Sometimes I miss Paris

I am a lover and have not found my thing to love.

Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941)

Friends

Suffice it to say, this was a less than pleasant day. I hate stress. And uncertainty. Thankfully, I got a tiny answer resolved and feel peaceful about that, but I wasn't particularly happy afterwards, as it leaves me swimming in uncertainty about many many other things. However, a crazy thing happened... I got a bazillion texts from various friends asking about me. I usually only get a few texts, and that's on a busy day! So to those who thought of me when I really needed happy thoughts: Thank You! I surely needed those extra thoughts and it was so helpful to talk to you and think about something besides myself. 

Also, a special shout out goes to Amy, who helped me find some art resources last semester. I stumbled upon a an art blog today and thought I'd share with her and all the other art lovers out there!

Art21 Blog

The Great Debate

I am in the midst of figuring out my future. No pressure, right? My formal educational pursuits are at an end, at least for several years. My time at BYU is drawing rapidly to a close. I am definitely ready for some change at this point. I've been in Provo for 7 years; like Jaocb, I didn't exactly get the Rachel I was hoping for. Let's hope it doesn't take 7 more years to get my true love!! I have enjoyed my time here and have a LOT to show for it, but I do want to try something new. As I search for jobs, I'm increasingly drawn to two very different locations: Salt Lake City, UT and  Washington D.C.

Salt Lake City: good weather, lots of family around, nieces and nephews to play with, lots of singles, lots of hiking/camping possibilities, lots of friends still in the state. Still not a huge change from Provo. Potential to start a performing dance company with 2 friends, and/or continue dancing with my international folk ensemble. 

Washington D.C.: untold adventures. Free art museums and historic sites all over the place, lots of singles, some friends in the area. Very big change from Provo, very far away from Utah and Missouri, where my family is. Possible jobs working at said art museums! Lots of traffic, expensive housing. Pretty good weather, and not quite as dry as Utah. 

Obviously it depends on where I get job offer(s), but if you were me, where would you go?

Infamous Pamplona

Approx. 8 pm, Sunday July 10th. Thus begins the 13 hr saga of Pamplona and the Running of the Bulls.

Approx. 9:15 pm. 12 hours left in Pamplona. 

Approx. 9:50 pm. This is our reaction to the news that we still have 11 hours until the bus comes back. 

About 10:15 pm. Looking at food is always a good distraction. 

About 11 pm. Fireworks show begins. 

About 11:30 pm. Fireworks show wraps up. Very impressive finale!

Shortly after midnight, now July 11th (Monday). 

12:15 am. Much partying and dancing in the plaza. 

About 12:20 am. Feeling not so bad about Pamplona! It got more enjoyable as we walked along the running route and saw these people dancing in the square. After all, we are in Pamplona at the Running of the Bulls! The whole night couldn't be a complete loss/countdown.

12:30 am. At the bull pens. This is one of the bulls that runs daily. 

12:35 am. About to head down to the carnival across the river/down the hill. 

About 4:15 am. Tuckered out homeless Americans sleeping on cardboard (the lucky ones) and nasty sidewalk. And "sleeping" is a relative term. 

About 6:45 am. The arena opens and people start filling in. It's still cold. 

About 7:45 am. The run is minutes away from beginning and the crowds are packed! We are just happy the sun is up and the main event is about to begin. And then my camera dies. It's okay; words and pictures can't describe the joy we felt at seeing our bus pull in at 9:30/10:00 am!

I love to see the temple

I'm going here today!

Awesome Tuesday

Remember when I went to Paris? Well, I sure do! I went to the Musee de Orsay and saw original paintings by some of my favorite Impressionist painters: Renoir, Manet, Monet, and Degas. I believe I also saw a Cassatt painting there as well. I would have liked to see more of her work, but she is apparently less-famous, or at least has her main collections housed at other museums. One thing I love about Degas' paintings is that he paints two of my absolutely favorite things: dancers and horses! I particularly like his depictions of dancers. He frequently uses pastels, which create a sense of immediacy and ephemerality. He also depicts dancers in uncommon angles and views, showing them as working girls, not just the fairy-beings they create on stage. His art shows the reality behind the facade. So when I actually saw his paintings for myself, in real life, I sort of went nutso. Thankfully, I was with Amy and she completely understood my reaction. (Hers may or may not have been startlingly similar. But then, any art lover goes nuts when they see the real thing!) 

What inspired this post is the fact that today I bought awesome frames for the two prints I bought in Paris. They are my souvenir from that city, and I can't think of a better one, except perhaps a reason to go back and see more museums! The first picture I have mounted is Danseuses bleues, by Edgar Degas, 1893. 

The second picture I have mounted in these awesome frames is by Claude Monet. Most people are very familiar with his waterlilies series, his haystacks series, and his Rouen Cathedral series. He was fairly prolific, though, creating beautiful pictures of landscapes, waterscapes, portraits, and combos like the following: Coquelicots (Poppies), 1873. 

One day I will have more money and I will have both a library (already well-stocked at this point, as my back can attest) AND an art gallery! Admittedly, it will not be original pieces, but I don't even care. I'm happy to display the great works of others. Below is a piece that totally blew me away when I saw it in the museum - see above for description of my reaction. I did not expect to see this in a Paris museum, mostly because the artist is English. It's also a very famous piece, which further increased my surprise at seeing it on a random wall in the Musee de Orsay. Commonly mis-named "Whistler's Mother," it is Arrangement en gris et noir no. 1, James McNeill Whistler, 1871. 

Jack-of-all-trades

What is a woman? I assure you, I do not know...I do not believe that anybody can know until she has expressed herself in all the arts and professions open to human skill.

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

I like this quote today. This week I've been performing at the Springville World Folk Festival. It has been so much fun, even if I did learn the dances the morning before our first show! Dancing is something that defines me, in a way. It has almost always been a part of my life, generally a very big part of it. I've danced and performed for over 20 years! Tonight, though, I was reminded that even though I have so much experience in dance, I'm more of a jack-of-all-trades, rather than a specialist in one form. We have an amazing ballerina in our group and she is honestly the embodiment of my childhood dreams! I love seeing her dance. Another two girls are exceptional Irish dancers. Yet another girl is a beautiful lyrical dancer. As I watched the various dance specialists doing their thing tonight, I felt a little twinge of sadness about my own abilities. I really do know tons of different dance styles, and am good in just about all of them. But I don't know if I'm really great in one, more than the rest. 

Then I came across that quote by Virginia Woolf. I like what she implies... that we must try everything and express ourselves in as many ways possible before we can define who and what we are. I am a dancer; that is undeniable. And it is okay that I don't really have something special that sets me apart. Being able to successfully do so many styles of dance is special in itself!