I've always been interested in other people's stories and problems. Not in a busybody way, just in a curious way. That's why I am a psychology major, and it's why I watch shows about drug addiction, mental illness, and physical disease. The last few weeks I've been marinating myself in other people's challenges, and right now I feel like it's verging into unhealthy territory. Educating oneself and improving one's emapthy is one thing; drowning yourself in troubles that you can do nothing about is another.
So for today, at least, I'm veering into lighter territory.
How about a Christmas carol? I love Christmas music. I love carols that are as quiet and solemn as the snow that falls at night in December. I love big brass songs that play at warm and well-lit parties. I love singing in church with all the out-of-tune old ladies and I love listening to polished choirs.
I also like sparse, bright takes on traditional carols, like this one from Sufjan Stevens.
loaves of oatmeal-heavy-on-the-molasses bread baked: 3
pots of tuscan white bean and swiss chard soup made with thanksgiving turkey stock: 1
big screen movies watched (2012-- woo! upheavals!): 1
good long walks with chris & floyd: 1
naps: 2
cups of hot cocoa: 2
loads of laundry put away: 4
hours of rolly polly puppy play time: infinite
So, I decided to stay because I like Vox. It's simple. But certain posts will now be private :)
So on with the photos taken on Kakak's wedding. It was pretty last minute but fortunately, everything went well.
So kakak, congrats on your wedding with Daniel. Nanti adik pi Hawaii okeh (bila ada duit berkepul kepul, that is hahaha).
Anyway, the kids, kakak and Daniel are back in Hawaii. The whole thing was very emotional at the airport. Mak was really sad. Farhan cried and then that pretty much triggered everyone to tears, including me ;( If only the expenses to go there is cheaper. Haih. I miss them already. Tapi takpa, maksu kumpui duit nanti maksu pi ziarah okeh Emir, Farhan and Ejat :D
Ok bye bye.
Hello, Vox neighbors! I'm back from a class trip to D.C., which was a wonderful week all around. It was very, very busy, but we did a lot of sightseeing and a lot of volunteering. Now I'm back with about 10 hours of sleep debt and a lingering cold, so I'll just post a few pictures and be done for the evening.
To those who aren't familiar with The Take-Away Shows, it's a podcast site founded by Chryde and Vincent Moon who are the art producer and director respectively. Everyweek or so they invite an artist or band to play in the streets, in a bar, a park, apartment or even in the elevator, and they film the whole session. Their goal is to capture those priceless hesitations and interruption and the raw ambience of the surroundings.
The site has been around since 2006. A lot of unique bands have been featured by them since then including Sigur Rós, Múm, Bon Iver, Animal Collective, Architecture In Helsinki, R.E.M., Foals, Malajube and Arcade Fire just to name a few. And now directors across the world are joining the project, and they are planning to extend it worldwide. There is Youtube channel that was inspired by the site and made their own videos, ShootThePlayer. Though I visited their channel only because they had Kaki King performing an acoustic live version of Life Being What It Is.
I think it may be time for me to close this account and move on to another one. I've been using this one for a few years already, so yeah. Still thinking about it though.
I haven't taken a great amount of time to update this blog in the recent year, and there are times of familiarity when I do come here and visit to which I am very thankful, but I don't always feel terribly comfortable or free to express myself here anymore. I recently reread some of my older posts from 2006 and on, and at that time I had a certain passion for blogging, and a certain fearlessness to post as I felt at all times. My personal space has been violated since then in this area though, and even though I am literally bursting with budding romance, sexual energy, freedom and love at this instant, there is extreme distance between my Vox and I from 2006 until now. I resist posting anything of importance now, which does not serve me as I used this blog as a board of creativity for a long time! I feel like having this space is really important, and so I'm starting a new blog today. If you are interested in reading, please send me an email to sharkslovecupcakes@gmail.com, contact me on Facebook as Monika Sylvestre or send me a message on here and I'll be happy to Invite you to this new location. Thank you and Namaste.
Finally got my camera back from my dad, whom I let him borrow my camera to for his Asia trip. Ever since then 99.9% of my pictures have been of food! So are you ready to get hungry? Food overload ahead!
Went to my favorite sushi joint. Surprisingly not crowded that night. Only the second time ever did we not have to wait for our favorite sushi chef. He made us all kinds of goodies!
My sister and I treated my dad to Capital Seafood for his birthday. We ordered a fixed dinner set plus Peking duck. The waiter was sort of shocked with all the food we ordered but we assured him we wanted it all. Yum! Such good food!
I can always count on my sister to go on food adventures with me. Yum was craving so good BBQ and what better place than all you can eat.
We signed up for this once we got here. Association Holiday dinner (and meeting) was open to the 300 homes or so in this area. We were sure we would be wanting to leave as soon as we got there. We were wrong!
