And you thought I forgot...

There are just 30 more minutes to celebrate Black History month, so I thought I would throw this track up:



What do you think?

Dance Yourself Clean

My time at Brigham Young University is swiftly coming to a close. One semester after this, I will be a free women. I entered to learn, and soon,  I will "go forth to serve "(or "earn" as Ingrid's father has often told me). Even though I have been part of BYU in some form or another for the past 5 years of my life, I am saddened to report that I am not a true "Cougar".

I've never been tunnel singing.
I don't have an all-sports pass.
I haven't even hiked the Y.

None of these girls are me... bless their hearts.

It would be a shame to let me time here in the bubble just pass me by without experiencing some of the eccentricities that personify the BYU.
So.

I enrolled in Dance 180: Beginning Social Dance

adorable

Essentially, this class is a compilation of things that are difficult for me to deal with. You have to be in close proximity with unfamiliar man-boys. You have to be courteous and gracious and polite. Worst of all, you must engage in the art of small talk. gross. I knew I was in for a fun time when the first guy I danced with asked me what color my toothbrush was. Really. And he wasn't being funny.

But most of all, social dance requires certain amount of bravery. You have to own up to the fact that you are going to look silly, at least at first. Everyone needs to practice being confident once and a while, especially me.

This class has required a lot more dedication and is more difficult than I had anticipated. Luckily, one of my room mates is minoring in dance, so I've been able to practice with him a bit. Very kind of him, I am a difficult partner (his toes get stepped on quite a bit). So far I've learned the foxtrot, cha-cha, and the waltz is a work in progress.

Thursday, I was formally introduced to "Dance Lab". I think all students taking a dance class have to go. I didn't know what to expect, there were so many people! Actually dancing was kind of hard. Everyone ran into each other cause it was so crowded. Then they had floor shows where more advanced dance classes would perform actual routines that they learned. My dance teacher did a polka to "Supercalafragilisticexpedalidocious". So charming.

Actually, if you know how to dance well, it can look pretty cool. I was officially won over by the social dance scene when they did the Viennese waltz to the Harry Potter theme song.

It was as awesome as it sounds.

So thanks BYU. Thank you for offering your students a venue where awkward gals and guys can turn into coordinated young men and women. 

February Mix: Am I growing wiser, or am I just growing tall?

Late again.

1. "Rosebud" - Sondre Lerche
2. "The Cave" - Mumford & Sons
3. "Away Frm U" - Oberhofer
4. "Truth" - Alexander (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros side project)
5. "Danger Zone" - Chiddy Bang (Feat. Ratatat)
6. "Sail" - AWOLNATION
7. "Under Cover Of Darkness" - The Strokes
8. "Just Don't Open Your Eyes Yet" - Polarsets
9. "Lions In Cages" - Wolf Gang
10. "Icarus" - Bastille
11. "What Became of You and I"  - Treefight For Sunlight
12. "Lights (Bassnectar Remix" - Ellie Goulding
13. "Only Girl" (Mr. Larsson's The One Dubstep Remix) - Rihanna
14. "Patience" - Nas & Damian Marley
15. "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven" - Iron & Wine
16. "Jai Ho" - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack


Notes:
1. Most people like to put tracks like this at the end of an album. I like them at the beginning. I want the confusion to hit you in the face. It's for your own good.
2. They were just on the Grammy's, did you see them? They are British? Question mark?
3. I love love love love love this song. If you know why I like it, please tell me. I want to know.
4. Boy, this guy sure likes whistling. He's pretty good at it I guess. BTW have you seen this yet? Adorable.
5. Everyone is on the Chiddy Bang band wagon. I'm a little late.
6. YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS SONG REALLY LOUD and at first your room mates will be ok with it because they will think it is a phase that will pass but really it isn't you will listen to this song loud once a day everyday for the rest of your life because face it, the base is addicting.
7. I still don't know how I feel about this song. I miss the old strokes; it seems like they are losing their edge. Whatever.
13. See note for number 6.
14. Remember my New Years mix? Sabali was one of the last tracks. I like it's application in this song.
15. This one goes out to the Egyptians. I'm wishing all the best to you.
16. Let's learn this dance.

snweevening: snowy, windy evening

Yesterday I re-enacted "North and South" (the British version, not the Civil-War-Patrick-Swayze-thing).
No, I didn't find my own Richard Armitage.
Nor did I stand up for workers rights.
But I did help put insulation into a wall to keep pipes from freezing. So there was a lot of fluffy white stuff flying around. It felt like I was working in a cotton mill, except I wasn't slowly dying from byssinosis. This music was going through my head the whole time.
That fiberglass stuff that you use for insulation looks like the coziest thing on the planet. IT'S SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE! Like, you really could I guess. It makes you itchy and coughy. That's why they put me in a jumpsuit and face mask. Made me feel like one of the Beastie Boys.

Jealous?

My leg is a little scratched from falling through the snow while jogging.
Yes, snow cuts. It was the icy kind.
I only have 8 1/2 miles left and then I'm done with my 70 milezzzzz!!!111!!!

I think this song is a fitting post-valentines day tune:



King Charles, I would never let you go.
BTW, he does a mean interpretation of We Didn't Start the Fire.

a time for valentines

True love songs

I don't think it's necessary to speak Spanish in order to understand this song.

If the drum seems a bit off to you (as it does to me), you can listen to and download the studio version here.

Here's to hoping we all find someone that we want to share our chair with.
Happy Valentines 

24th Year Resolutions

This is my year. The year of the rabbit. Chinese New Year started a week ago; totally in line with my birthday. Which I guess I should probably tell you about.
Melinda, Katie, and Melanie visited me up at Aspen Grove on Friday. We ate massaman curry, funfetti cake, and reminisced over some choice episodes of Freaks and Geeks. Lovely.
I woke up the morning of my birthday to see this chap looming over my bed:

The twins had bought a cardboard cut-out of the Biebs, taped balloons onto him, and sneakily left him in my room while I was sleeping. 

Homeboy almost gave me a heart attack when I woke up. 

P.S. Whoever will go with me to see "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3-D" will be my new best bestie.

After work, I zoomed down the canyon to meet up with Mum, Pops, and Broseph to see the Carl Bloch exhibit (that experience deserves a post all to itself, so stay tuned). Dinner at Brick Oven followed. My dad made sure to tell every employee that my mom worked there back in the day. He also told them that it was my birthday...so yes...I was one of the poor suckers that they make stand on the table while they sing some variation of happy birthday because if they sing the "real" happy birthday song they could get sued because it's under copyright or something and that's why you never hear the whole song in tv or in movies or anything either. As a reward for my humiliation, they gave me a plate of whipped cream and pie crust. I loved it. 

Afterward, we headed over to Tiana's and Allison's for cake and stuff. I slept over, so of course we had a pillow fight and played "Truth or Dare" and painted our nails, and put curlers in our hair, and slathered our faces with gooey cleansing masks, and read seventeen magazine, and watched the whole Twilight movie series including the documentary "Twilight in Forks: The Saga of a Real Town"*. On Sunday it was churching time, and then back home to SLC for dinner with family and friends. Perfect perfect.

Basically my 24th birthday was no different than what a 14th birthday would look like.

In honor of a new year in my life, I've put down some resolutions. Really, I think that it is best to make resolutions on your birthday, because that is really when *your* year begins. This is what I will do, be, and accomplish in my 24th year:

1. Be more reverent

          It's too easy to be irreverent. Especially when you're trying to be funny. Or when you are living with boys. Or when your home is isolated from most of civilization. I've been listening to way too much Kanye. My internal dialogue is riddled with curse words. The self that I was on October 17th 2009 (the day I came home from my mission) would be appalled by the self that I am now. But that's what resolutions are for, right?
          Just like the primary song says, "Reverence is more than just quietly sitting". It doesn't mean you have to be boring, you just have to be conscious of what you are doing, and considerate of the spirit. If what you are doing, watching, or listening to offends the spirit; then it shouldn't be happening. What a simple standard. So I will be more discerning about the movies I watch, more selective about the music I listen too, and careful with the way I speak and act. I also want to set aside more time for the temple. 24 temple visits in my 24th year. I can do it. Twice a month. Starting tomorrow. Who's with me?

2. Sincerity: Don't be so American**

        
          Speaking English is tricky. Katie teaches English, and has found it difficult to explain to her students why we speak the way we do. Like why we are so disingenuous, for example. It doesn't matter how you feel, you will always say you're "fine". You always tell everyone, "We should hang out sometime," even if you don't really want to. And, if you fancy someone...well, for a lot of the time, you are supposed to pretend like you don't. Apparently this was really hard for her students to understand.
"American's are liars!" they said.
"Yes, we are," she said.

I'm going to try to follow my instincts, which probably means I will look foolish sometimes. I will stop being worried about what people think of me, and just say what I want to say, and do what I want to do. Be friendly; no more acting disinterested or cool.

How does one put this into practice? I'm not really sure. For now, I'm just trying to act like I'm Brazilian. They always seem confident and friendly enough.

3. Make some noise
          My brother Jeremy is pretty good at music stuff. I like music a lot too. It's high time that we form a brother-sister musical duo. Especially since there is a a gaping hole in the genre now that The White Stripes are over.

So we'll be like them, except we're actually brother and sister. And I'm guessing we'll just be doing covers. It will be fun! I think I'm more excited about this than Jeremy is.

4. Be featured in the Daily Universe's Police Beat
          I know that some of you are schemers out there. Let's make this happen.

*Some of these things didn't really happen.
** I use the term American as a title for residents of the United States.

Ain't Nothing Wrong With That - Last of the Recap, Snap Back to Reality

Finally, the last of my Sundance recaps. Saving the best for last, of course.
Last Wednesday was the BMI Snowball. I didn't really know what to expect, but I was excited for it. The line stretched and stretched and stretched. Actually not that long. Just long enough to make me anxious that we wouldn't make it in.

But I shouldn't have worried. Soon enough, we were nice and toasty inside.

Let me just tell you.

I love Sundance, cause it has some of the weirdest crowds ever. You have mixes of college kids and retired volunteers and film people and music people and all of them are trying to mesh together and it's funny and should be really awkward but nobody cares because really: who fits in anywhere anyway?
So it was an odd mix, but I think we all enjoyed each others company. Even if quite a bit of Stella Artois got spilled on my fleece. I don't drink, but it sure smelled like I did after that party. Casualties must be expected in a setting like this.

I missed the first group, so by the time I found a spot to stand, I was listening to this guy:

Allen Stone

He was nice and chill.

And then there was this girl:


Lucy Schwartz

Isn't it great? I like her lots. And she's just 19! A baby really.

And then this kid:

His kind of music reminds me of high school. Songs by him always pop up on Pandora for me, so I guess it was high time to check him out.

But the cream of the crop was this guy:

It won't let me embed it, so click here to watch the video:

Click it

Do it now

You won't regret it

Robert Randolph and the Family Band - Ain't Nothing Wrong With That

OK
The video is a little goofy, but the song is HOT. I remember listening to it a lot soon after I got home from my mission. I really want their new album, We Walk This Road which I'm sure I will love because T Bone Burnett produced it and he is the man.

Here is the City Weekly review of the evening.

So that was the BMI Snowball. Good times were had by all.