October 29, 2006

Yesterday, G and I went to see the wild green parrots in San Francisco. These parrots, the subject of a documentary film called The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, originally started out as a few dumped pets whose disillusioned owners found them too loud and squawky for apartment living. They were released, but instead of flying back to Costa Rica or getting eaten by predators, they got comfortable in the city, propagated, and now there are two hundred or so of them who get fed regularly by a smitten group of urban parrot aficionados.

They wheel and flock and scream, eat birdseed and bits of apples from people's hands, fight over the food in each others' mouths. The humans who serve them are "trained" by the parrots to come with food at a certain time. G took some great pictures, which I will put up here as soon as technology allows.

Last night, I went to see my friend Colleen ("Coke") Nakamoto, her husband, Bobby, and two other performers at Noh Theatre doing dances and dance-theatre pieces. mmm...the duet between Coke and Bobby was so vulnerable and strong as she danced while he played saxophone. About thirty of us packed into the tiny Noh theatre, sitting squished cheek to cheek. Coke's work was called "The Lamb" and dealt with love and sacrifice.

She interviewed a bunch of people, including me, for a video piece which accompanied the work. The video part malfunctioned, but the voices were heard on tape, which I liked just as well (although I never saw the video, and would like to eventually.)

Mostly I was ipressed with her courage and vulnerability--and Bobby's--knowing them, and seeing how vulnerable and honest and beautiful their connection is, and their willingness to share that in a performance which felt more like a sacred rite...