ROSY KIERA

Have I Told You Yet How Glad I am It's Friday?

2011-09-23T19:16:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

It's been a busy month and a half. I won't reveal too much of my personal feelings about teaching. I love it, but I am going to leave it at that. Other feelings are going to be left for the privacy of my personal journal.

Each day seems long and satisfying but the weeks truly FLY past like you wouldn't believe.

A couple of days ago, my university supervisor sent me a link to this video. She mentioned that some days it might feel like we are going no where like a hamster on his wheel. And sometimes, we might even fly off, chaotically. (It's true) But things will get better. It is getting better. I am learning so much about myself as a person, about my capabilities and about my likes and dislikes. It's such a growing experience.

Well, regardless of my learning experience during the week, I truly enjoy the weekends now. And I fully intend to enjoy this weekend to the fullness. You should too. Weekends are meant for to be enjoyed.

:)

Um, this is kind of AWESOME

2011-09-02T21:29:00.002-06:00

I spied it in the library and I HAD to get it. Mostly because I saw a preview of it on another movie and I noticed James MacAvoy was in it as Macbeth, and I was like, DANG, that has to be good. So I finally checked it out and ladies and gentlemen...
It has blown me away. They retell four of Shakespeare's classic plays: Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado about Nothing, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. I watched two today and they were SUPERB. You'd think that there wouldn't be much more that could be said about the Bard, but the way the actors and directors interpreted the play...they seriously couldn't have done a better job. They made it classic and contemporary all at once. Believable yet delightfully imaginative. LOVED IT.
BBC, you've done yourself proud.
Review? Consider it highly recommended.

Bergen Trip!

2011-08-07T22:59:00.000-06:00

So looking over my blog, I seem to be more than a little remiss in keeping it updated while I was in Norway. I had such plans!
However, I still have pictures, so I thought that I'd share some with you today.

These come from a little side trip we took to Norway's west coast towards the end of July. We took a train from Oslo to Bergen and saw some of the most stunning scenery that you can imagine. Truly! The ride has been described as one of the most scenic in the world! See here if you want to learn more.

See?? Isn't it beautiful?! These are taken from the Hardangervidda, the highest mountain plateau in Europe. I thought it had a soulful, Wuthering Heights kind of feel to the landscape. But there were lots of waterfalls, glaciers, mountains, and forests.

Welcome to Bergen

This was the sight we saw when our train pulled into Bergen. The city is absolutely ADORABLE. It reminds me of a smaller, Norwegian San Francisco. It has the hills, the sea food and the colorful houses.

Scene from the top of a mountain, Bergen in the background

We dropped off our stuff at our hostel (more on that later) and took the funicular. The funicular is like a tram that you ride up the mountain. It was a pretty view. Our professor took us on a hike even further up the mountain. Again, it was a pretty view. I didn't really understand why we had to put that much work into seeing the same sight just at a higher altitude, but apparently, there is a hidden joy to hiking and nature that I have yet to find...

After our adventure on the mountain, we had dinner at Peppe's Pizza! Hurrah! And it was Dr. Kramer's birthday, double hurrah! He threatened to walk out and leave us with the check if we had the servers come to sing him happy birthday.

We disregarded his warning and had the servers sing happy birthday anyways. Secretly, I think he really enjoyed it...
The next day was our Norway in a Nutshell. We saw Norway via train, bus and boat. It was, stunning, as usual.

Experiencing the scenery really helped me to better understand where the mythology and folklore comes from. I mean, who wouldn't see trolls in the mountains when you are surrounded by them?
It also explains why Norwegian mythology ends so violently. Looking at the dramatic landscape, the world just has to end in fire and ice.

The next day, our last day in Bergen, was our visit out to Troldhaugen, or Edvard Grieg's museum/home.

This is the concert hall that they built just a little ways from his house.

We were fortunate enough to attend a concert of some of his piano pieces in that very, grass-covered, concert hall and it was AWESOME.

After the concert, we went back to Bergen to check out of our hostel and explore the city before our train ride back to Oslo that night.

This is Bryggen, the old wharf area of Bergen.

Yes, this is probably the most recognizable part of Bergen. It's on all the tourist things. These buildings are hundreds of years old from the old Hanseatic league traders that made Bergen an important part of Northern Europe economics. They are also a part of UNESCO's world heritage sites, so they are all sorts of famous. It's really neat to walk past them and peer down the alleyways between buildings and see how much they lean. When I say lean, I mean lean. It's practically a miracle that they are still standing! Bergen is cosy like that. They have lots of curvy cobble-stoned streets and alleys and old buildings. Lots of charm, lots of personality.

Besides Bryggen, I wandered all of the city with my professor. We looked at the theater building with all these crazy carvings; St. John's Church (very big and very red); the Bergen Cathedral; this old medieval fortress called Håkons hall and Rosenkrantz tower; AND the fish market.

Since Bergen is by the coast, they have a pretty vibrant fresh fish market. There are all these different languages being spoken because of so many tourists and there were crabs literally jumping out of their containers! Live produce, man! It was freakin me out. I wasn't into the whole seafood thing, so I opted for a kebab instead. (SO GOOD. So much meat for so little money.) The other girls got plateloads of seafood. I even tried a little whale from one of the girls' plates... It was interesting. I just had to try it because where else in the world would I have the same opportunity, hmmm? Norway is one of the few countries that still participates in whaling, which is so odd considering how pro-environment they are...

After the fish market, we went to our hostel to collect our things and meet back at the train station. Unfortunately, when we got to the hostel, I discovered that someone made off with my backpack. Sad day, I know. I was most distressed about loosing my journal that I had just finished. Two years of my life, sporadically recorded, gone forever.

Bergen YMCA, beware of your luggage...

After a brief mourning period, I got over it. I am glad that it was my backpack instead of the others. Besides my journal, packed with sentimental value, all I had in there was some clothes and some chargers; so nothing that cannot be replaced. (All the good stuff was with me the whole time.) I will just be more careful about my items in the future.

When we met up with our professor again at the train station, that is when we heard about the bombing and the shootings. We were shocked and stunned. We quickly contacted our family and our host families. Everyone was ok and safe and we just read the news as it came online as we waited for our train. It was unbelievable that something like that could have happened to a country that we had come to love so dearly, but bad things do happen to good people, so we had to deal with the tragedy the best way that we knew how. And even though it was a truly sorrowful experience, I thought Norway's reaction was one of the most beautiful and heartfelt that I've ever seen. The rose memorial has been burned into my heart forever and I will always, always remember it.

Jeg elsker dette landet. <3

Dating advice for all the boys out there...

2011-08-07T08:58:00.000-06:00

I've seen this on a couple of the blogs I follow, so I did the obvious thing and reblogged about it here. I just like the idea of it, a declaration from some poor reader-chic to all the oblivious boys. Amen, sister.

"Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes, who has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.
Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she has found the book she wants. You see that weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a secondhand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow and worn.
She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.
Buy her another cup of coffee.
Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.
It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas, for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry and in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.
She has to give it a shot somehow.
Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.
Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who read understand that all things must come to end, but that you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.
Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.
If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.
You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.
You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.
Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.
Or better yet, date a girl who writes."
- Rosemarie Urquico

New Roles, New Hair

2011-08-04T06:23:00.002-06:00

In honor of the fact that I will soon be a real teacher, I dyed my hair to a sensible color. Sensible enough for any conservative junior high school.

...It's brown.

It's fine, I guess. It has been one of the few times my sister has actually liked my hair change, which tells you how normal it must look. I just feel so, subdued...
BUT in the world of my dreams, I would really like to do what this picture shows.
Lots of colors in an oh-so-rockin hair style.
*sigh*
If only, if only.

A Prayer for Norway

2011-07-24T15:22:00.000-06:00

Find peace and comfort, despite this tragedy, this I pray.

Get better soon.

Love, me.

Berget means mountain or rock...isberget means iceberg

2011-07-08T11:35:00.000-06:00

We took a little stroll around Oslo's Opera house. It's located right in the fjord and it's supposed to represent an iceberg. Or at least that is what my professor said.
You can totally see it too what with all the snow white marble, icy clear glass and mountainous size.
One of the coolest things about it is the fact that you can literally waltz around on the roof! It is quite exciting. Just like a regular iceberg, there are hidden pitfalls. When we were coming down, one of the girls in our group took a little tumble. So, if you make it to Oslo and the Opera house, keep an out for the tricky steps.

Just a hint of homesickness...

2011-07-03T12:54:00.000-06:00

You would think that only after two weeks, I wouldn't feel the homesickness wave.
I don't too much. After all, I LOVE my host family and the ward here is amazing, it truly is.
But when I watch my host sisters banter with one another, it makes me miss my sisters all that much more. And I would like to hug my momma and daddy too.
I miss my roommates and the comings and goings happening back home.
However!
I don't miss the 100+ degree weather. I will take any rainy Norwegian summer over a dry, hot Utah one, that is for sure.
I really love this country and everything that I am learning here. This is the result of three long years of study.
Even though I don't catch everything that is said and no one really knows me here, I still relish this opportunity to hear this beautiful language and to explore new avenues of my character.

Copenhagen in 5 hrs or less

2011-07-01T07:22:00.000-06:00

This is our boat. I didn't remember to get a picture of my own. We were always in a hurry, either coming or going.


Our cabin. Small isn't it? We were on the most bottom level you could get. You couldn't get any lower in the boat than we were.

Pretty little island in Oslo fjord

Goodbye Oslo

Hello Copenhagen!

For a broader experience, we took a little trip over to Copenhagen! Prior to the trip, we prepared ourselves most fully.

Namely, we watched this:

*Note, they do swear once or twice FYI

It's mostly funny if you can hear the different between Norwegian and Danish. Danes speak wonderful English so we didn't hear too much Danish. But when we did, it was great and sent us into gales of laughter.
The boat dropped us off at 9:45 AM in Copenhagen and we had to be back onto the boat by 4:30 PM, so that gave us five or so hours to see everything we wanted to see.
So we made a list:
1. The Little Mermaid (it's a must. You are in Denmark, you have to Hans Christian Andersen's beloved little aquatic heroine.)
2. The original Christus Statue. (We are LDS and it means a lot to us. See here)
3. Danish bakery to try a pastry. (We did and we are converted)
4. Danish souvenirs (We have our priorities)
5. Strøget
6. The Marble Church
7. The Queen's Palace
8. Nyhavn
9. Tivoli
We accomplished our list! All in five hours! I say, we are quite skilled. All it took was a good map (I marked three with our destinations and routes), quick walking, and quick picture taking skills. Here are the results.

1. The Little Mermaid

2. The Christus by Thorvaldsen

3. Danish pastries. So good. I'm ruined for life.

5. Strøget: One never-ending mile of shopping and pedestrians

6. The Marble Church

7. The Queen's Palace, complete with guardsmen

8. Nyhavn


9. Tivoli

Ta-da!

I got some typical souvenirs but I really wanted a Hans Christian Andersen book of tales in Danish but NOOOoooooo. I couldn't find a bookstore in Copenhagen for the life of me. Which led me to the conclusion that although the Danes have a very pretty city with to-die-for-danishes but they must not read. Ever.

Ach well, it was a busy day, but it was fun.

We made it back to the boat in time. I fell asleep immediately for a couple of hours. When we were seaborn, I rendezvous-ed with the other girls and we got some dinner, played some card games and so on. We woke up at 4 AM to see the sun rise...but it was cloudy.

See?

4 AM, I'm telling you folks.
Well, that is it for Copenhaven.
Ttyl!

Bygdøy: Picture Post (Words will have to come later...)

2011-07-01T06:04:00.000-06:00

Don't Panic (And yes, that was a reference to Douglas Adams' timeless classic sci-fi series, not my current mental state...)

2011-06-24T09:23:00.000-06:00

There wasn't any classes today and I failed to correctly set up a time and place to meet up with my fellow study-abroaders, so I just wandered around Oslo for a couple of hours.
Which was great, don't get me wrong. I don't mind being alone.
However, what really made the day a success was finding this little gem, Streetwise (above). Thank heaven for the foresight of intrepid Oslo-ians. They put together this neat little book with the 411 on all sorts of things like places to shop, food, touristy things to do and also some not touristy things to do. And they weren't afraid of talking straight. If something is expensive, they make sure to let you know. It's just a handy little book for all fellow travelers. If you are in the Oslo area, here is the website: http://use-it.unginfo.oslo.no/WP/streetwise/ It's just as helpful as the book I found.
Kind reminds me of something similar...

Oh yes. Don't Panic.
Truer words were never spoken.

Doctor Who?

2011-06-23T15:24:00.000-06:00

I can't help it.
I love him so much.
I had no idea what I was missing.
It's an odd sort of attraction.
He's enchanting; in a strange bookish way.
And as the Doctor he's brilliant, obtuse, adorable, vengeful, generous, awkward, hilarious and sweet all at once. It's quite an accomplishment being all those things at once.
Oh I love him, I love him, I love him, I do.
Any other Doctor Who aficionados out there??

I missed the bus by ONE minute

2011-06-22T16:21:00.000-06:00

So, I am still getting the hang of this whole public-transportation-thing here in Oslo. Surprised? I should think not.
Today was the first official day of classes. We started the day with three hours of Norwegian 101 and after a brief lunch period, we moseyed on over to the Oslo City Museum next to Vigeland Park.

This is the Oslo City Museum

Vigeland Park

We didn't get a chance to explore too much of Vigeland park today. We are planning on going back another time and really get to know the place. The Oslo City Museum was pretty neat. It was interesting to see the growth of Oslo from a little Middle Age city to the metropolitan capital it is today. Did you know that Oslo burnt down about the 17th century and was rebuilt by King Christian the IV of Denmark and then he renamed it Christiania? Later it was renamed Oslo again in 1925 after Norway finally claimed its independence again.
Interesting stuff, no?
Anyways, after walking around the museum, we went back to our classroom and had dinner with our professor and his family (who just arrived via boat from Denmark). The poor woman had to control five boys all under the age of 16. She should be sainted any minute now. ;) Actually, the boys are pretty good and it was fun to interact with them. After dinner, I decided it was time to make the trek home, and this is where the gist of this post comes from.
After I finally figured out the trikk system and got on the right one, I RAN (let me repeat, I ran) to the bus terminal, only to miss my bus by ONE FREAKING MINUTE. Seriously, my hand touched the side of the bus as it drove away. Ah the sweet sting of regret!
I was tempted to shed a tear or two, but I reminded myself that I'm a big girl now (very important) so I sat down on a bench and caught up in my journal. Wahla! No tears and I was productive in the hour-long wait between buses. And it was alright in the end, because I got home safe and sound and I was able to take a shower and watch Dr. Who (Yes, it's quickly becoming an addiction. I'm going to be very heartbroken when this Doctor regenerates into someone new. I've grown attached) and...I updated ye olde blog.
Very productive I say.
And now it's time for bed.
Goodnight.

Jeg er her!

2011-06-21T08:55:00.000-06:00

My luggage. Yes, it's quite impressive, I know.

Elegant Lutheran Church we walked by

Norwegian Palace and statue

Norwegian Hotdog. First official meal in Norway. De-lish!

The girls by the Oslo fjord. WOOO! Left to Right: Steph, Me, Carolyn, Holly

So, I finally made it! I am in Norway and loving every minute of it. It certainly has taken some getting used to. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Probably the biggest adjustment for me is the time difference. It's like half a day's difference from here to back home. Which means, when I'm awake, my family and friends are asleep and when I am asleep, they are awake and doing things. So it just requires a little more thinking then I am used to. Also, it's really weird not having a phone. Like, really weird. I am so used to having a constant connection with the world, that it's perfectly strange to actually try to coordinate things before I actually get there. Also! Public transportation. It's really a new world for me here. Back home, things are just a lot further apart that public transportation is really awful. But here, it's like, everyone does it. And I can't imagine driving on my own here. It looks like mayhem! There aren't many lane lines on the roads, so I guess technically there can be as many lanes as you want. No, no, I'm sure Norway has it's own rules.

What has been really neat is seeing how much of it I actually understand. It's true that everyone here speaks English, which is kind of a bummer but also, super helpful. I can read signs and talk to people. It's really amazing.

So we flew into the Gardemoen airport around 10:30 Saturday morning after flying all day Friday. Seriously, I mean ALL day. We got to the SLC airport around 5:30 am. Then to Houston and then to Newark. Talk about turbulence! I was a quite queasy in Newark and was NOT looking forward to another, longer flight if it was going to be as bumpy as it was. Miracles of all miracles, it wasn't! The flight from Newark to Oslo was probably one of the best ever. Seriously. Even though I didn't get the best sleep of my life, it was pretty nice for what it was. Flying into Oslo was like a story out of LOTR or something. It was just so green and mystical with the lingering clouds. A perfect picture of beauty.

Once we got our luggage and stuff, we met up with our Professor, took a train from the airport into the city and met up with another girl from our group who got there a couple of days before us. We got our public transportation passes and went to her place and crashed. (Let me tell you, hauling luggage onto a crowded tram during rush hour is NOT fun.) She let us sleep for a couple of hours, but thankfully, got us up so when it was actually nighttime, we could sleep again.*

After Saturday was come and gone (seriously, that day lasted forever...) it was Sunday! Which meant we got to see the ward and meet our host families. It was fun to see some of the missionaries from the MTC. I doubt they recognized me much, but it was still fun. After church, our host families took us home with them and we got settled in. The two girls I came with left with one family and I was on my own with another. Carolyn was invited by my family to come to Sunday dinner so we hung out for a couple hours. My host family has two daughters my age living at home right now, and the parents were out of town over the weekend for a business meeting, so it was quite the girls night that first night. We watched a whole slew of movies, including The Legend of Johnny Lingo (church revamped classic), North and South (yes, all four hours) and then some episodes of Dr. Who (which, I've never seen before but I'm slowly becoming a believer).

Monday, I put on my big-girl pants and tried this whole public transportation business by myself. And I made it! We got together with our professor and walked around the city for hours! It was amazing. And then I came back to my house, safe and sound. Later that night, we went back into the city to meet with the young single adults of the ward for family home evening. It was strange, though because as we drove past a street downtown, we saw the Norwegian police all decked out in riot gear. Extremely unusual. Back home for more Dr. Who. Every episode ended with me on the edge of my seat! It was getting hard to handle.

Tuesday was a little more relaxed. I have some papers that I need to get finished graded and turned in, but I decided to update my blog instead.

I have my priorities. :)

Anyways, more to come, per usual.

*BTW when I saw "us" and "we" I am not referring to myself in the third person. There were literally three of us girls flying out together. Hence, the "we"

Leo and Diane Dillon

2011-06-14T21:15:00.000-06:00

"We once heard a statement, to 'make life an art.' And that really intrigued us because it meant that if you cooked the meal, you should make that art. If you painted your rooms, make that art. Make art everything you touch and everything you do. That must be the ideal of life" Leo and Diane Dillon
I've recently found Pinterest and I've been obsessed with finding things I love online. One of those things, is the art of super creative couple, Leo and Diane Dillon. They have been illustrators for decades and I LOVE their dramatic, evocative artwork.
I love stories and oftentimes, the pictures tell more of the story than the words on the page. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?
Google search their stuff and tell me they aren't some of the coolest things you've ever seen.
Also, this blog here is dedicated to showcasing examples of their work. It's a good place to start.
Enjoy all the pretty pictures!

Bruno Mars + Janelle Monae

2011-06-14T10:11:00.000-06:00

Like I mentioned before, this was my first "real" concert that I've attended. It was loud. Awesome. Overall, it was a good experience. I've included a couple of videos from Bruno Mars' songs. The sound is pretty good, even if the video is lacking. Also, there were these girls in front of us who were beyond annoying, so just do as we did and try to ignore them.
Janelle Monae was super talented and she sang all the songs that I wanted her to sing. Her voice was awesome. She did drift around on the vocal scale a little to showcase her voice which got a little old but still she was absolutely unique.
Bruno Mars was just as talented and a little more mainstream. But oh my goodness, all the pre-teen girls in the audience went absolutely WILD. I wasn't as familiar with Bruno's songs, so I wasn't as involved.
Wahla! My first legitimate concert. Check.

VH1 is good for something.

2011-06-10T13:47:00.000-06:00

This is Nelson. (the band) I think this video is rather hilarious. They probably top the crazy hair bands, at least in length. I've never been more jealous of a boy's hair before. Blonde and long, gah! I don't know much about the rest of their sound, but this song is pretty legit.
Enjoy!

ARGH!

2011-06-06T16:48:00.001-06:00

I need ONE lousy history class. ONE. I need it to complete my education and to "prepare to teach". As if I wasn't already saturated with the historical content material. I've already passed the Praxis with flying colors. I don't have TIME. I am flying to Norway NEXT WEEK. My internship starts in TWO months.
WHY is this so difficult?!
I just want to scream.
Or cry.
I haven't decided.
Argh.

And let the games begin...

2011-06-04T09:42:00.000-06:00

Woah. So things are happening fast and furious down here in Happy Valley. I have, like, 3 close friends getting hitched at the end of this summer. 3! That is a lot even for me.
And I am going to Norway in like less than 2 weeks!
It's all getting pretty crazy!
So, this was my way of apologizing for the lack of posting. I was trying to be more consistent, but gosh darn it, it's hard to post something interesting every day. My life is rather normal.
Oh! Except I do have some posts about my (practically) first real concert concert and the symphony from last weekend. Okay, so keep an eye out for those. Otherwise, nothing really cool is going to come up until I am in Norway.
Oh! Except my birthday. That is coming up sooner, and we allllll know that is going to be really cool.
Otherwise, keep your eyes open.
Loves!

Good Eats: Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

2011-05-29T09:49:00.000-06:00

At the start of the new spring semester, we got new FHE families. (For those of you who unfamiliar with LDS terminology, go here.) I wanted to make a good impression on my fellow wardmates, so I brainstormed some good eats ideas. Nay was in a cookie mood, so she suggested Cookies and Cream cupcakes. At first I was hesitant, but I found a recipe. (Here)
Aaaand, it was a hit!
Seriously, these are good stuff. A little on the rich side, so they are definitely a special time dessert. But they are soo good.
When I was topping them off with the icing, I kind of felt like DC Cupcakes except without all the drama and whining. I don't really understand the whole cupcake craze. I mean, seriously, a whole wedding cake out of cupcakes? But they are ok sometimes, and this recipe is so good. It's definitely going in my cookbook.

Let's Make Some Music!

2011-05-26T13:40:00.000-06:00

Or rather, let's just listen to some music. I have little-to-no faith in my musical abilities, so I tend to leave the creative stuff to people with some real talent.
Liiiiiiike, Mr. John Schmidt here.
My mother has always been a huge fan and we've grown up with his work. Last autumn we went to an outdoor concert of his to celebrate her birthday. It was awesome.
So a couple of days ago, my mother texted me to check this out via youtube and I like!
I am quite partial to the cello. It's so deep and melodious, but it has some kick to it as well.
And thus I am sharing it with all of you.
Again, the blessings of the internet, may they never end.

Eat, Pray, Love: What's in a Word?

2011-05-24T14:37:00.000-06:00

"Then he went on to explain, in a mixture of English, Italian and hand gestures, that every city has a single word that defines it, that identifies most people who live there. If you could read people's thoughts as they were passing you on the streets of any given place, you would discover that most of them are thinking the same thought. Whatever that majority though might be--that is the word of the city. And if your personal word does not match the word of the city, then you don't really belong there." (pg 103)

So I know it's been awhile since I read Eat, Pray Love (EPL) told you all about it but I came across this post that I had yet to post. (No worries, I have two more where this came from.) I think my thought-process what along the lines of spreading out the quotes from EPL to prevent chick-lit overload. Truly, humans can only take so much rom-com or chick-lit stuff.
Ahem.
Back to the quote at hand.
Isn't this the most intriguing idea? This concept that every city has a word--one word--that defines it and most of the people who live there. If this were true, it makes an interesting argument. Have you ever been to a place and just immediately been felt at home? Maybe the word that defines you is the same word that defines the city. Oooooo.
The only glitch in this idea is, have you ever tried defining yourself in one word? It's hard. I see myself on a spectrum. And I am rarely definitive on any one concept. But I like the idea of one central word that all other descriptive words depend upon; the keystone of your personality, if you will. It must be nice to know yourself so well, as to describe yourself in such a parsimonious package.
Therefore, because I think it's a good idea, I'm going to issue a challenge. The challenge is thus: that each of you lovely readers must find your word--the word--that defines you. And then tell me about the adventure that such a search is bound to be. I am going to do the same. Once I find my word, to be sure, I will let you know. And since it's me, you can be sure, it will be a funny story

This fairly indicative of my familial relations...

2011-05-23T12:37:00.000-06:00

Guess which one just had their wisdom teeth out...

Puhleeeze.

Yes, this is usually their attitudes.

Movie Review: Something Borrowed

2011-05-21T13:23:00.001-06:00

UPDATE: My Something Borrowed post came back! Woo! Thanks, Blogger!

So I just got home from watching this movie and I have to vent. To be considered a valid movie critic I should probably wait [probably] and put some objective thought into this, but nah, we are just going to go with what comes to mind.

Totally not worth the almost two hour run time. [I know, I know. I regularly watch movies with much longer run times. The thing is, they are actually good. So there, take that Hollywood.]

Rachel is in love with Dex for years but he is going to marry her best jerk-of-a-friend Darcy. Thanks to an overabundance of alcohol, Dex finds out that Rachel likes him and he tells her that he likes her back. Well, what do you know? Thus, the plot of the movie revolves around Rachel and Dex trying to figure out this thing [I am not even going to dignify whatever they have with the term "relationship"] while keeping Darcy in the dark. Meanwhile, Darcy has her own secrets and Johnathan Krasinski plays Rachel's other best friend who has his own flame.

Flaws:

Rachel plays the victim the whole movie. Enough with the "woe is me" crap. Grow a backbone, woman!
Rachel constantly enables Darcy's narcissism. It begins to drag on after awhile.
Darcy is a jerk without a soul who only likes to party. I can handle jerks as long as there is some explanation. No one becomes a jerk just because. There is always a reason and it's lazy screenwriting to not go into it.
Dex is passive, personality-less, and cowardly. [Albeit, he is attractive. This is his only strength in the entire movie.] Seriously man, be a man.
Way too much sex for the sake of sex without any meaning.
Rachel ends up with the wrong guy. [Strictly a matter of opinion, but hey, it's my blog.]
I hate the best friend love story. Breaks my heart every time.

Strengths:

John Krasinski is really the only likable character. However, he has his own flaws, which in the end work in his favor. He isn't perfect but he is a heck of a lot better than the rest of the characters.
Like I mentioned earlier, Dex is attractive. That is his only strength. Except, over the course of the movie he loses man-points by failing to stand up to his fiance, chase his dreams, go after the girl he actually loves, admit his real feelings, to stand up to his parents, etc, etc. What does Rachel see in him? Only heaven knows, really, at this point. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even know why she likes the man.

Summary:

I knew from the get-go that this movie wasn't garnering rave reviews, so I pretty much got what I asked for. Still, it had such potential if only it was completely different...

P.S: I spent the whole movie trying to figure this out, but what exactly is the "something borrowed" that the title referred to? I realize that this movie is based on a book [it's definitely not on the "to-read" list] with the same title, but really, it doesn't make any sense. I get that it is referencing the whole "something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new" wedding tradition but either I missed the borrowed metaphor or it was completely absent which is another example of bad writing. Trust me, it's all in the hand of the writers.

Nightime Philosophers

2011-05-21T13:19:00.000-06:00

Ever since school has ended, I spend a lot of time staying up to ridiculous hours of the night. Why for, you might ask? Certainly not to watch reruns of How I Met Your Mother (but yes, we have watched so much more of that show than is actually probably necessary)
Actually, there really is no good reason for staying awake til 1...2...3 a.m.
However, this is the one thing I will say for the wee hours of the morning: they sure give you time to think.
Maybe it's the illusion of seclusion, when the dark night is kept at bay by the soft illumination of my tasteful Christmas lit living room. Maybe it's the shimmer and sway of bubbles that are blown between secrets that are shared between two confidants. Maybe the carefully constructed social guard wall becomes more permeable as the minutes tick by until sleep resets the protection.
Whatever it is, late nights/early morning are good times to take an honest look at yourself, your goals, your perspective in life. Not that it's a guaranteed pleasant experience. The morning after isn't pretty either but hopefully it helps you lead a more direct, more purposeful life.
Introspection is nice, isn't it?

Swoon-worthy

2011-05-19T22:03:00.000-06:00

I found this from a friend's FB. Thank goodness for FB, right? How would we find anything cool without it? Well, I don't know much about these boys. I am guessing they are Italian. Yes, I know, my detective skills are astounding. They sound much more mature than they look.
Mmmmm. Italians. Especially ones that can sing.
This reminds me of a book (like everything does, right?)
It's called the The Silent Gondoliers by the same guy who wrote the Princess Bride novel. It's an interesting fairy tale. I recommend it if you are in need of a short story.
Actually, the only thing it has in common with the video is Italians and the song, 'O Solo Mio'.
But hey sometimes, that is all you need.

80's Playlist

2011-05-18T19:30:00.001-06:00

I, quite possibly, have the coolest assignment in the history of all TA (teaching assistants). Yesterday, my professor asked me to create a playlist of 80's rock bands for the next class. Can you say, heck yes? Here is what I whipped up, in case you were wondering.
Of course, Journey makes the list along with some Van Halen, Queen, Styx, Kansas, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, Boston, Cheap Trick, etc, etc.
I had the best time with it.

Happy 17th of May, Norway

2011-05-17T14:52:00.001-06:00

To all my Norwegian friends and anyone interested in all things Scandinavian: Happy syttende Mai!
Today is a big day!

It's their Constitution day, so kind of like their Declaration of Independence/Fourth of July. It's the day they mark their uniqueness and independence from the other Scandinavian powers (i.e. Denmark and Sweden...) and it's a big deal. See here or here for more info.

I'm kind of bummed that I barely miss the celebration by exactly a month. Still, Norway gets the spotlight today.
Go Norway!

Oh the irony...

2011-05-16T18:06:00.001-06:00

Lady Gaga released a new single entitled "Hair" today, right after my ode to my hair color post this morning.
Coincidence?
I think not.
Lady Gaga is...unique. Let's leave it at that.
But this song is totally me.
"I've had enough,
This is my prayer,
That I'll die living just as free as my hair."

A Hair-raising adventure.

2011-05-16T01:04:00.000-06:00

My hair reads like a story: the ups and downs of my self-esteem, the whim of my fancy, the change of the the weather. You get the idea. Usually, I tend to go darker in the winter, lighter in the summer. In my heart of hearts, I've always wanted to look good blonde. Like radical platinum blonde. That is never going to happen. I know that, but that doesn't mean I won't keep trying. :P

No. I guess I won't ever try going blonde all over, but parts of my head will always be, I suppose.

Well, last autumn, I dyed my hair black to cover the growth from one of my favorite looks: brown, red and blonde. Despite how much I like to rock the multi-colored lock look, when it grows out, it's really hard to keep it going, so I had to dye it all one color. Black works well.

Except when it doesn't.

This particular shade of black was like the never-dying dye. Seriously. Every time I tried to change it, it only changed my roots. I.E. NOT A GOOD LOOK.

My options were quickly dwindling to professionally help or drastic measures. Since I can't take others disappointment in very well, I resorted to the drastic measures. Those hair stylists, man, they can get upset if you try to take your hair into your own hands. So I try to avoid the salon as much as possible.

Long story short. I got some DIY color remover and mixed it up.

Wahla. At least the black is gone. For now...

Anyway the moral of the story, I am glad that I've found my own brand of DIY fix it.

That is all.

Goodnight.


The current look: quasi-ginger w/ all sorts of different shades.

Great Day!

2011-05-14T20:10:00.000-06:00

Mr. Magorium's Magic Emporium, anyone?


Can you see what this is?

A Camel! In Orem! Inconceivable!

A Rainbow! (Sorry the pic is slanted...I blame Blogger)

Today was a fan-freakin-tastic day. Seriously. I went to the MTC to help out the new missionaries. It was so much fun. It's been awhile since I was there, and these new missionaries were just so adorable. And then I went to campus to help out some of my TA students. The session went well, I felt. I hope they do well on their test. I really try to do a good job.

Anyways, after that, I headed home and me and Nay went to go get Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars tickets. Yes people. It's happening. I am actually going to a real concert. Pictures forthcoming.

On our way into Smith Tix we saw the camel, in the rain. That was definitely a highlight. They are huge creatures up close. Let's just say, we were grateful for our car between us and the beast.

And then after a couple of embarrassing drive-bys to get the previous shots, we got all cute-ified for a "stake opening social".

Funny story.

So yesterday, the word went out through the ward that there was a stake opening social at the Skyroom in the student center. For those of you not familiar with BYU, it's the "fancy" place to eat on campus. We were confused about the placement, but we showed up on time.

Only to find out that it was a stake leaders opening social. Someone got an email that they weren't supposed to. It was only our ward, so we turned the mistake into a Denny's run. There were about twenty of us. It was a good time and a good story.

To finish off the day, there was a rainbow!

Things-in the-near-future-that-I-am-looking-forward-to

2011-05-14T09:34:00.000-06:00


Utah Symphony presents: Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky

Utah Scandinavian Festival in Ephraim, UT

Janelle Monae AND Bruno Mars in Utah Valley, this MAY

Both of them, together. It's like my dreams come true.

This comes out in July, so I won't be able to see it until I get back from Norway, BUT! I am intrigued and I have some high hope for this one. Everything I've read about Ryan Gosling is impressive and to finally see him in a romantic comedy? Knock on wood, I hope his performance is just as good as his other work. I also like the other characters: Steve Carell when he's not Michael Scott and Emma Stone was hilarious in Easy A, despite it's laugh-out-loud inappropriateness.
Again, here's hoping.
And of course:

Norway.
36 more days.

Cuisine Review: JCW Burger Boys

2011-05-14T09:32:00.003-06:00

A variety of condiments!

Sometimes my roommates and I joke around that we should start a burger blog. Actually, we aren't joking that much. There is a startling variety of burger places in Utah Valley. And we eat at a lot of them and we still haven't run out of new burger places to eat at. So, like I said, we kind of like burger pros or something.
I had read about JCW's when they were still in Lehi or American Fork (so far enough away from Provo that it would have been an extra special trip to make it out there for just a simple dinner). But then they moved to Provo! And poof, we had no more excuses not to go. So we did.
It was a celebratory end-of-semester/finals thing with the roomies.

Product Placement

Overall, the food is really good burger food. The fries were nice and thick and hot! The burgers were huge and they had a variety of toppings and flavors. Seriously, if you get more than one patty, it makes it hard to get into your mouth. The buns were different too. I can't really describe it which is another sign that I am not the best food blogger, but one fault was that the buns crumbled pretty quickly as you were trying to eat the thing. So there were some pros and cons there.

This is Stell's "how-am-I-supposed-to-eat-this-thing" face

Close up shot of the goodness...

So definitely wouldn't come here every night for health reasons (obviously...) and a little pricey but if you want some good burger joint food with a nice, clean atmosphere, JCW's is a good choice. If you are at all familiar with the Burger Supreme/Crown Burger/Apollo Burger (I swear, they were all started by the same people...) chain here in UT then you have a pretty good idea of what the food tastes like but unlike those places which are very dark on the inside (maroon tiling and dark wood paneling come off somewhat dour when you are trying to enjoy your dinner) JCW's is bright, clean, and happy.

My Shake face. Specifically ice cream shake-face.

Oh! And their ice cream is de-lish. They also come in huge sizes, so underestimate your hunger pains and get a small or mini. Trust me, you will be glad you did. You don't get as much for your money as say Iceberg shakes, but in the world of ice cream, they are not too shabby.
P.S. Blogger has been all sorts of messed up. I don't know where my review on the movie Something Borrowed went, but I am kinda bummed that it is gone now...I don't have the energy to rant about it again. Hopefully it will get restored. It was a good one too. :(

Did I mention how much I love bubbles?

2011-05-11T10:04:00.001-06:00

So in my blog hopping mode, I came across this post from A CUP OF JO. I was quite blown away with the photos. They combine two of my favorite things: bubbles and Norway. I ask of you, is there any better way to start the day? I submit, there is not.
Pretty things always make my day better.

These stunners are from a Norwegian photographer by the name of Odin Hole Standal and here is his flickr account. Below are some links to a couple of my favorites. I might just have to try this little bubble blowing activity when I get there.
37 days left folks til I am on my way to dear old Norway! SO EXCITED.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/odinodin/3825948756/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/odinodin/3825946144/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/odinodin/3825935088/

I Heart Characters: Janelle Monae

2011-05-09T10:41:00.000-06:00

I first heard of Janelle Monae last year? Sometime like that. I love her sound, I love the strangeness, I love the fact that you cannot box her in. She is an artist, which is the highest compliment I can give. I love this new song, which is why I'd thought that I'd share.
Even USA has "character approved" her. See here.
And as we all know, USA knows how to spot characters. Which is why basically any of their TV shows, I'm a fan.
More on characters later...

This is what my weekend is looking like.

2011-05-06T16:20:00.000-06:00

No joke.
I am not seem like the type of person to go all superhero nuts, but I am totally gaga over Thor. This is partially due to my love of all things Scandinavia and also, I am just a geek at heart. Iron Man and Batman (not the Christian Bale version) are also on my love list.
Here's to hoping Thor doesn't disappoint. It shouldn't. Everything I've read thus far has had only nice things to say.
Did you know Kenneth Branagh directed it?
This calls for only one word: epic.

Flashback: Spring 2009

2011-05-04T18:14:00.000-06:00

I found this picture when I was wasting time on FB. I just love our faces and my super cool aviators. It's funny to see how much time has changed in only two short years. Those glasses have been broken for a long time now and both these lovely girls are married and graduated.
My how time flies!
Apparently, it doesn't stop rushing on either.
Well, here's to the next two years and beyond!

Good Eats: Cake Pops!

2011-05-03T11:38:00.003-06:00

Original source for the idea: Bakerella.com
Directions: here.
To make the actual cake pops from the cake ball directions above, just place sticks in them and dip them in chocolate and voila! Cake Pops.
Bakerella has all sorts of creative variations which are way beyond my talent or motivation level, but they are pretty to look at. Mine were just good to eat. :)
Basically, you make a cake mix (or from scratch, which is what we did because it's really the only way to go) and once the cake is cooled you crumbled it into one giant bowl. Take frosting (you can really mix and match flavors any way you want.) and hand mix it into the crumbled cake. It's kind of like making hamburger patties, because it's cold and sticky. You want to just put enough frosting into the mix that the cake will stick together in a ball form. Once they are formed, stick them in the freezer while you get the dip ready!

These are our cake pops, freezing in the freezer.

So, because we are the highly creative, poor college students that we are, to top the cake pops we scrounged around for any kind of chocolate. And I do mean any.

Even an old (age undetermined) Easter bunny was sacrificed into the pot for pure deliciousness.

Look! He's happy to see you! :)

Nay is quite skilled at dipping things. Strawberries, cake pops, you name it, she'll dip it. One thing we learned from this experience is to invest in some melting chocolate or candy coating. We found out that when you add milk to the various assorted chocolates we had gathered, it never really hardens up, so the cake pops were more like brownies on a stick. Still, they were quite addicting and fun to make. But probably not often, because as one recipient noted, it's like a heart-attack on a stick.

But oh what a way to go. ;)
Let me know if you try these out!

Easters!

2011-05-01T19:22:00.000-06:00

As a sort of celebration after this last semester, Shannon and I headed down to Toquerville, UT to spend a couple of days with her parents. And since it was Easter weekend as well, we did the usual activities.

We dyed eggs all sorts of colors...

Shannon lost at the cutesy cardboard pop-out matching game. This is a picture of her sad "oh, I lost" face.

These are all of my cards. (I won!)

Shannon's mom taught us how to decorate cakes. Key to success? Hand muscles. It is really the only trick, learning how to grip the frosting and move it just right. Having the right kind of frosting helps too. Still, we did it!

The finished product...

Isn't it the gaudiest thing you've ever seen? :) Can you find the bunny?

This last picture is all the tips we used. The frosting always got stuck, which was gross, but it sure made for a colorful picture!
Happy belated Easter!

Top Ten Bollywood Films

2011-04-30T18:06:00.002-06:00

I love making lists, especially top ten lists. Since Bollywood is a recent obsession, I've decided to compile one long blog post dedicated to that which I love most. Aaaaand, I had some time on my hands when I finished taking a test and couldn't leave...
So, the rating is purely of my own devising.Expect a lot of personal opinion here and not a lot of legitimate movie criticism. There will be five categories. Music, Characters, Plot, Costuming, and Overall rating, out of five stars, the stars being this * symbol.
*= No bueno
**=Meh, could have been better
***=I liked it while I watched it
****=I loved it and showed it to friends and family
*****=Loved it, spread it around, and was still talking about it even after I returned the movie
/=half rating
To make it musically, the songs have to be memorable or catchy. Characters means that I like the characters portrayed or the actors that play them. Plot basically judges whether or not the story makes sense. I mean, some story-lines are ridiculous, but they still are good. Some story-lines are just dumb (and probably didn't make the list. Believe it or not, I have seen more than 10 Bollywood movies, so that makes me qualified to even make a top ten. Obviously.) Costuming! This is one of my most favorite parts of Bollywood films; the costuming. There was a rough patch there, in the late nineties, early 2000's where the costumes were really, just awful. But then again, fashion was awful everywhere...I mean, Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys were the trend-setters then...Yup. Not a great time for fashion. Lastly, there is the overall rating, which is the order of the list.
Let's start from the bottom and work our way to the top, shall we?

10. Saawariya
This was my very, very first Bollywood film, way back in the days when my family used to get movie rentals every couple of weeks. (I guess this fever was a long time coming.) It has been ages since I've seen it, but it has stuck with me. It has also served as a sort of litmus test for friendships. I knew when one of my then new college roommates had seen it that we were going to BFFs. I mean, when you live in the USA and have both seen a movie than is only marginally available, along with a handful of other strange or rare movies, then you know you have to be friends.
Anyways, back to the movie. It had a strange, unreal, poetic dreamlike flavor to it. Kind of reminds me of Moulin Rouge. I love movies that really take me to another time and place, and this movie was ambiguous enough, that you weren't sure if it was a fairytale or not. Needless to say, I wouldn't mind seeing this one again. The title links to the IMDb page, so you can find a summary because I am afraid that I would give too much away. Here is my opinion though: The story wasn't quite what I expected and I enjoyed it even more so because of that. The main character was adorable and a heart-stealer. The costuming gets the rating it does because of the whole feel of the movie; it was all so magical.
Music: **/ (Three and a half because one song was particularly memorable, even after all these years.)
Characters:**/
Plot: ***
Costuming:***/
Overall:**/

9. Bride and Prejudice
Just kidding guys, this might have been my very first "Bollywood" film. I put Bollywood in quotations because I am still not quite sure if I would classify this as Bollywood, mostly because there is just so much English! Haha, you get so used to hearing Hindi that listening to the movie in English is just odd. But it does have the typical song and dance. Aaand I love the wedding dance. I recommended this movie to a friend, except I forgot to mention that it was a musical, and it threw them for a loop when the first song happened. But I do love the storyline. I mean, it's Jane Austen's classic tale! Everyone loves a good love/hate relationship story that ends in marriage.

Music:****
Characters:**/ (Love Aishwarya Rai as Elizabeth, but not so sure I like Martin Henderson as Darcy.)
Plot:****
Costuming: *** (Really appreciate traditional Indian dress. It's so bright and colorful!)
Overall:***/

8. Pardes
Beautiful Shak Rukh Khan plays the best friend. He was basically adopted by a rich Indian businessman in American, and when his adopted father wants to arrange a marriage for his jerk of a (biological) son, he asks Shak Rukh Khan to make it happen. Besides the romance of the story, this story really made me think about the culture shock that Indian brides can go through. India is unique because of the tradition of arranged marriages but as India becomes more and more integrated with the world, they have to find a way to adjust their unique traditions with other cultures.
Music:**/
Characters:**** (Oh-my-freaking-goodness...so Shak Rukh Khan's character does the stupidest, most dramatic, possibly most romantic thing ever, potentially suffering severe nerve damage. We all screamed, like seriously screamed when it happened.)
Plot:***
Costuming: ***
Overall:***

7. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
This is the most recent one. We watched it last night. Since I cannot pronounce all the different k-words, I use its shortened nickname: K3G. So much simpler. The best part of this movie? So much eye-candy. I also loved the relationship between the brothers, and the portrayal of a mother's love. So touching.
Music:**/
Characters:*** (Kajol's character was slightly annoying, but her younger sister was even more so. I wouldn't mind just watching Shak Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan the whole movie, but having better female characters would have made the movie that much better.)
Plot:****
Costuming:** (One of the characters has NO fashion sense. She wears bell-bottoms with the front cut out, so it's capris in the front, bell-bottoms in the back. Ulghhh)
Overall: ***/ (I wanted to love this one more than I did. I mean, it has Hrithik Roshan aaaaand Shak Rukh Khan. But I didn't absolutely love it, which made me sad inside.)

6. Vivah
Super sweet movie detailing the growth of relationship between a recently (arranged) engaged couple. The girl is sweet and loyal. The boy is super cute and is head-over-heels in love. The plot took a completely unforeseen turn towards the last hour or so of the movie. It was interesting, but I don't think it was completely necessary. It could have ended much sooner, still with the same ending! But still, I like it. This movie made me want even more than ever that arranged marriages were acceptable in LDS culture. ;)
Music:***/
Characters:****
Plot:***
Costuming:***
Overall:***/

5. Dhoom 2
If you recall, I shared a video from this movie previously here. This is an action/romance/buddy-cop/heist/thriller movie. Can you believe it, all in one?! Mr. A (Hrithik Roshan) is the world's most successful thief and a cop and his sidekick have decided to take him down. The movie goes from India to Rio, with music and dancing included. Aishwarya Rai is a girl thief who intrigues Mr. A, so he takes her on as a protege (that's the romance part). I watched the songs over and over again. :) Have yet to see the first Dhoom...
Music:****
Characters:***/ (Just because I love Hrithik Roshan sooo much)
Plot:****
Costuming:***
Overall:****

4.Om Shanti Om
This was my first Shak Rukh Khan movie. I love, love, love him. I remember a girl telling me about this movie like last year, and I was like, 'yah, yeh, whatever'. Little did I know what joy this movie beholds! This movie has it all: reincarnation, character growth, bad guys, 70's parody, aaaand Shak Rukh Khan. Seriously, he is so so beautiful. At first, the movie starts out in 70's Bollywood and Shak Rukh Khan is hidden under hideous polyester and 70's mustache. Just wait though. Wait. He comes back. Modern day and BUILT. Based solely on Shak Rukh Khan's presence, he puts this movie into the top five. The plot isn't that bad either. It's also somewhat a parody of modern Bollywood with a lot of special appearances from lots of big names. It's funny cause the more I see, the more people I begin to recognize.

Music:*****
Characters:****
Plot:****
Costuming:****
Overall:*****

3. Jodhaa Akbar
I already posted about this movie here, so I won't go through my rave review again, but just to let you know, this is what started it all. This is also really the only historical one I've seen so far. I have started watching Lagaan (another historical Bollywood, but this time about British India) but haven't finished it yet, so I am not sure where it will fit in this whole list thing. Keep an eye out.
Music:****
Characters:****
Plot:*****
Costuming:**** (The mustache was a little weird, not going to lie...)
Overall:*****

2. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ)
I want you to know that this is the longest running film in Indian cinema. It's been playing constantly for something like 15 years! I hope it keeps playing long enough that I can actually see it in India, someday (new life goal, yes indeed.) This movie also set the bar in Bollywood for romance. In another film, its entire premise was based on DDLJ. The main couple, Raj and Simran, have become synonymous with true love. True love, I tell you.
Music:****
Characters:*****
Plot:*****
Costuming:***
Overall:*****
And now, ladies and gentlemen, here is my top choice. Ready?

1. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

I don't know what it is, but the whole story of best friends who fall in love gets me every time. Well, this is really two, almost three, love stories, but only one broke my heart. Seriously, I was simply in tears at intermission. I loved Shak Rukh Khan (Rahul) and Kajol (Anjali). They have this sweet handshake thing that they do, between them. It's a sign of true friendship. And Rahul's little girl is quite adorable. AND his HAIR. I don't know how he does it, but his hair is absolutely beautiful every time!

Music:****
Characters:*****
Plot:*****
Costuming:**/ (It was hideous at the beginning, but got better as time went on.)
Overall:*****

Honorable Mentions:
Jaane tu--ya Jaane na; includes the three requirements for a boy to become a man. Plus some great quotables. "Uh, sir, the terrorist is meowing..."
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani; interesting look at the role of media in the govt., especially where corruption is concerned. However, some awful costumes and some silly moments.
Well, there is it. My top ten list. As you can tell, Shak Rukh Khan is slightly over-represented (5/10 movies!) but I can't help it! I just adore him so much. Next most represented, Hrithik Roshan, of course. Believe it or not, there were actually some SRK (Shak Rukh Khan) movies I've seen that didn't make the list. Sometimes he does make silly ones.

Oo, what I'm looking forward to? The first superhero Bollywood film. Hmmmmmmmm. :)

Jellies!

2011-04-29T01:35:00.001-06:00

So...today was fun! Besides the fact that is was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and WARM outside, I also got the apartment (somewhat) organized and decorated.

My paternal grandparents came down to visit and spoiled us. I got bubbles for Easter!!! (As you can see, I was much more enthused about the bubbles than I was about the Easter candy or Easter monies.)

dang, I love bubbles

My grandparents treated us to dinner and then groceries, because we are poor college students. (When I say "we" I mean, my sister and I. No, I do not go around using the imperial "we" to refer to the single entity of moi) While we were at Smith's, look what I found in the promotional/seasonal aisle: That's right, jelly flats! No longer is this type of shoe only an elementary school-girl luxury. I can have them too!! And only for five dollars. Mmmm. That is my kind of deal. Anything that is cheap and brightly colored. And plastic.

While I know my shoes are clear and not technically brightly colored, the possibility was there. There were pink, purple, green, blue, and even black ones! So many decisions. I chose the clear ones because A: they will go with EVERYTHING and B: I can pretend I'm Cinderella going to the ball in my glass slippers every. day.

I can't get a really good shot of them because they are on my feet and florescent lighting is the bane of all photographers and it's one-freaking-thirty in the morning. I normally don't stay up this late. Oh wait, I'm done with school. I can stay up as long as I like! Well, what do you know...

So, so, so excited for summer and these jelly shoes. I'm telling you...Cinderella every day.

Jane Eyre

2011-04-27T11:37:00.001-06:00

Last night I went with an old friend to see a movie. It's what we do. She had already seen this movie, and spoke quite highly about it, so I was quite eager to see, regardless of my less-than-affectionate feelings for the Bronte sisters.

It was, in fact, quite good.

As has been mentioned before, on numerous occasions, I don't do well with suspense. I get so involved in the story, that any suspense just destroys my nerves, so I was a little hesitant to watch this movie because of the genre classification. Often, the Bronte's works are classified as Gothic romance, so there was some level of mystery attached to the story, I mean, come on, it's Jane EYRE. There is a creepy, insane woman who walks around late at night, setting fire to things and screaming. So, there was some suspense as we watch Jane unfolding the mysteries around Mr. Rochester and Thornfield Hall. And it's sad. Any book that depicts early 19th century education for orphans always makes me very sad. Life is so dreary and depressing and the teachers are basically of the devil. No wonder no one likes teachers, because for almost as long as there has been literature, teachers have been vilified. Lastly, it wouldn't be complete (or a Bronte novel) without the dark, brooding Bryonic hero.

Mostly, I just get fed up with the heroes. Mr. Rochester is grumpy, mean and mysterious and yet, he still manages to make Jane fall in love with him. What the heck, right? If you met him in real life, the chances of him being this über romantic figure would be much, much less. No one actually likes being around people like him, they just like reading about him. It's OK that he is a jerk to every other character in the story,just as long as you don't have to ever talk to him.

The same goes for a whole host of characters: Edward (Twilight or really, any modern-day paranormal YA romance...all of the protagonists are dark, depressed or depressing, and mysterious...but that will have to keep for another blog post), Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights), to some extent Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice). [[Trust me, I can make a good argument for Mr. Darcy.]]

I was quite impressed, however, with Jane and the actress, Mia Wasikowska, that played her. Even though Jane hasn't got much, she still had an inner-strength that was extraordinary and Mia portrayed it subtly and effectively. She wasn't faint-prone or annoying. She simply stated things as they were and dreamt of better things. Yes, I was very impressed with her.

I think I would like to read the book again, just to give the Bronte's another chance.
Have any of you seen the movie or other versions? What do you think, either of the book or movie?

Eat, Pray, Love: Broken Hearts

2011-04-23T09:28:00.000-06:00

"Love is always complicated. but still humans must try to love each other, darling. We must get our hearts broken sometimes. This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something." (pg 277)

A broken heart never feels good, but I guess it helps us understand that we have participated in this beautiful thing called life...

The Biebs: Like you've never seen him before

2011-04-19T15:10:00.000-06:00

In my heart of hearts, I love the Biebs. Mostly because it's all just so ridiculous. Well, this youtube video takes the ridiculousness to a whole new level. These two fellows go through a instrument battle and "Baby" starts the whole thing, with a recorder! You know, that instrument that nearly every fourth grader plays at least once, but then it is never heard from again? If you have ten minutes to spare, I would recommend going through each link at the end of the videos. It's fairly hilarious.

P.S. It's late and so I do this.

2011-04-14T00:20:00.000-06:00

Wordle: http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3462771/Norway_during_WWII
This is a really neat website where you can input any text and the program pulls the most repeated words and you can change the font, colors, layout, etc. It's a super cool way to see at a glance what the main topic of any piece is. This wordle is from my capstone research Hist 490 paper. You can see what I talked about the most. Any surprises? Probs not.
Go Norway!

Good News

2011-04-14T00:07:00.001-06:00

I came home today from the last day of classes (technically the last day ever but it's hard to say so because I have a whole year left of student teaching) and on my bed was a letter. This happens occasionally, because my roommate loves to check the mail and she is nice enough to leave my letters on my bed. I really enjoy coming home to a letter surprise on my bed. Some letters are obviously much more delightful to get than others. I am much more excited to get a letter from a missionary friend than I am getting a letter from, let's say, my bank. However, when I get letters from my school? It's an ambiguous kind of feeling.
On one hand it could be really great news!
On the other hand, it could be some disciplinary measure. (You never know, I could have broken a rule without being aware of it or something.)
So today, I found a letter on my bed from my university.
With some trepidation, I opened it.
Inside was....
...
(can you imagine if I left the post there? I don't know about you, but the suspense would have killed me.)
Inside was a letter from the History department offering me a scholarship for new semester. A real scholarship!
I was so happy, I cried, a little. (Let's be honest though, I can cry at almost anything.)
...
And then I told everyone about it.
And now, I blogged about it.
Good news, eh?
P.S. Turned in my capstone paper today. IT'S DONE. 25 whole pages, the stupid beast. But, it's over now. WOOHOO!

Imagine: BYU Ballroom Concert

2011-04-11T10:10:00.000-06:00

This weekend, mi parentals came down to party. They took me and my sister to the BYU Ballroom concert. It's kind of a tradition, at least for my sister and I. I may not go to football or other sports, but I do make it to the ballroom concert every year. Anyways, it was breath-taking as usual and since I don't work at the RB anymore, I didn't have any negative feelings towards the dancers. (Cleaning up after people doesn't engender positive feelings sometimes) This video that I posted was one of my favorite dances. This actual clip was filmed about a month before when this couple won some national title. The Marriott center was too dark for any actual filming. And I think it was prohibited...Anyways, this performance was simply stunning. I loved it. The rest of the concert was top-notch as well. They had a whole Cirque de Soleil vibe going on. It was very effective at setting the mood. Very inventive and almost otherworldly.

iic Competition: People's Choice

2011-04-01T08:11:00.000-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/msebyu#p/u/10/38GZFI3M7Xk

Hey everyone. This is a teaching competition that I wrangled my roommate into. To win the people's choice awards, we need to get the most original and unique views. So basically, a lot of people have to see our video and a lot of different states/countries need to see it. So...if you have friends out of state or outside of the US? Send them the link. I'd be eternally grateful. I'm sure I could make some sort of AWESOME thank-you gift. There is a window of time: April 1 (today) through April 7. So, click the link, watch the video and tell your friends. :)
Thanks again very sincerely.

http://www.youtube.com/user/msebyu#p/u/10/38GZFI3M7Xk

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." Ralph Waldo Emerson

2011-03-28T12:49:00.003-06:00

Ladies and Gents,

It's getting closer! Today, I bought my ticket to Norway. So soon, I will be flying away from here to more exotic locales. Oh, I'm nervous! But so excited. [[[That is 17 hours of flying.]]] Luckily, I will have some finals to be grading, so it shouldn't be too boring waiting to go from one airport to another.

However, there is so many rules, regulations, exceptions and loopholes; it's a miracle that people actually get anywhere. I will be crossing the Atlantic Ocean, which now that I think of it, will be a first. I have only ever seen the Pacific. Let's be honest though, this trip is going to be full of firsts.

Sometimes, I go to bed thinking of Norwegian phrases that I might have to use. Which, you know, is fun, but it sure makes my dreams very strange when I fall asleep with half-English, half-Norwegian sentences floating through my head. We had a lady from Norway come speak to our study abroad prep class last week. She let us know what to pack, what to expect, what food to look for.

Apparently, there is a LOT of cheese and other dairy products. And there isn't a whole lot by the way of spicy food. Norwegians are a very "salt and pepper" type of people. This works for me. Despite of my Latino heritage, I'm the one that can't handle anything hotter than extra mild salsa. But bread, cheese, milk and potatoes? Sure thing! Maybe next time I travel, I will try a location with a bit more extreme foodstuffs. Maybe.

Oh, speaking of food and travel: I am currently reading Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. [I haven't seen the movie yet.] There are three parts of the book, and I have only gotten through Part 1: Italy.

Oh my goodness.

I have never been more hungry or jealous reading a book before in my entire life. The book is about Gilbert and the year she spent in Italy, India and Indonesia to find herself and to rebuild her soul. She spent four months in Italy, learning Italian and eating.

SO MUCH GOOD FOOD.

Every couple of pages, she tries to describe indescribable dishes. She finds these little hidden eateries that have no name but all the locals go there and every time its almost a spiritual experience with the food. Which, you know happens. Really good food and good company to share it with? It's one of the best feelings in the world; it's pure joy. I am constantly amazed at how many combinations of flavors, textures and ingredients that go into the recipes of the world. It's a cause for celebration, knowing that you could never eat the same thing twice, changing the recipe with a slight flick of the wrist.

Ok. So besides my impromptu ode to food, this post is dedicated to travel. Be assured, I will keep this blog up-to-date with all my adventures.

Where'er they be found.

Adele

2011-03-23T08:32:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know. I am behind the times. But hey, at least I am on the bandwagon now!
This girl has talent. And lungs. She can belt it out like it's nobody's business.
I think that I have probably listened to this song dozens of times in the last 24 hrs. It's that good.
Enjoy!

How 'bout one of these puppies?!

2011-03-16T11:34:00.001-06:00

source

Just another story from our strange, beautiful world.

If only I had an extra $1.5 million lying around....

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, $1.5 million.

This lil puppy sold for that amount in China recently, officially becoming the most expensive dog in the world.

It's a shame that they are so expensive, otherwise, I'd be more compelled to get one. I mean, THEY ARE SO FLUFFY!

So fluffy.

Creativity and the Genius Behind It

2011-03-14T13:34:00.000-06:00

I first saw this clip about a year ago, when another friend posted it to his blog. I was blown away. I recently just watched it again and it's still so good. It's interesting to really think deeply about the nature of creativity. Because I am completely overwhelmed with thinking about teaching, I see a great correlation between creativity and teaching. Not only my role as a an educator (and a creative one at that) but also the level of creativity that comes with the territory of being a student. Too often students are only required to sit quietly and passively while the teacher relays all the information in the world into their open brains. Learning requires more interaction and involvement, on a similar note, creativity requires more interaction than we typically think. I am getting off on a tangent, but it's interesting regardless.
Let me know what you think about Ms. Gilbert and her thoughts.
They are interesting, no?

Be Warned

2011-03-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

Fooey.
My hair dyeing days seem to be at an end, folks.
So, you know how last time, I was so excited to get my internship job? Well, I am still excited, no worries, but one of the assistant principals took me aside today and suggested that I "try a more natural tone" for the start of school. Which, to be honest, doesn't completely surprise me. I mean, come on, it's UTAH. Land of the Conservative. Heaven forbid that someone has some personality showing on the outside.
No, no. I'm sorry. I don't want this post to turn into a rant. Just think, on the bright side, everyone who despairs over my hair won't have to worry much any longer.
Back to boring, that's me!
I don't know what I am going to do about the hair, my choice in clothing, my personality. All of it. I mean, I have to be a grown up here. Or, at least, fairly soon. I am not quite sure I am ready for such responsibility. I mean, kids are going to be calling me Ms. Beddes. How do you think that makes me feel? Mrs. Beddes is my MOM.
I realize that every single girl has probably gone through this crisis over her name. And I know that the kids can't call me by my first name, but Ms. Beddes sounds so...old.
Doesn't it?

I got it!

2011-02-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already heard, it's official!
I am going to be an intern at Springville Junior High next year.
This means, I am going to be like, a real teacher!
I will have my own classroom.
With students. Real students.
While I will be student teaching, it's more autonomous that just normal student teaching.
If I don't think much about it then I don't freak out too much.
It's going to be a learning experience for sure!
Here is the school website.
http://sjhs.nebo.edu/
Did I mention that I am terribly excited too?!

Valentine's Day Challenge

2011-02-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

This is a lesson in perfection. What you see is not always what you get...

Case in point:

Those cookies above do not equal the cookies below.

Even though they were ugly, they tasted pretty decent.

Maybe perfection is overrated a little too much.
Wishing you and yours a Happy Valentine's Day.
Go kiss someone!

Since You've Been Gone

2011-02-12T10:48:00.001-07:00

Uh, noooo. This isn't a tribute to the Kelly Clarkson ditty of the same name. Besides, she misspelled the greater portion of her song title.
This is actually a little song that I found whilst watching vh1's top 100 hard rock songs last night. The band was only together for a short time, like most rock bands. They just can't help but fall apart. Fortunately, they leave some good music behind. I think my roommates were a little surprise, perhaps a little scandalized that I actually like hard rock. Well, not all of it, but a large majority.
"It doesn't seem like you"
Well, surprise!
I think I like it so much because secretly, I want to be outrageous too and rock bands get to be outrageous for me.

So, back to this song. It's called "Since you've been gone" by Rainbow.
Yes, I was surprised too that there was a band called Rainbow. Like I mentioned before, it didn't last long.
But, it's catchy.
And I cannot stop listening to it.
So I decided to share.

Lyrics (for you textual learners out there)

Whhooaa, whhooaa, whhooaaaa

I get the same old dreams, same time every night
Fall to the ground and I wake up
So I get out of bed, put on my shoes, and in my head
Thoughts fly back to the break-up

These four walls are closing in
Look at the fix you've put me in

Since you been gone, since you been gone
I'm outta my head, can't take it
Could I be wrong, but since you been gone
You cast the spell, so break it
Oooohhh - Whhooooaaa - Ooooohhh
Since you been gone

So in the night I stand beneath the back street light
I read the words that you sent to me
I can take the afternoon, the night-time comes around too soon
You can't know what you mean to me

Your poisoned letter, your telegram
Just goes to show you don't give a damn

Since you been gone, since you been gone
I'm outta my head, can't take it
Could I be wrong, but since you been gone
You cast the spell, so break it
Oooohhh - Whhooooaaa - Ooooohhh
Since you been gone

[INTERLUDE]

If you will come back
Baby you know
You'll never do wrong

Huhhhhh

Since you been gone, since you been gone
I'm outta my head, can't take it
Could I be wrong, but since you been gone
You cast the spell, so break it
Oooohhh - Whhooooaaa - Ooooohhh
Ever since, you been gone

[GUITAR SOLO]

Since you been gone, since you been gone
I'm outta my head, can't take it
Since you been gone, since you been gone

[FADE]

Interview #1

2011-02-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Woo! I'm glad that's over.
It's stressful applying for jobs.
At least, I didn't have classes today. I looked nice: professional and classy.
I will hopefully hear back by next week.
What's next?

Study Abroad pa Norge

2011-02-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's official!
Study Abroad in Norway, Summer 2011.
I am so excited. So nervous. But mostly, excited.
Norway is probably one of the coolest places in the world. Studying it for four years and now finally getting to go?! It's like a dream come true. I hope we can get a couple more people on board, so that it will make it easier (aka cheaper) to go. So, if you know anyone who is interested, tell them about it.
You don't have the know the language. It's cheaper than other BYU study abroad programs. And it's NORWAY .
Or better yet. Go here: http://kennedy.byu.edu/isp/pdfs/SAnorway_sum11.pdf
The deadline has been extended to February 22, 2011. So time's ticking! Pass the word!

An Ideal Weekend

2011-02-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Well, to be honest, it isn't quite looking up to be the idyllic ideal weekend. Grading deadlines are looming ever nearer...
HOWEVER

My roommate whipped out this little gem. While I only watched bits and pieces of it, I feel like it's going to be an Oscar Wilde Weekend. So word clever. LoVe It.
Recommendations?

So watch something that makes you think. Be it lots of words or challenging topic or foreign language. Just do it.
Bake something. Doing things with your hands relieves stress and impresses all of your friends with your handy skills.
Be helpful and honest. You really can't be one without the other.
Lastly, laugh. Life isn't worth it if you can't find something to have a good laugh about.

I am going to try to accomplish most of this list, hopefully more, to the tune of 75 papers calling my name to grade. Ah, the life of a history TA.
ALSO.
This just in: Today I was hired on as the program facilitator for the BYU Norwegian Study Abroad! Do I know what that means yet; no, not entirely, but you can be sure that I am super stoked about it!!! I will let you know more as soon as I know more. Keep an eye out.
Have a lovely weekend. Even ideal, if you can manage it.
:)

Hey Guys, Guess What?!

2011-01-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone.
I made a website! For my informational psychology and technology class. In other words, I'm learning how to teach with technology.
It's terribly exciting.
Right now, everything on there is kind of made up, but the possibilities are endless, I tell you, ENDLESS.
It's right here.
Google makes everything so nice, so easy.
Have a lovely weekend then!

Cleverly Funny

2011-01-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Source

This is just another reason why the world in which we live in is a beautiful place. And funny. It's a funny place too, don't forget. This story caught my eye when I was on my way to my email.

Apparently a 16 year old budding artist, Nicholas Harrington, decided to put a burnt out baby grand piano in the middle of Miami bay, purely for arts' sake. Can you imagine, just puttering along in your boat and you see a piano, just sitting out there. It's so extraordinary! Anyway, since he is an artistic young man, he's hoping to get into a clever art college in Boston somewhere. I hope this little adventure helps him accomplish his future dreams!

If you want to know the full story, here is the AP release. Here.

Dhoom Machale

2011-01-24T18:41:00.002-07:00

Just so you know, still in the Bollywood phase. I was sick this weekend so of course, what better way to nurse a cold than to stay in and watch crazy action-drama-romance-musicals?
I submit that there is no better way.
The movie above is from the movie Dhoom 2. It has the same people that were in Jodhaa Akbar. Hrithik Roshan is a beautiful, beautiful man. (Trust me...just google him. So pretty...)
Who can dance.
What more can you ask for?
So, here is the song that encapsulates my entire weekend.
Fun, huh?
p.s. Dhoom Machale roughly translate into "Rock On".

Everything is Attractive

2011-01-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get in those moods when suddenly, everything seems appealing all of a sudden?
It's the strangest thing walking around campus and suddenly, you realize that the world is filled with attractive men. This may be a by-product of being too long on the dating scene but you know, it could be just a friendly little reminder from the Universe that the world is full of beautiful things, including beautiful men.
... It's ok if you disagree with me here.
In other words, how about this weather, huh?
Seriously, I'm having a tough time keeping my eyes where I need to be walking because I can't stop watching the sky. The mountains get all misty and mysterious in the mornings on the way to school and then, on the way home at night the sky erupts into flamboyant and joyous sunsets.
LOVE IT. ( I tend to ignore the parts where it gets really, really cold.)
Other than that, I'm grateful for:

walking to campus with a hot-balloon accompanying me on a chilly morning. Totally made my day.
people who make classes fun. the funny ones that make you laugh out loud, even though everyone else in the room is quiet.
friends that no matter how much time has passed since the last time we've seen each other we can still chat for twenty minutes in the freezing cold. And it's still fun.
prayers that are answered in the least expected of places.
the fact that no matter how busy I feel like I am, somehow, everything gets done. MIRACLES are real, people.
finding a fellow Scandinavian aficionado in the upper echelons of BYU administration and chatting for an hour just about Norway. <3
eye makeup. Let's face it, it's my art form. I excel at it and I thoroughly enjoy my ever-increasing supply of every color and shade known to man.

Bollywood Night: Jodhaa Akbar

2011-01-15T11:42:00.001-07:00

It takes a certain combination of factors to watch a Bollywood movie. First, you have to be in the mood for a really, really, really long movie. Second, you have to enjoy frequent singing and dancing that may or may not have anything to do with the actual plot. Third, you have to enjoy fantastic costume design with so many colors and jewelry, it will make your head spin. If you are feeling all of these things, then Bollywood is there for you. As it turns out, last night was a Bollywood night. The movie? Jodhaa Akbar
This wasn't necessarily out of the blue. I had heard really good things about it from an acquaintance or two. It's really interesting to note that when you have a interest in something that isn't really mainstream, like Bollywood, you tend to hear the same things brought up by different people. For instance, when you are talking to someone and you say, "Oh I happen to like Bollywood movies as well", then there are only so many that are here in the U.S. and there is a pretty big chance you've seen many of the same ones. OK, and just to set the record straight, to be a fan of Bollywood, Bride and Prejudice cannot be your only exposure. It's not even completely Bollywood. It's heavily influenced by Bollywood, but it has too many trappings of Hollywood to be "real" Bollywood. Although, if you like that movie, going Bollywood all the way won't be that much more difficult. Do it. You will like it.
Start with Jodhaa Akbar. (Warning: Since this is a Bollywood movie, be prepared for the three and a half hour watch time.)
But it is so worth it.
I mean, just look at them!

Can you think of a more beautiful couple? Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is quickly becoming one of my heros. She was crowed Miss World in 1994 and is frequently referred to as "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World". And from everything that I've read about her, she acts like it too. Even though she is beautiful, she doesn't act like a witch. She has her values and beliefs and I admire that.
The male lead, Hrithik Roshan, is absolutely wonderful too. All I've seen is this movie but what a character to play! He plays Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar who is trying to unite all of 16th century Hindustan (India). As the first Mughal emperor actually born in India, he cares more for the country and people than for his actual title. He tries to show his people to be accepting of others' differences, particularly differences in religion. Especially in a country like India which has a large Muslim minority and Hindu majority, tolerance is a lesson that is just as appropriate today as it was four hundred years ago. Even for places outside of India, tolerance is a valuable lesson to learn.
I have my own beliefs of what I think the world should be like and what religion to observe. But even if I don't agree with you, I hope I would be mature enough to value your opinion and listen to what you have to say. I think respect is something that too few people give to others and that causes problems. No one is perfect, so being high and mighty is hypocritical and unhelpful. If this world is ever going to get better, people are going to have to start thinking beyond their wants and needs and working together to find solutions to the very serious problems that we all face.
But I digress. Back to the movie. So to preserve peace in his country and to expand his borders, Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar makes a strategic marital alliance with a Hindu Rajput princess (Aishwarya Rai). The crux here is that Hindus and Muslims don't mix. So there is a lot of lessons that both sides must learn. Your heart aches when they misunderstand each other. Which is a sign of a good movie if you still identify with the characters, even though they are speaking a different language and all you have to go off of is subtitles. (Another warning: This movie is NOT in English, but is does have English subtitles. You get used to it.)
All in all, great movie. There is some graphic battle sequences at the beginning. War elephants squishing people and such, but no sex. It was based on actual characters and events---to an extent. Any movie director is going to color outside the lines for the sake of the movie. Regardless, fact or fiction, I learned a lot and it was a visual treat. Lots of color, beautiful settings, beautiful people, and a wonderful story.

Mountains. In. Color.

2011-01-09T10:52:00.001-07:00

I found this picture in my camera. Utah may be frigid for months but it sure knows how to paint a mountain.
Stunning.
I can only imagine how it must have looked two hundred years ago before parking lots and all-night lighting. Can you imagine being the first person to have ever seen anything like this?
It's like physical poetry. If I was more creatively motivated, I'd compose a verse in honor of the mountains. But I am not that confident in my poetic soul. You will have to fill in where I have failed.
But seriously, what better muse could you have asked for?

Just Follow Me...

2011-01-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Victor Borge was a funny, funny man. Super talented and still had a sense of humor. And, he's DANISH. And we all know how much I love Scandinavians. I saw this clip over the break with my grandpa. We both laughed very hard, but I was the one that ended up on the floor with tears in my eyes. Good stuff. Enjoy!

New Year=New Love

2011-01-05T10:32:00.001-07:00

Normally, I don't get a whole lot of time during the school year to watch TV. (This is what is known as a good thing, because if I started watching a lot of TV, NOTHING would get done, I promise you. I have enough to do as it is, and I excel at procrastination well enough that I don't need anything else to add to my delaying tactics.)
BUT
Over Christmas break, however, it is a different story. What does one do with all the time in the world? Watch TV. Good TV, not lame ones. Ok, I know I have been guilty of fascination with iCarly...and Victorious...Dang Nickelodeon...
The point of the post is, I found Leverage.

A modern day Robin Hood and his band. They are thieves who are talented in their own special ways, who come together to help those who can't help themselves against the rich, powerful, and morally corrupt. "Sometimes the best bad guys make the best good guys." Or something like that.

And this ^ this is the beautiful man that is just the cherry on top of a good TV show. He's so beautiful, with his long hair and angry-ness. La! Love, love, love.
Thus, sharing time ends.
Have a darling day!

Where in the world?

2011-01-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

I saw this video in the first class of the new semester. I just had to share.
I love learning about the world and about the people and cultures that make our world so beautiful. I think it's soo important for students to understand that the world is a much bigger place than they thought it to be.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

It's a new year! New goals and new friends and new classes and new adventures.
SO MUCH NEW STUFF.
I'm excited!
Also, the new year means I will be more diligent with my blog. More on-the-ball, you might say. I am also tempted to be more crafty, so hopefully there will be some cool stuff to show you.
Have a lovely new year everyone!

Is it over?

2010-12-16T08:26:00.001-07:00

This week is almost over.
At least I hope so.
I haven't been this stressed in a long time.
Stress, stress, stress.
Stress.
hahaha, it's funny when you write the same word over and over again, it starts to look funny.
Meh.
Ttyl.

Breather

2010-12-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Sorry it's been awhile.
Finals.
Would you believe it?
Maybe, maybe not.
I will try to be more constant.
Anyways, onward with the updates!
I read 67 young adult books for my Literature for Adolescents class. My teacher made the mistake of saying the previous record, so of course, I just HAD to beat it. 32 of those 67 were read in the last two and half weeks before the end of the semester. So basically, I read like three books a day until I beat it.
Looooooooooooooooootsssssssssss of reading.
But good news, I recorded all of it at Goodreads, so I won't forget.
Thank goodness, right? Wouldn't want all of that work to go to waste.
I finished grading final papers and assignments. Now, I am just waiting to grade the final tests.
I have finals, of course. But they will wait until tomorrow, of course.
Seven a.m.
Who, may I ask, even gets up that early anymore?
I certainly don't.
That is right, the days of getting up at 4:30 a.m. for work have long since gone the way of all the earth.
LATE nights...fairly early mornings...
I guess this is like, real college, right?
Good thing I only have one semester left. Well, if you live in the land of technicalities, then I have like three semesters left, but remember, those last couple semesters are reserved for student teaching, no classes.
That is right folks! This next semester is the end of official classes!
Don't ask how many credits, it takes too long to explain it all.
I will do it because I have to...and I will try to sleep a little bit also.
But that is about all I have right now.
See ya laters.

Loves.

The Graveyard Book

2010-11-22T08:56:00.001-07:00

source

So for my Literature for Adolescents class, I've been reading like a madwoman. (Sorry Goodreads friends...) Anyways, I had heard a lot from various people and professors that The Graveyard Book was a good read. At first, I wasn't sure I believed them. I tend to be a coward when it comes to reading material and anything the least bit scary or suspenseful I avoid. But I was intrigued. So I picked up this little jewel of a book yesterday and basically devoured it. SO GOOD.

There is a reason why it won the 2009 Newbery Medal and the 2010 Carnegie Medal.

Neil Gaiman wrote Coraline and Stardust and Mirrormask, so if you are familiar with any of those titles, you have a pretty good idea of how imaginative his is. His craftsmanship is supremely evident in this book. The sentences are just gorgeous! I know that may seem like a strange way of describing a book, but I can't think of any other way which emphasizes my love of this book.

The story is very similar to The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, in the sense that a boy is orphaned and brought up in unique circumstances. Nobody Owens, as the boy is called, is raised by a graveyard full of ghosts, after his family is murdered when he was just a baby. The graveyard and its residents protect him from the murderers who want to finish the job, but they can't protect him forever. Bod grows up and faces his fate.

It's a suspenseful tale that kept me turning the page frantically and annoying my roommates with my agonized gasps. I definitely recommend it to anyone willing to take a chance.

Words of Inspiration

2010-11-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

"Know all the books in your local library better than the librarian. Go there every night. Live there. Educated yourself. Know all the stock in the local book store. I do. There is no day in my life I do not go to at least one book store. Go to art galleries. Look. Fill up. See every film ever made. Fill up on that medium. Know everything that is bad. Only by knowing what is bad can you avoid badness. The snob who refuses knowledge in mediocrities remains always second-rate himself. I have collected Prince Valiant for 30 years. Listen to bad music and good music and great music. Study architecture. Read science-fiction, because it is the one fiction which is curious about ALL the above, all and everything, on every level. In sum: run, shout, search, be puzzled, go on, from day to day, with high enthusiasm."

~Ray Bradbury

Source: Witkin, Mitzi. "A Defense of Using Pop Media in the Middle-School Classroom." The English Journal 83.1 (1994): 30-33. Print.

80

2010-11-17T21:34:00.001-07:00

This was FHE or Family Home Evening in our student ward on campus this past Monday. We went bowling

I...LOVE...BOWLING

These two lovely ladies are my roommates. They are adorable.

My team.

I would just like to mention that my final score was 80. That is a whole 19 points higher than my last high score.

Yes.

I still love bowling.

Hurrah for Tugboats

2010-11-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

source

I don't know how many of you heard, but off the coast of southern California, a massive Carnival cruise liner has been stranded some 200 miles San Diego. There was an engine fire which knocked out power to basically the whole ship, also cutting hot water and electricity off. (There is a link to the article here.)

No crew or passengers were injured.

You would think, out of all the sea-going vessels, cruise ships would be some of the safest (Poseidon Adventure aside), especially with all that food. I never really thought about this problem, but with no electricity, the is NO REFRIGERATION. All that food, gone to waste. The US coast guard had to actually fly in emergency food supplies until the ship can make it back to land.

Which, bring me to the purpose of this post.

How is a powerless, broken 113,000 ton (that means it's BIG) cruise ship going to make it back to land?

The answer, my friends, is tugboats.

Can you imagine it? These hearty little things are pulling that monstrosity all 200 miles back to safety.

My admiration level for these little boats has gone up immeasurably these past couple of days. I sure hope those passengers appreciate what is going in to save them, although I can pretty much assure that they are probably furious right now.

Scared, maybe; furious, most definitely.

Anyways, as I was trying to find a picture of these brave little engines, these engines that could, I came across this delightful gem.

Tugboat Enthusiasts Society

Who would have known!

(I'm kind of tempted to join now)

(...also, the style is very old school internet...the kind I remember learning about in elementary school. It kind of warms the cockles of your heart to see such nostalgia.)

Anyways, I'd thought I'd share what I've been following the past couple of days. Knock on wood that it turns out OK, and that everyone gets home safe.

Except poor Carnival...they are going to lose a boatload* of money.

*no pun intended.

Aebleskiver!

2010-11-07T19:22:00.001-07:00

Look at how crafty I am!

I made aebleskiver!
They are this delightful little Danish...thing. A little like pancakes, but a little different.
Supposedly, the history of aebleskiver is something like this:

Once upon a time, Vikings were tired after a rather exhausting raid and so they got back to their ship and they wanted something to eat. Pancakes! However, they didn't have anything to cook it on but a badly dented shield, so they made do with what they had. Pancake batter in a dented shield and viola! You get aebleskiver.

The name, when literally translated means "apple slices" which...doesn't make all that much sense seeing as there usually isn't any apples in them any more...but it's fun to say!

"abe-el-skae-ber" would be the phonetic way of saying it. Danish...it's all at the back of your throat, just swallow the words.

Anyways, this ^ is the type of pan you use to make them with. You pour in the batter and turn it as it cooks so it's done all the way in the inside and golden brown all around the outside.

I am going to make them for my History 201 TA class on Thursday. I get to teach and since there is a connection between Scandinavia and the Kievan Rus, why not make class more enjoyable with treats!
Except, since this was my first time, they are a little gooey.
However, in the immortal words of Scarlett O'hara, "Tomorrow is another day!"
...
And tomorrow will bring more aebleskiver.

p.s. I made these Norwegian cupcakes a couple of weeks ago. They are really just chocolate cupcakes with the Norwegian flag in icing on the top. Still, I think they are pretty creative. They tasted pretty good too.

Here is Nay, modeling them for everyone.
Labor of love, I tell ya, labor of love.

Kievan Rus, Heian Japan and Mali

2010-11-05T09:56:00.000-06:00

Oh boy, oh boy!
I am so excited, folks!
I get to teach in my TA class about the post-classical civilizations of the Kievan Rus, Heian and Kamakura Japan and the Empire of Mali in Sub Saharan West Africa.
I made a prezi. (It's like powerpoint, but much cooler.)
Here it is!
PREZI
Anyways, if you can't look at, give me a couple days and I will try to get it up here.
Stay tuned, I will give you a heads up of what next semester looks like
Oh goodie.
Yes, that is exactly what you should be thinking. :)
Loves.

World Awareness

2010-11-03T09:10:00.000-06:00

It's weird. Whenever I blog, I just send it out in the great wide world, not really thinking of who is seeing it. I just found the stats section of blogger. And it's opened my eyes, man. There was people in Russia, who has seen my blog. Russia, of all places! And other places. Like Norway! That was exciting. I love Norway.

Suddenly, I feel like I should be more cosmopolitan in my blogging approach.

Any suggestions?
If not, I will continue to do what I do.
Put up stuff that I find unique, interesting, or just me.
Loves to the great wide world. :)

Crystal Stairs

2010-11-01T20:53:00.004-06:00

Mother to Son

by Langston Hughes

"Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair."
*from poetryfoundation.org

Life may not be a crystal stair...
but it's worth it.

Keep that in mind as school tries to take it out of you.
with loves,
Kiera

If I Could Save Time in a Bottle...

2010-10-20T20:22:00.003-06:00

Apparently, I am on a 1970's singer-songwriter phase. First Dan Fogleberg, now Jim Croce.
But have you ever listened to his stuff?
It is so soothing, so friendly, so heartbreaking.
It makes you wonder what he could have done, had he lived longer.
He died in a plane accident, just when he was 30. It's that kind of tragedy that makes you grateful for what you have.

"If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day 'til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go through time with"

*there is no video of him performing this song, it was released posthumously. But it is a good, good song. Just like all the rest.

"No Juicy Tacos!"

2010-10-08T10:16:00.006-06:00

If you follow this blog, you have probably already seen this stuff on Facebook, but I couldn't help myself. This movie needs to be known.
Here's the story:
There is this thing called the Lost Media Archive. I can't find the website right now, but I will update it when I can get to it.
Shannon goes sometimes because she is cool like that and has unique friends. So anyway, it's a group that collects old and out-of-print things. Like things that you have never, ever heard of. Last night was the showing of this movie, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit.
BEST. MOVIE. EVER.
Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451 and who is most well-known for his suspense/sci fi stuff, wrote this screenplay. It was actually a short story of his and it has actually been turned into a musical. A musical that still plays, like on stage. I am constantly amazed by what I don't know.
I can't believe I lived my whole life without this gem!
It was a slight shock to me to see someone who knew more obscure stuff than me. I'm usually the one showing people true film treasures. If The Shoe Fits, anyone? Who can forget Rob Lowe, Jennifer Grey, France, 80's fashion? It's the best. Apparently, it's hard to find online too, so I can't show you a picture. Boo. But if you are interested, give me a holler and we will watch it. I am only too happy to oblige (I have a VHS, yes, I am that cool).
Anyways, back to the Wonderful Ice Cream Suit!
It's about five Latino men in East LA who are down on their luck in various ways. They all come together and pitch in 20 bucks and buy a fantastic electric white suit.
Like, burn your retinas white.
...I can still see the suit dancing in front of my eyes...
Anyways, each of the men share the suit for one hour and each of their wildest dreams come true, thanks to the suit. Kind of like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but BETTER.
There is mariachi music, Latin accents (in various degrees of awfulness) and superb quotable lines, i.e. the title of this here post. It's like, gooood stuff. If you manage to get your hands on it, again, give me a holler and we will have a party. There is nothing like good Latin movies and 80's.
Gosh. I love the 80's.

J'adore la culture de Tahiti

2010-10-06T08:25:00.004-06:00

I have a delightful story for everyone.
...No, I did not suddenly learn French... (Thank Heaven for Google Translate.)
No, this story is about Tahiti.

They speak French there.
Yesterday, my History 202 professor invited us TA's over to her house because they were hosting a dozen Tahitians for the LDS General Conference. Apparently her son served his mission there awhile ago. Anyways, they made a ton of food, real Tahitian food, and were going to do a performance for everyone. Dr. Frederickson's philosophy is one of "the more, the merrier" so she invited us to go.
It was SO much fun!
We got there just as the girls were about to do their dance. There was this adorable little girl, around 11 or 12 and she was amazing. I definitely can't move like that. After the girls did a couple of dances, they pulled people from the audience and had a sort of "dance off", where they showed the audience members how to dance and everyone just danced together. One girl pulled me and my roommate up and we were laughing and dancing. Not everyone can shake their hips like that. Let me tell you, it was one heck of a workout. You are constantly moving your legs! And hips!
After the dancing, we had food. Real Tahitian food. There was sooooo much foooood. Seriously, so much. Mind you, I didn't eat everything. They like raw fish, so I avoided that. But everything else was really good. I had taro, and pork and curry and a soft, breadlike thing covered in coconut milk; and potatoes, and a noodle and shrimp salad. Not quite what I expected, but it was so good. It was real culture! And even though we couldn't communicate (again, that darn French language) it was such a neat experience to be there and be with them.
Bon Appetit!

Locked Out Again

2010-10-04T08:54:00.005-06:00

So I am part of a little club called the Phi Alpha Theta. We are self-proclaimed history nerds. We have an office on the second floor of the JFSB. We help other history nerds find their niche. I cannot get into said office because the key is missing.
Who lost the key? You might ask.
Well, it wasn't me!
Alas, I am still locked out regardless.
Boo.
I hate being dependent upon others. You can get let down so easily, if you are not the one responsible for things. I have office hours. People could need me and I can't be where I said I will be!!! This kind of irresponsibility is killing me.
Also, I like having my own office. I am in control and I don't have to acknowledge other people's existence unless they come to me. In my office. Out here in the open, you have to say "Hello" to everyone who you made eye-contact with. It can be very exhausting, let me tell you.
Also, in other news, I just finished reading The Great Gatsby.
Can you believe that I had never read it before?
Which is silly, seeing as it isn't very long and it is widely considered a classic of American Literature. I mean, I have heard of it before, but I had never read it before. Somehow, I escaped high school without reading it. I got away with a lot of things in high school, apparently. Go figure.
Anyways, let discuss The Great Gatsby, shall we?

The original cover art was commissioned and finished before Fitzgerald actually finished the novel, so he sort of wrote the picture into the book. I really appreciate it when different formats of art are blended together. It provides such a deeper interpretation and meaning. Anyways, Fitzgerald has a beautiful use of the language. Seriously.
Also, the simple tragedy of it all. People trying to reach out to one another, albeit, without the best of intentions, but really, people just wanting to be loved, and then they get shot down, thrown aside. I am glad that Fitzgerald set the time period during the 1920's because you can imagine all sorts of awful things happening to the characters that you hated during the Great Depression. You wish that they get what they deserved, but they probably didn't.
The moral of the story is, just be nice to people. Don't be a jerk. No one likes jerks.
Also, don't obsess over people. It isn't attractive and it doesn't get you what you want in the end anyhow.
The End.
oh p.s. they opened my office! I am in control again. Woot!

Hallelujah, It's Friday

2010-10-01T08:36:00.002-06:00

TGIF
The week is practically over and it couldn't have come at a better time.
I have decided that the next couple of goals shall include:

Whittling down the stuff I have to take to school to ONE bag.
Actually trying to get up at the right time.
Getting to bed at a decent time.
Looking pretty for school.
Staying on top of the schedule.

That is the plan.
Fortunately, I have the whole weekend to put it off.
Happy Friday, ya'll

Part of the Plan

2010-09-29T08:35:00.002-06:00

I have these moments
All steady and strong
I’m feeling so holy and humble
The next thing I know
I’m all worried and weak
And I feel myself
Starting to crumble.

The meanings get lost
And the teachings get tossed
And you don’t know what you’re
Going to do next.
You wait for the sun
But it never quite comes
Some kind of message comes
Through to you.
Some kind of message comes through.

And it says to you...

Love when you can
Cry when you have to...
Be who you must
That’s a part of the plan
Await your arrival
With simple survival
And one day we’ll all understand...

I had a woman
Who gave me her soul
But I wasn’t ready to
Take it.
Her heart was so fragile
And heavy to hold
And I was afraid I might
Break it.

Your conscience awakes
And you see your mistakes
And you wish someone
Would buy your confessions.
The days miss their mark
And the night gets so dark
And some kind of message
Comes through to you
Some kind of message
Shoots through --

There is no Eden or
Heavenly gates
That you’re gonna make it to
One day
But all of the answers you seek
Can be found
In the dreams that you dream
On the way.

Wanna see something funny?

2010-09-24T08:39:00.001-06:00

This is something that I came across as I was doing my project for English. It's pretty clever, not going to lie.
Enjoy!

UFG

2010-09-23T07:27:00.002-06:00

K everyone this is for a school project. I had to research an unfamiliar genre and attempt at making my own. I chose parody movie trailers which are a fascinating genre, especially when you watch so many of them like I have. For my example, I didn't use a real movie trailer. I just edited a clip that I had on my computer. If I had the know how I would definitely do some things differently. So don't judge. If anything, just enjoy it for the cheese it is.

Thanks

Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)

2010-09-20T09:44:00.002-06:00

This is my new favorite song.
At the moment.
Anyways, I realize that I am a little behind everything...I just don't like doing something that everyone else is doing. So if you are wondering why I am paying attention to the World Cup two months after it's over, you must realize that it is a pride issue.
I'm working on it, ok?
Anyways, can I just say how much I love Shakira? Not because everyone, upon hearing my name says "Like Shakira, huh?"
(I can't tell you HOW many times that has happened. Let's have some originality here, please people!)
Anyways, I totally want to learn how to dance like this.
I think it's going to take some practice...

Lazy Day Saturday

2010-09-20T09:21:00.003-06:00

You know when you have had a lazy day when your roommates celebrate the fact that you stop watching TV episodes on your laptop.
Ok, background:
I was so excited for the weekend.
I just wanted to do NOTHING.
So I did.
I did nothing all Saturday.
And it was delicious.
Well, what I did was I found a TV show that only ran one season that I remembered watching in high school, briefly, because, well, it was canceled.
Anyway, joy of joys, I found all of it on youtube. So my Saturday was set. I watched all 13 episodes.
Now, this would only be a problem if I did so on a regular basis. But I don't and probably will never do so again.
It's part of the philosophy that you have to know the worst before you can understand the best, right?
Alas, school is upon me again, and so is real life.
I need to think of some healthy diversions for my next weekend.
Got any ideas?

Seriously?

2010-09-17T10:48:00.001-06:00

WHY?!Why do I enjoy this so much?!
Dang you, nickelodeon.

"I like to laugh. I think everybody should laugh more often. That's what helps to keep us sane..." Lloyd Alexander

2010-09-12T22:26:00.004-06:00

Isn't Lloyd Alexander just a doll? I think he is one of the greatest YA authors in the world. For my Eng 420 class, we have to pick a YA author and do a presentation about him. I just finished reading the Prydain Chronicles this summer by Alexander. And I just adore him. The more I learn, the more I gush. There is an exhibit in the HBLL dedicated to him, with all of his stuff. I just adore him. Don't get me started. I have a ton of material and could go on for awhile.

Anyways, I came across his quote, which I used for the title. I like to laugh, obviously, but I have noticed something rather distressing about my giggle...

It's disappearing!

Something else is taking over, this dry, tired sort of ha-ha.
I am not pleased.

I feel like I have been kind of angst-y. Or maybe that is the stress talking. It could be. I don't really know anymore. I feel like I keep going and going and I am getting nowhere. I don't know what to do about.

I mean, there is nothing that I can really do, you know? I have to go through school. I have my duties and obligations to fulfill. I don't want school to be one of those things that I grit my teeth and struggle through looking on to better things because that is part of trying to find joy in the journey, learning to enjoy your circumstances now.

But what if they don't get better? Then I would be in a real pickle, to not have enjoyed college just to find out that the rest of my life is going to be pretty much the same dull battle.

Gah! I just don't know what to do.

I think I miss hugs. I used to be the kind of person that would hug everyone and everybody. I still do, but I have noticed a significant decrease in the frequency in which I receive hugs. Especially in the good, strong kind. You know? Hugs don't always have to mean, "Hey, I really like you!" They could just mean, "Hey, you are a good person and I don't mind being so close to you."
I miss that.
I miss knowing that people seek my company because they want it, not because they want something or because they feel obligated. I miss being sought after. I feel like I am doing all the chasing here, both in the romantic and platonic sense.

I guess it's time to get back to basics. I am going to try and rejuvenate here, as much as possible, considering that school doesn't really care if you need a time out moment. I think I can do it.

I will let you know how it goes.

Anyways. Don't let this post get you down. That wasn't the intention. It's just me venting. Sometimes I just need to write it all down and release it out into the great unknown of cyberspace instead of bogging down human ears. Hopefully, this is the end of angst-y kiera, and we can get back to the giddy, giggle-y, joyful, and (hopefully) peaceful Kiera.

Actually, I think the angst has something to do with all the YA lit I have to read this semester for 420. Hmmm...

I might be on to something here...

Teenagers are such drama queens. The books they read do nothing to contain that. It's an emotional roller coaster from the very first sentence to the very last chapter. Think about it. If you know any aspiring YA authors, tell them to lighten up on the hormones. There is only so much readers can take.

Trust me.

Let's Start a Winning Game

2010-08-28T17:53:00.004-06:00

"Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game." Goethe

This semester might been one of the daring-est ideas that I have had so far, even though it is threatening to bring me down, even before it starts.

I thought about having conniptions over the fact that I wasn't sure if I could add a class that I really needed. But then an opening came up and I got it. Then I found out that the class required 23 novels to be read over the course of the semester. 23 novels! For ONE class!

Alas, I can't freak out too much, seeing as it is vital for my graduation plans. Besides, they are young adult fiction, so they can't be too hard to get through, right?

What is really killing me right now is my TA jobs. I love what I do, don't get me wrong, but I have done so much and class has not been in session yet!

18 credits, two jobs, etc, etc.

Shannon made a good point the other day, saying if we had just skipped the past two years, jumping from freshman to where are we are now, we wouldn't be able to handle it. Experience, although hard at the time, is one of the ways we are able to handle our current situations. And one little ray of hope, it only gets harder from here on out.

Lovely.
Something to look forward to.

Although, I am getting to the point where I don't really want to think about the future. I have most of the next year planned out down to the last T crossed and the last I dotted. But there is just so much that could go wrong!

What if my last semester of classes don't fit properly in a cohesive schedule? What if I don't get enough money to go to Norway this next summer? What am I supposed to do when I graduate? What if I don't find a job? Where am I supposed to go for graduate school? What should I study in graduate school? Where do I even start?

It's questions like these that are getting me a little apprehensive/stresssssed on this, the eve before the new semester.

If we take a doomsday approach to things, it's like the beginning of the end, you know?

Or

We can be optimistic like my lovely friend Goethe here and think positively.

THIS year is the start of something wonderful.
THIS year is going to be full of friends, learning and new opportunities.
THIS year I will become a better person than I am today.

I WILL survive.
And stay alive.
With love,
:)

I have got to stop watching teeney-bopper tv.

2010-08-23T18:31:00.000-06:00

I am so ready for school to start...
I am spending too much of my time watching nickelodeon television.
I am starting to think life should be one wacky, drama filled, fashion-fest.

I am so ready to be a grown up again.

...sorta...

"Bread is the warmest, kindest of all words. Write it always with a capital letter, like your own name."

2010-08-15T15:53:00.011-06:00

I am contemplating a serious subject this beautiful Sunday afternoon. Very serious, indeed. The subject today is food. More specifically, Bread.

Many of you may wonder, why today? Why Bread?
Well, like my somewhat good friend Emily Dickinson here, I am contemplating making it.

"I am going to learn to make bread to-morrow. So you may imagine me with my sleeves rolled up, mixing flour, milk, saleratus, etc., with a deal of grace. I advise you if you don't know how to make the staff of life to learn with dispatch."
Emily Dickinson

*saleratus is baking soda, used to make the bread rise, fyi.

And also like Emily Dickinson, I advise you that if you don't know already how to make bread, learn immediately. Nothing will bless your home, family and mental health more than to learn how to make bread from scratch.

NO CHEATING.

Breadmachines=cheating.
People have made bread for THOUSANDS of years without some utterly non-essential machine making bread for them.

Find a recipe.
Mix it together.
WITH YOUR HANDS.

It is a sticky, messy, fantastically glorious exercise and you will become a better person, I guarantee it. If you don't believe me, listen to M.F.K Fisher.

"[Breadbaking is] one of those almost hypnotic businesses, like a dance from some ancient ceremony. It leaves you filled with one of the world's sweetest smells...there is no chiropractic treatment, no Yoga exercise, no hour of meditation in a music-throbbing chapel. that will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread."
M. F. K. Fisher, 'The Art of Eating'

(I didn't know who M.F.K. Fisher was either, before I posted her quote, but in case you were wondering, she was a well-respected author who wrote a lot about food. Now I am interested in reading more about her. I think she's making a lot of sense here.)

You are certainly welcome to imagine me covered in flour from toe to tip, because that is usually what tends to happen. EVERY TIME. And yet, I continue to make it. Sometimes, I even make bread in black clothes, which you would think a normal person endowed with a even a little common sense would realize that white flour shows up really well on black clothes. And yet, I have yet to learn.

Why do I continue to do it? There are many reasons. Top of the list is that is just tastes so GOOD. Seriously, if you haven't had the pleasure of eating real, homemade bread, you haven't really lived. (Also, if you have not ever had homemade bread, please tell me so I can make you some. No one should ever live without real bread.) Other reasons include it's relaxing, fulfilling, and a great way to serve somebody. It's really lovely to go up to someone and hand them a warm loaf of bread. It's a great connection between you and them. You put a lot of time and effort into that bread. The recipient is going to spend not quite as much time eating it, but they will certainly be enjoying it as much as you enjoyed making it. At least, that is what I have noticed. Nothing smells quite like home, as fresh bread baking.

"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight."
M. F. K. Fisher

Anyways. I will leave you with these thoughts. Make bread. Be Happy. And remember, the best bread is the kind you make at home.

"Without wishing in the slightest degree to disparage the skill and labour of breadmakers by trade, truth compels us to assert our conviction of the superior wholesomeness of bread made in our own homes."
Eliza Acton, 'Modern Cookery for Private Families' (1845)

Also, it's rude to preach without offering some sort of redemption, so I'd thought I'd share some of my favorite bread recipes. Both are delicious and satisfying.

White Bread (approx. 2 loaves)
6 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
(almost) 1 Tablespoon salt
1/2 cup powdered milk

yeast mixture: 1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons yeast

Directions: prepare yeast then combine dry ingredients together in breadpan. When yeast is ready put 2 cups water, yeast mixture, and 2 good sized globs of shortening into the dry ingredients. Mix bread until it does not need any more flour. Knead for 10-12 min more. Cover and let rise for 2 hrs. Punch down and divide into 2 loaves. Put loaves into pans and let rise for 40 min. Bake at 425 for 15 min, then turn down to 275 for 30 min. Remove read and butter immediately. Serve Hot!

Sweet Roll Dough
3/4 cup scalded milk
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons yeast
2-3 large eggs
3/4 cup shortening or butter
5-6 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in warm water (add a little sugar to help the yeast to grow). Stir in milk (after you scalded it), sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix together, then add the rest of the flour. Knead and let rise for 1 1/2 hrs. Shape in whatever kind of rolls you like best. (I always make Parker House style which involves rolling out the dough, cutting it out with a large cup like sugar cookies, then folding them in half and baking them, also this is the same recipe I use for making cinnamon rolls, so you could make them too.) Let rise 30 min. Bake at 375 for about 10 min or until golden brown.

"Long Goodbye"

2010-08-04T14:10:00.003-06:00

("Long Goodbye" by The Nadas)

This is the best song in my universe right now.

I am not kidding.
When I am not playing it over and over again on my ipod, I am watching it on youtube.
I am fairly certain that a big portion of the views have come from me, but I feel very strongly that it needs to be watched a lot more by more people.
So watch it people!

I love their sound.
I love the mixture of strings and guitars and drums.
It's so delicious.
And soothing.

And if you are interested, Amazon mp3 has the "Long Goodbye" for free as well as all of their other songs for a price.

Enjoy!

And the award goes to....

2010-08-03T21:13:00.002-06:00

Utah gets kudos for the sunsets.
Seriously, I haven't been able to stop looking at the sky the past couple of days. Doing so makes walking kind of difficult.
But it is so pretty!!!
Brilliant colors, fantastic shapes, constantly changing.
It puts me in raptures, I tell ya.
Clouds. Who knew?!

“Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see”

2010-07-19T21:54:00.002-06:00

have you ever wanted something so bad, everything hurts with that want?

your soul,
your heart,
your head?

Right now, I am not going to pretend everything is ok and life is good but I do know that it will be soon.

I guess the point of this post is to keep the faith.

In the end, it is all that matters.

LlamaFest

2010-07-17T10:41:00.003-06:00

Are you excited?!
This is a sneak peek of what I am doing today!
Llamas.
Come on, say it with me. It's so fun to say.
"Llamas"
Anyways,
real pictures are forthcoming...
enjoy your weekend!

"Who Dances in Glass Shoes?!"

2010-07-08T16:27:00.005-06:00

It's funny how fairy tales make you believe the impossible.
I am all about fabulous footwear and making a statement....
But seriously?

Glass Shoes?
On what planet has that ever been a good idea?
Ok, so I watched "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella" with Brandy as Cinderella.
And that is why I was thinking about glass shoes.
Also, I would really like to have Whitney's hair. It's a fro and it has gold sparkly ringlets in it. Who wouldn't want to rock that?
Back to fairytales.
It is amazing to me that the same stories are found the world over. Every society has a version of the Cinderella story, which obviously means:
~girls over all the world have waited for their prince charmings
~seeing as there are still plenty of people on this planet, they must have found them and had lots of children to prove it.
~if thousands of other girls found prince charming and happily ever afters, then it can't be THAT hard.
But we are NOT talking about boys or dating or marriage or other such nonsense because I have things to do and people to see.
Right?
;)

Sentimentality

2010-07-01T18:00:00.004-06:00

I have been meaning to blog about this for some time. It has been playing on my mind for a couple of weeks.

Usually I only wax poetic when I have been reading too much. Specifically when I read Anne of Green Gables too much.

Ah, but it does my soul so much good.

My roommate, Shannon, had never seen the 1985 TV movie series and I considered this a great sin so we sought to remedy that fact by watching them. I do so love the movies, but my family never watched them with me. I'll admit, it takes a certain amount of patience to enjoy them. It is a little easier when you love the books.

So naturally, after we watched the movie, I had to re-read the series, just to remember all of the differences between the two formats. (The books are SO much better, BTW.)

Sigh

I love turn of the century novels. There seems to be an inherent goodness about them, an innate sense of optimism. Bad things may happen, but spring always comes, nature is always renewing and all stories end happily ever after. Old-fashioned goodness seems to flow off the page and it makes me want to slow down and savor life more.

Anne made me want to find romance again. Not the kind of romance that is BYU happy-valley edition: too fast paced, like love is race against graduation and old-maid-hood. But the golden, soft, pure romance that makes life sweet and rich.

It seemed a beautiful twist of fate that I stumbled across an old essay from my high school creative writing class. It is entitled "Romance" and it was given as a commencement speech in 1983. It helped me get started finding romance again, for as the author, Robert James Waller says "Romance is hard to get, hard to keep, and fairly easy to drive away." (pg 46) Waller also says that you can't examine it because like most things "too much analysis of certain things removes the romance from them" and kills the magic. Mostly he encourages those who would like to see romance dancing back in their lives to read poetry every day. Actually make something with your own two hands. Collect things, purely for the sentimental value. TRAVEL. Play a musical instrument. Listen to good, soft music. Keep a record of your life, remember where you have been, who you have met, what you have seen. There will come a time in your life when you will need those memories to uphold you in times of loneliness, sadness or even in times of joy. Memories you make now will bless your life and enrich it a hundred times more. They don't need to be epic, dramatic exploits because while there is a certain level of "romance" attached to epic dramas, the best kind of romance is your own brand. Things that are special to you and moments that take your breath away."Romance [does] not come into one's life with pomp and blare; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways." (pg 366)

I tried to describe my sentimental feelings to a co-worker. And while he tried to understand, I don't think he fully did. I like Anne of Green Gables because I feel like I identify with her. It seems silly to love a character so much and like horoscopes, I tend to see similarities where there are none. Maybe there are and maybe there aren't any.

BUT:

I can be imaginative and dramatic, whimsical and silly at times.

I can be loud when I want and quiet when I choose.

I love my friends with the depths of my soul and always rejoice when I find new ones in unexpected places.

"If we have friends we should look only for the best in them and give them the best that is in us, don't you think? Then friendship would be the most beautiful thing in the world." (pg 171)

I have this inexplicable need for anyone and everyone to love me.

As Anne said "I want everybody to love me and it hurts me so when anybody doesn't." Not many people understand this, but it's an undeniable fact about me.

I want to change the world and leave it a better place, but I don't know where to start.

I want to teach and inspire, but even more so, I want children to be good.

"Perhaps she had not succeeded in 'inspiring' any wonderful ambitions in her pupils, but she had taught them, more by her own sweet personality than by all her careful precepts, that it was good and necessary in the years that were before them to live their lives finely and graciously, holding fast to truth and courtesy and kindness, keeping aloof from all that savoured of falsehood and meanness and vulgarity."

I sincerely appreciate superficial aesthetics. I love things to be pretty and charming and I love it even more when pretty things are accompanied by beautiful souls.

Anyways, this is what has been playing on repeat for the past week or so on my mind. Maybe not many people would cite Anne of Green Gables as "great literature", and maybe rightly so, but for me, it makes me want to be a better person and to look for the best in other people. Which, in the end, I think is the purpose of great literature, to make mankind better, kinder, more humane than before.

Some more delicious quotes from Anne:

"What I want to get out of my college course is some knowledge of the best way of living life and doing the most and best with it." (pg 359)

"That's a lovely idea...living so that you beautify your name, even if it wasn't beautiful to begin with...making it stand in people's thoughts for something so lovely and pleasant that they never thing of it by itself." (pg. 253)

*It has been a secret desire of mine to have one of my friends name a child after me. Because I was such a good person. This is not as vain as it sounds, because a. it makes me try to be a good person so someone will notice and b. ok, so it is mostly vain. But Kiera IS a good name. I just have to live in such a way to make it better so that everyone will have lovely and pleasant thoughts whenever they hear it. :)

Anyways, have a beautiful, romantic, blissfully happy day!