and painful to watch as it depicts the deplorable conditions in which these migrant workers must live, and the sacrifices they have to make in order for their families to survive. It also depicts the tension between generations, each with their own ideas of success and independence. The parents in this family are focused singularly on how well their children do in school; for them they see education as the only way for their children to live a better life. But their harsh expectations for their children undercut their ability to communicate love and affirmation that their children desperately need.

A very chilling, but eye-opening documentary, this film is definitely incredibly thought provoking. It begs the question, at what cost does the Western world obtain so many of it's commodities? What can we do in the midst of such realities and such injustice?

The cinematography of this film is stunning. The panoramas of China's rural countryside are just breathtaking. The shots that emphasize the color and tranquility of the country are expertly juxtaposed with the dark, dank shots of the cities to exemplify the contrast and interdependence of the two worlds.

More than anything, this film portrays the way that this economic and social system in a communist China tears them apart, and the struggles that they face when piece their families back together during the one time each year when they are reunited. As one of the migrant workers on the train says, "We are away from our family all year long. If we cannot spend the holiday together, it would be pointless." So we are shown the sacrifice it takes for these migrant workers to make money for their families, while at the same time seeing the heart wrenching cost that this separation itself requires.

City spots: M.E. Swings Co. Coffee Roasters

Since I have lived in D.C. for three years now, I have definitely found many restaurants, cafes, parks, nooks, and crannies that have come to be my "favorites" for one reason or another. Perhaps every once in awhile I will feature one of these "City Spots" on my blog.

M.E. Swing Co.

flickr/ by tvol

Today's feature? M.E. Swing Co., Coffee Roasters on G Street, not too far from my work or the White House and Eisenhower Executive Office Building. I have always been a fan of discovering local coffee shops, for both their charm and their home-brewed coffee taste. Although I can enjoy coffee from Starbucks, Caribou, Panera, etc., I much prefer supporting a local establishment and find their coffee is often more flavorful.

M.E. Swing Co. has both the quaint historic ambiance, as well as truly amazing coffee. The coffee shop began in 1920, in it's original building on E Street, which at that time, also housed a large German roaster that was used to roast hundreds of pounds of coffee every day.

As M.E. Swing Co.'s website describes their rich history:

"The coffee business boomed in the Roaring 20’s, which saw D.C.’s E Street corridor filled with fashionable stores, soda fountains, restaurants, and clanging streetcars. Throughout the Depression of the 30's, and then the difficult war years, M.E. Swing continued to roast delicious coffee. By the 50's, Swing's Coffee was practically a D.C. institution. Congressman, ambassadors, senators, and the professional and working people of Washington came regularly to buy Swing's fresh-roasted coffee beans. As the decades passed, Swing’s has become a D.C. tradition, passed down from parents to children.

The now legendary Swing’s Coffeehouse was opened in 1994 at 1702 G Street, across from the historic Old Executive Office Building. Swing’s at G Street is filled with the original mahogany and mirrored fixtures, vintage burr grinders, wooden coffee bins, and counter-weight scales that graced the Mesco Building on E Street. Today’s M.E. Swing Coffee Roastery, located in Alexandria, VA, still operates classic German roasters, with the same craft and artistry as before, continuing the Swing’s tradition to this day. "

This coffee shop continues to be a "DC establishment" to this day. When I head there for an afternoon cup of Joe during my lunch hour, the line is often out the door, 25 people long. Lots of white-collared young professionals, government employees, and even White House special police officers frequent the joint. It really is the place to be.

My favorite coffee? If I'm ordering out, a soy latte is my beverage of choice. They also sell coffee beans by the pound, and yesterday I bought a pound of their chocolate raspberry blend. Mmm, it's just scrumptious. Almost good even to make me excited to get out of bed in the wee hours of the morning.

Definitely the next time you head down to the Capital area on a weekday (their shop is only open business hours), you must stop in and have the M.E. Swing experience!

Living Room concert with Rosie Thomas

Rosie Thomas at Quincy House

Last night I went to a concert that probably goes down as one of my favorites. Rosie Thomas, an indie singer/songwriter gave a concert at the Quincy House - a house of Catholic guys not too far from where I live. It was really neat to attend a concert in such a small intimate setting. There were probably just over 30 people or so there.

I was introduced to Rosie Thomas through Pandora, and loved her simple, whimiscal songs and how she gets to the core of life, love, and loss in her pieces in a very relateable way. Many of her songs have a definite underlying tone of melancholy and saddness, but as she said at her concert, they also carry with them threads of hope. I think some of her songs about searching for love and searching for her place in the world really have resonated with me and my current state in life.

Although I went to the concert expecting to hear good music, I left the concert with so much more - I left feeling very inspired and encouraged, both as a young woman and an artist.

Rosie is a delightfully down-to-earth musician, eager to share her story with her audience, and to talk to them as long lost friends, rather than distant fans. From the minute she introduced her show, I was impressed at how real she was, and how much simple wisdom she sought to share with us.

It was very sweet, because her guitarist is now her husband; I believe they got married about two years ago. It was neat to watch them playing together, and to hear her talk about the ways that they complement and complete one another. What a beautiful witness to marriage. But she was talking about how when she got married, one of her fans came up to her and asked, "Aw, Rosie, are you still going to write sad songs?" She thought about it for a minute and then explained that, yes she would. She went on to say that even though marriage is a beautiful thing and she is so blessed to have found her soul mate, there are still going to be times of hardship. That's just life. You are always going to have struggles, and challenges, and loneliness. There is always going to be difficulties, and so yes, she was still going to be writing some sad songs. Her fan was grateful. She said, though, that despite the sad tones of many of her songs, she also sought to impart a deeper message of hope. Hope despite the sadness in life. I think this is why her music is so brilliant. We can all relate so well to the cries and wonderings within her songs, but there is still an underlying redemptive seed within them. And this, essentially, is what the Christian journey is all about.

Guitarist, Jeff Shoup and Rosie Thomas

Another thing that really inspired me about her performance was the way that she imparted her love for her art, and her love for using her art to touch people. She talked about the things that bring her joy, and she said "being vulnerable and transparent in my music" in order to touch people brings her a great joy. It made me think about how vulnerability and transparency is often an essential part of creating art; it's about revealing deep parts of yourself, your insecurities, your hopes, your fears, and your dreams to the world through a particular medium. It can be a little scary at times to be so open and honest. But in the end, it is that vulnerability that creates a bridge to other seeking souls and strikes a chord within their own personal experience. And in the end, this is incredibly fulfilling to use your art to speak truth.

I could go on and talk about many of the other things she shared between her songs, but I think I will leave it at this, with the lyrics of one of my favorites of her songs. She reassured us that this song was a testament to the fact that even when you think you will never find true love, it can happen after even after a long time of waiting, doubting, wishing. A lovely witness to hope.

All My Life

I've been waiting all my life
I've been waiting for you to come
I've been traveling and wandering
Alone on my own for too long
I swear I tried to convince myself
It would be much easier being alone
But after running circle after circle
I'm tired of being on my own
I've been waiting all my life
I've been waiting for you to come
I've been traveling and wandering
Alone on my own for too long
I wish I could have met your brother
I would tell him how much I am in love
I swear I'll ask him question after question
Confessions about you growing up
I thank God for blessing me
Well beyond I could have thought
And reminding me of how good life can be
When you let yourself fall into his love
Cuz I've been waiting all my life
I've been waiting for you to come

This weekend's cultural city excursions...Normal Rockwell exhibit

This weekend I was able to take advantage of some of the city's cultural opportunities, including going to a Norman Rockwell exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, entitled "Telling stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg ."

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing some of Norman Rockwell's sketches and paintings up close. My family owns at least one Norman Rockwell print which used to hang in our kitchen, and I remember seeing various other Norman Rockwell artwork on plates, mugs, and prints in the houses of my relatives when I was growing up. His style and depiction of American life is just so distinct, quaint, and iconic. Rockwell really did have a great gift for capturing the emotion, meaning, and values in scenes from normal, everyday American life. His ability to depict facial expressions was one of the things that I found most impressive. Some of the expressions on his subjects literally made me laugh out loud; the viewer truly enters into the emotion that each painting conveys.

My favorite work in the exhibit was actually a sketch entitled "Charwomen in Theater" The following image is a painting of the same composition.

Norman Rockwell, 1946.

The sentiments in the sketch were very sweet to me -- the sketch depicts two cleaning ladies that work within a theater who have stopped for a moment and look curiously at the theater bill, anxious to read about the latest performance. To me, it's a testament to the ability that art has to touch all people, rich or poor, manual laborer or aristocrat. All men and women have a thirst to experience art which adds beauty to their world and depth to their day to day work.

A few of the other works that I especially enjoyed were "Coming and Going" (depicts the scene of a family coming and going in the car from a family vacation), "Boy Reading Adventure Story (the librarian in me loves the way that this depicts the ability of books to widen one's imagination), "Couple in the Rumble Seat" (shows the excited woman and terrified man's reactions as they ride in the new fangled automobile), and "Happy Birthday Miss Jones" (depicts a teacher's reaction to her students' birthday surprises for her). All in all, it was certainly a delightful exhibit and made me want to learn more about Norman Rockwell's paintings and the stories behind them. Check out the online exhibit if you get the chance, here!

theater, faith, and truth

For the past several months I have been developing a renewed interest in theater, and scheming of ways to attend more theater productions. I have always enjoyed theater, especially musicals. Growing up I was in a few plays, including some homegrown productions of American Girl plays, musical theater camps, and a high school musical. I have also always enjoyed acting; maybe it has something to do with my ability to create impersonations or dramatic interpretations of everyday events to my friends and family. In college this was one interest that I really didn't have time to dedicate time to, although I attended a few theater performance.

Perhaps having friends, and now co-workers, who truly enjoy the color and inspiration that the theater brings over the past year have encouraged me to rekindle my interest in this art form. And then there was going to Broadway. In December a few friends and I took a trip to New York City, and it was my first time there. What was I most excited about? Seeing a show on Broadway, of course! It was so exciting to see the iconic Broadway theaters throughout New York - with all the lights, glitz, and famous musical bills posted on buildings. My friends and I saw the musical "Finian's Rainbow", which was just delightful. The acting was excellent, the scenery was exquisite, and the music was rousing and heartwarming. It was definitely one of those very uplifting performances where you left with a smile on your face, humming the tunes in your head for days. Musicals, although most times are unrealistic and sometimes borderline cheesy, have a way of doing that: bringing you out of your troubles, current life challenges, and daily struggles, and through song, dance, and acting, bringing you a sense of optimism and hope that truly touches you. Because I so interested in the Broadway legacy after seeing a Broadway show, I started watching a documentary series on PBS about the history of Broadway, called Broadway: The American Musical.

Although I have only watched two of the six volumes, I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far, as it weaves a narrative of how American culture intersects with the arts throughout the late 19th and 20th century.

As I have been gaining interest in theater over the past couple months, I have been thinking that it would be a lot of fun to be in a theater performance again. I am not sure where I would find this opportunity again -- perhaps in a community theater, but since I don't have a car yet, that's not really an option for me for a few months. It's a fun opportunity for me to think about, and I think I would enjoy acting and performing again.

Through my recent theater attendance and research, I have been convinced that there is something unique in theater that compels the human heart, speaks to it, and inspires it. I think that this can be experienced by both the actor or actress in the show, and the audience watching the show. However, even when thinking about it, I couldn't quite put my finger on how this art form uniquely communicates beauty and Truth to man. While surfing the internet, I was excited to come across this website, The Blackfriars Repertoire Theatre, which apparently a theatre in New York City which was started by Dominican Friars, and continues to "produce plays that reflect the spiritual nature of man and his destiny" as well as "produce high quality theater of all kinds that edifies, uplifts, entertains, and inspires."

On this site, I found a fascinating article by Father Peter John Cameron, O.P., that explains the reasons why theatre is such a poignant art form, and it's ability to uniquely challenge and inspire men and women. This article is entitled "The Role of Theater in the Evangelization of Culture," and brings together the thoughts of Hans Urs Von Balthasar, John Paul II, Monsignor Guissani, and a few pivotal theater figures and their commentary on the value of theater for evangelization and human inspiration. I would highly recommend reading this article if you too enjoy theater and the arts. It will encourage you to watch and participate in theater in a new way.

In closing, I will share one of my favorite quotes in the piece

"Von Balthasar notes that 'theatre owes its very existence substantially to man's need to recognize himself as playing a role.' Christ, who reveals man to himself, as actor reveals the contours of the role of the human 'I' in the human drama."