Weekends

At this point it is officialy Thursday - past the (you guessed it) hump day. Here's my question to ponder for the day: How do people have the energy to go out on a Friday night or any weekend evening for that matter?  My epic weekend plans?  Got a date with me and my bed with the new episode of Covert Affairs on. 

Sounds like a win for this girl :)


Also, I was listening to this earlier and it just fit so perfectly into my day :)
 Glad to be Unhappy - Chris Botti & John Mayer - if you haven't listened to any of the other music I've posted, especially make an effort today to listen to this one. Jazz trumpet and John Mayer? Match made in heaven.

Birthdays

Korean Style Chopsticks

So I may have taped Korean-style chopsticks all over my room mate's walls for her birthday...

As part of my cultural education here on the global floor, I learned that Koreans do not use the same type of silly wood chopsticks as the rest of their Asian neighbors. Instead, they use a shorter, stainless steel version. 
I have 2 Korean room mates in my apartment. Both from Seoul, both from traditional Korean families. As I had mentioned in a previous post, there is a lot of cross-cultural education going on in our little hole in the wall that we call home. Getting to the point here, one of my room mates remembered to bring her chopsticks from Korea, one forgot. Over Korean dinner one night, these funny little chopsticks came into conversation and how much the girls here missed their utensils from back home. Sounds funny, yes. But what if someone told you that instead of eating with a soup spoon you had to use a ladle? So for her birthday, I found 10 sets of Korean chopsticks on Amazon and taped them all over her walls. There was a lot of excited clapping and laughter :)

That is all for now, and I leave you with some popular Korean music (even though American tunes are most common there)

C.N. Blue - I'm a Loner (that's the translation)

da new baby

Some Nights

Sunrise over TU. Not very impressive this morning.

Some nights you can't sleep. You just can't. So, instead of laying in bed and staring at the ceiling for hours on end, I decided to head over to (you guessed it) Presser for some late night practice. Seven hours, a visit from a friend, an impromptu jazz theory lesson, some blogging, and some solid time in a practice room, the sun rose. What a strange feeling. 
I was never the kind of kid that wanted to stay up all night with friends. I appreciate my sleep far too much for such shenanigans. But this was strangely...satisfying.  I was...productive. 

Weird.

Hard Days Night - The Beatles 

Unexpected Encounter

While walking to my usual practice spot this evening, I passed the same homeless man I do every day. Every day he asks me for a dollar. I don't carry cash with me, so I can honestly say no to him. But what can a dollar do for a homeless man in a wheelchair with one leg who only travels backward? I've taken to carrying a protein bar with me during the day, but when I do, of course I don't see him. 
This particular evening while taking my usual route, I saw him wheeling down the street perpendicular to me. To avoid the situation, I ducked into one of the many learning centers on campus where a man stood in the lobby washing the windows.  Immediately he asked if I was ok, if I needed help, etc. I explained my situation to the man, and he like many others  knew of the man in the wheelchair. I feel awful, I explained. What could be done to help this man? His response: "Pray for the guy. He needs it."

Philadelphia - the city of brotherly love. 

No soundtrack for this one. Take a moment to be thankful for what you have, and pray for those who don't have the blessings you do.

Quote Today

When you're feeling down, you can pull him out of your pocket, and he will say, "I want to return to my country and help. Music changes lives." - and this is yet another reason as to why I am positive I'm at the right place. 

Sunrise over Philly. I wish I could take credit for this photo.

Ok so I was a little blown away that anyone actually reads this...
But for those of you who do, every time I mention a band or song, the name is a link (usually to YouTube) where you can listen to it. Maybe it'll set the scene a little more for you. Ok or maybe it'll just be a song you listen to 30 seconds of. Either way, check it out. Hmmm...what to listen to now...something laid back for the morning like Pusher Love Girl - Justin Timberlake

Night Owl

My nights at Presser.

Night Owl - Little Big Town

That moment when you know you're at the exact place you should be. This realization has occurred to me before, but it came to me again last night after my late night practicing in Presser. And again this morning during one of my classes. I don't dread going to class at all. I am living the freaking dream. My homework? Practicing. What do I do when I'm stressed? Play. So, in essence, my homework is to relax. Biggest. Win. Ever. 


Now I just need to get a job once I graduate....

Living in the Moment - Jason Mraz

Quote courtesy of Jason Mraz

"It takes no time to fall in love, but it takes you years to know what love is"