I went to the MoMA this past week and checked out the Tim Burton exhibit. Most of the time I was admiring the work I was thinking "This is one twisted guy." Everything seemed to be out of a twisted parallel universe. There was so much in the exhibit, I couldn't help but wonder "How did he come up with so much stuff?" I noticed a lot of his imaginary creatures seemed to be combinations of various "alien" characteristics like antennas and many eyes. At the same time, they didn't seem to be random combinations.

On Friday, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the New American Wing. I remember going there before and liking it, but when I went to see the redone exhibit, I was amazed at how it turned out. It looked like a courtyard, with a fountain and sculptures, leading to two old-fashioned electric lights, leading down to some steps, leading down to a facade of what appears to be a mansion. Inside the "mansion", there were various rooms like those of the wealthy in the 18th and 19th centuries.

I thought the opera was okay. I was a bit dull, but then again, the story is supposed to be depressing, and the sets really showed that. The dominant color was drab gray, the most depressing color in my opinion. And the music was certainly more modern than what I'm used to in opera, when I see works such as die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute by Mozart) or der Fleidermaus (The Bat by Johann Strauss II) which have more old-fashioned music, that is, 18th and 19th century music.

The House of the Dead opera was the first opera I have ever seen. I have listened to opera music before and have always heard about opera but never experienced it for myself. When I think of opera I think of big people singing extremely loud. I picture those people that can hold a glass and make it break with their voices. All of this is silly and very stereotypical when it comes to opera. The House of the Dead was not what I expected to see. I am glad that it was not what I expected. I think this added to my experience.