Monday, September 1, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Brand New Day
31 juillet, jeudi
J'ai oublie ce que j'ai fait... euh...
Oh right!
Soon after I had my interview with the friendly and open Monsieur Brouillard, he emailed me saying that I left mon etui a crayons. Donc il fallait le recuperer. I got up a little later than usual, went to Bonaventure to pick up my pouch and drop off his consent form. I went to this convenience store (depanneur?) and bought ridiculously expensive postcards and a nice but also kind of pricey umbrella. After this I think I was lame and didn't do anything but sleep... so I woke up around 6 to eat and go to the Francos, where I saw Yves Desrosiers, Z'wa, Les Amis au Pakistan (so bad I had to leave), La Descente du Coude (much better), and Bombolesse, which was refreshingly really fun, actually. We danced around the dance floor (a droite, a droite, a gauche, a gauche, a l'arriere, en bas!). After that (ended about 30 minutes over; they were so popular they got an encore) and it took a while to extricate M. Jean from the crowd but we eventually made it to the Francofolies lounge where we conducted the interview (really interesting story...) and he was nice enough to give me a copy of the entire CD.
1 aout, vendredi
I can't believe I hadn't been on Ste-Catherine yet: it's the cutest cobblestone street closed to traffic and flanked by nice restaurants and friperies. And you could tell that you were around the Village because of the flamboyant stores and numerous male clothes boutiques. Anyway, the CBC Radio office building didn't look too impressive from the outside, but in the inside the offices were really nice--great views, signatures all over the door to the Bande a Part studio/recording room, posters and musique all over. This time I actually made it through most of the interview in French. M. Tremblay was also insanely generous and gave me some of their promotional materials and tickets to Tricot Machine! I was such in a good mood I actually stepped into a church for a bit and actually walked from the CBC building up Ste-Catherine and then up to Casa del Popolo (and interesting antique/thrift stores) and down St-Laurent back home.
The artist on the multicultural stage was one of my absolute favorites--Musa Dieng Kala. There was something visceral and yet airy about the music. Couples began to embrace each other in the romantic phrases, the woman on the stage went into a passionate display of dance...
Other acts I saw: Fonojone (good! last song), MeLL (good at first, got crazy), CEA (great kind of groovy hip hoppy pop), Naila (stayed for one song...), Dumas (typical rock, everyone knew their lyrics), Imposs (energizing, big crowd), Habana Cafe, by the time I'd gotten to Bonjour Brumaire I'd had enough of world music and music and festival and standing and staying out so I went home a bit earlier than usual.
2 aout, samedi
This was a good day! I can't remember what I did in the morning... I think I just did some groceries which brought me up and down St-Laurent and Mont-Royal again (I think this day I bought some CDs again, and there was a photo shoot going on in one of them!). I had broccoli and salmon and spiced potatoes (using Elise's old lemons and water-revived herbs from the balcon). Oh, and THIS was when I stayed at the 24-hour cafe to highlight some articles and this guy wanted me to open his water then bought me a water and stare d me down for 20 minutes... Ugh thank goodness he left and a younger rain and post-rain crowd came in. Whew.
Finally Elise came back and we got ready for Tricot Machine: we walked there in the drizzle and survived a couple collisons (with salt shakers and men) and almost-collisions with the ground in my case (my flipflops had no traction). It's been nice because Elise knows a lot about the post-college life and careers and she gave me a lot of advice whether or not she realized it. About 4 people asked us about seats at our table which was awkward. Tricot Machine (as I learned earlier, means like, sewing machine) was ADORABLE. I LOVE BOYS ON PIANO. There was a fanfare and the girl had a drum and the guy was on piano and they had guests (including this blue... mascot... thing). Their backdrop moved! and reminded me of Santa's Workshop because of the gears and white and red and green and the smoking stacks and the jingle bells cameo. During one song, snow came falling down on the audience! A sheep was animated in the background and in the middle of the show a clothesline of knitted clothing emerged from the side of the stage (which explained the mysterious scene change that covered the entire front--speaking of which the opening act was folksy mellow okay too). At the end there was more things from the sky--red confetti! There was a double encore as well. It was an adorable time.
A short stint and pretty-up at the apartment and we took (actually a long) cab ride to La Tulipe, where there was 80s night! This was a legit dancing venue! Some creeper old ones (Elise's boy Phillip, thank god, told this overweight gross old man that I had a boyfriend waiting) but everyone was into the dance and it was a great playlist. Phillip was nice enough to buy me cranberry juice (goodness knows I didn't have the volume or skill to order it) and actually some guy at the beginning asked if he could buy me a drink. Too bad he didn't find me when I was being stared down by creeperoldman. Elise and he both were reallyreally nice about having me there, even after Phillip's other 2 friends left early. A good time!! I'm glad Elise invited and I went.
3 aout, dimanche
Latelate morning. Actually, it was 1 o'clock when Elise told me she and her boy were making pancakes (well, crepes). When I had to leave at 2:30 I could smell the savory crepes and saw the jar of chocolat-noisette and strawberries... Mmm.
It was frustating because my go-to printing place C.O.P.I.A. was closed on Sunday so I walked many blocks down St-Denis looking for a copy place which I thought would be easy because I saw so many on St-Laurent and such. Not so. St-Denis has the hippest stores and the bestest of food places (wish I had the money time occasion to eat there!). In fact, I saw MeLL and a couple of her crew just walking down the street before I turned onto Mont-Royal to go to the first place I printed before my first interview with GEG. Thank goodness they were open (and very busy)!
Finally I got to Vieux Port and had some time to spare to buy gum and browse until 4pm. It was a bit unnerving because I didn't realize until I saw the actual diagram/map of Vieux Port that the SalsaFolie was actually at the end of the quai, right by the water! It was kind of bother getting in because of the language barrier and Annie la fondatrice wasn't there yet but some of the early dancers were very friendly. I met one woman with curly hair and another man with a festive shirt who encouraged me to go onto the front stage and participate in the lessons (which I'm glad I did, if only for 10 minutes! the instructor was very cheerful). Another lady was very nice about letting me know who Annie was and where/when she would arrive.
The actual interview went really well--she knew a lot about the community and the mindset and the music and you could tell she is very passionate about what she does which is great. I kind of regretted leaving because the foule was just beginning to get hot and I noticed there were some traveling types that had come alone and were learning and dancing for fun like I was. Definitely next year I hope I can bring my entire family to come dance!
Vieux Port is actually pretty close to le Quartier des Spectacles--there I met Veronique after some difficult phone exchanges (again, language, along with noise). She was super-nice and patient given my horrible colloquial French and her quick accented Quebecois. We loved the Thom Yorke-ish opener and the completement fou ("C'est quelque chose...") Gatineau (Laurent Saulnier, who was emceeing, really does have good taste). I decided to give my regards to the freeness of FrancoFolies by buying a massive hot dog epicee with banana peppers and drenched in ketchupmustardrelish condiments. Mmm. Karkwa was like a Radiohead (and I LOVE the guy on clavier) experience, and Malajube was better than I thought they would be because of their guitar (threw one up and broke it, in fact) and drum and percussion/piano jams in purple. I paid the Francos another salute by buying a massively huge crepe banane et chocolat-noisette (that enticing, aromatic creperie chaque soir pour 2 semaines!). The guy at the register was very friendly but I had to remind him about my change because he was distracted by the 2 girls talking it up at the counter, haha. Most amazing crepe ever, walking into the wind down St-Laurent back to le coin des pins et de bullion.
4 aout, lundi
Another late morning. Almost considered just shopping the day away or staying at home or on the balcony since I was feeling so lethargic. I spent like 2 hours snoozing in bed, eating 3 jam and breads, and snoozing on the couch procrastinating calling Mauro from Casa (unfortunately he didn't pick up and I didn't feel like leaving another message since the other day I had to stave off lethargy attendant at the sketchy 24-hour). I went to 4 freres (24 hours, would you believe it?) and finally got enough sun to decide to go to Osheaga.
$80, BAH I though door would cost as much as the daily online. Oh well. It was worth it. I spread out a blanket and put on sunscreen and my sunglasses listening to the folksy sounds of Matt Costa and the Weakerthans while writing postcards and clapping alongside the middle-aged Indian? man next to me. I was in the middle of Joanne's postcard when I had to stop because the Black Keys so commanded my attention, just that one set of drums, 2 sets of man, and a single plugged guitar. I was comfortable there, alone, surrounded by beautiful people and smiling children on the shoulders of their fathers.
An act from Toronto played at the Sirius stage--great to jello your legs to! After that I passed the time in the art exhibit where I was kind of dissatisfied with the displays (eraser paint dots of security videos, that weird twitchy still videos, some display with candles) except for the cartoons, pen line drawings, and some interesting digital photo manipulations. To my surprise, I was actually intrigued by the sculpture display: B&W cardboard cutout characters standing next to tree trunks with cubes of design hanging from the branches and a geometric encasement towards the back of the woods.
The GO! Team was late (goodness) and I spent 20 minutes tiptoeing through mud and squeezing in between people to avoid tall people in between me and my view of the stage. There was a female drummer and Asian guitarist and an afro'd singer and they switched places for different adrenaline pop songs.
Broken Social Scene felt like Montreal's... stars. 11-12 people on stage, double horns and 2 sets of percussion with bearded and hatted men and a middle-aged woman with a 17-year-old girl voice stirring up static shins into taps and bobs to instrumental melody and mixtures of voice and play complimented by invitations to primal screaming extended by trick encores. From Sala Rossa to Osheaga festival stage, they were at home and we the audience welcomed them.
During GO! Team Brendan finally texted me back, and the gracious guy that he is, was still up for coffee at 10pm. Getting cash while he got creme glacee, we agreed on an 11pm meeting back at the sketchy 24-hour where he (red hair) and his friend (pink shirt) occupied the couchy front area that I hadn't dared in the daytime. Outside of the (apparently kind of depressing bubble) interview, we talked Montreal and Williamsburg and DC (can you imagine they had had very vibrant music scenes?). They left with plans for east coast and Matoaka and I left with cherry danish and a cafe pour emporter.
Une nuit blanche suivra. Tchao Montreal! A la prochaine.
J'ai oublie ce que j'ai fait... euh...
Oh right!
Soon after I had my interview with the friendly and open Monsieur Brouillard, he emailed me saying that I left mon etui a crayons. Donc il fallait le recuperer. I got up a little later than usual, went to Bonaventure to pick up my pouch and drop off his consent form. I went to this convenience store (depanneur?) and bought ridiculously expensive postcards and a nice but also kind of pricey umbrella. After this I think I was lame and didn't do anything but sleep... so I woke up around 6 to eat and go to the Francos, where I saw Yves Desrosiers, Z'wa, Les Amis au Pakistan (so bad I had to leave), La Descente du Coude (much better), and Bombolesse, which was refreshingly really fun, actually. We danced around the dance floor (a droite, a droite, a gauche, a gauche, a l'arriere, en bas!). After that (ended about 30 minutes over; they were so popular they got an encore) and it took a while to extricate M. Jean from the crowd but we eventually made it to the Francofolies lounge where we conducted the interview (really interesting story...) and he was nice enough to give me a copy of the entire CD.
1 aout, vendredi
I can't believe I hadn't been on Ste-Catherine yet: it's the cutest cobblestone street closed to traffic and flanked by nice restaurants and friperies. And you could tell that you were around the Village because of the flamboyant stores and numerous male clothes boutiques. Anyway, the CBC Radio office building didn't look too impressive from the outside, but in the inside the offices were really nice--great views, signatures all over the door to the Bande a Part studio/recording room, posters and musique all over. This time I actually made it through most of the interview in French. M. Tremblay was also insanely generous and gave me some of their promotional materials and tickets to Tricot Machine! I was such in a good mood I actually stepped into a church for a bit and actually walked from the CBC building up Ste-Catherine and then up to Casa del Popolo (and interesting antique/thrift stores) and down St-Laurent back home.
The artist on the multicultural stage was one of my absolute favorites--Musa Dieng Kala. There was something visceral and yet airy about the music. Couples began to embrace each other in the romantic phrases, the woman on the stage went into a passionate display of dance...
Other acts I saw: Fonojone (good! last song), MeLL (good at first, got crazy), CEA (great kind of groovy hip hoppy pop), Naila (stayed for one song...), Dumas (typical rock, everyone knew their lyrics), Imposs (energizing, big crowd), Habana Cafe, by the time I'd gotten to Bonjour Brumaire I'd had enough of world music and music and festival and standing and staying out so I went home a bit earlier than usual.
2 aout, samedi
This was a good day! I can't remember what I did in the morning... I think I just did some groceries which brought me up and down St-Laurent and Mont-Royal again (I think this day I bought some CDs again, and there was a photo shoot going on in one of them!). I had broccoli and salmon and spiced potatoes (using Elise's old lemons and water-revived herbs from the balcon). Oh, and THIS was when I stayed at the 24-hour cafe to highlight some articles and this guy wanted me to open his water then bought me a water and stare d me down for 20 minutes... Ugh thank goodness he left and a younger rain and post-rain crowd came in. Whew.
Finally Elise came back and we got ready for Tricot Machine: we walked there in the drizzle and survived a couple collisons (with salt shakers and men) and almost-collisions with the ground in my case (my flipflops had no traction). It's been nice because Elise knows a lot about the post-college life and careers and she gave me a lot of advice whether or not she realized it. About 4 people asked us about seats at our table which was awkward. Tricot Machine (as I learned earlier, means like, sewing machine) was ADORABLE. I LOVE BOYS ON PIANO. There was a fanfare and the girl had a drum and the guy was on piano and they had guests (including this blue... mascot... thing). Their backdrop moved! and reminded me of Santa's Workshop because of the gears and white and red and green and the smoking stacks and the jingle bells cameo. During one song, snow came falling down on the audience! A sheep was animated in the background and in the middle of the show a clothesline of knitted clothing emerged from the side of the stage (which explained the mysterious scene change that covered the entire front--speaking of which the opening act was folksy mellow okay too). At the end there was more things from the sky--red confetti! There was a double encore as well. It was an adorable time.
A short stint and pretty-up at the apartment and we took (actually a long) cab ride to La Tulipe, where there was 80s night! This was a legit dancing venue! Some creeper old ones (Elise's boy Phillip, thank god, told this overweight gross old man that I had a boyfriend waiting) but everyone was into the dance and it was a great playlist. Phillip was nice enough to buy me cranberry juice (goodness knows I didn't have the volume or skill to order it) and actually some guy at the beginning asked if he could buy me a drink. Too bad he didn't find me when I was being stared down by creeperoldman. Elise and he both were reallyreally nice about having me there, even after Phillip's other 2 friends left early. A good time!! I'm glad Elise invited and I went.
3 aout, dimanche
Latelate morning. Actually, it was 1 o'clock when Elise told me she and her boy were making pancakes (well, crepes). When I had to leave at 2:30 I could smell the savory crepes and saw the jar of chocolat-noisette and strawberries... Mmm.
It was frustating because my go-to printing place C.O.P.I.A. was closed on Sunday so I walked many blocks down St-Denis looking for a copy place which I thought would be easy because I saw so many on St-Laurent and such. Not so. St-Denis has the hippest stores and the bestest of food places (wish I had the money time occasion to eat there!). In fact, I saw MeLL and a couple of her crew just walking down the street before I turned onto Mont-Royal to go to the first place I printed before my first interview with GEG. Thank goodness they were open (and very busy)!
Finally I got to Vieux Port and had some time to spare to buy gum and browse until 4pm. It was a bit unnerving because I didn't realize until I saw the actual diagram/map of Vieux Port that the SalsaFolie was actually at the end of the quai, right by the water! It was kind of bother getting in because of the language barrier and Annie la fondatrice wasn't there yet but some of the early dancers were very friendly. I met one woman with curly hair and another man with a festive shirt who encouraged me to go onto the front stage and participate in the lessons (which I'm glad I did, if only for 10 minutes! the instructor was very cheerful). Another lady was very nice about letting me know who Annie was and where/when she would arrive.
The actual interview went really well--she knew a lot about the community and the mindset and the music and you could tell she is very passionate about what she does which is great. I kind of regretted leaving because the foule was just beginning to get hot and I noticed there were some traveling types that had come alone and were learning and dancing for fun like I was. Definitely next year I hope I can bring my entire family to come dance!
Vieux Port is actually pretty close to le Quartier des Spectacles--there I met Veronique after some difficult phone exchanges (again, language, along with noise). She was super-nice and patient given my horrible colloquial French and her quick accented Quebecois. We loved the Thom Yorke-ish opener and the completement fou ("C'est quelque chose...") Gatineau (Laurent Saulnier, who was emceeing, really does have good taste). I decided to give my regards to the freeness of FrancoFolies by buying a massive hot dog epicee with banana peppers and drenched in ketchupmustardrelish condiments. Mmm. Karkwa was like a Radiohead (and I LOVE the guy on clavier) experience, and Malajube was better than I thought they would be because of their guitar (threw one up and broke it, in fact) and drum and percussion/piano jams in purple. I paid the Francos another salute by buying a massively huge crepe banane et chocolat-noisette (that enticing, aromatic creperie chaque soir pour 2 semaines!). The guy at the register was very friendly but I had to remind him about my change because he was distracted by the 2 girls talking it up at the counter, haha. Most amazing crepe ever, walking into the wind down St-Laurent back to le coin des pins et de bullion.
4 aout, lundi
Another late morning. Almost considered just shopping the day away or staying at home or on the balcony since I was feeling so lethargic. I spent like 2 hours snoozing in bed, eating 3 jam and breads, and snoozing on the couch procrastinating calling Mauro from Casa (unfortunately he didn't pick up and I didn't feel like leaving another message since the other day I had to stave off lethargy attendant at the sketchy 24-hour). I went to 4 freres (24 hours, would you believe it?) and finally got enough sun to decide to go to Osheaga.
$80, BAH I though door would cost as much as the daily online. Oh well. It was worth it. I spread out a blanket and put on sunscreen and my sunglasses listening to the folksy sounds of Matt Costa and the Weakerthans while writing postcards and clapping alongside the middle-aged Indian? man next to me. I was in the middle of Joanne's postcard when I had to stop because the Black Keys so commanded my attention, just that one set of drums, 2 sets of man, and a single plugged guitar. I was comfortable there, alone, surrounded by beautiful people and smiling children on the shoulders of their fathers.
An act from Toronto played at the Sirius stage--great to jello your legs to! After that I passed the time in the art exhibit where I was kind of dissatisfied with the displays (eraser paint dots of security videos, that weird twitchy still videos, some display with candles) except for the cartoons, pen line drawings, and some interesting digital photo manipulations. To my surprise, I was actually intrigued by the sculpture display: B&W cardboard cutout characters standing next to tree trunks with cubes of design hanging from the branches and a geometric encasement towards the back of the woods.
The GO! Team was late (goodness) and I spent 20 minutes tiptoeing through mud and squeezing in between people to avoid tall people in between me and my view of the stage. There was a female drummer and Asian guitarist and an afro'd singer and they switched places for different adrenaline pop songs.
Broken Social Scene felt like Montreal's... stars. 11-12 people on stage, double horns and 2 sets of percussion with bearded and hatted men and a middle-aged woman with a 17-year-old girl voice stirring up static shins into taps and bobs to instrumental melody and mixtures of voice and play complimented by invitations to primal screaming extended by trick encores. From Sala Rossa to Osheaga festival stage, they were at home and we the audience welcomed them.
During GO! Team Brendan finally texted me back, and the gracious guy that he is, was still up for coffee at 10pm. Getting cash while he got creme glacee, we agreed on an 11pm meeting back at the sketchy 24-hour where he (red hair) and his friend (pink shirt) occupied the couchy front area that I hadn't dared in the daytime. Outside of the (apparently kind of depressing bubble) interview, we talked Montreal and Williamsburg and DC (can you imagine they had had very vibrant music scenes?). They left with plans for east coast and Matoaka and I left with cherry danish and a cafe pour emporter.
Une nuit blanche suivra. Tchao Montreal! A la prochaine.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Chaque Jour
29 juillet, mardi
- Namori, Svinkels, David Marin avec Karkwa!, Kayans
- Classic rock et l'ami d'Elise
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: David Marin
30 juillet, mercredi
- Late awakening for entrevue avec Laurent Saulnier...
- Speed lunch of beans and burned garlic chicken before...
- Guy Brouillard a CKOI et Eric au bibliotheque (des speakers tres bons!)
- Ouanani, Yelle, Lilison de Kinara, La Patere Rose, Radio Radio
- Des drapeaux; drums!; la paix dans la salle et beaucoup de pensees; des claviers dingues; "Oh shit"
- Les claviers et l'accordion, c'est plus populaires que la guitare comme aux Etats-Unis...!
- Compte de faire l'entrevue demain au resto (filipino? haha)
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: L'electro-pop de Yelle et La Patere Rose
- Namori, Svinkels, David Marin avec Karkwa!, Kayans
- Classic rock et l'ami d'Elise
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: David Marin
30 juillet, mercredi
- Late awakening for entrevue avec Laurent Saulnier...
- Speed lunch of beans and burned garlic chicken before...
- Guy Brouillard a CKOI et Eric au bibliotheque (des speakers tres bons!)
- Ouanani, Yelle, Lilison de Kinara, La Patere Rose, Radio Radio
- Des drapeaux; drums!; la paix dans la salle et beaucoup de pensees; des claviers dingues; "Oh shit"
- Les claviers et l'accordion, c'est plus populaires que la guitare comme aux Etats-Unis...!
- Compte de faire l'entrevue demain au resto (filipino? haha)
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: L'electro-pop de Yelle et La Patere Rose
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Je peeeense qu'il y a quelque choooose de dire de ce teeeemps et ces petiiiites artiiiistes
J’ai pensé que c’était temps de dire à tout le monde ce qui se passe dans ma vie montréalaise ici. Je voudrais beaucoup faire des postes longues toutes pleines de détails mais je n’ai pas de temps. Donc j’écris quelques notes et quelques listes chaque jour. Chaque note est un cahier des souvenirs et des mots… les voici :
21 juillet lundi
- Early morn train station
- Our old friend on the train
- Good views
- Fizzy Fish
- Crazy customs
- Arriving on the metro SANS handicap help (automatic doors,
elevators)
- "PUSH THE DOOR"
- Nice lady telling us directions to Rue des Pins, Rue de Bullion
- Crashing the cobblestone music party
- Finding Elise's apartment
- Sister has piano in the room!
- Le balcon
22 juillet, mardi
- Tartines at the Premiere Moisson
- Book package
- Hotel
- Chateau Ramezay
- Pointe a Calliere
- Gondola carriage driver
- Fire trucks and tricks (dollars, balloons, etc.)
- Maple Ice Cream (Delices de L'Erable)
- Mediterranean Panini and really good fries (Cafe by the Pier)
- Street musicians and dancers
- Spectacle de Son et Lumiere (Basilica)
- Resting by the Parc/Quai
- @ the Sherbrooke: Guitar, Sitar, Violin, etc.
- Buddy McNeill, Magic Mirrors, Les Breastfeeders
- Awkward seating, pas de boisson
- Pate Jamaican, running with a peach
- Freako creepo man with beard in a dark doorway
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: Les Breastfeeders
23 juillet, mercredi
- Bagel at St. Viateur
- Interview with Daniel Glick
- Bell Centre francais receptioniste
- Meeting Dustin Moores, Patrick, Foo Fighters, etc.
- Notre Dame/Mary de L'Univers
- Downtown Basha
- Marche Jean-Talon
- Bread and Cheese and "Wine"
- So You Think You Can Dance (Elise's friend Amanda)
- Feux D'Artifices Loto on the Jacques Cartier bridge
- Jellyfish and sparkles and lingering stars
24 juillet, jeudi
- Meeting with Professor Minorgan
- Music Castle with band inside
- Mont Royal discounts and stores and BecikVert
- Cafe Art Java: the alphabet, internet, saumon fumee
- Schwartz's MMM
- Rundown St. Laurent (best street ever that's right around the corner)
- Club Soda (Karkwa and Jerome's veste en cuir/jazz the best)
- Multiculturelle (Polka, Russian dance, Italian, all together, etc.)
- Ferris Wheel
- Electro Lise
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: Karkwa, Jerome Miniere
25 juillet vendredi
- Saw Claire off: depressing!
- Dishes and catchup
- Horrible humor and polka guy (best part: the constant dancer)
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: Navet Confit
26 juillet samedi
- Groceries à Mont-Royal
- 3 libraries du disque ("Tu as pense que c'etait Pierre LaPointe?")
- Later, la station centrale et la femme folle, le jus d'orange et la grande assiette a emporter a Schwartz)
- La pluie et les trompes à marcher!
- Elise finally comes back, at long last! Company!
- FrancoFolies: Saïd, ca va; Spaïcy, très bien set avec l'homme chanteur; Zebulon zéro; Kulcha Connection plus doux que je me suis attendue
MUSIQUE DU JOUR : Spaïcy (ça me fait beaucoup plaisir), Toutes les artistes francophones que j’ai acheté en CD (Grand Corps Malade, PIERRE LaPointe, Jérôme Minière)
BUY/BRING:
- Lotsa postcards
- Hat/Clothes/Bag for Joanne
- Mommy, Daddy...
21 juillet lundi
- Early morn train station
- Our old friend on the train
- Good views
- Fizzy Fish
- Crazy customs
- Arriving on the metro SANS handicap help (automatic doors,
elevators)
- "PUSH THE DOOR"
- Nice lady telling us directions to Rue des Pins, Rue de Bullion
- Crashing the cobblestone music party
- Finding Elise's apartment
- Sister has piano in the room!
- Le balcon
22 juillet, mardi
- Tartines at the Premiere Moisson
- Book package
- Hotel
- Chateau Ramezay
- Pointe a Calliere
- Gondola carriage driver
- Fire trucks and tricks (dollars, balloons, etc.)
- Maple Ice Cream (Delices de L'Erable)
- Mediterranean Panini and really good fries (Cafe by the Pier)
- Street musicians and dancers
- Spectacle de Son et Lumiere (Basilica)
- Resting by the Parc/Quai
- @ the Sherbrooke: Guitar, Sitar, Violin, etc.
- Buddy McNeill, Magic Mirrors, Les Breastfeeders
- Awkward seating, pas de boisson
- Pate Jamaican, running with a peach
- Freako creepo man with beard in a dark doorway
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: Les Breastfeeders
23 juillet, mercredi
- Bagel at St. Viateur
- Interview with Daniel Glick
- Bell Centre francais receptioniste
- Meeting Dustin Moores, Patrick, Foo Fighters, etc.
- Notre Dame/Mary de L'Univers
- Downtown Basha
- Marche Jean-Talon
- Bread and Cheese and "Wine"
- So You Think You Can Dance (Elise's friend Amanda)
- Feux D'Artifices Loto on the Jacques Cartier bridge
- Jellyfish and sparkles and lingering stars
24 juillet, jeudi
- Meeting with Professor Minorgan
- Music Castle with band inside
- Mont Royal discounts and stores and BecikVert
- Cafe Art Java: the alphabet, internet, saumon fumee
- Schwartz's MMM
- Rundown St. Laurent (best street ever that's right around the corner)
- Club Soda (Karkwa and Jerome's veste en cuir/jazz the best)
- Multiculturelle (Polka, Russian dance, Italian, all together, etc.)
- Ferris Wheel
- Electro Lise
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: Karkwa, Jerome Miniere
25 juillet vendredi
- Saw Claire off: depressing!
- Dishes and catchup
- Horrible humor and polka guy (best part: the constant dancer)
MUSIQUE DU JOUR: Navet Confit
26 juillet samedi
- Groceries à Mont-Royal
- 3 libraries du disque ("Tu as pense que c'etait Pierre LaPointe?")
- Later, la station centrale et la femme folle, le jus d'orange et la grande assiette a emporter a Schwartz)
- La pluie et les trompes à marcher!
- Elise finally comes back, at long last! Company!
- FrancoFolies: Saïd, ca va; Spaïcy, très bien set avec l'homme chanteur; Zebulon zéro; Kulcha Connection plus doux que je me suis attendue
MUSIQUE DU JOUR : Spaïcy (ça me fait beaucoup plaisir), Toutes les artistes francophones que j’ai acheté en CD (Grand Corps Malade, PIERRE LaPointe, Jérôme Minière)
BUY/BRING:
- Lotsa postcards
- Hat/Clothes/Bag for Joanne
- Mommy, Daddy...
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Overwhelmed!
Professors Christopher Jones (C) and Will Straw (McGill) are my heroes. They've published some recent articles on popular music in Quebec which have been really reassuring. (I don't know how I didn't see these before... I was so concerned with understanding the broad basics of history and ethnomusicology that I don't think I realized that that will all come in time and I can always reference it if I need to.) I guess it makes me more sure about what I'm doing--that it's possible, important, legitimate. Coming from a background of high school science fairs it's a big step for me.
5 days until I ship off to Montreal! This is insane. I have so much to do... besides actually doing the research, I have a History of Music class I haven't worked on since the end of May, interning at International Action, and being a social, human being. And let's not even mention the biology 206 work I'm supposed to be doing/have done (in my defense, I didn't find the book until about 2 weeks ago).
La folie, that's the word. N'importe quoi folie, toute folie.
5 days until I ship off to Montreal! This is insane. I have so much to do... besides actually doing the research, I have a History of Music class I haven't worked on since the end of May, interning at International Action, and being a social, human being. And let's not even mention the biology 206 work I'm supposed to be doing/have done (in my defense, I didn't find the book until about 2 weeks ago).
La folie, that's the word. N'importe quoi folie, toute folie.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Starts and Sputters
I am going to Montreal.
Everything worked out so Claire's coming for the first 3 days to see the city and take it all in with me. And now, since I'm leaving 2 days earlier than I had initially planned, and my train tickets are $30-40 cheaper, I feel better about taking 3 days in transit and in New York to see Spring Awakening, Row G Orchestra.
I now have 2 definite interviews, 2 pending, and 3 pending inquiries:
Associate Dean for the Schulich School of Music, the VP of Programming for les Francofolies; Professor of Communications and Art History at McGill, Quebec Studies Professor; Jim Corcoran (A Propos radio host), Pierre Landry (Daybreak Montreal culture columnist), Osheaga, Salsafolie.
I've also got a very friendly invitation to coffee by a girl who I didn't rent a room from. How nice!
I hope I can get the interviews with the latter 3, especially because I can compare perspectives from 2 different music festivals and get points of views from people that have had a lot of experience studying the music and culture (and in the first case, actually a singer/songwriter in the music industry).
Now I have to work on:
- McGill graduate student in music
- More concert venue curators! (indie/large-scale)
- Recording studio execs/producers/employees! (indie/large-scale)
- Try others that work in radio? what about tv? Fuse?
- ARTISTS (sample a large variety: pop and folk and rock and diverse)
I should work out a schedule from here on out which books, internet sources I should cite and how I should research, exactly. Notecards? Printouts? Memory? What categories?
Everything worked out so Claire's coming for the first 3 days to see the city and take it all in with me. And now, since I'm leaving 2 days earlier than I had initially planned, and my train tickets are $30-40 cheaper, I feel better about taking 3 days in transit and in New York to see Spring Awakening, Row G Orchestra.
I now have 2 definite interviews, 2 pending, and 3 pending inquiries:
Associate Dean for the Schulich School of Music, the VP of Programming for les Francofolies; Professor of Communications and Art History at McGill, Quebec Studies Professor; Jim Corcoran (A Propos radio host), Pierre Landry (Daybreak Montreal culture columnist), Osheaga, Salsafolie.
I've also got a very friendly invitation to coffee by a girl who I didn't rent a room from. How nice!
I hope I can get the interviews with the latter 3, especially because I can compare perspectives from 2 different music festivals and get points of views from people that have had a lot of experience studying the music and culture (and in the first case, actually a singer/songwriter in the music industry).
Now I have to work on:
- McGill graduate student in music
- More concert venue curators! (indie/large-scale)
- Recording studio execs/producers/employees! (indie/large-scale)
- Try others that work in radio? what about tv? Fuse?
- ARTISTS (sample a large variety: pop and folk and rock and diverse)
I should work out a schedule from here on out which books, internet sources I should cite and how I should research, exactly. Notecards? Printouts? Memory? What categories?
Monday, June 16, 2008
Manic Monday
Manic-depressive--it's been up and down since last night.
Yesterday, even though Joanne had left and left me a bit sad, I was back by the afternoon with good news. I finally told my parents about Montreal. I thought they would be pissed: I asked my mom over the phone where my birth certificate, and why, I needed to buy a ticket for Canada and she pulled one of her "I need to go" and then hung up without saying goodbye (a common occurrence, though it shouldn't be). I thought they would come back home all angry and interrogatory.
I heard the car door shut, and I was tense by the couch by the door waiting for their angry silence and pursed lips. But they came in, easy going, taking off their shoes like they were coming back from the tennis court and then my mom just asked what I needed. You should a passport to be sure, she suggested. When are you going? (She didn't even need exact dates.) Who's going with you (I had that answer)? She didn't even ask about where I was going to stay, I mentioned it and then an hour later she asked about the area (a high-rise apartment where all the McGill kids stay). She was so calm and limited about it, it was freaky. It must have been the effect of letting my sister go to live on her own for 2 months, the postcard from Amanda from Portland (and she already lived in apartments all over way before this).
And so I bought the tickets. I was so excited by their reaction I couldn't think and thought a single ticket was $174 when it really was only the price of two tickets (singles were $87). I used my sister's information for it even though I know she won't be the one going with me since she'll be in school. I needed a place-keeper.
I was such in a good mood I didn't notice the 5 o'clock surprise until something like 6:30--Spring Awakening started to offer Digital Rush and stage seats were available again. I was really excited, talking about Montreal with Staci and how we'd have to get in Spring Awakening sometime before that before Blake!Moritz left.
I spent a couple hours and the entire Tonys writing and surfing everything Montreal and Spring Awakening.
And then, today, I woke up early and went to an appointment a month early. I would have to get a new passport and I neglected to realize that the post office probably did photos, too. I got a call from work asking if I was going to come in today. We talked about professions and money and happiness in Sociology which reminded me that I needed to find out what to do with my life by the end of the summer. When class ended it was rainrainraining and so I went downstairs to the library to wait it out.
And there I got the news that Staci wouldn't be able to come to Montreal. A few hours later, and 5 Spring Awakening OBCast members announced their departure from the show on July 19th. Plans for another trip to NYC are confused again. I wanted someone to talk to. I ended up trying to work in the open space in my sister's room which kind of worked but I was tired and distracted.
Convince the parents to spend July 1st week in NYC (orchestra tickets $56)? Wait until Rowena and the crew plan a trip for mid-July? Will it happen? Will it happen while I'm in Montreal? Take a $130 bus to and from Montreal and NY during my 2 weeks "in Montreal"? Buy tickets now, or wait? July 24-August 5 or July 23-August 4 to leave more room for Claire? Go back on my semi-promise to Ting and drop his room/apartment for another one with roommates that can check on me if I have to be out alone at night? Send books and crash at Brendan's for the night I arrive since it'll be nighttime and the key's with the janitor? Should I be worried? Should I beg everyone in the world and everything to work out the way I want it to?
I called Joanne 5 times and got a call from UVA at 8:58pm.
How is it looking up? I'm working on getting 2 interviews right now (will email more people this week). Walmart Pharmacy's already checked the references. I don't know... I'm waiting for the weekend.
Yesterday, even though Joanne had left and left me a bit sad, I was back by the afternoon with good news. I finally told my parents about Montreal. I thought they would be pissed: I asked my mom over the phone where my birth certificate, and why, I needed to buy a ticket for Canada and she pulled one of her "I need to go" and then hung up without saying goodbye (a common occurrence, though it shouldn't be). I thought they would come back home all angry and interrogatory.
I heard the car door shut, and I was tense by the couch by the door waiting for their angry silence and pursed lips. But they came in, easy going, taking off their shoes like they were coming back from the tennis court and then my mom just asked what I needed. You should a passport to be sure, she suggested. When are you going? (She didn't even need exact dates.) Who's going with you (I had that answer)? She didn't even ask about where I was going to stay, I mentioned it and then an hour later she asked about the area (a high-rise apartment where all the McGill kids stay). She was so calm and limited about it, it was freaky. It must have been the effect of letting my sister go to live on her own for 2 months, the postcard from Amanda from Portland (and she already lived in apartments all over way before this).
And so I bought the tickets. I was so excited by their reaction I couldn't think and thought a single ticket was $174 when it really was only the price of two tickets (singles were $87). I used my sister's information for it even though I know she won't be the one going with me since she'll be in school. I needed a place-keeper.
I was such in a good mood I didn't notice the 5 o'clock surprise until something like 6:30--Spring Awakening started to offer Digital Rush and stage seats were available again. I was really excited, talking about Montreal with Staci and how we'd have to get in Spring Awakening sometime before that before Blake!Moritz left.
I spent a couple hours and the entire Tonys writing and surfing everything Montreal and Spring Awakening.
And then, today, I woke up early and went to an appointment a month early. I would have to get a new passport and I neglected to realize that the post office probably did photos, too. I got a call from work asking if I was going to come in today. We talked about professions and money and happiness in Sociology which reminded me that I needed to find out what to do with my life by the end of the summer. When class ended it was rainrainraining and so I went downstairs to the library to wait it out.
And there I got the news that Staci wouldn't be able to come to Montreal. A few hours later, and 5 Spring Awakening OBCast members announced their departure from the show on July 19th. Plans for another trip to NYC are confused again. I wanted someone to talk to. I ended up trying to work in the open space in my sister's room which kind of worked but I was tired and distracted.
Convince the parents to spend July 1st week in NYC (orchestra tickets $56)? Wait until Rowena and the crew plan a trip for mid-July? Will it happen? Will it happen while I'm in Montreal? Take a $130 bus to and from Montreal and NY during my 2 weeks "in Montreal"? Buy tickets now, or wait? July 24-August 5 or July 23-August 4 to leave more room for Claire? Go back on my semi-promise to Ting and drop his room/apartment for another one with roommates that can check on me if I have to be out alone at night? Send books and crash at Brendan's for the night I arrive since it'll be nighttime and the key's with the janitor? Should I be worried? Should I beg everyone in the world and everything to work out the way I want it to?
I called Joanne 5 times and got a call from UVA at 8:58pm.
How is it looking up? I'm working on getting 2 interviews right now (will email more people this week). Walmart Pharmacy's already checked the references. I don't know... I'm waiting for the weekend.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Chickens in Trees
I had no idea that the natural habitat of chickens were trees. Like any other bird, that's where they sleep. My mom was talking about how at night they huddle into the tree branches and in the morning you can hear them crow and drop off onto the ground. She loved the chickens, and there were so many, except the only part she didn't like was butchering them. Apparently there was one time she typed for someone and in return got a chicken which she and Grandma Remy had no idea what to do with because they didn't want to butcher it.
She talked about the 3 uses of umbrella (shielding from sun, rain, and the eyes of others when peeing in the grass) and how she would often walk to school without shoes on, even when she had slippers. And during the rainy season her grandfather would carry her over the fields because she was scared of the worms (all of them except earthworms). Her grandmother was mestizo, fair-skinned with a Spanish nose, and her grandfather was heavily built with black skin. Sometimes, people would call my mom mestizo because her nose wasn't as flat at others. She talked about how she lived with these grandparents and was sleeping next to them when they died, quickly and painlessly from a heart attack or stroke.
She talked about Bebot, the bad boy brother who drank a lot and would always be on the run to Uncle Ben's house, who would whip him into line. All of her brothers she said lived there and Uncle Ben would teach them right from wrong. She talked about how there were A classes and B classes and how she was in the A class while Marilyn was in the B class--she probably got her smarts from Grandma Ansing.
Grandma Ansing was salutatorian in high school, and her husband (my mom's biological father) was the valedictorian. They had competed a lot in high school, with clubs and academics, and go figure, ended up married. My grandfather was a bookkeeper in town, a really smart one apparently, especially in geography and history. He could have gone far, she said, except for his gambling. Grandma Ansing still reads his love letters.
Mommy talked about how she came to America: a federal order from the government brought her there after passing the international exam to get in and another exam to stay once she and 25 of her friends came to the U.S., living in government-subsidized apartments next to D.C. General Hospital. The first time, she failed the exam because they had only 2 weeks since arriving and had no time to adjust, especially when the exam was in New Jersey and they were living in D.C. Lifesavers the candy and lifesavers the tire were confusing, and when they ate at the cafeteria, they would keep their paper plates and plastic silverware as to not waste, to reuse them all.
Growing up, they used everything from everything. Their shampoo was dried rice stalks, burned, and mixed in a coconut shell mixed with water. It made your hair smooth and shiny, and though it wasn't very bubbly, it was soapy. She hated to beat the bundles of drying rice, but it was much easier when the mill separated the bran (fed to the animals) from the grain (fed to the people). The best, though, was the cacao that they would roast and pound together was tagapalut (molassas/sugar). And the large blueberries you would smash between rocks and combine with salt to make a tangy sweet and salty snack. She remembers the bonfires keeping them warm when it was cool, and how her grandmother would be pleased just to get a match from town because the way she did was by striking flint and sparking a fire.
She talked about the 3 uses of umbrella (shielding from sun, rain, and the eyes of others when peeing in the grass) and how she would often walk to school without shoes on, even when she had slippers. And during the rainy season her grandfather would carry her over the fields because she was scared of the worms (all of them except earthworms). Her grandmother was mestizo, fair-skinned with a Spanish nose, and her grandfather was heavily built with black skin. Sometimes, people would call my mom mestizo because her nose wasn't as flat at others. She talked about how she lived with these grandparents and was sleeping next to them when they died, quickly and painlessly from a heart attack or stroke.
She talked about Bebot, the bad boy brother who drank a lot and would always be on the run to Uncle Ben's house, who would whip him into line. All of her brothers she said lived there and Uncle Ben would teach them right from wrong. She talked about how there were A classes and B classes and how she was in the A class while Marilyn was in the B class--she probably got her smarts from Grandma Ansing.
Grandma Ansing was salutatorian in high school, and her husband (my mom's biological father) was the valedictorian. They had competed a lot in high school, with clubs and academics, and go figure, ended up married. My grandfather was a bookkeeper in town, a really smart one apparently, especially in geography and history. He could have gone far, she said, except for his gambling. Grandma Ansing still reads his love letters.
Mommy talked about how she came to America: a federal order from the government brought her there after passing the international exam to get in and another exam to stay once she and 25 of her friends came to the U.S., living in government-subsidized apartments next to D.C. General Hospital. The first time, she failed the exam because they had only 2 weeks since arriving and had no time to adjust, especially when the exam was in New Jersey and they were living in D.C. Lifesavers the candy and lifesavers the tire were confusing, and when they ate at the cafeteria, they would keep their paper plates and plastic silverware as to not waste, to reuse them all.
Growing up, they used everything from everything. Their shampoo was dried rice stalks, burned, and mixed in a coconut shell mixed with water. It made your hair smooth and shiny, and though it wasn't very bubbly, it was soapy. She hated to beat the bundles of drying rice, but it was much easier when the mill separated the bran (fed to the animals) from the grain (fed to the people). The best, though, was the cacao that they would roast and pound together was tagapalut (molassas/sugar). And the large blueberries you would smash between rocks and combine with salt to make a tangy sweet and salty snack. She remembers the bonfires keeping them warm when it was cool, and how her grandmother would be pleased just to get a match from town because the way she did was by striking flint and sparking a fire.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Tiny Dancer
These musician types, dammit. They offer me a room and I wait 2 weeks for a solid response and then they email back (finally) saying that it's taken, or it won't work out.
I'm so frustrated.
Now my option is renting a room from a McGill? student who is leaving town on the 11th so I don't even know how I'll be able to get the keys/room... I don't know. I'm getting more and more stressed about this project and it's becoming less and less appealing as things are piling onto my plate.
I have to call my (unpaid) work.
On top of that, my sister texted me last night saying that she was leaving for 2 months on Monday and that I would have to drive the car back from Charlottesville and when is your class on Monday I guess you'll have to start out at 6am so you can make the exam for the class you've missed a week of classes in. Surprise!
I wanted to cry, but I just breathed and went to sleep.
I'm so frustrated.
Now my option is renting a room from a McGill? student who is leaving town on the 11th so I don't even know how I'll be able to get the keys/room... I don't know. I'm getting more and more stressed about this project and it's becoming less and less appealing as things are piling onto my plate.
I have to call my (unpaid) work.
On top of that, my sister texted me last night saying that she was leaving for 2 months on Monday and that I would have to drive the car back from Charlottesville and when is your class on Monday I guess you'll have to start out at 6am so you can make the exam for the class you've missed a week of classes in. Surprise!
I wanted to cry, but I just breathed and went to sleep.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Can't sleep
GAH Montreal was listed on 31 Places to Go This Summer in the New York Times! This means many people will be making summer plans and BOOKING THE $87 UNION STATION TRAIN UP TO MONTREAL and I may possibly get stuck with the $172 train which just. can't. happen.
Also, this stupid media CD isn't burning and I'm almost taking that as a sign that International Action is a sketchy fake non-profit/NGO.
What am I doing. I NEED TO PACK. Train leaves in 8 hours and I might not get any sleep until then...
Also, this stupid media CD isn't burning and I'm almost taking that as a sign that International Action is a sketchy fake non-profit/NGO.
What am I doing. I NEED TO PACK. Train leaves in 8 hours and I might not get any sleep until then...
Friday, May 30, 2008
Overhaul
This Kyle guy hasn't emailed me back about renting the room yet and it's been 5 days! GAH! It seems like I can't get started on anything until I have a place to stay and have purchased a train ticket.
I'm worried because I think my friend who was planning on coming to Montreal with me and be my concert buddy/fellow documenter/friend/moral support is slowly backing out. With New York next week and then a trip to DC already planned for August 13th, I can see how it wouldn't work out too well if she's still planning on earning some money this summer. 2 weeks is a long time... to be alone...
I guess it also doesn't help much when I haven't told my parents about it yet and her parents already know and are in disagreement (in the early stages) on whether or not to let her go (the dad says yes, the mom says no).
+ Emailed McGill professors and Professor Charity's contacts
- Need to nail down which artists, curators, festival organizers, recording producers, radio station people to contact
Prioritize reading
1. Ethnomusicology (1 book)
2. Articles online specific to Music & Quebec/Canada
3. Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
4. Musicians and the Law in Canada
5. Nationalism/Culture of Quebec/Canada (4 books)
6. Linguistic Anthropology (2 books)
ILL's pending.
I need to remind myself to not spend hoursandhours on background not specific to Quebec/Canada... teaching myself musicology and anthropology would be like taking 6 credits of class, and I really don't have that kind of time. FOCUS, DISTILL! Time management.
In choosing artists to study, consider:
- age of artist
- genre
- indie vs. popular
- "agenda" or approach political? artsy experimentation?
- origins (originally from quebec? canada? u.s.? europe? 2nd generation?)
I'm worried because I think my friend who was planning on coming to Montreal with me and be my concert buddy/fellow documenter/friend/moral support is slowly backing out. With New York next week and then a trip to DC already planned for August 13th, I can see how it wouldn't work out too well if she's still planning on earning some money this summer. 2 weeks is a long time... to be alone...
I guess it also doesn't help much when I haven't told my parents about it yet and her parents already know and are in disagreement (in the early stages) on whether or not to let her go (the dad says yes, the mom says no).
+ Emailed McGill professors and Professor Charity's contacts
- Need to nail down which artists, curators, festival organizers, recording producers, radio station people to contact
Prioritize reading
1. Ethnomusicology (1 book)
2. Articles online specific to Music & Quebec/Canada
3. Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
4. Musicians and the Law in Canada
5. Nationalism/Culture of Quebec/Canada (4 books)
6. Linguistic Anthropology (2 books)
ILL's pending.
I need to remind myself to not spend hoursandhours on background not specific to Quebec/Canada... teaching myself musicology and anthropology would be like taking 6 credits of class, and I really don't have that kind of time. FOCUS, DISTILL! Time management.
In choosing artists to study, consider:
- age of artist
- genre
- indie vs. popular
- "agenda" or approach political? artsy experimentation?
- origins (originally from quebec? canada? u.s.? europe? 2nd generation?)
Monday, May 26, 2008
This is the changeover.
It's weird, the last time I posted a blog entry was March 22. What was I doing on March 22? How odd and surreal to think of where I was and who I was just two months ago. Dang.
A lot can change in 2 months.
Anyway, I stopped writing in my blog for a few reasons... I got busy, I was preoccupied, I didn't have the brain room or time to be introspective, I lost some faith, I just didn't give it time. Now, I don't want to leave this hanging on March 22.
I wrote my self-evaluation after I moved out and came back here:
"As I write this I am back home in Centreville, completed cut off from my life at the College and the people that I love and am surrounded by every day. I thought it would be easy to write this here and now—distilled from the college atmosphere I might be able to better focus on my personal achievements in the class. But now everything feels detached and I’m beginning to feel (or realize) how much the College and the class was a part of me, personally..."
I'll be using this blog address to blog about my summer research project about music in Quebec (La Musique au Quebec) so I can structure and record and talk about my efforts and because I never seem to remember or get things done without writing it out. So, before I start posting about that I wanted to say some last things:
- Thank you to EVERYONE for making SEAPs such a valuable and memorable experience. To all those who I've met, made eye contact with, talked to, worked with--you have had a personal impact on my life, and I thank you for making it so much richer. I feel so fortunate to have shared a class with so many AMAZING people.
- Thank you to Francis and Sravya for giving their all and inspiring us everyday, even outside of class.
- Best of luck to the seniors!! I will miss you all, and just being able to have you there on campus, but now the rest of the world will get to have you, too :O)
- BEST CLASS EVER! What a challenging and lovely experience.
GO SEAPs!
Fin.
A lot can change in 2 months.
Anyway, I stopped writing in my blog for a few reasons... I got busy, I was preoccupied, I didn't have the brain room or time to be introspective, I lost some faith, I just didn't give it time. Now, I don't want to leave this hanging on March 22.
I wrote my self-evaluation after I moved out and came back here:
"As I write this I am back home in Centreville, completed cut off from my life at the College and the people that I love and am surrounded by every day. I thought it would be easy to write this here and now—distilled from the college atmosphere I might be able to better focus on my personal achievements in the class. But now everything feels detached and I’m beginning to feel (or realize) how much the College and the class was a part of me, personally..."
I'll be using this blog address to blog about my summer research project about music in Quebec (La Musique au Quebec) so I can structure and record and talk about my efforts and because I never seem to remember or get things done without writing it out. So, before I start posting about that I wanted to say some last things:
- Thank you to EVERYONE for making SEAPs such a valuable and memorable experience. To all those who I've met, made eye contact with, talked to, worked with--you have had a personal impact on my life, and I thank you for making it so much richer. I feel so fortunate to have shared a class with so many AMAZING people.
- Thank you to Francis and Sravya for giving their all and inspiring us everyday, even outside of class.
- Best of luck to the seniors!! I will miss you all, and just being able to have you there on campus, but now the rest of the world will get to have you, too :O)
- BEST CLASS EVER! What a challenging and lovely experience.
GO SEAPs!
Fin.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Something more
[I wrote this at some odd hour last week and forgot to post it!]
I wish we could all visit India and Bali and learn this stuff together intensively together throughout the summer because it would be the most authentic like Francis was going for and I don't want this class to end.
It was interesting what he said about different ways in which to learn something, to learn through oral tradition because that is the traditional way to learn it and the most authentic way to learn it. And then he said something about transforming the mudras? or the caks? or the songs? or something like that and how this material is always giving and then I was thinking about the evolution of an art and how the original is beautiful but the evolved form is as well, and isn't the way in which we learn it, can't that be a form of evolution? I guess it's picking and choosing which things to evolve or modify in order to preserve the natural beauty of the purest art...? Can they even be compared, the way in which something is learned and the product of that learning?
Francis said something about us uniting and being together in mind and spirit and I just remember how it would look if that kind of connection materialized (I imagined a wispy white smoke going between and through all of our centers... I'm pretty sure that image is taken from some book I've read or movie I've watched... the concept of a daemon popped into my head and how the human's and the daemon's souls are connected).
Initially, I was excited about getting in groups and performing something together, and then I was nervous. I was nervous because I didn't know everybody very well and what if our tone together isn't creative enough and what if we don't work together well? But then I got excited again because I thought about the diversity of our backgrounds and personalities and how we all have something unique to contribute to the group and to the way we will express ourselves and the Ramayana and how it will be a neat challenge just to experience that group dynamic, working together.
I think my reluctance to pronounce correctly different languages' accents (especially French, learning Chinese) in a social, English setting is related to my apprehensions with performance and acting. They're the same, in a way... the way you have to transform yourself into something that is external to you and outside of yourself to perfect a certain expression or sound. There is you, and the audience or everybody else. I don't know why I care so much, it's sooo weird. I mean, why SHOULD you be nervous about doing something right or well? Especially if you CAN do it right or well--it's admirable, something accepted and aimed for by those around you. How frustrating, the power and comfort of conformity!
Last Thursday, I met Menar.
I wish we could all visit India and Bali and learn this stuff together intensively together throughout the summer because it would be the most authentic like Francis was going for and I don't want this class to end.
It was interesting what he said about different ways in which to learn something, to learn through oral tradition because that is the traditional way to learn it and the most authentic way to learn it. And then he said something about transforming the mudras? or the caks? or the songs? or something like that and how this material is always giving and then I was thinking about the evolution of an art and how the original is beautiful but the evolved form is as well, and isn't the way in which we learn it, can't that be a form of evolution? I guess it's picking and choosing which things to evolve or modify in order to preserve the natural beauty of the purest art...? Can they even be compared, the way in which something is learned and the product of that learning?
Francis said something about us uniting and being together in mind and spirit and I just remember how it would look if that kind of connection materialized (I imagined a wispy white smoke going between and through all of our centers... I'm pretty sure that image is taken from some book I've read or movie I've watched... the concept of a daemon popped into my head and how the human's and the daemon's souls are connected).
Initially, I was excited about getting in groups and performing something together, and then I was nervous. I was nervous because I didn't know everybody very well and what if our tone together isn't creative enough and what if we don't work together well? But then I got excited again because I thought about the diversity of our backgrounds and personalities and how we all have something unique to contribute to the group and to the way we will express ourselves and the Ramayana and how it will be a neat challenge just to experience that group dynamic, working together.
I think my reluctance to pronounce correctly different languages' accents (especially French, learning Chinese) in a social, English setting is related to my apprehensions with performance and acting. They're the same, in a way... the way you have to transform yourself into something that is external to you and outside of yourself to perfect a certain expression or sound. There is you, and the audience or everybody else. I don't know why I care so much, it's sooo weird. I mean, why SHOULD you be nervous about doing something right or well? Especially if you CAN do it right or well--it's admirable, something accepted and aimed for by those around you. How frustrating, the power and comfort of conformity!
Last Thursday, I met Menar.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Rustyyy
Mannn, it's been a while. I'm losing my groove! I need to get back on track! Pick up the brain waves!
(It would have been nice to have class outside today; it was so beautiful outside.)
Anyway yes, I was not ready for class today. I wasn't ready to do the whole CAK-off and I felt overall kind of awkward and uninspired especially at that moment when the sound died down. I also feel like I can't harness the battle very well, especially since I feel redundant picking up a bow and arrow since that's the only thing I know how to do and haven't quite learned enough (mentally, creatively) to channel the character in other ways.
I liked the exercise/discussion/meet-and-greets we did in the beginning of class, though, especially after reading Rashmi's post about building a community. Yeah, I feel like I am more comfortable in a group if I have had some kind of personal connection with everyone in the class, whether it's sustaining a scene with someone or shaking their hand or sharing a joke. (Side note: I find it difficult to lock eyes with someone across the room when there are more people on one side of the room than the other!) I mean there's a connection between people just sharing in the same experiences in the same class for 3 hours a week, but I feel like that can be so shallow sometimes, especially with such a large group. It's kind of like when it's an off-hour between classes and there are only a few people walking around and then someone you kind of know is walking towards you (the only person walking towards you) and then you're forced to make some kind of connection.
So yeah, I wish we could do the 2-4-perhaps8 grouping until we everyone gets to know everyone. I don't think it's necessarily the best way to connect with every single person because ideally we would do that in interacting with each other theatrically but it's hard when everyone knows someone to go to. It can be too formal and forced, but it can be sincere, too.
Anyway I don't know if I wrote this on my blog before or not but one reason why I was apprehensive in the beginning about taking this class was because I knew or knew of so many people and I felt like the best situation is if no one knew anybody or if everybody knew everyone else. But we're all on different levels here and have to build our own platform, in a way (if only it were that easy!).
Reminder to self: Rewrite goals/objectives when you reach equilibrium again (I should have done it before break... I can't do it now because my self-expections are so much lower now, i.e. "get to where I was before break")
BAH I feel like such a regressive BUM! I need something to do. Apply some pressure, apply myself.
I forgot to mention I (formally) met Kishan.
(It would have been nice to have class outside today; it was so beautiful outside.)
Anyway yes, I was not ready for class today. I wasn't ready to do the whole CAK-off and I felt overall kind of awkward and uninspired especially at that moment when the sound died down. I also feel like I can't harness the battle very well, especially since I feel redundant picking up a bow and arrow since that's the only thing I know how to do and haven't quite learned enough (mentally, creatively) to channel the character in other ways.
I liked the exercise/discussion/meet-and-greets we did in the beginning of class, though, especially after reading Rashmi's post about building a community. Yeah, I feel like I am more comfortable in a group if I have had some kind of personal connection with everyone in the class, whether it's sustaining a scene with someone or shaking their hand or sharing a joke. (Side note: I find it difficult to lock eyes with someone across the room when there are more people on one side of the room than the other!) I mean there's a connection between people just sharing in the same experiences in the same class for 3 hours a week, but I feel like that can be so shallow sometimes, especially with such a large group. It's kind of like when it's an off-hour between classes and there are only a few people walking around and then someone you kind of know is walking towards you (the only person walking towards you) and then you're forced to make some kind of connection.
So yeah, I wish we could do the 2-4-perhaps8 grouping until we everyone gets to know everyone. I don't think it's necessarily the best way to connect with every single person because ideally we would do that in interacting with each other theatrically but it's hard when everyone knows someone to go to. It can be too formal and forced, but it can be sincere, too.
Anyway I don't know if I wrote this on my blog before or not but one reason why I was apprehensive in the beginning about taking this class was because I knew or knew of so many people and I felt like the best situation is if no one knew anybody or if everybody knew everyone else. But we're all on different levels here and have to build our own platform, in a way (if only it were that easy!).
Reminder to self: Rewrite goals/objectives when you reach equilibrium again (I should have done it before break... I can't do it now because my self-expections are so much lower now, i.e. "get to where I was before break")
BAH I feel like such a regressive BUM! I need something to do. Apply some pressure, apply myself.
I forgot to mention I (formally) met Kishan.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Schwippy
Ever get to that point in the middle of the night when you're so deathly tired but you're online and for some inexplicable reason, you feel that you need to keep on surfing the net in spite of the fact that you're so tired you would do anything to sleep and so then you think that you almost need to be surfing aimlessly in order to sleep...? That makes so sense but I'm online searching for "Sleepy Haha's" on facebook and laughing aloud at the group picture so I will write tomorrow.
-----
I almost forgot about this post. Last Thursday's class was more than week ago now, goodness.
1. Being home reminds me of "back home" (using my parents' words) in the Philippines. I'm taller than my mom, almost as tall (maybe as tall, now) as my dad and taller than every female on my mom's side in the Philippines. Obviously, then, nurture is more important than nature in regards to my height here. That means it's the growth hormones and the steroids injected in the meat here that contributed to my height. That's GROSS. (That also must mean that I eat more meat than my older sister.)
2. I was channel surfing a couple days after coming back home and one of those telethons for PBS was on: it was a special on 60s music. My parents really got into so we ended up watching it for an hour or two. They had performances from the 60s and more recent performances from the same (but older) 60s bands, and then in between they would talk about what it meant to live in the 60s. The people described it as a time of unity, when love and the community were priority, when people cared about others, and how there was an air of togetherness, a positive energy. It just made me wish I'd lived grown up during that time. And then it made me think about this class and how we've got that, in a microcosmic sense.
3. I don't remember much about last class... I remember that I thought it was reallyreally neat to watch Francis quite literally sculpting Kishan. Agatha reminded me of a mermaid with her legs wrapped together in green cloth. I remember wishing that I'd gotten in character and that I probably should have moved because I couldn't see from where I was sitting but I was stuck and I should have just done it. I also remember accidentally hitting that same stick and paper sculpture after class that I hit a week or so before. And I remember thinking that it must say something about my spatial and self-awareness if I accidentally whack something with my foot only a few seconds after leaving dance class.
I'm trying to finish the Ramayana by the end of break! Except I'm only about halfway through the 200's and I want to read The Places in Between by Rory Stewart, too. I love this about break, just being able to relax and read a book or Time magazine without feeling guilty that I'm not doing homework.
-----
I almost forgot about this post. Last Thursday's class was more than week ago now, goodness.
1. Being home reminds me of "back home" (using my parents' words) in the Philippines. I'm taller than my mom, almost as tall (maybe as tall, now) as my dad and taller than every female on my mom's side in the Philippines. Obviously, then, nurture is more important than nature in regards to my height here. That means it's the growth hormones and the steroids injected in the meat here that contributed to my height. That's GROSS. (That also must mean that I eat more meat than my older sister.)
2. I was channel surfing a couple days after coming back home and one of those telethons for PBS was on: it was a special on 60s music. My parents really got into so we ended up watching it for an hour or two. They had performances from the 60s and more recent performances from the same (but older) 60s bands, and then in between they would talk about what it meant to live in the 60s. The people described it as a time of unity, when love and the community were priority, when people cared about others, and how there was an air of togetherness, a positive energy. It just made me wish I'd lived grown up during that time. And then it made me think about this class and how we've got that, in a microcosmic sense.
3. I don't remember much about last class... I remember that I thought it was reallyreally neat to watch Francis quite literally sculpting Kishan. Agatha reminded me of a mermaid with her legs wrapped together in green cloth. I remember wishing that I'd gotten in character and that I probably should have moved because I couldn't see from where I was sitting but I was stuck and I should have just done it. I also remember accidentally hitting that same stick and paper sculpture after class that I hit a week or so before. And I remember thinking that it must say something about my spatial and self-awareness if I accidentally whack something with my foot only a few seconds after leaving dance class.
I'm trying to finish the Ramayana by the end of break! Except I'm only about halfway through the 200's and I want to read The Places in Between by Rory Stewart, too. I love this about break, just being able to relax and read a book or Time magazine without feeling guilty that I'm not doing homework.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Drunk!
So it seems things have been pretty good (well, not all good, maybe ultimately good or valuable, maybe eventful should be the word I'm going for) since Thursday's class and I want to say it was because of Thursday's class and that could be true (it's probably partly true) but I'd probably be lying to you or to myself or to someone if I said it very certainly.
At least, it wouldn't be fair to the awesome people I've met or have gotten to know better since Thursday and it wouldn't be fair to the randomness of randomness or consequences of just stuff happening. (I think.)
Well I guess it's because Thursday's class didn't seem like routine and that's how I feel like this week has been. Which is good. It's good to get out of routine.
I was so excited about Thursday's class because it was startling. Especially that first round. I got really excited to try it again when Francis was giving us a kind of discussion/debrief. This class is kind of all about putting yourself out there and taking chances, which I try to do in some small way everyday, and so it was almost like a special treat to have that space of time when everyone was putting themselves out there. It was a really safe environment then, kind of a 1-2-3-catharsisnoweveryone! thing. It kind of gave you a taste of what is possible.
That said, I'm superlyexcited about acting out the Ramayana, too. Challenges are funnn.
How crazy is it that all you have to do is put up one of the mudras and even standing becomes something close to magnificent?
It felt really good to get the step/move we were practicing close to correct because the sequence we learned is one of my favorites so far and I was feeling pretty pretty doing it but then I was just like flwarshhth?! snapped out of some kind of trance when Sravya pointed it out.
One day in Intro to International Politics I got really frustrated because we were talking about international politics theories and it was based on the fact that relations between states pretty much relied on how many guns you had. And that pretty much governed everything about international relations. I could hardly sit still in class because the entire time I just couldn't believe that we had to deal with and consider other states based solely on how much brute force they had. It seemed so... stupid. Immature. And it made me wonder if you could be successful in international politics or relations if you were a pacifist.
It was just something you had to accept, my friends were telling me, that that's just part of the way things inherently work. So I thought it's kind of like the first time I played Guitar Hero and I was basically having like, a crisis over the fact that the plastic guitar wasn't real and how can I play this song for real on real guitar but not get it on Easy level Guitar Hero? So in order to enjoy the game (and go onto Medium!), I had to accept that it wasn't a real guitar and I wasn't playing real music and it was, in fact (this took me a while), a game.
Anyway I'm mentioning those random examples because it's kind of related to the question of: can you be a successful performer if you don't like getting the attention of lots of people at once (i.e. an audience)? Can you be a performer without liking to perform in front of others? I mean I think Hugh Grant said something about how he's terrified every time the camera rolls? (I hope he wasn't being sarcastic or ironic when he was saying this or this would totally go against my point.) And then everybody gets stage fright. So at this point I figure that it's all just part of learning the art of performance and that it's something you just have to accept to continue with it... it's not the whole thing or what performance is all about, but it's inherent in the fabric of the thing. So I guess that's something I have to come to terms with.
On Thursday (video-class) I (formally) met Selma and Erich.
I saw Scams of Scapin on Friday and it FANTASTIC. My favorite production I've seen this year. I was gushing over the set even before the play started and then the characters got on stage and the clown in the corner started making noises then Andrew (my hall's OA) came on with bambambam one after the other energy and it took me like 5 minutes to realize that the old guy was Jack (and I'm not saying that because he had a mask on, haha), it was that good.
I also just watched Jason's play and it felt like class in that there were so many things that came up that were thought-provoking and that I wanted to write down or question later on. And the acting was intenssseee. So woot to student-producted/acted/directed/written/everything plays!
Kudos keep it up!
At least, it wouldn't be fair to the awesome people I've met or have gotten to know better since Thursday and it wouldn't be fair to the randomness of randomness or consequences of just stuff happening. (I think.)
Well I guess it's because Thursday's class didn't seem like routine and that's how I feel like this week has been. Which is good. It's good to get out of routine.
I was so excited about Thursday's class because it was startling. Especially that first round. I got really excited to try it again when Francis was giving us a kind of discussion/debrief. This class is kind of all about putting yourself out there and taking chances, which I try to do in some small way everyday, and so it was almost like a special treat to have that space of time when everyone was putting themselves out there. It was a really safe environment then, kind of a 1-2-3-catharsisnoweveryone! thing. It kind of gave you a taste of what is possible.
That said, I'm superlyexcited about acting out the Ramayana, too. Challenges are funnn.
How crazy is it that all you have to do is put up one of the mudras and even standing becomes something close to magnificent?
It felt really good to get the step/move we were practicing close to correct because the sequence we learned is one of my favorites so far and I was feeling pretty pretty doing it but then I was just like flwarshhth?! snapped out of some kind of trance when Sravya pointed it out.
One day in Intro to International Politics I got really frustrated because we were talking about international politics theories and it was based on the fact that relations between states pretty much relied on how many guns you had. And that pretty much governed everything about international relations. I could hardly sit still in class because the entire time I just couldn't believe that we had to deal with and consider other states based solely on how much brute force they had. It seemed so... stupid. Immature. And it made me wonder if you could be successful in international politics or relations if you were a pacifist.
It was just something you had to accept, my friends were telling me, that that's just part of the way things inherently work. So I thought it's kind of like the first time I played Guitar Hero and I was basically having like, a crisis over the fact that the plastic guitar wasn't real and how can I play this song for real on real guitar but not get it on Easy level Guitar Hero? So in order to enjoy the game (and go onto Medium!), I had to accept that it wasn't a real guitar and I wasn't playing real music and it was, in fact (this took me a while), a game.
Anyway I'm mentioning those random examples because it's kind of related to the question of: can you be a successful performer if you don't like getting the attention of lots of people at once (i.e. an audience)? Can you be a performer without liking to perform in front of others? I mean I think Hugh Grant said something about how he's terrified every time the camera rolls? (I hope he wasn't being sarcastic or ironic when he was saying this or this would totally go against my point.) And then everybody gets stage fright. So at this point I figure that it's all just part of learning the art of performance and that it's something you just have to accept to continue with it... it's not the whole thing or what performance is all about, but it's inherent in the fabric of the thing. So I guess that's something I have to come to terms with.
On Thursday (video-class) I (formally) met Selma and Erich.
I saw Scams of Scapin on Friday and it FANTASTIC. My favorite production I've seen this year. I was gushing over the set even before the play started and then the characters got on stage and the clown in the corner started making noises then Andrew (my hall's OA) came on with bambambam one after the other energy and it took me like 5 minutes to realize that the old guy was Jack (and I'm not saying that because he had a mask on, haha), it was that good.
I also just watched Jason's play and it felt like class in that there were so many things that came up that were thought-provoking and that I wanted to write down or question later on. And the acting was intenssseee. So woot to student-producted/acted/directed/written/everything plays!
Kudos keep it up!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Love handles
I had to look that word up. I thought it just referred to either side of your waist-ish. Anyway, urban dictionary is a great source of entertainment especially when you spell it lovehandle (lublubs and bitchhandles, haha!).
So it's not my love handles but just the sides of my waist that I realized at my 12:00 today were aching. (That is a really weirdly constructed sentence.) I didn't think that just pivoting your waist a bit for the steps yesterday would have that effect (it didn't hurt when I was doing it... I wonder why, for example, my arms and shoulders don't ache?).
I think yesterday was also the first time I consciously realized that what we're doing is art. I guess since then it was just a subconscious given. The only thing in my conscious was: this is cool, this is fun, this is exercise, this feels good, this is hard, this is pretty and I want to do that. But then comparing it to other forms of art--most other forms have some kind of external product. Like music, a painting, a picture. But then we are the sculpture, as Francis said; the body is the art and the medium and the canvas. It's our bodies that we're moving and orienting to create some appealing shape or magnificent maneuver. You can't give it away or send it to someone because when you're done with it, you bring it with you (turn it off, in a way) and people must commit it to memory.
Anyway I liked how this was a really physical class--my thighs and arms and not-love handles were working hard. It was kind of a bad day not to have a change of shirt, too... especially since I feel like I sweat profusely (and it was hot! in there). Mrrf.
I feel like we all have to try harder to be more open and more of a community in class, vocally, but even though discussion was hard to break into, for some ironic reason it seemed like we were close in our awkwardness (but of course vocalizing our feelings made it more honest and open and in the end tight). Maybe it was a quick ignorance is bliss kind of moment.
So it's not my love handles but just the sides of my waist that I realized at my 12:00 today were aching. (That is a really weirdly constructed sentence.) I didn't think that just pivoting your waist a bit for the steps yesterday would have that effect (it didn't hurt when I was doing it... I wonder why, for example, my arms and shoulders don't ache?).
I think yesterday was also the first time I consciously realized that what we're doing is art. I guess since then it was just a subconscious given. The only thing in my conscious was: this is cool, this is fun, this is exercise, this feels good, this is hard, this is pretty and I want to do that. But then comparing it to other forms of art--most other forms have some kind of external product. Like music, a painting, a picture. But then we are the sculpture, as Francis said; the body is the art and the medium and the canvas. It's our bodies that we're moving and orienting to create some appealing shape or magnificent maneuver. You can't give it away or send it to someone because when you're done with it, you bring it with you (turn it off, in a way) and people must commit it to memory.
Anyway I liked how this was a really physical class--my thighs and arms and not-love handles were working hard. It was kind of a bad day not to have a change of shirt, too... especially since I feel like I sweat profusely (and it was hot! in there). Mrrf.
I feel like we all have to try harder to be more open and more of a community in class, vocally, but even though discussion was hard to break into, for some ironic reason it seemed like we were close in our awkwardness (but of course vocalizing our feelings made it more honest and open and in the end tight). Maybe it was a quick ignorance is bliss kind of moment.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Huit jours
I feel like I should post--this past week has been crazy and feelings have been all over the place.
I just hope it doesn't fizzle out. There are so many fundamental issues that still need to be addressed, and I'm feeling like since it's not all around me and I'm not somewhere in the middle of it that it's going away when it's really not. Then I think about the people that have been advocating Nichol's renewal for a while now, and about the flyers "Should Michael Powell Be Renewed?" that were up months ago (there's still one on the trash can by Dupont). It's really something you have to keep yourself informed about and involved in. I wonder what will come of the Board of Visitors meetings this week?
Anyway classes were amazinggg last week even though it was a little awkward to be outside and cold and in such a public space. I think it helped that we were in a circle because it made it feel more together and intimate even though we had no walls.
So I went to the MAC Speaker Series today and the stuff we were talking about made me think about self-segregation. I don't think it's that bad here (I hear it's horrific at UVA and it was pretty bad even in my high school) but it happens and it makes me wonder why it happens. I wonder if it's the same reason why people who look the same tend to be friends: people with dyed hair and metal accessories and piercings together, people with vintage stylings together, people with heavy eye makeup and sculpted hair together... It reminds me of that time in middle school when people who were best friends in elementary school start to become distant. I feel like that happens to almost everyone in some capacity. And I feel like sometimes it results in identifying with one's racial group. One of my elementary friends and I became further apart in middle school, but she became close friends with my Filipino neighbor and her best friend was Chinese. But then another friend of mine would only hang out with the tight 'Asian crew' in my grade. There was this one girl I hardly knew but she wasn't hesitant in telling people how her best friend was becoming 'preppy,' so she was 'embarrassed' to be around her.
I bet there's something in some psychology book about unconsciously feeling comfortable with people that look like you. Vision is in fact the dominant sense in most people. I've always kind of admired those people who are so friendly and accepting of everyone they ever meet.
Anyway I can't wait for class tomorrow and to get back into the swing of things! That class seriously keeps me sane and balanced.
I just hope it doesn't fizzle out. There are so many fundamental issues that still need to be addressed, and I'm feeling like since it's not all around me and I'm not somewhere in the middle of it that it's going away when it's really not. Then I think about the people that have been advocating Nichol's renewal for a while now, and about the flyers "Should Michael Powell Be Renewed?" that were up months ago (there's still one on the trash can by Dupont). It's really something you have to keep yourself informed about and involved in. I wonder what will come of the Board of Visitors meetings this week?
Anyway classes were amazinggg last week even though it was a little awkward to be outside and cold and in such a public space. I think it helped that we were in a circle because it made it feel more together and intimate even though we had no walls.
So I went to the MAC Speaker Series today and the stuff we were talking about made me think about self-segregation. I don't think it's that bad here (I hear it's horrific at UVA and it was pretty bad even in my high school) but it happens and it makes me wonder why it happens. I wonder if it's the same reason why people who look the same tend to be friends: people with dyed hair and metal accessories and piercings together, people with vintage stylings together, people with heavy eye makeup and sculpted hair together... It reminds me of that time in middle school when people who were best friends in elementary school start to become distant. I feel like that happens to almost everyone in some capacity. And I feel like sometimes it results in identifying with one's racial group. One of my elementary friends and I became further apart in middle school, but she became close friends with my Filipino neighbor and her best friend was Chinese. But then another friend of mine would only hang out with the tight 'Asian crew' in my grade. There was this one girl I hardly knew but she wasn't hesitant in telling people how her best friend was becoming 'preppy,' so she was 'embarrassed' to be around her.
I bet there's something in some psychology book about unconsciously feeling comfortable with people that look like you. Vision is in fact the dominant sense in most people. I've always kind of admired those people who are so friendly and accepting of everyone they ever meet.
Anyway I can't wait for class tomorrow and to get back into the swing of things! That class seriously keeps me sane and balanced.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Notes
I think I got it! It's really been annoying not being able to put the cak's in musical notation because technically everything should be (seeing as we created the system in the first place). So here's what Bobby (whose ideas Eddy symbiotically? voiced throughout the whole class) and I almost got ( I think it goes faster and the cak's are triplets and that's why they've been tripp[l]ing us up [get it? ha, aha, ha]):
bold is where you cak
The sir tit pong tit's are 1 2 3 4 (or each "tri").
CAK cak cak
Tri pl et Tri pl et Tri pl et Tri pl et
cak cak CAK
Tri pl et Tri pl et Tri pl et Tri pl et
7 cak's
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
6 cak's
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
It's so much easier just to understand it by ear, though. Harder to explain by theory.
I think it's interesting how Francis told us that we're all a group on the same level but we are intermittent, transient teachers or leaders by whom we learn. It's like someone popping into your room once in a while to tell you what's what. It connected to the video in a sense because we were watching our teacher be a student. So everyone physically in the room at that moment became equal when he pushed play. And that's cool how he showed us that, because that's one of your most vulnerable and embarrassing states, when you're in a state of learning and imperfection and inferiority, when the painting or performance isn't finished or perfected yet.
I almost got into an uncontrollable fit of laughter with the new ahh's we did--the motions were just too much (it was mostly the circle-swaying that got me).
My voice kind of felt sore after that class, which means that I probably didn't use my diaphragm all that much. Gotta work on that one.
The Dodge Room is an OASIS for 4-hour chem labbers who actually use the entire 4 hours. (Mayonnaised sandwiches and shrimp gumbo and spicy oatmeal raisin cookies, mmm....) Plus that lady there was really nice.
Anyway, last class on Tuesday? Awesomest thing ever, the dance that Sravya did. I can't believe memorizing and performing 15x the dance sampler she did. It was crazy awesome beautiful. The transformations part and the part where the demon died? were my favorite parts. I can't wait to do (or at least try) something like that.
I don't remember much else from that class except the part where people acted out the 9 expressions and Jason acted out my favorite character EVER, the beggar person from FASA's Culture Night festival scene. Gets me evvvery time. Oh and we did steps! I almost forgot that.
I need to catch up on the Ramayana. I haven't read it since I wrote about it.
Last class I met Sarita and Rebecca.
Today I met Joey and learned about the evolution of the Aristocrats joke.
bold is where you cak
The sir tit pong tit's are 1 2 3 4 (or each "tri").
CAK cak cak
Tri pl et Tri pl et Tri pl et Tri pl et
cak cak CAK
Tri pl et Tri pl et Tri pl et Tri pl et
7 cak's
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
6 cak's
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
It's so much easier just to understand it by ear, though. Harder to explain by theory.
I think it's interesting how Francis told us that we're all a group on the same level but we are intermittent, transient teachers or leaders by whom we learn. It's like someone popping into your room once in a while to tell you what's what. It connected to the video in a sense because we were watching our teacher be a student. So everyone physically in the room at that moment became equal when he pushed play. And that's cool how he showed us that, because that's one of your most vulnerable and embarrassing states, when you're in a state of learning and imperfection and inferiority, when the painting or performance isn't finished or perfected yet.
I almost got into an uncontrollable fit of laughter with the new ahh's we did--the motions were just too much (it was mostly the circle-swaying that got me).
My voice kind of felt sore after that class, which means that I probably didn't use my diaphragm all that much. Gotta work on that one.
The Dodge Room is an OASIS for 4-hour chem labbers who actually use the entire 4 hours. (Mayonnaised sandwiches and shrimp gumbo and spicy oatmeal raisin cookies, mmm....) Plus that lady there was really nice.
Anyway, last class on Tuesday? Awesomest thing ever, the dance that Sravya did. I can't believe memorizing and performing 15x the dance sampler she did. It was crazy awesome beautiful. The transformations part and the part where the demon died? were my favorite parts. I can't wait to do (or at least try) something like that.
I don't remember much else from that class except the part where people acted out the 9 expressions and Jason acted out my favorite character EVER, the beggar person from FASA's Culture Night festival scene. Gets me evvvery time. Oh and we did steps! I almost forgot that.
I need to catch up on the Ramayana. I haven't read it since I wrote about it.
Last class I met Sarita and Rebecca.
Today I met Joey and learned about the evolution of the Aristocrats joke.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Plug
Oh and
FASA's CULTURE NIGHT is THIS SATURDAY at 5:30!
I'm superexcited and I hope everyone else is too.
FASA's CULTURE NIGHT is THIS SATURDAY at 5:30!
I'm superexcited and I hope everyone else is too.
Everyday
Oh, I forgot.
I think we should have a hugging mixer...
I really think you get to know and trust people more through physical intimacy. But shaking hands is just too formal, so I think hugging would be a happy alternative.
Plus it would be funny.
I think we should have a hugging mixer...
I really think you get to know and trust people more through physical intimacy. But shaking hands is just too formal, so I think hugging would be a happy alternative.
Plus it would be funny.
Double whammy
I'm liking this class more and more with each session. Loveloveloveeee.
I wish I could have a notepad or piece of paper with me each time I go to class because every time there's something that challenges my perspective on things and I want to write it down to think about and debate over with myself later. I feel like going to class is like going to sleep. In a good way--let me explain...
You know that point when you're trying to go to sleep, comfortable under your covers, but then your brain doesn't stop whirring with ideas and recollections and questions that come from the day or out of nowhere? Going to class is like that. Except I can't decide which I prefer, for the brain whirring. Because even though it interrupts my sleep, at least I'm an arm (or a step down and across, since I'm on a loft bed right now) away from a notepad and I can wake up and have it there, solid. In class it's always on the surface of my brain, with the constant threat of vaporizing out through my ears or something.
That's the convenience of having stuff written down. Given that last class I was out-of-it-tired, I could this time absorb the information at my own pace. That's why this class is different. If you're absent, you're absent. You don't have it, you missed out. You can't just do a make-up on the steps or the re-telling. Not just because of the material, but the way in which it's presented and the environment and tone in which it's presented.
So was writing (or just printing, that's less contestable) a tool of convenience, efficiency? Do we lose intelligence at the expense of efficiency? I mean think about it. All those people who write computer programs and invent machinery and whatnot are freaking geniuses. And they're the only ones that are, since we take their genius, skip their genius in order to make things easy for ourselves. (That's why I ultimately decided not to pursue math and stuff....) The way that we're learning, you've got to be quick and attentive. Maybe we've lost that agility or transferred it somehow to writing over time? Over human evolution? Over a lifespan/through growth?
I thought it was interesting how Francis mentioned that we learned how to speak the language and communicate with it before we ever learned to write it. So it's like in this class we're going back to basics, going to the simple and organic, the essence of animal and baby and child. Which is cool and completely different from how we're used to. That's what I was going to mention in the entry that I didn't have time to write--that I'm used to writing and visual and this is all physical and auditory.
---
I'm constantly thinking about the contrast between individualism and the community and/or conformity in this class. It's almost counter-intuitive for me. Like when we were outside in a line in a narrow hallway and in order to figure out what we were supposed to do, you had to look at what the people immediately in front of you were doing. And I saw the people in front of me doing the foot motions and for the briefest of a second I thought, "Just because they're doing it doesn't mean I should be." And then I had to think, of course, I'm in a class, I'm supposed to be copying what others are doing because it's how I'm supposed to learn. So it's such a different mindset, going back to fundamentals with which then maybe later on you can do you own thing...
And then there were CAK CAK CAK's. There was this weird point when we were learning the different beats/sounds and Francis just came in with new sounds and it was interesting to observe whether or not people changed their BONG's to PONG TIT's or CAK's. It was an odd sensation: to follow what Francis was doing, to be the first one to follow what Francis was doing, to be the one who followed what the person who followed Francis, to follow what everyone else seemed to be doing. It's almost like a thin comparison between leadership and learning, if that can be compared at all to individualism and the community and/or conformity.
Shady.
---
I got chills when Francis was talking about being in the middle of the circle. I wonder if it's real. The feeling, and the feelings that he sensed by being in the middle.
---
I didn't write an entry about Tuesday's class, but I wrote notes for it:
"eyes never in other dances (major multitasking)" : It's weird because I feel like I'm all right at multitasking, but not in type of task (i.e. physical/body). In addition to eyes, during today's class, we added an awareness and liveliness of toes! in Balinese dance.
"i'm bad at languages" : but that's okay because I love them anyway.
"met bobby and tom" : Today I met Jen. I should make it a goal to meet at least one new person each day. I wonder how many classes it would take for me meet everyone (probably a while, since I feel like I know people but they don't know me or I just don't know them very well).
---
Francis told us to write about our experience with the Ramayana...
I reallyreally like it. Well, now I do. In the beginning it was all intro and I didn't know a lot of the terms and it was boring and difficult to read. But now the pace has quickened and I feel like I'm actually reading a good story with emotions and histories and it's enjoyable. Perfect for bedtime reading.
Sam said, though, that after the part that I'm at it slows down again, which I'm not anticipating. And apparently the ending goes that Rama is a douchebag to Sita and she ends up in the earth because Rama didn't appreciate her as much as she appreciated Rama, which makes me think that the Ramayana is really unfair and sexist and I would really like to see how it continues to keep Rama as a god-figure because he's not acting as much of a man the way Sam described it. I was starting to think that Rama was only revered as he was revered (this is to page 192 where I am right now) because he was a reincarnation of god which made people gravitate towards him. I mean, for the length of the book (again I haven't finished it yet so I have to see for myself), they don't give THAT much evidence as to his awesome hero characteristics. It seems that it's always like, "Rama was loved, Rama was respected, Rama was a great man, etc. etc." but they never really give many instances outside of flat description to qualify him as such a hero. Him not trusting Sita's fidelity (when, really, she was, extremely) and banishing her for 14 years and throwing her into the fire and into the earth seem like pretty strong counterexamples here. This could be a premature bias speaking. I really have to read the rest of it thoroughly to decide for myself...
I think I'm just kind of disappointed that the Ramayana didn't end like it did in A Little Princess. I LOVE that film.
I wish I could have a notepad or piece of paper with me each time I go to class because every time there's something that challenges my perspective on things and I want to write it down to think about and debate over with myself later. I feel like going to class is like going to sleep. In a good way--let me explain...
You know that point when you're trying to go to sleep, comfortable under your covers, but then your brain doesn't stop whirring with ideas and recollections and questions that come from the day or out of nowhere? Going to class is like that. Except I can't decide which I prefer, for the brain whirring. Because even though it interrupts my sleep, at least I'm an arm (or a step down and across, since I'm on a loft bed right now) away from a notepad and I can wake up and have it there, solid. In class it's always on the surface of my brain, with the constant threat of vaporizing out through my ears or something.
That's the convenience of having stuff written down. Given that last class I was out-of-it-tired, I could this time absorb the information at my own pace. That's why this class is different. If you're absent, you're absent. You don't have it, you missed out. You can't just do a make-up on the steps or the re-telling. Not just because of the material, but the way in which it's presented and the environment and tone in which it's presented.
So was writing (or just printing, that's less contestable) a tool of convenience, efficiency? Do we lose intelligence at the expense of efficiency? I mean think about it. All those people who write computer programs and invent machinery and whatnot are freaking geniuses. And they're the only ones that are, since we take their genius, skip their genius in order to make things easy for ourselves. (That's why I ultimately decided not to pursue math and stuff....) The way that we're learning, you've got to be quick and attentive. Maybe we've lost that agility or transferred it somehow to writing over time? Over human evolution? Over a lifespan/through growth?
I thought it was interesting how Francis mentioned that we learned how to speak the language and communicate with it before we ever learned to write it. So it's like in this class we're going back to basics, going to the simple and organic, the essence of animal and baby and child. Which is cool and completely different from how we're used to. That's what I was going to mention in the entry that I didn't have time to write--that I'm used to writing and visual and this is all physical and auditory.
---
I'm constantly thinking about the contrast between individualism and the community and/or conformity in this class. It's almost counter-intuitive for me. Like when we were outside in a line in a narrow hallway and in order to figure out what we were supposed to do, you had to look at what the people immediately in front of you were doing. And I saw the people in front of me doing the foot motions and for the briefest of a second I thought, "Just because they're doing it doesn't mean I should be." And then I had to think, of course, I'm in a class, I'm supposed to be copying what others are doing because it's how I'm supposed to learn. So it's such a different mindset, going back to fundamentals with which then maybe later on you can do you own thing...
And then there were CAK CAK CAK's. There was this weird point when we were learning the different beats/sounds and Francis just came in with new sounds and it was interesting to observe whether or not people changed their BONG's to PONG TIT's or CAK's. It was an odd sensation: to follow what Francis was doing, to be the first one to follow what Francis was doing, to be the one who followed what the person who followed Francis, to follow what everyone else seemed to be doing. It's almost like a thin comparison between leadership and learning, if that can be compared at all to individualism and the community and/or conformity.
Shady.
---
I got chills when Francis was talking about being in the middle of the circle. I wonder if it's real. The feeling, and the feelings that he sensed by being in the middle.
---
I didn't write an entry about Tuesday's class, but I wrote notes for it:
I LOVE THIS CLASS!"I LOVE THIS CLASS!" : particularly that day, it was because of the beauty movement and of song and music and the words and language and shapes. Lovelovelove.
eyes never in other dances (major multitasking)
i'm bad at languages
met bobby and tom
"eyes never in other dances (major multitasking)" : It's weird because I feel like I'm all right at multitasking, but not in type of task (i.e. physical/body). In addition to eyes, during today's class, we added an awareness and liveliness of toes! in Balinese dance.
"i'm bad at languages" : but that's okay because I love them anyway.
"met bobby and tom" : Today I met Jen. I should make it a goal to meet at least one new person each day. I wonder how many classes it would take for me meet everyone (probably a while, since I feel like I know people but they don't know me or I just don't know them very well).
---
Francis told us to write about our experience with the Ramayana...
I reallyreally like it. Well, now I do. In the beginning it was all intro and I didn't know a lot of the terms and it was boring and difficult to read. But now the pace has quickened and I feel like I'm actually reading a good story with emotions and histories and it's enjoyable. Perfect for bedtime reading.
Sam said, though, that after the part that I'm at it slows down again, which I'm not anticipating. And apparently the ending goes that Rama is a douchebag to Sita and she ends up in the earth because Rama didn't appreciate her as much as she appreciated Rama, which makes me think that the Ramayana is really unfair and sexist and I would really like to see how it continues to keep Rama as a god-figure because he's not acting as much of a man the way Sam described it. I was starting to think that Rama was only revered as he was revered (this is to page 192 where I am right now) because he was a reincarnation of god which made people gravitate towards him. I mean, for the length of the book (again I haven't finished it yet so I have to see for myself), they don't give THAT much evidence as to his awesome hero characteristics. It seems that it's always like, "Rama was loved, Rama was respected, Rama was a great man, etc. etc." but they never really give many instances outside of flat description to qualify him as such a hero. Him not trusting Sita's fidelity (when, really, she was, extremely) and banishing her for 14 years and throwing her into the fire and into the earth seem like pretty strong counterexamples here. This could be a premature bias speaking. I really have to read the rest of it thoroughly to decide for myself...
I think I'm just kind of disappointed that the Ramayana didn't end like it did in A Little Princess. I LOVE that film.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Goodnight, sleepyheads
I won't lie, I was spacing out on Thursday.
I was keeping up a pretty good sleep schedule since we came back, and then of course organic chemistry lab kind of shuffled things around a bit. I never though I'd have to go back to my screwed up high school sleeping habits of waking up before 8 o'clock in the morning. Usually on the T & R's I wake up at a reasonable hour and just lounge around, relaxed in my room before class. This time, I had measured several experimental melting points and ate 5 bonds and 1 lone pair at the UC, all before class.
I wanted to be into it and listen, I really did. History and stories are what interest me, especially when translated into different mediums.
But all I could think of was how nice it would be just to lay down on the black floor for a bit and if an understanding community would be okay with that since I was in the back and it wouldn't be such a distraction an d what was that one character? an elephant? gassy? a mockery? and it would be easier if everybody knew everybody well or nobody knew nobody well, but people change after elementary school, and that chalk was really hard and faint or it was a crappy greenboard, and there isn't enough room in here and maybe if I keep moving I'll stay awake and man I can't believe I have class after this but these CAK CAK CAK's are helping me out.
My French class was cancelled--that woke me up, and then I went back home to sleep.
I was keeping up a pretty good sleep schedule since we came back, and then of course organic chemistry lab kind of shuffled things around a bit. I never though I'd have to go back to my screwed up high school sleeping habits of waking up before 8 o'clock in the morning. Usually on the T & R's I wake up at a reasonable hour and just lounge around, relaxed in my room before class. This time, I had measured several experimental melting points and ate 5 bonds and 1 lone pair at the UC, all before class.
I wanted to be into it and listen, I really did. History and stories are what interest me, especially when translated into different mediums.
But all I could think of was how nice it would be just to lay down on the black floor for a bit and if an understanding community would be okay with that since I was in the back and it wouldn't be such a distraction an d what was that one character? an elephant? gassy? a mockery? and it would be easier if everybody knew everybody well or nobody knew nobody well, but people change after elementary school, and that chalk was really hard and faint or it was a crappy greenboard, and there isn't enough room in here and maybe if I keep moving I'll stay awake and man I can't believe I have class after this but these CAK CAK CAK's are helping me out.
My French class was cancelled--that woke me up, and then I went back home to sleep.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Thighmaster
Not so much yoga... more pilates for the thighs.
It's a good thing I was wearing sweats. Jeans are like straight jackets for dancers, I would imagine. And my neck is just as inflexible. If I can do that side-to-side head/neck thing by the end of the semester, I will be satisfied. I will also be satisfied (or rather, surprised) if I don't get a charlie horse during class for the duration of the course. I was a little worried about that when Sravya was teaching how to keep the bottom of our feet away from the audience--I pointed my feet and I swear I was a smidge of an extension away from a seized up samapada. (Note: bananas.)
It felt good to break a sweat, to stretch out my fingers after sitting at a desk with hands curled around pages and pencils. I feel like when I'm in my small room or doing homework or whatever, my whole body is in a state of contraction, conservative. I like how dancing makes extensions, extends the body. It makes me so much more aware of myself and my surroundings in a way. I think it would be even more helpful to dance in front of a long mirror instead of inside a black box.
I'll admit I was a little hesitant about the prayers before dancing, but only after Sravya pointed it out. And then I thought, this is just another form of meditation of focusing the mind along with the body. Like it's telling your body to get ready to focus and to respect the art and movement. I wonder what the translation is?
It's a good thing I was wearing sweats. Jeans are like straight jackets for dancers, I would imagine. And my neck is just as inflexible. If I can do that side-to-side head/neck thing by the end of the semester, I will be satisfied. I will also be satisfied (or rather, surprised) if I don't get a charlie horse during class for the duration of the course. I was a little worried about that when Sravya was teaching how to keep the bottom of our feet away from the audience--I pointed my feet and I swear I was a smidge of an extension away from a seized up samapada. (Note: bananas.)
It felt good to break a sweat, to stretch out my fingers after sitting at a desk with hands curled around pages and pencils. I feel like when I'm in my small room or doing homework or whatever, my whole body is in a state of contraction, conservative. I like how dancing makes extensions, extends the body. It makes me so much more aware of myself and my surroundings in a way. I think it would be even more helpful to dance in front of a long mirror instead of inside a black box.
I'll admit I was a little hesitant about the prayers before dancing, but only after Sravya pointed it out. And then I thought, this is just another form of meditation of focusing the mind along with the body. Like it's telling your body to get ready to focus and to respect the art and movement. I wonder what the translation is?
Monday, January 21, 2008
Backdating
I wrote this I think... last Friday for the blog:
It was something like yoga.
Which makes sense, but it surprised me anyway. It was better than I thought it would be. It would be different if we had to do solo performance on the first day, but since all 30-something of us were making noises and acting like nippy hungry smacking birds, it wasn't so bad.
I just need to buy some sweats....
We're supposed to create our own goals and objectives for the course. I guess mine would fall under one of the last bullets that Francis mentioned: "getting out of your shell." Which I kind of already did just staying in the class because I never do dance or acting or anything like that (so I guess this will be kind of a running list thing). I think the hardest part will be fulfilling that "community" part of the class that Francis mentioned. I'm sure I'll GET something from each class, but I don't know how able I am to GIVE something to the class except my respect... and like, my embarrassment.
So in that sense the class can't totally be like yoga because yoga is more personal-spiritual. It's all internal concentration and you're not supposed to look at other people and stuff while you're doing it and that's why instructors suggest to close your eyes if you want to. (At least that was what my first yoga class was like.)
I need to read... and then go to Target.
It was something like yoga.
Which makes sense, but it surprised me anyway. It was better than I thought it would be. It would be different if we had to do solo performance on the first day, but since all 30-something of us were making noises and acting like nippy hungry smacking birds, it wasn't so bad.
I just need to buy some sweats....
We're supposed to create our own goals and objectives for the course. I guess mine would fall under one of the last bullets that Francis mentioned: "getting out of your shell." Which I kind of already did just staying in the class because I never do dance or acting or anything like that (so I guess this will be kind of a running list thing). I think the hardest part will be fulfilling that "community" part of the class that Francis mentioned. I'm sure I'll GET something from each class, but I don't know how able I am to GIVE something to the class except my respect... and like, my embarrassment.
So in that sense the class can't totally be like yoga because yoga is more personal-spiritual. It's all internal concentration and you're not supposed to look at other people and stuff while you're doing it and that's why instructors suggest to close your eyes if you want to. (At least that was what my first yoga class was like.)
I need to read... and then go to Target.
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