Updates, or Feeling Pretty Good

Oh yeah, I have a blog. Forgot all about that, seeing as everyone who is anyone is on Tumblr by now (Danica, this is a dig at you in case you missed it). But for realsies, I am blogging for the first time in like, 4 months. It is both cause for celebration and (be)cause of celebration(s surrounding Christmas).

I haven’t had much of a chance to blog. To be honest, I haven’t had much of a chance to do much of anything this past semester. I feel like I’m always operating at full speed and never getting much of anything done. I’m always busy, but nothing ever happens in my life.

That being said, I don’t regret the sacrificing of my social life. I worked my ass off all semester and I just got my grades back, and they’re fairly impressive. I even got an e-mail from the director of my program saying that he is “excited to witness [my] intellectual development”. That made me feel crazy good.

As far as my September turning over of new leaves, I’d say I’ve done a fair job. I’m rocking the new haircut (when I wake up early enough to deal with it). I’m working hard at work, and I’m working REALLY hard at school. I’m becoming closer to new people and being a little more outgoing with ones I don’t know so well. I’m going for a more inclusive feel. I went to a bar downtown a few weeks ago (which feels like a bigger deal than it is). I’m putting family first and trying to be more patient with my parents and more involved in Art’s life.

I’m still working on some things. Rome was not built in a single declaration of leaf turning. I’m working on taking more chances and letting people in, and I certainly need to work on finding a balance between school and having a social life.

School has made being a good friend a little difficult, which I hate and don’t know how to fix. Jenna had a rough couple of weeks about a month ago and all I could do was read about it helplessly on the internet between papers. It kills me that I wasn’t there for her; it’s not that I was a bad friend, it’s that I was absent, which I feel is so much worse.

I’ve been busy. I’ve been exhausted. I’ve felt like there is no possible way that I can make it through this next year. But not once have I felt defeated or lost or empty. I definitely don’t feel like I’m the same person I was before May, but I’m back to some form of normal. And overall, I feel like I’m better off.

Bitch, Please

I feel like I’ve gotten away from myself. This summer has been quite possibly the worst of my 22 years and in the midst of all the chaos, I’ve become lost. Ever seen The Walking Dead, where that boy watches his (now) zombie mother wander the streets she once knew before she became the shell of a human being? I feel like I’m that zombie mom. I’ve wandered around feeling empty, trying to go through the motions of what feels like a former life. If we’re being honest, I was so tired of fighting that I let myself feel unextraordinary. My life, in short, became a bit of a Henry James novella.

I was too tired to fight a battle with life that constantly left me with my teeth kicked in. But I’m done with that. Starting now, I’m turning over all sorts of new leaves.

Next week, I start the last year of my undergraduate degree. I’m terrified, but I’ve also never been so excited in my entire life. I’m going to walk into class on Wednesday with a new haircut, a new outfit, and most importantly, a new fire. I’ve spent almost 4 months stressed out, hurt, afraid, and bawling my eyes out. I am done feeling like shit all the time and I’m ready to fight back.

I am going to work hard and graduate from an institution and program I love. I am going to be a better daughter, friend, and person. I am going to put myself out there, and I’m going to let new people get to know me. I am going to figure out what makes me happy, and do it. I’m going to be brave, take chances and try new things. And I’m going to fight like hell to never feel the way I felt this past summer.

I don’t know if I’m even the same person as I was at the beginning of this summer. But I’m certainly looking forward to learning who I am now.

Whatevs

So, I haven't blogged in a really long time because my life is hell right now. I think that I've had one of the worst summers on record. So this blog is on hiatus for a bit.

Listography 2

List Your Favorite Childhood Toys

            Sleepy

                        I have a doll named Sleepy that my mom’s friend gave to me at my baby shower. I named her Sleepy because back before her face rubbed off, she had her eyes closed. I’m super creative. I doubt anyone realizes this, but it is incredibly hard to find a soft body doll without a hard plastic face these days. So she’s a rarity. And I still love her a ton.

            Barbie

                        Unfortunately, I was super into Barbie. Not so much playing with her, but brushing her hair and putting together cool outfits. I would spend hours and hours picking out outfits and never once create any sort of storyline. Also, I was a pretty spoiled kid and had a ton of outfits to dig through.

            Car

                        Art and I used to have matching pedal cars and they were freaking badass.

           

            Cartoon

                        Cartoon was my ride on horse. Art named her, because it was his before I was born and when I came along they got him a bigger one. Its name was Buckaroo. They were those horse things that are suspended on a metal frame with springs and you would ride them by bouncing up and down. Cartoon was pretty cool.

List the People You Have Lived With

            Family

                        This one is obvious. I’ve only ever really lived at home with my parents and my brother. Which isn’t exciting, so I’ll add…

            Danica’s Family

                        When we went to Europe with choir, I went off with Danica, Grady and JSpence to Prague and Paris. We traveled together for two weeks, and it was quite a lovely time overall. For the most part I loved being on my own in terms of not having my family with me, but having a sort of second family so I didn’t get lonely. That being said, I did cry one night on the phone with my mom in Paris because they were all having dinner together as a family and my family wasn’t around. I got pretty homesick once we got to Paris.

List Your Favorite Books

            Harry Potter

                        I think I only know of one person who does not LOVE this series. Because it is fucking awesome. I thought I was too cool for it back when I was a kid. I only started reading them because I was going on a road trip and needed some books, so I picked up a copy of the Philosopher’s Stone at a thrift store. Within a month I had read the 5 that had come out up until that point. These books will never get old.

            Half of a Yellow Sun

                        This is a book that I just read this summer. Danica recommended it to me after she read it in a Lit course. I think her words were something to the effect of “You like books about Africa” (truths). This book is so well crafted, and interesting, and complex and beautiful. I really really loved reading it. I am still upset that my favorite character likely dies at the last minute. But still. Very very good.

            A Long Way Gone

                        This is the autobiography of Ishmael Beah, a man who was recruited as a child soldier in the civil war in Sierra Leone. He is an excellent storyteller. He is compelling, and thoughtful, and I enjoyed his prose overall. I liked it so much that I bought this book on CD and I listen to it in the car sometimes. If my interest in global development can be traced to a single catalyst, this would be it.

List Your Best Purchases

            Memory foam mattress pad and pillows

                        If there is one thing I love more than anything, it is sleeping. I used to have a ton of sleeping issues because my mattress is too firm for my tastes. That is no longer a problem. Memory foam sleep accessories have changed my life. Sleeping is so delightful now, it’s become a problem to wake up on time. These purchases wiped away my flawless internal clock.

            iPod

                        I did not own an iPod in high school. I had a discman and I thought that was just fine. I spent one week transiting to school in first year. One week on the 321 before promptly buying Fred Weasley.

            MacBook

                        Again, didn’t have a laptop right away. Thought I was fine writing all of my university papers on my parent’s shit PC. Now I cannot imagine how I lasted an entire year on that thing. It’s about ready to implode.

           

            Lululemon leggings

                        I am considering these an investment. I have been looking for new ¾ leggings for months, as my old pair began to disintegrate. In the past, I have bought new leggings every few months because I wear them out so fast. These fit perfectly, are short AND can be tucked into higher boots, and are super comfortable and look great. And I figure I won’t need to buy shit leggings every 2 months now.

           

            Truck

                        Love love love love owning my own vehicle.

            Best of the Red Hot Chili Peppers

                        This was $7 at Costco. Best ever, right?

Listography 1

A couple of Christmases ago, JSpence took Danica and I shopping on Commerical Drive in search of eclectic gifts. We happened upon a really cool store with jewelry, books, wrapping paper, napkins, and other kitsch-y type things.

Needless to say, it was pretty cool in there. I bought Lisa a really cool owl necklace, which I had been trying to find her for like, 6 months, and I think Danica also had some gift luck. The biggest success of the day went to JSpence, for finding in this store a single copy of a book called Listography for her sister, who is lovely AND sometimes scares the bajeesus out of me.

Listography is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a book with a bunch of lists names and blank lines. You take the theme of the list, and you fill the lines in accordingly.

I LOVE making lists. When I travel, I make lists up the whazoo. It’s tons of fun, so obviously this book fascinated me. Sadly, there was only the one copy in this shop.

For Christmas this year, Lisa managed to get her hands on another copy, and bequeathed it unto Danica, who also loves to make lists. Ever since, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for a list book of my own. Finally, I spied one at Indigo.

It was a little while ago, and it’s taken a bit to get up the nerve to actually buy a book that is about 70% blank. Today, I had a bad day at work and caved. I’ve decided to do a mini-series of blogs where I complete some of the lists in this book, because list blogs are my favorite kind of blogs. So without further AYO (Get it Jenn?), here is the first 10 lists in my book.

List of Pets and Their Names

            Tigger

                        Tigger was my very first pet. He was a Siamese Fighting Fish, and I was quite proud of him. He was red and purple but never did the cool thing where they get defensive over their own reflections. I accidentally killed him when I was changing his water one night. The temperature change gave him a heart attack.

            Joey

                        Arthur and I had a guinea pig when we were young. I liked him a fair amount, but he bit my chest once and I never forgave him. He liked to eat dandelions, and everyone in my family was allergic to him. When he died, my mom told the Leeks family before she told me, which I have also never forgiven.

List Your Closest Friends (No hard feelings)

            Andrea

                        Andrea and I have been friends since I was 4 months old and she was born. Our fathers are really good friends from high school, and our moms are close as a result. Her mom used to babysit Arthur and I in the summers. She’s a sister to me. No matter how much or little we get to see one another, nothing ever changes with our relationship. Also, for our entire childhoods, we used to watch Grease every Saturday night and dance around my living room. It was good times.

            Danica

                        I’ve known Danica since I started choir 14 years ago. I remember that in Junior Choir she sat in front of me, and she had really nice hair that I always wanted to braid because it was right in front of my face. People often tell us that we’re like an old married couple, which concerns the part of my that thinks that people think that we’re lesbians. We may not be lesbians, but she’s definitely my life partner.

            Ashley

                        I remember that Ashley used to scare the shit out of me because she was good, and older and taller than I was. I remember seeing her in the EMS production of Annie and thinking “I’m going to grow up and be like her”. Anyways, we’ve gotten quite close over the past few years. Contrary to what I feel like some people think, I don’t just use her for her lovely lovely babies. Though they ARE lovely.

            Lisa

                        I love Lisa. She’s never on time and sometimes she completely forgets that we have plans, but she is lovely and well-meaning. Danica, Lisa and I are a beautiful sunset. And quite frankly, I don’t think I would have had any fun in high school without this lovely weirdo.

            Jenna

                        Jenna is probably one of the people in my life that I admire most. She is crazy smart and quick witted, and I just know that she’s going to do amazing things in her life. And more than anyone, I feel like she and I are kindred spirits. Like, sometimes she admits things about herself that I am too embarrassed to admit about myself, like my undying love and support for the Olsen twins.

            Jennifer Kelly

                        I feel like Jenn and I get closer and closer with every time we hang out. We are close in a relatively new way, but hanging out with Jenn has always been really easy. Most of the time, we just watch TV but we always have fun. And Jenn lets me indulge in the weird parts of myself. AVPM is proof.

List the Places You Have Lived

            White Rock/ South Surrey

                        This is the only place that I have actually lived. White Rock is pretty decent. It’s full of old people, and I hate driving because of them, but the town is small and the beach is right there which always makes summer a lovely time. I’m a little on the outskirts, a bit into farm country, which I think is what makes me so discordant in my character.

List Your Favorite Films

            Lion King

                        I really really love the Lion King. The music is good, the story is lovely, and it has a great cast of character actors. And as I am I fan of the little moments, I have to point out the animation when Simba is running back to the Pridelands to battle Scar. The lines when he is running are gorgeous.

            Say Anything

                        I always say that I would have been an excellent teenager during the 80s. I would go as far as to say that I would have rivaled Molly Ringwald herself. This movie is my favorite of all 80s flicks. It’s John Cusack, Peter Gabriel and the boom box over his head. It’s iconic. Not to mention that Lloyd Dobler is the greatest romantic lead ever written. Ok, not really. But I am very fond of him.

            Singing in the Rain

                        I can’t believe that I only watched this for the first time 2 months ago. Gene Kelly is a fucking fox. This musical is all about the tap dancing, and I LOVE the tap dancing. This is such a classic musical. I love it.

List Your Past Jobs

            I haven’t really had any jobs before the one I have now. Mostly filing and whatnot, but I did work at…

            Choralstage

                        One summer, I was hired by my choir conductor to work with an autistic girl at the choir/musical theatre program he runs in the summer. I was working with Ashley in Vancouver, singing every day, putting together a musical showcase. The pay was less than desirable, but it was so much fun and probably the best job I’ve ever had. The teenagers love me, and this job is probably part of the reason I got to sing with Paul Halley this summer. Which was fucking sweet.

List the Countries You’ve Visited

            The United States of America

                        Yeah, I’ve been there. I’ve stayed in Ashland, Anaheim, San Diego and Orlando. The theme parks down there are out of this world. I wish I lived in one of them. It would never ever get dull. Also, Ashland’s Shakespeare Festival was some of the greatest times I ever had in high school.

            England

                        Went with choir, saw the sights. Liked it a fair amount, especially Cambridge. That was a lovely little outing. The theatre there is amazing as well. Everything is expensive though.

            Wales

                        I loved Wales. I wish we had been able to explore a bit more, but alas, we were on competition grounds most of the trip. The landscape is lovely though, probably the loveliest I will ever witness. All the rolling green hills and rivers running through it. I quite enjoyed my time there.

            Czech Republic

                        I LOVE Prague. If I could live anywhere, it would be this city. I feel like I was perfectly suited to it. It’s all cobble stone and old old buildings, and dry heat. There was not a moment in Prague that I was not thankful to be there. Everything about it was amazing. Contemplating the Prague field school, just to go back. I feel like it’s my second home.

            France

                        We stayed in Paris. I was not a fan. It’s too humid, and it’s dirty. They have all these lovely landmarks, but they are wide spread and set against industrial backdrops. Overall not a fan.

Weddings

So, I'm going to a wedding this weekend up in Harrison. My friend Lindsay is going, and said she was bringing a date. Turns out she no longer knows any boys this side of the Rockies, so she invited me to come along. I have no idea what I should wear, so I'm whoring my blog out. Help me pick a dress.

This is my first choice

This one is new and fun, but it may be a little too short

My aunt bought this for me for Christmas 2 years ago.
I threw it in for flavor. It's too big, and not cute.

I love this dress the most, but it's also probably too short

I wore this to Danica's Christmas Party this year.
I liked it.

I bought this at Costco for like, 20 bucks!
It's very summery and Donna Reed-ish.

This one has a satin sash and a patterned overlay.
I wore it to Ashley's wedding.

This needs to be tailored. Also just for kicks.

Look at my boobs in this dress!
It's like the first dress but not as nice.

Not a serious option. It's exclusively a work dress.

$25 F21 dress.

I love this dress. It looks like denim.
Probably not fancy enough for a wedding.

This is my new dress that I was saving for my work Christmas party.
I really like it, but I think I want to save it.

So, I expect all 3 of you to put in your vote. And soon. I need to figure shoes out after this, suckas.

Next blog will be about how bitches be crazy.

Justin

Happy Canada Day. I had a lovely day picnicking in Maple Ridge with Ashley, her husband, her two children and her mother. I would be concerned that I had intruded on family time, but picnicking at Allouette was my idea, so I take it in stride. Actually, I quite love spending time with Ashley’s family.

Anyways, back to Canada Day. While I don’t necessarily consider myself patriotic (I have unconventional ideas about the modern Nation-State), I am certainly glad I am Canadian. To celebrate this most Canadian of birthdays, I think it’s appropriate to discuss some Canadiana.

Justin Bieber.

I’ve always had mixed feelings about this kid. On the one hand, it’s pretty obvious that he’s talented. On the other hand, there are a lot of “artists” out right now who are only famous because they appeal to small children and their mania. I figured that Bieber’s success could mostly be attributed to the latter. There are tons of talented people out there. Justin Bieber probably just got famous through a combination of luck and his girlish good-looks.

Something about me. I am not usually quick to admit I am wrong. But in this case, I was definitely wrong.

After our picnic, Ashley and I rented Never Say Never, which is the Justin Bieber movie. We’ve been meaning to watch it since it came to theatres and we ended up missing it by a day. Ashley loves the Biebs, and listens to him in the car because Li loves to sing “Baby”. I’m just intrigued. While I had heard good things about it, I was a little skeptical.

First off, this is probably the best new movie that I’ve seen all year. In general, it’s a really good movie. I found it inspiring in a way that is usually reserved for musicals and other live theatre. It’s the inspiration that accompanies people making everything they want a reality. Not to mention working hard.

Back to Bieber himself. The video is a combination of interviews, recent footage of his shows and prep for Madison Square Garden, and old home videos. Even from the video of him drumming on a hair at 3 or 4 years old, it is apparent that this kid is indeed extraordinary. To be honest, it looks like he’s good at everything. He’s athletic, he sings, he dances, he plays 4 instruments. I turned to Ashley at one point and said “he MUST be dumb” because no one can be that good at everything and still be smart. It’s just not fair.

This is not a kid who whored himself to Disney. He worked hard, was discovered on youtube, and it paid off. Beside all of that, he seems surprisingly grounded. He’s just a good kid.

Not to mention that he’s talented. His music isn’t really my thing. It’s catchy and nice for the summer time, but I don’t know if I’d buy his CD. But his voice? C’mon. I don’t care who you are or what you think of him or his career. You CANNOT deny that his voice is amazing. It’s like butter.

Anyways. I don’t know if there’s much more I can say about this kid. I’m definitely a convert. And quite honestly, I think that he’s the next JTim. Also, I’m considering a purple American Apparel hoodie myself.

Summer Mix Review

Note: Yes Danica. I am awake. But only because my Aunt went to the Emergency Room tonight to get a bit of pneumonia checked out. She's fine, but I stayed up with my mom to be sure. So no bitching.

I have previously professed that I am the best at making mixed CDs. While I still hold onto that, it appears I am not the only one. Ashley owed me $5, and instead of getting $5, I asked her to make me a serious of CDs. Most of them are soundtracks to lovely musicals, but she excitedly threw in one that was a mix of all different things she thought I might like. Was I skeptical? Only in that I KNEW it would not be as good a mix as what I make for others. But I am currently seeking new music, and with the exception of some Britney Spears, I have faith in Ashley’s tastes.

What I’ve done is compiled mini-reviews of each song. They are my first impressions of the music bequeathed unto me. They are short, sweet and to the point. So enjoy.

#1- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea- Neutral Milk Hotel

            I have a feeling that Ashley loves just the right amount of indie. This is perfect. It’s folksy and heavy on acoustic guitar like I like. It’s catchy, the melody is interesting and I think the singers voice is really cool. My only complaint is the hint of whale call/ someone playing the saw with a violin bow. It’s super weird and distracting.

#2- Looking for Someone- Sarah Slean

            I love that I didn’t have to look up who sang this song, because Sarah Slean has such a distinctive sound. Again, she is beautifully weird. It’s simple, understated, yet beautifully written and performed. Love.

#3- A Mirror Without- Royal Wood

            To be honest, I didn’t listen to this one because I noticed…

#4- (More Bounce in) California- Soulkid #1!!!!!

            This is hilarious! I don’t remember what movie this song is in. I think it might be several. But I love this song, and for some mysterious reason it reminds me of my childhood. I will for sure be driving around to this during the summer.

#5- Quand Vous Mourez de nos Amour- Rufus Wainwright

            Ashley is a smart lady. She has a degree. And never has her education and intellect been to well employed as the addition of this song onto my mix. I hate that it’s French, but I will listen to it because I love Rufus. He’s like Sarah Slean in that he is a nice mix between brilliant and crazy. And strangely, French sounds nice when it’s coming from his mouth.

#6- Bank Accounts- Sarah Slean

            This one starts out all 1940’s band with the horns and the pomp. In the end it turns upbeat, resulting in probably one of Sarah Slean’s more main stream songs. This would be a really good way to trick someone into trying Sarah Slean on for size. Much more palatable than the one where she talks about vomiting and breaking her teeth.

#7- Live Your Life- T.I.

            Ahhh! It starts out with that hilarious Russian song! Ugh. I do love the rap. And Rihanna is featured on this track! Cheap shot, Ashley. Obviously I was going to love this one. There is no way to go wrong with these elements.

#8- Breakin’ Up- Rilo Kiley

            Jenna always talked about Rilo Kiley in high school, and I never listened to any to know what she was going on about. The singer has kind of a run-of-the-mill voice, but overall I like this song. I think what really wins me over is the synthesizer in the chorus.

#9- Snow (Hey Oh)- Red Hot Chili Peppers

            I don’t really remember if this song is off Jupiter or Mars, but either way I was overall disappointed. This song was one of the few exceptions. I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and quite frankly I’m surprised that they’re present on this mix. I suspect that it’s one of Mat’s songs.

#10- Sweet Dream- Gary Laswell

            I suspect that this man is either from Ireland or one of the Maritimes. My guess is the Maritimes, because Ashley loves all those weirdos. It’s super short and to the point, but the guitar is quite lovely and his voice reminds me of someone who I cannot for the life of my name. But I could hum the song I’m thinking of. Alas, I know none of the words.

#11- Lucky Me (DNA Studio)- Sarah Slean

            This is one of my favorite Sarah Slean songs, and I always love live-ish sounding recordings. I especially love the strings in this version. They replace Sarah Slean’s usual piano, and it’s really effective.

#12- Flathead- The Fratellif?

            I can’t read Ashley’s writing for the artist, so here’s hoping. There is so much going on in this song. It’s a little Sublime, it’s a little punk rock, it’s a little Kooks, it’s a little gospel-clappy. Is it from the 90’s? It sounds like it should be out of the 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack. Overall intrigued, mostly because it sounds like the Kooks. And because the switch up on the chorus is interesting.

#13- About You- Royal Wood

            Hey, it’s the guy I skipped before. He’s got a sleepy voice, kind of like… I don’t know who to compare him to. It’s nice. It’s repetitive and unsuited for my current kamikaze listening of this CD. I’m going to have to come back to it. Oooh! Nice trumpet.

#14- Mystery Song?

            This is fucking Ke$ha. And I don’t think it’s the one I like. I can’t even remember if it’s the one I like, which means I can’t like anything of Ke$ha’s too much. This talk singing is the worst thing to happen in my life.

#15- Sweet Ones- Sarah Slean

            There is a ton of Sarah Slean on this CD. I used to have this song on a burned CD from my parents computer, back when Kazaa had yet to blow up my family PC. This is the song that got me into Sarah Slean, so not only do I enjoy it, but I’ve got my nostalgia on. And you know how I love to get my nostalgia on.

#16- Peter Piper- Frank Mills

            This song reminds me of an ice cream truck in the best possible way. And I recognize it! The intro is a bit too long for my tastes, but I love the strings, and the organ. Even though it’s pretty much the same thing over and over, I’m enjoying the switch ups to the theme.

#17- Breathe- Blu Cantrell and Sean Paul

            Again, appealing to the part of myself that I’m not so proud of. Remember that “Hit ‘Em Up Style” song from the 90’s? Hilarious! While I’m not the biggest fan of this song, it does makes me want to dance. It’s got that terrible dance music thing going for it. Overall, I’d say it’s at the very least doing it’s job.

#18- We Will Need A Song- Hawksley Workman

            Ashley has been trying to get me into Hawksley since I was in the 11^th grade, which is to say a long time. This is the first thing I’ve heard of his really, and it’s awesome! I’m very intrigued by this man.

#19- Last Goodbye- Jeff Buckley

            The intro to this is really interesting. And I do like Jeff Buckley in general. His voice was so interesting too! I have a feeling that Ashley has caught onto a theme with me, which is that I am interested in almost anything that is interesting. Jeff Buckley was super talented. It’s a shame he’s dead.

#20- He Got Game- Public Enemy

            Whenever I hear “Public Enemy” I think of “Public Enemy Number 1” from Anything Goes, which this is certainly not. This song samples from Buffalo Springfield’s “Something Happening Here” (think Forrest Gump) and I think it’s really well incorporated. Again, I have the weird love for rap.

#21- All I Want Is You- Barry Lewis Polisar

            This song is from the Juno soundtrack, which I have and love. So obviously this conclusion was delightful. I think the harmonica and the strum-stop style guitar and twang all appeal to my hick upbringing.

So that concludes “Auntie Kirsty’s Summer Mix”. Overall, it’s not as summery as I expected it to be, but the music is all really good. And to be fair, I do like to get my rap on in the summer. I’m really excited to put it on my iPod and listen to it all the way through. Top prize is awarded to Hawksley. It is him who I am most excited about. So point Ashley.

Wicked

I held off writing a blog about Wicked at first because I wanted time to let what I had seen sink in. And after that passed, I wanted to wait until I saw it for the second time. That’s right. I saw Wicked and it had such an impact on me that I redirected the money I had put aside to see Hairspray to go again.

And I wasn’t the only one. The first time I went, I was with Ashley, Danica, David J and JKelly. We saw it on a Wednesday. By Saturday afternoon, Jenn had already bought tickets for her, David and I to go about the next Sunday.

Spending around $200 to see this production twice is probably the most worthwhile thing I’ve spent my money on since my memory foam mattress cover. I mean, it was insane, but I think it’s a decision that I will never, never regret.

Just to be clear, Wicked is a musical inspired by The Wizard of Oz. It’s supposed to be “the untold story of the witches of Oz”, which basically means that it gives you an alternate perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The aforementioned witch is named Elphaba, who is the result of an affair that her mother had with a traveling elixir salesman. The elixir causes Elphaba to be born green, which is hard enough. On top of it all, her father is ashamed of her, her wheel chair bound sister is embarrassed of her, and her mother is dead. Life is tough.

In order to watch over her sister, Nessarose, Elphaba is enrolled at Shiz University, where she rooms with Galinda, who grows up to be Glinda the Good. Points of interest are the relationships that develop between Elphaba and Galinda, Elphaba and Galinda’s love interest Fiyero (who it must be said, is attractive), the dismissal of the only remaining talking animal professor at Shiz and the emergence of Elphaba’s magical talent.

Said talent lands Elphaba a meeting with the Wizard of Oz, a rather large man who has no magical powers and who wants to domesticate animals because SOMEONE has the be the bad guy. He tricks Elphaba into giving his stock pile of monkeys wings, Elphaba is outraged, steals an important book of spells and begins her life as an enemy of the state slash vigilante.

Throughout the rest of the musical, Elphaba and Fiyero end up together, a house falls on Nessarose, Fiyero gets turned into a scare crow, Elphaba escapes Oz, and Glinda not only clears her name, but discovers that she is the Wizards daughter before sending him on his merry way and freeing Oz from oppression.

Contrary to what Jenn thinks, Glinda is NOT the protagonist of this musical. It is definitely Elphaba.

Everyone is this production was amazing. Because I saw it twice, I was able to see 2 understudies and even they were really good. I mean, not as good as the people they were performing for, but still great. Notable performances were the woman who plays Madame Morrible, Fiyero (especially when he is singing high), and obviously the woman who played Elphaba. Jesus, she was amazing. Also, special shout out to the chorus who were freaking ridiculous. Their sfz’s were better executed than on the Broadway recording.

This musical is so good. There are themes that are woven seamlessly throughout, which is something about Les Mis that I love love love. It’s probably my favorite thing that happens in musical productions. The music is interesting, and powerful, and there’s always something unexpected around the corner. More than once, both times I saw this, I felt myself getting misty-eyed because the brilliance is completely overwhelming.

My favorite part of the whole production is in “No Good Deed” (which is my favorite song from this production) when Elphaba sings “Let all Oz be agreed/ I’m wicked through and through since I cannot succeed/ Fiyero saving you/ I promise no good deed will I attempt to do again”. It’s beautifully crafted, and I feel like it’s representative of the entire venture.

I love musicals. I just. They are so amazing. And Wicked is probably one of my favorites. I don’t understand how you could watch something like Wicked and NOT be inspired. Ugh. I want to do that. The point? Go see live theatre. It will change something in you. 

Little Things II

Remember that post I did where I listed some of my favorite things? I really liked doing that. And after the antics in Vancouver last night, I feel like I need to think about things that make me happy rather than things that make me want to vomit and scream. So here are some more lovely things.

When you’re driving North down 152^nd just after 24^th on a really clear day, when you can see straight to the Guilford Sheraton and its Canada flag.

Having nothing to on any given night.

Getting really good at applying gel liner after years and years of practice.

Shaving my legs and painting my toes.

Pedicures! Never did I ever think the day would come when I would love paying someone to touch my feet.

Dressing up and having people notice.

Not having to dress up.

Holiday themed drinks at Starbucks.

Organic African Nectar Mighty Leaf Tea. Or tea in general. And tea parties specifically.

Vancouverites banding together and cleaning up the city the day after a fucking riot.

Taking the tags off of new clothes.

Going back to books I’ve read and trying to figure out why I put post-its where I did.

Books about Africa. Fiction and non-fiction. Literary and otherwise.

Maps. I loves me some maps. I have a giant world map on my wall. It’s probably the thing I own that I love best, other than my memory foam mattress cover and pillows.

Cello.

The guys behind “Shit My Dad Says” and “Old Man Search” on Twitter.

Spending my weekends at Mat and Ashley’s. I get to hang out in my jimjams, play with babies, hold babies, watch wedding shows, eat snacks and play video and board games.

Live theatre!!!

Singing harmonies to the radio.

Side note. My friend Megan from school thinks I’m funny and clever. That just happened, and it made me deliriously happy. So I guess it has a place on this list.

Motorcycle rides on back roads. Love it. Especially that trip up to that Maple Ridge lake. It was really pretty. Totally worth the sore bum.

Performing.

Moments where I catch myself thinking about having a future. This is also terrifying.

Feeling like you look good on a given day.

Just. Harry Potter. Anything to do with Harry Potter. But not dressing up like characters from Harry Potter.

Having occasions to dress up for.

Weddings! And dancing at weddings.

WANTING to write papers.

Nice grass and trees to sit under.

Feeling tall.

Typing really fast and still spelling everything right.

Using an adding machine!

Days when my skin is completely clear.

Driving.

Not having to drive.

Reading in the car.

Air conditioning, so long as it doesn’t give me a headache.

Being on vacation and washing my feet in bathtubs.

Steamed broccoli.

30 Rock. And other really funny TV shows. TV in general actually.

Really good movies.

Days when I am paid.

Home made cards and presents. I’m a huge fan of the burned CD.

People making a big deal about you.

People NOT making a big deal about you.

The smell of beach air.

Explaining why I like to think of myself as Germany.

Constantly being surprised by someone.

When Ashley told me that I was just as funny as Tina Fey.

Jeans that make your bum look nice.

John Krasinski.

How long conversations can become when you mention something funny that happened on the Office, and other people mention other things from the Office.

New music.

Soundtracks to musicals.

People who compliment my glasses, because I am very self-conscious about them.

Neil Patrick Harris.

Forts.

Secrets

This past Monday, I went to Surrey to watch the hockey game. Now. I am not a fan of hockey. I don’t understand sports where face-punching is not only allowed, but encouraged. But when school friends want to watch the play-offs and play board games, what is a girl to do?

Long story short, five hours after I arrived on campus, I was driving my friend Jamie home. We were talking about how much fun games are (because we be cool like that) and she said that she thought we should play a game some time where you write out 5 secrets about yourself, put them in a hat, and everyone has to guess whose secret is whose. It’s supposed to be a good way of getting to know people who you already know a little bit better. Needless to say, I find the whole proposition unsettling.

So I’ve been thinking about it. What secrets would I tell this group of people? What would be sufficiently personal and secretive enough, but also not spoil the mood by being too intimate? I’m not a fan of revealing myself to begin with! It’s also a slippery slope, because if they are too offbeat, no one will guess it right. If it’s too obvious, I will have ruined a perfectly terrifying game.

Here are some things that I thought MAY be possibilities if I were to ever play this game. If you’re reading this post, you probably know a lot of them already.

I skipped grade 5 math so I don’t understand fractions.

I think I might be the second coming of Tina Fey. Not the hilarious, successful Tina Fey, but the insecure, nerd Tina Fey in Tina Fey’s head.

Once, on a date, I saw two people doing it on the beach.

I have one eye that is bigger than the other.

I truly believe that my crooked face can be attributed to the fact that I always sleep on my right side.

I played first trumpet in grade 7 band.

I think I might be afraid of men. And by think, I mean I am afraid of men. Like, in my head, there is a huge difference between “guy” and “man”. The latter is scary.

I’m really good at riding a bicycle with no hands.

I have a crippling fear of being inadequate.

While I always note when guys are attractive, I’m really only attracted to the ones who can be classified as “interesting-looking”.

I almost drown in my neighbor’s pond when I was 3.

I wore a dress everyday in Kindergarten until some kid told me it was weird.

I really do not like feet.

When I take the time to plan out an outfit, I never end up wearing those clothes.

I once went to and enjoyed a Kanye West concert.

The word I feel best suits me is “Germany”.

Whenever I hear an overture for a musical, I get misty-eyed.

I’m on youtube in a video entitled “The Hotel Sex-Blanket”.

I held a parrot once in Ashland, Oregon.

My favorite SNL sketch is “Robert Goulet”.

Once, I puked into a garbage can at Playland.

My first kiss was on a dare.

I once told a boy he smelled like fish when he tried to kiss me.

I’ve never seen Wayne’s World.

Baby teeth freak me out.

I’m still mad about the time my friend was Spiderman for Halloween when I wanted to be Spiderman for Halloween.

I was a mouse in a ballet recital when I was little.

I was really good at baseball when I was young.

I love my nudist friends but they make me super uncomfortable with nudist-ness.

My high school lit teacher is my favorite person.

I really like the Barenaked Ladies.

I don’t like it when people breathe on me.

Not all of these are necessarily secrets. And not all of them are entertaining or revealing in any way. I don’t know. I just don’t know how you can go about choosing 5 little tidbits about yourself that are supposed to help others understand you better. How does one do that? How am I supposed to do that? Let me know if you can think of any others. If we end up playing this game, I’mma need to bring my A-game. Those school kids are mad into winning.

Never Let Me Go

My summer reading has progressed a little slower than I’d like. I thought that I would be able to keep up the classic 1 book for every 2 days like most summers, but I feel like I’m way busier than I have been in the past. So my reading has become sporadic at best. Sometimes I can read a book every 2 days, sometimes it takes me 2 weeks. And in the case of The Odyssey, it’s going to be a full summer project, reading 1 chapter whenever I get a spare moment at home. That thing is effing heavy and my purse protests the weight.

My pace may have slowed, but I’ve still managed to squeeze in some time for awesome reads (often at the expense of having a social life). For instance, I read Half of a Yellow Sun at the beginning of the summer and it’s probably one of my favorite books ever. So while I’m not reading as much, I’m probably reading better material than before (Move aside, yearly reading of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series!). Which brings us to the last book I read, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

So, I’m fibbing a little bit. This was not the last book I read. The last book I finished was Bossypants by Tina Fey. I delayed writing this blog because I wanted to watch the film version of Never Let Me Go so that I would be able to compare the film and the novel. In order to do that, I had to wait for the weekend to rent the film (I should probably look into getting Netflix). In the meantime, I read Tina Fey’s book. For those interested, Bossypants is hilarious and made me laugh out loud while doing the banking for my place of employment. Embarrassing, and worth it.

Never Let Me Go sounds like a crazy story when you try to lay it all out for someone. It’s about a woman named Kathy H who is looking back on her time at a British boarding school called Hailsham and the implications of her time spent there. Gradually, throughout the course of the novel, you come to understand that Kathy H is a clone and that the purpose of Hailsham is to raise child clones to later be used for organ donation.

This tends to be the part where people look at you weird and lose all interest in reading this book. Which is a shame, because it’s really quite a lovely read. Kathy and her friend Tommy have this beautifully developed relationship throughout the narrative, but he is dating Kathy’s best friend Ruth. While they eventually end up together, it’s not really under perfect terms and their struggle to gain footing despite their fates is truly heartbreaking.

In terms of the actual writing, Ishiguro is amazing. It’s beautifully written, and poetic without actually being flowery. There’s something really artistic about the simplicity of his writing. And while the story sounds a little far-fetched when I try to explain it to people, Ishiguro has a way of making you accept all of the craziness that he presents. Which I will get to later.

After I read the novel, I watched the movie. I was really excited about the film because the trailers looked really good and it has a stellar cast. Kathy H is played by Carey Mulligan, Ruth is played by Keira Knightley and Tommy is played by the gorgeous Andrew Garfield of recent Social Network fame. He is effing attractive.

What I will say about the film is that it is beautifully shot. The lighting, the landscape, everything came together to present this gorgeous picture that conveyed the tones of the film overall. The cinematography is probably the best thing the film has going for it. While Mulligan, Knightley and Garfield weren’t exactly what I imagined while reading the novel, they all did good jobs. Especially Garfield, whose subtle portrayal was the strongest of them all. While I didn’t imagine Tommy to be as Garfield portrayed him, I think I prefer Garfield’s performance to my own expectations.

This wasn’t a bad movie. But, like all movies that are based off books, things had to be changed for it to work as a film and as always, chunks of the story are sacrificed as a result. Whether it is slight changes, or additions, or leaving things out entirely, I am never a fan. Usually, what I find most irksome about novel-turned-movies is when sections of dialogue are taken from the original text and plopped into the film. It always makes me feel awkward and it reminds me that I’m watching something that isn’t real. However, this film had none of that nonsense, which I appreciated. So while the movie was not as good as the novel, it wasn’t the worst adaptation I’ve ever seen (Twilight).

My favorite part of Never Let Me Go (the novel) is that it really made me think. And I was surprised that as I was reading and enjoying the book, I was also picking up on things and asking questions about the text. I love it when texts encourage thought like that. After I put this book down, I thought to myself “I’d really like to write a paper about the parallel between the way education at Hailsham is portrayed and the way that Kathy’s narration educates the reader”. Which I feel is really saying something, because who thinks to themselves “Hey, I WANT to write a paper!”?! The answer is no one. So I say congrats Ishiguro, for inspiring that desire in me.

I know it’s about clones, but I still think everyone should read it. It’s an incredibly sensitive, artistic and beautiful text that really isn’t so much about cloning at all. And if you’re into books about clones, then stop complaining! 

Pirates 4

So much for posting more than once in a single week. Alas, life always seems to get in the way. I promised a Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides blog, and here it is. I may be late, but I usually come through.

I had pretty low expectations for Pirates 4. I loooove Curse of the Black Pearl, didn’t mind whatever 2 was called, and really didn’t like 3 and thought it was confusing and a waste of my time. I can’t even tell you what happened in the second and third movies of this series. I just know I wasn’t taken with them, and therefore predicted that I wouldn’t be taken with this one. I really only went because Jenn had invited me and I had nothing else to do with my Sunday night.

I arrived at the theatre on time, and expected Jenn to be pacing around, freaking out because I wasn’t early enough (Jenn insists upon being at least 40 minutes early for any movie. She is ridiculous). However, she and David had yet to arrive, so I went over to the Chapters beside Strawberry Hill and perused the literary fiction. I came across a follow up to Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, which I promptly bought before heading over to meet my friendies.

I met up with Dave and Jenn, and the three of us met up with Jenn’s friend Anne (who is very lovely). We then bought hot dogs and pop and nachos for dinner before proceeding towards the theatre. I was very very excited, because I loves me some movie themed hot dogs. After Jenn got impatient with me for taking too long putting on my condiments (I am strongly against leaving ketchup packets under theatre seats), we finally made it to the theatre.

I know it was the May long weekend, but I still expected a Sunday 7:00 showing of any movie to be completely dead. Not so with the Pirates crowd, who are super intense and will follow Johnny Depp into any number of strange viewing times. Basically, I was surprised to find a fairly full theatre even though we were insanely early.

Jenn had chosen to buy tickets for the 3D showing of this film. I was wary because the only films I’ve ever seen in 3D are Toy Story 3 and Step Up: 3D. Toy Story 3 was obviously animated, so seeing it in 3D was really cool, but Step Up: 3D was live action AND a poorly conceived film. Let’s just say that the only thing it had going for it was that it was 3D, and they made a point of showcasing it. In the process, they kind of ruined any hope of it being an enjoyable movie experience because the 3D was so in your face that it wasn’t believable at all. In short, I don’t trust live action 3D as a rule.

Pirates 4 was quite a bit different. The 3D was a little intense in the very beginning, but once it started rolling along, it was less showy and kind of just enhanced the graphics. It was actually really really cool to watch this movie in 3D.

As far as the actual film goes, I quite liked it. The story was easy to follow but still interesting, they had some new characters but kept some of the old favorites (Minus Orlando Bloom though. Which obviously makes sense but was sad just the same, seeing as I loved him in my youth and you know how I love to get my nostalgia on). The music was amazing, as per usual with a film scored by the great Hans Zimmer, who just so happens to be my favorite contemporary composer. And of course, Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow was mesmerizing. All in all, my expectations were wildly exceeded.

I think that’s the key to movies sometimes. I was so excited to see Bridesmaids that I felt disappointed by it, and I have no hopes for this movie and was pleasantly surprised. I think I’m on to something here. Perhaps I’ve unlocked the secret to Jenn’s love of EVERY movie no matter how bad it is. I’ll have to test it out, but I think there’s something to it.