If you want to take the title line analytically for a second, you can gather that being nude allows me to take a moment or two to assess my body.  If you don’t want to take the title analytically, then I am just trying to put images into your head.  Much like Ali does every time she writes me a letter.

THINGS I AM SICK OF:

1.  Inadvertent accusations of fatness.

This rarely comes from people in my life (except sometimes from my roommate when she accuses herself of being so fat).  No.  More often, it comes straight from the media.  Today, Virginia (my roomie) and I were channel-surfing during CSI commercial breaks when we came across some documentary on Britney Spears and how she was so fucking fat during her performance at the 2007 VMAs.  Sadly, not only did the celebrity gurus assert that she looked terribly un-sexy in her underwear getup, but Spears herself added that she looked like a “fat pig.”  I have a few problems with this.  One, I have a “fatter” belly than she does–in fact, those photos of her puffed-out tummy and less-than-toned arms are reminiscent of my own.  But I could never rock that underwear getup like she did.  I’m too pale (and in love with paleness).  Two, I think she looks perfectly healthy and sexy, so what’s wrong?  I don’t even want to mention that Spears isn’t acting like a super-good role model (though really, Paige, when does she?) by putting down her own perfectly healthy body, or that the media’s expectations of celebrity women are really just fucked up.

If I got this from you, shoot me words and I will link to your site.

Why am I talking about Britney Spears, though?  Don’t you expect me to be talking about some indie goddess?  Thing is, indie goddesses don’t give me these sorts of problems.  Sure, I’ve been confronted with photos of Jenny Lewis in near-undies and Chan Marshall unveiling her pubes.  But the media simply doesn’t comment on their figures, however nice they are.  This is probably because they’re not pop-icon formulas.  Jenny Lewis does not make me feel bad about my body.  The media pressure on female celebrities does.  And it puts women in competition, too.  I am sick of sizing up other women to determine how much better their bodies are than mine.  I am sick of feeling in competition with my own female camarades on occasion.  That’s something that I feel should never, ever have to happen.  But it does, because instead of accepting many different body types as beautiful, the media accepts one:  thin.  I’m not arguing, by the way, that thin bodies are not beautiful, or that we should apply pressure on thin women to gain some weight.  Thin bodies are beautiful.  But voluptuous (I am not talking Beyoncé; I am talking Gabby Sidibe) bodies are beautiful, too.

I choose to fall in love with women such as Jenny Lewis because I can relate to them.  She is perfect in her imperfections.  We saw her evolve imperfectly in the limelight.  She makes mistakes, she writes about them, she is relateable because her goal does not seem to be being sexual or stunning or unrealistically beautiful.  Her goal seems to be being.  I can do that, too.  That’s where the problem comes in for people like Britney Spears.  Their goals are unattainable, even for them.  Or if they are attainable, they are fleeting.  You can’t hold onto a perfect body forever.  Eventually, even George Clooney will sag a bit.

Another thing is that maybe it’s just a morbid curiosity, but because everyone is telling me I’m fat all across the board, I have gained this terrible, insatiable interest in the way my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriends look[ed].  It’s not to make myself feel good.  It’s to make myself feel like shit.

2.  Hating on body hair.

If this is yours, hit me up and I will linkety link link link.

I have not shaved since early September [EDIT:  My mom has compelled me to shave twice since then]!  My legs are hairy.  My armpits are hairy.  And my mom will flip if/when she learns this information, which is why I have to shave on November 24th or November 25th before I return home for Thanksgiving break.  Refraining from shaving has made me a little more comfortable with myself.  Body hair is natural, even on women.  Why do we shave it?  We do it for men because we think men like it.  Why do we think men like it?  The media projects expectations on us to look like prepubescent girls.  Sometimes when I leave my apartment in shorts, I have to prep myself as to all the reasons why I don’t need to shave, but it’s not like I get to explain the political context to people.  They just believe I’m hairy or dirty or a crazy feminist without even really thinking about any other possible reasons.  I am a crazy feminist, but I’m resigned to the fact that a woman does not need to be hairless to be beautiful, especially if the hairiness comes so naturally.  I’m done with fighting my body on that one.  Unfortunately, I’m even more resigned to the fact that my mom will not take any explanation for this, and that on the sight of unsightly body hair, she will yell and hand me a razor tout de suite.  The only comfort she would probably take in this is the assumption that I’m not getting laid, because what man wants a hairy gnome?

Added afterthought:  Who determined that head hair and eyelashes on women are sexy and that every other bit of hair (besides some very specific eyebrow hair) must go?  If a woman is completely devoid of any hair whatsoever, she is not sexy.  If a woman has lots of hair, she is not sexy.  It all seems like a game.  You can’t have it both ways!

PS Frida Kahlo is beautiful.

3.  Sexist notions in existential novels.

Want.

Male existential novelists are guilty.  Do I even need to put the “male” there?  It seems like every existential novelist, philosopher, and filmmaker is male.  I am an existentialist.  I love existentialism.  But I am sick and tired of the sexist notions littered throughout the books I’m reading.  Kundera says women are sex objects.  Kierkegaard says women are not to be trusted.  Kaufman writes women as obstacles in life.  You can forgive Kierkegaard a little bit because he probably never expected women to gain access to his novels.  You can’t forgive Kundera of Kaufman, though.  I love them both–Kundera for his animal rights reasoning and Kaufman for his ability to write a kickass film–but I am so sick of this unfair portrayal of people like myself.  Not to mention that besides being predominantly male, existentialists are white, middle class, and Christian or atheist.  I guess it can go one way or the other with religion.  If you’ve found any female existential novelists, let me know!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the reason I’m pointing this out is that I’ve been reading loads of existentialism this semester because of a fifteen-page essay I wrote and aced on the influence of early existentialists on modern-day existentialists.  All of my sources were penned by white, middle-class males.

4.  Jon & Kate/Tiger Woods media coverage.

They are simply people living their lives.  I don’t care.

5.  Not being able to level up in Restaurant City because okay, I forgot to feed my staff, but does that mean that my approval rating should drop?

That's mah homeboi.

I like to give my customers a little bit of credit.  Like, if they see that all of the employees in my restaurant are passed out on the floor from sleep/food deprivation (and/or hardcore partying at Erika’s El Paso the night before), don’t you think they’d leave instead of sitting down, waiting for these unconscious waiters and chefs to serve them?  Low approval rating means fewer customers, which means fewer experience points, which means it is going to take me forever to get to level 22.

6.  Songbird freezing.

Meh.  After the latest iTunes update, I’m thinking about converting back to iTunes anyway.  I guess Songbird and Vista just aren’t meant to be.

7.  Ouija Board.

I can’t sleep too well ever since I found out about my apparently long-present secret roommates, Rubi and Zach.

8.  That Kelly Clarkson song.

It is soooo repetitive, SO annoying.

9.  Explaining to people that I am vegan.

Since I’m a mild-mannered, gentle, shy person, I generally don’t want to offend.  In fact, you could say that part of why I don’t want to eat animal products is that I find them offensive.  So it’s a difficult thing for me to explain to people that I am vegan because it is so often offensive.  I won’t eat their food, I can’t share their love for cheese, and I don’t find their jokes about my eating habits funny.  But I’m stuck on the fence because it’s obvious to me that non-veganism is really the offensive route and deviant and just wrong (morally, ethically, environmentally, and taste-wise), but so many people seem to believe that I am the one in the wrong.  Even some of my friends who occasionally declare my journey as noble seem to believe that my dedication is offensive.  Or when they choose a restaurant where I absolutely cannot and will not eat anything, it is I who chose to be vegan, and not they who chose an offensive restaurant.  Fortunately, my mother has finally accepted my veganism and my nose ring.

10.  Jewelery.

Yesterday I had to go with my dad to a jewelery counter at Boscovs so he could exchange some stuff.  The people who shop here are ridiculous, and they don’t know or particularly care that the blood of children was shed for their shitty-ass diamonds.  Another thing is that I am a fan of handmade jewelery that is askew and imperfect (but I guess it wouldn’t be considered jewelery, per se, because I hate jewels).  Jewelery counters sell shit to people who have sticks up their asses.

THINGS I AM NOT SICK OF:

1.  Camera Obscura.

T & The Fonz in Philly

Since August, my life has been set to the tune of this Scottish group.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I am behind the curve on this one.  Camera Obscura is a sixties-reminiscent indie pop band, and they make me feel legitimately amazing.  When I listen to Camera Obscura, I’m ready for whatever Monday chooses to throw in my path.  When I feel ugly, I listen to Camera Obscura and feel prettier.  When I need to brush my teeth, I tune Songbird to Camera Obscura.  When I am behind schedule in the morning and running late to class because I can’t find my keys (and little do I know that they are in my jacket pocket), Camera Obscura is the band for me.  I am a Camera Obscura kind of girl.

Also, I got the amazing opportunity to see Camera Obscura with Alex in Norfolk the weekend before Thanksgiving and they were awesome, as was expected.

Swans | Camera Obscura
[mf] [buy]

2.  Florence.

Florence Henderson.

Just kidding.

Florence Welch.  Ali and I have been raving about her for many months now, with that stadium-filling voice, but when I passed Ali the Flo-torch, she took it and ran with it.  So now we’ve both got serious lesbian fixations on red-haired women!

Postcards From Italy (Beirut Cover) | Florence & The Machine
[mf] [buy]

3.  Fleet Foxes.

There is nothing to say, except that I never talked about them this summer even though they formed most of it with their sweet crooning ever since I heard them in Paige H.’s car while sitting next to Kelsey in the back seat on the way to Knoebel’s.

Ragged Wood | Fleet Foxes
[mf] [buy]

4.  Bitchfest!

I read it on the toilet, which says a lot because the books I read on the toilet must be captivating and absolutely cannot be nauseating.  Not only does Bitchfest educate me on oft-overlooked feminist issues, but it also teaches me how to write a well-structured essay!  I highly recommend this one to men and women, boys and girls alike.  And if you’ve already read it, I recommend Cunt by Inga Muscio.  BITCHfest made me a better woman, and it will make you a better man, woman, girl, boy, or what have you after you’ve read it.

5.  CSI reruns.

I am not much of a television junkie.  In fact, this (CSI: Las Vegas, of course) and [adult.swim] are the only reasons I will usually turn on the television.  It’s a puzzle.

6.  Gray hairs.

I have a lot of them.  Maybe I don’t have enough to consider myself a gray-haired individual, but I imagine I will get there before long.  I’m excited about them because they constitute a natural change in my body.  Plus, how many under-twenties besides Holden Caulfield get to rave about having gray hairs?

7.  Black pitted olives.

I think it’s the vinegar in the holding solution.

8.  jj.

I can’t believe I didn’t think of this earlier.  jj is a mysterious Swedish band that makes incredible dream-pop dreamy dream music.  And hey, don’t take my word for it.  Chris recommended them in the comments section of my last post, too!

It was ecstasy when I heard this song.

Things Will Never Be The Same Again | jj
[mf] [buy]

9.  My roommate, Va.

She just asked me, “Oh man, do you write about me in your blog?!”  Now I do.

10.  Eisley.

Note the velcro shoes.

They are dreamy and melodic and beautiful and even my sister, Rachael, likes them.  I wish that Chauntelle still sang.  Her name, when stretched to French, practically dedicates her to the singing tradition (chanter).  I like to quote them and sing along to them badly.

I Could Be There For You | Eisley
[mf] [buy]

11.  Yeasayer.

With such a sicknasty sound and a great Blogothèque presentation, how could one get sick of them?  Alex introduced me to them, and now they are a staple in my collection.

Wait For The Wintertime | Yeasayer
[mf] [buy]

12.  Vegan cooking.

It always seems like it’s going wrong, but it always turns out so, so right.  I can guarantee that I never would have learned to cook this well on my own, even if I were vegetarian.  It takes the vegan push.

13.  My RayBans.

I was going to get wire-framed cheapo glasses, but the woman at For Eyes told me that my prescription is so high that even with a thinning procedure, the lenses would be too heavy for the frames.  So I “had” to get RayBans Wayfarers.  While I used to wear contact lenses every day (and night), I now wear glasses all the time.  I’m materialistic in this sense, but only because I can see…clearly…in all directions…without my eyes drying up and shriveling within my eye sockets.  It’s also been established that I have worse eyesight than any one of my friends.  It’s also also been established that I am happy to do a five-second trade with any glasses- or non-glasses-wearer who wants to try on my funny-looking, humongous glasses to try out my horrible vision.  I have been told that it’s like wearing drunk goggles.

14.  Tamagotchi.

His name is Fart.  I got him for 5 bucks at Five Below.  I’m sure some of my readers know that I’ve been an on-and-0ff Tama user for years now, especially since my junior year of high school.  Well, now it’s on and I am not ashamed.

15.  Skirts.

I will wear them for the rest of my life.

16.  This.

Presented to me by Nim, who left me a beautiful comment.

I also wanted to tell you all that I love you.  Yes, you.  I will not leave you.  This particular absence was a vacation to stupidity.  I will write you more petty things very soon.  The whole being-professional thing just doesn’t work for me.

A night in Sydney

So does everyone remember that time this summer that all those celebrities were in DC and I was the only one that saw one? I do. In case you didn’t almost come running out of your office to confirm my sighting of JAKE GYLLENHAAL on M street at Dean and Deluca (there is obviously a reason we love this place so much), let me remind you: I saw Jake Gyllenhaal at the Dean and Deluca on M and Wisconsin Potomac.

That’s not really the cool part. The cool part is that not only did Jake and I make eye contact (helllooo), but he was dressed just like me. For the record, this says more about me looking like a little boy 75% of the time than about Jake being a woman, which I don’t think he is (though @workchucks can correct me- is he a secret ghey?). He was wearing a gray v-neck American Apparel shirt (how original), chucks (though not of the work variety, these were grungy like MINE!), a straw fedora (see any of the many pictures on the “facebook” in which a member of the #team is wearing my straw fedora, either in SSR or the DR), and Ray Ban Clubmasters! I have fake Clubmasters!

You know those times that people say celebrities should be their friends? Well, even if Jason Segel should be my friend, Jake should be my shopping buddy. Jason and I couldn’t shop at the same stores- I don’t fit in oaf clothes.

What made me think of this? Well, it was kind of roundabout. I was stealing music off blogs because I’m a poor grad student and I can’t afford the new Brandi Carlile album OR the Glee Soundtrack. I want them both, so take note potential Chanukah-gifters. I stumbled upon this, which almost made jappy cry into her coffee (note: she should be crying. she’s not coming to london, where the weather is fine and the girls are finer). Anyway, couldn’t find the Glee soundtrack, and couldn’t find the new Brandi Carlile single which is awesome by the way. BUT (BUT) I found this, and it’s better. See below.

Two things I love: Brandi Carlile and Donnie Darko, which is a really stupid movie to love I know I KNOW, but I like it, ok? So lay off. If you haven’t seen it, you should, but if you don’t like it don’t come crying to me. Maggie Gyllenhaal is in it though, so you should like it.

The entire movie is worth it for this one part.

Please consider this rambling an endorsement of the Gyllenhaal family (mostly Maggie), Ray Bans and Brandi Carlile. I didn’t mean to get all caught up writing about Jake Gyllenhaal and Sparkle Motion, but I did so suck it.

A Rayban Rob pic spam for you today

More pics after the jump!

I would still do him, even if he is old enough to be my grandfather! What can i say…i’m a sucker for black.

x

Everyone seems to be wearing these at the moment, but theirs are bona fide RayBans. Mine are not RayBans, but I don’t mind. When I wear them, I feel like Jack Nicholson, and for that reason they will always be called .. the Jack Nicholsons.

I actually inherited them from my brother when I inherited a car from my brother. The car is amazing, though it’s not particularly driveable any more. My friends and I called it the devil car, due to it being half red, half silver and with the excellent number plate SIN666. The stuff of legend, I’m sure you’ll agree. It drove us to several music festivals and gave itself up for many road trips before it was finally put into a kind of retirement.

Anyway. The first time I drove the devil car, I opened the glove compartment to find these glasses – and you have to understand, this was in 2006. So, you see, I’ve been wearing the Nicholsons since long before RayBan made them their signature shade.

Oh, and they were mine issue – my brother is a gold miner in Western Australia, and every summer the men are issued with a new pair of sunglasses. One year, I guess these were they. So there’s an entire mine of men, somewhere out of Kalgoorlie, wearing the black wayfarer sunglasses.

Sat under my umbrella-ella, on my sunlounger, factor 50 to protect my pale skin, Ray Bans firmly attached to my blonde head, iPod alternatively blasting Muse & Placebo, itzy bitzy black bikini on!…& relax!

After a somewhat questionable start to our holiday (we had the mother of all rows, the nite before!) things are going well! & I haven’t had access to WiFi!

This holiday is going to be make-or-break for my Mum & I, but so far, so good! Perhaps, it’s something to do w/the fact that she’s currently on her 2nd San Miguel! Lol! The waves are crashing, & I’m day-dreaming! Bliss ^_^

So tomorrow I will on my way to Gatwick for my super cool trip to Florida, now I know America has internet, but i may be having too much fun, but then again I love this blog!!

Sounds pretty okay to me

* Me, walking out feeling kinda down

I haven’t done a fashion post in a while… I figured I’d drop a couple along with some amazing photos of my impromptu beach trip to visit my family in Cape Hatteras. 

Rummaging through the hand-me-down Louis Vuitton.  Wearing a white JCrew boyfriend Tee which I worked some magic on to become and off the shoulder shirt.  Just some old Hanes sweats, and my moms Ebel Opal and Diamond Watch.

 I read that it is bad luck to wear Opal if it is not your birthstone.. any thoughts? 

First day back in Fredericksburg, Virginia. To be quite honest I wasn’t sure what to do with myself.  Ended up going to the mall and getting a massage, then meeting up with Matt Blakley for some reminiscing.  Got to meet his sweet girlfriend and his other friend who is an artist, she has some amazing work– possibly a future interview (i will keep you posted).  Out of my sheer boredom I jumped in the car and drove a painful 6 and a half hours (weather delays) to the Outer Banks to meet up with the family. 

My sweet new snap studded cuff from none other than Hot Topic. I wonder how much their sales have increased with this new influx of “hardXcore”/ punk rock fashion.  

Family Photo Outfit:  White Oxford, Lucky Brand Boyfriend capris, Raybans.  If only life was always that simple.  

Love of Rayban’s run in the family… 

Quite possibly my favorite picture that I have ever taken.  I love the balance of sky to sea. 

Gorgeous shot of my mom and dad. 

Cape Hatteras 

I don’t think she’s beautiful i think she’s beyond it

My mom with her Bailey shirt from Nordstrom’s, my Swarovski necklace, Coach sunglasses, and geometric earrings. 

peace out.

driving back to F-rednecksburg tomorrow morning…

flying back to Dallas on Saturday.

busy busy busy. 

xo (marisa) 

A Lady In Waiting~

I dressed up yesterday; it was quite fun :]

I suck at posting right now – I am aware.

I could bore you with details about school, work, and other nonsense, but I can’t. Not because I don’t want to (I know how interested you all are (NOT!)), but I am way to excited about what happened on Monday!

I was having a lousy day. I am sick (UGH!), work sucked, homework burned my brain, and we lost out on an apartment by no fault of our own. So, when the BF called and said I got a package in the mail from Lucky Magazine/Lucky Style Spotter, I was confused.

I never, ever get gifts in the mail – unless I buy them for myself. So, this was amazing right.

Inside that little manila envelope was a pair of black RayBan Wayfarers! WHAAAA!!??!! Are you kidding me? And not the knock off kind I usually get at the swap either; the bonafide originals complete with case (which I need since I tend to destroy sunglasses). What a great end to such a lousy day.

So I want to send a HUGE/GINORMOUS/GARGANTUAN thank you to Gina and everyone at Lucky. You treat your members too well. I promise I will contribute more. Pinky promise.

Oh, and excuse my disgusting outfit and hair. I have been ridiculously sick; and proper wardrobe is the last thing I have been thinking about between massive sneezing fits, beyond congested sinus’, and coughing my brains out. Thanks goodness for touch-ups. I knew you would understand.

Tank: F21, Cheer shorts: Sports Authority, Wayfarers: RayBan via gift from Lucky

Have you been noticing the surge of red trousers or jeans in London and especially on guys? Well I certainly have and here’s a little collection of them

I promise I’ll write more next time but I’ve been feeling a bit worn out lately and need to take it easy, which will come very very soon. So bear with me beautiful boys and girls and I’ll write proper very soon.

Oh, I’m getting a haircut tomorrow, wish me luck!

So remember that free concert we told you about?! Ya know the one with Kid Cudi & Chester French… Well we hit it up this past Friday, and overall it was cool.Oh yeah, Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes was a surprise guest. Apparently he lives a couple blocks away from South Shore Seaport(random). But overall, both acts were great!

We closed the night at Santos … It was literally a sweat box in there, but it was awesome to see everyone on their feet celebrating the life of Michael Jackson.

Hollywood City: I Love The Way You Are When You Are And When You Think You Are!

Text came from LA-2009 in a Time Frame.

City from the Route 86, Holly was a City like a Ghost Town with the first 5 Letters of the Famous Word-Name that is a Symbol of Cultural Merchandises that you eat like Pop-Corn in the Dark of the Artificial night with technical lights to print the Stars on the Walk of Fame of The Jungle’s Sand. The Wood, the sacred one is on another Freeway, a Known one identified by UFOs as a Splendid Line of Cars of every brand, waiting for the Light to be Green after a couple of minutes, 2 or 3.

The time is not lost by everyone who is in the Afternoon’s session of Hollywood City. Hollywood City, the Main Title of a Painting created by an Insider Artist, the Boss was and is still his nickname. My Novel is a finished one, said the Narrator of Shakespeare short film before to go home after a Move. Cinema is not in the Newspapers in this Dimension named The Heroes One because they consider Movies to be a part of Hell, even if it is not true.

A Wedding National Ceremony was scheduled for The Spring and postponed 2 times, then reorganized during the Thanksgiving Holiday Season, in the Year  2000 with a difficult choice of the space-time decision according to Journalists who chose 9 to be the period of distance from 0 to 8, an important result that made the day of the Village producing the Spectacle of the 2 Romeos, the Male and The Female.

Freeways, freeways, freeways, elevators and major meeting rooms are with a Cellular the dimensions of their Dreams, a Drean and No Cloud, a Drink and a Ring, Raybans of Red and Black quality of Design and Fashion choice of light-years colorized. There is the reason for everything except for the reasons meaning questions. And a Producer was an Actor belonging to the Actors Dynasty of Acting on Stage. It is a strange life needing a better explanation but City Buzz will kill City Buzz and Hollywood will survice with another Name.

Mike Fuller,
July 1st, 2009,
A WordPress Publication,
Protected Worldwide.

Fred Vidal is Scheduling A Wedding With Lindsay Lohan To Realize His Dream: Be Happy On Earth! (1950′S Lace Tiers Princess Dress from Posh Girl Vintage).

Summer in New York City means that the women can finally bust out their Louboutin sandals (gladiator, of course, and in a coral or aqua?) and Sundresses from their favorite unique boutiques on fifth. Well, while those women have to take a two hour drive to the beach at the Hamptons, in Jacksonville, FL we do it a tad bit differently. So you women can enjoy your greens and yellows up north, while we enjoy temperatures rising above 100 degrees in July and terrible humidity, and of course the bleached blondes from the neighborhood schools of the beach increasing their risk of skin cancer and the skater guys wearing ridiculous neon swimsuits.

It’s been a great summer so far. Sure, it’s been three days, but if these three days are just th

Audrina Partride, (The Hills Star) in some unique and fabulous shoes. Summer is also highlighting metallics.

e beginning of a great summer ahead, I’m pulling out my Blue W120 Cybershot and Raybans and enjoying myself!

So, Joe’s Crab Shack wouldn’t be my first choice for a restaraunt, but it was decent. When you consider that the waiters and waitresses are dumb, slow and peppy (not to mention T-shirt & Towel whoring) it’s hard to believe I didn’t kill anyone! Haha, no, but it was a bit much and the food was, I’ll give it, moderate. && Somehow, though we’ve had so much rain, God had granted us one sunny area to enjoy ourselves. (Amen !)

Alright, so readers! How shall you enjoy yourself this Summer of 2009?

A) A housewife in New York with her hair pinned up neatly in her sunhat / a smoking husband in New York getting in shape for Tennis?

B) A soouthern bell with an extremely unhealth fettish/addiction with hairspray/ a beach bod of a guy enjoying the waves and the chicks?

C) A west coaster, doing whatever you do. (Okay, so I love the East Coast!! No offences to people in the West!)

                                                                                                                                                            D) A 14 year old boy in Jacksonville, FL enjoying the sun and friends and hard lemonades (Oh! I forgot, I don’t underage drink (; ) and reading the latest fashion magazines.

I’ll go with D, personally. So enjoy the sun and time away from school if you get it, and if not, live vicariously with this blog!

Until next time!

xoxo, R.

Heard the call of the bagpipes this afternoon – a haunting, mournful wail that transported me from the concrete jungle of downtown Toronto to the craggy heathered hills of Scotland.

Okay, not quite, but it sounded awful nice. The up-tempo reel was coming from a bagpiping busker standing on a nearby street corner. Sadly, he’d left his kilt and sporn at home and was wearing beige slacks … just not the same.

When I was about 10, my Irish grandfather handmade a kilt for me. Really. He was a tailor back in Belfast. I found out only recently that he also played the bagpipes*.

My mom let it slip in conversation but I was convinced she was mistaken because it was the first I’d heard of it. (And being Italian, I figured she might have confused bagpipes with some other wind instrument – like the Zamfir pan flute or something).

So I asked my dad about it and, sure enough, it was true. “Granpop played beautifully,” he said. “Had his own bagpipes,” he said.

I began to wonder what other family talents had been kept hidden from me.

Was my great aunt a weekend belly dancer? Did Uncle Frank juggle chainsaws on Sundays?

But I digress … it’s those bagpipes… do it to you every time…..

In case you were wondering, I did toss a contribution into the piper’s bag, which lay on the ground. I also tried to smile at him, but the sun was shining right in his eyes.

Poor guy needed some Ray-Bans. Now, that’s how I’d like to picture Granpop ….

No, this is not my grandfather. It's Tom Carthy, an old Irish Uilleann piper from Kerry 1799-1904.

Bagpipe bits and bobs:

• Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes are the best known, bagpipes have historically been found throughout Europe, and into Northern Africa, the Persian Gulf, and the Caucasus.
• The most common method of supplying air to the bag is by blowing into a blowpipe or blowstick.
• Reference to a bagpipe may be found as early as 425 BC, in the play The Acharnians by the Greek playwright Aristophanes.
• Since the 1960s, bagpipes have appeared in rock music, jazz, hip-hop, punk, and classical music, for example with Paul McCartney’s “Mull of Kintyre” and AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top.”

*Ongoing geneological research (i.e. grilling my father) will tell me whether my grandfather played the traditional Scottish bagpipes or the (more likely) Irish Uilleann pipes (pictured above).

P.S. This guy’s got great pipes it’s Montreal’s Bernard Lachance. This spot landed him on Oprah today. Enjoy!

Travel Sickness – 行きたい、行きたい、行きたい！

Most of the time I forget about how much I love backpacking- planning a trip, planning a route, arriving in unknown places with that bright and immediate sense of immersion in somewhere unfamiliar. Then sometimes I remember again, and spend a couple of hours flicking through random travel blogs on the internet, wishing I was on my own trip. There are so many places still to go to, and going before the age of 30 seems like a fairly wise thing to do. Although there are many more sensible plans for my next year or two, the draw of going on a 8-12 month trip (basically until the money runs out) is very, very strong. I miss travelling. I miss taking travel photos. I wanna go!

Spring Days- Saturday In The Sun－　夏色

Another thing I like is hot summer days, with t-shirt and jeans, RayBans, a park and some beers. Yesterday was such a day- minus the beers because I’m still sick. Despite being spring, the temperatures soared in Seoul to 25 ish, and I spent the day wandering around with Seon Hui, going to the Art & Synthesia exhbition at Seoul Museum of Art, and enjoying the canal-side walk at Cheongaechang.

…and Ode To Aniki－　金本またヒーロー

Yeah, sorry, I couldn’t resist the Hanshin update. The weekend saw a few stories. First up was “止まらない！　阪神・金本、今季２度目の１試合３発”- “He can’t be stopped. Hanshin’s Kanemoto hits three homers in one game for the second time this season.” And yet Hanshin lost. Despite vowing not to watch or write about another Hanshin game in succession, Friday’s work party (which began in Seoul’s well known “Italian” restuarant Mad For Garlic, a setting quite out of sync with the Soju-guzzling chain-smoking older members of the language department) ended up in a Korean snack bar with…yes, Yomiuri vs Hanshin on the TV!

Korea’s Yi Seong Yeop plays for the Giants, and much as Japan’s MLB highlights zone in exclusively on Ichiro and Matsuzaka, Korea’s NPB highlights focus on Yi. Hanshin lost the game 6-5, and I was more gutted than usual when I saw Kanemoto’s face in the dugout afterwards. He has now hit seven home runs in seven games, and has an average of around .600. Yet the team keeps letting him down. I think the Korean teachers were surprised by my enthusiasm for Hanshin- I zoned out of the conversations (well, they were mostly in Korean), to concentrate solely on the last 3 innings of a truly exciting game. The next day saw us lose again - 4-1.

Korean Japanese 日本人も韓国人

I met up with a Korean Japanese friend on Sunday, and we talked about the complexities of being Korean-Japanese. As my work colleagues had guessed just from seeing his name in Chinese characters, Kanemoto (金本) is Korean-Japanese. As is Arai (新井), and Hiyama (檜山). One of the main reasons Kanemoto never plays for Japan is that he doesn’t feel “right”, in that his parents are Korean. On the other hand, Arai does play for Team Nippon and did so in the 2008 Olympics. My friend has lived her whole life in Japan, is now studying Korean in Seoul, but has chosen to keep her nationality as Korean. Its a case of personal choice and feeling, although its certainly complicated by remaining bigotry in homogenous Japan, where ethnic Japanese and nationally Japanese are the same word- 日本人, and discrimination continues to exist in various careers and walks of life.

Desert Trout

Completely ship me, sailing out;

About the brow of Desert Trout.

With fins of glass and salmon doubt.

Completely ship me… sailing out.

Aboard her lofty hull of skull,

I feel the draw of your pull.

I taste myself; and find it dull.

Aboard her lofty… hull of skull.

Soft boney combs of skeletal fish.

Fathoms deep will crush and squish,

While passing waves of radon swish.

Where rocks and sticks can only wish.

Cool Ray bans rest upon the nose.

The rotting smell of tuna rose;

In misty plumes of wingless crows.

To spite the throws of dancing toes.

Do you suppose?

To shed your scales in tidbit wails;

With trinkets, stones and bones?

The sands will swallow

All who will follow.

While maggots calculate the end…

The End

The End

The End

]]> http://fashionshowsatlunch.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/i-wear-my-sunglasses-at-night/ Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:09:38 +0000 fashionshowsatlunch http://fashionshowsatlunch.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/i-wear-my-sunglasses-at-night/

Umm except for today, when I forgot my glasses case.  BUT I did find out about these classy shades.  Oliver Peoples had Zooey Deschanel design a few pairs that have a little kiss mark that appears when you breathe on them.  Completely unnecessary but how else could they charge $415?  On the plus side I found a few other much cheaper pairs, that are just as cute.  You might have to add your own kiss mark though.  Sorry.

This is not a test

Pink! AND Blue! Perfect for boys and girls.  Sorry I actually want these, maybe they’ll go on sale.

Can I have her hair?  Will wearing these glasses give me that haircut?  I would buy them for that.  Sigh, so shiny.

Ok, now for the stuff that is actually useful.   Here is a pair of Cheap Mondays that won’t give you a muffin top AND costs only $35.  Not crazy cheap, but if you’re not buying a swimsuit this season it’s not too bad.   (My brother insists these sun glasses look like something Norman  Bates might wear.  I still think they’re cool.)

Cooler than Buzz Aldrin's eyewear

PINK again!  This time with metallics like the color pallete of my Hollywood Barbie from 1991. Ringing in at $24.

Come on Barbie

And dum di dum (how do you type a drumroll?) the $11 pair!  Turquoise! And not quite a redux of the Olsen twin Rayban craze.

Yes it's curved, this makes it different.

Umm, not totally related I just thought it was cute.

I’d love this to be real, if not im just gonna pretend because he looks radd.