Lazy Weekend

Good morning! I just woke up from a very lazy weekend. It's been a pretty lazy, yet relaxing (and occasionally busy) weekend. Friday I spent my afternoon searching the Bailey-Howe Library here at UVM for a book of eight plays-one of which I have to read for my acting class-and failing. I couldn't find the book at all. I checked the call number five different times using the computer on the third floor. It just wasn't where it should be. Or so I thought. I gave up, and decided I would find the damn book some other time this weekend.

That night, Megan and I went to Burlington Bands 101 at Nectar's sponsored by our favorite local Btown newspaper, Seven Days. It was basically a showcase of local, homegrown bands in the area.

It was pretty fun. Some of the musicians were really good. (Like the keyboardist in the first band. He was absolutely amazing.) The music was fun, except when the music turned country and got twangy. Not my favorite. But it was still nice to be able to get out and go do something. And we got swag bags of free stuff!

Saturday was a very nice, lethargic day. We slept in until around two o'clock and then just sat around besides going downtown for a little while. Oh, and we started watching season two of Heroes (we're kind of behind on the times, okay?). I did get quite a lot of homework done that night, though, which is always a good thing. Except that the Internet was kind of fail. Ashley, Megan, and I went for a walk to the waterfront and sat on a bench and stared out at the water, and we just talked. There's something incredibly meditative about the waterfront. Really awesome. Anyway, yesterday was a little busier. I joined one of the UPlayers officers at the Student Government Association's club workshop because none of the officers could go and I volunteered. Yep, I am that stupid. Anyway, after the boring lecture I went back to the library to find the book in question.

There's something extremely delightful and fun about searching library stacks for books. Most of the books in this library are really old, and everything has that musty smell. It's incredibly quiet, and usually no one else is around in the stacks but you. It makes me feel like one of the Hardy Boys are Sherlock Holmes. One of those guys. For some reason, it's one of those things that makes me really happy. I finally found the book, I had the call number and the shelf location wrong. But the hunt was fun.

After the UPlayers meeting, Megan came up to UVM to watch this film with me that I had to watch for Dramatic Analysis. It was this old production of Shakespeare's King Lear, only it was done in the Japanese style of Noh, Kabuki, Bakukari doll theater, whatever. It was awful. It was pretty fun to laugh and make fun of the weird poses everyone was in and the intense overacting that was going on. On a factual level, I completely understand the style. I don't understand what the point of it is in theater. Like, why does everyone have to scream everything? What does that do? And, I still don't understand Shakespeare. I know, I'm a theater major and I don't like Shakespeare. Whoa. I just have a hard time connecting to the characters emotionally. Their stories have no bearing on me whatsoever. I just don't care. Make me care, Shakespeare, MAKE ME CARE! That's what I'd tell Shakespeare if he was still alive. Oh well...

All in all, a pretty good weekend. Hope you had a good weekend too.

Peace out!

Am I Doing Enough? An Aristotelian Analysis

So far this week has been incredibly busy. Basically, and almost entirely, with homework. It's homework that I've been procrastinating on, or just didn't want to do, and also homework that was sort of interesting, but I still didn't want to do it. It was a lot. Part of said homework was the 1000 word paper I had to write for Dramatic Analysis on the plot structure of Sophocles' Antigone.

Anyway...also recently I've been thinking about where I'm at, what I've been doing, and where I want to go. Mainly in the world of theater. Theater is sort of like religion. Sometimes you doubt yourself (actually, a lot) and whether it is right for you, or if you're actually good at it, or if you even have talent at all. I've kind of been in a place of doubt lately not just about myself and my abilities, but weather or not I'm doing enough now to better myself for my future later. Even though I've changed my focus from trying to be a Broadway star to being a theater teacher, that doesn't mean there are things I still don't have to do to prepare: like graduate school. What do I have to do for that?

I've learned to be kind of honest with myself. Even though I doubt my talents, myself, and theater sometimes, just like when I doubt my religion, I think it over and I remember how I first felt when I found theater. I remember the joy it brings me, and I renew my faith in it's power. And I renew my faith in myself. But I also see that probably the Broadway dream is a reach for me. I live in Vermont and I don't really have the ideal body type/look for a leading man. I need to face reality. I need to do something where I am going to make money so maybe later on, one day, I can achieve my dreams. And then there's always starting my own theater, that dream will totally never die.

The thing is, right now I feel stagnant. I felt the same way last year. I'm not in a play, I'm not in a major choir (though I love Music Makers) nor am I taking voice lessons, and I'm not dancing or moving really in any way. I almost feel trapped, which isn't very cool. I just hope things start to pick up and there's some way I can do something. I do feel so much more comfortable at UVM this year than I did last year. I'm working in the box office, I have awesome friends, I'm working hard in my classes, and I'm working on UPlayers stuff to keep up with all the theater. I guess that's really all I can do. I'm trying, I really am.

Peace out!

Happy Constitution Day

Today is Constitution Day and with 9/11 being only a week ago, it's had me thinking about a lot of things political (or maybe it's the atmosphere at UVM, it breathes political protest). One of which, actually one of the biggest that really has been plaguing my mind for quite awhile, is the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque" that is being proposed for New York City. This "mosque" is supposed to be built near the site of the World Trade Center. The building in question, however, is NOT A MOSQUE! What is being proposed is a community center with a basketball court and swimming pool. And yes, on the top floor there is going to be a prayer center for Muslims. Another fact that has been blown entirely out of proportion is that this "community center that the media has sold as a mosque" is to be built right next to Ground Zero. IT'S GOING TO BE TWO BLOCKS AWAY. Do you know how far away that is? It's quite a distance. People need to get over it. If we as closed minded Americans do not let a community center be built because it is pertained to a single religion, we are giving in to the extremist terrorists. It's saying-"yes, we are going to judge an entire group of people because of a few radicals." The same thing has happened to my religion, Christianity. Because of radicals and extremists, the entire religion has been judged. This needs to end. Wouldn't it be a stronger image if we as one people can rise above this hate and judgmental attitude and tell terrorists that we do not care what they do-we will stand for who are?



In tandem with this topic is that fact that before September 11th of this year, a Florida Baptist church said it would hold a "Burn a Qur'an Day" is memory of 9/11. Honestly? That's what we will do in the face of terrorists? Fuel a fire of hatred? Show them that they are right? Really? And when President Obama condemned this, the church said it would end it's proposition. Guess what, another church, the Westboro Baptist Church from Kansas said it would take the initiative in this horrible act. This is wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to describe. Not only that, but it goes against everything Christianity is about. My belief is that Christianity is inherent love because God has love for all his people. How can a church condone this kind of action in the face of Christianity, in the face of love?

Maybe if America actually still stood for its Constitution, then maybe Constitution Day would still hold some weight. In these moments, I'm not very proud of my country and some of the people who live in it. That does NOT mean that I hate America (jeez, I can see the FBI coming after me now). I am so grateful I live in a country where I have the opportunities that I do. I understand the value of freedom, but is that what America is standing for right now? I would like to think that I stand for what America originally stood for: love, tolerance, respect. Maybe we should reflect on that during the time of September 11th and Constitution Day.

Quoted from RamenXBaka (Youtube):

The new mosque is not in the least disrespectful in fact did you know there were two mosques inside the WTC? So stop your bigotry, and learn what America is about, do your homework.

Peace out!

Asian Tourists

Last week Megan and I went to a new food stand in the Burlington Town Center called My H2O.

It's an Asian-style drink place that also sold foods like cakes and candies. Megan had honey, lemon, and ginger tea. I had green milk bubble tea.

Bubble tea is iced tea with milk. They also add large tapioca balls into the bottom of it. You stab a giant straw into the top of the cellophane (decorated with Japanese anime cartoons) and then suck the tea (and giant tapioca balls) up.

It was definetely a different kind of experience but it was also pretty delicious. We felt like weird tourists in Asia or something.

Peace out!

Callbacks

Let me tell you about yesterday. This story begins on Thursday at 6:20pm when I had my audition for UVM Theatre's A Doll's House. I chose a monologue from Judith Guest's novel/film/play Ordinary People. It was a monologue where the teenage son in a family was committing suicide. I felt very good about the audition, and it WAS good. The next day I was on the callback list, with callbacks scheduled for that night. So I went, prepared to move and to read. That night, Megan, Ashley, Jess (Lowell, we were all hanging out that night. We went and saw The Last Exorcism. Not that scary, but humorous.), and I went to check the second callback list (there were supposed to be double callbacks the next morning.) These were cancelled, however, with a sign that read:

CAST LIST TO BE POSTED BY NOON TOMORROW

Needless to say, I was freaking out, and I was definitely nervous...

Enter Saturday. I left 308 for breakfast and the cast list. The latter was somewhat of a fail. I didn't get into the show. I am still SO proud that I made it into a callback which is a major accomplishment in itself. And even though I didn't get in-I got to participate in an amazing callback learning experience. I mean, we did an interpretive dance! That's pretty awesome. However, the events that followed definitely added insult to injury. I tried to go to my dining hall (Cook's Commons on UVM Central Campus) but went to find it closed. Apparently as a part of its new hours-Cook's Commons closes on Saturday. Awesome. Then later on Champlain campus, I dropped a roadblock (yes, that's right a roadblock, don't ask) on my foot, my toes to be exact. I thought I had broken them because it was so painful. My toes turned red and got cut, and now they're a fantastic color mix of black, blue, and red.

We had to press on though because earlier in the week Megan and I bought tickets to check out local playwright Maura Campbell's Flower Duet presented by Green Candle Theater Company and preformed at the FlynnSpace black box theater. Most importantly, our friend Natalie Miller starred in the show. It was amazing and the acting was completely brilliant and natural. A gorgeous piece of contemporary theater. And the best part, it was completely Vermont-made and produced. So cool. Check out the reviews: The Burlington Free Press and The Times Argus.

Later after the show, a meeting with my scene partner, and dinner Megan and I met back up to meet two of my UVM Theatre friends Alice and Zoe at Edmunds Middle School to go contra dancing. This would be the second time we've gone to a contra dance, the first being last year when Ashley's parents took us to her aunt's contra dance. It was so much fun, such a fantastic workout and art. It did not do wonders to my toes however which still hurt and are still bruised. They will heal, just as I've gotten over not being in the play. There is so much other stuff to do, and there will always be other opportunities. For now, life is going on.

Peace out!

Whale's Tails

Today, Megan, Ashley, and I took an epic walking trip to the Whale's Tails sculpture in Williston, VT. This trip was spurred by an article in Seven Day's Off Campus Burlington Guide which spoke of a hidden pathway behind the Ben and Jerry's corporate factory which led directly to the sculpture. So obviously, we had to go.

After awhile we started waving to cars as they passed by us on the interstate. Most of them waved back at us, and a lot of them honked their horns. One guy flipped me off, but I think we added a moment of joy and fun to those people's day

After that epic adventure, we made our way back to Williston Road and the bus stop. We popped a squat in the grass by the sign like the hippies that we are, and waited for the bus which turned out to be about 25 minutes late. It started to rain, hard. But it was worth it and it was one experience I don't think any of us will ever forget.

Peace out!

Rain

Last night, I finally gave in and went outside with Ashley. All night after the Hang Ten dance at UVM Ashley had been begging Megan and I to go outside where it was much cooler to escape the horrid heat that had been haunting us the past week. Everyday the high temperature reached into the nineties and everyday we begged for rain. We looked forward so badly to the weekend when the forecasts promised for cooler weather.

So at 3 AM, Ashley and I stood outside talking on the front porch when all of a sudden, it started to rain. It came in droplets to begin with, staining the sidewalk like the henna on my arm. With a wild ecstasy, Ashley and I ran out onto the lawn, yelling "RAIN! IT'S RAINING!" We danced on the front lawn. It started raining harder, and the wind blew. It felt so amazing and refreshing after this week of pure hell. It was like fresh air after holding your breath for a really long time. We ran upstairs to go wake Megan up.

"Meg, wake up! IT'S RAINING!"

"Yeah..." she rolled over and went back to sleep.

We ran back outside and ran to the field by the playground downtown. By the time we got there, the rain had drained down to a sprinkle so Ashley cried, "DO A RAIN DANCE!" This prompted me to take off my shirt and start running around the field while screaming at the sky. While this seems drastic and crazy, the most important thing is that it was raining, and the first week is over. Not more hot weather, no more awkward greetings, no more "first days". Now the routine begins, and the year starts. I think that was the most exciting part of the rain.

Peace out!

The Quest for Ugly Fabric

Once upon a time, in a faraway land known as Burlington, there was a boy and a girl. The boy was enrolled in a costume class at the University of Vermont and the girl was taking six classes at Champlain College. One day, the boy went to pick the girl up from school so they could go together to pick up some ugly fabric for the boy's costuming lab where he had to create an ugly bodice. They set out on the magically air conditioned bus which was a great escape from the hellfire that filled the ninety degree air outside.

The duo was looking for the coveted Joann Fabrics in the land of South Burlington when they had an idea: why not ride the bus with the new route to Walmart? They're sure to have fabric there! Half and hour later, the boy and the girl skipped off the bus with delight and made a quick pitstop at Dunkin Donuts where the girl acquired the tasteful nectar of life known as iced coffee. The nectar was perfect refreshment to keep the team going as the searched for the craft department. But once they got there, there was no fabric to be seen. The boy and the girl were very upset but they longingly dragged themselves back to the bus stop, determined to find the fortress of Joann Fabrics.

Unfortunately, the boy and the girl got off the bus at the wrong time, and too soon for they found the path ahead to get back to their beloved Burlington to be long and tiring. Another two hours passed as they wandered the lonely road. They found the path to Narnia and helped a lost traveler along the way, but no Joann Fabrics. Just when they were about to give up, all hope was renewed.

"Look," the boy exclaimed. "There it is!"

The girl followed the boy's exclamations to Joann Fabrics. There they found some of the tackiest fabric ever. With garments in hand, they set off for the University Mall because they could not find the bus stop outside Price Chopper although there was supposed to be one. Maps lie. Their trek was long, though by the time they finished their doings at the mall, the magical bus was not scheduled to arrive for another half an hour. They sighed in agony, but they continued their harrowing journey back to UVM where the boy retrieved a package and then to Champlain where they met up with another girl to go to the Hang Ten ball at UVM. In the end, the boy and the girl basically walked from the town of Williston all the way to the land of Burlington, but they still made it in time for the ball. A fairytale ending, and they got henna tattoos!

Peace out!