La vie boheme

confused face.

Yesterday morning was the meeting for music teachers in my district/surrounding districts. Everyone was very nice. I introduced myself to the group and one man replies "New Jersey?! I was wondering what that smell was..."

I'm hoping this job won't be as scary as I'm feeling. There are a lot of extra events to remember and plan for as a music teacher. Get a bus for this, learn music for that, permission slips and chaperones for this, audition for that...

I took a nice nap in the day, and woke up to go to dinner and the opera with Gavin (his first opera aww). We went to the Tune Up Cafe which was exquisite. From the looks it would be average, but the food was unbelievable. I got a salad of arugula and goat cheese and candied walnuts and figs and amazingness. An old couple sat next to us and commented a lot...like how my skirt matched the tablecloth.

We took a drive around the countryside surrounding the opera because we were early. The sun was setting in the mountains and the sky and earth were all kinds of colors. We arrived at the opera to find the classy folk TAILGATING in their classy ways with wine and the like in the parking lot. One group of women was wearing all black dresses and had set up a table in the parking lot adorned with food and candelabras. No joke.

We were standing in line for standing room tickets when a woman approached us from behind asking if we need tickets. We explained that we're opting for the $15 standing room tickets and she goes "oh...ours are a little more hahaha..." Not more than a minute later she comes back and says "Ya know what? I'm gonna sell them to you for $15 because you guys are cute." We accepted and Gavin handed them $40.

We look on the ticket...we're in Row L...and they were originally $110 a pop. WIN!

La Boheme was beautiful. A fantastic set in the open air of the Santa Fe Opera. Each performer was phenomenal...believable and captivating. I longed to be up there. In the passion and the drama. The love story of Mimi and Rodolfo...the boyish playfulness of Shaunard and Colline...the lusty and fervent Musetta and her poor guy Marcello...even the connection almost anyone would have to the people walking down the street in the chilly Parisian air.

The ending is heartbreaking, especially after the more uplifting ending to Rent. I couldn't stop drawing all the parallels between Rent and Boheme. The characters, scenes, dialogue...it's all so linear. Until the end...womp womp. A beautiful evening.