Coming Soon: Totem by the Cirque du Soleil and Special Offer

That's it, I got my tickets for opening night: one for my mom, two for my girls, two for hubby and I. The Cirque du Soleil show Totem runs from October 28 through December 18, 2011 in San Francisco, a grand appetizer before the holiday craze. It'll be staged in a big tent by the AT&T Park. As I'm going to review the show on Frog Mom, I'm lucky to score 2 tickets and I get to share a 20% discount with my readers. Savvy?

Discount
When ordering your tickets, click on this link and enjoy a 20% discount off the general admission price. That's substantial savings given the price of the seats. Hey, you get to enjoy more popcorn! Or get the music CD to take home. Or both.

The Show
Obviously I haven't seen the show yet but my first thought when I saw the poster was "OMG, they're doing Avatar on stage?" That's what it looked like with the trees and the blue and the water and the guy dressed in green. It was a bit I-see-you-ish.

Then I read the synopsis: "TOTEM traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage evoking a giant turtle, the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations. Inspired by many founding myths, TOTEM illustrates, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of species. Somewhere between science and legend TOTEM explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential."

Ah, so there is Avatar potential! But mostly there's a big WOW potential. The only show of the Cirque du Soleil I ever saw was Corteo in San Jose in 2006 and I was amazed by the grandiose decadence and extravagance of it all. My daughter was 3 years old then and absolutely not old enough to appreciate the many facets of the show but she still enjoyed the lights, the sound and the music.

This Friday, I expect nothing less than to be impressed.

What I Want To Know About This Show
What will I look for in Friday's show? Obviously, I want to know what's an appropriate age for kids to attend so you can take your whole tribe. I also want to know if it's scary, if it's funny, if my girls will want to run out the door or if they will be transfixed on their seats. I want to know that adults enjoy the show to the fullest, that it's complex yet accessible, that the music is as good as I remember it, that the overall quality of the show explains why people keep flying to Vegas to see O.

Most of all, I don't want to get bored and I don't think I will. I hate it when there are dull moments in a show and I'd like this one to make my heart beat fast like a James Bond movie.

Answers? Next week. Totem, I'm ready!

Welcome to the Storybook World of Versailles

The Queen's Hamlet. Photo by Frog Mom

Was Marie-Antoinette the first celebrity mom to implement the farm-to-table concept? While the Château de Versailles is better known for the glitzy Hall of Mirrors or the imposing King's bedchamber, the northern end of the park conceals a hamlet of thatched-roof cottages surrounded by vegetable gardens where the queen's farm supplied veggies and dairy products to the royal children. Savagely destroyed during the French Revolution, the Queen's Hamlet has been slowly massaged back to health and is now a hot spot on the Versailles circuit.

Marie-Antoinette. Chateau de Versailles

After a long day of shopping in Paris, I took the car and did my girls a favor by taking them to this enchanting world where ducks, pond carps and baby goats are now resident royalty. Despite the imposing lines at the front of the castle, this hamlet was near empty and provided a much appreciated breath of fresh air. The best part? We rented a small electric car to get to the hamlet from the castle.

Inspired by the village at the Château de Chantilly, Marie-Antoinette asked Louis XVI if a country escape could be built for her children. From 1783 to 1785, architects and small hands were hard at work, digging a lake, planting vineyards, building a fully functional dairy farm. Of the 12 cottages that rose from the ground to house and entertain the queen and her entourage, only 9 remain today.

Vroom vroom. Photo by Frog Tadpole

Though 12 seems like a small number for a castle as big as Versailles, the hamlet was never meant to be the court's country club - much on the contrary. You strolled the alleys of this village by invitation only and it had to come from the queen. So there. What you see today is an exclusive country getaway, one that was meant to be shared with family and friends and whose happy hours lasted only four years.

We rented our electric car in front of the castle and my girls giggled as we made our way down the wide alleys, around fountains and along cobblestone roads to the Petit Trianon. The little car is so silent and slow it was like an oversize toy - definitely a plus for kids. We parked at the Petit Trianon, exited to the garden and followed gravel paths along a creek. Soon the first buildings emerged between the green foliage of the historic garden.

"Girls, check this out!" I yelled. Surrounded by the storybook cottages, the lake is a lovely sight. My mom sat on a bench and we tried to figure what the building behind us was.

The Mill - Le Moulin. Photo by Frog Mom

"It was the mill," a man replied. I looked at him. Dressed elegantly, he talked behind an uneven row of crooked teeth. "Come, I'll show you" he added. Turns out he was one of the castle's guides.

With a name like that and a water wheel, I figured the mill must have been used to grind grain day in day out. Not so. Ironically the Mill was a house whose rural attributes were purely decorative. "Everything's ruined inside," said the man, "It's not even safe to go in." Too bad, a peek would have been nice.

The Queen's House. Photo by Frog Mom

The queen's house with an elevated walkway and a billiard room was the masterpiece of the hamlet. Lavishly furnished, it featured a dining room on the ground floor, a guard room, a game room and a parlor upstairs. "We even hosted a small private party here last week," confided the man, showing a wooden door. A private party at the Queen's hamlet? Wild images popped in my head, dancing on the soundtrack of Sofia Coppola's Marie-Antoinette movie. Wow! I wanted to know more but the man politely changed topics to talk about the condition of the buildings.

Spiral staircase of the Queen's House. Photo by Frog Mom 

Though the Queen's Hamlet has been an integral part of Versailles since 1784, it was abandoned after the French Revolution and restored 3 times before opening to the public in 2006. Yes, a few centuries of time out will leave a building pretty depressed. The spiral staircase of the Queen's House looked strikingly fragile. "It's broken," observed my 6-year old. "They should take better care of it."

Sweetie pie, if you only knew. They are taking good care of the buildings but they'll need more piggy banks to save it from further degradation. "You see the low walls in the garden over there?" asked the man, "they trace the footprint of the destroyed cottages. The plan is to rebuild them." Aw, that's good news.

The Dove House. Photo by Frog Mom

We arrived in front of a darling house with a creeping wisteria surrounded by a sea of greenery, cabbages, chards and beets. "This was the dove house," he explained. Literally this building is where Marie-Antoinette kept chickens, pigeons, roosters and doves. Nowadays, it would be an upscale chicken coop. Oh the sweet life of a feathered breast!

We kept going and the man asked, "Have your daughters seen the farm?" When I said no, he urged me to go now. "It's now an educational farm for the city's school children. On the way, peek inside the milking barn. It's still furnished." I knew I must not keep the man captive so I thanked him for the tour and we headed for the farm.

Inside the milking barn. Photo by Frog Mom

Next to the Marlborough Tower stood the milking barn. Well, barn, you see what I mean. This is Versailles, not Kansas. The only piece of furniture I saw was a big white marble table. Technically, milk was not pasteurized and treated in this barn but in a neighboring building that has since been destroyed.

The existing milk barn was a tasting room where the queen and her children enjoyed fresh milk out of white china pitchers and cups. Though the original marble table was smashed during the revolution, this faithful replica was rebuilt under orders of Napoleon. What a fantastic table! I want Pottery Barn to make one for me.

Happy goats. Photo by Frog Mom

Beyond a patch of vineyards and a green tunnel, we reached the farm. Big fat rabbits hopped in the underbrush, safely sticking close to their wooden pens. Inside the farm yard, my 6-year old squealed, "A piggy!" A plump pink pig was slouched on a comfy bed of straw. My 7-year old ran to pet a donkey. The old man was right, this is where kids belonged.

More animals grazed peacefully, such as these goats, cows and a couple of horses. There's definitely something to be said about being a school kid in Versailles! Not that the Hayes Valley farm isn't cool, but this is another world.

The pond's hungry carps. Photo by Frog Mom

After a little roaming around, we came back to the lake and saw the same man glancing over someone's shoulders under a bridge. We got closer. "What's going on?" I asked. He grumbled. "It hasn't rained enough this year." He showed the water lilies. "The lake's level is low, the lilies have taken over the lake and the fish have multiplied." He shook his head. "Eeew!" said my girls. True, the sight of so many gaping carp mouths was a tad gross.

"We want to go back to the electric car!" said the girls. I looked at my watch. Oops, time to come back home. "Let's go girls!"

The Grand Canal. Photo by Frog Mom

We found my mom on the same bench, gazing quietly at the lake. "How was it?" she asked. It was so nice. I'm glad I waited an hour in line to rent this damn electric car. It was well worth the wait. We hopped back in the car and came back to the castle, admiring the sun glow on the grand canal where visitors rowed their boats. Summertime, and the living is easy in Versailles.

Practical Details

• Best time to visit: any day but Tuesday and Saturday. Tuesdays are busy because Paris' national museums are closed, and Saturday is bad because it's Saturday. By the way, Versailles is closed on Mondays, January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.
• Hours: until October 31st, 9am-6.30pm, after October 31st, 9am-5pm.
• Electric car rental: the fleet only features 27 vehicles so show up early to grab one. Phone number for info: 01 39 66 97 66.  Driver needs to be 23 years old or older and you need to show a driver's licence.
• If the electric cars are all gone: First you cry your eyes out. Then you decide to use your legs and walk through the gardens - it's good for your blood pressure. Or you decide to hop on the "electric train" - the kids should like that better than the "good for your blood pressure" argument.  
• Tickets: you don't need a ticket for the castle to visit the Queen's Hamlet. You'll need to buy a ticket for the gardens (skip the general entrance, follow the gates to the garden's entrance) and a second ticket for the combo Petit Trianon + Hameau de la Reine. If you insist, you can buy a ticket for the castle but please, please, please, do it online! The lines are depressingly long and all these people all want to get in. 
• Kids under 18 are free.
• Museum Pass: buy a 1-day, 3-day or 5-day Museum Pass and get unlimited line-free access to 70 museums and buildings around Paris, including the Chateau de Versailles, Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Sainte Chapelle. Pretty sweet deal.  

Visit the Olmec Exhibition at the De Young Museum

Colossal Head 5. Photo: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes–
Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia–Mexico–Javier Hinojosa

The masterpiece of the Olmec Exhibition at the De Young Museum in the Golden Gate Park is Colossal Head 5 - 13,000 pounds of solid volcanic basalt carved by hand between 1200 and 900 BC. Visiting this exhibition with children is a fantastic way to introduce them to lost civilizations, a romantic and fair view of what happened to the mother culture of Mesoamerica.

Way before the Mayas and the Aztec, the Olmec civilization developed a complex society, invented a writing system, farmed the land, and learned to extract latex from the rubber tree. Olmec means "rubber people" in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec. Then for unknown reasons, the Olmecs vanished into thin air. Pfft, gone. With mysteries worth an Indiana Jones movie or two, the Olmecs are a kid's riddle dream. I took my girls and they came out fascinated and puzzled. Who were these people?

Archaeologists study a monumental stone head discovered
at the La Venta site in Tabasco State, Mexico. © Richard
Hewitt Stewart / National Geographic Stock

"No, we are not going to see real Olmecs, they are already dead" was the first thing I heard as we faced the Colossal Head 5 at the entrance. That was a grandmother taking her toddler grandson around the sculptures. It's important that kids understand that they are viewing a slice of history and one we don't know much about. If you expect big paintings showing daily life with the Olmecs or wax figures dressed with feather tops and pectorals, you'll be disappointed.

The exhibition displays mostly sculptures, with the exception of a few ceramics, and can be a bit dry on the "alive and kicking" aspect. What we did with my husband - and the wandering grandmother did the same - was read the labels first, then translate them in kid-friendly terms to the children. In most cases, this was easy because the art is so figurative and creative.

Zoomorphic vessel in the form of an opossum.
Photo: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes–
Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia–
Mexico–Javier Hinojosa

Take this zoomorphic figure shaped like an opossum. "Look mom, a pig!" exclaimed my kindergartner. Precisely what I like to hear. She certainly didn't get the animal right but to her -and to the little toddler grandson too - it looked like a pig and she could relate to it. "It's cute, I like it," she added.

The displays in the opening rooms include a few of these sculptures representing fish or birds and it's fun just to walk around and ask children what they think it is. Since the animals are easy to recognize, that gives you a good opportunity to speak about wildlife at the time of the Olmecs. I wish the interpretive panels included more explanation about the Olmecs' daily life and how the sculptures may have been used, but if you take the audioguide (which I didn't), it probably gives you more background.

As you progress, you'll see that the Olmecs mixed human and animal creatures from land and sea to create supernatural beings. A greenstone pectoral reminded me of the tiki jade pendants from New Zealand, with its oversized head and thick lips.

Hollow-baby figure holding a ball.
Photo: Joseph McDonald

When my girls recognized a serpentine statue as a baby, they both both pointed to it like they were in familiar territory. Olmecs babies were like ours - good, now we can rule out the outer-space theory. A baby figure holding a ball confirmed the feeling and we moved on to a room that shows how ceremonial axes were buried in dirt chambers and how they were excavated. That part didn't resonate as much with the young ones, though I loved getting a sense of where the artifacts were discovered.

Actually that room did drive a point home with my girls. In the following room we saw a half-kneeling figure with high-waited belt and bands below the knee. I think the label indicated it was excavated. "They made this and then they hid it, why?" asked my kindergartner. Good point - why were the figures buried?

Nobody knows for sure and that's part of the excitement. Discovering the Olmecs has been a huge archeological work in progress since the 19th century when a Mexican farmer found the first head in his field - and probably freaked out at the enormity of the head. For the anecdote, David Hatcher Childress, considered by many to be the real life Indiana Jones, wrote about the Olmecs as the greatest mystery of North America. So here, mystery and more mystery to come.

Offering 4 (group of standing figures and celts).
Photo: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes–
Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia–
Mexico–Javier Hinojosa

The next display proved to be another puzzle. This group of standing figures surrounding a leader and celts was buried in white sand. "They look like surfboards," said a guy next to me, and I could see his point.

This was the only display that showed a group of people engaged in an activity and as such, captivated my kids' much like a doll or figure display would. It was a scene and scenes speak to a child's imagination.

Advancing we reached a standing figure called Monument 19 which my 2nd grader called the headless horseman. Two seconds later, my kindergartner exclaimed "But mom, it's broken!" Ha ha moment. What, the museum didn't glue the pieces back? It was fun to see the indignation and to explain how old the pieces were - that some had been intentionally broken by people and that we were lucky we found any of the sculptures at all.

Monument 9 (Twin II). Photo: Consejo Nacional para la
Cultura y las Artes–Instituto Nacional de
Antropologia e Historia–Mexico–Javier Hinojosa

The sculpture that inspired the best comments was a contortionist in an extremely flexible position with feet on his head. My oldest said "I can do that!" and I barely stopped her before she got on the ground to wrap her feet around her head. "It's the basket position, we do that at school," said the youngest. Their reaction showed, once again, that they could relate to a pretzel-yogi guy past the rock barrier and the centuries.

In the last room, roller seals looking like carved rolling pins inspired a little chat on whether or not the Olmecs could write (apparently they did) and how my kids thought this seal could be used to mark a document.

The cherry on the cake came in the form of a History Channel documentary that made me cringe at times but which showed the lands where the Olmecs originated, and included archeologists and museum curators interviews. My girls watched it twice and particularly enjoyed the images where Mexicans are dressed as ancient Olmecs (but then, it confused them too because they asked me if they were still alive. Sigh) For a less simplistic view on the Olmecs, the BBC featured a series of 5 episodes called "Secrets of the Ancients."

One sentence in the movie summarized the Olmec mystery pretty well and stuck with me "We just don't know." A fitting conclusion to a Sherlock Holmes incursion in time. Why don't you take your kids to the exhibition and find out? Kids have their own way to approach ancient art, whether or not we adults know anything at all about it. Reward them with tarts or chocolate mousse at the De Young Cafe and call it a day.

Olmec: Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexico

• Dates: February 19, 2011 - May 8, 2011
• Location: De Young Museum
• Ticket information: $25/adult, $22/seniors 65+, $21/students, $15/youth 6-17, free for members and children under 5. Get a $5 discount if you buy your tickets online in advance.
• Hours: Thursday through Sunday - 9.30am - 5.15pm, Friday 9.30am to 8.45pm, Monday closed.
• Adress: 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco CA 94118. Phone 415.750.3600
• Website: http://deyoung.famsf.org/
• Upcoming events: check the calendar here.

Review: Shrek the Musical rocks the stage with a few quirks

 

Fractured fairy tales give Shrek its quirky charm. Photo courtesy of SHN

"You're seven, Happy birthday! Now it's time to go away," sang Papa Ogre and Mama Ogre to their young Shrek, before telling him to hit the road and watch out for nasty people who'll hate him for his ugliness. "Every princess gets locked in a tower," said the king and the queen to their 7-year old Fiona, taking her to her prison with a cute kiddie suitcase where they packed her a "dollie" so she could wait for her prince. Now that was a kickass opening sequence! If only the rest had been as irresistible, Shrek the musical would be the best musical I've seen with the kids this year.


When Donkey steals the show. Photo
courtesy of SHN



On Wednesday, I was invited to see Shrek the Musical at the Orpheum Theatre as part of a mommy blogger event. To gather age-appropriate feedback, I brought my very own little Shrek-xperts: my two girls ages 5 and 7 and a little friend age 7. Impatience was palpable in the audience at 2pm and when the show started, all voices shushed immediately.

Two and a half hours later, this is what the 7-year-olds (grinning from ear to ear) had to say/yell to me: "That was awesome! It was so fun when Shrek and Fiona farted and burped at each other!" Proving the point, they tried to burp at each other. The 5-year-old went "Princess Fiona is so pretty" and sighed, cupping her hands and rolling her eyes.

 I was happy but deep inside, not entirely convinced. Here's what I think: this show is great for older kids. It's obvious the 2nd graders, the post-Captain Underpants crowd, enjoyed it. They talked about it at school the next day and were thrilled they met Shrek at the end. However it was too long for my 5-year old who almost fell asleep before the intermission. I wasn't that grabbed either at the end of the first act. I felt it dragged on and on and as a spectactor, I wanted either more acting and less singing or less of everything.

Princess Fiona's Pied Piper Rats dance is one of the best
moments of the show. Photo courtesy of SHN

The beauty of the movie is that it's 90 minutes long. It's action-packed, plot-driven and scandalously funny. The musical is 150 minutes long. Even substracting 15 minutes of intermission, that's 45 extra minutes of dance numbers and new songs that are not all that catchy. The show is redeemed by Broadway-quality singing and the biggest variety of moving sets I've ever seen but I still wish the show had been tightened more. Then it would have been perfect because the execution was fantastic.


Call me naive but I thought that Shrek the Musical was going to be a stage version of the movie. Sure, it's that and when it transcribes the movie on stage, it follows the script to a perfect T. However it also has an entirely different musical score, surprise twists, added scenes and that came as a surprise to me. I can't believe I was surprised, it's a musical for God's sake! Except for the song "I'm a believer," all songs are new. Some are A+ good - "I Think I Got You Beat," "What's Up, Duloc?" - but others are simply not my cup of tea - "Story of my Life," "Travel Song". Obviously there's a lot to say in favor of seeing musicals you already know (hey, easier to sing along), but I don't think I'll get the music to this one just yet.



Lord Farquaard is deliciously mean and egocentric. Photo
courtesy of SHN



Now the good news is, the "new" scenes are actually better than the original storyline. I loved when Princess Fiona danced with the rats of the Pied Piper or when Donkey sang with the three blind mice. All that rodent business was a riot. My girls loved "I Think I got You Beat" and all kids around me were in stitches when Fiona and Shrek exchanged loud burps and farts. Never underestimate the power of potty humor! The gingerbread man animated puppet was really well done and the tiny crooked legs of Lord Farquaard made us giggle each time he moved. I'll take that back: until the actor got up from his knees and my 5-year old looked at me in shock. He's a real man with real legs?? Wow, she was certainly surprised.

Donkey-dragon romance only happens in fairy tales.
Photo courtesy of SHN

Indeed, the four main characters (Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Farquaard) survived the passage to stage very well. They even transcended their movie personae. Donkey sometimes steals the show - just can't help it, it's a great lovable character. Shrek is irreverent and generous, Fiona is funny and complex, and we love Lord Farquaard mean goofiness. However I can't say the fractured fairytales characters did as well. To me, the three bears looked like humans dressed up as bears. I wish we hadn't seen their faces because it made them not very believable for me. Not that the kids cared, by the way. They loved the Sugar Plum Fairy. And the wicked witch. And Gingy the gingerbread man. This morning at breakfast they were besting each other over "Yes Shrek's face is made of rubber!" None complained about this so take my words with a grain of salt. I bet the kids would love seconds of Shrek the Musical any day.

Have I mentioned the sets are unbelievable? I've hinted at it but I'll repeat it louder. The sets are super ingenious and move around so well you believe that the characters actually walk though the forest to get in front of the castle. I had no idea how they were going to render the gazillion backdrops of the movie and I was really impressed. Hats down to British set and costume designer Tim Hatley for impeccable scenic and costume design. That itself was worth the show.

Since kids are the target audience, I'd like to finish on what they liked most. No contest, it was the song "I'm a believer" at the end of the show and I agree on that. That song absolutely rocks and there's no better sendoff for a Shrek musical. All spectators stood up to clap, some danced and everybody smiled and sang along. Judging by the smile on kids faces in the lobby, I'd say it was a rousing success.

Go see Shrek with the kiddos!
Thanks to the Weekend Sherpa's e-newsletter, I can share a way to get tickets half price. Reserve your seats for just $49.50 (regularly priced $80-$99) by using the promo code 4SHREK at checkout. The offer expires on December 18th so don't delay. Get your tickets here.

And subscribe to the Weekend Sherpa's newsletter while you're on it. You'll get the inside scoop on lots of Bay Area places. It's easy, it's free and they know the Bay Area like the back of their hand. Sign up here.

Want to know what the kids thought? Check out this video put together by SHN:

The Great Dickens Fair is open - get in line for the bangers & mash!



Theatre at the Dickens Fair includes spectacular costumes - and a good dose of humor! Photo by C. G.

 Where can you get the following for $20? Musicals, children's theatre, puppet shows, toy parades, folk dancers, Christmas carols, 700 actors in period costumes including children - all in 3 acres of re-created Victorian London streets? Think explorers clubs, antique bookstores in alleyways, tea houses, London docks with pirate cove, parlour games, traditional English pubs and a man-powered carousel. Where then? Why, at The Great Dickens Fair of course! If you have never attended this San Francisco holiday tradition, run to the Cow Palace in Daly City and catch up on fun because it's a real treat and the rumor goes that even in Britain they don't have a Dickens Fair quite as nice. I, for one, haven't skipped a year since 2004 and that's all my kids talk about all year until we go again.



Lovely faeries at the Christmas Pantomime - Photo by C.G.

 The folks at the Dickens Fair are not early birds - the fair opens its doors at 11am. So when I go, we show up early to find street parking and quietly make our way to the doors. At 11.01am sharp we're inside and enjoy the waltzing dancers of Fezziwig's Dance Party until the Christmas Pantomime is minutes away at the Victoria & Albert Music Hall. Last year we saw Aladdin &Cinderella Meet The Monkey King and we're going for seconds this year because it was plain hilarious.

The Gilbert & Sullivan show is also a great family performance because it's an hour-long redux of a longer actual musical - with great singers and sets. After a few years of Pirates of Penzance (our favorite so far), the Gilbert & Sullivan is now The Mikado with the delightful Yum Yum.

Between shows, we roam the streets of London and this is what we never miss because a Dickens Fair wouldn't be complete without them:
- The Candy Machine. Do your kids love the eggs & sausages machine in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? This one starts with a balloon, darts and extreme skill! Once you pop the balloon, watch the crazy mechanism bring your child a candy cane - through many a ladder, slide, catapults and more. Love it!


The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is fun for the whole family!
Photo credit: Raymond Van Tassel

 - The Safari Carousel. Carousels date back to the 18th century. Back then they were just chairs on rotating arms. The first "horse and carriage" style carousels started appearing in the 1870's. The Dickens Fair's Safari Carousel draws long lines so get there early. A man clad in colonial attire pushes the animals where kids are seated and tells a fantastic safari adventure - with drum beats and fantastic finale. Kids get a great kick out of the man-powered effect.
- Boot the Cat. This one is so unPC, it's wonderful. Kids sit on a couch, grab a black boot and try to topple the cat on the fence. Great use for boots for which you've lost one foot.
- Children's Painting Garden. Oh we try to steer our kids away from this one but it's mission impossible. They just love painting a ceramic ornament to hang on our tree. Of course it weighs a ton and makes the trees' branches droop but they don't care - and now they're family keepsakes we cherish despite the kitsch factor.


Punch & Judy delight young audiences - Photo by C.G.



- Punch & Judy puppet show. Like there's no Renaissance Faire without grouchy Mr Punch and his pesky wife, there's no Dickens Fair without the pair either. Our kids love to watch the puppets quarrel and laugh at their antics. It reminds them of our French Guignol puppet character.

- Christmas Carols and the Paddy West School of Seamanship. Nothing says holidays like a bunch of Victorian ladies singing carols or rowdy sailors singing sea chanteys.

 Other than that what can I add? If your stomach is growling, you'll find delicious chicken pot pie, comforting bangers & mash, full-on turkey meals, fish & chips, pastas and sweet treats to tempt even content appetites. We love grabbing a paper bag of warm cinnamon crunchy almonds, they're so tasty when still warm. And for beer lovers, the Dickens Fair is trying something new this year. On December 12, the fair will host a BJCP-registered homebrew beer competition! That's on top of the absinthe and ale pubs. However, if as a true Englishman you want your beer served room-temperature, you may have to order it when you get in in the morning. In California, we still serve it chilled, even at the Dickens Fair!
 
Details:
http://www.dickensfair.com/
Days & Hours: Friday, Nov. 26; Weekends, Nov. 27 - Dec. 19, 2010, 11am-7pm
Admission: Adult/General Admission: $25; Senior (62+) / Student / Military: $21.00 (photo ID required);Children ages 5-11: $12.00; wee ones under 5 are free! 
Buy discounted tickets online before December 5 here
Parking: parking on site, street parking around the Cow Palace; free shuttles run every 20 minutes from Glen Park BART station.
December 11 & 12: Steam Explorers/Nemo’s Feast Theme Weekend

Alcatraz Island's Historic Gardens: Uncover the Real Flower Power of the Rock!



Alcatraz Island with the fog rolling under the Golden Gate Bridge - Photo by C.G.

"You break the rules, you go to prison. You break the rules of the prison, you go to Alcatraz." This anonymous quote welcome you in big block letters at the ferry landing on Alcatraz Island. The maximum security penitentiary added the loss of freedom to cruelly gorgeous views on the vibrant city of San Francisco where city streets were abuzz with life. Escaping the rock became on obsession for these men. That, and for a few others, hosing down daisies. 

View out on the bay - Photo by C.G.



Alcatraz is not just a famous prison visit. If you want to see Alcatraz through a different lens, board the earliest ferry on a Friday or Sunday morning and visit the gardens of Alcatraz. They'll tell you the story of 150 years of human occupation.



When we got to Pier 33 for the ferry, we really felt like tourists. Not just because we were going to Alcatraz - something most San Franciscans never do - but because of the lines. On that odd sunny and warm September day, hundreds were swarming around the pier, browsing brochures, reading guidebooks, and checking their watches.



Succulents on the dry slopes of Alcatraz - Photo by C.G.



Finally our ferry was announced and we walked along roped lines, smiled for the compulsory "I've been there" Alcatraz picture with a sunny backdrop, and hopped on board. Everybody rushed to the upper open  deck. We found a nice table downstairs with four chairs and enjoyed the ride. Fifteen minutes later, we disembarked. It felt good to escape the crowds. 



Visiting the gardens of Alcatraz was part of the plan for my family hiking guidebook and a ranger had told me roughly where to find the group. We hurried along the ramps, got to the prisoners gardens too early, backtracked and found the docent leading 50 people and holding old photos of the gardens. I didn't realize how popular this tour was!

Docents in Civil War-era costumes in the gardens - Photo by C.G.

At the sign for the Officers Row Gardens, the docent removed the chain and we walked down steep stairs to a lovely rose garden where Dame Constance and her niece Samantha awaited us, in Civil War-era costumes under lacy umbrellas.

What a great surprise to get my girls to listen to some garden history. Their presence really brought to life the gardens.

Dame Constance explained how the dirt to plant the gardens had been carried in buckets from Angel Island because Alcatraz was only a rock. Medicinal plants were planted here because in 1863 you had to make your own medication. When going to Chinatown to shop for supplies, Dame constance went escorted with soldiers. And when families lost half of their children in infancy, the little ones were burried in the Presidio where the US Army set aside a lot for them.



Cutting garden - Photo by C.G.

At the end of their presentation, my 6-year-old couldn't resist asking "Do you still live on the island?" To which Dame Constance replied with a smile that "Why yes my dear, and I'm 181 years old." My daughter turned to me, puzzled "Mom, do you think it's true?" Ah, the age of innocence.


Moving to the next garden, we marveled at beds of flowers that are meticulously cared for by volunteer gardeners. When looking at the before and after photos, we were all impressed by the amazing work that had been done to restore the gardens. We moved out of the Officers' Row gardens and made our way to the base of the lighthouse where the ramp goes down to the western side of the island.

While the eastern side was lush with blooming flowers and looked somewhat sheltered from the wind, the western side showed a different face of the island. Exposed to the strong winds coming from the Golden Gate, this side was made for succulents and other drought-tolerant plants. Of course, there were a few fruit trees too.

At the end of the ramp, past a heavy metal gate, we entered the realm of the prisoners gardens. The tool shed used by inmate Elliott Michener stands proud above the garden beds, probably still used for the same purpose. Below the rec yard of the penitentiary, a long staircase led to the gardens and the island's "industries." Prisoners on good behavior were allowed to go work the garden or at the laundry.

If your kids haven't read "Al Capone Does my Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko, it's the story of a 12-year old boy named Moose whose dad works on the island as a guard. Moose goes to school in San Francisco and with a girl, they set up a small business where they take the kids' shirts at school and return them laundered on Alcatraz, claiming Al Capone himself laundered them himself. Great read to prepare for this trip.

At the end of the garden tour, we still had an hour to kill before the ferry departed for Angel Island - our next stop. We toured the prison, took silly photos in the open cells, read the breakfast menu in the dining room, opened a book in the prisoners library (it's empty now, but we had a book with us) and wondered which block was the most comfortable in terms of lodging. Not that inmates had a choice, but the penitentiary includes furnished cells with clothing and every day items that definitely give you a sense of what it's like to live in a rat hole.

As we boarded the ferry for Angel Island, our stomach grumbled. There is no food or drink on Alcatraz Island - too bad really. That's how we ended partaking in the lovely junk food offered by Alcatraz Cruises onboard. Just look at this picture. Honestly. Your yearly dose of sodium in 5 minutes flat. I guess that's a small price to pay to escape from Alcatraz.

Practical details:

• Tours of the Historic Gardens of Alcatraz are offered twice a week on Friday and Sunday mornings at 9:30am, starting at the Alcatraz dock.
• To reach the island, you can swim there or take a ferry run by Alcatraz Cruises. The ferry saves time and effort.
• To volunteer at the Alcatraz Gardens, check out the Volunteer page of the Alcatraz Gardens non-profit.





If you go to the SFMOMA this summer

Go on a Tuesday evening between 6 and 8.45pm. Kids under 12 are free every day but adults are half-price only on Thursday evenings - and the SFMOMA's a lot less crowded. Plus, you can treat your kids to this "special" after-hours tour of the museum and get them dinner at the downstairs cafeteria where the vegan soup of the day is always a good choice.

After I found out that the SFMOMA opened late once a week, I decided to take my girls after camp to see the Calder to Warhol/Fisher Collection exhibition. My father had initially suggested it so it sounded like a plan. Fortunately, getting a street parking spot after 6pm on Howard was fairly easy so we just walked two blocks and in we were.

Special exhibitions are on the 4th floor. We walked inside the elevator and with four other people on board, every floor button was lit. As the doors opened on the second floor, we caught a glimpse of fluid gold movement. "Out we go!" I warned my troops as I pushed them out of the elevator. Immediately to our right was a giant curtain of gold beads hanging from the ceiling. Magical! "Untitled (Golden)" by Cuban-born artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres is the reason I love the SFMOMA. Playful, creative, fun. This is the antithesis of a stuffy museum. Kids can have fun too. Err, too much fun actually. My girls would have played in the curtain for hours if a guard hadn't told them to calm down.

On we went. To reinforce the idea that "we can't touch everything even if it's tempting," I got my digital camera out of my purse and told my girls they could each take a photo per room. Up to them what they wanted to capture. This was the best idea of the evening. Rather than running around, they paused for a sec and scanned the walls and space for anything catchy. Here a Franz Marc German expressionnist painting. There a giant blue metal ribbon called "Things to come" by Elizabeth Murray. They actually started using their eyes and their own judgment.

My oldest one even photographed the exit sign in the hallway. Yes, the exit sign. Just because. That's cool though. Kids don't have our preconceptions about art. If they like something then they don't feel the need to justify their choice and that's why the exit sign was as good a choice in my eyes as any other million dollar sculpture. I still remember the day I stood in front of a cleaning cart at the Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art thinking it was a weird modern sculpture - it was all white and everything on it was white - until the cleaning person wheeled it away.

What really mesmerized my girls at the SFMOMA was the two media installations on the 4th floor. On one side, the movie "Passage" by Iranian female artist Shirin Neshat. Set to a haunting music by Philip Glass, the 11-minute movie shows men in black walking a shrouded corpse from the beach to the desert. Women veiled in black form a circle in the desert and dig the ground with their hands, moving their bodies as in some sort of transe. Meanwhile a little girl, kneeling behind a rock next to the women's circle, builds an circular fort with rocks. At the end of the movie, the men arrive next to the women, the little girl gets up and a wall of fire goes off against the evening sky. Not Little Poney stuff, we all agree. And yet my little 5-year-old watched it three times. She insisted, kept coming back in the room, begged me to stay until the fire scene because it was so beautiful.

In the other room, a model theatre with drawings and animated black and white animated movie was rhythmed by the main arias of the opera The Magic Flute. Entitled "Preparing The Flute" by South African artist William Kentridge, the installation is like a miniature production of the opera in 21 minutes. Combining music sheets, shadow theater, masonic symbolism, and retro art, the installation transfixed my oldest daughter who insisted on seing it twice. She loves singing and I have to say, the musical extracts were worth just the 21 minutes, if the series of short films hadn't been so entertaining.

After I was finally able to tear them away from these rooms, we browsed the floor but it was getting late and they needed more action than the Calder mobiles. So we walked another flight of stairs to the 5th floor to access the Rooftop Garden. Garden is an ambitious word for an outdoors terrace with monumental sculptures but the space invites running around and there's a Blue Bottle Coffee Company Coffee Bar at the same level, offering dark aromatic brews to adults and fancy art-themed cakes to anybody with a sweet tooth. For a more subtantial approach to dinnertime, we headed down to the Caffe Museo and ordered the vegan soup of the day: leek, potatoes, and truffle oil.

That pretty much concluded our visit as it was getting dark outside. This after-hours visit had me rethink the SFMOMA and how my family could interact with it. I've always thought modern art museums were best reserved to solitary or girls night out visits to understand the obscure depth of the message. After tonight, I realize kids can definitely learn to love art just by being exposed to it. No need to explain abstract art yet.

Judging by the number of kids we met - maybe two dozen other kids 6 and under - I'm not the only parent who thinks that kids and modern art are compatible species. Some of the youngest visitors were barely wobbly on their legs but amongst the oversize rooms and installations, they didn't fuss. They didn't scream. I like to think they were happy and so was I.

Meet the 501st Legion, Vader's Fist

Living in the Bay Area, you can't help but feeling close to the Star Wars galaxies. Lucasfilm's offices buzz with creative brains in the Presidio at the Letterman Digital Arts Center, Industrial Light & Magic is there too, and Skywalker Ranch (click here for a visit) is over the bridge in Marin county. That's like the triple-decker-Star-Wars effect. Now, imagine you're a die-hard Star Wars fan and you want to get yourself suited up with a storm trooper outfit. Or a lifesize Sith lord costume. Or a nasty bounty hunter ensemble. Or - thrills - the sombre shiny armor of Darth Vader.

No, a jumpsuit with EVA molded pieces is not going to cut it. There is a way to assemble these officially-George-Lucas-approved costumes and become part of the biggest army of Star Wars villains on earth: the 501st Legion. Self-described as Vader's Fist, this organization is actually a volunteer army. Bad guys doing good deeds? Yes, these guys get out and about to raise funds for charity. Make that 7,467 costumes worldwide as of June 29, 2010. Each costume is unique and hand-made. Each member gets a Legion ID.

Got your attention now? Believe it or not, three of the 501st Legion's storm troopers came to my 5-year-old's birthday party a few weeks ago - and it was the best experience the kids could have had. The guy to the left in the frame, he was the leader of the trio. Super nice guy.

I first heard about the Star Wars volunteers from my friend Sue who had a friend who knew about them. "They came down trees and stormed the place!" she described with glee. That's all the spark I needed to get in touch with them. Unfortunately she didn't have their name, much less a contact number. Still, I knew that it would be a blast for a 5-year-old's birthday party. Why?

I was 12 when I saw Return of the Jedi on big screen. I immediately fell in love with the movie, with the sets, with this sci-fi uncompromising world. I secretly worshipped Luke and the Force. Despised the Emperor all the same. I started collecting cards, trading them at school. I asked for the LPs for my birthdays and blasted the tunes on my record player (now, I do sound like a dinosaur). I read the novelizations. I subscribed to a sci-fi/fantasy movie mag and pinned the poster of the movie on my bedroom walls (wasn't easy, they were fabric with padding). The trilogy showed at Paris' largest screen. I dragged my entire family including my father who couldn't take it anymore (my mom loves Star Wars) and my two brothers. Seven hours of Star Wars in one sitting!

My family took a well-deserved break when I turned my obsession to the Rocky Horror Picture Show when I turned 14. However, that was not the end of Star Wars for me. Just wasn't collecting cards anymore.

Then life went on. When my girls became preschoolers, I started telling them stories of the Star Wars trilogy sixology (sorry George, trilogy sounds way better than sixology). They loved it all. How could they not? Princess, knights, villains, magic, evil against good, jokes, man-made moons, space travel. I mean - isn't it great? On a March visit to the San Francisco Public Library, I borrowed a DVD of the animated series The Clone Wars. Without knowing it, I had triggered a Star Wars button in their head. They loved it. When I started planning the birthday party, my junior Clone Wars fan announced: "It's going to be a Fairy Star Wars party Maman." Done deal.

I started looking for the Bay Area volunteer storm troopers and discovered there were two parallel organizations: the 501st Legion for the dark side of the Force; the Rebel Legion for the good side of the Force. It's Imperial Army vs Jedis. Quizzed on who she preferred, my daughter opted for the bad guys. I then filled the details to request an appearance by three villains.

Shortly after I got contacted by the Event Coordinator at the Golden Gate Garrison. He sent me a list of questions on the event including a stumper: "Are there any restrictions at this location which would preclude costumed members from appearing in helmets and (toy) blasters?"

Since the party was to be held outdoors at the picnic area of San Pedro Valley County Park, I set out to reach the rangers and ask them about toy blasters. Over the phone, they did not initially understand my request. They had me repeat "toy blaster" various times, loud and louder, until finally I explained the outfit of a storm trooper. Three phone calls later, the rangers gave us a green light. The Force my friend!

To turn the party into a real Star Wars party, I made a chocolate cake decorated with Clone Wars figurines, got my girls light sabers (including the training DVD, for good hand positioning), built a home-made R2D2 with tubes, silver duct tape and sheet metal from my neighborhood hardware store, and my husband made a "May the Fairies be with you" banner.

On D-Day, the storm troopers arrived when all the kids were getting wired up. As soon as the storm troopers appeared around the corner and started walking to us, it was like a tidal wave of screams and races. Boys and girls grabbed their light sabers and got on their two feet. My 5-year-old got behind my back and got squirmy.

I led her to the storm troopers. "Lord Vader told us it was your birthday." Silence from my little girl. "Happy birthday!" they said in their android voice. It was great to hear the voices as in the movie. If kids were excited, I was beyond thrilled. The three storm troopers graciously posed for photos with everybody, gently fought off a few enthusiasts and left with a great recommendation that Star Wars fans will appreciate: "Now you be good rebels!"

As  I walked back the storm troopers to their cars, my 5-year-old thought they were taking me to the Death Star and sent a small batallion of pint-size Jedis to protect me.

I had the hardest time convincing them I was not being kidnapped and that there was a shuttle back from the Death Star. Certainly didn't want them to see half-naked Storm Troopers in the parking lot.

When I returned she breathed a sigh of relief. "Mom, you're back from the Death Star?" Hey, I was not going to disappoint. Yes, with hyperspace travel and all, it's super quick. "Wow," she said, "Can I go too when I grow big?"

Gotta love nice storm troopers raising funds for the Make-A-Wish foundation. Job well done. To all Bay Area event planners, call the Star wars volunteers and do your audience a favor!