Friday, December 2, 2011

MCOM 320: A Learning Experience

The semester is coming to a close and so is this assignment. Although, I have many travels left to document, so I suppose I will be checking in from time to time. 
In the beginning Professor Thomas created the paper and the presentation.
And the class was without grammar and void; and confusion was upon the face of the students. And the torment of commas and hyphens moved upon the face of the students.
And Professor Thomas said,  Let there be groups: and there were groups.
And Professor Thomas saw the groups, that they were good: and Professor Thomas divided the groups from the confusion.
Parody aside, what I liked the most and found most effective about MCOM 320 was being assigned to groups. This became extremely helpful when it came to reviewing, and in some cases relearning, grammar. Although the assignments seemed tedious at times, they allowed me to practice writing short, concise paragraphs, which is something I struggle with. The overall organization of the class and the assignments were easy to follow and easily understood.

The only constructive criticism I have to offer, is to go over the grammar section of the course in a more helpful manner. We would read the book, take the practice tests, and come to class to correct them between groups, but not much attention was put into explaining grammar concepts unless we had specific questions. I think it would have been helpful to give a brief overview of most common mistakes or most helpful hints before we split up into groups. A lot of times I felt like no one really knew WHY the answer was correct, we just looked at the book and accepted the answer as correct. I understand, however, that the difficulty in teaching grammar lies in the different strengths/understanding of students; therefore, I believe that the assignments and the instructions of which, were perfectly decent and helpful for me.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tales of Woe

I'm not one to post of my medical concerns, but this one has gone long enough. Oh, and this has nothing to do with shoes, or traveling...just thought you should know.

Here is the story I related to my boss, keep into account I had no intention of using correct grammar:

...And, so story time, yesterday as I laid in repose whilst trying to complete my homework, I began to feel all tingly in my face, although at the time I thought it was my hand, so I removed my hand and then realized it was indeed my face that was "falling asleep." I touched my mouth and it felt puffy so I got up, went to the mirror, and lo and behold my face was swelling up, okay just my mouth, well to be accurate, HALF OF MY MOUTH (the left side), and so I called my Mom and told her I was dying and she told me to go get Benadryl.

So, I went to the pharmacy with my roommate who feared I would go into anaphylactic shock any second. When I got to the pharmacy my roommate recommended Zyrtec instead. We stood there for a minute, and we decided to go ask the pharmacist. So here's the funny part. My roommate asks the pharmacist if he recommended Benadryl or Zyrtec for an allergic reaction, to which he replies, what kind of reaction? I then turn my face, point to my mouth, and exclaim, THIS TYPE. "Oh my" was his response. OH MY INDEED. He recommended Zyrtec, less drowsiness involved, although considering I haven't been able to sleep for the past two nights, the side effect would have been welcome.
only the beginning, sigh

Anyway, I took the recommended dose and thought to myself, I hope this goes down before my class/group meetings. Did it!?!?!?!? OF COURSE NOT! I woke up and it was the same or worse than it had been the night before. So I did what only a person with sense would do and I went to the kitchen, opened the freezer, and grabbed whatever I could find that wasn't frozen poultry, and iced...for an hour. (I know, you were expecting something nonsensical, alas I was not using any form of sarcasm in my statement, odd 'tis true.) It wasn't going down so I caved and went to go see a doctor.

FUNNIER PART. Fast forward to me sitting in the doctor's office, he walks in, I relate to him my woes, starting with the hives I've been getting since the summer (on and off of course) and then I get to my mouth. I relate to him the fact that my lips were massively swollen, and he says WAIT FOR IT, "I was wondering about that, wasn't sure if that was swelling or your actual lips." WHAT THE WHAT!!!!! I laughed politely, secretly wanting to shank him, and told him it had gotten much better after icing it. He then proceeded to tell me it wasn't bad if I intended to kiss anyone. WHICH I DON'T. So that comment was as ridiculous as the first.

And that is about it. Now I am home, I went to one group meeting with only slightly larger than usual lips, and am still feeling tingly, but not as bad as it was yesterday.

THE END

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Heart Full of Thanksgiving

I considered myself a frequent flyer far before I traveled half-way around the world. For the past 3 years (or maybe it's closer to 4) I have been going home for nearly every holiday. Well actually, in the span of 4 school years, I have only been home for Easter once...but that's besides the point. I go home every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My Mom has always been willing to sacrifice her time to provide us children with the most decorated, mot delicious, most delightful holiday experiences. We've celebrated everything, from the traditional Christmas to St. Patrick's Day, which being as we aren't a drinking family or in elementary school anymore...well there really is no reason to be celebrating. And when I say celebrating, I mean, trimmings and all. Here are but a few examples:

Valentine's Day

Christmas Eve

St. Patrick's Day

Corned Beef and Cabbage (style-a-la-mom)? YES PLEASE!

Easter
So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to express a heart full of thanks to my mom, who is the most talented and creative mom EVER, granted I may be expressing just a tad bit of bias, but seriously? Did you see the food? Did you see the decorations?!? No doubt, we've been spoiled.

Now, to the shoe part. As I said before, I've become a frequent flyer through my long and extensive travels from Utah to California, and considering I almost ALWAYS forget my ipod or crosswords, it literally ends up being the longest hour and a half flight EVER. This Thanksgiving I got to see my little nephew and decided it would only be right if I brought him some BYU footwear to sport. He pretty much loves his shoes, I can tell. Good thing too, need to start him out young. Whether he loves sports, BYU, or has good fashion sense...well, I'd be satisfied. If only the BYU Bookstore had a catalog...that I'm aware of...

My favorite nephew =)

Sunday, November 13, 2011

G'day Mate

The moment you have all been waiting for, of this I am sure. It's not as if I talk about the awesomeness of the South Pacific everyday...actually, I really don't.

Cairns, Australia
You know when you're sitting in sacrament meeting and it just so happens you forgot it's testimony Sunday, until of course you are jolted into reality as your roommate goes up to the podium and you think to yourself, "what! she never told me she was giving a talk!" and subsequently you hear your stomach growl, but a different growl, this growl is more than the typical I-woke-up-late-and-have-15-minutes-to-shower-and-get-ready type of growl, this growl, along with its persistence to resonate LOUDLY throughout the whole room, is a reminder of the many hours of hunger you have ahead of you, thus making it all the more painful. Not to say that fasting is bad, or that I disagree with the practice, but I would be lying if the reality of feeling hunger pains, and knowing that I will continue to feel hunger pains, brought any sort of satisfaction.

Alice Springs, Australia
Anyway, as I was saying, when it's fast and testimony meeting and you sit there listening, or hearing, people speak, there is always one person who reminisces endlessly about their mission and you pray that maybe that person will one day find themselves in a situation that will allow them to relate a story that is slightly more tolerable than hearing about their companions and the spirit for the nth time. But again, I do not believe missions are bad or not worth talking about. My point is this: I know EXACTLY what is going through the minds of those mission-loving testimony bearers. All you want to do is relate an experience that consumed your life and that was indeed life-altering. And so to all those return missionaries I rolled my eyes at pre-South Pacific trip, accept my sincerest apologies. I would recommend, however, to come to an understanding of the significance it had in your life vs. the significance it holds to those who have not served missions or anything like them. Keep your audience in mind, is all I'm saying. And so, with that being said, I TRY to at least leave the South Pacific in my thoughts and only let such thoughts spill when appropriate.

Fiji
Tonight, however, my friend asked me to help him give a presentation on our experiences on our study abroad. Did I mention it was a study abroad? Well it was. And we went to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. All amazing, all my favorite in their own respect. Now that the presentation is done and over with, the desire to be back on the study abroad is...beyond explanation. I loved it. It simply, changed my life. Cliché I know, but saying that it hasn't changed my life would be a straight-up lie. I really hope that one of the last memories to fade as I grow old and senile, are those of the time I spent on this study abroad.

More to come. Promise.

GINORMOUS Australian Spider

Alice Springs, Australia

New Zealand

Fiji

Fiji - Brad and The Guides

Kadavu, Fiji

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Sportos aka Duck Boots

At Disneyland, wearing my Sporto's proud.
I LOVE DUCK BOOTS!!!!!!!!! I could just end there, but I guess I should add some background story to this bold, yet very true, statement. In short, I am from California, California has snow, snow requires appropriate footwear, and so as a young child we had a pair of duck boots that was passed down from kid to kid as we all went through the ceremonial, "6th Grade Science Camp."

Since I've kind of, sort of grown (including my feet) I had to get a new pair, but wasn't necessarily a huge fan of the hand-me-down duck boots UNTIL, well, I went through a Gilmore Girl phase in high school. Longer story short, Rory wore duck boots in most of the high school episodes and so OBVIOUSLY I had to get some for myself, and I did.

And now I LOVE THEM! So practical, and so cool, even though people (specifically Michael) make fun of me for wearing them, I still think they are the awesomest. One day Sporto's will be popular, if they aren't already,  and people (aka Michael) will have to eat their (his) words.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

ROLL tide

Being as it is that I love the South and I also LOVE sports, I have dedicated this post to none other than... the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE! Why not another Southern (is this capitalized?...MCOM I have failed you...) state? Well, okay I confess, I've only been to Florida (which is only partially considered the South) and Alabama. Reasons for why I visited are irrelevant; the point is, I went and I fell in love with, what I understand to be, the South.

Okay, so growing up in the lovely and calm town of Irvine, we had but a few options for fast-food (when I moved to this glorious suburban "city," there were cows in my backyard, COWS... and by backyard I mean the golf course a mile away... it's complicated). Anyway, where was I, oh yes, limited options, fast food, etc. My dad would always get us Carl's Jr. when my mom was sick, after all, it was just around the corner, sorry MickyD's fans, no happy meal for you. So how is this relevant to the South? I'll tell you. Carl's Jr. doesn't exist in the Southern states, but Hardee's does! I don't think I actually ate at Hardee's while I was there... but I'm sure I took a picture of it.

As homage to all that is the South, I must pay my respects to Blue Bell ice cream, which in my personal opinion, is some of the best ice cream in the world, and I'm allowed to say that, I've been to New Zealand (NZed is renowned, except for maybe in the U.S.,  for its amazing dairy products).

I would add pictures from my travels, but my computer decided that it didn't need a logic board anymore. Unbeknownst to me of course, because I could, in fact, use a functioning computer my last year at school. Sigh.

Well that is all from me today, if I decide that I am not actually too lazy to look through my external hard-drive, I will post some pictures of my trip to the southeast corner of the U.S. So far, I've covered three corners of the North American continent... awesome! Now to plan my travels to ALASKA!!!!!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Au Revoir Les Enfants

LE GASP! SHOES! AT VERSAILLES! dream. come. true.
I have given up trying to arrange my travels in chronological order and thus will fast forward through Florida and Alabama to recount my travels across the Atlantic Ocean, granted I was asleep for most of it, but that aside, I spent the most wonderful 2 1/2 days of my life in one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen.

Flectuat nec mergitur
No, the above title isn't in French, it's in Latin if you must know. It suits Paris quite well if you think about it. Paris hasn't changed at any drastic rate since the mid-1800's, architecturally that is; that is one of the main reasons I love it. History, not to mention beauty, seeps through the city like... insert clever metaphor here. Now, to relate our (my mother and sister accompanied me in my travels, and you will understand why it was me they accompanied and not I who accompanied them as soon as I retell our first expedition in this majestic city) itinerary:

Day...1/2: Unlocking the key to my heart! (my Anastasia phase)
My sister and I arrived in Paris sometime in the morning, did I mention it was a 14-hour flight, because needless to say we were exhausted. After deplaning we took a bus to our hotel where our mom and grandmother would be waiting for us (they had been in Amsterdam for a couple of days), except they weren't. Long story short there was a mix up in the email my mom had sent me; I had read she would be waiting for us, but in reality she had said we would have to wait for them since they were on the train back from Amsterdam, and so that led to a emergency phone call to my father, who was fast asleep in California. Anyway, they finally met up with us sometime in the late afternoon. Raquel hit the pillow and that was that. I figured, since it was still the afternoon, that I had to get out and see what I had come to see gosh-darn-it! And so, with my mom, I went to Napoleon's tomb ( I mean what else would I go to Paris to see? Exactly). After exploring all of THAT we made our way back to the hotel and bought some delicious crepes and some sort of cranberry juice that didn't quite taste like cranberry, but BETTER.

Day 2: Call me Liz, your tour guide for today.
Our first full-day in Paris was unforgettable to say the least. It started EXTREMELY early, call it jet-lag, and my sister and I went straight downstairs to update our Facebook statuses, a MUST in today's world. We proceeded to plan the whole day out and this how it played out:
  • First stop, the cemetery. Don't remember the name, although I could easily look it up. Anyway, so this is the part where I said my family traveled with me and not the other way around. Apparently I had been to Paris before and new my way around, because I took my family on a very scenic stroll to our first destination. I am sure they would be lesser for it today if they hadn't experienced what I so evidently had planned out for them to experience.
  • Followed by the Luxemburg Gardens. Absolutely amazing, I wish I could just sit there all-day long without a care in the world and read a novel or two.
  • Made our way to some sort of church/cathedral that was under construction. Some pretty awesome artwork was on display though, and of course I could try to remember who it had been, but I'm sure it is irrelevant.
  • Walked back to the hotel and picked up some baguettes to eat for lunch.
  • It doesn't end there. Like I said, it was barely lunch time, we had our whole day ahead.
  • VERSAILLES!!! Only my most favoritist (I know that's not a word) place on Earth! I kid you not, we walked at least 50 miles that day, or should I say kilometers?!?!? Haha... NOT! that would make it shorter, and it was NOT a short distance to walk around Versailles let me tell you. My feet were swollen and hurt like a mother by the time we got back to the hotel.
This is what my feet looked like on Day 2--cheap shoes
are not the way to go when walking half the
circumference of the Earth in two days--at the Louvre.
Day 3: To hunchback or to not hunchback...
This day consisted of the following sites:
  • Eiffel Tower
  • Arc de Triomphe
  • Cathedral of Notre Dame (a nice ferry ride and slushies included, oh and the soundtrack to Hunchback of Notre Dame playing in our ears)
  • The Louvre
  • ... and probably something else, but I have forgotten, oh yeah the hotel
Day non-existent: Parting is such sweet sorrow...
Traveled back to Mexico, or was it Los Angeles? I do not recall.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Viva Mexico!

Templo Mayor, Mexico City
I'm not quite in the mood to retell the stories of my many travels to Mexico. My first trip there, that I could actually archive in my brain, was when I was 10 years old. My grandfather had passed away a couple years earlier, and since then we have visited my grandparents at least once every two years. I have always enjoyed the time I have spent with my extended family, and have always made it a point to go into the city. I love walking the streets, visiting museums, and eating all sorts of yummies. I am proud to say that I have never gotten sick to my stomach on or after my trip to this ginormous city. Quite an accomplishment in my opinion. But I guess that may have something to do with eating at my grandmas' and/or restaurants... anyway, point is, there is much to do in this big city, and eating is definitely a plus. Although I've only been to a couple places in Mexico, such as, Acapulco and Pachuca, there is so much to do, and not to mention, a lot of cool stuff to buy! I LOVE IT! I can't wait to explore more of it.

Fun Facts
  1. The official name of Mexico is Estados Únidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States).
  2. A Mexican tamale called the zacahuil is three feet long and weighs about 150 pounds.
  3. Mexico introduced chocolate, corn, and chilies to the world.
  4. Mexico is home to a very rare rabbit called the volcano rabbit which lives near Mexican volcanoes.
  5. The largest wildcat in North America is the jaguar, which can be found in Mexico's southern jungles.
  6. The first printing press in North America was used in Mexico City in 1539.
  7. The National University of Mexico was founded in 1551 by Charles V of Spain and is the oldest university in North America.
  8. Millions of monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico every year from the U.S. and Canada, though logging operations are rapidly destroying their habitat.

  9. red poinsettia



  10. The border between Mexico and the United States is the second largest border in the world (only the U.S.-Canadian border is longer).
  11. Mexico is second only to Brazil in the number of Catholic citizens.
  12. The red poinsettia (which the Aztecs called cuetlaxochitl) originated in Mexico and is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States ambassador to Mexico (in the 1820s).
  13. Mexican children do not receive presents on Christmas Day. They receive gifts on January 6, the day on which Mexicans celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men.
  14. Mexico is located in the “Ring of Fire,” one of the earth’s most violent earthquake and volcano zones.
  15. Mexico City is built over the ruins of a great Aztec city, Tenochtitlán. Because it is built on a lake, Mexico is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year as pumps draw water out for the city’s growing population.
  16. Mexico’s flag is made up three vertical stripes. The left green stripe stand for hope, the middle white stripe represents purity, and the right red stripe represents the blood of the Mexican people. The picture of an eagle eating a snake is based on an Aztec legend (see fact #25).f





  17. The Chihuahua is the world’s smallest dog and is named for a Mexican state.
  18. Mexico’s size is 756,066 square miles, which is almost three times larger than Texas.
  19. Only ten countries in the world have a larger population than Mexico’s 109,955,400 million people.
  20. Mexico City has the highest elevation and is oldest city in North America. It is also one of the largest cities in the world.
  21. Mexico is the 14th largest country in the world by total area.
  22. Modern Mexicans are a unique blend of many ancient civilizations, including the Olmec, Zapotec, Toltec, Maya, Aztec, Inca, African, French, and Spanish.
  23. The first great civilization in Mexico were the Olmecs (1400-300 B.C.) who established many cities along the eastern coast of Mexico, sculpted the famous Colossal Heads, and worshipped a mysterious, unnamed god that was part human and part jaguar.
  24. The Zapotec civilization (600 B.C.-A.D. 800) established great cities along southern Mexico and developed the first writing system in the Americas.
  25. One unusual Mayan weapon was a “hornet bomb,” which was an actual hornet’s nest thrown at enemies during battle.

  26. Mexican flag



  27. In the fourteenth century, a group of Chichmecas (warrior nomads) called the Aztecs (or Mexicas) settled in Mexico when they saw an eagle (representing the sun) standing on a cactus (a symbol of the heart) clutching a snake (a symbol of the earth or Quetzalcoatl)—an image which is now depicted on the Mexican flag.
  28. Snakes appear repeatedly in Mexican mythology, from the serpent god Kukulcan which can be found the side of the Chichen Itza pyramid to the feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl.
  29. The Aztecs adopted human sacrifice from earlier cultures (such as the Olmecs) because they believed the universe would come to an end and the sun would cease to move without human blood. There are many ancient statues of gods sticking out their tongues, such as Huitzilopochtli, which may be a sacred gesture that suggests their thirst for blood.
  30. During an Aztec human sacrifice, five priests, sometimes with their faces painted with different colors, held the sacrificial victims’ arms and legs. The heart, referred to as “precious eagle cactus fruit,” was cut from the live victim and burned on a fire in the temple.
  31. Shells and stones on the Aztecs' ritual blades symbolized the faces of the gods for which the sacrificial hearts were intended. They would sacrifice between 10,000 to 50,000 victims per year. Under the rule of Montezuma II, 12,000 victims were sacrificed in one day.
  32. The Aztecs played ritual ball game known as tlachtli in which the losers were often sacrificed to the gods.
  33. When Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortés arrived in 1519, the Aztecs believed he was their returning god, Quetzalcoatl, and offered him the drink of the gods: hot chocolate.f
  34. The descendants of the Aztecs speak a form of the Aztec language called Nahuatl. Many of its words, particularly for types of food, passed into English...such as tomatoes (tomatl), chocolate (chocolatl), and avocados (ahuacatl).
  35. Hernán Cortés had a native mistress and able translator Marina (La Malinche). She gave birth to his first son, who is considered the first mestizo (Indian-Spanish).
  36. Hernan Cortés had a native mistress and able translator Marina (La Malinche). She gave birth to his first son, who is considered the first mestizo (Indian-Spanish).
  37. About 60% of the modern Mexican population is mestizo (Indian-Spanish), 30% is Indian or predominately Indian, 9% is Caucasian, and 1% is other.
  38. Creoles are descendants of the Spanish people who first arrived in Mexico. Now they are the name of Mexico's small population: Caucasian Europeans, Americans, and Canadians.
  39. Mexico remained under Spanish control for nearly 300 years until the Mexican people, led by a priest named Father Hidalgo, rose up against the Spanish on September 16, 1810. Hidalgo is widely considered the father of modern Mexico, and Mexican Independence is celebrated on September 15-16.

  40. bullfighting



  41. Spanish conquerors brought bullfighting to Mexico, which is now the national sport of Mexico. Bullfighting takes place from November to April, and the Plaza Mexico is the largest bullring in the world.f
  42. While bullfighting is Mexico's national sport, fútbol (soccer in the U.S.) is currently more popular.
  43. Even though over 50 native tongues are still spoken in rural locations, Spanish is the national language of Mexico. In fact, Mexico is the most populated Spanish-speaking country in the world.
  44. Texas was a Mexican province which declared its independence from Mexico in 1836, resulting in war with the United States (1836-1838).
  45. In 1910, under the guidance of Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa, Mexican peasants revolted against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz to gain equality and land. The civil war lasted 10 years and took the lives over 1 million people.
  46. Before 1958, women could not vote in presidential elections. Women, however, did play an important role in the 1910 revolution, serving as spies, arms smugglers, and soldaderas or soldiers.
  47. In 1994, a group of Mexican peasants and farmers called the Zapatistas (named after Emiliano Zapata) started another revolt to highlight the differences between the rich and poor.
  48. The North Atlantic Free Trade Association (NAFTA) was created in 1994 to encourage trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. But NAFTA has largely failed to lift Mexico out of poverty due to Mexico's repeated economic crises, a weak public education system, government corruption, and Mexico's inability to enforce the rule of law.
  49. Actor Anthony Quinn was the first Mexican to win an Academy Award for his role in the 1952 movies Viva Zapata.
  50. The Chichen Itza Pyramid in Mexico was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Ode to Jordan.

The 1984/85 NBA season marked a pivotal turn of events in basketball history. “Upper-echelon talent was in abundance in this draft, including . . . Michael Jordan.”* Jordan had just come off a tremendous season, earning the title of College Player of the Year and leading the USA to a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics.  His marketability was higher than ever before. 
 
Black With a Red Swoosh
When Jordan and Nike agreed to debut the new line of "Air Jordan" basketball shoes, the original design did not meet NBA guidelines for uniformity of jerseys. Jordan's infamous shoes, black with a red swoosh, somehow didn't match the Bulls' jerseys to NBA satisfaction. Three games into the season, the NBA banned the shoe and fined Jordan $5,000 for every game he wore the shoe. The ban caused a great stir and generated Nike and Jordan unimaginable amounts of publicity. Now, easily the most recognized basketball shoe ever designed, the Air Jordan campaign is a primary example of successful sports marketing.
Worth Their Weight in Gold
Nowadays, top athletes are multimillion-dollar brands, coveted not only by teams, but also by agencies, companies, and committees, because of the major influence they have on consumers. Companies are willing to spend incredible sums of money on athlete endorsements. Tiger Woods, once seen as marketing gold, made more money through endorsement than any other athlete. In 2009, Forbes confirmed that Tiger Woods earned over $1 billion in his career through marketing alone.
Brand Loyalty
Several companies use sports marketing to associate attributes— such as success, performance, and passion—with their brands.  From minor league baseball to the World Cup, marketers spend millions trying to obtain brand loyalty and success. As is evident by Nike’s Air Jordan campaign, a well-known athlete can add substantial value to a product. Without Jordan as a sponsor, Nike would not only have lost a product but also brand loyalty. Top performing athletes, like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, have become an integral part of marketing strategy and a wise investment for sports marketers worldwide.
  
* Weixlmann, B. (2008, May 30). Air Jordan: The Best Sports Marketing Campaign Ever. Bleacher Report. 

Monday, October 3, 2011

...where were we?

Baseball digression aside, it is now time to highlight the first trip I took without my parents. Coincidentally this trip was one of my first traveling experiences outside of California.

Who: mature, poised, and ever-so cultured...8th grade students
What: learning?
When: Spring break, 2004
Where: Nation's capital (Washington D.C.) and surrounding area (Williamsburg...oh and Jamestown)

As part of the cultured group of students that attending this pseudo study abroad program--or maybe it truly was a study abroad, details are fuzzy--I had the opportunity to well...how about I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. To be honest most memories from this trip have culminated in a sort of haze that is filed in the back of my mind, only to be opened upon reunion of the members of this trip. The two memories, however, that I most vividly recall are the following:
  1. Writing Mia's 7-digits on a piece of notebook paper and plastering it against the mega-bus window as we drove away from some sort of student convention (Why 13-/14-year-old girls/boys found it necessary to distribute any form of digit-ness is beyond me, but I did it regardless).
  2. Desperately locating, in Williamsburg, some form of warm beverage to relax my shivering, near frost-bitten fingers and upon purchasing said promising cup of hot cocoa, placing it on my lips only to discover that literacy is indeed necessary for survival. "Caution: Hot" gained a whole new meaning.
All other memories, like previously mentioned, are basically non-existent. But never fear, I documented the travel fairly well thanks to my trigger-happy index finger. Observe.

An homage to shoes at a very young age. Who do these slick leather boots belong to? Five bucks goes to whoever knows the answer.
at the John Wilkes Booth exhibit...or was it Abraham Lincoln's? Regardless, here's a boot.
Posted against my better judgement, this is the only picture where my super awesome Chucks can be distinguished in any way. I loved these Converse SO MUCH that I owned about five pairs of the same shoe in different colors. Yeah, I still wear them, and yes, I still love them. Oh, and...so I was a chubby kid, sue me!
A much better representation of my 8th grade shoe of choice =)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

A Nod to the Great American Pastime

If I were to rank my materialistic loves, baseball would definitely remain in the top 5, no matter how senile I may grow to be. I will not claim to know everything about everything when it comes to baseball, but I get by, thanks to the trusty baseball encyclopedia I got from my Mom (begging may or may not have been the reason behind that purchase).


I confess I am a Yankees fan.


Don't judge me too harshly, especially you Red Sox fans currently outside my door with an axe. I will explain. There is an idyllic, almost dreamlike, notion to being part of the Yankees' legacy, whether that means being a player or a fan. The Yankees may be classified as a "bandwagon" type of team, but no other team has had players such as, putting Babe Ruth aside, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Lou Gehrig, just to name a few. But of course you say, the Yanks have always been able to afford the best. And to this I have but one reply, I'm sorry that people, specifically athletes, can be bought. But that doesn't take away the allure of being part of Yankee history. If I'm wrong for rooting for such an overrated and overpaid team, then I can only apologize for loving a team that has had some of the most amazing and talented baseball players in history. If that makes be a "bandwagoner", then so be it. At least I see value in the sport and in its players. 


Baseball antics aside, my friend posted the above photo on my Facebook wall, and I decided, it isn't every day that two of my most favorite things are combined into one magnificent product. I can't afford these shoes, but it won't stop me from giving Keds some publicity. 


The travel aspect of this post? Well, I've been to countless baseball games, ranging from National League to American League, but I've only been to two stadiums. My new five-year plan has therefore been edited to include at least one visit to another MLB stadium. Which one? Yankee Stadium would be ideal, but Fenway wouldn't be settling for less, especially if the Red Sox fans decide to hold their punches. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Before I Forget...

Because I struggle at keeping a journal and because I am currently consumed in the experience I just had, I've decided to write an emergency post, because let's be honest, I won't be cracking my journal open any time soon and writing on a keyboard is much more efficient.

This past week I have been involved in the filming of the LDS New Testament Films and there have been but two results: sleep deprivation and stress. Of course when I put it that way then you may find yourself swayed in the wrong direction, for I thoroughly enjoyed both shoots. The first shoot I was in was "Peter's Denial of Christ" in which I was a stand-in. Yeah...I didn't know what stand-ins were until that bitter cold night where I literally stood in the place where the soon-to-be-famous people had been standing previously. So what use is that to a director? I will tell you. It helps them position the camera, lighting, and any other pesky nuances without the actors present. It was cool being part of the crew, although, I didn't know I was part of the crew until today, when I was an extra.

The term extra, I have discovered, is rarely used. They, all the film folk that is, prefer to call us: background. If I didn't have issues feeling like I didn't stand out before, I most certainly do now. As soon as the title of "background" got plastered on me with a wet sponge soaked in dirt I was no longer part of the crew. Sob story, I know. Anyway, I know what you are thinking. But what about the shoes? And the travel?

So here goes...

Place: Middle-of-Nowhere-Goshen, UT
Time: varied (6pm-4am as a worthy part of "THE CREW" and 7am-6pm as "BACKGROUND")
Wardrobe (most importantly, shoes): only the most authentic of Hebrew-/Roman-esque sandals 

Now here are the things I have made a point not to forget:
(1) It's beyond freezing in Goshen in the middle of the night.
(2) Guys with dark hair and light eyes are very attractive (curse the fact that they know this and act like you-know-whats).
(3) Once you become "one of them" there's no going back.
(4) A full meal is good at any time of day.
(5) I'm not as brown as I thought.
(6) Standing for four hours at a time is hard.

I'm sure I've forgotten to add to the list but...this will have to do for now.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

Although I am trying to disregard any trip I may have taken with my family prior to the age of 12, I have found it within reason to, at the very least, represent the places that I have deemed worthy of tradition. The first being, Disneyland.

No one can put it better than Walt himself, "To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." Okay, so perhaps it could be put into better...more modern...terms, but Walt's got a point. Age most definitely relives fond memories in this land of wonder. I remember going to this mystical place whenever family came into town to visit, they had to, after all, experience the magic. And so, as a young child, I relished the idea of the cousins coming up for a visit every couple of years. But then came the advent of the annual pass, and as most kids my age living in the southern California area, well a pass was a must-have, a gift worthy of any Christmas list. And so I made it a point to have a pass, but not only hold it in my wallet to flash it to anyone who may doubt that I was truly a California Girl, but also to use it; to hear that "ding" at the turn stall every time I entered the park. And so, Disneyland became my second home. I can tell you the location of any restroom, any souvenir stall, and most importantly the pineapple float place located in the one and only, Adventureland.

The second place worthy of mention is, of course, San Francisco. A true tribute to the California girl within me. I will speak of the "City by the Bay" in a later post, since one of the most momentous occasions in my life occurred on a trip to that city. Although I have only mentioned two places, I would not want anyone to think that my family was deprived of vacations or travels prior to me having turned 12 years of age, but these are the places I have, as previously mentioned, deemed worthy of family tradition.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Places to Go, People to Meet

According to Wikipedia, a shoe is intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Thus, it seems reasonable to me to use "shoes" as a symbol of my travels and in some way pay homage to an article of clothing which, besides serving a practical purpose, can also be used as a decorative piece.

As far as traveling goes, well, I love it. I have been to places I had never even dreamed of ever stepping foot in or even knew existed for that matter, but there is yet much to see. I have stayed in spare rooms, spare houses (explanation to come), hotels, holiday parks, hostels, villages, and uninhabited islands. I've worn everything from the most unflattering North Face zip-off pants, accompanied with a comfortable pair of Sperry water shoes, to well, the most suitable and hippest concert attire... which turned out to be one of my less bright ideas, but that's a story for another time.

Brief explanation aside,  I believe it is now important to begin documenting my travels, or rather begin a catch-up process, because fact is a lot of my traveling experiences have already happened. So where have I been so far and where do I plan to go? Stay tuned to find out...