The theatre only seats 45 lucky people. If you want to be one of them, you have to plan ahead. In June they will celebrate their 10 year anniversary. They are in an unexpected industrial building and if you aren’t really looking for a theatre, you might not even notice it at all. That only makes it feel more special.

Pear Slices is a special production that the theatre does every year. This year it was 9 little plays, each about 7 to 10 minutes. The plays were all written by members of the Pear Avenue Playwrights Guild. Pear Slices 2012 runs through June 3^rd. Visit their website for tickets as soon as possible because this particular play sells out very quickly.

My favorite actors in Pear Slices were Sam Tillis and Fred Pitts. Sam was in 4 of the 9 plays and Fred was in 5 of them. The subjects covered in the 9 plays were so varied and interesting that I almost wanted a few minutes in between each play to process what I had just seen. One of the plays, No Dogs Go to Heaven by Bridgette Portman, was about rationalizing the misguided belief that you are separate from the lives around you.

In my opinion, going to a play at Pear Avenue Theatre is so much more enjoyable than going to a movie and there is plenty of parking. You’ll be supporting local artists and live theatre which is so important. Lots of people in the audience were introducing themselves to their neighbors before the play started. It was really a very friendly and comfortable atmosphere. I think I should probably considering buying season tickets to Pear Avenue Theatre—I liked it that much! I love Mountain View.

Earlier this week I spent some time in a few art classes at the ‘Waldorf School of the Peninsula’ in Mountain View. The whole time I was there, I kept thinking how much I would have loved being a student at that school.

Lucy Wurtz, the Development Director of the school, led me around through some classes and talked to me about the artwork that was posted in the halls. Although Waldorf School isn’t specifically an art school and the academic curriculum is rather rigorous, there is a great deal of emphasis on the arts. The high school students study fine arts, practical arts, drama and music. I asked what kinds of “practical arts” the younger students learn and Lucy told me felting, crochet, knitting, and cross stitch.

I filmed some of the classes. In the first part of the little video I was in the “Architectural Design and Model Building” class. The students are using the traditional tools that an architect would use to create diagrams and plans for a new building. I like that it wasn’t being done using AutoCAD or some other quick draw software. They learn how to do it the real way, with engineering rulers, triangles, protractors and a compass. And they even learn how to freehand the proper lettering used on architectural drawings.

I also went into a weaving class. The students were learning to use a loom to make a scarf. The day I visited was the first day of ceramics for the freshmen. They were asked to recreate an organic shape out of clay. The instructor passed out different shapes and everyone went to work with nothing but a ball of clay and a small wooden carving tool. I peeked in on a water color painting class. A few students stood in front of easels and each worked on their “veil paintings.”   They layer many layers of very thin, watery paint to slowly build up the saturation level. The completed images that were hanging in the hallway were beautiful.

And, much to my surprise, my favorite class that I visited was the Eurythmy class. It looked similar to modern dance. The students are learning a sense of space through movement and they’re also learning to communicate sounds through movement. The room is spotless and carpeted and the students take their shoes off. The instructor guides them through each song as the piano plays in the corner of the room. I could have stayed and watched them all afternoon.

I noticed how well all of the students got along with each other and mentioned it to Lucy. She explained to me that many of them have known each other for years and that they feel like family to each other. It is such a nurturing environment and it was obvious that the students were having fun and laughing with each other, not at each other.

Waldorf  School of the Peninsula is having an enrollment open house on March 31^st. It’s for both students and parents. It’s from 10 am to 12:30 pm at their “new campus” here in Mountain View, 180 N. Rengstorff Ave. Waldorf is accredited by WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and by AWSNA ( Association of Waldorf Schools of North America). I was so impressed with everything I saw and I left feeling like I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to see so many amazing places around town and then write about them. I love Mountain View.

Cinderella opens March 3 and runs through March 11, 2012. It’s a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical adaptation of the classic fairy-tale. Here’s a link to Cinderella tickets. And the special production that includes parents, PYT staff and alumni is called “To PYT with Love” and it’s only one night, Thursday, March 8^th.  This show is a collection of some of the most popular numbers that PYT has done over the years. It shows the audience what it’s like to be backstage during a performance and working in a theatre. They’re poking fun at themselves and some the people involved in theatre. Sounds like fun to see the tables turned, parents up on stage singing and dancing while the kids watch (and giggle) from the audience.

There are several narrators in the show and one of them is Brian Miller. Brian was in PYT as a teenager and now he is working as a choreographer for the company.  He grew-up in PYT and now he’s a seasoned professional and they’re quite proud of him.

Getting your child involved in PYT is a great way to build self-esteem. Kids involved in theatre learn about creativity, problem solving and collaboration skills. They get the chance to learn about public speaking at an early age. And they learn about commitment and dedication, much like they would if they were on a sports team. I recently met with a group of girl scouts and one of them in particular was very confident and out-spoken. It occurred to me that she might be in children theatre, so I asked her. Yes, she was in PYT and it was obvious. She had lots of creative ideas and she was good at, not just sharing her opinions with the group, but persuading the others to agree with her ideas.

PYT is a fabulous activity for a child. Check out their website to see the details on auditions and rehearsals and what it takes to get involved. And go see a show, either Cinderella or To PYT with Love would be a great choice. I love Mountain View.

I asked Shelley to talk to me about the different ways the community can get involved in KMVT. She told me about the numerous workshops that are offered throughout the year. The first one that should be on your agenda if you are at all interested in being part of a crew is the “Studio Production” workshop. You’ll learn about operating cameras, teleprompter, and audio equipment. Other workshops being offered include: Producer Training, Field Production, Adobe Premiere, Intro to Motion Graphics, and Citizen Journalism. There are some Students Camps (ages 10-14) that are very popular, including Claymation. I expressed interest in the Claymation workshop and Shelley told me that they’re working on creating a Claymation workshop for adults as well. I’m pretty sure that we all secretly wish we knew how to film our own version of Wallace & Gromit.

People attend the workshops for all different reasons—some want to learn about the station so they can volunteer, others want to know more about the ever-changing media and the role that they play in our community, and others want training for a career in television. Whatever the case, KMVT is very progressive and they offer a wide variety of possible opportunities for people who want to get involved.

KMVT is always looking for experts who would be willing to teach workshops. If you have some amazing skill that you would be willing to share with others in the community, please contact Shelley Wolfe. And KMVT is always interested in getting feedback from the community. If you have ideas or comments about programming, please get in touch with them. If you know of anyone who would be willing to donate a small, fuel efficient vehicle to the station, please pass the word along. Currently, they have a large vehicle and it works great for big community events like the festivals, but they need a small or medium sized automobile that can carry the equipment needed to cover sports events. It would be a good tax write-off.

If you aren’t able to watch KMVT (if you have dish or satellite TV instead), you can find them on YouTube. Please visit the KMVT website if you have questions about the station, their message board, or their programming—really, they’re doing some amazing things. I’m always in favor of public access television, creative people getting involved in the community and our First Amendment rights. I love Mountain View.

Then I met Rashein Lindsey of Rok Fitness. He’s a certified Boot Camp Instructor with a military background. Rashein has trained over a hundred civilians to pass the fitness exam required to join the Marines. If he can make someone “combat ready,” he can certainly whip some local residents into shape.

Rashein is a partner at Functional Core Fitness, which is on the El Camino in Mountain View. His business is Rok Fitness. He has class 7 days a week, because that’s how they do it in the military. His ‘campers’ start by stretching. The stretch exercises are led by one of the students. That’s the technique used by the military to teach camaraderie and leadership. He wants his clients to feel accountable to each other and to the commitment of getting in shape together. I like that. Rashein tells me that his classes are very non-intimidating and that if someone needs extra help, he’s happy to work one-on-one with them on the side.

He’s focused on adhering to the Marine Corps style of fitness program, and also to helping his students with a nutritional plan. He also offers health coaching, and personal training. He told me that 75% of his ‘campers’ are trying to get into the military and that the rest are regular people—just your average Silicon Valley engineer types. People are welcome to join the boot camp at any time. There isn’t a specific start date. Just show up and be ready to sweat. You’ll be doing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and squats in no time at all. You’ll use your own body weight for most of the class.

Rashein seems to be very passionate about what he’s doing—he loves his job. He told me about his long term plans for the future. They involved helping kids fight obesity by giving them the skills they need to live a healthy life. When he talked about his passion for helping clients discover an active, healthy lifestyle, I could see how much his job means to him. Rashein is inspiring and is definitely the kind of person who could keep you motivated. Mountain View is full of all kinds of different start-ups and they aren’t all high-tech–some of them are old-school. Welcome to Mountain View, Rok Fitness.

They put cool compression packs on your major muscle groups and core. A cooling helmet goes on your head and your feet (without shoes or socks) go on really cold copper pedals. Then you workout hard for 20 minutes. I’ll try to explain the technology, but obviously, you should go to their website for a thorough explanation. Here goes: Because the workout is cold, the blood that would normally go to the surface of your body to cool you down is now staying in your muscles. Lactic acid that would normally build up in muscles doesn’t with a Vasper workout. Your pituitary gland sends out HGH and other hormones to repair and rebuild, but your muscles aren’t sore so they don’t require all that human growth hormone. This creates a surge of HGH in your body. It’s supposed to make you feel great because cooler blood retains more oxygen. The extra HGH helps your brain to be more focused and productive. It actually makes you smarter… well, they didn’t tell me that part, I just made it up and I’m hoping that I’m smarter now. And you don’t sweat! That part is true. You can workout and go back to the office. Have you ever heard of anything like this? No, you haven’t.

After the 20 minute workout you lay down for 20 minutes on a special bed that keeps your spine cool. You also hold onto a Tesla coil during the cooling period. They turn off the lights and you can sleep or meditate. It’s the most peaceful place on earth.

NASA is using the workout because when astronauts are in a zero-gravity situation they lose muscle and bone strength quickly. The Sharks have tested the technology on their players and loved it. It has also been used by Olympic athletes, Rescue Squads and military Special Forces. The founder of Vasper Fitness and Performance Systems, Peter Wasowski, is at the office everyday and he can answer any questions you might have, but he also has a really nice staff of trainers. Kat helped me with one of my workouts and I loved her energy.

Every so often I get to learn about and experience something incredibly special because I write this website about our city. Vasper is one of those special places. I love Mountain View.

Apparently many people are under the misconception that rugby is a rough and dangerous sport. Paul tells me that it is actually very strict and civilized. “Although it is very physical, you have the utmost respect for your opponent” in the game of rugby. The kids learn good conduct and sportsmanship and the game builds their confidence and self-esteem. One of the major aspects of the game is not letting your team down by behaving disrespectfully to your teammates, your opponents or to the team captains or referees. Everyone needs to follow the rules.

The AYRU is open to all kids, boys and girls from ages 6 to 14. There are about 50 kids involved in the Mountain View Bobcats right now and there is room for another 50. Everyone gets to play, regardless of skill level. There are scholarships available to those that might have difficulty with the registration fee. You can contact Paul and play for a day to test it out and see if you would like to join the team. Some of the games are tough/tag rugby and others are contact. I asked how many broken bones they have had and Paul told me that there have been none in the 3 seasons in Mountain View. That’s a pretty good record.

Two of the coaches of the Mountain View Bobcats have played professional rugby and the “advisior” to the team, Brian McCellahan, is currently a professional player. Brian also happens to have been born in Mountain View. One of the coaches is the owner of St. Stephens Green on Castro Street. Many of the parents want to learn about the game after they watch it for a few minutes while their children are playing and they end up becoming coaches for the team.

After a game, both of the teams sit down together for a meal. They talk about the game and get to know each other. That’s very different from other sports. They are given the chance to critique each other’s technique, give feedback to the other team and talk about how they can improve their performance. It all sounds so civil and respectful. I really like that. To learn more about the Mountain View Bobcats, AYRU, and sponsoring or joining the team, please visit their website or their Facebook page.
I love Mountain View.

When I arrived there was a class taking place so I sat quietly and watched through the one-way viewing mirror. The class I watched was a “Mommy and Me.” Lesley has a wide variety of classes including: Kinderdance, Tiny Tots, Tap, Musical Theater, Classical, Hip-Hop, teen & adult Jazz, and teen & adult Ballet. She also offers Yoga and Zumba.

There are lots of new classes starting January 2, 2012. The dance classes will be performing on Second Stage at the Center for the Performing Arts in June. If your child enrolls in a class right now, they’ll be a pro by June. They will want to invite all of their friends and family to come see them on stage.

I was thinking how much fun it would be to reserve For the Love of Dance for a birthday party. I could just imagine how happy a group of little girls would be to get to go to a party in a dance studio! The walls are painted purple and lavender and the wood floor is beautiful. Little girls would love it!

Lesley is a mother of four and she and her family live here in Mountain View. She understands how demanding some dance studios can be, that’s why For the Love of Dance is different. She allows students to join a class at any time, not just during the beginning registration period, although, you’re going to want to get started learning your routines if you’re going to be on stage at the annual recital in the Center for the Performing Arts in June, right?

East West Bookshop for spiritual books, yoga and meditation items, lots of jewelry and a fascinating selection of scarves. They have exquisite crystals and geodes on display and I always like to look at their tea selection.

Big Frog of Mountain View can print anything on a t-shirt. No exaggeration, anything. Bring them a picture that your child created, a photo of your pet or your favorite quote—they can put it on a shirt or a tote-bag within 24 hours. I love this place.

Book Buyers on Castro is the place to go for calendars. They have about a million of them in stock at this time of year. And wouldn’t a vintage book by their favorite author be a wonderful holiday gift? Used books always feel like they have soul.

Daiso in Mountain View is a Japanese dollar store with lots of cute bento boxes, teacups, chopsticks and mysterious things in packages that you can’t read unless you know Japanese.

Mountain View Lock & Safe Co. has stocking stuffers, like the ‘hiding place’ can of Aqua Net hairspray, bug spray or other household products. I also like the Hide-a-Key rocks. And I’ve always been a fan of cool little brass padlocks.

Villa Rouge has hip cowboy rain boots and their aromatherapy candles have a cult following.

Boutique 4 has sexy party attire and some outrageously fun jewelry. Any girl would love a gift certificate from this cute store on Castro.

Gift cards are always a hit. How about one from Morocco’s Restaurant,  Don Giovanni’s,  Cascal or Scratch? Or dance, yoga or Zumba classes from For The Love of Dance? Or take that special someone to a wine tasting at Artisan Wine Depot or Savvy Cellar.

And did you know that the Humane Society of Silicon Valley is having an adoption special for the holiday season? Yes, most adoptions are only$10 and they’re hoping to find homes for 1000 animals before the year ends. Maybe your family needs a new four-footed-friend.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year celebration. Please  remember to shop, eat and exercise locally. Thank you for being a fan of the city of Mountain View and reading this blog for the last 2 years. I look forward to a wonderful 2012 in our community. And it’s true, I really do love Mountain View.

I went last week with a few friends. It’s a hands-on class, as opposed to the demonstration kind. She demonstrates a technique and then asks someone to take over and finish the dicing, stirring, or flipping. We made Karai Murgi Torkari (Bengali Chicken Curry) and Aloo Poshto (Potatoes in a poppy seed gravy) and rice. There were 4 students in Fharzana’s kitchen and everyone participated in the tasks as she directed us and watched what we were doing. She complimented me on my slick knife skills.

Two of us brought wine for everyone to enjoy while we were cooking and we all chatted and laughed quite a bit while we were supposed to be paying attention, but we didn’t get in trouble. I’ve been to the kind of class where you aren’t allowed to drink wine and giggle and it wasn’t nearly as much fun as this one.

Fharzana is charming and really good at explaining the history or significance of a dish. She is from Bangladesh and her husband is from South Indian, so she knows how to cook food from both regions. If you have something specific in mind that you want to learn, she would probably be able to show you. We just let her pick the menu for us and all of us were happy with her selection.

She spent a great deal of time talking about the spices involved in the dishes we made. She passed around little spice bottles for each of us to examine up close. There was no talk of measuring anything. I liked that part. Just dump in some of this and even more of that one and it’ll turn out fine. I noticed that since I went to her class, I’ve been more brave at home and willing to try new combinations of spices. And I haven’t measured anything either. My measuring spoons must be getting lonely. And I like that she gave us copies of the recipes that we made. The copies that she gave us do have measurements written down, so don’t worry about whether or not you’ll be able to recreate the dish once you go home.

Fharzana can be reached through her blog, http://foodvestigation.posterous.com/ Her cooking classes seem like a wonderful way to get together with friends and do something new and different. I love Mountain View.