London: Books & Plays [Updated]

Why some habits are hard to regain and others so easy, I'll never understand. After a few days, the trip to London with my folks is digesting in a number of ways. So I'll try to break it down.

First off, as my habit, I loaded up on complementary reading material: Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby's memoir of his football obsession; Plays 1, the first collection of plays by Caryl Churchill, including Owners and Cloud Nine; and The Complete Plays of Sarah Kane. All of which delve into the not so pleasant aspects of the British psyche.

I managed to catch two plays: Titus Andronicus at the Globe and Enemies by David Hare (after Maxim Gorky) at the Almeida.

Titus, Shakespeare's money making blockbuster, lived up to expectations in this gory production. I've only seen this production and Julie Taymor's film, but both make me marvel at some of the soliloquays inbetween the horror... in contemplating grief and violence. The one major distraction was the awful bouffant mullets forced on Tamara's son's ..not quite fitting the otherwise predominant Elizabethan staging.

Enemies was searing with intense commentary on owners and the proletariat, and a nifty bit of metatheater, fitting for Hare's Stuff Happens, regarding the Iraq War, particularly the role in government to protect or exploit civilians. All sides seem tragic and disaster is prophesied. It was also good to get out of Central London as the Almeida required.

In a coda of sorts, I just read Korean filmmaker Park Chanwook's interview in Bomb by Esther Chae. Chanwook just closed a much heralded vengeance trilogy composed of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance. Chae mentions Titus among others as classic tales of vengeance and asks Chanwook to cite any Korean classics that deal with personal vengeance, to which he says there are none:

"We have tragedies related to war and colonization, but we don't have a culture where on expresses anger in an aggressive way. I didn't' have any literature to refer to. And I find it stifling that we don't have such traditions"

[Update] Ben Brantley must have been at my heels. The show I wanted to see but couldn't get a ticket for was Tom Stoppard's new play Rock N Roll that just opened. Brantley's review came out today. 2/3's down he give a mention of Enemies:

"What is to be done?" might also be the mantra of "Enemies," a new adaptation by the industrious David Hare of Maxim Gorky's 1906 drama of aristocrats and proletariats at loggerheads, which ends this weekend at the Almeida Theater.

Performed with naturalistic vibrancy by a fine cast directed by Michael Attenborough, "Enemies" oozes the juicy ruling-class angst, idiosyncrasy and moral paralysis associated with classic Russian fiction. But it also presents an array of ardent, revolution-ready factory workers. The more insightful of the fluttery aristocrats envy the workers their certainty. But it's telling that the uncertainty of the doomed upper-class characters is what feels convincing, and unsettlingly familiar.

No Title [a poem]

I’ve struggled with waltzes.
unable to block out
the iambs of heartbeats
or depart from
hurried spondaic steps
stepping on feet, and then
tripping over anapests

---

Hurray! Norm returned to the blogosphere, dropping a bunch of posts like peanut shells.

I [apple] You!

In a bit of geeky bliss, Apple sent out a number of valentines yesterday, one of which I was very happy to recieve: update 10.4.5. Quietly, I've had a new CoreDuo iMac for just over a week... and it had this little problem. But now it's fixed and all is forgiven. Now, who should the flowers go to?

My valentine to my parents was cobbling together a video conference, courtesy of the built-in iSight on my end, and my folks' video camera. True to Apple's reputation of simplicity, it really was as easy as their plugging in and turning on their camera. And, it was fun, though mom's behavior seemed to suggest she didn't quite believe what she was seeing.

Norm's Work on the Birth Certificate Project

My dad retired a couple years ago and now keeps a busier schedule by volunteering as "the recess dude" at the church's school, driving the van for the Memorial Blood Center, guiding tours at the Mill City Museum, and entering birth and death information for the Minnesota Historical Society. For this last bit, he was asked to write a bit about his experience, which I thought interesting to share.

I enjoy working at the History Center on the birth certificate index project. I've always been pretty quick on the keyboard and this gives me a chance to keep my fingers in shape. The MNHS staff members are so very friendly and appreciative of the work done by volunteers that it is a pleasure to keep coming back.

I've been interested in names for a long time. My name, Teigen, is a fairly simple name but people frequently get the pronunciation of the first two vowels wrong. Pronouncing Teigen is the same as pronouncing Heidi. “ei” in northern Germanic languages like Norwegian and German is pronounced “ī”. “ie” in these languages is pronounced “ē.” An example is Tietjen in German.

I know from my own experience how important it is to me to get my name right. I want to get the names right for all of the people whose names come across my view. One's name is an important part of who one actually is.

I think that a name is an integral part of a person's identity. My maternal family name in Norway was Larson. When the family came to the States they found it very confusing to find so many Larsons. The name was changed to the little village where they came from, Tjernagel. Coming from that little village in Norway was so important to them that they wanted to perpetuate it in America. (I've wondered why it wasn't confusing in Norway to have all of these Larsons.)

I knew going into the project, that Minnesota was a land with diverse peoples. I didn't realize how diverse our state is until several weeks of work on the project had gone by. Lots of people from many different lands and cultures came to live here. Their names are found in the birth records. That is very interesting to me.

There isn't a lot of time to reflect on the names that are entered. It is a pretty fast-moving project. Child's last name, first and second names, mother's maiden name, date of birth, and whether public record or not, doesn't take much time. Once in a while a few things catch my eye. The twins Harold and Gerald, and, Ana and Johanna made me chuckle. So too did the parents who named their child Easter Lillie.

The "no public record" or illegitimate births, though rare, usually catch my attention. What stories might there be in the lives of these women? The mothers are young, most often in their teens. The fathers and their places of residence aren't usually listed. Married mothers are listed "Housewives." The unmarried mothers are frequently listed as "domestics" or even "servants." What sorrow for those young women who most usually were born in another country not so many years prior to the record date.

One such birth occurred when the father was in France with the Army. Did the couple ever get together as a family when the war was over? Did the father survive the war?

In one county, I don't remember which county it was, the frequent deaths of infants in the great influenza epidemic are listed. Such records were not required by law, but in this county someone listed them. I didn't do any counting as a I might have done if I were doing a research project, but it seems to me that there were very high rates of infant mortality in those awful years.

-Norman Teigen

The Alpha and Omega of Star Wars: Charlie Ross

In 1977, I was adopted in April... and in few short months my parents would take me to my first movie: Star Wars. Last night at the TKTS booth, my parents bought my last Star Wars ticket: Charlie Ross' One-Man Star Wars Trilogy.

It was good fun, worth its discounted price and on par with downtown fare. Though there is a bit of feeling you're watching your nephew/cousin perform in the den, he does some things amazingly well (R2D2's whistles) and some subtly inserted commentary on the prequel trilogy.

It's amazing how much of the movie you project as you watch him, and you forget for a moment how bad Lucas' dialog is since Ross makes them so much fun. I was sad some great lines didn't make it ("I sense a great disturbance in the Force"," and "These aren't the droids you're looking for") But it made for a great hour of nostalgia. Bonuses were getting my picture taken with a storm trooper and the many life-size cardboard cut outs in the lobby... (mmm... Carrie Fisher as Leia)

It runs through December, full price tickets are $40, but TKTS had them for $23 including the service charge.

One Last Run To Get A First Run

I returned from the BWCA a day early, leaving me with a Wednesday night free. But the day before Barb and Nick finalized their purchase of a 27-year old Ski Nautique.

My dad, sensing the great timing, suggested that I go up with Nick for a final trip to the Lake and see the new boat. The timing seemed a bit tight for an early return Thursday morning and a 1030 flight, so Norman put on his thinking cap and came up this humdinger of an idea: Nick would drive me, him, and mom up to the lake, we'd ski for 3-4 hours, and Norm would drive us back down around 9pm. Crazy... like a fox.

We go going early in the afternoon and had pleanty of light. The Nautique took some adjustment, but was a clear improvement over the old Larson. Here are some pics of the afternoon.

[8/15/05 note: I've been pretty delinquent with posts, but I think getting this one out of the "draft" box will help out. So please come back, and often.]

Tired from choppy waters

I'm up at Lower Hay lake for a big family birthday party before heading to the BWCA. My dad and I drove up friday morning and I was in swimming shortly after. Infact I swam much of the morning. Then just as the sun was going down I went out skiing with my cousin Nick when the water was glassy.

The party was yesterday. We celebrated the 45'ers those born in that year and we had 6 of them to celebrate. The beer flowed, the potluck lucked, there were fire works, kareoke and a new announcement: my cousin Nick proposed to to his lady Libby.

This morning was quiet in the cabin and breezy on the beach. I did some striking of the party and then jumped in the water. Being so windy there are some whitecaps out today. It was hard going out and choppy staying still, but I certainly got back to shore quickly. I'm loving the swim noodles...plenty of bouancy but easy to relax in deep water.

I'll head back to Mpls tomorrow, go see my grandma, go to the new Walker, and get ready for the BWCA.

My travels work out that get to see all three of dad's sibs in one week. Aunt Barb came to NY, Dave lives at the lake, and Phil will be coming through Mpls to visit folks in Mankato. Plus I may see my mom's brother Dan when I see grandma Norma.

Summer Schedule for Irregular Blogging

I know my posting stuff about stuff has been slow of late and will be slow for the rest of July. But here's my dance card:

• Monday July 11-- I get to see my Aunt Barb, in town for the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians Conference
• Thursday July 14-- I fly to Minnesota
• Friday July 15-- I get to see Grandma Tostenson
• Saturday July 16-- Judy's (not a) Suprise Birthday Bash for all "'45-ers"
• Tuesday July 19-- Head up to Duluth en route to the BWCA
• Wednesday July 20-- Get in the water
• Monday July 25-- Wish Whitney a telepathic happy birthday
  
• Tuesday July 26-- Get out of the water
• Wednesday July 27-- Fly to New York
• Thursday July 28-- Go to work, resume blogging
• Monday August 1-- Greenwall Foundation Proposal Deadline, resume Warrior Abs, celebrate my birthday (shameless plug, I know)
  

As told by Norman Teigen: King Tut

There are stories my folks carry around that I don't think of until my folks lay one out. This is one from my dad. Hopefully this will encourage them to keep 'em coming.

Jason, I am sending you this story from the National Geographic
magazine re King Tut. Whenever I hear of King Tut I think of you.
You've probably heard this before, but about the time that you were
born [1976-79, sdt], there was a traveling exhibition in the U.S. regarding King Tut.

When you were born Judy and I wondered how the baby would be named.
Your loving cousin Sam suggested that you be named King Tut. King Tut
Tostenson.

That Sam. What a guy.

Best wishes to Holly and my guy Cole.

Cheers,

Uncle Norm

Digital Sainthood for Norman Teigen

The Seattle Post Intelligencer cartoonist David Horsey reports the results of their burning question of what the new Pope should do. Honorable mention at the end is my dad's suggestion:

There were plenty of other suggestions for what a new pope should do ranging from less fancy clothes for the curia to a new gym for St. George School on Beacon Hill (all politics is local, even church politics). E-mailing all the way from Hopkins, Minn., Norman Teigen offered this very novel idea: sainthood for Martin Luther.

Read it.

[Update: 23.04.05: I didn't see this complation of responses]

My Big Airplane Day

Today is my big airplane day, when my parents picked me up at the airport 28 years ago.

Last June I went back to Korea. It was more an opportunity to visit, and stay with Steve and Laurie, not so much as an emotional motherland trip, but more to take advantage of a visit before S&L returned to north America.

From my travel email:

Prior to coming my mother contacted Holt (my adoption agency) to schedule a time for me to see my file. There was also a chance to meet my foster mother, but she passed away about 5 years ago from cancer. I wasn't sure quite what to expect, but the file didn't have too much different from what we knew before: that I was left at the police precinct or box and placed for adoption.

What was interesting was that I was admitted to Bethel Won, the orphanage on June 2, 1976. Because there was no information about my birth parents, they essentially made a new birth certificate and estimated my age based on growth, and relative size of other children. Hence my birthday, August 1, 1974... give or take a few weeks... Interestingly, the post adoption services worker commented that my file was particularly verbose. Also of interest were two letters from my parents before and after the adoption.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ..., in fact, in a different theater

Raise your hands if you wait in a long long line for any Star Wars (Return of Jedi anyone?) These cats maybe in the wrong line but seen adamant against leaving!


[mom, dad, what was the name of the theatre in Des Moines we waited at?]

What a vanity search digs up

I'm perfectly aware of the vanity aspects of keeping a blog. This morning I googled "Sam Teigen" and "Teigen" to see if anything has changed. Happily <917> tops the "sam teigen" search and brought me back to this goodie, The Voice, posted online by Jose Nazario way back when Netscape was the hottest browser around. immer fragen warum!

I didn't fair so well in the "teigen" search, but turned up this gem. Plus this notice of BW, my grandfather's death came up prominently as is the Bethany College residence Hall named after him and my grandmother Elna. BW was the college's president from 1950 to 1970.

Using grafedia to host images

This is my mom. This is my dad. This and us:dad and I. This is whitney in 1981, this is sam.

Tostenson Motorsports

My cousin Jason Tostenson races in the summer and just sent a solicitation for donations. Last year he was the IMCA Sprint Car National Point Champion (2004). So with my benefits of support, perhaps I'll post racing stats here. Here's the IMCA Champion's page. Go team!

You can send your donation to
Tostenson Motorsports
PO Box 809
Gaylord, MN 55334

Norm's First Blog

Though the second blog, the iBlog got zapped, the first still persists. Perhaps Norm will return to that one. In any case, we all miss Norm's blogging.