We were young, 21, all those years ago

*NOTE: I totally wrote this back in November, and for some reason it has remained a draft. Better late than never-- sorry, Guster!


I guess it's fan-based week for me. It's only appropriate to follow up Newsies with another entertainment loves of my life, in my hopes to introduce them to those who have not yet been fortunate enough to stumble upon them. Their names are Brian Rosenworcel, Adam Gardner, and Ryan Miller. They are Guster.

It's funny how the whole music fan thing works, isn't it? You find a band who you like for one reason or another--delightful harmonies, creative and relatable lyrics, hot bass player, your friends like them-- and then at some point, they become your "favorite" band. You know every single lyric, own every single version of every song they've ever recorded, seen them in concert as many times as you possibly can, and be sure to include at least one track on every mix you make. And you never get sick of them. For me, this band is Guster.

I can't really explain it. There's just something about them. I never even understood all of their lyrics--things went over my head when I was younger, and even now some of their stuff I just listen to and think, "what the hell?" Despite their off-the-wallness, their music always brings me a sense of comfort. Maybe it's because I've followed them since I was about 13, and seen them 5 (going on 6 in October!) times.  


I've been attached to their music for what feels like my whole life. So when I listen in my car, when I'm chilling at home, or in concert, it makes me feel whole and comfortable.  Like I'm right where I am supposed to be.  Certain songs remind me of moments and people in my life and everything just settles in my mind.  I stop worrying about the little things and just remember that everything is going to be okay.  And to me, that's exactly what music is supposed to do.  So, thanks, G-Dog.


Never heard of them? Let me introduce you.  This is from their newly released album.  Enjoy it in all its quirky glory.

Carryin' the Bieber

Here I sit, reporting from a table for one at Panera. What can I say ...a broccoli & cheddar breadbowl and free public wifi are acceptable company when a big ol' gust of wind knocks out the power at your place when you're hungry, alone, and mid-entry. It's an occasion that calls for blogging!

This past weekend, I discovered what may be the best thing on Youtube since the Numa Numa guy: Audio/Video mash-ups of today's best (and worst) pop music with dance numbers from one of my absolute favorite movies of all time. I've known every single line and the note to every single instrumental number and every single lyric since I was about 10. I used to watch it constantly with my sisters, and when we weren't watching it, we were listening to the soundtrack and frolicking around the family room while pretending to be part of Jack Kelly's crew. That's right, I'm talking about the 1992 Disney musical classic Newsies.

When I began perusing the Newsies mash-up merchandise, there were a lot of promising ones to choose from: "Seize The Day" and "King of New York" dancing to Backstreet Boys, Kesha, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga. However, thanks to some expert searching and some hints from fellow Newsies fans, I found the two winners:

And in second place, I am sorry to say, is the newsies flawlessly backing up Justin Bieber. Though the Biebmeister reminds me of a scrawy, scruffy, pig-nosed mouse who is constantly drowning in cargo and has the personality of a piece of mulch, I must admit that his songs are a liiiiitle bit catchy. I have been known to be caught humming a chorus or two. Especially after finding this video, which I've since been watching about 2-3 times an hour ...

Needless to say, I'm on a bit of Newsies kick since finding these vids. Not only did I watch the movie again and remember that it is the sole reason why I've always had an obsession with Christian Bale (despite his questionable behavior), but I also found out that a stage version is at last! in the woiks. Praise the musical heavens above! Gather up the cutest, most talented 20-something men, dress them in newsboy slacks and unbuttoned blouses and put them on stage to sing and dance for us. Yes please :).

As I conclude here with my soup and my meal, I pose this question: how do I eat this soup-soaked breadbowl without looking like a caveman?

"Oh, you mean JACK Kelly. Yeah, he was heah. But he put an egg in his shoe and ... beat it."

Suns and sails

Let's be honest: there's nothing like a lake and a sailboat at dusk. I wish I had something more original to share, but alas, my inspiration is temporarily lost. It's somewhere out there, I know. But I'm keeping the promise I made to myself to update more often. So, for today, what I have to share today are a few beautiful photos of Momma Nature's own dose of inspiration.

I took these two weeks ago on Keuka Lake in upstate New York after a fantastic afternoon whizzing on a somewhat-choppy lake, flying in and out of wakes on a tube, and sipping beers on a deck chair with some fantastic company. So long, sweet summertime.

Letter from Tim

(for new readers: Tim is a friend and blog-buddy who writes to us from Tilburg, Netherlands. Read his intro here. We welcome your thoughts!)

Dear Alison,

Now, I lit a cigarette for inspiration I think I can start off. It has been a while since we talked and some things happened last week that I want to share.

I bet you heard about the 'mosque' (apparently just an Islamic center) near Ground Zero and all those people protesting against it now. There was also a Dutch conservative/extreme right-wing politician, Geert Wilders, speeching there. I just wanted to apologise for that. I don't know about you, but I can't stand people who talk in the name of freedom with the goal of taking someone else's freedom (of religion in this particular case) away. I'll only quote him once: "Christians also wouldn't be allowed to build churches in Mekka, so that's why there should be no mosque here." But wait, what?! So if people don't have rights in Saudi Arabia, than they shouldn't be able to have those rights in the country that's been built upon freedom. Anyone who wants to hear the full speech, it's right here.

Now then, it's time for fun stuff I did at work. For the first time in my life I played golf, and it's fun! I got invited by a businessclub from the region I report on, so why say no, right? After some lessons there was a little contest over 4 holes of the golf course with 5 teams, 4 persons per team. The good news: we won and all got a bottle of champagne (yay)! Bad news: the day after every part of my body hurt -networking can be SO exhausting- But hey, already got over it :)

Yesterday (monday) there was this fair in one of the villages I report on: Reusel. And it's their tradition to have an early 'breakfast' which practically means eating ham and egg sandwiches and drinking beer from 10.00 am until the wee small hours of the morning. I joined them in the morning and it was actually fun, although I had to get used to drinking beer in the morning and having to work the rest of the day until 7.00 pm. There's a video right under here, and although it's in Dutch it'll give you a nice impression of what was going on.

I actually got a call from one of the people whom I gave my businesscard to. At 3.20 am!

It actually just started to rain here, so I'm afraid autumn is really coming up right now :( I hope everything is well back in the States. Take care!

Tim

A New Beginning

It's been two months since my last post ... eesh. It's amazing how really gets in the way of writing about life! I am happy to report, though, that in my long hiatus I've been up to lots of exciting things--from a roadtrip to taking ballroom dance classes to studying for what better be the last of standardized tests for forever. As for writing ...though I wish I could have gotten on this earlier, I have an extra special excuse today to light the fire under my butt and spend more time doing some sold bloggin'. At sundown today begins the Jewish New Year, and I am making a resolution to be back and better than ever and help my still-baby blog grow. And helping me ring in the year 5771 is an introduction from Tim, my blogger-buddy from across the pond in Holland (read how Tim and I met and came up with this idea in one of my August entries here). Here he is!:

Hey everyone!

As you may know, or not, Alison and I are going to write to each other on both of our blogs.

We thought it would be good to start off with a little intro, so here we go!

I'm Tim, 24, and I live in Holland. Currently I'm working as a journalist for a regional newspaper in Eindhoven. I follow all the interesting stuff that happens in two municipalities with a total population of 30,000 people, and obviously, I write about it. Aside from that I try to keep up with all the big changes that are happening right now in both journalism and communication (think social media, Apple and other fun stuff).

About my hometown: it's called Tilburg and it's very near Eindhoven, the city I was born and raised. Tilburg is full of students and loads of fun to go out, but home is where the heart is I guess and that's why I'll probably move to Eindhoven soonish - when I find an apartment that is. Oh and talking about Eindhoven, it has the best football club in the country, PSV, and it's wherePhilips (from the lamps and tv's) started its business. Basically that's why it's a city now.

Me and Alison actually met in Perugia, Italy. I lived there for nine months (08-09), and take my word for it: it's paradise. Nine months of mayhem is probably a way to describe it. But -too bad- it couldn't last forever and so now we're living the serious life. Right, Alison? ;)

I hope you'll enjoy our writings that are to come!

Ciao!

Tim

@dezeeuw

My website

***

This officially begins our project and blogging relationship, alongside a new year for me. I'm throwing bread into the canal, eating apples dipped in honey, and kissin' lots of cheeks, and cheering to (re-)beginnings. We need more cowbell! Or maybe some more shofar?

Holy suffocating denim, Batman!

On a completely unrelated note to the entry below but still completely blogworthy...

I have experienced yet another loss of virginity to a staple cultural item. Tonight, for the first time, I watched Footloose in its entirety. And all I can say is ... pants. Pants, pants, pants. Hot damn, K-Bacon, hot damn.

Okay, so of course, the big scene of the movie is Ren's spastic, random dance in the warehouse that he delivers in frustration and anger. My question is, is it supposed to be funny? Because I could not stop laughing. The jumping off platforms and gymnastic fancies on bars and sliding down railings and frantic kicking and the bumpin' of the knees was so epic that it produced many a-chuckle. It made me think of that awesome dance scene in Billy Elliot when that poor, adorable kid is so frustrated with his father and brother that he tap/stomps around his neighborhood, banging on walls while sitting on toilets and stuff. Hehe, so cute. Again, not sure if I'm supposed to laugh or if I'm supposed to be all tense and sense the frustration and the physical need to dance it out.

Either way, it was definitely a fun time. I overheard a fellow first-timer say when the movie was over, "I finally get Kevin Bacon! I never got Kevin Bacon! He's hot!" Hahaha. I don't know if I will now jump on the Kevin Bacon train, which is a little before my time anyway, but I certainly have a newfound appreciation for his sweet moves (and I can't help but wait for him to break into a jig on the sand the next time I watch Tremors, the only other memorable Kevin Bacon film in my movie memory repertory). And I can only wait patiently for the remake to come out, starring the one and only Zac Efron as Ren MacCormack. Yes, I admit it, *swoon*. It's legit, he's my ageish. I hope they put him in those same pants ... I mean what?

And, the most memorable Footloose quote:

"When kids dance they become sexually irresponsible."

- Rev. Shaw Moore

Dabbling with the Dutch

The other night, I had a lovely FB chat with Tim, who is a friend of mine who hails from the city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Tim and I met in Perugia, Italy in 2008 when I was there studying abroad and he was there finishing up university. Tim and I hadn't spoken since I randomly (and magically) literally ran into him in the center of Perugia last July while I was back there for a visit and for Umbra Jazz, the international jazz festival in Perugia. Oh, the workings of crowds! Anyway, in our spontaneous chat the other night, we found our shared love for writing. He just got a journalist job with a local newspaper in Eindhoven (woo!) and also has his website on which he blogs about social media and other happenings. We talked (er, typed) commerical writing and blogging and such and such, and we decided to become each other's cohorts in blogging from overseas. That's right, folks, I have found myself an abroad correspondent, a special guest, a friend in his brilliant trilingualism (there's probably more languages he speaks that I don't know about) who will write an entry or two or let me interview him for my blog, etc. And in return I'll give his website an American insight every once in a while. Anything you'd like to know about the use of social media in Europe? I'll pass it on to Tim as we brainstorm ideas for his first entry (though, it might be a while before he is fit to write after the Netherlands' heartbreaking loss in the World Cup).

So here is Tim's first shout out on my blog. Keep your eyes and browsers open for my Dutch partner in crime here soon! In the meantime, check out his website here. Now I know, unless you know Dutch there is not yet much to see (it's still a baby too, like my blog), but don't give up on it, there is more to come.

K, I'm trying to be all chill and non-chalant about this but how freaking cool is this?! I'm amazed, I really am, whodathunk I could do this. So flippin' cool!!

506 Key Holders: Spiderwomen

I really love living on my own in my very own apartment, with my very own bed and very own kitchen and very own keys. The past few days have reminded me that life in the real world is not always all late nights with a beer and loud music, getting mail addressed to me and my own address, and lounging around in my underwear. Therefore, I have begun this new section of my blog: 506 Key Holders: The Adventures of an Apartment Newbie.

Here's my first entry. Soon I'll figure out how to get it in a separate tag (help?).

The most ridiculous ordeal just went down a few minutes ago. Hands down. THE most ridiculous. So, my roommate and I just got home from a BBQ with neighbors. As we are standing in our kitchen (which is orange, by the way!), I look up and see two GINORMOUS spiders chilling on the ceiling. I'm talking e-freaking-normous. Like, with its legs spread out, the size of a ... vanilla wafer. Yeah. They were the same kind of spider that we found getting comfy in our bathtub a few days earlier, which had taken much effort (and assistance from our manly man friends) to eliminate. They wouldn't drown!! Anyways. My roommate and I, both TERRIFIED of spiders, froze. One spider was moving at a fairly decent pace (for a spider, anyway), exploring the way around our stucco cieling. The other one was dead still. But not dead, unfortunately. It was the worst situation. Especially since the manly-man friends/neighbors we could call on to help us with this dilemma were all still at said BBQ. Hence, after the initial freak out, my roommate and I stand in the doorway to our kitchen, which is the farthest from the spiders we could be and still see them, for 30 minutes. Yeah, a whole half an hour watching them and assessing the situation and entertaining our options, all while stomach churning in our most-girly squeamishness. At one point we sprint downstairs to see if the neighbors have gotten home yet, to no avail.

After extended discussion, strategy, and practice, we decide on the swiffer method:

1) bring flat part of swiffer head to the ceiling, close to target

2) flatten swiffer to the ceiling and determine best position for ideal leverage and strength in squishing

3) slowly approach and then shadow target

4) press, press, press. squish like hell.

... and somehow I get the guts to carry out the mission. As moral support, my roommate begins to tell me stories about the spiders. I learn that the first spider target, the one who is crawling around, his name is Rupert. He is aged and lived a good life, he loves a good read, and has a dog named Periwinkle who he likes to take on walks in the park. One might find it odd to see a spider walking a dog, she says, but Rupert was one of a kind. He's also going blind. His lover and life-long companian, was sleepy Wanda.. Wanda had a rough childhood and therefore has never slept well, so she was prescribed sleeping pills later in life. She used to run a weaving business until she retired to spend more time with Rupert and Periwinkle. They were great lovers and they always dreamed of dying together. And tonight, they did.

Rupert went first, and quickly and painlessly. Wanda slept through the pressing-the-life-out-of-her-lover, but she was not so lucky in the quickness of her exit. She actually landed on our kitchen counter, face down with legs spread, not dead, but wounded. At the biggest length I could muster I swept her onto the floor and squished with the now coined dance/spider-killing move "the sweep and squish." It's kind of like the motion of sauteeing. Anyway, once they were dead together, with shaky hands we swept them onto a piece of paper and fed them to the birds in the cider shoot (I'll get to that in the next entry).

Now, in the aftermath as I cool down, my stomach is cramping from the muscles tensing up. It was that intense.

If anyone had heard/seen this, it was the most unusual thing. My roommate told fabulous stories about Rupert & Wanda's life together, which oddly comforted me as I practiced and eventually carried out my swiffer-squish, and we screamd Bloody Mary. The whole thing took over 45 minutes. For two spiders. Absurd. Though after all that time I was even getting fond of our friends as I squished the life out of them. RIP Rupert & Wanda.

No longer a virgin

Sushi virgin, that is. That's right, tonight I had my first ever order of sushi. It was vegetarian and made with nothing I haven't eaten before, but a milestone to document nonetheless. Baby steps.

I also ate the entire meal (including our appetizer of fried tofu) gracefully with chop sticks. For anyone who knows me, that is also a feat worth mentioning.

Oh, and I should include that it was completely delectable.

Beautiful Oddities

Saw this tonight. Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollack Dance Company's OYSTER, a 1999 piece that finally made it to the American Dance Festival. In that link is a little bit about the company, who is from Israel, and a video clip from the piece. Watch it.

I am still grasping for the words to describe this most breath-taking piece. As much as I pride myself in being a writer, I really must steal the words from the description in the link above because it comes the closest to doing it justice:

"... from human marionettes to double-headed men and armless odditities, reality is thrown out the window in this most engaging evening that blurs the lines between ballet, acrobatics, mime, and theater ... it's a fantastical feast."

The piece is based on short story by the always brilliant Tim Burton, which was an automatic turn on for me (Big Fish is one of my favorite movies, and who doesn't love Edward Scissorhands?). The short story, after a bit of internet surfing, I think is "The Meloncholy Death of Oyster Boy" and probably too the other stories that are in the short-story/poem book of the same name.

As soon as the curtain opened, I was transcended into a world much like the one described above--a weird dream of a circus and ballerinas and sights that were fantastical indeed. And honestly, I'm not even sure what happened in between. I had floated above myself and landed in this bright yet gloomy, questionable space where nothing at all was predictable. The music moved from vaudeville-like instrumentals to tracks with vibrant, sometimes even croaky singing in a language I could not identify. The soundtrack went from loose, improvisational-like solos to drum beats like a fist punching into a pillow. The people (or creatures) I saw on stage were characters who I could not tell if they were my friends or my enemies, if they knew I was there or if I was invisible to them.

When it was over, I could not even move. I didn't even notice the curtain was closing until that last sliver of light was about to disappear. The auditorium filled with the sound of applause but I couldn't even get my limbs to move. I could barely find my feet to stand up and give them a standing ovation (though, what I thought they really deserved, was a floating ovation). I found I had transcended into this fantasy-like dream world circus thing, a world full of odd things that were beautiful and beautiful things that were odd.

Odd and beautiful, beautiful and odd. I think I am discovering that things in the world that are both are the best things.

Even now, an hour after this performance, I still feel like I am floating, not landed back in the real world with my feet planted solidly beneath me. My chest has loosened a bit from the tightness that pulled at me as the lights came up, and the vibrations I felt beneath my skin all over have slowed down, back in time with a steady heartbeat.

ADF asks us this season, "What is Dance Theater?" Well, folks, THAT was a great example of what dance theater could be. Not just because Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollack, married partners in crime and the brains behind the company, are one-part theater master (Pollack is a very experienced actor) and one-part big time dancer and choreographer (Pinto danced with Batsheva, a well-known Israeli contemporary dance company, and won a "Bessie" award for her choreography), but that definitely helped. OYSTER, though, says it all.

I can't wait to go to sleep to see what kinds of beautiful and odd things decide to tumble, glide, leap, and fall into my dreams tonight.