Last Friday, the opera The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell opened in Buenos Aires at the Complejo Cultural Cine of Teatro 25 de Mayo, on Av. Triunvirato 4444.Sponsored by the Colon Theater, which is dedicated to promoting opera in the city and the country, The Fairy Queen is based on the famous poem by Edmund Spenser and, because of its magical, almost surreal qualities, it has been compared to A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare and Metamorphoses by Ovid.According to the government website, after the performances this Friday and Sunday there are two more performances, Tuesday and Thursday, which begin at 8:30pm.Tickets are only 15 pesos, with discounts for retirees and youth.

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Happy belated International Women’s Day and Hinamatsuri, Girls’ Day in Japan! What is it about March, spring, rebirth, and women and girls?

International Women’s Day is on March 8, and Hinamatsuri is on the third day of the third month every year. It’s one of the things that made me fall in love with Japan when I was living there. Hina means doll (some of you may know that I am an avid doll collector), and suddenly, Tokyo was overflowing with exquisite doll displays. My favorites were at department stores like Takashimaya–level after level of courtly splendor as the emperor, empress and their minions, furniture, flowers and favorite symbolic fruit are displayed on a red carpet.

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