Hooray for you, Mari Sasano.

As some of you may know, my final paper for my M.A. was on Hiromi Goto’s Chorus of Mushrooms in the context of Joy Kogawa’s famous novel,Obasan. You’ve probably read Obasan at some time or another since it’s part of high school and university curricula, to teach students about the Japanese internment. As a work of literature, it’s also quite beautiful, owing to the fact that Kogawa is a poet. You’ll also remember descriptions of Naomi’s childhood house in Vancouver, which is strongly based on Kogawa’s own childhood home, seized and auctioned by the Canadian governmenr during WW2.

The house is still there, but the current owners want to demolish the house and sell the property, currently listed at $1.25 million. A B.C. historical society, The Land Conservatory, would prefer the house be preserved, serving as a historical site and a space for writers. They have only raised about $200 000, but the owners of the house are allowing until the end of April to come up with enough donations to save Joy Kogawa’s house.

Read more and donate here: www.conservancy.bc.ca.

Paul and I occasionally play in the Oh Susanna (http://www.varsconatheatre.com/ohSusanna/)house band. It’s easy and fun and we get to see the show for free.

Last night, they asked Paul to play a song at around 9 p.m. At about 9:30 p.m. he decided what song he was going to play. By 10:15 p.m., we figured out the bass part. By 11:30, we played it live.

It worked! Imagine if we had rehearsals!

Oh, the pain of being famous!

Most of the time I write my stuff quietly and forget about it. I keep getting cheques in the mail, so I figure everyone’s satisfied with my work, and very occasionally one of my editors will say so. Even more occasionally, someone I know will comment on something.

And then every once in a while: HATE MAIL. Someone sent this in:
“I will mention that Sasano’s writing has gone downhill. She keeps
using exclamation marks way too often, and for that matter, she comes across
like a Valley Girl Airhead, who’s screaming at other Valley Girl Airheads in
the tone of her writing. It would be a lot better if she toned it down.”

Now, I admit to using exclamation marks liberally when appropriate. Given the cheerleader nature of that particular column, it’s often appropriate. But Valley Girl? Nah. This person isn’t reading carefully. More like a Victorian hysteric (are there other kinds? Should I be more specific?). Despite this, it kind of hurt my feelings. Someone went out of their way to tell me I suck.

And it’s not constructive. If someone really wanted to make the world a better place, they would catch women who have badly-shaped eyebrows and discreetly tell them if they’ve over-plucked, or formed that awful, witchy hook shape. It provides a solution. If anything, I’ve gotten repetitive. That would be fair. There are only so many things one can do with a list.

On the other hand, a nice couple recognized me at the Big Flutes show and had so many nice things to say– that they admired the stylish and economical way that I write, and how I never talk down to people. They went to the concert because they’d read my article in Friday’s Journal, so I know now that whatever I’m doing has some effect! And the woman was a writing teacher, so it felt all the better.

In either case, I’m always relieved that people read the newspaper at all.

OK, I got 90. But bear in mind that it’s my JOB to see movies.

SUPPOSEDLY if you’ve seen over 71 movies, you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 188 movies on this list. Put your score in header and repost

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Boondock Saints
(x) The Mexican
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
Total: 7

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) Young Frankenstien
(x)AnchorMan: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
(x) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x ) 50 First Dates
( ) Jason X
Total: 7

(x) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( )Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Wedding
Total: 4

(x) Harry Potter
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
(x) Resident Evil I
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
(x) Donnie Darko
( ) Lilo & Stitch.
( ) Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch
Total: 7

(x) Finding Nemo
(x) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch (jim carrey)
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(x) Thirteen Going on 30
( ) I, Robot
Total: 6

( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(x) A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
( ) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
(x) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
Total: 5

( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) the Terminal
( ) the Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumb & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final destination 3
( ) Halloween H20
(x) The Ring
( )The Ring 2
total: 2

(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
(x) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
Total: 4

( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child’s Play
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) Bad Boys
Total: 1

( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
(x) Se7en
(x) Ocean’s Eleven (the original one)
( ) Ocean’s Twelve
( ) Identity
(x) Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled (again, the original– so good!)
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
TOTAL: 4

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( )Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Boss’ daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
( )Frailty
Total: 3

( ) Best Bet
(x)How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She’s All That
( ) Calendar Girls
(x) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
( ) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
Total: 4

(x) X-men
( ) X-men2
(x) Spider-Man
(x) SPIDER MAN 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x)The Others
(x) Freaky Friday (Jodie Foster!)
(x) Reign of Fire
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
Total: 7

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle
(x) Old School
(x) The Notebook
(x) K-Pax
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Boogeyman
total: 6

(x) Hitch
(x) The Fifth Element
(x) Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Episode II Attack of The Clones
(x) Star Wars Episode III Revenge of The Sith
(x) Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Episode VI Return of The Jedi
( ) Troop Beverly Hills
( ) Swimming with Sharks
Total: 8

( ) Air Force One
( ) For Richer or Poorer
(x) Trainspotting
( ) People Under the Stairs
(x) Blue Velvet
(x) Sound of Music
(x) Parent Trap
( ) Parent Trap Re-make
(x) The Birds
(x) The Terminator
(x) Terminator-2
(x) T-3
Total: 8

( )Empire Records
( ) SLC Punk
( ) Meet Joe Black
(x) Nightmare Before Christmas
(x) The Silence of the Lambs
(x) Sleepy Hollow
(x) I Heart Huckabees
(x) 24 Hour Party People
( ) Blood In Blood Out
Total: 5

(x ) Thirteen
( ) Manic
( ) American History X
(x) Deep Blue Sea
( ) George of the Jungle
( ) Canadian Bacon
( ) Big Black Titties
( ) How High
( ) The Jackal
( ) My Little Ponys Grand Adventure
total:

So, anyhow, we went to the opera as usual on Saturday. It’s been a pretty amazing season so far: the brand new Alberta-made Filumena, then the Robert LePage one. So after all the novelty and innovation of those two,La Boheme seemed kinda ordinary.

The sets were spectacular (requiring intermissions after Acts One, Two and a brief pause after Three),the singing was good. But I felt that the character development was poor, and sort of stereotypically over the top.

I guess I just want it all. Sorry, Puccini.

Well, technically I was already– little Alex is almost 3. But on Saturday evening, my sister calls. “Hi, I just wanted to tell you we’re on our way to the hospital.” She sounded pretty calm, considering. Then, while Paul and I were at the opera, I get another call during intermission. It’s my mom, announcing the birth of a 8 pound, 10 oz boy. Later, June leaves me another message, “Hey, it’s a boy–well, I guess we already knew that, but his name is Brandon Satoshi.”

Hooray! And way to go, June, for being the toughest birth-giver ever. Up and at ‘em,minutes after it was done! Sorry no pictures yet. My camera was out of batteries. Soon…

These guys crack me up. Do I have children? No. Do I personally enjoy these shows? No.

But they are hands-down the best interviews I ever do. Always prepared, always on time, and up for anything you throw at them– children’s entertainers are charming, quick witted, and kind hearted. They make me want to be less crabby and judgmental. I want to be cooperative and learn new things too!

Take, for example, Deedee Doodle, the pink Doodlebop (I know! I had no idea who they were either!). The Doodlebops are a Monkees-like rock band for preschoolers, and they have a show on CBC. Deedee called me (on time and ready!), in her squeaky voice, no attitude, polite and enthusiastic. She was totally in character the whole time, and totally cute.

And a couple weeks ago, I talked to a woman named Heather Bishop who is a lesbian, feminist, anti-racist, anti-homophobic folk singer who happens to sing for kids once in a while. And she was totally awesome. We talked about activism and education, the harmful effects of TV, and songwriting for kids. She made me feel like she was genuinely interested in what I had to say, and really considered her answers instead of just regurgitating some press releases. It was a great conversation.

I’ve also talked to one of the Wiggles (the blue one? I forget), Judy and David, Al Simmons, and countless playwrights and directors of various kids’ shows. These people are adults, but there’s something about working for kids that makes them engaging and sparky and hilarious when they’re hanging with the grown-ups. They really give us 100%.

So gimme a children’s entertainer over some sullen, 20-something indie rock band with nothing interesting to say any day. Hooray for kids’ performers!