But I had to post today in order to use this quote:
"God - the quicker picker upper."
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Piano Images
Well, first a quick update on stuff:
American Idol finished, after an incredibly long finale filled to the brim with... well, with filler. Congrats Jordin. Enjoyed performances from all idols, did not enjoy performance by Bette Midler and have no idea why she was there, but whatever. For a slightly better review, go to Josh's blog because I don't have the energy to review it properly.
Went to see Pirates 3 yesterday. I thought it was great. For a much better and more comprehensive review, go to Amy's blog because I don't have the energy to review it properly.
So I have this piano sort-of recital tonight, it's almost like a practice exam, and well, Amy was talking about being assigned mental pictures for her songs, and I said I already do that... kind of. I've been doing it all year, and last year too, but not so much a picture as harnessing a feeling and pushing it out in the piece. See, I've always felt like there's more to piano, or music in general, than just hitting the right notes as quickly and loudly as possible - I think it has no point if you can't pass on a feeling, and so I try to create one. And so, if you happen to be interested, these are the feelings I associate with each of my exam pieces.
Here's That Rainy Day - It's a study, a very old jazz piece. It has words:
"Maybe I should have saved
those left-over dreams
funny, but here's that rainy day.
Here's that rainy day
they told me about
and I laughed at the thought
that it might turn out this way.
Where is that worn-out wish
that I threw aside,
after it brought my lover near?
Funny how love becomes
a cold rainy day
funny, that rainy day is here."
Definitely reminds me of my friends changing schools - how you know, I got so comfortable and secure and never thought I'd be left out in the cold, until I was. So I grasp those emotions - loneliness, almost disbelief - for this one.
Study: Morning Bell
It's a really beautiful, peaceful song. It makes me feel like I'm one with the world and with everything and it's all going to turn out ok. It doesn't take a lot of effort to create feelings of joy and contentedness before I play this song - as I play they just sort of come.
List A: Sonata in c-
This is the one that says "I ain't givin' up." You can't hold me down when I'm playing this song.
List B: Sonatina in Bflat +
It's kind of like life, you know? Some parts happy, some parts not quite so happy, but it keeps on going, it doesn't slow down, and you always wind up on the bright side anyway.
List C: Chanson Triste (A Sad Song)
This one reminds me so much of a friendship I have... it's painful, because I'm not able to see this friend at all or talk to this friend half as much as I would like, so I've come to associate our friendship with some measure of pain and wistfulness. At the same time, it's so beautiful and so wonderful to be friends with this person that I wouldn't trade it for the world, and when we do talk, there are bright moments... but it's all so bittersweet. This is like the piece because it is sad, but it's so beautiful that the sadness is worth it.
List D: Mysterious Summer Night
Amy's little sister called this song "evil," and in a way I suppose it it. It lives up to its name, in that it's quite mysterious, and it brings up all kinds of feelings of confusion and lost-ness for me. It's like, you've got everything figured out, you're on top of the world, and then bam, someone whips a curveball at you and everything changes, and you don't know what's going on anymore. Sometimes your confusion makes you mad, and sometimes you just resign yourself to being confused, but in the end... you're still confused.
So there ya go Amy, that's what to listen for tonight, haha.
~~~
"Go for a jog, make yourself a smoothie, read an Archie comic - it's gonna be alright."
American Idol finished, after an incredibly long finale filled to the brim with... well, with filler. Congrats Jordin. Enjoyed performances from all idols, did not enjoy performance by Bette Midler and have no idea why she was there, but whatever. For a slightly better review, go to Josh's blog because I don't have the energy to review it properly.
Went to see Pirates 3 yesterday. I thought it was great. For a much better and more comprehensive review, go to Amy's blog because I don't have the energy to review it properly.
So I have this piano sort-of recital tonight, it's almost like a practice exam, and well, Amy was talking about being assigned mental pictures for her songs, and I said I already do that... kind of. I've been doing it all year, and last year too, but not so much a picture as harnessing a feeling and pushing it out in the piece. See, I've always felt like there's more to piano, or music in general, than just hitting the right notes as quickly and loudly as possible - I think it has no point if you can't pass on a feeling, and so I try to create one. And so, if you happen to be interested, these are the feelings I associate with each of my exam pieces.
Here's That Rainy Day - It's a study, a very old jazz piece. It has words:
"Maybe I should have saved
those left-over dreams
funny, but here's that rainy day.
Here's that rainy day
they told me about
and I laughed at the thought
that it might turn out this way.
Where is that worn-out wish
that I threw aside,
after it brought my lover near?
Funny how love becomes
a cold rainy day
funny, that rainy day is here."
Definitely reminds me of my friends changing schools - how you know, I got so comfortable and secure and never thought I'd be left out in the cold, until I was. So I grasp those emotions - loneliness, almost disbelief - for this one.
Study: Morning Bell
It's a really beautiful, peaceful song. It makes me feel like I'm one with the world and with everything and it's all going to turn out ok. It doesn't take a lot of effort to create feelings of joy and contentedness before I play this song - as I play they just sort of come.
List A: Sonata in c-
This is the one that says "I ain't givin' up." You can't hold me down when I'm playing this song.
List B: Sonatina in Bflat +
It's kind of like life, you know? Some parts happy, some parts not quite so happy, but it keeps on going, it doesn't slow down, and you always wind up on the bright side anyway.
List C: Chanson Triste (A Sad Song)
This one reminds me so much of a friendship I have... it's painful, because I'm not able to see this friend at all or talk to this friend half as much as I would like, so I've come to associate our friendship with some measure of pain and wistfulness. At the same time, it's so beautiful and so wonderful to be friends with this person that I wouldn't trade it for the world, and when we do talk, there are bright moments... but it's all so bittersweet. This is like the piece because it is sad, but it's so beautiful that the sadness is worth it.
List D: Mysterious Summer Night
Amy's little sister called this song "evil," and in a way I suppose it it. It lives up to its name, in that it's quite mysterious, and it brings up all kinds of feelings of confusion and lost-ness for me. It's like, you've got everything figured out, you're on top of the world, and then bam, someone whips a curveball at you and everything changes, and you don't know what's going on anymore. Sometimes your confusion makes you mad, and sometimes you just resign yourself to being confused, but in the end... you're still confused.
So there ya go Amy, that's what to listen for tonight, haha.
~~~
"Go for a jog, make yourself a smoothie, read an Archie comic - it's gonna be alright."
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Final Idol Prediction
So after watching last night’s performances, I can honestly say… I really, REALLY don’t care who wins. I adore them both, and I know exactly what’s going to happen tonight. It’ll be one of two scenarios.
Scenario A:
Ryan Seacrest: And the winner of American Idol 2007 is… Blake Lewis!
Erin immediately bursts into tears and feels incredibly sorry for Jordin, thinking, “It’s so unfair! I always wanted her to win!”
OR
Scenario B:
Ryan Seacrest: And the winner of American Idol 2007 is… Jordin Sparks!
Erin immediately bursts into tears and feels incredibly sorry for Blake, thinking, “It’s so unfair! I always wanted him to win!”
Guaranteed reaction (minus the tears… if any, they will be of happiness, because Idol finales tend to do that to me.) Anyway, tonight no matter what happens, I know I will feel like the winner deserved to win, and I will feel so bad for the non-winner. (I hate saying loser… as Paula says, we’re all winners here.)
But now, if I must enter a prediction... I’ll say Jordin. Although I really do love them both.
~~~
“What flavour is yellow?"
Scenario A:
Ryan Seacrest: And the winner of American Idol 2007 is… Blake Lewis!
Erin immediately bursts into tears and feels incredibly sorry for Jordin, thinking, “It’s so unfair! I always wanted her to win!”
OR
Scenario B:
Ryan Seacrest: And the winner of American Idol 2007 is… Jordin Sparks!
Erin immediately bursts into tears and feels incredibly sorry for Blake, thinking, “It’s so unfair! I always wanted him to win!”
Guaranteed reaction (minus the tears… if any, they will be of happiness, because Idol finales tend to do that to me.) Anyway, tonight no matter what happens, I know I will feel like the winner deserved to win, and I will feel so bad for the non-winner. (I hate saying loser… as Paula says, we’re all winners here.)
But now, if I must enter a prediction... I’ll say Jordin. Although I really do love them both.
~~~
“What flavour is yellow?"
Monday, May 21, 2007
Upcoming American Idol Finale
It's that time now - time now for me to enter my prediction for who the new American Idol will be. The unfortunate part is that I don't HAVE a prediction, nor do I really have a preference. I could argue for either Blake or Jordin, and that's what I plan to do:
Blake must win because:
- He's unique. He brings his own new flavour with his beatboxing that will appeal to a whole different audience than what AI usually does. His style of music will set him apart from any of the previous winners, or even finalists, and he'll prove that Idol really does attract a diverse crowd and can produce all types of musicians.
- He's creative. He adds beats and things to songs and makes them sound totally different than the original. It takes a giant talent to do that.
- He's a great entertainer. He keeps the audience interested through his entire performance.
- He seems like a really nice, fun-loving guy.
- I like his dad.
Blake can't win because:
- He's not the best singer, and Idol is, first and foremost, a singing competition.
- He hasn't always been consistent.
- The music he makes won't necessarily appeal to Idol's demographic - mainstream pop.
Jordin must win because:
- She's an amazing singer. She has a phenominal voice, especially for someone so young, and of the final two, she definitely has the better vocals. She's got a giant range and a voice that's really pleasing to listen to.
- Aside from Bon Jovi and Gwen Stefani weeks, she's been consistently excellent.
- Being so young, she has so much opportunity to grow and evolve in her musical journey.
- She's a beautiful girl, and fuller-figured, making her so natural-looking, which is nice to see.
- She can pull off almost any genre successfully.
- She'll make an Idol album, probably reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson, and we all know how well she did.
- She too seems to be a really sweet, nice, genuine person.
Jordin can't win because:
- She's been on American Juniors and America's Most Talented Kid, and even recorded a 5-song mini-CD when she was 13. Too much exposure, too many chances at fame.
- She is so mainstream, with basically no defined genre. She'll just make some bland pop record dictated to her, which may get radio play but won't attract new idol watchers or appeal to a very large audience.
- She's a cover singer, not necessarily an artist. She hasn't shown real creativity or individuality, other than changing a note here or there. She may be a singer, but not a musician.
Basically, either one could win and it would be fine with me. I can spin it either way. I even spun the same point either way some of the time, like the fact that Jordin will make a mainstream pop record. It can be either a positive or a negative, depending on how you look at it.
And yeah, you've pretty much just seen one of the major reasons I like watching Idol so much. I take it intellectually, I make predictions and for me, it's like a case study in humanity. It's fun.
I could also argue either way for almost all of the finalists - to win or not to win. Take Melinda... I could say she should have won, or I could say she deserved to go, and make an argument for both. But, it's getting late and I don't have the energy.
So, go Blake and Jordin!
~~~
"KYLERRRRR!!!!!"
Blake must win because:
- He's unique. He brings his own new flavour with his beatboxing that will appeal to a whole different audience than what AI usually does. His style of music will set him apart from any of the previous winners, or even finalists, and he'll prove that Idol really does attract a diverse crowd and can produce all types of musicians.
- He's creative. He adds beats and things to songs and makes them sound totally different than the original. It takes a giant talent to do that.
- He's a great entertainer. He keeps the audience interested through his entire performance.
- He seems like a really nice, fun-loving guy.
- I like his dad.
Blake can't win because:
- He's not the best singer, and Idol is, first and foremost, a singing competition.
- He hasn't always been consistent.
- The music he makes won't necessarily appeal to Idol's demographic - mainstream pop.
Jordin must win because:
- She's an amazing singer. She has a phenominal voice, especially for someone so young, and of the final two, she definitely has the better vocals. She's got a giant range and a voice that's really pleasing to listen to.
- Aside from Bon Jovi and Gwen Stefani weeks, she's been consistently excellent.
- Being so young, she has so much opportunity to grow and evolve in her musical journey.
- She's a beautiful girl, and fuller-figured, making her so natural-looking, which is nice to see.
- She can pull off almost any genre successfully.
- She'll make an Idol album, probably reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson, and we all know how well she did.
- She too seems to be a really sweet, nice, genuine person.
Jordin can't win because:
- She's been on American Juniors and America's Most Talented Kid, and even recorded a 5-song mini-CD when she was 13. Too much exposure, too many chances at fame.
- She is so mainstream, with basically no defined genre. She'll just make some bland pop record dictated to her, which may get radio play but won't attract new idol watchers or appeal to a very large audience.
- She's a cover singer, not necessarily an artist. She hasn't shown real creativity or individuality, other than changing a note here or there. She may be a singer, but not a musician.
Basically, either one could win and it would be fine with me. I can spin it either way. I even spun the same point either way some of the time, like the fact that Jordin will make a mainstream pop record. It can be either a positive or a negative, depending on how you look at it.
And yeah, you've pretty much just seen one of the major reasons I like watching Idol so much. I take it intellectually, I make predictions and for me, it's like a case study in humanity. It's fun.
I could also argue either way for almost all of the finalists - to win or not to win. Take Melinda... I could say she should have won, or I could say she deserved to go, and make an argument for both. But, it's getting late and I don't have the energy.
So, go Blake and Jordin!
~~~
"KYLERRRRR!!!!!"
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Longest Blog Post Ever
Well. This is going to be long because, other than my rant about Melinda, I haven't posted for a couple weeks and an update on my life is in order.
First, the quiz meet was everything I expected and more. Just such a giant party. Amy and I drank coffee at 10:30 ish, because we were both tired, and remarkably, it worked. (although I think the effects were more psychological than anything else.) It was so nasty though - everything in me was trying to reject it but i forced it down. Then I spent over an hour catching up with an old friend from junior high who I really haven't sat down and talked to since probably grade 8. One of the biggest things I regret from my junior high years is not getting to know her better, but the past is in the past, I guess.
Then, at 1:30, she went to bed and Amy came over to me, half-asleep, and said "Can we go to bed now?" Of course, I snapped back, "NO!" and we decided we were going to get Coke. It too, worked wonders in keeping us awake for a half-hour, but at 2 we crashed and slept for a few hours.
In terms of quizzing itself, the quiz meet was alright... super for some people, not so super for others, and I was really middle of the road. I'm excited for next year though, a non-gospel with fewer verses should be a blast.
So then the next week was pretty irremarkable... we did Living Light News again, which was fun as always. Youth event was laser tag... luckily, I am better at laser tag than Halo, so I didn't make a total idiot out of myself. Weird thing though - between games, my hand was shaking. Like, crazy shaking, and I couldn't help it. I wasn't the only one either; Kyle was shaking like mad. It was strange - probably just from holding the gun. It was a lot of fun though. For one game, Kyle and I teamed up, but we were the worst teammates in the world.
Me: Nobody's coming past us. I'm bored. *shoots Kyle*
Kyle: Hey! *shoots me*
Haha.
The next morning, we got immunized for Costa Rica - all I needed was Hepatits A, but I was really worried, because normally shots, especially flu shots, totally immobilize my left arm. Really, they hurt like crazy for at least 3 days. Thankfully though, this one really had no effect on me! I was so happy... Kyle, however, was complaining that his right knee hurt, and he blamed it on the shot. He got the shot in his left arm... what a hypochondriac :P
Then we had a barbeque for the missions team, but before that, I had to go with Everett, Kyle, and Kyle's mom to pick up ice cream and ice cream cones. Oh my, what an experience. Never go grocery shopping with Kyle and Everett... it's insane. Everett wants anything with a brand name on it ("Bounty! The quicker-picker-upper!") and Kyle refuses to ask for directions or look at signs to figure out where things are - he works more by trial-and-error. I was almost ripping my hair out by the end of it.
After the barbeque, I went to Amy's house and was introducted to the wonders of the Wii. I never understood the attraction to it before, but now I do. Especially tennis - easily my favourite. As soon as I got there, I took the Wii fitness test and it was revealed that my Wii fitness age was 61. Slightly embarassing. But still, it was great. I even got a cramp in my Wii arm, lol. We also watched Pirates of the Caribbean 2, in preparation for Pirates 3. Ben, Amy and I finished the movie around midnight, so then we did another fitness test (my age dropped to 46! Yay!) and played for a while. We were all tired and somewhat giddy, though, so everything seemed ridiculously funny. Ben started calling me Ewin, and I decided that from now on, I am signing my name as Ewiinnn. That's right. Say that one out loud. :P It was a ton of fun though, and a little weird for moe ebcause I've always seen Ben as Amy's dorky little brother, and now, I'm starting to see him as a fellow youth, and even as a friend. It's pretty cool. He's a nice kid.
So after that... got up in the morning, went home after church... lived through the rest of the week until yesterday when I went to my uncle's wedding. It was... interesting. The ceremony was really small, probably about 15 people there, and then there was a reception-type-thing at their house afterwards, which, aside from the food, was kind of crummy. Nobody there for me to talk to really, so my uncle let me on his computer and that kept me happy for a while. However, it was an excuse to dress up, so it made it totally worthwhile. Haha.
And that brings us to today. It's the long weekend; I'm basically just hanging around home and getting decent amounts of sleep for the first time in weeks. It's SO NICE to not be wrenched out of lovely dreams in lovely places by an angry screaming alarm clock, but slowly and peacefully drift into consciousness. Sigh. But yeah, I have no plans and I like it that way. Well, no plans other than cleaning my bedroom and bathroom, vacuuming the basement, ironing clothes, and whatever else my mom can find for me to do. However, as I've explained before, I don't really mind.
I have a few other things I can think of to post about, including American idol and the upcoming finale, but this is long enough as it is. Kudos and love to anyone who actually read all that, and I'll post again at least once this weekend.
~Ewiinnn.
One of my favourite late-night Ben quotes:
Ben: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
Me: Sponge-Bob Square-Pants?
Ben: Nooo... EWINNN!!!
Followed by maniacal laughter due to lack of sleep.
First, the quiz meet was everything I expected and more. Just such a giant party. Amy and I drank coffee at 10:30 ish, because we were both tired, and remarkably, it worked. (although I think the effects were more psychological than anything else.) It was so nasty though - everything in me was trying to reject it but i forced it down. Then I spent over an hour catching up with an old friend from junior high who I really haven't sat down and talked to since probably grade 8. One of the biggest things I regret from my junior high years is not getting to know her better, but the past is in the past, I guess.
Then, at 1:30, she went to bed and Amy came over to me, half-asleep, and said "Can we go to bed now?" Of course, I snapped back, "NO!" and we decided we were going to get Coke. It too, worked wonders in keeping us awake for a half-hour, but at 2 we crashed and slept for a few hours.
In terms of quizzing itself, the quiz meet was alright... super for some people, not so super for others, and I was really middle of the road. I'm excited for next year though, a non-gospel with fewer verses should be a blast.
So then the next week was pretty irremarkable... we did Living Light News again, which was fun as always. Youth event was laser tag... luckily, I am better at laser tag than Halo, so I didn't make a total idiot out of myself. Weird thing though - between games, my hand was shaking. Like, crazy shaking, and I couldn't help it. I wasn't the only one either; Kyle was shaking like mad. It was strange - probably just from holding the gun. It was a lot of fun though. For one game, Kyle and I teamed up, but we were the worst teammates in the world.
Me: Nobody's coming past us. I'm bored. *shoots Kyle*
Kyle: Hey! *shoots me*
Haha.
The next morning, we got immunized for Costa Rica - all I needed was Hepatits A, but I was really worried, because normally shots, especially flu shots, totally immobilize my left arm. Really, they hurt like crazy for at least 3 days. Thankfully though, this one really had no effect on me! I was so happy... Kyle, however, was complaining that his right knee hurt, and he blamed it on the shot. He got the shot in his left arm... what a hypochondriac :P
Then we had a barbeque for the missions team, but before that, I had to go with Everett, Kyle, and Kyle's mom to pick up ice cream and ice cream cones. Oh my, what an experience. Never go grocery shopping with Kyle and Everett... it's insane. Everett wants anything with a brand name on it ("Bounty! The quicker-picker-upper!") and Kyle refuses to ask for directions or look at signs to figure out where things are - he works more by trial-and-error. I was almost ripping my hair out by the end of it.
After the barbeque, I went to Amy's house and was introducted to the wonders of the Wii. I never understood the attraction to it before, but now I do. Especially tennis - easily my favourite. As soon as I got there, I took the Wii fitness test and it was revealed that my Wii fitness age was 61. Slightly embarassing. But still, it was great. I even got a cramp in my Wii arm, lol. We also watched Pirates of the Caribbean 2, in preparation for Pirates 3. Ben, Amy and I finished the movie around midnight, so then we did another fitness test (my age dropped to 46! Yay!) and played for a while. We were all tired and somewhat giddy, though, so everything seemed ridiculously funny. Ben started calling me Ewin, and I decided that from now on, I am signing my name as Ewiinnn. That's right. Say that one out loud. :P It was a ton of fun though, and a little weird for moe ebcause I've always seen Ben as Amy's dorky little brother, and now, I'm starting to see him as a fellow youth, and even as a friend. It's pretty cool. He's a nice kid.
So after that... got up in the morning, went home after church... lived through the rest of the week until yesterday when I went to my uncle's wedding. It was... interesting. The ceremony was really small, probably about 15 people there, and then there was a reception-type-thing at their house afterwards, which, aside from the food, was kind of crummy. Nobody there for me to talk to really, so my uncle let me on his computer and that kept me happy for a while. However, it was an excuse to dress up, so it made it totally worthwhile. Haha.
And that brings us to today. It's the long weekend; I'm basically just hanging around home and getting decent amounts of sleep for the first time in weeks. It's SO NICE to not be wrenched out of lovely dreams in lovely places by an angry screaming alarm clock, but slowly and peacefully drift into consciousness. Sigh. But yeah, I have no plans and I like it that way. Well, no plans other than cleaning my bedroom and bathroom, vacuuming the basement, ironing clothes, and whatever else my mom can find for me to do. However, as I've explained before, I don't really mind.
I have a few other things I can think of to post about, including American idol and the upcoming finale, but this is long enough as it is. Kudos and love to anyone who actually read all that, and I'll post again at least once this weekend.
~Ewiinnn.
One of my favourite late-night Ben quotes:
Ben: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
Me: Sponge-Bob Square-Pants?
Ben: Nooo... EWINNN!!!
Followed by maniacal laughter due to lack of sleep.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
WHYYYYYYY?????
IT'S NOT TRUE. it isn't. They're lying to me, they're trying to trip me out, it's all a conspiracy, they're all out to get me. I don't care what excuse I use, all I need to know is that it isn't true. I know it's not. Because if it is, nobody can answer why, and the whys make things real. Without the why, it isn't real.
No.
Maybe I'm in denial, but I like it better here.
Melinda did not go home.
~~~
"The question is, was the donkey a male or a female?"
No.
Maybe I'm in denial, but I like it better here.
Melinda did not go home.
~~~
"The question is, was the donkey a male or a female?"
Friday, May 4, 2007
I'M A GENIUS
I figured it out. Costa Rica! I'll do my powerpoint on Costa Rica! I'll complete a school project while educating myself on the country I'm visiting in the summer. I can't believe it took me this long to think of it. I'm so happy now.
See you all tonight! (I say "you all" because anyone who could possibly read this blog is in quizzing, and the quiz meet is tonight and I am too pumped for words.)
"I'm wearing shorts because I just made my last pair of pants dirty."
See you all tonight! (I say "you all" because anyone who could possibly read this blog is in quizzing, and the quiz meet is tonight and I am too pumped for words.)
"I'm wearing shorts because I just made my last pair of pants dirty."
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Quiz Meet!
I'm so excited... I love quiz meets, especially the finals, and I'm in high school now so I can stay out later on Saturday and wow. I'm so excited. So this week seems to be dragging on forever, but one more day, I can do it!
I'm in computer class right now trying to figure out a topic to do my powerpoint presentation on. I have no idea. It's supposed to be interesting; we have to present it to the class so I don't want to be totally lame. Any suggestions? Please?
Edit: oh dear, forgot a quote! *tears*
"ah, I love Susie."
"Um, I think it was Grace..."
I'm in computer class right now trying to figure out a topic to do my powerpoint presentation on. I have no idea. It's supposed to be interesting; we have to present it to the class so I don't want to be totally lame. Any suggestions? Please?
Edit: oh dear, forgot a quote! *tears*
"ah, I love Susie."
"Um, I think it was Grace..."
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