dancing

I saw the amazing Akram Khan yesterday, in his one man dance performance "Desh," which means homeland in Bengali. It was a meditation in dance and drama on roots, heritage, dislocation. I thought about Jasmine and Niru, my friends from Bangladesh, who should have been there but would not be able to afford a ticket. The production made gorgeous use of video projections on a scrim, amazingly beautiful music by Jocelyn Pook and great sets. Very intense, very powerful.

After a few minutes of non-stop motion, Khan's rubber body and face were covered with sweat; after half an hour, his shirt was soaked through. But the guy in this wonderful video makes it look effortless. I want to dance with him.

Man with Awesome Dance Moves will Amaze You

And a word - about stores. The big Sears in the Eaton Centre is shutting down. Last week, I was getting a drive home from a dinner party and when I stepped out of the car, I must have dropped my black beret on the ground. My one essential for fall, winter and spring is a black beret; I have every other colour, but black is best. So I had to find another. Happened to go by Holt Renfrew - a tiny one for a lot of money. The Bay - brown and red, but not a single black beret. "We must be sold out," the salesgirl said, though she'd managed to buy one herself.

Sears at the Eaton Centre - a two foot high stack of black berets for $16. A few years ago, I bought my washer and dryer there, my vacuum cleaner; I've bought jeans, makeup, clothes for my mother. It's one of those old-fashioned stores that sells reasonably-priced everything.

And soon, gone.

As will, soon, our mayor and our prime minister. LET US PRAY.

Here's a superb article by Paul Krugman of the NYT about the reasons for the Republican war on the poor. Now spreading to Canada.

OP-ED COLUMNIST A War on the Poor BY PAUL KRUGMAN