Hairdos:
Gleek has recently become much more interested in haristyles. I think this is in part because she is growing out her bangs and unless we fix her hair, they are constantly in her eyes. One day she fixed her own hair. She took a head band and plunked it on to her head sweatband style. Her hair was mushrooming out above the band and there were some straggling pieces of bangs hanging over the front. My offer to help her fix it was vehemently rejected. In fact I got to watch as she removed the headband and then painstakingly duplicated the hairdo while explaining each step in detail. I studied the final product again and realized that the style she had achieved was very anime.
On a different day I was the one fixing Gleek’s hair. But I had to follow her exact instructions. She instructed me to put two little ponytails in the front. These effectively kept her bangs out of her face. Then she had me put two larger ponytails in the back. She proudly displayed the style to her dad, who as a proper daddy, admired it. He then whispered to me that she looked like a squid. She did a little. Of course she also looked like a girl from an anime movie. She loved the look and wore it to school. I’ve yet to allow the mushroom-headband thing out of the house, but it’ll probably happen sometime. Next thing I know she’ll be asking me to dye her hair blue.
Shakespeare:
Last week I got to attend two Shakespeare plays put on by Kiki’s 6th grade class. The plays, Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing, were both seriously abridged. Unfortunately the truncation and the delivery of the lines rendered the plays all but incomprehensible to the grade school audience. I’m familiar with both plays and I still got lost. Gleek, Patches, and Link all got to watch with me. Fortunately I brought snacks and activities too help them sit still. They did love the slapstick bits. They laughed with hilarity for those. Shakespeare was a smart man to put the silly bits in with so much weighty conversation.
I didn’t care as much for the slapstick. I found my entertainment elsewhere. I watched all those self-conscious 11 and 12 year olds saying these lines and doing their best to mean them. It was particularly amusing to watch the dancing scenes. A dozen kids stomped out a waltz to the mellow tune of Christofori’s Dream while trying not to actually touch their dance partners. Also amusing was the moment when one boy came running in to announce the murder of King Duncan. He shouted “Oh Horror!” in tones of delight. Howard and I were hard put to not burst out laughing.
It is amazing to me that, despite my amusement and confusion, I still enjoyed the experience. The magic was in the excitement of the kids performing. Each and every one of the performers had spent hours learning the lines for 1-3 parts. They’d also all provided their own costumes. They spent weeks practicing blocking and gestures and light effects. They begged and borrowed props from parents, siblings, and neighbors. They had put in so much time and effort. They loved being up there performing. They were nervous and some of them forgot their lines, but they were there and they did their best. When time came for curtain calls I clapped my hands numb. I wasn’t clapping for the play. I was clapping for the performers who deserved every clap. None of those kids who performed will ever forget the experience. They will forever have an affectionate attachment to both Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing. Because they love two of Shakespeare’s plays, they may learn to love others. I am so glad that Kiki got to be part of this performance. I’m so glad that the rest of us got to go see it.
What roles did Kiki play? We read Much Ado About Nothing in my Shakespeare class this last Fall semester, and that was the first play we read. (And I read Macbeth in High School. Not to mention the fact that he was one of my favorite characters on the cartoon Gargoyles!) 🙂
What roles did Kiki play? We read Much Ado About Nothing in my Shakespeare class this last Fall semester, and that was the first play we read. (And I read Macbeth in High School. Not to mention the fact that he was one of my favorite characters on the cartoon Gargoyles!) 🙂
In Much Ado, Kiki played one of the bit parts. She had three one-sentence lines. In Macbeth she was the narrator who came on stage periodically to explain to the audience what happened in the parts that got cut out of the play. Her part was the only reason anyone was able to follow the plot of the play.
In Much Ado, Kiki played one of the bit parts. She had three one-sentence lines. In Macbeth she was the narrator who came on stage periodically to explain to the audience what happened in the parts that got cut out of the play. Her part was the only reason anyone was able to follow the plot of the play.
Anime hair style? Cute!
I just love your description of Gleek’s hairstyle. I also think it can look really cute.
Blue hair – aren’t there washable dyes that color? I spraypainted my hair green for a costume once (point of information – get the expensive hair spray/dye if you do this – it was water soluble, thus washing off when I sweated).
Anyway, how old is she? Is this a phase Kiki went through too, or is this unique?
Yours,
Uri David Akavia
Anime hair style? Cute!
I just love your description of Gleek’s hairstyle. I also think it can look really cute.
Blue hair – aren’t there washable dyes that color? I spraypainted my hair green for a costume once (point of information – get the expensive hair spray/dye if you do this – it was water soluble, thus washing off when I sweated).
Anyway, how old is she? Is this a phase Kiki went through too, or is this unique?
Yours,
Uri David Akavia
Re: Anime hair style? Cute!
She is six. I’ve a standing policy that once my children are 12 if they want to dye their hair, then I will help them do it. I’ll even help her dye it blue. But prior to the age of 12 the kids can’t sit still for the chemicals.
Kiki has never cared much about hair.
Re: Anime hair style? Cute!
She is six. I’ve a standing policy that once my children are 12 if they want to dye their hair, then I will help them do it. I’ll even help her dye it blue. But prior to the age of 12 the kids can’t sit still for the chemicals.
Kiki has never cared much about hair.