Cool Art

One day I will teach Humanities again, and this will be a cool thing to talk about! Interesting, isn't it, how so much in life is all about perspective?

Pretty

I like this picture. I took this picture. One day I may even be good at photography. Until then, I like the lucky shots I get. 

Oh. And despite leaving school early for a stomach bug, I definitely spent another 5+ hours of today working on grades. Haven't even touched lesson plans yet. Ick. Sometimes school is not worth the work. At least I got to watch Robin Hood while doing it. 

Building Projects

At 25, nearing yet another birthday, I believe I have proved that I have limited use for a man in my life. My latest reason? Building stuff. Men are generally attributed to be the handy ones, their engineering minds able to masterfully change piles of wood and screws into fine pieces of furniture. Well you know what? I can do it too! I built all my furniture and mounted a mirror on my wall, too! I still have to mount pictures, but... one step at a time. It's taken me rather a while to get things put together to this level. 

Latest Addition: full-length mirror

Early November: assembling my first piece of furniture, a nightstand

Nightstand in progress

Looking better!

All done with nightstand number one!

And my room looks cleaner already

Ahh, the penguins on the wall. And my slipshod attempt at making my bed. And all the boxes... This was my life for like 2 weeks. I am really happy that things are coming together more now!

Yeah. More penguins. They're gone now. Lots of boxes and still living out of suitcases. 

Messy!!! Need to build the dresser. Mid-November

Setting up for the big project: the dresser!

It looks slightly more organized, right? 

So many pieces to put together. 

Main body complete: time for the back and the drawers.

Back in place, dresser in place! It took between 1-2 hours to get to this point... the drawers took another 1-2 hours, though. Despite the late night, it was worth it!

Done! Time to fill it up and tidy the room. 

My nice drawers. One reason I bought Ikea furniture new, rather than get older stuff, was because I really like drawers that glide properly. I am happy to report that the drawers of my handiwork glide perfectly! 

You can see the top drawer is split into two. 

And these guys... well they took our big TV off the wall downstairs so we could put it in the entertainment room. The flashing person is one of them falling down after pulling on the cables to get them out of the wall. That whole fiasco was HILARIOUS!! I may not need guys to build my furniture or mount my mirrors, but they make great entertainment and assistance with electronics!

Night In - Soliloquy

A man dies as often as he loses his friends.

Francis Bacon(1561-1626)

I've gotten to do plenty of thinking lately... thinking about choices I've made in life. How the outcomes work themselves into intriguing shapes and important lessons. For example: I'm dancing at the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert this year. I randomly saw an audition posting in September and decided to give it a shot, not having a clue where I would really be come December. (I did figure that I'd still be in Utah.) It went great! I made it, got to add some rehearsals to my weeks, and started meeting people in the area. It's been a very rewarding experience so far, even if it makes for extremely long days now that I have a job. That was a good choice. Even more interesting to me, though, is the choice my mom made about 21 years ago. She put me in my first ballet class. Over two decades later, I've danced all over the world in all sorts of venues doing all types of dance. In a few weeks I will add to my resume the massively huge Conference Center, where I will end up dead front and center in front of everyone.
Wow. I'm glad I had Folk Dance and the Marriott Center performances to prep me for big audiences. And to teach me to perform to the top row in the way back, not the illustrious figures in the front rows. It's the ones in the back that really deserve your absolute best: it takes the most effort to get your energy to reach all the way to them. 

An interesting tangent to that thought and my staging (which was mostly a happenstance thing) is that the girls dancing around me are several years younger than me. As in, I've danced longer than they have been alive and breathing on this beautiful earth. Sure, they started dancing at age 3. But I was dancing before they even made it through the veil. Sometimes I truly relish those thoughts, acknowledging the dedication and work that has gone into my dancing. A lot of those choices have been mine. But I'm forever indebted to my mom for making the first brilliant decision that started my feet dancing. 

Well, I've definitely strayed from the original quote by Sir Francis Bacon. But I wanted to do a positive thought first. His quote points out the importance of friends in ones life. Having moved recently in a bigger way than the past 7 years of moving, I have become acutely aware of the dynamics of friendships. They truly do so much in making a place feel like a home. In making life feel full. In promoting mental and emotional stability. Looking back over my college years, there are thankfully few times that I can say I literally "lost" friends. There was one watershed event before my senior year that did a lot towards unearthing those who were my real friends and those who were acquaintances. That was a rough time. But other than that, I have been blessed to have many wonderful friendships grow and develop. A lot of them I left in Provo when I moved away. And it's just not the same in Salt Lake. Probably the biggest reason is because I'm not in school anymore, which significantly changes the social dynamics. I've wondered lately if I really made the right choice in leaving Provo. I think I did need a break, but sometimes I very much miss my dear friends there. 

I sometimes wonder if I made the best choice when I decided to be a 1st grade teacher. Well, not that I even decided! I merely accepted the offer that was almost thrust upon me. Is it going to be a fulfilling career? It's definitely not one where I'll make major social connections and potentially find a spouse. (Not that marriage should be a consideration in work, but I work, yet again, primarily with females. That's all I'm saying.) I often feel like I have to verbalize my significance, qualify the statement that I teach 1st grade, as if that makes me not good enough. Who gets a Masters in Humanities to teach 6 year olds?? I always felt like being a teacher was more of a calling than a career and I admired those who went into that profession. But I just don't see myself as being all that special now that it's me being the teacher. 

I sometimes wonder if it was even right to move out of my grandparents' basement! I truly enjoyed living with them. I talked to them more than I talk to my roommates now, probably. It felt so homey with them. The spirit was always present, and when that's in a home it makes it extremely comforting. Most places I've lived I've felt the spirit there, but it's different when you're with a married couple. Visiting married friends, family of course... it seems more tangible. Probably because the household is extremely united, not a temporary fixture of disparate parts. (I know, waxing loquacious here with big words.) As long as my room feels comfortable, I know I'm doing what I need to to have a spiritual tone. But it's so much nicer when it pervades the house. I feel like I should have done more to show my grandparents how much I appreciated living with them. I left while they were out of town and then I was very busy getting re-settled and with school.... 

Well, you can't live a life of regrets. That's not living at all. I'm not sure where these choices will lead me: leaving Provo, being an elementary school teacher, moving out with roommates again. Moving to south Salt Lake rather than downtown like I had envisioned. Changing wards right when I had started getting into my last one. Moving away from an area where some boys were interested in me. I'm not sure if it was me or the new location that deterred them so efficiently. Now I wonder again if I'll ever meet anyone that fits the basic bill, let alone could be considered "great." The older I get, the more I realize that the great guys figured out they should marry a few years ago. The ones that are left.... in fairness some great guys exist in the older ages. But they are a rare find. It's like panning for gold in a river full of pyrite. 

Well, I meant to post pictures of the furniture I built. But apparently I needed to type. I miss writing papers. I miss typing words and saying important things for people to care about. Granted, only my teachers really cared about those essays, but... it was something. It was intellectual. And I really enjoy typing. And writing. Expressing myself through the written word and being intelligent in the process. I was one of those students that generally enjoyed writing research papers. I don't think I'll ever want to stop learning more. 

I do imagine though, dear reader, that you are ready to stop reading. I'm sure this is quite lengthy by now, and it really is just my own personal musings. I suppose I'll stop there and get ready for my big long day of rehearsals tomorrow. It starts at 8:30am and probably won't end until 11-12 hours later. And at least 6-8 of those hours will be full-on dancing. I think I'll pull a bath-n-book tonight to help prepare. Sleep might be more useful, but it's less of a sensory experience; and while my body may be tired, my brain is quite awake still. 

And there you have it. You made it to the end!! 

Teaser

This is just a short teaser of a longer post to come, as time is waning tonight. I just got back from seeing SAVION GLOVER!!!! He is arguably the best tap dancer ever, and after seeing him dance tonight I surely can see why! His style is effervescent, earthy, and humble. His grasp and play with rhythms is incredible. And his foot speed? Mind-boggling. Literally. I also loved the other tap guy who danced with him tonight... I forget his name at the moment but he's got Jr. at the end so I'll call him Junior for now. Junior is older. He is amazing! He created incredible sound paintings by altering his tone and timbre. At one point I felt like I was listening to him dance a rain storm! But this is a teaser... I'll have to elaborate more when I'm not so tired. 


Loved seeing old tap friends there! Two of my good good tap friends were there and I haven't seen them in ages! They're both cute mommies now of even cuter baby girls. Love them. I also got to visit a good folk dance friend (who I still get to see thanks to Clog America) and partake of delicious Guru's sweet potato fries and Marco Polo pasta. It's LOADED with garlic. :) 


Visited with my little bro for a few minutes. Literally. He's a busy guy! Talked with another great friend and may or may not have actually said that I miss Provo. Saw a random guy who took me out before but then wasn't interested because there was another girl on his radar at the time. Eh. He has kinda big lips anyways. It never would have worked. 


Time for sleep. I'm nodding off writing this!  Coming soon: more Savion details. Pictures of the furniture I built ALL BY MYSELF. No man required. And.... that's all I can think of. Need sleep. 

Gee Whiz

I had thought of going country dancing tonight. Alas, my roommates who usually go are busy with other activities. And for some strange reason I lost all desire to dance tonight. (Unrelated to roommates not going.) 


I spent way too many hours last night working on lesson plans. Granted, I'm done and somewhat ahead. I hope it's worth it. I spent way too many hours today grading stupid little math tests and dumb paragraphs. Granted, some paragraphs showed good creativity and perhaps better compositional value than some I ran across in college but.... Too much time on something relatively insignificant. 


I read an article on Christo, a sculptor/installation artist who is donating some of his collages to the Smithsonian. I miss thinking and talking about big theoretical concepts and art and production and elements of design. I miss college. I miss teaching college, mostly. Given my mood tonight, I'm just going to set my 1st grade class aside and not really comment on them. They deserve better than they would get tonight, because it is a good experience to teach them and even enjoyable at times. But I really miss being around intellectuals. Having a reason to discuss smart things. Knowing people will understand my obscure references. I'm fairly well-convinced that my time in elementary education will be only a stepping-stone... perhaps to Ph.D. work or Ed.D work leading to a job in higher education. I don't think I empathize with kids very well, nieces and nephews excluded. But my students? Half the time they annoy me. The other half they are tolerable. Rarely they have moments where I get warm fuzzies. It's not about me, I know. But still. 


Basically, I'm just tired of spending so much of my time on stupid things. And not having a social life in Salt Lake, because I moved from a ward I had just started getting settled into (somewhat). And my  new ward????? I dare not comment on such a public and permanent forum. 


I think it's time for me to just go sulk in my bathtub with my Kindle. I mean soak. My feet are cold because I haven't really unpacked my socks because I haven't built my dresser because there isn't really room because I still have things in boxes and suitcases because there isn't a dresser to fill up yet.... And it will help me forget that I was (at one point today) looking forward to cutting a rug with some country moves. Who needs dance when you can finish grading paragraphs???  

Halloween, the modern day opera

Halloween is just around the corner, with everything that entails. In modern times, it seems like the holiday has morphed into something beyond itself. Halloween these days, especially for LDS college-age youth, is more like the Carnival celebrations of the early 1500's than a celebration of the deceased. 


Carnival, particularly as it was celebrated in Venice, allowed the people to take a reprieve from their standard lives. The two week celebration directly preceded Lent, giving the Catholic population a legitimate release from their strict moral codes. It was a time that truly exemplified the phrase "eat, drink, and be merry." 


Opera extended this concept of Carnival by opening the stage as a new forum, free of the stringent rules of daily life. Characters there could act out their roles, which many times involved plot lines that veered from strict moral codes of the day. Like Carnival, this was not seen as subversive at all. By allowing the people a way to alleviate social tensions and escape, even in limited fashion, the mores of their day, social and moral order could be more easily attained during the other 21 hours of the day. 


How does modern-day Halloween rate into this, though? Well, looking primarily at college-aged populations in Utah, it appears that Halloween has become the innocuous chamber where regular rules and standards no longer apply and cavorting frivolity is the order of the day. When is it acceptable to dress up in what amounts to lingerie and parade around in public? If you're not a Victoria Secret model, that opportunity doesn't really exist. However, some seem to think that because you're dressing up in a "costume" for a party, you can throw all moral and social codes out the window. Men and women kowtow to their carnal natures and embrace the night, pushing the limits as much as they can. The next morning they wake up and go to church as if their actions the previous night fit right in line with the guidelines they know and agree to follow. 


Obviously, this is just one case-study. Many comparable students have very little to do with this type of hypocrisy, which I appreciate and commend. But for those that take Halloween as an excuse to "be bad," I feel they are no more enlightened than those of yesteryear who needed special holidays and entertainments to get a break from reality. Adherence to truth doesn't admit such frailties as these, and I believe that honesty is key in all our interactions with ourselves, others, and God. 


And that is why I don't care much for Halloween and how it has become in some ways the modern-day equivalent of early Venetian opera. 


PS. Sorry this is post-Halloween. Life happened. 

Diversity Day

That sounds like the title to an episode of  The Office.... Today in class we read a Persian folk tale. Three brothers are rug weavers and the prince of Persia has to marry the princess of Bagdad (their spelling, not mine) and he runs a competition for rugs... long story short, the brothers argue over who makes the best contribution (dyeing, designing, or weaving) and should get the prize. They finally realize they must all work together, not be selfish. Alone they are breakable like sticks, but united they can do much more!! (Go Processing Center!) Okay, obscure personal references aside, today was eye-opening. One of my students excitedly raised her hand and proclaimed that she is Persian! What?? Never would have guessed, although having seen her mom I knew she had some foreign ancestry. Persian. Now, my class of 26 is pretty diverse, so I asked how many of them, besides my Persian who speaks Persian (Farsi?) and German, spoke different languages. 


All but about 3 raised their hands. 3/26. One knows Egyptian. Another knows Russian. Urdu. Tamil. Mandarin. German. Spanish (this was the answer I got from a few of my white students). I didn't even have time to poll everyone. The other cool thing? Well besides having an extremely diverse class, I can say hi to most of them in their own language. Except Egyptian. And Farsi. And maybe a few others I haven't uncovered yet. But..... I said most, not all. Bam. Win for my students for being awesome.