{tribal}

After yesterday’s post I had to go grab a classic 80’s video.  By the way for those of you younger than 25, MTV used to actually play music videos….not great ones…but music videos.

This is Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners

I LOVE Facebook.  I’ve been on there for less than year and have over 200 friends from all the world.  Not only is it great for staying connected with current friends but it’s also proving to be a great way to reconnect with people from the past.  Over the last few weeks I’ve reconnected with several friends from High School.  Now realize I graduated over 19 years ago and because I moved to another state 3 months after graduation I have only spoken or seen 2-3 people from high school since then.  But thanks to Facebook we’re reconnecting and catching up. Since reconnecting with old friends from High School, I’ve found myself mentally drifting back to the good ole 80’s.

Because music is so important to my life,over the last few days I’ve indulged myself with everything from Duran Duran to the Pet Shop Boys.  As I listened to some of the finest music ever made I was reminded of a few key songs and the memories associated with them.

Crazy for you::: Madonna.  This one has meaning from my last year of middle school.  I had a mad, crazy crush on Kitty McElhaney but of course was too shy to ask her out.  So when the end of the year dance came around I went stag and she went with some older, hunk-type (the opposite of me).  I was asked to dance that night by a few other girls….but they weren’t Kitty.  One of the last songs that night was Crazy for you and when they danced to this I swear the entire dance floor emptied off and it was only them dancing.  It was totally a “Wonder Years” moment.  A few months ago I heard this song inCasablanca and my mind immediately thought back to that night….{sappy}.

Hello::: Lionel Richie  During my sophmore year I had my first ever hand-holding girlfriend, Lisa Lancaster.  During our spring fling she went on a chorus trip to Six Flags.  I was so depressed while she was gone and this song became my song of comfort.  I had this one on a record and listened to it over and over again. I had lost my first ever hand-holding girlfriend….thanks Lionel for the song. {somewhat sappy}

Everybody Wang Chung:::  Wang Chung
My favorite time of each year in high school was the fall….marching season.  I didn’t understand it so much then but I do now….I loved being a part of a creative community.  When I had to leave the music wing and enter into the rest of the school in non-music classes I felt lost and alone….but marching band….I was alive and part of a community.  Those were my best days.  I especially loved the afternoons after school.  There was always a small break before practice.  These became especially enjoyable my Senior Year because we were all driving and could leave campus before band practice.  Every time I hear this song I think of one of these afternoons.  It was a perfect fall afternoon and we had an away game.  Instead of going home during the break a lot of us stayed at school.  That day Jeff Hyman and I decided to run and get some food before the buses headed out to the away game so we piled into his old clunker (he used a screwdriver instead of a key to start it), we turned on the radio and “Everybody wang chung tonight…” was playing.  Those were great days and when I hear this song, I can feel the warm fall air, smell the musty interior of Jeff’s old car and I remember the joy of belonging to a group of people that created. { Not so sappy}

What are your songs?  What are the memories?   By the way…everybody have fun tonight…everybody Wang Chung

Each and every Wednesday I post about arts/culture. This is a part of a “watercooler wednesday” discussion facilitated on Randy Elrod’s blog.  Check out his blog for others in this conversation.

This is my second week entering a photo into the self portrait challenge.  Over the last week I’ve had several friends from High School reconnect through FaceBook.  Now, I graduated from high school 19 years ago…so it’s been crazy to reconnect with people I knew in what seems like a previous lifetime.  It’s been crazy to think back to that phase of my life….so distant yet at the same time so familiar.  It’s crazy how time works….

Sometimes I take photos with a purpose in mind…the cook-book, Landon’s baby-book or some other project.  But sometimes I just take them to take them…or they don’t make it to a project but they’re still worthy of posting. So here are a few photos from the week that may or may not be used anywhere….but I like them so here they are…

This is my first time posting on the SPC.  Why do it?  Because, I’m looking for new challanges that force me to be creative and look at things in different ways….to shine.  Because of the country that I live in my opportunities to photograph people is limited….so Iturn to the SPC for practice.  I hope to watch and learn as I see others post on various themes.

Over the past few months I’ve developed a friendship with Jamal.  Jamal is in his 40’s, he has a degree in linguistics, speaks beautiful English, teaches beginning English and works at a local hotel.  He’s been looking for someone to read American literature with for a while and since I’ve been looking for the same thing….it’s a good fit.

We just finished our first book, The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald.  This morning we spent 3 hours reviewing the book, the surface storyline, the underlying themes and it’s reflection on the roaring 20’s as well as the American Dream.  He came prepared with over 10 sheets of analysis and was prepared as if he was giving a lecture.  There were two things that I loved about this morning. First, the analysis of the book.  He brought out aspects of the themes that I hadn’t thought of before.  It made me realize that in many ways America hasn’t changed from the 20’s.  The current mortgage crisis is a result of our quest to attain the “blue light” which like the horizon, is always just beyond our reach.

It was also amazing to see his passion.  If he lived in the US, he would be a English lit professor and the students would love him.  He’s passionate,engaging and articulate…but he lives in a country where his use of English is reduced to “Would you like a room for one or two nights?”  I felt bad as I listened to his passion and I thought about all of the resources I’ve wasted.  The books, I never read or only skimmed through.  He told me that I am a gift from God and that because of me he feels alive for the first time in years.  Well, Jamal, you’ve done the same to me.  Your passion and fervor for literature is contagious and you’ve breathed fresh life into my desire to read.  So…..this week we’ll start our next read…Robison Crusoe.  And we’ll see if I can keep up with my friend Jamal.

Each and every Wednesday I post about arts/culture. This is a part of a “watercooler wednesday” discussion facilitated on Randy Elrod’s blog.  Check out his blog for others in this conversation.

I grew up thinking fig’s could only be eaten in cookie form….the lovely Fig Newton.  This summer my beliefs have changed as our fig tree has been full of these lovely little treats.  We had two harvests this year, the first we ignored….but not this second time.  We’ve pulled off over 6 large bucket fulls and have made fig preserves, grilled them and have enjoyed just eating them right off the tree.  For my US readers….do they sell them in grocery stores?  Are they expensive?  Do you eat them?

So I Skyped my mom tonight and guess where she was? Publix.  There are times when home-sickness is constant like around holidays and special events….but most of the time it hits in waves.  Tonight was one of those moments….not a deep heart-breaking type of home-sickness but the type that makes you wish you were there.  When I’m asked by people “What kind of comfort food do you miss?”  More often than not it’s all processed stuff that comes to mind.  So tonight when I called my mom and she said “I’m on the yogurt aisle and then I’m checking out.” All I could think of was….wow what I would give for an hour in Publix. 

I’d start in the deli…some wings…then the kids would get free cookies.  Then we would slowly walk down each aisle…lingering on the cookie/snack aisle.  Then we would of course spend some good time on the chip aisle….then onto other favorite processed foods….microwave burritos….corn-dogs, tater-tots, tv dinners….I know, I know there’s better stuff out there. But the thing is….when you’re surrounded by the unfamilliar all day….all week…you long for the familiar….even if it just Cheez it’s and corn-dogs….

One of the cool things about living in Morocco is that I get the opportunity to use photography quite a bit.  One of the drawbacks is that I don’t have a lot of people to practice on.  If we were in the states I would start a photography business on the side to make a little extra money and to improve my skills at both shooting and editing.  I know this works because in the 8 months Tina has been pregnant I’ve seen my skills improve dramatically because I’ve been using them.  But so far Tina and the kids have been my only subject matter and so my opportunities are limited.

In the Fall, I hope to go on photo shoots with local university students…mainly shooting architecture and still life’s around the city.  It’s a great opportunity to improve my skills while interacting relationally with other photographers.  I’m also beginning to post more photos on websites such as trekearth, treklens and usefilm.com….they offer critical reviews of photos…versus Flickr which is more of “great shot…beautiful”.  All of this is great and will help but it can’t replace the practical knowledge gained from a 1-2 hour session with someone….I’m not sure what the solution is but….I need the practice…Any ideas????

It all started back in the 80’s.  I’m not talking about parachute pants, big hair or bad electronic music….my love of the olympics.  I’m not sure what year it was, but my sister and I both found ourselves sick during the olympics and thats all there was to watch on TV…so we did….and I loved it.  Now, if you know me you know that I do not like sports…at all…but I love the Olympics. 

There’s just something about the overall setting and climate of the Olympics.  To me, it’s more than people pursuing the gold.  The Olympics help get sports back to a simple purity.  Of course there are endorsments and all but it’s different.  Most of the athletes will never make a ton of money, and most will be forgotten soon after…and some of the sports….they have a hard time giving the tickets away….this is what I like. Unlike the major US sports…there are no multi-million dollar contracts hanging in the balance…just a simple medal….the thrill of competing and winning against the best the world has to offer.

So this year, I surf around my satellites looking for a broadcast in English…but even if I can’t find one…it’ll be ok.  We’ll gather around the TV like days of old and watch the competition….not the commercials and will watch real athletes enjoy the thrill of competition. May the Games begin….

Each and every Wednesday I post about arts/culture. This is a part of a “watercooler wednesday” discussion facilitated on Randy Elrod’s blog.  Check out his blog for others in this conversation.