January 2006 Archives

Hiya!

Oh, I just learned that the Society for Creative Anachronism is having their largest local event of the year this weekend, called "Birka". It's Renaissance Faire & fighting, Jan 27 to Jan 28. See http://www.eastkingdom.org/event-detail.html?eid=1080. Manchester, NH. Medeival market place, food, costuming, fight tournaments. Draws 1000 people.

This weekend is the Dance Complex Winter Shared Choreographers' Concert, Jan 27-28, which I add mainly because not much is going on this weekend. But it's dance, and dance is usually interesting. I keep seeing this group advertised and have been meaning to go. Cambridge. 536 Mass Ave. 617-547-9363.
What happens when Ernest Shackleton tries to expore the Antarctic? Possibly the best survival story of all time. I really enjoyed the PBS documentary. Let's hope that Tom Crean - Antarctic Explorer, Jan 25 - Feb 11 is as good. Sugan Theatre Company, at the Boston Center for the Arts. Boston. 539 Tremont Street. 617.933.8600.
After a couple of years of coming up with nothing -- does anyone know if Chinatown Boston has a website? I figured out the mystery of Chinese New Year. It's a family event, not a public event, and that's why there's no street festival (at least not that I can find, and I called around) on January 29th, when it becomes the Year of the Dog. However, New Years goes on for 18 days. So interesting stuff is happening. For example Lion Dance at Peking Tom's, Jan 28 at 8pm. And special New Years' dinners all that week.
Also the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center New Years' dinner, Feb 17th. Dim sum, arts and crafts, silent auction.
I recently checked out the Rainforest Café, in the Burlington Mall. It's just a restaurant, but the place is full of animatronics, like Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse. Worth checking out if you are in the area.

Also, the "Winter Flea" is taking place this weekend. If you don't know what that is, don't worry about it.

Also, I have finally figured out skiing. I've been a skiier all my life, but my attitude is that I go just to have fun, not to do the most challenging trails possible. I spent a few hours studying New England ski resorts online and this is my wrap-up.

Johnny's Ski Resort Picks

Also, the Mark Morris Dance Company is in town this weekend, they're supposed to be awesome. Wang Center, www.telecharge.com. Jan 20th 7:30pm, Jan 21 8pm, Jan 22 3pm.

Hi there,

We are eagerly awaiting all the fesI amtivals that will be happening in the Spring. Meanwhile:

The Bad Ideas Competition is happening this weekend at the East Campus, a dormitory at MIT. Basically they supply the tools, hardware, and lumber, and entrants can make any damn thing they please. It's not open to the public but they are friendly and inclusive if you are geeky enough. The event is Friday 3pm+, Saturday, all day with a banquet at 7pm, and Sunday 3pm, then judging at 8pm and the Bad Ideas Ball at 10pm. Ideas will include a hot-tub trailer, pipe organ, sauna, and snowmaker!

The Greater Boston Antiques Festival is again happening Jan 21-22. See www.neantiqueshows.com. Shriner's Auditorium, Wilmington, MA. (781) 862-4039

Also, I just learned that some crazy person purchased the Workshop of Isaac Newton and it was transported here to Massachusetts. No, I am not making this up. Check it out at Babson College. http://www3.babson.edu/archives/museumscollections/sirisaacnewtonroom.cfm

Also, check out folk dancing, specifically Contra dancing. Contra dancing is a social dance that anyone can pick up quickly. Unlike ballroom dancing, the rules are lax and it's more about having fun than following a set form. It's a called dance. So every song has someone speaking out the steps that you should do. The steps are then intermixed in various ways. It no longer happens in Cambridge at the VFW... they have moved it to Medford. But they're still doing it at MIT. See www.neffa.org and web.mit.edu/fdc/www/contra.html.

Also, check out Renaissance dancing at www.renaissonics.com/h/main.html, and with a little web searching you can also find local Bulgarian, Israeli, Morris, basically any kind of folk dancing.

Or take a class in salsa dancing at Ryles or the Green Street Grill, both in Cambrige. salsaboston.com/club_script/reviews/BCCA-Brookline.html or Lessons: Mon 9:30, Green St Grill, 280 Green St, Camb. Thu 8:30 Ryles, 212 Hampshire St, Camb.

Or check out the Boston Poetry Slam, www.slamnews.com. Cambridge on Wednesday nights. Basically people get up and read poetry and are judged. It sounds really academic and boring, doesn't it. Then you realize that the reading are basically actors and they're essentially acting one-person mini-plays when they're reading the poetry. I saw a little at First Night Boston and seemed really interesting! So I am looking forward to checking this out.

This weekend's big event is Arisia, www.arisia.org, the biggest Boston science fiction & fantasy convention. Also anime, roleplaying, and more. I will be running a LARP called Dungeons & Dummies on Saturday.

Coming up in a couple of weeks, David Copperfield will be visiting Boston, Feb 3-5, www.davidcopperfield.com. Buy tickets now. Or check out Boston's biggest permanent resident magician, Le Grand David, at the Cabot Street Theatre in Beverly. www.legranddavid.com

Speaking of far off performances, Monty Python's SPAMALOT! is coming to Boston, Mar 7 - Apr 15 at the Wang Center, www.wangcenter.org.

Not a whole lot is happening in January festival-wise, but how about going rollerskating?

Oh come on, you know you want to! :)

Happy New Year. This is a tough week for me so here it is a little more sketchily than usual.

Check out the MFA First Fridays social gathering. Lots of intelligent arty types, plus a single scene too if you want that. Every first friday of the month, 5:30-9:30pm, free with museum admission, and you can get dinner and cocktails there. Boston, 465 Huntington Avenue. www.mfa.org

Steve Martin's play, "The Underpants", open at the Lyric Stage Company, 140 Clarendon St, Boston. www.lyricstage.com. It's a remake of an old play, with wacky comedy added.

Also over the next 3 weeks is the African American Theater Festival, which isn't really so much a festival (as in plaza, vendors, animal balloons, picnics), and more of a number of theater shows. I guess if they call it a festival it sounds bigger. Still, it's supposed to be good, and what else is happening in January. See www.bostontheatrescene.com.

Check out some of Boston's Comedy Clubs, such as Improv Boston (in Cambridge), or the Improv Asylum (in Boston). I believe the big one in Boston is the Comedy Connection in Faneuil Hall. The biggest comedians go there.

The MFA has a new exhibit on Japanese Ceramics.

Now would be a good time for some Spring Cleaning.

Learn to play the tuba.

Bonus event of the week (and month!): All throughout January, go to MIT for Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is basically a lot of classes and festivals and gatherings for the student body, but the public is generally welcome (except for the for-credit classes). Anime, glassblowing, dancing, mathematics, a ton of great stuff, check the website at www.mit.edu.