Over the Christmas holidays we decided to go to the ballet as a family. Michael's parents are visiting us and the Teatro Colon has finally opened from its several year long restoration. We were all dying to see it. I looked on-line and found that a production of a ballet called El Corsario was running between Christmas and New Year's. With the flick of my magic wand we were in.
On a Wednesday night we all got dressed up in our finest and took a ride into the city. With very few restaurants in the neighbourhood around the Colon we ended up sitting with most theatre goers at the very crowded Petit Colon café down the street. People sipped on coffee and sparkling wine and nibbled ham and cheese sandwiches and salads as they waited for curtain call. Michael who had returned to work after the holidays met us in the crowded room and as a family we slowly made our way to the theatre.
The Teatro Colon is one of the world's great opera theatres. It's a national treasure that I've heard time and time again has perfect acoustics. Everybody who is anybody in Argentina has performed at the Colon. But after nearly a hundred years of service they closed their doors in 2006 and completed a multi year restoration. It was time to go and check it out.
As a group of six we were easily able to book our own palco. A palco is a box. There is something about sitting in a box that just feels intimate, decadent. The kids looked around with wonder at the stage, the multitude of red velvet and the heavily curtained boxes that ring the theatre. The Colon doesn't fail to impress. I sat and gaping with awe at the beauty around me and loved that our kids were able to do the same.
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Inside the Teatro Colon! Gorgeous!
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Now I knew that Meryn was excited for the show. What nine year old girl doesn't want to go to the ballet dressed in her finest clothes? But I was a little bit nervous about Colin. A six year old boy and a three act ballet . . . well I made sure to sit next to him and instructed him to tap me quietly if he needed anything.
He did amazingly well. I had no idea what the ballet was about and was pleasantly surprised that it was a story about pirates! We lucked out. Yes there was dancing and music. But there were also stunning sets and plenty of sword fighting. He was captivated. Whew!
Now to switch gears, earlier that week Meryn came down with a case of piojos. Piojos are lice and they are rampant in Argentina. I have never seen anything like it. We do our best to keep them out of our house but occasionally they discover the deliciousness of Meryn's thick, curly blond locks. We have the treatment down to a science and were able to get rid of them as quickly as they came. I didn't give them another thought.
Part way through the show Colin curled up on my lap, snuggling and clapping for the dancers on the stage. I was so proud of him. And then out of no where he started to scratch his head, a lot. He scratched endlessly for most of the second act. With very short hair piojos have never been interested in him. And yet as my own hair cascaded over his neck, all I could think was crap. My head immediately started to itch. Crap.
Here I am at the Teatro Colon - one of the world's premiere opera houses watching a world class ballet and sitting in a private box in my favourite three inch heels and all I can think about is that my head is itching. Does he have lice? Do I?
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The Show . . .
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Eventually I let it go. The show would go on as they say, piojos or not. There was nothing I could do until we got home anyway. With the end of the third act and amidst a standing ovation we piled the kids into a pre-arranged taxi and whisked them into the night and into their beds. I whipped myself out of my cocktail dress and heels, put on pj's and immediately reached for the lice comb. Nothing. Whew. . .
When I checked Colin the next morning . . . nothing. I have no idea why he was scratching.
Up and down. Tragedy and comedy. Agony and ecstasy. Each makes the other more poignant. ✿ Micheline
