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Group 7-day waking average?
- Thread starter Northerner
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ColinUK
Well-Known Member
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- Type 2
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Colin’s Cultural Corner
Hansel and Gretel - Humperdinck
6th January 2024
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
My first Corner of the new year if you don’t count Saltburn as culture and I don’t. If it wasn’t for the nudity in that film I doubt anyone would pay it scant attention.
So, opera. Hansel and Gretel. In English. By Humperdinck. Honestly I’m still confused if it is the same Engelbert Humperdinck that represented the UK in Eurovision or not. I know he’s old but could he have been as old as necessary to write this? I dunno.
Clearly this production was marketed as being a family friendly opera. Hence the audience consisting of mainly families with children from the ages of maybe 5 or 6 upwards. I’m sure they’re all familiar with the basic story before seeing this and that’s going to have helped.
The orchestra strikes up the overture, the scrim that’s filling a false proscenium arch, crested by an ornate cuckoo clock, is displaying a typical Swiss mountain scene. Green fields, timber houses, mountains in the distance etc.
As the orchestra plays on, woefully lacking either cowbells or mountain horns, the lights come up to reveal the interior of a wooden house. A family of four are eating well and all is good. Lights dim. Cuckoo clock goes on huge fast forward… lights up. Same interior but it’s emptier. There’s no food. The family are hungry.
Lights dim and come up again as the scrim flies up to reveal the interior fully for the first time. Boy and girl (Hansel and Gretel) are singing to each other that they’re hungry and don’t want to do their chores. They play a bit. They dance a bit. They moan a bit.
Gretel (the elder of the two) torments her younger brother about a massive secret she is keeping. He sings that he doesn’t care about it and so she tells it to him.
She has secured a jug of cream!
They have no other food in the house but clearly neither of the kids have watched Junior Bake-off or anything of the sort as Hansel is overjoyed because it means that their mother can make custard. They have no eggs and no sugar. They also don’t have firewood. Unless there’s a version on Deliveroo operating locally that delivers custard he’s going to be disappointed.
Anyway as they’re both dancing around in the mistaken joy of the possibility of custard Gretel realises that they’ve not completed their chores for the day. In an unexpected plot twist that’s the precise moment that the mother returns home.
The children hide but Mother isn’t happy or stupid and sees them both. She berates them and calls them lazy and ungrateful etc. She breaks the jug of cream.
As punishment and in order to have something for dinner she sends the children off in to the forest to forage for strawberries. She tells them to not bother coming home until they’ve filled the bucket she gives them. Off they dutifully trot.
Papa comes home a little drunk after selling out of his handmade brooms. He’s bought lots of delicious foods to restock the cupboards and make sure they all feast tonight. He notices the children aren’t around. Mother tells him initially that she doesn’t know where they are. He then threatens to beat her with a broom. Under threat of violence Mother reveals that she packed the kids off to get strawberries.
Papa is apoplectic because of The Witch. Mother, who apparently grew up in the same area as Papa knows nothing of The Witch or that she lives in the forest and feasts on lost children.
They head off into the forest to find the children.
Meanwhile H&G have picked enough strawberries and can head home. But no they can’t! They’re lost!
They fall asleep and dream of angels and assorted fairy tale characters in a blatant attempt to cross sell merchandise.
They wake, sing a bit about the dream they each had last night and then decide that they’re actually cuckoos and use that as an excuse to scoff all the strawberries they’ve picked.
They stay lost a bit more and fall asleep again only to wake and find A Mysterious Cottage has appeared in the clearing.
Given that this is Hansel and Gretel you’d think that the cottage would be bedecked with sweets and icing and would be clearly made of gingerbread. I’m not quite sure who at the ROH signed off on the concept design for the house but it was really rather dull. Mainly in flat brown colours with only the tiniest hint of anything recognisable as a “sweet” it seemed to be a sugar-free house that wouldn’t have tempted any child more than maybe a trip to the dentist would.
Still, given the fact that there’s a plot, Hansel and Gretel run up to the cottage and lick various parts of it to discover that it’s made of chocolate, vanilla, sugar and other delicious things.
Enter The Witch. Dressed like a panto dame and about as menacing she introduces herself and sings that she is a baker extraordinaire. The kids love that bit. They don’t hear her also sing that she eats little children.
For some reason Hansel, under a spell, is tied to a chair in order to be force fed cake. Gretel is under a spell where she has to obey The Witch. Neither seem to be particularly good spells so I’m doubting that The Witch is really all that evil and might actually just be a slightly insane artisanal baker who’s overjoyed at getting customers.
As soon as The Witch is out of sight, going off to fire up the oven, Hansel and Gretel decide they’re going to kill her and escape. They’re doing this whilst under spells hence my questioning how powerful a witch The Witch is.
To cut a long story short Gretel shoves The Witch into (in this version) a large mixing bowl full of chocolate and she drowns. Hansel and Gretel are free! Hurrah!
They also free all of the other children that The Witch held hostage but didn’t eat even though her whole shtick is that she eats children.
Mother and Papa appear and everyone lives happily ever after.
Critically I’d say that the whole thing was off somehow. There was nothing wrong really with any part (other than the sweet less house) but it just didn’t hang together for me. It was lacking magic.
Hansel and Gretel - Humperdinck
6th January 2024
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
My first Corner of the new year if you don’t count Saltburn as culture and I don’t. If it wasn’t for the nudity in that film I doubt anyone would pay it scant attention.
So, opera. Hansel and Gretel. In English. By Humperdinck. Honestly I’m still confused if it is the same Engelbert Humperdinck that represented the UK in Eurovision or not. I know he’s old but could he have been as old as necessary to write this? I dunno.
Clearly this production was marketed as being a family friendly opera. Hence the audience consisting of mainly families with children from the ages of maybe 5 or 6 upwards. I’m sure they’re all familiar with the basic story before seeing this and that’s going to have helped.
The orchestra strikes up the overture, the scrim that’s filling a false proscenium arch, crested by an ornate cuckoo clock, is displaying a typical Swiss mountain scene. Green fields, timber houses, mountains in the distance etc.
As the orchestra plays on, woefully lacking either cowbells or mountain horns, the lights come up to reveal the interior of a wooden house. A family of four are eating well and all is good. Lights dim. Cuckoo clock goes on huge fast forward… lights up. Same interior but it’s emptier. There’s no food. The family are hungry.
Lights dim and come up again as the scrim flies up to reveal the interior fully for the first time. Boy and girl (Hansel and Gretel) are singing to each other that they’re hungry and don’t want to do their chores. They play a bit. They dance a bit. They moan a bit.
Gretel (the elder of the two) torments her younger brother about a massive secret she is keeping. He sings that he doesn’t care about it and so she tells it to him.
She has secured a jug of cream!
They have no other food in the house but clearly neither of the kids have watched Junior Bake-off or anything of the sort as Hansel is overjoyed because it means that their mother can make custard. They have no eggs and no sugar. They also don’t have firewood. Unless there’s a version on Deliveroo operating locally that delivers custard he’s going to be disappointed.
Anyway as they’re both dancing around in the mistaken joy of the possibility of custard Gretel realises that they’ve not completed their chores for the day. In an unexpected plot twist that’s the precise moment that the mother returns home.
The children hide but Mother isn’t happy or stupid and sees them both. She berates them and calls them lazy and ungrateful etc. She breaks the jug of cream.
As punishment and in order to have something for dinner she sends the children off in to the forest to forage for strawberries. She tells them to not bother coming home until they’ve filled the bucket she gives them. Off they dutifully trot.
Papa comes home a little drunk after selling out of his handmade brooms. He’s bought lots of delicious foods to restock the cupboards and make sure they all feast tonight. He notices the children aren’t around. Mother tells him initially that she doesn’t know where they are. He then threatens to beat her with a broom. Under threat of violence Mother reveals that she packed the kids off to get strawberries.
Papa is apoplectic because of The Witch. Mother, who apparently grew up in the same area as Papa knows nothing of The Witch or that she lives in the forest and feasts on lost children.
They head off into the forest to find the children.
Meanwhile H&G have picked enough strawberries and can head home. But no they can’t! They’re lost!
They fall asleep and dream of angels and assorted fairy tale characters in a blatant attempt to cross sell merchandise.
They wake, sing a bit about the dream they each had last night and then decide that they’re actually cuckoos and use that as an excuse to scoff all the strawberries they’ve picked.
They stay lost a bit more and fall asleep again only to wake and find A Mysterious Cottage has appeared in the clearing.
Given that this is Hansel and Gretel you’d think that the cottage would be bedecked with sweets and icing and would be clearly made of gingerbread. I’m not quite sure who at the ROH signed off on the concept design for the house but it was really rather dull. Mainly in flat brown colours with only the tiniest hint of anything recognisable as a “sweet” it seemed to be a sugar-free house that wouldn’t have tempted any child more than maybe a trip to the dentist would.
Still, given the fact that there’s a plot, Hansel and Gretel run up to the cottage and lick various parts of it to discover that it’s made of chocolate, vanilla, sugar and other delicious things.
Enter The Witch. Dressed like a panto dame and about as menacing she introduces herself and sings that she is a baker extraordinaire. The kids love that bit. They don’t hear her also sing that she eats little children.
For some reason Hansel, under a spell, is tied to a chair in order to be force fed cake. Gretel is under a spell where she has to obey The Witch. Neither seem to be particularly good spells so I’m doubting that The Witch is really all that evil and might actually just be a slightly insane artisanal baker who’s overjoyed at getting customers.
As soon as The Witch is out of sight, going off to fire up the oven, Hansel and Gretel decide they’re going to kill her and escape. They’re doing this whilst under spells hence my questioning how powerful a witch The Witch is.
To cut a long story short Gretel shoves The Witch into (in this version) a large mixing bowl full of chocolate and she drowns. Hansel and Gretel are free! Hurrah!
They also free all of the other children that The Witch held hostage but didn’t eat even though her whole shtick is that she eats children.
Mother and Papa appear and everyone lives happily ever after.
Critically I’d say that the whole thing was off somehow. There was nothing wrong really with any part (other than the sweet less house) but it just didn’t hang together for me. It was lacking magic.
Bloden
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Looks like it missed the bus again - you really should get it an alarm clock.
RichardsUsername
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
They're all the same these elephants. No concept of time. Always late for work.
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Good morning 🙂 6.3 for me today 🙂
Robin
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Morning all, 4.6 here. Looks like my BG is crashing back down to earth, just in time for my birthday. Not that I'll be celebrating today, OH and I have still got megacoughs, and we don’t want to deafen the other customers at any of our local eateries. I'll have a rain check on it.
Happy Birthday @Robin
eggyg
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 3c
Morning all. 6.7 and no frost this morning, it’s a balmy 0.8c!
Got to the park yesterday, it wasn’t a pleasant walk, slushy/muddy and very cold. But Zara seemed to enjoy it. When we got back after being out 1.5 hours, she said she wanted a rest and wanted to watch Frozen. Hundreds of questions ensued. Why is Anna wearing that dress, why did Elsa make it all icy, why did Olaf say/do that? Some I couldn’t answer and had to resort to ‘cos he/she/they did! Bad Grandma. She has also learnt to use Alexa, I now have cookies and a ball on my shopping list!
Quieter day today, I might nip to Aldi or send Mr Eggy, he’s going out to get the car washed as she’s in the garage tomorrow for new ( probably expensive) brake pads, and she is absolutely filthy. And that’s it. Nowt exciting, which is how I like it the day after childcare!
Have a good day.
Got to the park yesterday, it wasn’t a pleasant walk, slushy/muddy and very cold. But Zara seemed to enjoy it. When we got back after being out 1.5 hours, she said she wanted a rest and wanted to watch Frozen. Hundreds of questions ensued. Why is Anna wearing that dress, why did Elsa make it all icy, why did Olaf say/do that? Some I couldn’t answer and had to resort to ‘cos he/she/they did! Bad Grandma. She has also learnt to use Alexa, I now have cookies and a ball on my shopping list!
Quieter day today, I might nip to Aldi or send Mr Eggy, he’s going out to get the car washed as she’s in the garage tomorrow for new ( probably expensive) brake pads, and she is absolutely filthy. And that’s it. Nowt exciting, which is how I like it the day after childcare!
Have a good day.
Bloden
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Happy Birthday !!!!!! @Robin - sorry to hear you’re still under the weather.
Morning folks. 🙂 5.1 here - always the bridesmaid, never the bride.😛 The elusive 5.2!
I’ve taken over a few classes cos one of the teachers has left. Last night’s group weren’t up to speed with some of the new arrangements... Luckily, they were very chilled about it all. It makes me wonder, tho. Admin’ve known for months that this guy was leaving. Ho hum...at least I’ve got more work!
Morning folks. 🙂 5.1 here - always the bridesmaid, never the bride.😛 The elusive 5.2!
I’ve taken over a few classes cos one of the teachers has left. Last night’s group weren’t up to speed with some of the new arrangements...
Luckily, they were very chilled about it all. It makes me wonder, tho. Admin’ve known for months that this guy was leaving. Ho hum...at least I’ve got more work!
RichardsUsername
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Good morning all.
Should get a supply of test strips tomorrow. So I look forward to posting some dubious readings.
Have a good day everyone. And may the elephant be with you.
Should get a supply of test strips tomorrow. So I look forward to posting some dubious readings.
Have a good day everyone. And may the elephant be with you.
Eternal422
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
4.6 this morning, nice and steady around that overnight. Just goes to show if I don’t eat rubbish I can get good BGs.
Had some good advice from my DSN yesterday about travelling, normally I would just take it in my stride, but as we’re away for 6 weeks I need to ensure sufficient supplies and that the insulin stock is kept cold as some of it will be over 28 days out of a fridge otherwise. She also recommended taking ketone testing with me, never thought of that before, sounds a bit over cautious.
Happy Birthday @Robin - sorry you and your OH are suffering at the moment, hope you both get better soon!
Take care everyone!
Had some good advice from my DSN yesterday about travelling, normally I would just take it in my stride, but as we’re away for 6 weeks I need to ensure sufficient supplies and that the insulin stock is kept cold as some of it will be over 28 days out of a fridge otherwise. She also recommended taking ketone testing with me, never thought of that before, sounds a bit over cautious.
Happy Birthday @Robin - sorry you and your OH are suffering at the moment, hope you both get better soon!
Take care everyone!
10.4 for me when i looked but i was awake before. Foot clinic couldn't see anything worrying yesterday I did mettioned tingling and she said to keep an eye(u had forgotten about some alright things thet might be worth a mettion) and she said to a keep an eye on it it's sounds like it be doctor visit if i wanted to look into further into anyway and she said if it's causing pain a doctor could prescribe stuff . But she said my circulation was really good and i had good sensation.). I had sometimes wondered if my other issues could be a sign of nerve issues so might want to make an appointment with the doctors at some point.
Anyway have a good day.
Anyway have a good day.
MeeTooTeeTo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
A 5.6 for me this morning. 🙂
Dez
Dez
Paul Gibbins
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Good morning all. 6.9 for me this morning.
TinaD
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Good morning.6.4 - which I ascribe to the vintage port left over from Christmas....slept like a log and it certainly improved the TV offerings! Ah well, back to ways of virtue.
Whoever wished that the elephant may be with us obviously doesn't know the price of hay or the difficulty of employing the services of a good syce in Wales. I'll settle for the force if I can find any.
NIce dry morning again - love this crisp weather.
Happy birthday @Robin . Hope the lurgy departs your household and leaves you feeing full of beans for the coming year.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Whoever wished that the elephant may be with us obviously doesn't know the price of hay or the difficulty of employing the services of a good syce in Wales. I'll settle for the force if I can find any.
NIce dry morning again - love this crisp weather.
Happy birthday @Robin . Hope the lurgy departs your household and leaves you feeing full of beans for the coming year.
Enjoy the day everyone.
MikeyBikey
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Good moaning! Haven't seen Boris for three days and getting concerned as he has caught next to nothing for a while. I did leave my dirty plate near the web at night but not sure if anything was suitable. Haven't posted in a while as my BGs are haywire. Suspect change in pain medication or antibiotic.last antibiotic tonight so let's see from Thursday on ..
Woke to 11.4 but DP"d to 13!
Oh and Android 14 and Libre 2 playing games as continuous SIGNAL LOSS but OK if I scan! Really irritating!
Woke to 11.4 but DP"d to 13!
Oh and Android 14 and Libre 2 playing games as continuous SIGNAL LOSS but OK if I scan! Really irritating!
ColinUK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Don’t worry! He’s used to riding the bus.
He started riding them as a thing thing…
But now he only uses them on social occasions really.
