Humor – Or Not

We went to the Eisemann to see a comedian, Maria Bamford, who seems to have a good reputation. Neither of us had seen her but we figured we’d get some good laughs. Thank goodness she had another comedian opening for her – Paul Varghese. He had made it to the semi-finals in Last Comic Standing and well-deserved, because we found him extremely funny. So, we were very optimistic when the headliner came on. Unfortunately, the only thing we laughed at was the fact that the audience was laughing at her.

We’ve never seen such a weird performer from the way she talked, to the things she talked about. Nothing was remotely funny to us, but the audience was apparently made up of all her fans because they were roaring and the woman next to Barbara was slapping her knee in laughter. We guess that’s what makes the world go ‘round.

New Movie Locale – Haiti

Laura: Prior to watching the PBS documentary “Undiscovered: Haiti with Jose Andres,” I mainly associated poverty and earthquakes with this Caribbean Island. But this film changed and broadened my perspective. Chef Jose Andres owns 21 restaurants around the world and he’s visited Haiti more than 20 times since 2010. His excitement over the food, rum, people and place was catching plus I enjoyed seeing the mountains, clean beaches and lush forests. I l also loved how he tossed in historical facts along the way. Did you know that Haiti was among one of the first places that Christopher Columbus landed on and that it is the only place in the world where slaves overthrew their masters, beat off Napoleon’s army and established a republic?  My main takeaway after watching this film is that Haiti is a blend of Caribbean energy, voodoo spirit and African roots and, with the right itinerary, would be a fascinating place to visit.

New activity -Solo Violin Recital

Barbara: My significant other and I love chamber music and a performance was nearby so we purchased tickets, not knowing anything about the performer, Augustin Hadelich.  We learned that he began studying at 5 but when he was 15 was badly burned in an accident on his father’s farm and had to stop playing for a year. He is now considered to be one of the major violinists of our time. His performance was unbelievable and actually brought tears to my eyes at one point. He well earned his roaring applause and standing ovations and I feel so lucky to have seen him.