Music: G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R

[Album/Artist] "Song"—memory

[Give Yourself Away/Robbie Seay Band] "Rise"—Crossroads
[Gotee Records/Family Force 5] "Kountry Gentleman"—Julie
[A Grateful People/Watermark] "More Than You'll Ever Know"—Kris and Cami
[Grease] "Summer Lovin'"—Andrea's house, middle school, along with that mall board game, and that metalcasting set
[Guero/Beck]—freshman year of college
[Guys and Dolls] "Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat"—an overwritten cassette, hello how are you doooing...

[Harmful If Swallowed/Dane Cook] "Stupid Alarm Clock Games"—Meghan, freshman year of college
[Hello Dolly!]—Steph, sleeping in muslin piles
[Hideaway/The Weepies] "Just Blue"—driving away from the Hatchet on a cold rainy morning
[The Highest Heights/The Lovebugs] "21st Century Man"—driving with Darwin on the way to Herzogenbuchsee
[Hits/Joni Mitchell] "Both Sides Now"—March 2009
[The Hits/REO Speedwagon] "Keep On Lovin' You"—Dad, the falling over letters
[The Holiday] "Three Musketeers"—Allison
[Home Alone Christmas/Fox Albert Choir] "My Christmas Tree"—Matt, and the Thanksgiving tradition
[Hook] "Presenting the Hook"—a certain bet
[Hopes and Fears/Keane]—Julie
[Horse of a Different Color/Big and Rich]—Senior year of high school, backstage at JLJ, Todd
[Hot Fuss/The Killers]—Julie, getting into the car in the park in Napoleon
[Hotel Paper/Michelle Branch]—Tiffany, painting the 4-H booth
[How It Ends/Devotchka] "How It Ends"—Megan and our drives freshman year
[How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb/U2] "City of Blinding Lights"—watching A Devil Wears Prada, dad, warm socks
[How To Save A Life/The Fray]—Alyssa
[Hunchback of Notre Dame]—freshman year art history
[Hungriges Herz/Scala and Kolacny Brothers] "Hungriges Herz"—late nights at the Lindenhof flat

[I Am Telling You For The Last Time/Jerry Seinfeld]—Julie, the Kramer silkscreen, Lord of the Flies and AP Lit
[In Bruges]—Katie, assigned theater seats
[Into the Light/Gloria Estefan] "Coming Out Of The Dark"—Dad, the blue Toyota
[Into Your Head/BB Mak]—high school
[Invincible/Skillet] "Best Kept Secret"—wrecklessly pulling into the high school parking lot
[It's Time/Michael Bublé] "Home"—Linda, and driving to Denver

[Jagged Little Pill/Alanis Morissette] "All I Really Want"—Full House
[Jeff Buckley] "Je Nein Connias Pas La Fin"—Jeremiah
[Jerry Maguire/The Who] "Getting In Tune"—late night TV with Dad
[Jock Jams 4/Backstreet Boys] "Everybody"—bedroom dance routines
[Jock Rock 2000/Barenaked Ladies] "One Week"—learning the lyrics in the piano room
[Jock Rock 2000/Fatboy Slim] "Rockerfella Skank"—Christmas at grandma's, She's All That
[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]—watching high schoolers in awe
[Josh's Mix/Eminem] "Lose Yourself"—memorizing the lyrics, singing them to Brian freshman year of college
[Joshua Tree/U2] "In God's Country"—driving towards Pikes Peak on a clear morning
[Joshua Tree/U2] "
[Journey Greatest Hits/Journey] “Don’t Stop Believin’”—the Accord
[Juno/The Moldy Peaches] “Anyone Else But You”—When Harry Met Sally

[Kala/M.I.A.] “Paper Planes”—Brooke

[L’integrale Piaf/Edith Piaf]—Camille
[Lady Antebellum] “I Run To You”—Heidi, driving to white water rafting
[LeftRightLeftRightLeft/Coldplay] “Glass of Water”—Coldplay concert/June 2009
[Les Misérables] “Castle On A Cloud”—Solo and Ensemble, middle school choir
[Let Go/Avril Lavigne] “Tomorrow”—driving in the dark, high school
[Let It Die/Feist]—Alicia, Brooklyn
[Life in Cartoon Motion/MIKA]—Julie, New York summer 2007
[Lift/Audio Adrenaline]—Dave and Youth Crew
[Lykki Li] “Dance Dance Dance”—Lily
[Line Dances] “Electric Slide”—Camp Palmer
[Lion King]—collector cards, the genius idea of combining them
[Listen To My Heart]—seeing it at CCM, emotional turmoil
[Little Voice/Sara Barielles]—Christie’s, the Upper East Side in the rain
[Love, Angel, Music, Baby/Gwen Stefani] “Hollaback Girl”—

[Man Comes Around/Johnny Cash] “Hurt”—the upstairs apartment, Basel
[A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar/Dashboard Confessional]—high school in the rain, driving home for Thanksgiving break sophomore year of college]
[Mary Poppins]—Matt, junior year of high school
[The Matrix/Rob D.] “Clubbed to Death”—the parsonage, Luther League
[Mean Girls/Joe Budden] “Fire”—teen angst
[Memory Almost Full/Paul McCartney]—New York summer 2007
[Miles Davis]—Todd
[Millennium/Backstreet Boys] “Larger Than Life”—
[MmHmm/Relient K]—Phil
[Moulin Rouge] “Lady Marmalade”—Erica’s house for a sleepover
[Move Along/All-American Rejects]—Amanda
[Movie Love Themes/Cincinnati Pops] “Main Theme from On Golden Pond”—Mom
[Movie Music–The Definitive Performances/The Byrds “Ballad of Easy Rider”—Survey of Film, spring 2008
[Mr. Holland’s Opus]—middle school band
[Mrs. Doubtfire]—grandma’s living room
[Music Man]—New York
[My Girl] “Main Theme”—Sunday mornings eating pop-tarts

[Newsies]—middle school choir
[Nickel Creek]—Kris
[Nina Simone]—Sam, A2
[No Line on the Horizon/U2] “Unknown Caller”—the Voltaplatz hi-fi system, Sam, Dublin pubs
[No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls/Simple Plan]—Amanda’s mixes
[Now/Fastball] “The Way”—
[Now 2/Fatboy Slim] “Praise You”—
[Now 4/Train] “Meet Virginia”—
[Now Christmas/Bing and David Bowie] “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth”—grandma and WNDH

[Ocean Avenue/Yellowcard] “One Year, Six Months”—high school
[Ocean’s 12]—Todd
[On A Clear Night/Missy Higgins] “Where I Stood”—driving with Linda, the Springs
[Once/Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová]—salmon spaghetti and missing keys
[One Cell In The Sea/A Fine Frenzy] “The Minnow & The Trout]—Allison
[One Cell In The Sea/A Fine Frenzy] “Hope for the Hopeless”—post New York trip, December 2008
[Only By The Night/Kings of Leon] “Sex on Fire”— driving with Darwin to Herzogenbuchsee
[Only the Lonely/Frank Sinatra] “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry”—
[Our Endless Numbered Days/Iron & Wine]—Kris

[The Parent Trap/The La’s] “There She Goes”—Amanda, dreams of traveling
[Patch Adams/Stills and Nash] “Carry On”—
[Paul Simon Anthology]—Amanda
[Pee Wee’s Big Adventure]—Amanda
[Phil Collins: Hits] “I Wish It Would Rain Down”—my parents
[Philadelphia/Bruce Springsteen] “Streets of Philadelphia”—freshman year of college, winter break
[Pink Moon/Nick Drake]—
[The Producers]—the Odyssey
[Psycho–The Essential Alfred Hitchcock] “Dial M for Murder Suite”—watching AMC with mom
[Purest Place/Watermark]—Cami
[PureVolume/Houston Automatic] “Brilliant”—high school

[Rain Man/The Belle Stars] “Iko Iko”—Lamborghinis, mom
[The Reason/Hoobastank] “Lucky”—high school, driving from play practice
[Rent]—Alyssa, Jeremy
[Revolutionary Road/Thomas Newman] “Golden People”—Pathe! Theaters, cultural misunderstandings
[Rockferry/Duffy] “Mercy”—A2, giraffe dress
[Rocky/Bill Conti] “Gonna Fly Now”—Philly art museum
[Room for Squares/John Mayer]—the light booth, Bye Bye Birdie, spring 2003
[Royal Tenenbaums]—Kay and Jordan, the house on Wayne Park Drive

Music: A-B-C-D-E-F

Isn't it amazing how music can unlock a secret hatch in your brain? The staff lines peel apart, and spew 10-year-old lyrics flawlessly.

I have a little free time tonight. Went through my iTunes. Now regurgitating my music memories.

[Album/Artist] "Song"—memory

[Aladdin] "Arabian Nights"—my cousins' basement, laying on the longhair carpet
[Albertine/Brooke Fraser] "Seeds"—the F train, New York
[All For Coffee/Shane Piasecki] "She Falls Like Rain"—junior year of high school
[All That You Can't Leave Behind/U2] "Walk On"—the Friends finale
[Anthems for the Imperfect/Everyday Sunday] "The One"—AALC Youth Conference, 2005
[Armageddon] "Animal Crackers"—Napoleon Public Library
[Assassination of Jesse James/Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds]—Melody and the Voltaplatz flat
[Atlantic Records: 50 Years] "Yakety Yak" and "Mack the Knife"—singing to myself in the Civic
[Atlantic Records: 50 Years/Sister Sledge] "We Are Family"—Old Navy
[Autobiography/Ashlee Simpson] "Shadow"—high school

[Back to Black/Amy Winehouse]—cleaning the Lindenhofstraße flat
[Balance/Van Halen] "Seventh Seal'—driving home from shark dissections
[Blue Man Group]—Chicago
[Baum Pre-Production] "Hope That We Once Had"—Fasnacht 2009
[Beatles 1/The Beatles] "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da"—pizza making party in Indian Hill
[Beautiful Lumps of Coal/Plumb]—Krista and ROAR, 2005
[Beauty from Pain/Superchick]—painting the Calvins in the high school hallway
[Bedknobs and Broomsticks]—red card table, felt bears, toast with brown sugar, sink-washed hair
[Beethoven]—Homecoming dresses and champagne flutes of Mountain Dew
[Begin to Hope/Regina Spektor] "Samson"—jan 2009
[Ben Folds Live] "Zac and Sara"—high school
[Best Of/Ricky Martin] "Livin' La Vida Loca"—middle school dances
[Best Of/Steppenwolf] "Magic Carpet Ride"—Spence from "The King of Queens"
[Billy Joel Greatest Hits] "We Didn't Start The Fire"—middle school choir
[Billy Joel Greatest Hits] "Piano Man"— Senior AP Comp
[Blue/Third Eye Blind] "Wounded"—summer nights in Napoleon
[Breakaway/Kelly Clarkson] "Breakaway"—high school graduation
[Breakaway/Kelly Clarkson] "Since U Been Gone"—a certain speeding incident
[Busted Stuff/DMB] "Where Are You Goin'"—high school art

[Cake] "Wheels"—freshman year of college
[Candycoatedwaterdrops/Plumb] "Late Great Earth"—painting the 4-H booth in the garage
[Chutes Too Narrow/The Shins]—watching Garden State
[Circle/Eddie Izzard]—watching Lego YouTube videos at the WG table
[Classic Hits Live/Foreigner] "Juke Box Hero"—high school
[Classic Queen] "Bohemian Rhapsody"—Brianna's house, 7th grade
[Collection of Short Stories/Houston Calls]—Phil
[Come Away With Me/Norah Jones]—sleepovers at Kristen's apartment
[Cracked Rear View/Hootie and the Blowfish]—the Dodge Grand Caravan, driving to Cleveland

[Dan's Mix III/Beck] "E-Pro"—freshman year of college
[Dance Into The Light/Phil Collins]—driving to Cleveland
[Devil Wears Prada/KT Tunstall]—"Suddenly I See"—walking in heels with a big smile
[Dixie Chicks] "Travelin' Soldier"—Katie with her new driver's license
[Dizzy Up The Girl/Goo Goo Dolls]—
[Dog Problems/The Format]—Spoon concert at Battery Park
[Drastic Fantastic/KT Tunstall] "Paper Aeroplane"—grey cube at HQ

[Edward Scissorhands]—the TNT network
[Elliot Smith]— "Good Will Hunting'
[Enchanted]—St. Louis with Katie
[Essential Simon and Garfunkel]—walking through Central Park in the winter
[Eve 6] "Anytime"—peeling out of the high school parking lot
[Everything You Want/Vertical Horizon] "You're A God"—
[Eye To The Telescope/KT Tunstall] "Black Horse & Cherry Tree"—Soho Apple store
[Eyes Open/Snow Patrol] "Chasing Cars"—St. Louis with Megan

[Feels Like Today/Rascal Flatts] "Skin"—HCF grandstand
[Finally Woken/Jem] "Save Me"—paint chips freshman year DAAP
[Finding Neverland] "Impossible Opening"—Bible study in Siddall, freshman year
[Firm, The] "Memphis Stomp"—piano music store in Chicago?
[Five] "When The Lights Go Out"—middle school with Brianna
[Five Leaves Left/Nick Drake]—winter snow falling
[Freaky Friday/Diffuser] "I Wonder"—high school

[Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga/Spoon] "You Got Your Cherry Bomb"—Dunkin' Donuts by the WTC

Denver Dancing and Other Weekend Fun

So for the heck of it, I drove up to Denver with a fellow intern on Friday night to go to the Colorado Country Classic.

I really had no idea what to expect. I knew that there would be open dancing, I knew that I can't dance, but agreed blindly anyways. My friend Linda had met some of the dancers in a club in downtown Colorado Springs the previous weekend, and learned West Coast Swing, so I was excited to learn that, and then see what else came our way.

Stopped in Aurora to pick up another fellow intern, who was graciously letting us stay at her house for the night, and then headed to the competition. Reaching the hotel where the competition was being held, I was floored by 90s, Full House atmosphere that was being exuded; diamond studded everything, clothes that could have easily donned Tara Lipinski, stage makeup, two-tiered ponytails, dancing shoes, pre-competition massage stations... it was a total subculture. We sat down to watch the Pro-Am competition, a lot like Dancing with the Stars. We felt sort of stalker-like, because by the end we knew all the competitors' names, and had our favorites.

On Saturday, we went to a Cherry Blossom Festival at Sakura Square in downtown Denver. It was much smaller than we anticipated, and I couldn't find any homemade paper, so we made our way to the to Tattered Cover, a bookstore in LoDo (Lower Denver) that is eclectic, and has a pretty amazing selection. I have been recently introduced to McSweeney's, which is a literary magazine that has some killer package designs. I loved the homey, lodge-like atmosphere.


Before we left, went to a restaurant called Mad Greens, a salad place on the 16th Street Mall. With salads like the "Edgar Allen Poe" and "da Vinci" it was certainly quirky and delish. When coming back to the Springs, I headed to the baseball park to see the Colorado Springs SkySox play the Portland Beavers (farm league). It was Navs night, and I stood at the table with my roommate, Julie, telling people about NavPress and giving out free devotionals. It was freezing and raining, definitely not good baseball weather. There were two rain delays, and after awhile Julie and I got too cold and antsy to wait any longer... so we decided to get ice cream instead!

This morning, I tried Woodman Valley Chapel, a church just a few miles away from my apartment. One of the funniest moments of the service was when the British worship leader said, "You will probably never hear this from anyone else, but Happy 4th of July from England!" The message was really pertinent, speaking about change, and how we deal and persevere. Afterwards, the couple sitting next to me invited me out to brunch, so that was fun, getting to know new people and hear their viewpoints on the church.

So much more to say, since everything is new at this point, but too tired. Excited to share more as the days progress!

Colorado Architecture

Besides the natural architecture of the mountains, and some of the crazy-big homes that are nestled in them, Colorado Springs has the same corporate "boxes" as a lot of other towns across America. It's funny, though, because boxmakers make some sort of attempt to "Colorado-fy" their boxes by adding stone facade and veneers. Check out this Lowe's:

Sometimes I feel like the chains are trying to fool us; we are not the Big Bad Wolf, we are products of the mountains, that have been unearthed and now bring you low-price goods. Eh, just a thought.

"Lawn Ornaments"

Ute Valley Park in right across the street from my house, so lots of convenient hiking! I have really been trying to take advantage of my surroundings, and love to have beautiful views of the sunset and of Pikes Peak. I have seen so much wildlife, as you can see from the photo, there are always a few Bambi lurking about. I want to keep a "Creature Count," but I have seen so much so far. I think I have seen at least a deer a day, many jackrabbits, and the Colorado state bird, the Lark Bunting.

"The Glen"

So when you wake up in the morning, and see Pike's Peak, you think it can't get much better. And then I remember that I work near a castle. Woah.

This castle is part of Glen Eyrie, and was built by General Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs, near the Garden of the Gods. It was once owned by Billy Graham, and then the Navigators. Now the Carriage House is a coffee shop, and there are tours that run through regularly. They also have a High Tea, which would be fun to check out. At this point, I've only been on the trails, so I am excited to see and learn more.

The trails and the grounds are always open to NavsStaff. It's pretty cool, flashing my ID badge and entering the grounds.

Below is a picture of Dawson Trotman's grave, founder of the Navigators. He has a really good view of the grounds and of the Garden of the Gods! I learned of Dawson a few years ago in Large Group (in Cincinnati), but have learned much more about him in the last week. Will probably dedicate a post to that later on when I know more.

Navs Headquarters

Began work on Monday, and dove right into my project! I will be designing the 2010 Short Term Summer Missions brochure for Navigators, and working on an overall identity and grid system design for the group, part of their "Reimagining" process. It has been awesome learning about the behind the scenes work that goes into mission work, and seeing all of the arms of the Navigators reaching out to the World. I've heard our team, USIMG (United States International Missions Group), described as the "home" team, and the overseas workers as the "away." I love to see how our work here can supplement others'!

I am excited for the Family Gathering, which will be July 10–16. This is an event where nearly 60 people from their stations around the world will come to relax and enjoy time in Colorado, while also work through hardships that they are facing there. I will be working with 3–6 year old, teaching a sort of Vacation Bible School program on the Armor of God. I am thrilled to be mingling with this age group, and very excited to do crafts with them! I am also interested to see if they relate more to American or their other culture, or see what languages come most easily to them.

The people here are extremely encouraging and inviting. My boss, Mark, took me to each cubicle on the first day, and introduced me to the entire team (United States International Missions Group). It seems like people genuinely care about each other here, and have time to listen and answer questions. One woman took a good 45 minutes of her morning to answer questions that I had concerning identity crises of missionary kids, or living in dangerous situations. She was willing to share some of her experience living in Bahrain during the wars. I really hope I can soak up all of their experiences, and see the mission world with open eyes.

I have been experiencing an acronym learning curve: USIMG (see above), PRT (People Resources Team), D4D (Discipleship for Development), NLT (National Leadership Team), EL (Eagle Lake), B2G (Better 2 Gether), MK (missionary kid), TCK (third culture kid) to name a few. And then of course, I am familiarizing myself with NIV, NLT, KJV, NAST... and The Message. Frequently, I think of that scene in RocketMan where Fred Randall is trying to blend by inserting acronyms that he knows into the preflight check... BMW, CNN, ATT...

Here is my cubicle. It is amazingly grey. Added some "spice" with photos and to-do lists, but is still in need of some help.


And this is around the corner, and a true joy to see everyday as I go to to the lunch room or to the bathroom. What is it? It's YOU! All of you that are going on Short Term Missions! I am thrilled to hear about all of the trips, and to be involved in this way. I can't wait to hear all of your stories, and see the ways God is developing you and the people you have been meeting. I think of you very often, and try to pray regularly for your safety and growth. AH! I am so excited for you, and what flavor this will bring to Navs in Cincinnati!

Wy-roaming

Greetings from the road! Currently in Cheyenne, on the way to Colorado Springs. It's been an epic journey with Mom so far, with hectic cities, wide open spaces, and time for conversation. I am so proud of my little Civic, because it is consistently getting 40 mpg, and we have traveled 1295 with no problems. Here's a map of our path so far:



Some observations on the road:
Chicago=Tolls. Tolls. Tolls.
Follow close behind a car with a bike on the back in heavy rain.
Throngs of windmills. Sometimes one, out of a group of ten, is turning the opposite direction. Why?
Abandoned cows, mostly dark brown
Land laced with infinite power lines, no house in sight
Sun-bleached pavement
"Amber waves of grain" that look very soft

A huge highlight has been the Field of Dreams in Heaven, I mean, Dyersville, Iowa. No advertising on the highway, nothing but a sign when we were three miles away (in the middle of nowhere). We arrived, and there were only a few cars there, but after an hour, there were about 15 people roaming and enjoying the absolutely perfect weather.


I had a catch, felt "the cool of the grass on my feet," and walked through the corn, which was not even a foot high yet. They said that for the movie, they needed the corn to be shoulder-high by shooting time; it was a very dry year, and they needed to dam a nearby river to create a reservoir to water the corn. They ended up watering it so much, and it grew so high, that Kevin Costner had to stand on a platform!

Saw a Pony Express station today, as a sidetrip off of i-80. The Pony Express existed for nine months, to speed up delivery of letters to California. Letters were literally transferred from horse to horse in a "mochila," kind of a second saddle.



Tired. Stretching my legs, then sleep.

Locks for Love

Forgot to post this, but Stephanie came up to Napoleon for, literally, a few hours, to get our hair cut together for Locks for Love. Kailee was the master hairdresser. I was nervous, I admit, since I haven't had short hair in a long time, but I am so glad that I have it cut now. Someone once told me that getting a haircut is a way to transition into a new chapter of your life. Totally true now. Check out the crazy hair model photo in the background of our portrait... :)

Pound for Pound

Designers consistently create based on intentional choices. From the very beginning, function drives form, intentions become the basis for the vehicle, and a structure is developed that can be fleshed out.

To many people, paper isn't intentional; whatever's at Staples, whatever comes free with returning an ink cartridge is good enough. But for me, I see it is as an opportunity to be intentional. Paper, believe it or not, can be invigorating. It is a sensory explosion when the Mary Kay reps of the graphic world, the paper reps, come to your workplace for a promotional show-and-tell. Brochures exhibit paper and printing techniques for the deep-pocketed; sample books pegged in one corner fan out like a touting peacock; and over the course of lunch, we melt like we've just been read a Shakespearean sonnet. It's a special time, really, because you dive in the tactility, closing your eyes, rubbing your fingers together, recognizing the impact of the details.

I am thankful that I have this heightened sensitivity.

I guess with all of this said, it is only natural that I have been identifying myself with papers lately. Why do I feel connected to Mead instead of Mohawk? Why do I find comfort in the structure of college-ruled instead of a grid system I have lain myself on a pure sheet of white?

Debonair

Disc Four

Saw The Soloist yesterday evening, and it whisked away some dirt from memories in my mind.


My grandmother gave my family a boxed set of Beethoven symphonies more than ten years ago. They were a free BP giveaway from when she worked in their downtown Cleveland office. I remember the distinct manilla box and cases with their bold yellow and green crest, nomadically migrating through our lives over the years. They traveled from the desk of our second desktop computer in the piano room (which was called a piano room when we had a computer in it, and a computer room when we had a piano in it). The five Beethoven discs made up half of our family CD collection, along with Molly Hatchet's "Flirting with Disaster" and Hootie and the Blowfish's "Cracked Rear View, and an ambient CD entitled "Stream of Dreams" from the Unique Little Gift Shop in Defiance per my birthday request (I can remember alternating the Stream of Dreams CD and the Spice Girls CD I borrowed from the library around the same time in my life. I felt so sophisticated with my very own Sony Discman...) The manilla set made it into the Dodge Grand Caravan, where they didn't fit into the magenta, royal blue, and black CD organizer, because the jewel cases each held two or three discs. So the CDs went into the compartment under the console, forgotten. Probably when we got a new van, they were unearthed and ventured back inside near the surround sound system. All of this moving, and never played.

Probably the end of my freshman year of high school, that is when I found Beethoven again. He was in my room by that point. I went through a phase where I appreciated quantity, even if meaningless; seeing a shelf of CDs was a trophy, even though most of those CDs were singles. Beethoven was an unopened, space-consuming chunk. In an attempt to learn how to tilt up my nose, I opened the set, and found five identical discs, only distinguishable by the small 8pt. "DISC ONE" in the upper right. I haphazardly picked disc four first, so Symphony No. 6 Op. 68 and Symphony No.7 Op. 92 are to this day my favorites. I listened to the other CDs, but there was nothing quite like disc four. I escaped into a formal party, imagining men in fitted jackets with impeccable buttonry, women in pearls and dresses that would take up a room's corner: their whispers, smirks, and fan language. Mind you, these images were fueled mostly by Kate and Leopold and Wishbone. I practiced waltzing (yes), using the reflection from the TV as a guide. I would pour Sprite into a champagne flute and thoroughly enjoy the feeling of the crystal in between my fingertips. Somehow I considered myself better because I opened a free set of CDs.

This movie portrays Beethoven in an entirely different nomadic sense. It was refreshing to hear familiar tunes, with no frills; actually, within serious contexts of downright poverty. He doesn't need to be associated with tilted noses liked I pegged him before. He has the power to permeate a man's soul because of his music. All along, it should've been about the music, not the societal insinuations. I will always appreciate the gap classical music provides, allowing us draw our own illustrations, but I want to approach it humbly. I want to hear it from a cello that was carried in a shopping cart. I want to hear it from a musician that's home is at Beethoven's feet.

I want to approach God like Nathaniel approaches Beethoven. God has always been there in my life, and He has been waiting for me to open Him up, so that he can share his tunes of grace. I want to understand Him, and let his music pour out of me. I want to be humble. I want to make my home at His feet.

Diamond In The Rough

Recently discovered negative of Robert Capa, from the times of the Spanish Civil War.

Switching Gears

I am back in Cincinnati, switching gears, and in preparation mode for this summer. My passions for God, people, and art will intertwine into one summer mission: working as a graphic design co-op for the Navigators U.S. Headquarters in Colorado Springs. I am so excited for this opportunity—to deepen my relationship with God, and to experience how graphic design can be an act of service, and a way to encourage and inspire others. It is also going to be awesome to drive out West, and to be completely surrounded in nature (maybe one of these quarters I will make it to the beach, but for now, my place is in the mountains).

Sidenote: when people use the term "switching gears" I always seem to think about Charlie Chaplin and Modern Times. To be honest, I have never even seen the full movie, but this image is engrained in my mind, probably from Sources oh so long ago.

White

My stomach is churning and eyes are watering. I just packed up my room. It is very white again. It is uncomfortable to be in alone, a white island.

On Saturday, I assembled some new IKEA furniture with my roommate—oh, the mighty power of women—and the old sideboards from the living room migrated to my bedroom. That meant that I was packing in, taking the books from my windowsill and putting them into the lockers, storing all the stacks of posters and pamphlets I have been shamelessly accumulating the past few months. Everything looked so seamless, so Swiss. I avoided thinking that I would be unpacking these same things and repacking them into my suitcase in less than a week, transforming back into an American Tourister, "like none of it ever was real."

This week has been difficult, my mind teetering on departing thoughts, as well as arriving again in Cincinnati. Wrapping up projects and writing cards; quite honestly, I don't have anything profound to say. My mind is racing so fast that it is blank, one big white blur.

Research shows that white can symbolize death. Some things that needed to be in my killed in my life have died in the past two weeks. This was painful, is painful (who am I kidding, the pain won't be over for awhile), but it was the right thing to do. White is also purity. Because of this death (and His death), I am pure, even if I don't feel like it. And purity can bring peace. I can't wait for this one. I am white, and I am ready for peace.

Welcome Amanda.

No Coat Weather

As consistently tends to be the case, I will write later. It was a beautiful day in Basel and Basel-Land today, in the mid 50s! Love. 

Both Sides Now—Joni Mitchell

Rows and floes of angel hair

And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons evrywhere
Ive looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on evryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
Ive looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its cloud illusions I recall
I really dont know clouds at all

Moons and junes and ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As evry fairy tale comes real
Ive looked at love that way

But now its just another show
You leave em laughing when you go
And if you care, dont let them know
Dont give yourself away

Ive looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
Its loves illusions I recall
I really dont know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say I love you right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
Ive looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say Ive changed
Well somethings lost, but somethings gained
In living evry day

Ive looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
Its lifes illusions I recall
I really dont know life at all
Ive looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its lifes illusions I recall
I really dont know life at all

Did Ye Go To Dublin, Or Arrrr Ye a Pirate?

Been a total slacker with postings this quarter. Quite honestly, I have had a lot of opportunity this week to post, but have conceded to sleeping, or kidding myself into thinking I could watch A Few Good Men, and then sleeping. I "can't handle the truth" that I don't give my body enough time to catch up.

Went to Dublin this past weekend for a nice getaway with Basel friends—nie—friends. I can't classify people as "Cincinnati friends" and "Basel friends." They are all my friends, location insignificant. So yes, Cedric, Laura, Melanie, Daniel, Marco, and I travelled from Basel to Zurich to Dublin, and got to spend some serious quality time together, time that cannot be hindered with exam and work schedules. They even tolerated me saying, "Emmentaler!" instead of  "cheese!" which was great.

I can't really explain what I thought Dublin would be, but I don't really think it matched my stereotypical expectations. It was so much smaller than I imagined! It felt a lot like Philadelphia, actually. I had some pretty pleasant interactions with the Irish I did meet, and I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. 

The first evening, after unloading at the hostel, we went to a traditional Irish restaurant, and I had lamb, I think. I don't know if that is a traditional dish, but it was on the menu and it sounded good. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to get the menu, and be able to READ it! I thought I might be of some help to my non-native speaking friends, but they totally held their own, even with the strong accents. Sometimes I even found myself ignoring people; I wasn't doing it on purpose, I am just accustomed to never understanding. One thing I did take advantage of: breaking the law and walking even if there wasn't a green man. I am really getting sick of the Swiss following this law all the time, mainly because I just feel so dumb standing at the intersection when there are CLEARLY no cars coming. Not even an ever-sly tram to creep up on you. Crossing the street on red... I have such a rebellious soul.

Went to a bar with Gael Force, a somewhat cheesy but altogether fun band who played traditional Irish music. He pulled Melanie and Daniel on the stage to do some singing renditions, which was great to watch (and thank God I wasn't chosen). The music made me reminisce of Titanic and the third class party on the lower decks that Jack and Rose escape to. During one of the songs, I couldn't resist the urge to get up, grab an arm and do a little swinging to the music. If only I could rise up on my toes (and have such a great dress as Rose to go bar-hopping in!).

Friday we did some explorations of the city, after an unruly bacon, ham, egg, toast, instant coffee breakfast. I found this beauty. I just love this color.

Went to a natural history museum and saw some dead, fossilized human bodies, and had really one of the best latte macchiatos I have had in a long time. Went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, and was deeply disappointed that they were charging ADMISSION to the church itself. It is normal for a church to charge a fee to climb their spires, but it is just wrong to charge admission to the sanctuary. I refused to pay admission, and preferred to be outside and watch the Harry Potter children leaving from the choir academy across the street. Honest, it looked like Hogwarts had come to life, and all of the beautiful little redheads came pouring out in their plaid and sweaters. Then headed to the Guinness factory. Such an impeccably designed exhibition! Even if I didn't like the beer (stout), which I do, I would still love this factory sheerly for the design. They showed us how it is made, the advertising history, and of course, sampling. I know this photo means nothing to you, and shows you nothing, but I like it, and I took it in the factory.

At the top of the exhibition, you receive your complimentary Guinness, and are able to overlook the city while you drink a ridiculous amount of calories. I didn't think I really liked dark beers, and I am really more of a wine person, but I did enjoy this beer.

Here is just something fun:

That evening we went to a few different pubs, and I was able to get my Irish coffee. Perfection. 

I think the best thing about seeing all of these different pubs was being able to see all the different types of architecture, and how their live music seemed to fit them perfectly. There was a clearly Jugendstil bar with more lively, free-flowing music, and my favorite, a small room in the second story that felt a lot like a secret, and had some fiddle action. I loved this place. The second night we came back and there was a duo that played American bluegrass/blues. I have never heard such a mean "blues harp." 

One of my priorities while I was here was to get the new U2 CD, specifically from their hometown of Dublin. There were a lot of posters around announcing the album, and every record store was fully stocked. I caved, and bought a lot of U2 CDs. My excuse: "But it is so cheap here!" 

Went to the sea on Saturday, to Howth and Dun Laodhaire. I would describe the area as the Hamptons with a more down-to-earth and European charm. We went to a restaurant for lunch that was stone-walled with fireplaces in every room. I wanted to be snowed-into this building. I had to have a cup of coffee in this atmosphere. And soup.

The girls took a nice long nap on these rocks as the boys explored the city. It was so relaxing to bask in the sun, hear the seagulls, and soak up the lapping of the water. There was a beautiful layered cake of rocks, seaweed, and barnacles. This was one of my favorite moments on the trip.

As the weekend was coming to a close, I had to deal with a lot of red tape to get back from Ireland and re-enter Switzerland. At each checkpoint (at check-in, at boarding, at customs) I was asked to show some sort of proof of intent to enter Zurich, some sort of request or train ticket or something. I have never been so on edge about entering a country. I guess I somehow deserve it as an American, since our borders aren't difficult to get through either, but when traveling with a group of Europeans, I felt a bit discomforted to be hassled all the time. I cannot tell you how thankful I was to set foot back into Switzerland, past the customs gate. As we were grabbing a bite to eat in Zurich before heading back to Basel, Marco commented, "Ah, it feels so good to be home. Oh...sorry." But I told him there is really no need to apologize. Because when I do set foot in Basel, coming out of the train station and looking towards the park, I do get an "at home" feeling. I am comfortable here. Somehow, I am a Basler. 

I am so thankful for this opportunity to jet-set to Ireland, to be living in Europe for a time. I have grown inexplicably. 

I am not avoiding writing about Fasnacht, but clearly I have a lot to say, and even this weekend post has gotten massive. I want to give full respect to all that is Fasnacht, so I will save it for a time when I can do it justice. 

My Science

Sick but Smiling

So much has been happening in the last few days, that if I don't write, I will totally regret it. So. Here I am! Listening to the new U2 CD and totally thrilled with it.

Here is a story that happened a few weeks ago, but I want to tell. There is a restaurant on my way home that is just full of Giacomettis, probably 20 or 30 of them. I always look into the windows of this restaurant as I walk, because they are just beautiful, and I am still astonished that they aren't locked up in a museum somewhere; no, they are in a corner pizza place, and everyone can enjoy them. So one day I walked by the first window, and a busboy was walking with a carrier of glasses, and we saw each other. Then brick. Walked by the next window, and the boy was there again, and turned his head, and we looked at each other again. Brick. Walked by the next window, and the boy and I were just laughing and laughing. Brick. Walked by the next window, and I was alone. I stopped, looked for the boy, at the Giacomettis, and then he popped from around the corner, having changed pace on purpose. So so simple. So so amazing.

Thursday I took a visit to the pharmacy on Spalenberg. Literally, this was a step back in time;  the wall were covered in wooden drawers with small labels on brass fixtures, and rows and rows of bottles with blackletter script, that for all I know said "Witches' Toes." I went up to to counter, wanting to get some aspirin, and the woman looked at me like I was nuts. "Have you ever taken aspirin before?" she said with a concerned face. I said yes, that it wasn't a problem, but she insisted on telling me to only take one every six hours, because they were so strong. I should have told her that I am from America, and that I can handle pretty much everything she had behind that counter, none of which was maximum strength or anything beyond herbs with a little chemicals mixed in. When I got the aspirin, it was packaged totally Swiss-like, beautiful type and solid color fields. Beautiful packaging, totally ineffective medication. 

Came home that evening, exhausted, and getting sicker by the hour with a bad sore throat. Woke up in the morning on a bed with no sheets (fell asleep mid-laundry), and some herbal medications by my door from my neighbor and roommate: cough lozenges from Zürich that are black and chewy; a cough syrup that is literally caramel, and puts Dimetapp or Robitussin tastes to shame; throat medicine that tastes like Fisherman's Friends; cough and bronchial herbal tea; and Vicks. The room was spinning, my body couldn't decide whether it was hot or cold, and I knew that I needed to call in sick, and with my barely-there voice and nonsense thought patterns, my boss was completely sympathetic. The morning was absolutely stunning, bright and sunny, and I was stuck in and out of sleep inside. I tried to be somewhat productive, but I just couldn't concentrate, and resorted to Seinfeld instead. Watched Ocean's 12 that evening, and had no problems falling asleep yet again that night.

On Saturday, I got up early, took a quick trip to the flea market with Bruno, a photographer friend of Melody's staying at the apartment. It was cool to speak with him. We talked about a lot of things, but it was especially interesting to discuss the "first date" concept, and how that really doesn't exist in Switzerland/Europe. He thinks that there are less mind games here, but I am not convinced of that. We then went back home because I was scheduled to be a portrait subject for my roommate's photography class; her 8 students photographed me in my bedroom, trying to tell my story via photo. It was a lot of fun, but also very tiring. Each of them had 40 minutes to do what they wanted with me. I really enjoyed getting inside their minds, and seeing their approach to a subject they had never met, but still had to depict in truth. It was cool when they would let me get involved, and throw in my own ideas, or be encouraging, because it was really intimidating. It was helpful to be on the other side of the camera, because now I have a better understanding of how to direct my own subjects. I haven't received all of the photos yet, and in all honesty, I think I would be really creepy to post them, so if you are interested (and I like them, haha), I will show them to you sometime. Here was an impromptu from a photographer of my roommate and I at the shoot:

My friend Sam arrived from München, and after the shoot, we went on a long walk along the river and around the city. Melody prepared dinner for all of us, and it was great bonding time, with no cameras involved. Afterwards, Sam, my neighbor, and I watched "Wetter Das..." a show that apparently has a huge following. It is a sort of betting show, where contestant guests with a certain talent need to complete a task, and celebrities bet against them. After the guests do the bet, the loser has to do some sort of weird or embarrassing act. One of the bets I saw were horn players that had to play Jenga, removing the blocks by blowing them out. These guys were amazing! And they successfully built 10 extra stories in something like 10 minutes. So the celebrities lost and had to do some gymnastics. I don't think I would've watched it if I was flipping channels in the States.

Afterwards, went to a party with Bruno and Sam that was near to the apartment. Spoke with an architect and her husband. She happens to work for H+dM, and she claims there are no stalker emails going around about me, so that is good. Met a woman names Arian, and had some interesting discussions about Swiss culture. She said that she could not live in the States, and her reason was because of the death penalty being legal. I found that as an intriguing answer to the question. 

Totally exhausted. Will write about Fasnacht and other current festivities in the near future. Here are a few pictures that I will explain later. Until then, good night.