Artsy Autumn: Uffizi

We had a choice between a pasta-making workshop or tour of the Uffizi. Most people opted to cook. But I chose art.

On the walk to the Ufizzi we came across a medieval parade.  Turns out it was the feast day of Saint Reparata, the patron saint of Florence.  The cathedral was segmented off, bands played.  But we couldn't stay to watch.  Off to the museum!

Our "docent" was actually the head of the Art History department at the Florence University of the Arts, which is a part of the Palazzi school that handled most of the Florence segment of our tour. She was really friendly and knowledgable, asking each of us what we know about art so she could determine what story to tell for every piece of art.  It brought back a lot of memories of the first class I took in Art History, when I studied abroad in the U.K, and the wonder of going from slideshows (on carousels, not even PPT!) to the real thing.

I've already mentioned how I feel about taking pictures of paintings, so I purposely don't have the Fra Angelicos and Boticellis to share (you've got to go to Florence yourself!). Instead I've got one of my best photos of the trip; it's a view of the Ponte Vecchio from the second story of the Uffizi, and yes, it's Instagram:

Marsha commented that she'd seen the same view 20 or so years ago, and it hasn't changed -- which makes sense, because it looks the same as when I saw it over a dozen years ago, too. 

It was another morning of walking along cobbled streets and through long galleries of art, competing with other (larger) tour groups.  My feet weren't doing so well, but a four-course lunch was upon us, which meant I could slip off my shoes under the table for a good while. So: totally worth it.

Artsy Autumn: Natural History Museum

I can't recall whether the NHM feels familiar because I went here on a school field trip back in the day, or because Night at the Museum was filmed there. In any case, it's an awesome space and was a treat to make a day of attending. I was especially excited about the Dinosaur Hall, which was very educational and well done, in terms of information and presentation.

[triple t-rex]

[feet]

The Pacific Standard Time exhibit was small, covering only the second story in the rotunda area. Still, I appreciated the timeline presentation and the historical tie the NHM has to Los Angeles art and artists. (We tend to forget that Exposition Park -- now sadly in disrepair and neglected with more recent and glamorous event venues -- lies in a very central part of LA. I hope that changes and this wonderful area is restored to its 1984 Olympics glory.)

After a delicious lunch of Peruvian fare, and a walk back through the Rose Garden, NHM Visit Part 2 commenced: American history hall, gemstones, and dioramas of African and American mammals. Delightful!

I now have a handy PST booklet and have marked all the exhibits I'd like to see. Onwards!

Pacific Standard Time

Looks like Arsty Summer is far from over.  Pacific Standard Time officially starts this weekend.  It's been all over the paper and magazines for the past couple of weeks.  Tons of hype.  And it's gonna be tons of awesome.

This weekend kicks off with FREE admission to a number of museums and I'm hittin' up the Natural History Museum to see this exhibit, along with the dinosaurs (of course!).

I've got my eye on loads of other exhibits, mostly those highlighting MCM design and architecture, and culture. These will take me all over LA and as far out as Palm Springs and San Diego. There's even an exhibit in the OC that shines a light on my alma mater.  Check the link above; there's tons of information and slideshow previews. 

Hello, Artsy Autumn.

 

Artsy Summer: LACMA, again

A quick series of text messages and the troupe was assembled for an impromptu trip to LACMA, this time courtesy of Target-sponsored free holiday Mondays. A couple of us came earlier to have lunch on Eames shell chairs (I know, again!) along with hundreds (I kid you not) in the plaza.

[lacma]

[lacma plaza, packed]

The visit was fortuitous because it was the final day of Gifts of the Sultan and I got to see that fabulous rug that I read about in the Times; in addition, some new exhibits had just opened, including the Asian -- or are they simply Chinese, because the artist is Chinese?! -- zodiac installation:

  

  

Then there was a more in-depth tour of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, which houses a genre (Warhol, Koons, Harding) that I generally don't understand. Like the fish tank with basketballs in it.  Or the big blue balloon dog. Did you know Koons tried to copyright it?! I guess the grievance was that too many people were trying to "copy" it. Does that include clowns?! Look closely to see W and me reflected manifold: that's me makin' art outta art. Take that, Koons.

[bcam, descending]

[blue ballon dog + reflections]

Fun in the sculpture garden, too. I love a good Rodin. This smile was strained, as it was much harder than it looks because the torso is, uhm, huge.

[portrait w/ torso]

There's only one more stop, in terms of planned museums.  Then, Artsy Summer transitions into Artsy Autum by going international in the first half of October!

Artsy Summer: Art in the Streets @MOCA/Geffen

With all the hype ahead of this exhibition's opening, and that I'd heard it described as "snooty," I wasn't sure I'd end up going to Art in the Streets. But when Little Tokyo is so close and a free Thursday -- in terms of my schedule and admission -- was at hand, I really had no reason to say no. And, admittedly, I was a little curious.

Certain things naturally drew me in: typography(of course); design elements like stenciling and repetitive geometries (I liked the "Wild Style" metamorphoses frames); and all that color. But other indigenous aspects I don't love or get at all: drugs, sex, violence, subversion -- why the faux dark and scary alley (complete with funky beer smell)? Why the lifestyle photographs? Why the wall of spray paint (like I couldn't see something like that at the Home Depot?) And: is it "high art" or "low art" (whatever either of those means)? Am I a snob to say I don't get it (or don't like it)?! Or is it ironic when I think it's snobby in turn?

All these questions darting about on top of having come from a full day of work, I took a break and stood in the second story of the exhibit, turning my attention to what ended up a more interesting endeavor: people watching. There were families, (ex-?) gangbangers, couples, church groups, young, old, and the ubiquitous hipsters. Designer bags. And threads. And Toms shoes. Baggy jeans. Skinny jeans. Sports jerseys and suits. And DSLRs and iPhones aplenty (mine included!).

I won't add to what has been said and written -- except to note neighbors' and police officers' observations of the spike in vandalism (ahem, "street art") around the area, some by the exhibiting "artists" themselves -- but will show a picture of the shadow of a piece I quite liked, although I don't exactly know what it is or intends. I just like the Japonisme and especially the lanternlikeness of it. Reminds me of the Midsummer Light (whose designer turns out to be Norweigian, ha).

One last thing about AITS: it's a big and mazelike exhibit! By the time I'd gotten through all I could get through, I was tahhhred. And hungry! Found a quick place to eat in the Village and then it was homeward bound.

Though I got home much later than usual, it was a good evening. Would I recommend the exhibition? Maybe to my younger brothers. But only on Free Thursday evenings.

Artsy Summer: Bowers Museum

Though I initially thought it would take a bit of planning to trek down to Orange County, the visit to the Bowers Museum came together painlessly over the course of a handful of emails and phone calls. For such a small museum it housed a number of exhibits I was very keen to see:

• From a perusal of the website, Scrimshaw: The Art and Craft of the American Whaler immediately caught my eye, a beer of the same name being one of my favorites not the least of reasons why. It also inspired me to return to American literature by undertaking Moby-Dick--which I'm enjoying so far.


• Quilts: Two Centuries of American Tradition and Techinique -- ain't even a question. There are quilts from 1776 on display! Saved it for last and found myself stomping my feet as I entered, which is just what The Goo does when he's excited.


• I'd seen many of the Masterpieces from the Price Collection when they were at LACMA a few years ago in the huge Age of Imagination exhibition. They are always a treat. I liked the display of calligraphy brushes in different sizes and made of different hairs (including rat!), along with the case of natural pigments used to achieve the prism of colors for scroll paintings:

• Ancient Arts of China was sort of an unusual exhibition, but covered a lot of periods of Chinese history. I particularly appreciated the explanation of the qualities of the scholar-gentleman:

• A docent took us through Spirits and Headhunters: Art of the Pacific Islands. I kinda felt bad for the guy when he offered to lead the tour, so indulged him. He seemed well versed if not necessarily well practiced, his segues from one topic to the next feeling rather scripted. Can't get better without practice, though, and I was happy to have afforded him an opportunity at it.


• California history and art took me back to sixth grade, with profiles of our first statesmen and ties to Mexican culture. I liked some of the California impressionist paintings and some of the very intricate examples of basketry, which makes me sound more folksy than I'd like, but I'm not one to deny a nod to good craftsmanship.

The Bowers building itself is a grand hacienda that would be a great venue for an al fresco party. There's a more modern annex that opens to a garden housing sculptures in Carrara marble and a row of metal (copper?) water fountains. I tried to capture the intersection of the two, which is really a rather nice transition, but, sadly, my photography skills are a bit lacking:

Finished off with lunch at Memphis Cafe. My Southern Eggs Benedict was tasty, with a bit of a kick delivered by the Chipotle hollandaise, but I was disappointed that their weekend brunch offerings didn't include the fried chicken or other more typical Southern fare I had at the Costa Mesa location.

As I reflect on the visit I am recommitted to finishing my quilt quickly but with care, to keep on with Moby-Dick, and to throw that California-themed party sooner rather than later. As for natural dyeing and brush calligraphy -- though I promised myself I'd undertake the latter if I ever live in Japan again -- I'll have to leave those in the realm of distant dreams, or other people's blogs. *sigh*

Artsy Summer: Norton Simon Museum

Once upon a time, I told a friend who was visiting the Norton Simon Museum for the first time which was my favorite painting there. That friend immediately Googled the image and sent me an email about it, which left me very disappointed: I felt they had robbed themself of the experience and exuberance of seeing it live. Which is why I won't divulge which painting it was (though I will say that it's a Van Gogh), and also why I decided to delete all the photos I took of specific paintings when I went last week: you'll have to go there yourself.

The Norton Simon is my favorite local museum. The last time I was here was January, during their Hiroshige exhibit, which was very, very well done. I've also come here to see classical music performances (unfortunately, I missed Yoshida Kyodai). Helps that it's about eight minutes from where I live.

The only reason I don't have a membership is I'm not completely sold out on the entire collection, the entire lower level of which is Asian statues -- or chunks of buildings or temples -- that I'm just not that into. The paintings and bronze statues, though: amazing. Here's a shot of my favorite area, which I could just wander about or sit in for hours. An impressive collection of impressionist art; including a substantial number of items by Edgar Degas. Maybe you recognize his ballerina sculpture there?

Since deleting the pictures I decided to take a self-portrait, though I did it mostly to capture the warm combination of wood and limestone (travertine?) flooring. The porousness of the stone and the wood texture soften the hard edge or coldness often associated with stone, especially such large expanses of it. It's also a very indoor-outdoor look, reflective of our local climate. This is to file under 'dream house inspiration.'

Almost as important as the collection is the building in which it's housed (although in the case of the Getty Center, the grounds trump the collections, IMHO). The Norton Simon building is very classic. I am particularly fond of its rounded corners and the Rodin sculptures and sycamore trees that lead into the main entrance. Can't see it too clearly here, but I like how the 'Burghers of Calais' are lit up, along with the museum's interior.

Here's what Wikipedia tells us about the building:

[it] was completed in 1969, designed by Pasadena architects Thornton Ladd and John Kelsey of the firm 'Ladd + Kelsey'. The distinctive and modern curvilinear exterior facade is faced in 115,000 glazed tiles, in varying rich brown tones with an undulating surface, made by renowned ceramic artisan Edith Heath.

Yes, as in Heath Ceramics. Even better. I'm glad I looked that up!

I tried to make my way around to get up close to 'The Thinker,' which is at the street-facing side of the museum, but any entry point looked closed off (plus, it was dark by this time). Heading back to my car, I walked by what I thought an amusing sight. Call it art to shine a light on... space.  It's a cool tree lamp, though.

Admission is free the first Friday evening of each month. Hop on over when you get a chance; you'll like what you see.

Artsy Summer: Tim Burton @LACMA

A thread of emails from early spring was taken up again, leading us on a trek over to the Mid-City for a gander at Tim Burton @LACMA.

Uhm, why did we go, like, the second weekend it opened?! The experience was both amusement-park-line-esque as well as moblike (once we got into the exhibit)--not exactly ideal. I was actually turned off being among the hoards of people herded through the several spaces full of Tim Burton's sketches, films, costumes, and other media.  It wasn't fun to squint at works behind two or three people, but that's more a commentary on the layout and traffic flow logistics than the works themselves.

Though I am somewhat skeptical of high school or college notebook doodles being elevated to art by simply framing and captioning them, I admit that I enjoyed the exhibit.  The progression of Tim Burton's work, from his early days drawing cartoons for various City of Burbank campaigns to being an animator at Disney, demonstrate how increasing experience and success allowed him to develop his personal style and pursue his own projects. I even bust out my little Moleskine and started sketching again. And what better evidence of an exhibit's success than its ability to inspire?

We had a bit of time to hang out at the rest of the huge LACMA campus.  Tons of art and collectibles notwithstanding, I was delighted by the profusion of Eames shell chairs out and about:

And this interesting installation.  I was reluctant to enter but was obedient to MyKo, who wanted a photo.  I cracked a smile just for her shot, but kept my lips pursed and eyes closed as much as possible.  A guard was on duty next to the installation, mostly to make sure the kids weren't swinging from or getting entangled in the strings.  Interactive art can sometimes be dirty. 

Though Tim Burton was great, the true highlight of the trip was the company.  Thanks to Mini for organizing.  

This outing was an inadvertent start to my Artsy Summer, which replaces last year's picnic project.  This year it will be museums. And art.  And gardens.  And plays.  And films.  And new places.  And air conditioning.  For a bit of respite on these hot, suddenly summer days.

Birthday surprise: London edition

At the beginning of February, DC casually asked, "What do you think of going to London for your birthday?" 

To which I responded, "You don't have the vacation days!"

To which he blithely said, "Yes, I do.  So... what do you think?"

"I think it'd be great!"

Within a day or so I got an email from him with our itinerary.  So we started to dream.

This was our first international trip together.  But since we'd each spent an academic year in England, it was (and will always be) a friendly, familiar place.  We decided that in addition to showing each other our 'versions' of England, we'd do things that neither of us had done, together. 

Unfortunately, my uncle and another friend would be traveling at the same exact time, so we missed seeing them.  But I did get to meet DC's friends, with whom we stayed the first few nights in London.

I can't tell you how wonderful it was to be there again -- my last trip was 10 years ago!

[westminster abbey]

We stopped a few stations shy of our destination on the way to the V&A Museum, just to say hello to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and their neighbors.  Lots of crowds and full regalia (even a horsedrawn coach sighting) at Buckingham Palace.  We learned that it was a state visit from South Africa -- but didn't want to wait the 90 minutes (they'd just left to collect PM Zuma at the airport).  Onwards!

[london homes]

[more london homes]

I particularly enjoyed the lace displays and embroidery samplers at the V&A.  I confess to short power naps in the fashion exhibition area -- dark lighting and Louis Ghost chairs were sleep inducers for us!  Then a bit of shopping at Liberty, where I ogled all the eye candy, especially fabrics.  But I decided my interest and skill aren't high enough for me to put down GBP19.95 for a single meter of fabric.

[liberty]

[fish and chips, near st paul's]

The highlight of our days in London were the museums (we also visited the Tate Modern and the Royal Observatory in Greenwhich), pubs, fisn n' chips, and friends.  We also managed a bus ride, which was a nice alternative to the Tube.

[dc and me, represented in shopfronts, greenwhich]

We opted not to stop at DC's university town, since he hardly knew anyone there anymore -- I'd met one good friend in London, and the other is now at Oxford.  So we went to Oxford earlier to spend more time with said friend.  And I'm glad we did!

If one is a visitor or tourist to Oxford, one can see the facades of the colleges, but must sign up for a tour in order to get in (we passed by a lot of "___ College is not open to visitors" signs).  Since JHJ is a student there, we got to see the inside of both New College -- where several of his family members, including his youngest brother, a first year, attended -- as well as his own, St. Antony's.  Each college has its own living quarters, library, bar, dining hall... so the students hardly have to leave.  It's like a whole other world behind those thick, centuries-old walls!  The highlight for me was a quick look into the dining hall that was eyeballed (but in the end, not chosen) for the filming of the Harry Potter films.  JHJ also took us to Turf Tavern, the pub at which Bill Clinton famously did not smoke pot, and, 'American Night' at his college -- beer pong, American music, and a room plastered with American celebrities.

[oxford with jhj]

My birthday fell on the day we were in Oxford, and DC made me close my eyes to receive my birthday gift.  "What?! Isn't the trip itself the gift?"  I opened my eyes to discover the Book of Common Prayer, which I'd been wanting, in my lap.  A nice leather version at that (not the cheaper clothbound one I was going to get for myself).  Spoiled!

Our last two full days were spent in Bristol, where I studied abroad back in the day.  I have kept in touch with one friend there over the years, who stayed at Bristol University through to her Ph.D. in Medieval Literature, and now works there.  She also met her husband there.  What a great history with a place!

Walking around, it seemed like Bristol was a completely new place.  I was totally disoriented as we walked from the train station to city center, so much more than usually so that DC joked, "Are you sure you've been here before?!"  In the couple of days we were there a lot became familiar, but there were many new discoveries as well.  Bristol and Clifton (the suburb where my dorm was) were much bigger than I remembered!

I was able to take DC to Christ Church on Sunday, which was meaningful because this was the first church I ever voluntarily went to as an adult.  I don't even know what entered my mind to make me come there!  But I remember that people were really nice, and I even started taking the Alpha course.  I never finished it, but started exploring church after coming home from that year, and eventually became a Christian.

[christ church, clifton, bristol]

Before leaving Bristol, my friend made sure I got my pint of Guinness!  After that, we went for Sunday roast, which is a traditional British Sunday meal -- DC's first.

[guinness]

It didn't rain at all the entire week we were there, can you believe it?!  Don't let the blue sky fool you, though: it was cold!  In the high 30s/low 40s!  We stayed warm with accessories and all the walking.  I had a wonderful time, not just because it was England, but because with was with DC.  Thanks, love, for the best birthday ever!

Working field trip

It's kinda nice that we get to go on field trips as part of work.  A couple of weeks ago I went to the Academy for the first time for their anime exhibit (of course they had some of my fave!).  Today, we went to the Pacific Asia Museum.  And I remembered my camera -- huzzah!

[looking in from the street]

This museum is such a cozy place.  I hadn't been here for a few years at least, so was glad to be reminded of how quaint it is (as opposed to the monstrosity of LACMA, which is so far away in addition to being such a large space to navigate).  It used to be a residence, so I guess that makes sense.

[garden courtyard]

The inner courtyard is a great area.  There's tons of plants as well as a koi pond with the most darling lotus in bloom.  The last time I was here was for an exhibition they did on sake.  I went on reception night, when they had set up many tables for sake tasting.  It's a very good private event or party venue.

My coworkers and I came specifically came today to see the current exhibit called, "The Samurai Re-imagined: From Ukiyoe to Anime."  Although my anime is about ninja, I can understand the bushido (way of the warrior) philosophy that is threaded throughout it, as it is in many other manga and anime.  Having lived in Japan and experienced its culture firsthand, seeing the modern manifestations of those old themes increases my emotional attachment to these sorts of things.  Here, I like the contrast of the samurai armor with the plastic robotic and fantastically imagined figurines...

  

... as well as the muted colors of ancient scrolls and washi paintings against the pop of printer's colors and larger-than-life silhouettes.

 

  

We continued through galleries of Silk Road arts and textiles, images of the Hindu god Ganesha, and ceramics from all over Asia.  They were all so intricate and beautiful!  These are only two of the many shots I took.

We were lucky to have been guided through the gallery space by the Executive Director as well as the Curator.  It was an insider's view and explanation of space, budgetary constraints, and vision for and philosophy of the museum that we wouldn't necessarily get as everyday visitors.  The curator talked about how they hung one of the kimonos they had on display, and the technicalities of displaying those items, as well as obi and scroll.  He talked about them like ordinary objects -- which, I suppose, is what they are.  They just seem magnified in value and importance behind such a large piece of glass, don't they?!

It was a nice visit.  The last few images I took capture some more of the details and textures that I love so much about Asian things.  I took these in the gift shop and outside!  If only I could actually afford one of the amazing shelves and cabinets on which all the wares are displayed!  For now I'll just ogle:

What a great way to start the workday!  Hope you've had a good one, too!

Carefree in the capitol

We'd planned our trip to D.C. months ago because DC's vacation time is less flexible than mine.  So there was no real time to be tired from all the packing and moving out.  Before last month's end we were eastbound, to the capitol.

What an exciting descent! 

  

We arrived in the early evening and Metro'd over to Foggy Bottom, from whence it was a 3-minute walk to M2's apartment.  When M2 told me she lived right by the famous Watergate hotel, I didn't think she meant right across the street.  After a home-cooked dinner (so nice after a long day of traveling!), M2 said, "You guys wanna walk over to the Kennedy Center?  It's just five minutes away, and one of my favorite places," she added, encouragingly.  So we went.  Actually, hopped across a couple of streets.  The lights were on, but there were hardly any people about; it felt like we had the whole building to ourselves!  We pointed out various flags at the Hall of States and Hall of Nations, went up to the roof and saw the nighttime skyline, and even glimpsed the Thomas Jefferson memorial in the distance.  Not a bad first night!

DC lived in D.C. for almost five years, so our trip was a homecoming for him -- he didn't have to think twice about which Metro to take and where the stations were located.  He even gave me an old Metro pass, so transportation was a breeze.  (The D.C. Metro stations are really, really clean.  "Of course," says DC, "this is our nation's capitol!"  But I was a little bit disappointed that they all look the same and don't reflect the stop's attractions or history.  I'd rather have a clean station, though, so no real complaints. (^o^))  It was nice to have a guide who, moreover, pointed out the places where he once worked, studied, ate -- lived.  I enjoyed the trip down memory lane with him... but we were there to make new memories, too!

What really made this our trip was that we both got to meet up with our old friends, and in doing so, make new ones.  In addition to hanging out with M2, I got to see my old roommate, who I've not seen in two and a half years.  I also got to see a church friend who relocated after getting married a couple of months ago.  DC got to see his former classmates and co-workers.  And, through one of them, we scored a tour of the Senate side of the Capitol through the personal office of Senator Collins of Maine.  While on our way to her office, we saw Senator Kerry walking down the hall (shoulda snapped a photo)!  And later on, during our tour, DC recognized another senator (whose name escapes me).  We even got to ride the little underground trains between the buildings.  It made me feel very political.

It just so happened that the only week DC was able to travel was the week of the National Cherry Blossom festival.  My brother, after his first visit to D.C., recommended it at this time of year as an alternative to Japan.  At the time I was a little put off because the reason I go to Japan is more for the people than the petals.  Yet when I arrived to see them abloom in all corners and not just designated parks, I understood what my brother meant.  Though the sakura are truly breathtaking in Japan, I am equally fond of the ones in D.C. for the simple fact that they're interspersed among our national monuments.  A perfect, lovely crossing of cultures for me!

 

It was a bit grey and sometimes windy on the days we were out and about.  And although the threat of wet weather remained, the air got warmer as the week progressed.  My goal was to walk the National Mall from the Washington Monument all the way to the Lincoln.  That's a lot of steps!  But each one was totally worth it.  This sounds totally cheesy, but I felt so much happiness and pride to be among the great forefathers, leaders and important times in America's history.  And I soaked up all the quotes engraved on walls and surfaces.  Somewhat surprisingly (to me), my favorites were some of the war memorials.  We went to the WWII, Vietnam, and Korean ones.  Incredibly moving.  Especially seeing veterans reminiscing and honoring, and young schoolchildren exploring and learning. 

 

Friday -- which M2 took off to hang out with us -- started off cloudy and grey, so we decided to visit the National Gallery.  But when we emerged from the Metro station we were met with vivid, blue skies!  It was almost a shame to go indoors, but we did to browse Dutch landscapes, lots of Monets and even a couple of Cezannes, and a very interesting exhibit on Robert Frank's The Americans.  The weather stayed lovely through lunch, which we had in Chinatown (signs in Chinese, but nary a Chinese restaurant in sight!).

Our last full day in the D.C. area brought us to Stafford, Virginia, where we had lunch with some new friends.  Our rental car ended up being a little red Chevy Cobalt -- funny in that it was so not us!  After a lovely afternoon we had some time to stop off in Quantico to visit the National Museum of the Marine Corps.  Among other things, I got to see a display of standard issue items that each Marine gets at boot camp, try picking up a backpack full of gear, and see interactive displays of rankings and insignias. 

  

There was even a Lego version of the Iwo Jima flag raising!  It was another extremely proud moment; I felt a bit better able to understand my younger brother -- who has deployed twice to Iraq and whose contract with the Marines ends this June -- and truly appreciate and honor so many men's and women's sacrifice and service to our country.

What an awesome trip!  In some ways I am jealous of the young students who get to go to Washington, D.C. for a social studies trip; indeed I think it should be required of all students!  But at the same time, had I gone as a junior higher, I woulnd't have appreciated it as I have this trip.  I am glad I got to see the capitol at my own pace and at my own understanding.  And I look forward to coming again!