2010.5.25. Starbucks Headquarter

Architecture tour of Starbucks Center with the developer (Kevin Daniels), architect, and structural engineer. A 99 year old warehouse building redesigned (almost 17 years ago) to meeting the ever changing demand, while being environmentally conscious and have the far sight and willingness to try new technologies. Open duct, cheap material, steel buttresses, many open and small atriums and common area, wood floor, old bricks, prominent use of stairs, offices not along the outside wall. The only guide from Starbucks was briefly on recycling policy in the office: tiny desk level waste bin, more recycle and compost stations. Certainly well done. They publish an annual green report.

2010.5.12. Amelia - an opera

Seattle Opera's new opera Amelia, a project started in 2004. Music by Daron Hagen, libretto by Gardner McFall.

Amelia:     Kate Lindsey
dad:        William Burden
mom:        Luretta Bybee
husband:    Nathan Gunn
aunt:       Jane Eaglen
Conductor:  Gerard Schwarz
Director:   Stephen Wadsworth
Set:        Thomas Lynch
Costume:    Ann Hould-Ward
Lighting:   Duane Schuler

Wonderful stage set, nice costume. A real car, even a plane! According to Speight Jenkins, (who happened to sit directly behind me, and kicked my seat back occasionally), the plane is an accurate replica of Earhart's, even her clothes, hair style and the last words were authentic Earhart's. Good voices and acting. Music for the orchestra appears to me better than for the voices, except for the lullaby, which repeated many times. A grand nonet at the end, a bit chaotic.

2010.5.8. Taylor River trail

Taylor River trail. Finally a sunny warm weekend day, after a month of windy and chilly winter weather. Reached Otter Falls in ~2.25 hrs. Flat trail. The only scramble is up to the falls, very short. The falls is quite nice. Water drapes on the all black granite slab. Still a patch of snow on surface. There seems to be a Big Creek Falls ahead shortly, which we missed, because I didn't copy down the details. Quite some spring flowers along the flat trail: trillion, bleeding heart, yellow violet, ...

Direction: I-90 to exit 34. Turn north onto 468th Street and turn right to Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road (Forest Road 56). 12.5 miles later, past the Middle Fork trailhead parking (giant lot), across a bridge, turn left onto the Taylor River Road and drive to a wide parking area at its end, in about 0.5 mile. The drive is not entirely paved, quite some pot holes. It winds along the river, quite scenic. A few camping spots on the bank too. More signs for anglers.

2010.4.30. Translations - a play

UW drama school presents Brian Friel's 1980 play Translations. Too many themes in the play: language as a barrier of communication, lost of culture, colonialism, Irish history of 1800s (national schools replacing hedge schools, the Ordnance Survey of Island, impending potato blight, Irish rebellion. Well acted and articulated. Simple stage set, and nice (tattered) costumes. Educational, and thought provoking (language as a carrier of the culture, the impermanence of conquest).