"Landing Lights" (Lindsay) - CBSC #17

I probably won't finish this project before school starts, but I'm suddenly ok with that. Because I wrote this song tonight. The Casio PT-80, it seems, has struck again. That Bossa Nova beat, oh Lord, I just can't get enough.

I have a lot of material for Lindsay, so I didn't use much of it. Sometimes its not about writing about a memory with someone but the memory of how you feel with that person.

I feel like a better person around Lindsay. I also get waaaaaay more studying done. I could sing about a lot of things about Lindsay or write a song about memories we've made, but I didn't want to do that. I wanted something more and I wanted something simple.

This some kind of continues where "Jericho" left off. Everybody needs someone else. In this song I went with a theme of flight, so parachutes and aeroplanes. It's a stressful year for me, but Lindsay is one of those people that when I start talking about things that stress me out they actually don't stress me out anymore and I don't have anything to say. I like that version of me better.

"Smoke Machine" (Karl) - CBSC #16

Karl is UCM Treasurer. I am a worship leader with lots of big ideas. It's an unavoidable conflict of interest sometimes.

So this song is a list of all the things I've asked for and a focus on the one thing I really, really, really want

A new bass amp.

That thing is the bane of my existence. It weighs too much, it clunks, it shorts out. Even the thought makes me shudder in rage.
But today instead of filling with rage I picked up my trusty ukelele. That's right, it's back!

"Writing Songs is Easy!" (Janelle) - CBSC #15

It's been a strange few days. I've taken time off from songs to do grad school apps (which I haven't finished) and spent a lot of time eating, sleeping, and questioning the life decisions I've made. Oh, and there was Christmas. Sooooo much Christmas.

I knew I was going to bust out the Casio sometime. I had to on this one. Janelle declared her intention to have song by saying "I expect magic". Therefore, this started out under the weight of so many expectations that suddenly flew away when my trusty PT-80 kicked in with the "bossa nova" beat. Key of G.

Early Song Standings

I don't know if anyone reads this or if anyone cares, but it's helpful for me in keeping track of this whole song-venture. An adventure which started 16 days ago and now totals 14 songs. Now that it's Christmas I guess this is something of an ADVENTure. Ok that was so corny. But don't sweat me, I'm busy writing songs.

So here's the top songs, in terms of view counts:
10. 2-3 = Negative Fun! (Derek and Kris)
9. I Wish (Sabine)
8. Dancing Feet (Andrea)
7. Rambling Heart (Esther)
6. Daughter (Diane)
5. Bus Buddies (Justin)
4. Tall Grass (Caitlin)
3. Jericho (Michelle)
2. Let's Toss The Disc Around! (Steven)
1. Animal Suits (Thomas)

The results lean toward the early songs. I feel that the songs I've released in the last 3 days have been the best. "Crooked" has already racked up over 30 views in 3 days. Ok, it's not Antoine Dodson numbers, but it's good considering my first video ever still only has 80 and it's been up for like, four years.

"The Lake" (Jocelyn) - CBSC #14

This is my most personal song yet and when I write personal things they tend to come out really catchy. That's probably why this song is just 3 choruses loosely tied together.

The song refers to a night I had in Calgary back in May. I flew out there for a wedding and only a few days before my aunt had passed away. She lost a losing battle to a brain tumor. Although it was expected it was still hard and especially difficult because I wasn't home with my family.

The house I was staying at had a lake and Jocelyn and I sat on the dock while I cried through it. But now Jocelyn doesn't live near me and I don't see her as much. We used to be neighbors but now every time she's in town is an event. We never just sit and have "heart to hearts" and this song laments that loss.

"Nightingale" (Lauren) - CBSC #13

Merry Christmas Eve! Today is also my friend Lauren's birthday so I pushed her song ahead a day or two.

I've been working on this song for awhile. A couple months back I was really into old standards ("Wee Small Hours", "Dream a Little Dream", "What a Wonderful World") I loved the way the chords sounded on the guitar so I started working on this chord progression. It seemed right for Lauren.

I think the words are some of my most poetic yet but they're also quite simple. The song works for Lauren because she is very free spirited. I mean, she had dreads, you don't get more "free spirit" than that.

"Crooked" (Courtney)- CBSC #12

This is the 12th song on here but the first one I wrote of all of them. In fact, I wrote this song the same night I started the whole challenge, it was this song that gave me the idea.

I'd met with Courtney earlier in the week and we'd both shared a little bit of our story. It's interesting to hear everything that people go through before you even meet them. But then, afterward, I sort of chickened out. I started worrying that I was going to be a bad friend, that i was only going to be around for a few more months, and all sorts of little worries. So I wrote this song to fight back against that feeling.

I borrowed a line from Martin Luther: 'God can draw a straight line with a crooked stick." I liked the idea of it and I liked the idea of a song progressing from doubt to affirmation. Enjoy!

"Daughter" (Diane) - CBSC #11

This song has the most "story" so far so I'm going to post the lyrics after the story.

Last night I had the best intention to go to bed early. I signed off facebook and thought "hey why read the bible when you can sing it!" They say that John Lennon wrote "A Day In The Life" with a copy of the paper on his piano's music stand. I meant to open the bible and do something similar but before I could this little song popped out.

I love Diane dearly, but I'm not the only one. It makes me sad sometimes when she can't see how wonderful she is and how much God loves her. So I really felt that I "co-wrote" this song. Talking about God and singing about him on the internet is a scary idea because people are mean. But I thought Diane needed to hear it and other people did too.

Needless to say the sudden creative impulse I was blessed with left me awake until 3am when I had to leave my house at 8am. I also had an english final today so that accounts for (what I consider) a lackluster performance. But it's the words that count and I hope this song makes the final cut so someone else can sing it. In no way to I consider myself some sort of prophet or even a piano player. I'm just another pretender sometimes. I probably need this song as much as Diane or you and somebody, really, anyone. At first I was worried about being the "voice of God" thinking maybe this song challenge was over inflating my ego. But it's not, it's just a creative exercise and a nice helping of truth.

In the end I liked the juxtaposition of an imperfect recording and a perfect God. That, and I felt like my landlords were tired of it coming through the vent. It's a good song, but not 50 times in a row.



Lyrics:
You weren't there
When I spoke the planets into motion
When I filled up the oceans
And hovered over the mist

You weren't there
When Satan fell right out of Heaven
When I hurled the great Leviathan
When I was betrayed by a kiss

So don't tell me what I need to know
Don't tell me what I should know

Because I was there
Each time the world had left you crying
With it's cheating and it's lying
And all you needed was a dad

I was there
Every time you felt you
Unwanted and lonely
It always made me sad


So I'll tell you what you need to know


Don't be foolish
I don't know where you heard it
Don't know why you think you're not worth it
I've seen how you're made and you're perfect

I can make the waves stop
I can make a thunderstorm
I can take a some dry flesh
And stick it on dry bones

I can do anything
I can make old new
I can make anything
I chose to make you

You'll always be my little child
Always be my little girl
I'm always gonna hold you tight
But I can't make sure

That you'll never get hurt
That'll never cry
Just know if you do
I'll wipe the tears from your eyes

"I Wish" (Sabine) - CBSC #10

Disclaimer: I do not play the piano. I like to pretend I can, by looking serene and pushing that mysterious pedal thingy ever so often, BUT I do not play.

So here's a song I wrote on the piano. This is for Sabine. She is the outreach coordinator at UCM and like my job, that is super stressful. But she can do it because she has a big heart and a pretty smile. This song is meant to remind her of everything she brings to the table, how I've grown from knowing her, and remind her DO NOT PANIC. It's all gonna be ok.

"Rambling Heart" (Esther)- CBSC #9

I thought about quitting last night. This whole challenge. And music in general. It can never sustain itself, it's too high then too low.

I thought about what Esther might say that. She would probably just smile. She has a great smile. It's very reassuring.

Esther and I have started a holiday. It's like Thanksgiving, but instead you just have a Guiness and talk. It's Thanks-guiness.

Esther has a knack for pulling out my wit. When I'm around her I'm always at my funniest for some reason. It's probably her smile that does it. This song could have been quite silly. But I wanted to write a SONG, not a "song". Not something quite goofy. I've been feeling stressed the last couple days, like I can't relax. I can't sleep either.

So I wrote about the other way Esther makes me feel. She makes me feel reassured. She's the person I go to when it gets hard. Basically I go to her to drink beer and whine. That's really what this song is about but in saying that I probably ruined it's beauty.

It is a beautiful song. The best I've written this week.

"2-3= negative fun!" (Derek and Kris) -CBSC #8

Last night I realized that I was writing two very similar songs. Derek's song kept getting mixed up with my song for Kris. Therefore I merged them. I'm not sure if this is a rule breaking thing or not. But then again, I started the contest and made the rules. I am the rulemaker and I say what goes!

This song is all about stupid in jokes that aren't actually in jokes at all because they're either from youtube or The Simpsons. Particularly "Homie The Clown" which Derek, Kris and I have watched more than a few times this year.

One time Derek told me that when he feels stressed about school he types "Fat People Falling Down" into youtube and watches this 8-minute techno vid of well... fat people. And they fall down. Off bikes, out of trees, into puddles. That video is a good companion piece to this.


There have been so many time I've gone to their house and heard some sort of youtube in the back ground.
I worried this song might be too short. But I think it's so simple I can't even expand on it. Does life get better than sitting around watching TV? No. At least, not with Derek and Kris.

"Lazybones" (Alba)-CBSC #7

So I'm a week into it now. I'm starting to worry about a few things: 1. I will run out of ideas 2. people will lose interest.


This song was completely different than the one I started with. But there isn't much to say about it, it pretty much describes itself for you. It's one of my goofier songs. I'm trying to balance things with goofy and serious.

I'm trying to make sure people don't lose interest.

i like that the internet has turned everyone into e e cummings and there is no longer any need for punctuation or capitalization

"Jericho" (Michelle)- CBSC #6

This song is a biblical allusion for about 10 seconds and then turns into my own confession.

Early this year I thought I was the shizz. The difference is now I know if for sure. Ok, so there will be some humor. I thought I had it so figured out I would graciously show some younger students "how to live" the Karen way.

As it turned out, I needed people as much as they needed me. This song starts quite pompous, placing myself as Joshua and Michelle as a wall that needed breaking down. What happens by the end is that all the time I was "banging my drum" and telling her that I was going to bring down her walls, my own wall was damaged and came crumbling down.

This song is truth, pure and simple. I agonized over it for 6 days. I had the first half down and started to question it. So I pulled out my banjo and the second half poured out. Those are the best songs.

This song originally included a verse about French-speaking peas throwing slushies at my head. But I decided to keep it real instead.

"Bus Buddies" (Justin)- CBSC #5

This is the best song ever.

In fact this is more than just a song, this is a multimedia cavalcade of friendship that sprang from my pen at 2:30am when my dog wouldn't stop licking my face because of a thunderstorm.

I think it wasn't a thunder storm last night. It was a brain storm.

Enjoy the fruits of my nuttiness, as you can tell, I did.

"Dancing Feet" (Andrea)- CBSC #4

This song is for Andrea.

Writing a song for Andrea has been my most complicated venture yet. So I started at the end and I moved backwards. I thought of the one thing I wanted to say and framed it in another.

"There's such a lack of words to describe you"

It's true, I actually don't know what to say because there's been so much in our history. There's been breakfasts, dinners, teas, yelling, crying, laughing. But there hasn't been dancing, well, not much anyway. You see, Andrea has come out of her shell since I met her. I keep hearing from her roommates that when she went to Liberia this summer she discovered the art of dance. She has told me this as well but I have no evidence to support this claim.

What I do know is that Andrea seems happier lately. Not that she wasn't happy before, but it's a new happy. A more "full" happy, like there were dark clouds that dancing lifted from her.

I don't mention anyone by name in these songs. That's because I want them to be inspired by one and become universal. So, maybe, someday, Andrea's folk-rock anthem will inspire millions of shy 6th grade girls who are terrified of dancing. And their black clouds will lift too, when they put on their dancing shoes.



So far I have surpassed myself in this challenge. I am genuinely enjoying music. A few days ago, after the first song launched, I looked at my list and got discouraged. But so far, songs have just been falling out of my open mouth and open heart. I'm appreciative of all the feedback I'm getting and I look forward to posting more.

'Let's Toss the Disc Around!" (Steven) - CBSC #3

This song is about Ultimate Frisbee!

Probably one of my best experiences at UBC has been playing rec frisbee. I've been on the same team, The God Squad, since my first year. It's regrettable that I haven't played much this year. After writing this song it makes me miss it. After all, Ultimate is a pretty important sport for my family, that's how my sister met her husband.


Steven is a big time Ultimate player. Not only is he enthusiastic for the sport, but he's good too. He's also one of the smartest people I know. Originally I felt I had to write something really philosophical, possibly all in latin, but then I remembered that Steven gets a great deal of joy from playing ultimate and just "tossing the disc around".

Steven's enthusiasm is catching, this year we had our biggest turn out yet and had a huge team. We're in the playoffs, but they're next term. One year I was on the team we got t-shirts because we were the champs. This song is for the future and the by-gone days of a team with only 7 people wearing mismatched shirts, going all the way to the T-Shirt prize.

We also attend the same evening church service. Probably to make time for both frisbee and the Lord.

To capture this joy, I used a mandolin, because I find it's very jangly and fun. Similar to the sport of frisbee.

"Tall Grass" CBSC #2

This song is for Caitlin.

Caitlin is a very unique individual. Because of this I felt that regular instruments would not suffice for her song. So I dug out my thumb piano. It is an extremely fun instrument to play and for some reason, to me, it just sounded like Caitlin.

As far as the lyrics, I decided to go with a natural theme. I liked the idea of grass obscuring someone's view of the world. I like it because by the time I finished I realized that this song was about me. Caitlin and I have both had a very academicly challenging year and often when I would see her on campus we would be optimistic, but worn down. It's funny how things pile up on you like growing tall grass. So this song I decided would have a theme of hope in hopelessness. After all that's what friendships should do, give you a reason to carry on even when the grass is up above your head.

It's like a corn maze! It's better to navigate with friends!

The thumb piano, recording wise, was really lifeless sounding. It normally echoes much more. So I added some guitar to build up in the end. That's why the random switch in instrument. Enjoy!

"Animal Suits" (Thomas) -CBSC #1

This song is for my good friend Thomas.

Thomas and I have been friends since our first year of University. When it comes to UCM, Thomas and I have been tag teaming a lot of crazy things for the last four years. This year, he's the club president and I'm the worship coordinator. Being in an executive role, for me anyway, has always meant unlimited power and total control.

Thomas has a different view of that. That's not to say that Thomas isn't fun. For some reason when we're together we come up with some of the craziest ideas for UCM. In fact it was Thomas who brought in the gorilla suit.

The animal suit idea came true, but if it were up to me there would be smoke machines and children's choirs. Thomas makes sure that UCM is grounded in the real world and focuses on the community. But seriously, a smoke machine would enhance all that.

It's fitting that the first song is his because he is always supportive of my schemes. It's also fitting because he was the first to question how feasible this could be when I tagged close to 30 people.

This song is about team work and how amazing things can happen when two people have a common goal and limitless creativity.

The Christmas Break Songwriting Challenge

Recently I realized two things: 1.) I never make time for music and 2.) I love challenges.

So I harnessed my basic knowledge of the interwebz and put together a little social media experiment/challenge. I wrote a note on facebook, tagged a bunch of friends, and then waited. I told them that if they "declared their intention" I would write a song about them, record it on youtube and post it on their wall.

Ok that's fun, but I like competition. So, the videos with the top view count I will perform at a little "Evening with...." concert. Potentially that will be recorded but that would require, like, mics and stuff.

The youtube vids are demo quality. But the heart is there and the melody is with it. My in-computer mic buzzes and sometimes I'm not all the way rehearsed, but songs are songs and when you give someone a song it's special.

As a tie in, so I don't have to talk as much, I'm putting links on the videos here, to my blog. I'll post little stories and other info about the song so people can learn about the process.

It's Creative Voyeurism!

So begins the CBSC!

Boxes

Last night some of my friends and I had a "Music Appreciation Evening". What we do is each bring 3 songs and take turns going in a circle, playing our song, and talking about them. My friend Karl brought this one last night. It's called "Boxes" by Charlie Winston.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wNFn4pKoA0&feature=related

Who shall we propose to be ?
Who am I supposed to be ?
With these empty building blocks
I could make a thousand me's

I don't really wanna understand
Everything in my world
It spoils the fun for me
Come on darling you can take my hand
Blowing kisses in the wind
We'll fly away in our dreams
From the boxes they'll put us in
-----------------------
It's a really beautiful song. I've really been appreciating the last few days. I have been so surrounded with people, but it's also problematic. I'm finding that I don't really like being alone lately. For awhile, at the end of the year, all I wanted to do was curl up and sleep in the quiet. But now, a day away from leaving, I don't want anything but noise. I've become addicted to my iPod, but not because there's a song that I'm really into, I just like any sound. Direct into my ears so my thoughts can't go out of control when there's silence.

I feel like there are so many building blocks and a thousand me's.
There's always music pumping through me. Throbbing bass and pounding drums. It's like a reminder to my heart to keep on beating. So it keeps beating.

I've done a lot of changing at UBC. This week I was calling it "growing up", but I'm not sure I have. I've just changed over and over and over again. I think about all the different versions of "me" there has been. I've conquered old fears and made new ones. I've said goodbye to old friends and made new ones. I've been in and then out, up and then down, and I just want a place to land.

I just want to settle on one me out of the thousand

IT'S VARGA!

Every generation has a voice.

And I truly, totally, honestly, not-even-messing-with-you believe our voice is VARGA.

Tonight I was stumbling through one of my favourite blogs: Regretsy

Basically, this blog collects all the strange items available on DIY haven etsy.com.

As you can see from the link to regretsy, they uncovered the underrated debut album of an artist named Varga. As you can hear for yourself in the samples Varga is quite original. He is also a heart throb in a sort of Ricky Gervais crossed with Yanni kind of way.

Something about the cover (which features Varga in a dirty tank doing a sit up in front of what I think is a physio ball) let's you know that this right here is baby making music.

But the fun doesn't stop there. He's got his own official website: Vargaworld.com.

He's not just a man. He's a world! Here you can read the lyrics to the "River of Love" masterpiece. Sing along with classics like "Shave My Gorilla" and "Find Reasons (To Love)".

That's not all though, there's an about section which teaches us the true meaning of Varga:
"Varga is a word you will not find in any dictionary. I have coined it as a stage name to mean " the voice which we often ignore but which is our central essence"

It's amazing what we can discover when we give ourselves over to the endless, vacuous, black hole of voyeurism that is the Internet.

I end in the words of Varga:

NOW I FIND RESURRECTION – WITH MY GORILLA BY MY SIDE
BUT THE WAY THE WORLD HAS BEEN TURNING
THERE’S NOWHERE LEFT TO HIDE

YOU WANT TO SHAVE MY GORILLA, YES YOU DO
I KNOW YOU

Personally I am inspired by his earnestness. And that's the least cynical thing I can say in this blog. At this point I encourage you to write to him and let him "know how your own Varga is progressing". I know I will.

Midtermz

I finally reached the end of the dreaded season known as "midterms".

In the one I had today I had to prepare notes for four possible topics.

The topic was memory.

I forgot that was one of the options.

Pro/Con

Sometimes I feel like I don't belong anywhere.

For 8 months out of the year people tell me I'm different because I'm American. Then for 4 months of the year people tell me I'm different because I'm Canadian. It's a situation that I can never define. Time and time again I've made pro and con lists of each country, trying to decide which direction I want to go after I finish at UBC. Is it North or South?

Usually the pro and con lists are stupid. It says things like "pro: Tim Horton's, con: No Jack in the Box". Recently I started a new pro and con list. It seemed relevant as I start to look and jobs and graduate programs. This summer the pros and cons list focused on money and immigration and citizenship. In that situation, America was a clear winner. Now I'm back up here and my pro and con list still contains a lot of those same items. One thing has changed on the Canadian pro side.

Names.


It's all names now. And not corporate names like "Tim Horton" (although, don't get me wrong, that's reason enough to stay), but actual names of people I know here.

I can't think of a single person who is a con. Like, a specific person. All 25 Bus Drivers are cons to me. I don't want to give the impression that there aren't any people on the American Pro list. But, at this point, they all seem so distant. Especially when the names on my Canadian Pro list see me all the time, look me in the eye and interact with me. They're real. And I never want to leave them.

First Week, First Day, Last Year

Vancouver seemed quiet this morning. When I got off the bus I was immediately enveloped in sound and sight and a vibe that only exists on Imagine Day. First years awkwardly following a leader holding a sign, people yelling in megaphones, tents, companies, and music everywhere. Now that I'm in my fourth year the first day of school isn't as overwhelming as it used to be. I was I could say that my memories of Imagine Day are bright and vivid, but really they're very vague and muddled. What I do remember about my first day? I remember it being overwhelming. I remember thinking that I would NEVER be able to get everything out of UBC. There was so much there. So many clubs, so many buildings, so many classes, so many people. Each year it felt less and less like that. Like maybe I made wrong choices. I got involved with UCM really early, in my third week in fact. I gave 4 years of university to that club. At the beginning of every year I would think "maybe I should try something new?" Or in the case of my major and my career paths. At the start of every year I would think "maybe I should get involved with this thing or that to network? Maybe I should go global? Maybe Co-op?" This morning I went to an info session for history majors (I went for free pizza) and I realized that lots of the opportunities were tailored to third years. I am past that. What my goal is now is to study hard for 8 more months and then I will graduate.

Yes, I will graduate in May 2011. Provided I don't mess it up.

On Music and City Lights

I'm learning to let music wash over me.

I actually wrote a blog a few days ago that I never published. It was too whiney. I did the most proactive thing I could think of: I wandered away.

Now that I don't live on campus I'm exploring Vancouver more. It feels like there's this countdown clock running and soon it will expire and I won't be a UBC student anymore. Who knows where I'll be? So I've learned to wander.

I often wander to Queen Elizabeth Park which is very near my apartment. I like climbing up to the pinnacle of the park. When I'm there I perch on the ledge and gaze at the city. I find the Vancouver skyline intoxicating. When I lived on campus, seeing the city was rare. In my old apartment I could press my face to the glass and stare at the tip top of the Scotiabank Tower. But that was the extent of my view. Now I climb the stone ledge and suck the city into my lungs. If I'm going to leave this city in 8 months I want to be so oversaturated with the sight of it that I will see it when I close my eyes. I don't want the sting of regret. I want to know that I breathed and lived and poured myself into this life.

Today I wandered to the park and found an old man with a beat up telecaster and a small amplifier in a plastic bag. He wasn't busking, he was playing the blues. I sat on the bench next to him and gave myself over to the music. Some people are able to let music wash over them. As for me, I'm constantly looking for a way to involve myself in it, but today I just let myself experience music.

This man had clearly seen more life than I have so far and the notes that came out of that small amp were filled with stories. There were no words. Only sound.

Others

I am giving in to wanderlust.
My mind drifts to

other cities
other people
other places

other skylines
other spaces
other highways and hedges

An "other" life
Another life.
Another life.

A shifting scene.
A passing.
To drift from what I have to what is new,
What is "other",
What is different.

None of this ending or beginning,
Only drifting.
Simply changing my surroundings
Before my feet are cemented to the ground
And my wanderlust is confined to my head.
When my body becomes tired
and says "why bother with an other life?"

An "other" life
Another life.
Another life.

It isn't often that I take any sort of political leaning on my blog. In fact it isn't often that I blog.
However, when I heard that Glenn Beck was opening a "University", well, I felt the need to point out some potential flaws. An article from CBS can be found here along with a picture of the "crest".

1. The Crest- As you can see from the photo in the link this University emblem is a monument to basic latin and bad clip art. Furthermore, it looks like a rejected Harry Potter house and if anything, being green and black, it seems like a rejected crest for Slytherin. Doesn't Glenn Beck know that those are the bad guys? No, because I find it incredibly unlikely that Glenn Beck has read Harry Potter.
2. Tuition- A year (classes run July, August, September so a year seems a bit of a rip) costs $74.95. For $39 you can get a year subscription of Sports Illustrated which would probably give you better informed content and a football phone as opposed to three months of having to "attend" "lectures" at a University that doesn't actually exist.
3. Fraternities- There aren't any mostly because GBU doesn't have any buildings. Because it basically doesn't exist. But if there was I'm pretty sure every "student" would want to be in Phi Omega-douche. Wordplay!
4. Why?- The thing I don't understand is this: why is this even necessary? It's not like Glenn Beck desparately needs a platform to express his views. I can just log onto google, yahoo, youtube, facebook, or anything online and hear him talk. So why should I pay $74.95 for MORE of that. Furthermore, it's not even Glenn Beck, it's three other guys. If he wants to make some online video series then just do that. Don't make it into some pretentious "university".

Anyway, that's all I can really say on that subject but I'm sure there are plenty more people typing away, specifically in comments sections of articles, on this subject. What's next? Sarah Palin hosting a nature show? oh no.....

The Danish Way to Blog

If the World Cup was awarded to a team for the catchiest pop single instead of winning games, well, the Danish would run away with the trophy.

I'm not sure what it is about this song that makes it so irresistable to me, but it is probably a combination of these factors:
1. that this song is written by what I'm assuming to be the "Danish Depeche Mode"
2. That lead singer of said band (called "Nephew" btw) has a vaguely Robbie Williams-esque face.
3. The strange chant like chorus that contains the only english line of the whole song "The Danish waaay to ROCK". My guess is that this does not translate easily.

But I think most of all the thing that makes this blogworthy to me is that its catchy AND that in my mind I can hear it being sung in a stadium.

It makes me wish that an american artist would team up with the US team and create a sweet song. But I guess only the Danes know how to rock a World Cup.

You can't spell greatness without GRE

Time is a funny thing.

A year ago, all I was thinking about was going to Virginia. Yes, 365 days ago I started a journey across the continent. Only 7 hours ago I made the arduous trek from my house up to my old middle school with my newly inherited dog.

Nothing, and everything, has changed.

I spent all day studying for the GRE test. At least that's what I said I did today when my family members asked me. The honest answer is "today I saw my ego ripped into tiny shreds by nothing more than algebra"

Everyone says "oh its just middle school math", but I am a graduate of the UP School District therefore math is quite hard for me unless it's "integrated". Yes, the "integrated math program" or IMP may sound like a Utopian vision of algebraic racial equality, but let me assure you it is not. I may break out in a cold sweat when I see a square root, but if you need someone to build a model Ferris wheel out of toothpicks and some stale marshmallows, well, I'm your girl. Yes, in my Junior year my math class spent a month doing a "unit" where we had to help two dumbass imaginary kids in the book build a model Ferris Wheel. A life skill to be sure, but not the one that my "dream school" requires of me. They would rather I, you know, actually know something.

Dejected I went to sit in the window with the old border collie my family inherited from my aunt when she passed away two weeks ago. Let me give a proper, blog-worthy introduction:

Her full name is Jennifer Diane. Yes, she has a middle name. Though this may be humorous, it really isn't because I am sure its what my aunt wanted to name her first child, but she never had one. My family has nicknamed her "Pooter" which is what my parents would have named their third child, but they never had one. "Poots", as she is known around our house, enjoys short walks (due to a wonky hip), drooling on the carpet in the front hall, and finding new and innovative ways to get in my mother's way.

And so I joined her on the hospital bed my aunt had occupied only a month ago and looked out the window, envisioning my future as a ditchdigger (albeit, an erudite one). The Pootmaster General laid her head on my lap and looked at me like I was the most wonderful future ditchdigger in the world and I realized "This dog will love me, even if I'm dumb."

Assured of her undying love for me (which is actually dependent on the quantity of milkbones she receives from me) I rewarded her steadfast faith with a short walk around the neighborhood. I realized that I admired the way she stopped to take everything in. She sniffed every bush and every flowerbed. Whoever coined the term "stop and smell the roses" must have been a dog owner. Actually I redact that statement, because then the expression would go "stop and smell other dogs poop, then wee on it to let them know you were there".

I wish I could slow down like she does and just take in the neighborhood. Maybe I'm smarter at math than my school district ever realized. Maybe it's my time to stop and smell the roses. One more year at UBC, a few in grad school, and then onward from there. I'm going to follow Poots example and start sniffing Life's poo and weeing all over it so Life knows that I was here.

Ok, maybe smelling roses is a better expression. And so I close with the immortal wisdom of the movie "Caddyshack"

"The world needs ditchdiggers too"

Never Question "The Kid"

Mariner's opening day is approaching quickly. Naturally, I went on their website to look at ticket prices and what days I can get free swag on. That's how I stumbled upon the "ask a bobblehead".

Growing up south of Seattle, Ken Griffey Jr. always did seem like a super human outfielder who could predict the future. So I asked him my burning question: Will the M's win their opener?

The "Kid"/ randomized internet novelty only said "I need to ponder that one."

What kind of weak-ass answer is that?

Thanks for the vote of confidence, bobblehead.

The Closing of the Games

I feel very sad at the closing of the olympics. When they passed it on to Sochi I actually thought to myself "how can I get to Russia? Let's make a four year plan". I also thought briefly of recycling my 2010 plan and applying to a school in Russia but I'm not sure Sochi has universities that I would be interested in. And I don't speak Russian.

I watched the gold medal hockey game downtown in the LiveCity at Yaletown. Originally I had planned to wear Red and White and rock a maple leaf, but changing your stripes (as well as stars) is not as easy as I had percieved it to be. It all started at the first hockey game I went to: USA women v. China. I painted myself and wrapped a flag around me (which surprisingly traps body heat well and keeps one warm in an ice rink). From that moment my little flame of patriotism became a wildfire. By the time I went to the USA v. Finland game I was an all-american girl. Then on my way back from a trip to the states I decided to go off the beaten path (aka the 99 b-line) to UBC and catch an 84. Lo and behold I saw one of the USA women's hockey players sitting across from me. I went over, introduced myself to her and rode the bus with her for about 10 minutes. I think she was mostly shocked that I recognized her. I was a little shocked as well, also shocked that I, of all people, talked to a total stranger on the bus. She said something that stuck with me. When the guy on the bus asked her who she was cheering for in the men's game she said: "I never cheer for Canada". Not spitefully or anything, just as a given. Which is kind of true. You don't support the opponent, you support the place you grew up and the team you've always loved. And no matter what sport it is, Team USA has always been #1 to me.

So with that in the back of my mind I went up to Whistler on the second to last day. No skis, no tickets, just a pass on my roommates car to get us through the road block up to her family's parking space. Whistler was amazing and I had packed my flag. I started to see other stars and stripes everywhere so I busted mine out. There's something unexplainable about finding other Americans in a foreign land. We are not a very popular group of people abroad, especially in Canada. Here's what I found weird about (or aboot) it:
For the last 17 days there has been some sort of maple leaf pandemic that has stricken all Canadians. It's all over their bodies. Everyone has one. This is the most patriotic I have EVER seen this country in the 2 1/2 years I've lived here. But the coolest thing about an event like this is the random people you see. In Whistler I saw the most Polish flags in one place I'd ever seen (breaking my record of: one). There were also Estonians, South Koreans, and yes, even Jamaicans. The people in the streets celebrated these people for their pride. When I pull out my flag I'm seen as obnoxious. I should point out not by everyone, but it was sad to feel like I had to hide just because I share a border with Canada. It's not like it read "54-40 or Fight!" on it. In Whistler though, I was accepted. Probably because there were significantly less plastered high schoolers there.

I don't want to give the wrong impression. Most people accepted me everywhere. Most even called me brave, which probably is true because love is a very brave thing. Especially love of country. There is an insecurity that comes with sticking out like a sore thumb in a crowd. But its also a lot of fun. People were taking pictures with me and of me (paparazzi everywhere you know) and I even made it into newspaper websites over the two weeks. In fact I was filmed being interviewed by some guy from acer computers (i think) yesterday for a story on me: the lone american.

After the Whistler trip I crashed for a few hours and then took the bus off campus at 6am with all my Canadian friends. Here was the true test, who was I now? Still American or a Canadian to blend in? The answer was American. I wore a USA hat and shirt to the hockey game which we lined up to watch in LiveCity. There I was in a crowd of over 7,000 people, which on the CTV helicopter shot looked like some sort of communist rally due to all it's red, all alone in blue. Cheering not for Canada. At the olympics. In the final game. In Canada. A few blocks from the stadium. I don't know how I got to be such a nutbar, I honestly don't, because if there is one thing I value it's conformity.

Needless to say we lost a heartbreaker. I was bummed. I watched the people go absolutely apeshit over it as I stood alone. In blue. Next thing I knew one of my friends put his canada toque (translation for the USA: toboggan or stocking cap) on my head and we were headed to the heart of downtown. It was insane. As soon as I learn how to post pics of it I will. It was here I realized that no matter how much I wanted the USA to win it was probably a good silver for us. I was being crushed in every direction by revelers. If they lost that was a guaranteed riot and I had a HUGE bullseye on my back. And head. And face. And internal organs. So even though, as an American, I should automatically dislike Sidney Crosby, he probably saved my life that night.

We reveled in the downtown craziness and I ran through the streets high fiving cops. I'm sure we were both the most relieved that there wasn't a riot. On a sidenote, the cops were awesome these last few weeks. I genuinely felt safe but also felt like they didn't hinder the celebratory environment. Gold medal, RCMP, gold medal.

Then we headed back to the closing ceremonies at Live City on the big screens. They were awesome especially Michael J. Fox and Bill Shatner. BUT was Nickelback the best they could do for Canadian music? Off the top of my head I can name maybe 10 better acts Canada could present to the world: Metric, Arcade Fire, Feist, The Tragically Hip, Sam Roberts, Barenaked Ladies, Broken Social Scene, Stars, K'naan, and especially the Arrogant Worms (who would have fit perfectly I might add). When Nickelback was announced I heard a significant amount of "awww" and "booooo" in the crowd. Some was provided by me. Why? Because Nickelback suck. End of story.

After the closing I put my American flag back on my back. It was here that I was exposed to a whole new experience in Canada. If I'd walked down the street naked I would have received less attention. Most of the things that were said to me I can't repeat. I will never repeat. I try not to think about them. But I did notice that the F word can be used as a noun, adjective, and exclamation making it the most versitile word in the English language. Gold medal, f word, gold medal. My personal favorite was the guy who got in my face, pointed at the stars and said "oh no you got some shit on your flag, oh wait, that is your flag". I bit my tongue and didn't respond "oh you got some shit on your face, oh wait, that is your face". Though I admit it was hard to take from someone who has a leaf on their flag I did need to move on not just because he was rude but he also smelled as though he'd been drinking Molson since 9am which is like smelling a babies diaper after it's been eating lots of asparagus.

It was right after this rude drunkie that two guys approached me and said "you shouldn't have to take that, you deserve a hug". I accepted their hugs, there were several, and learned that people have choices in life between being a douche and being kind to others. I also was able to contrast the difference between a mean drunk and a friendly drunk. After those two guys people seemed to change. Looking back maybe they just changed my outlook. One guy said "F*** off, America" to me but was promptly put in his place by his girlfriend who shook my hand and said "good game". We talked a bit about how it was just a great sporting event to watch. I got a lot of high 5s, a lot of hugs, and also felt the wandering eye of the Vancouver Police Dept. keeping watch over me.

It was a night of celebration, fireworks, and revelry. I even got home before midnight.

I'd like to apologize for some of the swear words in this post. It was never my intention to say "Nickelback" four times. I hope you accept this apology because after all, I don't want to tarnish the image of the internet as a place of strict values and censorship.

I'll try to get some pics up soon!

Olympic Craziness!

I can and can't believe that it's been a week since I've blogged. This week has been insane. Two USA hockey games and a Barenaked Ladies headlining medal ceremony. But now all that is over and I have no more event tickets. It flew by so fast and it makes me sad to think it's all over.

The hockey games were fantastic, definitely the high of the whole week. I took pictures and hopefully I can get them up soon once I find my camera cable. The downtown area has been great too, just filled with people everywhere. Especially Granville and Robson which are all pedestrian areas. There's people with flags cheering and hooping and hollering everywhere. It really is the coolest thing I've ever experienced.

I went to the Sochi World Russia House. It's science world but taken over by a whole Russian contingent promoting the 2o14 winter olympics in Sochi. That kind of made me sad because after this week I want to olympics to be here FOREVER. I want them all the time because they're so festive and fun. However, also expensive. It's now my goal in life to be a serious hockey fan because thats been the high of my week. The problem is there's no way in hell I can afford Canucks tickets. At the game yesterday I sat by some diehard Wisconsin hockey fans and it made me miss high school because they had so much school spirit that UBC just lacks, but Curtis did have. They kind of made me want to be more into hockey. Also, after this week I insanely miss America so much because I forgot how awesome we are and what winners we are. Seriously, USA owns the podium here. I saw Seth Wescott awarded his snowboard cross gold LIVE at BC place. Watching them raise the flag and play the anthem was pretty emotional. I like Canada sure enough but in those little moments at these games, I finally feel home here. I feel homesick for America often and especially in the run up to these games when Canadians have finally figured out national pride. It makes me feel like an other, because even though I've been up here for years, it's not my country. This is just a little rant though.

As fun as it is to support the USA it was a little awkward last night in the bar of the pizza place I went to with my friend. We searched the city for a place we could get beer, pizza, and watch TV. So basically we went to Granville. We watched the men's figure skating and realized the whole place was owned and filled with Russians wearing Russian team jackets. Needless to say they were very upset when Pleshenko's result came in and he took silver. I had my Team USA shirt on (still on a high from the hockey game USA 6-0 Finland) so when we took figure skating gold over Russia I finished my beer, zipped up my jacket over the shirt and left. I was severly outnumbered. It's been fun to see people show their colors though. Me, I'm a USA fan first and a supporter of Canada as well. But I've been in the Swiss House and the Russia house. I've also walked by Czech supporters, Finns, Swedes, everybody! It's cool.

I wish it was like this always.

Thoughts on the Opening Ceremonies

Symbolism. Flying Prarie Children. Nice Canada Uniforms. Weird USA Uniform pants. Sarah McLaughlin's voice. The lack of Celine Dion. Catriona le May Doan not getting to light the torch because of a hydrolic problem=lame sauce to infinity. Anne Murry + olympic flag. Wayne Gretzky in the streets. KD Lang in a white tux. All these things I'll remember as reasons why I love Vancouver (apart from the Catriona le May Doan thing, that was really sad).


Tomorrow I hit downtown and I have not a single thought about what to do FIRST. I know what I want to do, I want to do it all. I just have to stay like a sponge and soak it all up.

This Post Might Make You A Little Jealous

The night before the opening ceremonies feels like Christmas Eve. There's electricity in the air and it keeps me from sleep.

Tonight the Olympic Torch ran through my school. It went from just mediocre to one of the greatest experiences of my life. Literally. It's something I will tell other people's kids someday. Or right now. In true Vancouver fashion it was pouring rain. Not pouring but consistent enough where all of the sudden you end up soaked. I got my free relay flag from coca-cola and decided for the next 2 1/2 weeks I actually love corporate sponsorship. They were also handing out free cokes in sweet 2010 bottles but there was one problem. This math equation: free stuff + students x olympics=mob scene. I couldn't get close to the freebie truck. We were all lined up along the route. The street lights went out and an olympic themed flash mob started up. I must redact my previous post, this was actually super legit. Then came the police cars. And then fire trucks. Followed by 2010 vans and all of the sudden dancing down the street came the runner holding the olympic flame. The crowd was cheering and waving flags. Some people held candles. It was epic and as the flame passed groups of students ran out after it so the street turned into a sea of students running. Then stopping. Running. Then stopping a bit as we followed the torch in the rain down University Boulevard. All of the sudden people started chanting U-B-C U-B-C and all the regrets I ever had about going to this school melted away in the rain. Eventually the RCMP put a stop to our chase, but that alright with me by then. I had experienced a moment that I could hang on to.

I was one of the students that chased the torch in the street and my heart felt so full it almost burst. Here it was, arriving, the culmination of 4 years of work. I wanted to be here ever since 2003 or so. In fact I've wanted to go to the winter olympics since 1994 in Lillehammer. So I worked. And I worked hard, dammit, just to get here. I remember sweating through chemistry class trying desparately to access the science portion of my brain because I knew Grade 11 Chem was a must have to apply for UBC. I remember checking the mail everyday. Nights crying myself to sleep until I got into this "dream" school. The first night here when I bolted my dormroom door for the lack of anything better to do. All of it traces back to that fall of 2005 as the Torino games approached when I went "maybe I could move to Vancouver". A thought became a dream a dream became a trial and in this moment chasing the olympic flame shoulder to shoulder with people I don't even know but who are just as excited as me, well, then the dream became a reality. In this moment, I felt off the charts happy. And for someone like me, that's a big deal.

I went to UCM tonight and during the end of the worship set I sat down in the back and cried. But I couldn't stop smiling. Happy tears. It was because I knew that I'd escaped. High school was hard for me, the road to Vancouver for me was marked with bouts of depression and serious lows. It was this weird feeling of "if I made it here like I wanted, maybe possibly I might be ok. The rest of my life might just be alright". The olympics have always made me feel better about things. They've always been a distraction from things, but a good distraction and for once I am in the epicentre of this earth quake. When I log onto NBColympics.com I see pictures of places I've gone to, places that have been a part of me for 2 1/2 years.

After UCM we all hit up McDonalds for mcflurries. It's something about the olympics that makes me crave McDee's. That corporate sponsorship stuff really works, I drank a coke today too. If this continues by the end of the games I'll open an account at RBC go home and flip on my panasonic TV and then call someone on my samsung phone. Yikes. Going out after UCM was great because, well, I started and sitting around the table watching hockey misplays of the day on TV with my friends was exactly what I needed. The cool thing is not that the olympics are here and I'm going, but that I'm here and the olympics are coming. This is my city. This is my campus. And right now, despite housing issues and tuition increases, I love it.

I should really get some sleep.

Brain Storm (a bad one)

There is too much going on in my brain right now. It's just a flurry of activity. So much so that clearly all my energy is going to thinking and none of it to anything kinetic. Basically, I'm just sitting around. I just wish the olympics would hurry up and start. Everything's here, I'm ready to go, let's just do this Vancouver.

There is a FREE zipline OVER Vancouver. I can't imagine what the wait will be like, but in short: I WANT TO GO. It's only here for the olympics which is dumb because think about how awesome this city would be if there was a permanent one. I'd be on it every weekend, zippin' around.

I booked a bus ticket home for a few days during the break. Will I regret it? Well, no, because it's nonrefundable. As most regrets are. It will be good though because as fun as olympic spirit is, redoing my third year would NOT be fun. So I'll actually get some work done it seems. I also realized how long its been since I've been home. Not home as in "in Tacoma" but home as in "in Tacoma with my family". I spent my whole break working nights, then christmas, then went to DC for four days then came back for new years and next thing I knew I was back here. I haven't been home for three consecutive days since the end of August. Now, I have four term papers due after easter weekend and I don't finish finals until April 29th. There's plenty of time to enjoy the olympics while I'm here (hellllo zipline) but there's also time to see my mom and dad and get some long awaited rest.

Other craziness? hmmm, well I sold a pair of olympics tickets that cost me $44 online for $90. That was pretty much sweetness. The olympic torch is on my campus tonight. I hear rumour of a "flash mob" going on, but holy crap those things can be annoying. In non olympics news, I remembered how great mcflurries were. They are both reasonably priced AND delicious, a rarity in Vancouver.

Olympic Spirit

I haven't written in this blog in about 9 months. I could have had a baby in that amount of time. I did not, however, I did pass my second year and sailed on into the third here at UBC. 2009-2010. The year the olympics come to the city. I would be lying if I said that I chose UBC originally because of its academic values, blah blah blah. No. I first applied to UBC because I wanted to go to the olympics and knew there was no way I would ever be an elite athlete. Especially since dodgeball and frisbee are not olympic sports there was little hope for me.

I decided to resurrect my blog because I have the privilege of living in Vancouver BC while the world visits for two weeks. In short, I finally have something to talk about worth reading. I went downtown yesterday to pick up my tickets while there were still manageable lines for the box office. It's very strange because I don't even recognize parts of the city, all of the sudden there's white tents. Everywhere. And pretty much none of it was finished yet so hopefully they keep on working at that. I'm planning on making the most of this experience but not making such a big deal about it that I'm disappointed. Compared to most I've spent little on tickets. I plan on watching it on screens downtown, provided I can get there. The motto is: no regrets. Because as I learned yesterday, I am no VIP and half the things I wish I could get into, I can't.

I am planning on being downtown for the gold medal hockey game and watching it with all the Canadians. Since its men's hockey I'll be pulling for Canada. Best case scenario: gold medal win, party in the streets of Vancouver. Other best case scenario: loss and a riot in the streets of Vancouver. Either way, it'll be an experience. So whether I'm dancing around with strangers or throwing a trash can through a window I'll be living the dream.

To be honest I'm a little nervous because I tend to not do well when I'm surrounded by people. It exhausts me and as much as it pains me to say this I might take a four day break to go back to Tacoma. I miss my family more than most people know and if downtown is so crazy I might as well go home and watch it on TV. I always said I wouldn't leave while the olympics were here, but I mapped it out on my calender and this crap takes FOREVER to complete. There's three weekends in there. It is a behemoth that swallows Febraury whole and craps it out March 1st. As exciting as it all is, getting to go home and see my mom and dad is a little more exciting, especially in that mid week lull of the last week where only Saudi Oil Billionaires can afford tickets to anything. It's also the women's gold medal game that thursday and I have this feeling in my heart and soul that the USA could win it. In which case, me and my american flag might not want to be here. On the other hand, the USA losses to Canada. In which case me and my american flag might not want to be here and endure the taunting.

I'm sure I could justify a Tacoma trip. Mostly I'm just talking to myself right now so most of the convincing is aimed right back at myself. I could use the rest, after this two and a half week explosion of world unity through sport, I start class at 9 the following monday. That is just not fair UBC.