Stav: I Feel It All

"to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free"

This song is so good for dancing.


Take care,
love,
Stav.

Leslie: Mumbles from the National Gallery

This is an excerpt, beyond the Stav poem, from my travels earlier this semester. I hadn't gone back through and read it until just now. Since no one had really written about art, I thought I'd include it, a wider glimpse into the strange mind that makes its home in my body. 

At the National Gallery of Art again in my own universe. A heaven. I am my own best friend. Wearing clothes I wore all day yesterday and through the night, yet I feel fresh. Fresh in the middle of a traveler's high. Headphones on again in an art museum, one of my favorite things to do. Like being in Prof. Mary Brantl's class at good ol' StEdwards. Yes. One word, StEdwards. With other people I find museums boring. Maybe it's because I can't get lost. I have to be WITH them, out of my little space. Here I am, alone in D.C feelin' warm again.
In front of me are two paintings, one familiar the other new to me, but familiar. Thank you Mary Brantl, Modigliani and his Nude on Blue Cushion from 1917 with her coy and confindent gaze. The rather ugly maroon tone over the background would bore me if it weren't for that gaze of hers. Big tits with sizeable aereolas, just like mine. She seems to be telling me with that face, "go on, be proud of your curvy, healthy frame". Ok I say.

Aaaand here she is. Aereolas and all. 

I'm not going to say he's my favorite artist but I love what Toulouse Lautrec does. In 1897, or something like that, he uses oil on cardboard! That badass Toulousse LauTrec.

 Who says you need to be painting on canvas to be high art? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle indeed. These cardboard works of his always leave some memory of happening with me. The man in a white sport coat stands with his back to me, painted in what seems like a split second, but gracefully done. His lady friend, almost grotesque, leers at someone, maybe me or this flash camera little girl beside me. The leering lady, a little ugly and full of life. I love it. 

Little girl with windup disposable camera taking pictures of paintings. Just for the joy of doing so. These paintings inspire me to do more cardboard art. Such texture, such "fuck it-ness". 

Hm. This is the Chester Dale portion of the gallert...Whoever this Chester Dale guy is, he was loaded. What did he do? How is there someone with so much money? 

ha ha ha ha ha. Stream of Consciousness indeed, eh? If you don't engage in this type of writing I highly encourage you to do so. It really pulls out the creativity and rawness that we all possess. Thanks for reading and I love you all! 

Stav: Double Standard

I've been spending an increasing amount of time in coffee shops working on stuff (or not) and have noticed the following trend: when you order just a cup of house coffee which usually costs between 1 and 2 dollars, and then you take out the ol' credit card to pay for it, a lot of the time, the person at the counter will just give it to you for free. I assume this is because it costs more money for the coffee shop to pay the credit card companies etc... then the buck fifty that the coffee is actually worth. This happened to me again not 20 minutes ago. I came home to enlighten my housemates (all male) about this new discovery. When I told them what had just happened they responded with "THAT NEVER HAPPENS TO GUYS!" In conclusion: girls, we have to start insisting on paying for our coffee! This double standard shall not stand!

With sisterhood solidarity,
take care,
stav.

Leslie: A Poem for Stav

During my two day train expedition from Miami to D.C to Ann Arbor, Michigan I had such expansive time to think and oh how I reveled in it. Getting onto that train gave me a two day drug-free high. It was just me, the gently rocking train, and other travelers circling about me, coloring my journey. My favorite memory of being on the Amtrak is simple: me sitting in the cafe car gazing at the moving scenery, coffee in hand, typing, typing, and typing whatever was to come my mind's way. I looked through my sentimental mind and recalled all my beautiful friends throughout the 6 years I lived at Pearl. Very naturally I thought of you, Stav and how much you brought to my life, in a very subtle, gauzy sort of way. This is not to say that I haven't poems for the other patrons of this blog whom I lived with my dear Summer, Claire, Andrea, and Chett...I really cannot explain why I found myself writing a poem to Stav, I just felt all lovey and happy on that train and wanted to share it. So here is the very poem I wrote, stream-of-conciousness, unedited and raw. *a bit of an aside first, in this ditty, I refer to Stav winning something and I cannot now remember exactly what that was, but I remember the big feeling of pride for you. ha ha ha. Ah, typical me. Enjoy.




I write to all my kindreds, but this one's for you , my Stav 
I want to remember your spirit forever
Crowned Freshman of the Year...which year was that anyhow? 
scrawling Bob Dylan into the wooden chair on our smoking, talking balcony 
Your long, honey brown hair wavy 
getting in your face 
your big glasses 
and only you-ness
I love you, friend, for I'll never know anyone like you 
Pete Seeger, Townes, Kinks on shuffle never cease to draw happy in-motion images of you 
To hold onto you riding your bike into the Pearl dining room, long hair about your face 
cool vest-wearing, my friend Stav 
mutually loathing Dallas, but maybe that's the town that made us cool? 
Your Lesbe, giving me some of the most legendary best friendship hugs of all time 
There was a contest and you won
I'm so proud of you 
a beautiful sister I never had 

Stav, pretending to be Chett. <3

Leslie: To Stymie or Not to Stymie

Sorry I've been MIA on this here glorious blog....no excuses really just had cases, yes many cases, of writer's block. Someone really ought to find a cure for that.

My purpose today is to promote the use of this amazing word, stymie. I was listening to All Things Considered(ahem) on my way home from babysitting my nephews the other evening and heard it. I've heard it and read it before but never appreciated it. I think Barack Obama used it to discuss this past week's election results that will further stymie his political goals. Poor guy. I've been trying to use this word whenever I can, sneaking it in while dancing it up at bars with old Dallas pals. Like last night we went to this supposed hardcore Hip-Hop bar called, The Slip Inn and I declared, while looking as bored as possible, "This Top 40 dance mix is really stymie-ing my efforts to "drop it like it's hot" to hard core gangsta rap." 

Yeah. 

So are you with me on promoting the use of this oft-forgotten word? 

Love, 

Les

Claire: part of a dialogue with a student

So glad to hear from Summer and Stav! This is just a quick entry that I'm copying and pasting before I crash into my bed. I'm poo poo pooped! I envision a thoughtful entry in the very near future........... 

----

its yust a soundtrack
and i understand not anything
but i what the lyriks are, everything!!!
=)

it is a joke for the movie 
but i think the song shows us the situation of oure (the amercan) musik buissnis :
the woman should be very sexy and she should say horny thing an so on. ist a musikbuiniss fore stupid people. but the problem is that the most people are stupid. so you have to make this musik to become famous.... its so stupid 
but its funny ^^

Stav: Back From a Long Sabatical

Hello all! Thank you for still being here when I decided it was time to check le blogue after maybe a month and a half. You guys are the best...

So, not much has changed since my last posting. I'm starting (eek!) my tenuous journey down the long road of graduate school applications. Currently working on my personal statement. I'm having a horrible time writing it. I know what I want to say regarding why I want to pursue graduate studies etc... but I don't know how to put it all together in a convenient narrative form. Bleh. If anyone has any advice, it would be appreciated :)

At the end of September I reached the ripe old age of 22! Alright! The event was celebrated with a medium-sized party at poquito hut. The theme was beer and cake. Funny story. I haven't thrown a party since I was 16 years old. I don't know why I wanted to do it this year, maybe because I'm finally living in a house with a porch. Anyway, on the Tuesday before the Saturday I decided it was time to call all the people I know (still living in Austin that is... wish you could have been there, and thank you to those who came) because I am afraid of making facebook events for nebulous reasons probably tied to my various neuroses associated with social networking websites. As I was calling the 20 or so people I wanted to invite a common conversational trope arose that sounded a little something like this:

Stav: Hi [friend], what are you doing this Saturday evening?
Friend: Um, I don't know. Why? What's up?
S: Well, I'm having a medium sized beer-and-cake party for my birthday and wanted to invite you.
F: Oh! cool, yeah, I'll come.
S: Great.
F: Is it on Face Book?
S: Err... No.

Which is why I eventually gave in and put it online. It wasn't hard. It was easy. It was helpful. IT'S OK TO PUT YOUR SHIT ONLINE (as I post details about my personal life on a public blog... ugh... see what I mean... but I digress). Anyway, when it was finally time for the party I got really nervous that people wouldn't show up. Then some people did show up between those purgatory party hours of 9:30 to 10:30. I put on some Fats Waller because I think 1940s jazz means partying as much as the next girl and set up a table on which to put the three different types of cake available. Then...everyone sat on couches, listened to music and talked quietly. It was turning into a sit on couches and talk quietly party!!! Nooo!!! Also since most of my close friends are women, at this point the people at my party were 8 of my girlfriends and one of their boyfriends. Awkward. Next to my stereo, there was a table laden with cake (with candles!), candy, and milk (provided by a thoughtful friend as a substitute to alcohol). Since all the beer was in the fridge, the party looked like a 12 year old's party. I started pacing the house, took out the recycling, and drank 3 beers in 20 minutes. I was so anxious I started breaking out in hives. This is funny in retrospect. Please imagine me frantically running around the house, kindof tipsy and very nervous. Really, very funny. In that Woody Allen kind of way that I love. The evening ended up being a success, but success isn't as entertaining as fumbling around.

Jeez. That was along anecdote.

Take care,
Stav.

Summer: KALIMA Shuck-ti-day...?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

It’s been a while ladies!

Early this week (last Sunday) my sister called me with an urgent request—my address!  Alright, whatever.  So, she calls me in the middle of the week demanding that I go to my mailbox.  At 11:30pm I remember that I need to go pick up that package or else risk the wrath of my sister, even though she is a few hundred miles away.  I grew up in fear, clearly.

This is what happened.

I’m sorry I don’t have a better picture—ie me in full regalia.  But, since I suck at taking pictures, this is what I found on someone’s facebook.  Yes, I am a RAINBOW FISH!  That mysterious package from my sister contained that wacked out hat, the glittery purple glasses (which provided UV protection, thank you very much) and the even more random pink, feathery boa.  Needless to say, I hung out at Goodwill and found a fantastic hand-crocheted teacher vest—in fiesta colors!  My skirt was made from wrapping paper (some people thought I was some sort of present). 

Anyway, I had a pretty good time at some med school-ish party.  There was nearly not enough dancing, but I danced with my friend Lilian anyway.  By the way—she is the Ninja Turtle.  My mom sewed that costume some 12 years ago.  Lilian was able to fit in the whole thing—including the one-sie jump suit!

So, this Halloween (and my secretly horrible addiction to Glee) brought me upon Rocky Horror.  So, I want everyone to get up, sing, and do the TIME WARP!!!!

This brings me back to Pearl St. Drag Parties!  LEROY!!  I mostly remember Tim on the floor to the meat-fridge in a floral print dress that, I think, belonged to Jenn's (Fey) mom.  This was pre-Tim&Jenn.  And, somehow four of us (unnamed individuals) tried a four way kiss.  Thank god that didn't pan out!  Those were the days!

In other news.  This is what we did in anatomy lab this past Thursday.

Yes, we took out the heart.  YES, it was absolutely AMAZING!  No, it is not as big as your fist…it is BIGGER!  Well, ours was.

Anywho,  I am well and I hope everyone else is TOO!

We need more posts.  Thank god for Claire--she is the SOUL of our blog.

Oh, and I would love to go camping over winter break sometime if anyone is interested!

Love you all,

Summer

(Claire) Bad music: the good kind

Claire: Codo reaches a whole new level

Codo - Ich düse im Sauseschritt from Michael Klarfeld on Vimeo.

Film project at school last weekend + cheap beer + a wonderful song as inspiration = this video!

This was put together by my teacher mentor, Michael. I do hope this is but the first of many funny videos we make this year.

I suppose it's obvious that I'm having a jolly good time in Dresden. :-) I'll write more about it sometime soon.


Ach but before I go it's my moral obligation to tell you guys about this great resource where you can turn youtube video audio into mp3s: video2mp3.net. what a goldmine! it's brainless to use and takes about one minute for each song.

xoxo,
claire

PUMBA KAT

Hallööööö liebe Kunden!


How the heck are you guys? I've been so out of the loop.

Hohkay, I wanted to write more but here's the deal: IT'S A SUNNY DAY. And I'd be a fool to stay indoors on a day like this. My sunny days are, like, numbered as November nears......
I also wanted to post some lovely pictures of fall foliage, but I can't find the darn link for uploading pictures! They'll come L8R

I'm having a great time. I'm wrapping up my fall break and on Tuesday I'm going to start teaching 4realz. I've had the past 2 weeks free and I took trips to Berlin, Kiel & Flensburg. These 2 northernly cities are 30 minutes apart, but Germans consider the difference to be profound. Actually they're right.

Berlin is wild! There's Germany and there's Berlin. It's super international, very funky, and the scene is constantly changing. In spirit, it's like a cosmopolitan version of Austin. It's only 2 hours away and I know plenty of people living there, so I'll visit fairly often. I'm very glad that I live in Dresden though-- in Berlin it would be hard to meet German people, oddly enough. Dresden is like this Baroque dream come true. Plus, it's the size of Austin and there is so much to do. Huzzah!

In Kiel and Flensburg I was reunited with Frederike & her family & her spectactular friends. I had a damn good time. We had a MUSTACHE PARTY and I got reacquainted with Fernet Branca y Coca, which is what people drink in Argentina. Listen, I think it's stupid to talk about drinking, but I'm going to make a brief exception: Fernet is something else. It's actually quite nice on your stomach and you'll have an opposite-hangover the next day. It is, however, an "acquired taste". (OK I'm done now)

But really, the best part of the trip was at the grocery store. I was buying said drink and some old man started pushing his shopping cart against me (instead of asking me to kindly move or going around me). Then after I grumbled some insults, he took out his knife and starting sharpening it. Fuckin weirdo.

Hmm this is already becoming long and the sun is beckoning me. I'm going to a "Hochseilgarten" with my housemates. It's a place where you climb shit, but it's not rock climbing.

But in a nutshell, I wanted to say that I'm back in Dresden after some, um, life-threatening adventures. I can't say that I've developed much of a routine yet. There is still so much to see and do, but I'm definitely carving myself a cozy little niche with the groovy new people that I'm meeting and at my home.


That's all for now, folks! BYE!! And check out this sweet Chilean music playlist that NPR compiled.

Besos,
Claire

Andrea - P-I-Z-Z-A

So following Claire's lead, I wanted to put a video up that I thought would make you laugh. I think you will all get a kick out of watching this video, even if you weren't a fan of Mary-Kate and Ashley's sleepovers!! It's awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wusGIl3v044

Sorry, I thought I would know how to embed videos by now but you should all know that I am really bad with computers. So click on the link to watch the video- trust me it will make you laugh.

And a quick update on my life: School is good -- I'm starting to become really interested in my thesis project but it really still hasn't picked up as much as I thought it would (i.e it is much easier than undergrad and I have a lot of free time (I'm sorry, Summer!)) Today I decided that I don't want to waste evenings in front of my computer anymore so from now on I am going to try to watch the sunset from the hills whenever I can. Today I hiked up a hill, did some sun salutations on top of the hill and then read my book (For whom the Bell Tolls - by Hemingway (who also lived in Idaho!)) until the sun went down. It was the perfect evening and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.

Speaking of routines that I am establishing for myself: Every Saturday morning I bike down to the farmers market and buy all the produce that I will need that week. I have been cooking the best food, I wish I could throw a pot-luck/dance party for all of you lovely ladies and you too, Chett.

Things with Michael are super, if you were wondering. He came up to vist me two weekends ago and he is coming again in another two weeks. Long distane kind of sucks but we are making it work and it's not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm really happy with him =). On the subject of boys... I am going to Denver at the end of October for a big geology conference and I'm probably going to see Josh. I wouldn't consider us friends really but things are fine between us and I'm actually grateful to him for breaking up with me because I am 100 % certain now that he was not right for me.


Besides that, I don't really know what else to update you on, nothing much is new- maybe that's why it took me so long to post a real entry. I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing well.

hope to hear from all of you soon.

Andrea.

Claire: booty from the new wave treasure chest!

Dear friends, here's a quick entry before I leave for Berlin tomorrow.

It's overdue that I share this masterful German song with you guys. It's cool (read: hilarious) on so many levels, so where do I begin to dispel it's wonder? It's just as entertaining to watch the video as to listen to the song. Firstly, the video just grabs you from the very beginning: these pyschadelic, swinging mirrors lead to the entrance of a tan, balding man wearing a muscle t-shirt. Then appears a munchkin man wearing some glasses that might have belonged to Elton John. Eventually a blonde girl enters the scene and she's supposed to be an alien bringing love to planet of hate. I think she's struggling to keep a straight face throughout the whole shenanigan. Everyone acts and sings together to tell of the epic encounter of love and hate in outer space!!

By the way, most Germans roll their eyes at me when I tell them how much I love this song. I suspect that you guys will too, heh heh.




Here are the lyrics. It's worth listening to the German version too because the rhyming is both silly and clever. I translated the song into a pretty rough English, but somehow that seemed appropriate.

Seit 2.000 Jahren lebt die Erde ohne Liebe.
Es regiert der Herr des Hasses.
For 200 years the Earth has lived without love.
The Kingdom of Hatred rules.

Häßlich, ich bin so häßlich, so gräßlich häßlich:
Ich bin der Haß!
Hassen, ganz häßlich hassen, ich kann's nicht lassen:
Ich bin der Haß!
Ugly, I am so ugly, so horribly ugly:
I am the hatred!
Hating, such hateful hating, i can't stop it:
I am the hatred!

Attention, attention.
Unknown flying object approaching the planet. -
Identify unknown flying object.

Codo der dritte, aus der Sternenmitte bin ich der dritte von Links.
Codo the Third, coming from the stars i'm the third on the left

Unknown flying object identify says: Codo"

Und ich düse, düse, düse, düse im Sauseschritt
und bring' die Liebe mit von meinem Himmelsritt.
Denn die Liebe, Liebe, Liebe, Liebe, die macht viel Spaß,
viel mehr Spaß als irgendwas.
And I speed along, speed along, speed along in a fast pace
and I bring the love in my spaceship
because the love, love, love, love, it's really fun
much more fun than something

We do not need any love on this planet:

Tötet Codo! Vernichtet die Liebe!
Kill Codo! Destroy the love!

Codo aus der Ferne der leuchtenden Sterne:
Ich düse so gerne durchs All.
Codo from far away, from the bright stars
Ich love to speed along in outspace

Und ich düse, düse, düse, düse im Sauseschritt
und bring' die Liebe mit von meinem Himmelsritt.
Denn die Liebe, Liebe, Liebe, Liebe, die macht viel Spaß,
viel mehr Spaß als irgendwas.
And I speed along, speed along, speed along in a fast pace
and I bring the love in my spaceship
because the love, love, love, love, it's really fun
much more fun than something

Objekt überwindet den Hassschirm.
Object has penetrated the Hate bubble.

Ätzend, ich bin so ätzend, alles zersetzend:
Ich bin der Haß.
Acidic, i am so acidic, entirely corrosive
I am the hatred.

Mächtig, unendlich mächtig, und niederträchtig.
So ist mein Haß.
Powerful, infinitely powerful, and wicked.
Such is my hatred.

Und ich düse, düse, düse, düse im Sauseschritt
und bring' die Liebe mit von meinem Himmelsritt.
Denn die Liebe, Liebe, Liebe, Liebe, die macht viel Spaß,
viel mehr Spaß als irgendwas.
And I speed along, speed along, speed along in a fast pace
and I bring the love in my spaceship
because the love, love, love, love, it's really fun
much more fun than something

Here are a couple other German New Wave gems. Don't take them seriously, just sit back and laugh! Or dance?

Leslie: A little soul for your SOUL!

As if we don't get enough suggestions for new music we should all listen to...I'm going to suggest a MUST...if you like old skool soul/blues, that is. This podcast out of Jersey City's WFMU, Downtown Soulville with Mr. Fine Wine, will absolutely blow your mind....every week! I'm not exaggerating. What I want to know is, how is all this amazing music unknown to most of the world? Good soul music is like a perfectly made, crunchy, velvety-melted grilled cheese on a cold day. Mmmmm. Tastes great to my ears. I implore you to look into subscribing to it via iTunes. It's free afterall! 

Andrea- All the World is Green

Hey guys,

I was just looking up a song called "San Fransisco Bay Blues" by Tom Rush (who if you haven't heard of him, check him out!) and I came across this video:  It rocks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXWLceA5TSA&p=094EB5C0653239F7&playnext=1&index=77

Who's in the mood for some Tom Waits?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GIAawSTisE

And of course I had to put some Bob Dylan in here... This song goes out to Alice who is "a thousand miles from her home".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSqypwGXw6g

I'll write an actual post soon when I have more time!

ps- how have you guys been putting the videos (not just the links) up here?

Leslie: The Bringer of Jollity

Currently listening to... Gustav Holst's The Planet's movement, Jupiter the Bringer of Jollity 
Feeling...perhaps due to caffeine intake, but me thinks not completely, swelling with a feeling of jollity
Weather...impending rain, slightly humid as per usual

The title of my post and subsequent mood are related to this most wondrous suite of the classical composer,Gustav Holst. This is probably the most famous movement within the suite and it is so commandingly beautiful that it gives me goosebumps everytime. I swear it's worth listening to/watching this YouTube video of an orchestra in Osaka, Japan performing . Wait'll you get a glimpse of the conductor! You have to respect him because he obviously put his whole soul into this performance! I love people that are passionate, don't you?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B49N46I39Y     (I cannot figure out how to embed youtube videos...)

Having read about the composer Gustav Holst a bit, I've dug up some interesting factoids for your reading pleasure...oh wondering minds....
He isn't German, but English and the interesting thing is that his name used to be Gustav VonHolst but due to anti-German sentiment in England he dropped the "Von"(...as if Gustav and Holst doesn't still sound German...?) in 1918. Admitedly according to wikipedia, Holst was enthusiastic about socialism, vegetarianism, Hindu mysticism, and ol' Walt Whitman poetry. What a guy! The Planets went on to become overwhelmingly his most famous orchestral suite and apparently he was annoyed with its popularity over his other works. ha. Well, Gustav, get over it, it rules!

****

Meanwhile, back in Nicaragua....

It seems I've been in this grand country of volcanoes, lakes, and beautiful people for a little over a month. Part of me feels like it's been so much longer. In the first weeks I was here I vacationed with my boyfriend, Travis, who was in the Peace Corps until.....as I half expected,he got sent home on August 30th for chronic gastrointestinal issues and needing surgery in his wrist. C'est La Vie on that one. Travis is without a doubt the love of my life and while it's been hard missing him,  I see the benefits of being here on my own. 

Some Agave sitting pretty while I look down from the summit of the highest volcano in Nicaragua, San Cristobal

Feeling cocky and about to summit this beast of a volcano...little did I know the misery that followed in the trek down...

Pretty much since he left I decided to change my plans here. I'm in Nicaragua for about 2 more weeks then I'm flying to Miami, couchsurfing there for the night, and then it's time for my grand Cross Country Train Adventure to Ann Arbor, Michigan to reunite with my boyfriend! Yeah its slightly more expensive than flying and takes two whole days, but I love trains, it's better for the environment, and it's path is beyond Interstates. It's going to be my very own Darjeeling Limited adventure minus the whole India thing and fucking Jason Schwartzman at 65 mph. Oh I also couldn't afford a sleeper car, but have no fear, the seats are big AND I plan on purchasing some sleeping pills or something like it at the local farmacia here in Leon just in case I lose my sanity after hour 24. Ah the joys of living in a country that doesn't regulate it's pharmaceutical sales. Anybody need any medicaciónes? jajaja. 

After I visit my boyfriend for two weeks in Ann Arbor, I am Greyhounding it up to Indianapolis to meet up with my parents and favorite Aunts and Uncles for a weekend of eating at old haunts, uproarious laughter, and hugs near my parents alma mater, Purdue University. Then after that it's back home to Dallas until January when I go back to NYC to resume grad school. phew. Think I'm gonna "settle down" in Brooklyn for more than a year this time. Being a nomad is great but I'm tiring of it and miss my cat.

...I digress....comments on me, unintentionally by myself, here in Nicaragua....There are obvious benefits to being here sin mi novio such as not speaking as much English. The operative word(s) being "not as much". It being Leon, the second biggest city in Nicaragua, there are many people here, gringo and non-gringo that speak English; especially at the hostel where I work/live. My Spanish has improved but...Yo no soy bilingüe. But I have many actual friends here and I couldn't be happier with that. Right now I am sitting at this little open air cafe, La Rosita where all the baristas are my friends and Spanish teachers! I'm gonna miss this place for sure. Just this morning I wandered in the local market trying to buy ridiculous presents for my parents. Hence, Spanish practice time! Everyone here is so gracious and kind to me when I try to speak with them that my passable Spanish is often called "bastante" or enough by the locals. Sure. Thanks people...you're too kind. Here's a link to the hostel where I live/work in case you want to check it out. 
http://sonati.org/en/
I've got some adventures to write humorous vignettes about, but this long entry will do for now. 
As they say here, Que le Vaya Bien! 


Amor y Paz,
your ol' Les

Summer: Bunch of Hippies

Ah the wonders of procrastination!  Instead of comparing protein translation between eukaryotes and prokaryotes, I am going to join you lovelies for some share time!

This weekend I had a lovely reunion in Austin with, mainly my old housemates (Stav, Chris, Niell, and Jay), but I also got to see Fatima!  It was a bit of fresh air getting out of San Antonio and going back to Austin.  I feel more at home there; I told Stav that the past 7 weeks or so felt like a...dream in comparison to returning to Austin.  I felt like medical school was a distant thought and that Austin was my real life again.

To give you an idea of things taking place in Austin, I will recount the text messaging between me and one of my San Antonio med school friends.

Lilian: We miss you!  Hope you're having fun at one of ur favorite coffee shops lol

Me:  Hell Yeah! My friend [Stav] is playing guitar.  I had wine and tasty tofu (Jay actually made tofu...I ate potato salad wrapped in lettuce and tasty tasty chick patties!  but tofu was easier to say) and I am sitting on real wood floors =] group sing a long!

Lilian: Haha! Bunch of hippies, singing; oh god!

Such was my weekend.  Throw in the coffee shops and wonderful friends.  It was a very refreshing weekend.  And Stav burned me her September mix tape!

Stav, Jay, and I also went to a show--a Tent Revival!  Featuring Wino Vino, White Ghost Shivers, and the McMercy Family Band.

I will not comment too much because I can't do it justice the way Stav could--especially since it touches upon one of her favorite musical...genres.

So, here's a link.  I didn't post any youtubes because they all sucked.  This is their myspace.  This was a really fun band to dance to, but also because there were a lot of biblical songs...of course, there was also a lot of smack thrown around making fun of revivals.  McMercy Family Band

So...that was my quick deviation from work!

Love you all and definitely enjoy the videos!  Claire, I hope you feel better soon!

Claire: better than chicken noodle soup

Ah I think that this video is great on so many levels and it also serves as a bizarre escape from being stuck at home all day. 

Another great one, as many of you surely already know from Stav's epic summer mix... ahhh defies words


And does this song ever get old? No! Here's a live version that is slightly reminiscent of spontaneous dance partys at Pearl Street........


Ugh get off YouTube, Claire!
Goodbye! :-)

Wagon Wheel

Hey guys,

I know I'm overdue for a post but for now I just have time to post this song:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gX1EP6mG-E&ob=av

I hope everyone is well and I'll write more soon, I promise!

ps: Hi Chett!

Claire: rotz rotz rotz

hello once again,

i'm still out with a cold (or maybe a sinus infection?). now that i'm at home for a while it's high time to share a little more about my experiences in deutschland!

oh nein! some blond guy just rang the doorbell and i don't have a bloody clue what he just asked me. this kind of one-sided dialogue is a daily occurance. many people here in dresden and the saxony area, like this bloke at the door, speak with a pretty heavy dialect called sächsisch. to me, it's like another foreign language in this already foreign language. 

it's mind-boggling to think that germany, this rather small country that's probably half the size of texas, has so many dialects of german. although we have dialects in the u.s. too , i don't think they deviate from standard english all that much. it's not too hard to understand someone from, say, boston or alabama. german dialects are a big jump from standard "high german", so much so that even native german speakers struggle to understand dialects! i'd say that the gap between standard german and sächsisch is as wide as the gap between standard american english and scottish.

on that note, i've been frustrated with german because i thought it'd be better at it by this point. i've been avoiding german as much as possible this week, which doesn't exactly help. learning a foreign language is like riding a roller coaster with big ups and downs. fortunately i remember feeling the same way in argentina, so i know that this will pass eventually...

i want to elaborate more on this german face thing... there's more to it. one of the most fascinating things about germans is discovering what's beyond those serious faces.  too often i have met someone and i thought to myself, "bah hambug, what a cold, uptight person!" ... only to be proven so, so utterly wrong. behind these serious expressions are warm, generous people with a great sense of humor. the thing is that germans don't think they owe anything to strangers, so that's why they seem cold in public settings. thus, you can forget about smiling at the passer-by (let alone making eye contact), small talk, customer service, or even saying "excuse me" if you get in someone's way on the street. but once you start to get to know german people (it's not too hard), you earn their trust and eventually this intense sense of loyalty. you can also look forward to lots of interesting conversations. i adore the germans for their curiousity and love of engaging conversation (no small talk please). another admirable trait of ze germans is their sincerity. they will never ask "how are you?", invite you to somewhere, or offer you something unless they positively mean it. you can always count on their word. in a nutshell: there's less fluff, you know?

welp, that's enough for today!

i miss you guys a lot.  

cross your fingers that i'll get better soon.

xoxo, claire

ps: below is a picture of dresden that i found 

pss: rotz is the beautiful german word for snot, which is the main feature of my existence right now

Klär: my German face

Exhibit A: I'm posting this picture for a few reasons...

1) You can see my kitchen at my new apartment.

2) Tall boots and a trench coat? But it's only September 18th!

3) However the main reason I took this was to show you a unique phenomenon which I call the "German face." This is the preferred expression of many Germans in public settings, like when walking around the city or waiting for the train. You have to look like you're contemplating your mortality or something. No smiling.

Exhibit B: another girl on my program took this concept to new heights. I can't look at this without erupting into laughter. 

I've been living in Dresden for about 10 days and I LOVE IT! More to come soon. For now I will rest because I caught a cold today. Tschüß!

PS: Another hilarious factoid is that I hear "It's Raining Men" on the radio at least once a day!

By popular demand, and I'm not anyone's sister, all right. This is short, but its late and I have to sleeeeepp. Summer, In answer to your questions, I am working at Half Price Books, and I don't really get sick anymore, at least not often.

Also, per your request, my first movie review will be for the film, BIO-DOME. Sometimes I will write something about a movie, but I'm just going to rate this one: A+. This scene really takes me back and is reminiscent of the dynamic we had at the co-op: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SeVpY8Pxx4

I don't know what all of these link fields mean in this thing, so the link is everywhere.

Hope you're all doing well,

Chett

Stav: Moon River-ing

Hello all,

The past couple of weeks have felt really crazy/emotional/full/hectic but really, I haven't been doing that much. I'm in a wistful mood the majority of the time and it gets in the way of my living my life. Blerg. I find myself humming this song constantly. While doing dishes, reading, walking to the bus stop. Although there are many versions of Moon River, I think that Audrey Hepburn's version of it from Breakfast at Tiffany's is the most beautiful:



Hmmm. I hate feeling sad, so I won't expand on my current mood.

Funny/interesting things that have happened to me in or around the bus lately:

Yesterday while I was waiting for the bus, an older gentleman was standing in front of me in line waiting to get on, but a little off to the side. As the bus approached, I waited for him to get on, you know, out of respect... He saw that I wasn't getting on and then yelled at me "GET ON ALREADY". It was horrible. As I recounted this story to my housemate, he replied "That man must hate kindness." Ha!

Usually when I ride the bus I get a lot of homeless/homeless-seeming men trying to make small talk with me. It used to make me uncomfortable, but not really any more. The other week, a very cute hip hipster guy started making small talk with me on the bus. Not a big deal, but a nice change from older, foul smelling men.

Today at the bus stop near my house, in an attempt to stay away from the sun (BTW, I really feel like its just gonna stay hot in Austin forever. The temperature just won't go below 85 until next spring...) I stood on this grassy shaded area. Little did I know I was standing in an ant pile.

Jeez, thanks for letting me blow off some steam blog-friends. I really do love you.

Take care,
Stav.

Summer: Word Vomit

Leslie requested that I procrastinate, so procrastinate I must!  (Thanks so much for the request because otherwise I would have been stuck studying protein synthesis. BOO!)

So, my dear friends!  I have finished my first set of excruciating exams and I am in a new module--so, another 4 weeks and then crazy exam time…again!  I haven't much to write in the sense of "day in my life."  As Andrea and Claire already know, all I do is study.  It's actually a little depressing.  Therefore, I think I will write about how I miss everyone and the things I miss.  And this ties back into Leslie's post about what makes your soul sing.

Friends and Family:  It took my a while to learn that I'm actually a people person.  In high school, when I first thought about medicine as a career, I thought of it from the perspective of, "If I'm a surgeon, I hardly have to deal with people at all."  This sounds horrible, but it was at a time where…I thought I was 99.9% introverted.  But now, people and specifically, "you people" are my favorite things in the world.  So, number one on the list--my people.

On music, I will agree with Leslie.  As stated above, I suck at finding it by myself, so I depend on my "#1 soul singing" friends.  When I am sad, I often play the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack because I think it's so beautiful.  I am not a very good auditory person, so lyrics are not a strength of mine.  But music moves!  And with this, goes dancing!  With my friends, because I'm not very good at dancing by myself.  (Unless I'm concentrating hard on the Samba--then I dance by myself in corners.)

Nature--Leslie again!  Austin, oh Austin my soul yearns for you!  And for all the national parks and forests and wildflowers and foreign countries with foreign plants and animals--natural beauty.

An aside that just keeps butting in my head and clearly wants to be out:  I am having a hard time not being cynical right now--I've erased many sentences because I don't want to sound depressed, because I'm not.  But when I think about my friends, and the wonderful places you're in, and the wonderful moments I've had with all of you--I remember what all I don't have anymore--at least not close at hand.  I am in a new place with new faces and new challenges.  And I have yet to find something as peaceful and comforting as the greenbelt after a rain, or as joyous as a marching band playing in the waters of Barton Springs, or as freeing as yelling off the Pearl St. balcony with my friends, to my friends, or as exhausting as dancing the night away.  I am incredibly nostalgic whenever I remember that I had a life before this study craze.  And most of all, yes, I miss all of you--because there's no one, so far, that fits quite so well into my life.

Sheesh, I sound like a sob story!  So, moving on with this soul-singing list!

MOVIES!  Especially with a glass of wine…surely just a glass and NOT a whole bottle of St. Genevieve's!  Haha--Fast Times with Ridgemont High!  I also just watched "It's Complicated" with my parents--I thought it was HILARIOUS!  Gotta love Alec Baldwin's cheeky, oddly slick words and, the always-distinguished Meryl Streep.

Back to Nature--getting to Nature.  I hate driving in the city--really, I hate driving in lots of traffic.  Give me a highway or farm-to-market late at night, role down those windows and bellow out some tunes--preferably a burned mix from one of your lovely friends.  EPIC!  I feel so much better if I have a good drive.  And there's something nice about a long road trip on your way to something spectacular.

Swimming--there is no other physical activity that gives me as much…innocent…pleasure.  Even playing soccer does not amount to this.  Swirling and splashing!  The excitement of warm weather arriving.  And sometimes just floating, and hearing your heartbeat slow in the water.  And not only the swimming, but all the places you can go swimming--and I am NOT talking about an overly-cholinated azure blue gym pool.  I'm talking hot springs! lakes! rivers! glaciers! (haha, not) and salt-water pools!

I will quit rambling--because this was not a very well thought out post.  I think I just word-vomited.  Writing this, I find that I have a lot of feelings about starting med school and just how hard it is--not the work, but the change in my life style.  Even though I love people a lot, I find myself getting very tired of always having to meet new people and fit in to a new crowd.  I already have friends that are wonderful, that's enough--I just want a few good friends and I think I already found them for life.

Thanks for listening to me purge and I'm sorry it's not very elegant.  I will strive to write more frequently.  I am forever grateful for all of you writing and tuning in!

Summer

Leslie: Mmm-you-SICK!

You like the title of this blog entry? Does it intrigue you? Three elements of awesomeness in one word, Music. And I'm just being silly.

Mmmmm=Because music is tasty to my soul
You= It's all about "you" when listening isn't it? Your own experience? Me thinks so.
SICK=Not as in gross, but as in the "cool" form of SICK! As in, "Damn this music mix is sick!"

I suppose this post was motivated with Stav in mind, but I know all of you love music. My boyfriend and I are obsessed with making mixes for each other as a way to stay close. Perhaps you share this love? Then have I got the website for you.....
8tracks.com
  You can make your own mixes and listen to other peoples. They're theme,mood, and genre oriented to please many tastes. You just make a profile and *wahlah* This site is also good for people that, like me, love music but sometimes get into ruts and need new inspiration.
Anyhow, check it out.

I love all you girls and I request more posts! Come on....procrastinate whatever it is you're doing and post!

Leslie: Ground Zero Deemed Great Place to Show Off Shiny, New, Grown-Up Version of USA

This vast country is home to so many people who come to it believing it to be a place "United", but instead find it divided. Is the name "United States" more of a dream, an unattainable lofty aspiration? When will ignorance and intolerance stop rearing its ugly head?
Ah..I digress...so the aforementioned shit storm has its origins at "ground zero" in Manhattan-Lower Manhattan to be exact; home to Wall Street, the Staten Island Ferry, and a growing sense of fear deeper than the chasm left by the late Twin Towers. I've been loosely following the New York Times's coverage of a Muslim groups' attempt to contruct a center near "ground zero" for a month now and find myself fondly recalling my initial positive inner-ponderings,
  "Oh how nice."
*sigh*
"New Yorkers have seized this opportunity to show the world that we are above petty bigotry and narrow mindedness. This mosque will be a sign of maturity within the American public. UTOPIA HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!"
Oh how wrong I quickly figured out I was. What a lovely half a second of dreaming...
People do not want this mosque built. Sure I empathise with the reasons those opposed to the construction of this center have. They perceive  a Muslim center in the shadows of the Twin Towers to be a slap in the face of the victims of murderous so-called "Jihadist Muslims". Like pouring salt in the wounds of post-9/11 America, this center would be a daily reminder of ....what...that those opposed believe all Muslims to be extreme and thirsy for American blood? Oh wait. Am I missing something here? Now I know...All White Anglo-Saxon Protestants are the same too! I get it. All WASP's wish to put burning crosses in the yards of African-Americans whilst wearing white bedsheets. All WASP's must now be plotting how to out-do Timothy McVeigh. Hmmm...a new city...how about we bomb some buildings in downtown Chattanooga, TN? I'm a WASP, sounds like a plan! I'm sorry, but this is what people opposed to the construction of this center near "ground zero" are saying. This kind of mentality in the UNITED States of America is embarrasing particularly because the home base of this controvery resides in New York City.
I'd expect this sort of backward thinking from a southern city, not grand New York City. A city with a population of approx 9 million people, built with the sweat of  immigrants, a shining beacon of how we CAN all get along. For crying out loud, everyday in this amazing city people of all races, creeds, and economic status share the same subway commute. According to wikipedia, 36% of NYC is foreign born and no single country or region of origin dominate this immense population. Amazing.
But no, apparently it is not possible for us in 2010 to build a bridge and get over it. Can we not come together and see this as an opportunity to rise above something so American, fear? For the time being, it seems that we cannot. For many Muslims, America is becoming an increasingly uncomfortable place to live. Across the country, mosques have been vandalized and several taxi drivers in NYC attacked. This is the result of harboring and encouraging an irrational fear not only within the hearts of individual Americans but the heart of American society. Well I say we must demand better.
Dear America,
Grow up. That is all.

All the love in my heart,
                                   Leslie

Fatima: At work

Hello all. Sorry it's taken me so long. 

I am currently at work waiting for a meeting to start. Things here have been pretty crazy around here. I do want to share the exciting news that I am working part time with Stav. We are working with 2nd and 3rd graders with an after school program. They are incredibly adorable, but also very rambunctious. (Claire, they are right about at your energy level!)

School has started for UT students and the masses of 18-22 year old's in Austin are on the UT campus. I got to meet about 100 freshmen this past weekend, and I am so excited to be working with them and getting to know them.

Things with David are going really well, but we are both incredibly busy so a quick goodnight kiss as all we've been able to share these past few days.

Austin is the same, lovely with it's greenery, social with all of its festivals, music, and trendy trailer eateries, and above all full of fun and outgoing people.

The house I live in is fun. There is enough happening to make it feel warm and cozy. Stefanie moved out, but in her place is a girl who all of you would have fallen in love with. She is super creative, is making a garden, made homemade yogurt for us last week, is going to teach me how to preserve some goodies, loves to read and collect stuff,  and loves to go to night swim at barton springs. I know what you're thinking, too good to be true. I am super excited, though, to have her as a housemate.


Those are pretty much all of my updates.  Miss all of you greatly.

ps. I took this photo on my new iphone! David says hello.

Swimming Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuz5TKzaJoE

This link is for Stav who said she liked Rufus Wainwright. This song is called the Swimming Song and it's by his dad (I think), Loudon Wainwright III. Hope you like it!

Leslie-- I love Mississippi John Hurt! Some of my favorite songs by him are Richland Woman Blues, Corrina Corrina, and Shortenin' Bread. I'm sorry you are feeling down. Hopefully Travis will get better and he can come back to Nicaragua soon.

I'm meeting a lot of people here but so far none of them are nearly as cool as you guys. I still haven't made a close group of friends but I know I just have to give it time.

-Andrea

Leslie: What truly heals my soul

Currently jamming to: Mississippi John Hurt "You got to Walk the Lonesome Valley"
Feeling: Un Poco triste
Weather: Sweaty but not Texas hot

What heals you when you're down and out?
Really put some thought into this my ladies.

Growing up I thought it was my religion and the practice it encouraged-the mysterious act of prayer that healed me; however in the 8 years since deciding not to devote myself to any particular religion, I've realized that what truly heals me, gives me goose-bumps, makes me want to shout the "gospel", and sleep peacefully at night has been speaking to me all along.
In no particular order:
1. Building, maintaining, and marveling at the ability to have a relationship with animals
Is this not healing instantly? Psychologists have published studies proving that the simple act of petting an animal lowers blood-pressure. Ahhhh. What a sacred and beautiful creature is the animal.Every animal is a piece of heaven to me. In fact, right now here in my little dormitory bunk bed in Nicaragua lies Bigote the kitten, long term resident of the hostel wherein I reside. Just seeing her lying on her back asleep amongst my freshly dried laundry makes me breath easier.
2. Art
This is a broad one for me. Music is probably my most soul-affecting art form. Better than any Prozac or alcoholic beverage, music can wash over me and rid me of all my worries almost instantly. I love the fact that an artist, a person just like you and me, had the bravery to put their art into the world and make it live. Paintings, drawings, origami,poems, graffiti, screen-printed t-shirts, etc. Any art, no matter how "bad" or "good" is a reason to be thankful that I am breathing the air this day. Entonces, may I recommend this...beautiful style and soothing vocals of this uniquely talented man, Mississippi John Hurt! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-GN-BP_Qlk

3. Nature
Perhaps this is the real religion. Human-beings cannot conquer it although we certainly try. Nature never ceases to quiet my soul and amaze me.In the deserts of West Texas and the high-altitude clouds seen from an airplane! Sometimes a sunset can speak to me and tell me everything is alright even in the shitty suburbs of Dallas.

I am calling upon and noting these forces of great positive energy for a few reasons from here in Nicaragua...The boyfriend I came down here to spend time and create an adventure with is being Medically Separated from the Peace Corps. So to people not familiar with Peace Corps vernacular, he's been deemed too sick to stay here. For over a year he's had chronic stomach issues due to the food/water. As if that wasn't tiring enough, the past few months revealed some strange benign cyst in his wrist that needs surgery...hench, off to the comfy U.S he goes in 72 hours much to my disappointment. This comes as no surprise, nor do I take it personally. It's been a long hard road for my poor Travis. Always trying to outwit my negative side, I feel this may actually be a positive eventuality for me here in Nica, but right now I am sitting with mixed emotions calling upon all sources of healing. It's certainly not what I wanted to happen. Now, may I commend the beauty of writing....

Stav: Quicky Before Work

First of all, wahhhh!!!! So glad people are posting! Collaborative blogging rules! It's good to hear from all of you :)

As I predicted, the second I had to go back to work, blogging/reading/practicing guitar/breathing (not to mention applying to schools...eek!) fell by the wayside. I really love my job, but it does tend to take over my life. For those of you to whom I haven't babbled on and on about my job already, I work for a non-profit in Austin that does many good things (subsidized housing, case management, etc...) among them running 4 free after school programs for elementary students and teens located all around Austin. Anyway, I have been tasked with heading up the newest learning center, something I've never done and am kind of figuring out as I go along. Needless to say, my enthusiasm for youth empowerment and neuroticism have been working in tandem against me and I'm constantly worrying. On a side note, I will get an AISD ID badge! Official!

Before I have to run to work, I just wanted to share the following song. I don't know that much about Rufus Wainwright, and don't really have any time to do research right now, I just know that it's good and for some reason it really fits my mood lately. Also, it just sounds so nice.



Alrighty folks, have a super day!

Take care,
Stav.

Summer: Room 234

8/18/10
Hi Everyone,

Before the main point of my post, I thought I'd put in something about my sister.  Many of you have asked what kind of work my sister does, and often, you think she's super awesome.  Normally, I try and explain the stuff she does and I usually don't do her justice.  But she actually has written a pretty good post about why she enjoys her work and the kinds of things she encounters.  I thought I would share her blog post with you.

What my sister does in her own words!

Now for Room 234:

In Room 234 of Northeast Baptist Hospital lies my grandfather, my last grandparent.  He was hospitalized on Tuesday for, essentially, kidney problems.  My grandfather who is quick and sharp, dextrous and creative, was reduced to poor mentation and for once, caged in his body.

I know my grandfather as a man who lost a scholarship and was kicked out of school for playing jazz.  He is the first doctor and only surgeon in our family.  He invents delicious recipes often doing things like: making pasta from scratch, making panetone--a traditional Italian sweet bread that takes all day to make, and baking bread bread bread!  He even built an outdoor oven so that he could bake bread and pizza (and who knows what else) in his backyard.

He is a builder and creator--making his own exercise machines, building beds and sliding shelves in his pantry along with the best hydrolic pan holder thing-a-ma-jig.

Seeing him weak and frail was not as difficult as I thought.  After all, he is 90-something (95 I think).  He has had a long, good life filled with friends and family, Italian groups and church.  He has 4 children (but raised 5), 11 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.  I'm pretty sure the Scavone name won't be dying out anytime soon.

But what is the most difficult, is seeing someone, usually so sharp, mentally debilitated.  When he doesn't remember your name, or when he can't remember his relation to you, is...difficult.  He looks at you with confused eyes, somewhat glazed over.  Empty.  He is empty, not there inside his cornflower blue eyes.  He has a vacant smile, sometimes a slight grimace as he struggles to surface, struggles to understand what is going on around him.

UPDATE (8/23/10):  So, my grandfather is still pretty sick, but he's doing much better on dialysis.  I'm not too sure of his prognosis, but I think I'll be okay when he goes.  He's had a long, full life.  I'm just glad that the dialysis improves his brain function.  It's too painful to see intellectual people (or anyone really) loose that part of themselves.  I've seen it in my aunt (although she's fine now) and I think it's one of the worst weaknesses/illnesses to witness in a person.

Sorry for the long post!  I start writing on one day, and then don't finish until another...so, sorry!

In my world...study study study!

I miss everyone and hope everyone is doing well, wherever you are.

Andrea: my first post!

Hi guys! Sorry that I've waited so long to write-- I wanted to wait until I could  post photos.  I still haven't gotten around to uploading my pictures but I had a particularly lonely morning today so I wanted to write anyway.

First, let me catch you up: I'm in Boise! I drove up with Michael (my boyfriend) and we got here Friday.  Boise is so beautiful!  It is a small city that sits in a valley and is surrounded by hills and mountains.  It is really green and everyone is super active and outdoorsy here.  My house is really cute and in a perfect little neighborhood.  The bike route I take to school is along the river! I also live walking distance from some awesome hiking trails in the hills.  (I hope I'm making you all want to come visit me!)

Michael and I had a really fun weekend exploring the city.  He left Sunday morning and I miss him already. We haven't decided if we are going to stay together or not...  After taking him to the airport, I spent the rest of the day cleaning my house, trying to find furniture on craigslist, and biking around town. It didn't hit me how much I missed him and all of my friends until this morning after my first class.  I still haven't met anyone in Boise and I figured I would meet people in classes but I had no luck today.  First of all, there were only 4 other students in my class and they were all a lot older than me and already deep into their research. One girl in my class is already a research scientist!  It was very intimidating.  The professor already assigned a project and I don't even understand what it's about. We are actually supposed to know stuff and figure everything out on our own in grad school...  What if I become a grad school drop-out???

In a couple of minutes I have to go to "tea time" with everyone from the geology department.  It's to get to know each other and talk about our research.  Why am I so nervous??!!

My roommate moves in today-- I can't wait to meet her.  Also, I think I might do a yoga class today to de-stress. 

How are all of you??  I miss you so much.  

ps: thanks for the music, stav!

Leslie: Where does this highway go to?

Greetings from Nicaragua! I am finally getting to work today after one week of me and my boyfriend being on a our "Reunion of Love Tour" in various cities here in ol' Nicaragua. Highlights include spending way more money than I expected, smoking cigs and drinking whiskey on a rooftop in old town Granada, dancing/sweating it up at a discotec only to get pepper-sprayed off the floor, eating beans and rice galore, laughing at myself while trying to get a cell phone. It's good to get out of my comfort zone, but man is it hard to motivate myself to not speak english.
 My boyfriend, Travis finally went back to his Peace Corps work today so here I am in Leon about to start doing environmental work with the hostel I'll be living in for the next 3 months, Sonati. Being able to only speak in present tense is errm....awwwwkward. Good thing this time I know better than to say "soy embarazada" for embarrassed.
First observation about spending time in a supposed "3rd World Country" (a term I am not comfortable with)....people are happy here and seem to have everything they truly need. Of course there's plenty of visible poverty but happiness abounds. Maybe us Americans can learn something from this....Love, Les

Stav: Diligence - How Long Will This Last?

Hi-yah folks,

Let me preface this post with the question, is it too much to post almost every day? I don't want to feel like I'm monopolizing this cyberspace-space... So just let me know if too many music posts are overwhelming our collaborative project here... Feedback is encouraged :) Also, like I mentioned in the title, I really don't know how long this daily posting will last as I am on vacation now and have a lot of free time apparently.

And now onto the music.

If asked, I would have to say that Austin is only at its full and total glory in the summertime. Despite the oppressive heat, mosquitoes and incoming freshmen, Austin in summer is perfect. Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to lunch at Polvos with some other ex-pearlies we know. While we were making the trek down to South 1st listening to KGSR, the song Gone Gone Gone by Alison Kraus and Robert plant came on. It was very fitting for the carefree mood of the afternoon – there is really nothing like public radio on a nice Saturday afternoon in Austin with only mild heat when you are about to go gorge on Tex-Mex. Cheers for Austin summers.




The version of the song on the radio was a new(ish) Alison Kraus and Robert Plant collaboration, so right off the bat, how could it be bad? Alison Kraus is an amazing country singer and folk traditionalist responsible for much of the Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. And Robert Plant…Led Zeppelin man! So, naturally their version is good (I mean, besides the cheese factor of the video, which you should ignore, or conversely, bask in all its treadmill glory. It kind of gets cut off, but that’s actually really close to the end of the song anyway).

Even though the newer version is good, I still think the original Everly Brothers version is awesome. Also, this video is innnnnnsane.



Oh, and Summer, sorry for going all John Ailey on your ass and posting two versions of the exact same song…

Take care,

Stav.

Leslie: Well Hello There My Lovelies (old and new)

Current mood: Bubbling thick anxiety just below calm, peaceful anticipation
Listening to: Mississippi John Hurt "Stackolee"
Weather: HOT AS HELL

Last Friday was a magical and humorous day as I finally had a much too overdue mini Pearl Street Lover reunion in godforsaken Dallas. Claire and I made it with no hiccups to Dallas's attempt of an artsy coffee shop but Christa got lost and Rob took the DART rail then a cab then got lost....but they both surfaced alive and well much to the joy of my heart. After much updating, hugs, and photos on the stoop of this little house, Claire informed me of this blog and I knew I had to partake since I've been shit at keeping up with all the people I fell in love with from our golden days at Pearl. Yes I fell in-love with you! How could I not have. So without further ado, here I am in another blog circle with some ex-Pearl kids. Yet another blog circle, you wonder? Why yes. In my earlier days at Pearl circa 2004-2006 I had a blog ring on Xanga with some guy friends who lived at Pearl from 2003-2005. Thuan, Darmawan Darmawan, and Smits(notable Pearl guys) we just some members of what we called The Order of Bitter Intellectuals. It kept us all close despite the fact that we lived all over the world from Canada to Indonesia to Suriname. Anyhow I can't wait to stay close via this blog. I love you and will write more exciting stuff once I arrive in Nicaragua on Tuesday!