La Petite Pamplemousse

Thin Line

2015-07-15T23:09:00.000-04:00

My life turned upside down on October 24th. I haven't written much since then, even though I've been asked to, even though I've wanted to, even though my soul has been longing to.

The nightmarish fog of my family losing three young, beautiful souls over the course of six days hasn't lifted. I've been told it won't for a very long time.

I think of them all the time. When the sun comes up; when a breeze lifts a strand of hair out of my face; when a young child does something extremely silly and ridiculous; most especially when I surround myself with music and those who I love.

One particular song that I've played over and over again this summer is "Thin Line" by My Morning Jacket. It came out right as I decided to head into the online dating world again. I don't know why I signed up again. I was no where ready for that or looking to bring anyone into my grief. I simply wanted to meet people, hear others' stories and ignore tragedy like an old teddy bear left at home by a college student. I played this song, over, and over, and over again, reminding myself about my own reality, of not being able to reciprocate love, of wasting other people's time.

But I fell for someone. Carefully. Slowly.

I often reminded myself of last year, when falling in love nonsensically led to non-commitment on the other person's part. Reason whispered into my ear that nothing would last. That loss would come.

I prayed for guidance. I asked my brother for signs. I asked my Mom-Mom if she thought this guy was a good catch.

The signs came, but maybe I confused what they all meant. Maybe the signs told me "Yes, go for it!" simply so I could start to love again during such an intense, heartbreaking time.

I began to shake fear's grip. I let go of comparing previous experiences' outcomes to the present's future. I began to let my heart beat to its own drum.

I'm not looking for pity, empathy, or condolences. I'm writing this to spread the love, to get people to speak up when their hearts tell them to. To commit their entire soul to what the heart wants, not what society deems smart, or reasonable, or the right or wrong choice at this or that age. To love oneself, truly and deeply.

Go for something because you're terrified of the outcome. That's the only way we learn.

He left for a long vacation far away. I don't know if I'll see him again when he gets back. I don't know if he'll win his battle against his own fears.

But what I do know is that each risk is worth taking, each leap of faith worth the terror. I wrote the following before he boarded his plane.

Maybe this was exactly what I needed to follow my brother's advice. "Live, live, live. Love, love, love."

-------------

What I see is two people in love but afraid of where it will take them... too focused on fear.

Fear is a sneaky bastard. he creeps up on you when you feel the highest, changing colors like a chameleon to get under your skin, making you doubt yourself and preventing you from acting on what you truly want.

But failure isn't known to a character as they make their way through a storyline.

And a character's storyline doesn't have a guaranteed number of pages or even lines for that matter.
If you never try something, you'll never know if it's worth doing.

The only things we can keep present from the past are the lessons that will continue to guide us through life. Failures are to be acknowledged and tucked away, to be referenced but not dwelled upon. Successes have been built upon and are most often a direct result of a failure or mistake.

And looking back, I wouldn't have changed any of my life's history, even those points that led to failure or heartache or a ridiculous deportation situation, because they made me into who I am today, and I couldn't be happier with how I've handled them and who I've become as a result of those terrifying, gut wrenching, mind blowing at the time moments. If I've learned anything in 27 years, it's that fear and regret are your worst enemies when it comes to decisions and living life.

Sing Along Sunday: So Long Summer, Salut September

2014-09-14T12:12:00.001-04:00

Hola mes amigos! It's been quite some time since I posted on here. I did like the French do and took a good month long break from blogging and signing into the social media giant, Facebook. Instead, I relished the summer days, took out a ton of books from the library, performed for the fifth time with my belly dance studio, Sahara Dance, drove four hours each way to the beach every weekend, and thanked the ocean for her ability to remind me that I am one little baby star in this big, confusing, ever-expanding Universe.

Not signing into Facebook was refreshing; the time way helped me reassess how I was spending my time previously. I expected the site to have a completely new look when I logged back in on September 1st, but nothing seemed all that different. Sure, I had a ton of notifications, tags, messages, and the like, but I can honestly say I didn't feel lost without it. Logging in once, or multiple times a day/week, changes nothing about my life perspective, confidence, or friendships. The people who wanted to stay in touch with me during my break did. I had a lot of support behind my decision to go off the radar and appreciate those who were so willing to cooperate with my missing digital self.

Ultimately what made my summer especially memorable was the amount of live music I experienced. I spent a lot of my evenings and weekends soaking up talent, old and new, with friends, family, and my good old self. As a result, this playlist explores artists who I was fortunate to see, who I will be seeing within the next few months, or who have recent released albums/have upcoming albums out this fall.

Jamie Cullum

Banks

C.J. Chenier and band warming up

XPoNential Festival 2014

Philly skyline from XPoNential Festival

Spoon

As a friendly reminder, in order to listen along with the song descriptions below, be sure to click on this link. You can also follow me on Spotify by clicking here. You will need a Spotify account in order to access the majority of the songs listed in the So Long Summer, Salut September playlist.

Amusez-vous!

"Feels Like Fire" by Ryan Adams: Ryan was the Saturday night headliner for the XPoNential Festival this summer. His CDs soothed my soul while driving to and from the beach during my teenage years. The venue was a bit too large for his style of music in my humble opinion, but he rocked on stage nonetheless.
"Mess Is Mine" by Vance Joy: You may remember this Australian artist from my April playlist. His full length album finally came out, and it is brilliant. I hope to see him in October when he comes to town.
"Rabid Animal" by Lake Street Dive: Holy cow, this band is amazing. From the moment they stepped onto the stage at the XPoNential Festival, I could not stop grooving along to their music. That voice, the bassist's dance moves, the drummer's shout out to being home in Philly: their performance was, hands down, one of the top three during that three-day festival.
"Habits (Stay High)" by Tove Lo: I first heard the Hippie Sabotage remix version of this song way back in the winter. While the song isn't new, I couldn't stop hitting repeat on the original version this summer. The lyrics are raw, depressing even, but so truthful.
"Lost On The Way Home" by Chromeo, featuring Solange: While everyone was speculating about what went down in the elevator this summer, I was grooving to Solange. Little sister Knowles has got talent.
"Tough Love" by Jessie Ware: Jessie played at the nearby Fillmore last Halloween and I still regret not buying tickets to that show. While I'm currently obsessing over "Say You Love Me," I also love the lyrics and '80s vibe of this single off of her upcoming album.
"Lyin King" by Jhene Aiko: I've highlighted this West Coast R&B singer before in a previous playlist, but I can't get enough of her, plain and simple. Her lyrics are so well written and, more often than not, discuss her troubles finding a respectful man worth her time and heart. "Lyin King" is one of my favorite tracks off of her full-length album, which was just released last week.
"Next Time (Won't Give My Heart Away" by Keyshia Cole: I'm so happy Keyshia is back on the R&B scene. Her latest album will be out this fall. While she's already previewed three singles off of the new album, this one reminds me the most of her past work.
"Forever Don't Last" by Jazmine Sullivan: This song isn't on Spotify yet, but you can listen here on SoundCloud. If the first ten seconds don't have you catching your breath, I'm not sure what you think real music is these days.
"Made to Love" by John Legend: I've always loved John Legend's music, but I wish the radio would stop overplaying, "All of Me." This song deserves so much more play time. Plus, there's a magnificent crescendo: swoon.
"Rompe La Cintura" by Alexis & Fido: Okay, okay, this song is nowhere near new, but I've heard it so many times while out dancing earlier this summer that I had to add it to the list.
"Bailando" by Enrique Iglesias & Descemer Bueno: While this has certainly been overplayed on the local Spanish radio station, I find it super catchy. Plus, they sing slow enough that I can pretend I know what I'm saying in Spanish when I sing along.
"Omr Gedid" by Elissa: While I'm not a fan of the design of her latest CD, I am super excited about her new music. This is one of the better upbeat songs, although I also love the lyrics and sound of "Ana Nefssi."
"ave cesaria" by Stromae: I see him in less than a week and I could not be more excited. Every song off of his latest CD is parfaite.
"Forgive & Forget" by The Kooks: The switch thirty seconds into this song reminds me of Franz Ferdinand's original sound. I'm excited to hear the rest of their new album this fall. This song gets me on my feet and clapping in no time. Care to join me?
"Turn It Around" by Lucius: Unfortunately, I missed their time on stage at the XPoNential Festival, but my brother and sister had nothing but praise for this band.
"Look Out Mama" by "Hurray For The Riff Raff: I did, however, get to the stage just in time to see this New Orleans-based band do their thing. What a wonderful way to start my day of live music! I couldn't keep my eyes off of the fiddle.
"Au Contraire, Mon Frere" by C.J. Chenier: These guys know how to put on a show. (They started playing a full song during sound check when another artist was still on the other stage). While they didn't play this tune live, their washboard player did perform all sorts of splits and acrobatic movements while strumming along. I'm pretty sure I embarrassed my little brother with my dance moves...but zydeco music is meant for dancing.
"Head On [Hold On To Your Heart]" by Man Man: These guys are crazy! With fur coats on in the July heat, they had their hometown audience grooving to their ways. I love the lyrics to this song, although their more bizarre music truly portrays the essence of their group, Man Man.
"1998" by Chet Faker: The lyrics to this song are so applicable to today's dating world. If you have a chance to see this Aussie live, do it.
"Stolen Dance" by Milky Chance: First, it was the beat; next, it was the voice that caught my attention; but then, oh, but then, you listen closely to the lyrics and your mind is blown away.
"Time Machine" by Ingrid Michaelson: I haven't really been listening to Ingrid since late high school, but she was one of the better live performers at XPoNential Festival. She had the whole audience laughing with her stories and did a wonderful cover of Magic's "Rude."
"Little Numbers" by BOY: I think this was one of the most played songs in my car this summer.
"When I Get Famous" by Jamie Cullum: I'm still in shock that I was not only able to finally see this genius live, but that I was mere feet away from him. I cannot stress enough how amazing his live show was.
"Prendre Le Jour" by Melanie Pain: I've got to include another French song in here somewhere. This particular song was played a ton during summer thunderstorms and midday daydreams. I find it absolutely breathtaking and hope she comes around here one day.
"Under The Table" by Banks: While most people are just starting to recognize this talented gal, I've got to brag and tell you that I had the pleasure of seeing her live earlier this year before she started making appearances on national television. She seemed super nervous when she first came out onto the stage, but the nerves quickly disappeared when the whole audience starting singing along with her. While Banks is making a name for herself with her more electronic-based music, this song allows her voice to truly shine on its own.
"I Forget Where We Were" by Ben Howard: This man has gotten me through so many challenges over the past four or so years. I cannot contain my excitement to hear his new full-length album this fall. I hope he adds more US dates so I can see him live again. While I search for more praise to write, someone with this much musical talent doesn't really need any sort of description or explanation. Just listen.
"Outlier" by Spoon: Hallelujah, hallelujah, after thirteen years of being a Spoon fan, I finally got to see them live two weeks ago. They were, of course, marvelous. Two encores, over two hours of music, and beautiful on-stage lighting made this an amazing live show. This is my favorite song off of their most recent album.
"So Long, See You Tomorrow" by Bicycle Bombay Club: I'm in love with this song, this band, and their creative music videos.

There you have it, dear readers! Have any musical suggestions for me? Send me a message or comment below. Enjoy your week!

Bisous,

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Just Be in July

2014-07-20T10:34:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday, readers!

Can you believe that tomorrow marks a full month into summer? July has brought many beautiful summer thunderstorms, resulting in a healthy patio garden for me! The grape tomatoes have been delicious so far. I love my little personal oasis right in the middle of the city. There's nothing more satisfying than watching the sunset surrounded by flowers, vegetables, and herbs you nurtured since late May.

Being able to sit back and physically look at what you've accomplished is a great way to calm down, especially after getting bad news. After waiting two years for a decision, I've finally got the verdict for my court case against my old employer in France (J'expliquerai plus en français un autre jour!). That very same day, I saw over half of my company laid off as a result of a recent merger. Emotions ran high that week. As a result, this month's playlist consists of old time favorites from past difficult chapters in my life as well as recent discoveries, including a few favorite, new dance songs. As I'm finally able to lock the door to the last chapter in my life, I continue to readjust my posture moving ahead: head up, heart open, and hair long.

To listen along with the song descriptions below, be sure to click on this link. You can also follow me on Spotify by clicking here. As a friendly reminder, you need a Spotify account in order to access my monthly playlists. I've included both the artists and song titles below, so if you're not keen on the idea of signing up for another music platform, you can always search and listen to these songs elsewhere.

Enjoy!

"I Couldn't Care Less" by Leslie Clio: Sometimes I have a really hard time discovering new music through Spotify's Discover tab, and other times, well, I find gems like this lady. I found a German playlist and was surprised to find this voice among all the rock and punk songs.
"Worried About" by Lissie: While I first fell in love with this song after a break-up with an ex-boyfriend, I now listen to it with a much different application. While only three years later (not four), I no longer have to worry about how my story with France and their judiciary system will finish.
"Just One Day" by Mighty Oaks: This is a refreshingly positive song that reminds you how much you're capable of in one day. The best part occurs at the 50 second mark.
"Talk Show Host" by Radiohead: While Romeo & Juliet is not my favorite William Shakespeare play, the 1996 movie adaptation with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes is one of my all-time favorite movies. The application of the prose to modern sets, clothing, and culture proves that such a story continues and will always continue to be someone's true life no matter the year or city. The scene that this song plays in is breathtaking: a before the storm moment, where Romeo looks out at the beach, pondering life. They always say you never see love coming.
"East of the River Nile" by Augustus Pablo: A lovely song to play at the beach or while relaxing on a boat. How have I never heard of this Jamaican legend before?
"Take Me to Church" by Hozier: Holy mole, this song is powerful. I highly suggest watching the music video to get the full effect of Hozier's words. Listening to the song already gives me goosebumps every time, but the story shown in the video made me cry.
"Coffee" by Sylvan Esso: Coincidentally, I heard this song playing on Spotify when I came back from getting a second cup of coffee at work. Apparently, I forgot to hit pause on the radio station I was listening to when I got up.
"Gooey" by Glass Animals: This song is so smooth. Hailing from Oxford, this group just put out their first full length album in early June. They're definitely on my "to watch out for" list!
"Female Robbery" by The Neighbourhood: The perfect song for when the wind starts howling warnings of a coming thunderstorm. The Neighbourhood show a dark, stormy side with these lyrics.
"Map Of The Problematique" by Muse: My obsession with Muse began towards the end of high school. Much to my dismay, their more recent albums have turned them more towards pop rock. (You can't head bang quite the same to "Madness" as you can to "Hysteria"). This will always be one of my favorites, not only for the beautifully written lyrics ("I can't get it right since I met you", "Why can't we see, That when we bleed we bleed the same"), but also because of the slow, progressive crescendo.
"Closer" by Kings of Leon: I wrote one of my favorite short stories in college while listening to this song on repeat. The story is as twisted as the song sounds.
"R U Mine?" by Arctic Monkeys: I love the band's latest CD, AM. While I thought I understood the entire song for once, I had to yet again look up the lyrics.
"One Day I'll Be Rich" by Current Swell: As they sing, "Be careful what it is for which you dream." A lovely, honest song perfect for summer and traveling by bus or train.
"Doninké" by Knadia Kouyate: Now, away from the rock and onto African music! I came across this song after listening to Tinariwen. Knadia's voice blew me away.
"Watina (I Called Out)" by Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective: Andy came from Barranco, Belize, a city where the Garifuna language and its traditions still exist. The Garifuna culture stems from the mixture of two cultures: the Carib indigenous tribe and West Africans (who were were on their way to slavery when their ship sank by St. Vincent Island). Unfortunately, Andy pased away in 2008. I hope his legacy to preserve this culture continues to live on; the scenes in his music video intrigue me to learn more about them.
"Karibou Ya Bintou" by Baloji: My sister wrote her senior thesis on this Congolese musician. Naturally, I became interested in his work after listening to her explain her findings. For the music video with accompanying English subtitles, click here.
"Rude" by Magic!: The lyrics don't make all that much sense (Word choice: rude? Cruel, might have been better), but the vibe is pretty darn catchy. It'll soon be on your typical top 100 radio station if you haven't heard it played already.
"Elastic Heart" by Sia: I have listened to this song every single morning for the two weeks. Her lyrics are absolutely perfect. Sia's story is a beautiful one; I'm so glad she's found the strength to pull herself away from inner demons. Her new CD is equally as powerful lyrically as her first two.
"Changes" by Faul & Wad Ad: I came across this song after listening to way too much Avicii in one week.
"Badri" by Dounia Batma: I was introduced to this singer a few months ago. She was runner-up during the first season of Arab Idol in 2011. While she hails from Moroccan, she often sings Khaliji songs. Can you believe she's only 23?
"Gharqan" by Rashid Al Majed & Mona Amarsha: Last month my belly dance teacher introduced us to Khaliji, a style of music and dance coming from countries in the Persian Gulf (think Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates). It wasn't until I started taking this folkloric class that I was really able to differentiate between the various styles of Arabic music. We danced to the remix version in class, but I prefer the one listed here.
"Sodfa" by Yara: Yara is a Lebanese singer who also goes by her birth name, Carla Nazih Berkachi. She came out with a solely Khaliji album in 2009 which was, to many music producers surprise, a huge hit.
"Neseeni" by Sherine Abdul Wahab: A Tunisian friend sent me a ton of Sherine's music a few years ago. I fell in love with her first single, "Ah Ya Leil" when I first started listening to Arabic music in France, but "Neseeni" is my latest go-to song. She has such a strong voice and does such a great job portraying the emotions of her lyrics.
"Bridges" by Broods: A duo out of New Zealand, Broods are a huge hit on the other side of the world, trailing right behind Lorde on the charts. I hope they come tour in America.
"Truth" by Alexander: Alexander is most commonly known for his hit "Home" produced with his group, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I can never concentrate when I listen to any of his songs; it must be the whistling.
"Soft Shock" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It's Blitz! got me through a whole heck of a lot during my last year in college. This song always seems to calm me down, no matter the circumstances.
"What Goes Around Comes Around" by Rebirth Brass Brand: It says it all in the title. Karma always gets you in the end, so remember to treat others how you want to be treated!

There you have it, folks! I hope you have a wonderful week! Enjoy this brief summer Polar Vortex before the humidity and heat come back to us.

Bises,

La petite pamplemousse

Virtually Friendless for Ten Days

2014-07-10T14:22:00.004-04:00

Ten days ago, I decided to log out of Facebook. I didn't delete or suspend my account. I simply wrote a post explaining that if my friends wanted to follow the experiment, they could come here for updates on my life; then, I signed out. Originally, I thought I write about how I felt as a virtually friendless person every day. I imagined it would be quite a difficult feat, resisting the urge to start typing "face..." into my web browser. I had an idea in my head that I would track email reminders to sign in, or the number of times I went to the web page before realizing I shouldn't log into my account. Yet, I'm already over a week into this personal challenge, I haven't done any of that, and, truth be told, I don't feel all that different.

Meanwhile, the Internet continues to pump out more and more opinion pieces on the world's recent finding that Facebook conducted an "emotional manipulation" experiment on some 700,000 users. It seemed that all I came across were negative takes on the issue...that is until I found this PC Magazine article. John C. Dvorak brings up a very valid point in the third paragraph in regards to the public being malleable prior to Facebook or their experiment. While his tone borders the line of being a bit too sarcastic, his article did made me chuckle. I believe it's exactly what people need to read in order to get that this concept of being "manipulated" really isn't new.

Perhaps that's why I don't feel any different sans Facebook. I still get my daily dose of one-sided news stories through online newspapers, blogs, and radio. My emotions are still a reflection of what occurs in my immediate surroundings, virtual or physical. To put it bluntly, reading about Syrian women struggling to keep their families alive without a job, the recent admission of Apple using child labor as a means to build its products, or even the continuous coverage on young children crossing the Texan border in hopes of escaping a drug-gang run country makes me feel like a useless piece of shit.

While I may not feel changed emotionally thus far, I do see a slight improvement in how I handle my free time. I've returned to cranking out 300 plus page books like I once did in my undergraduate days. One of the two books I finished over the weekend was so hard to put down. Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House is Valerie Plame Wilson's memoir on the CIA scandal that took over her personal and professional life during President George W. Bush's administration. "Weapons of mass destruction" is a phrase we all ought to remember, for the "alleged" proof of their existence led to Bush's war on Iraq announcement in 2003. While I vaguely remember fighting with certain family members over the legitimacy of these claims, I do not recall the scandal that followed Valerie and her husband years after the original declaration of war. I'm not a huge memoir fan, but I would highly recommend this to anyone who thinks a Facebook experiment is detrimental to our civil rights. As I move onto my third book this week (Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East), I realize how much I've missed reading physical books. Taking those ten minutes I would have spent stalking my Facebook News Feed every few hours to read what actually interests me has been really refreshing. And, while I regrettably admit to missing out on friends' pictures and posts (especially those abroad who I can't see in person), I know a simple phone/Skype call or handwritten card goes a lot farther than pushing the Like button.

Out and over,

La petite pamplemousse

Farewell For Now, Facebook

2014-06-30T21:23:00.001-04:00

Good evening!

I'm sitting here watching the sun set as I write to you; it's another beautiful pink-purple mix.

While I say goodbye to another day, I feel a sense of overwhelming change come upon me. I'm not sure what the change will bring, how it will alter my life, or even what it is, but my gut is telling me that a new path is starting to unfold before me and that I'm ready to take it. There's something in the breeze that reaffirms this truth. Nature often hands us clues about our lives; if only we would listen once in a while.

To start this new chapter off, I've decided to give good ole Facebook the boot. Like most twenty-somethings, I joined Facebook in order to make friends before the dreaded orientation week at my university. Back then, the site helped you establish contacts with those who would soon be in the same dorm, clubs, or even classes as you. You had to have an official email address hosted by your university to even register. Today, however, the scene has changed. Now relatives, young and old, near and far, are on the site posting new updates about their lives, while companies constantly try to catch my attention with their ads, paid posts, and the like.

Last week I got so sick of logging in for no good reason that I decided to run a personal experiment. I made a vow to myself that as of July 1st, I would no longer log into my account. I won't close my account permanently, I just won't allow myself to log in through my laptop, smartphone, or any other device I find in my hands. My goal is to stay disconnected from the virtual world until September 1st.

I'm looking forward to see how my mentality changes, how much I accomplish with those spare five or ten minutes I currently find myself wasting throughout the day, as well as how many emails I get notifying me of what's going on without me or asking me why I haven't been on in a while.

Ironically enough, a large number of news outlets, including sites such as Today.com and TechCrunch, ran stories on the negative reactions toward Facebook's manipulation of certain users' news feeds today. There have also been numerous videos highlighting the creepy factor of how the site works. One video you most likely watched that went viral under the name "Look Up" focused on social media in general and the influence of our smartphones on our lives. However, let's be clear: I'm not leaving and hoping to run into a future boyfriend because I'm not looking at my Facebook feed on my phone. I'm not taking a hiatus because I don't get as many likes or posts or comments as others. I'm taking a break because I want to see how productive I can be without the distractions, how much I can accomplish just being me in this physical world. I'm closing the door, but not locking it up (yet), in order to get closer to myself.

So follow along as I fight the urge to sign in and see what I discover along the way. Who knows, maybe there really is no way to live without being virtually connected 24/7 these days. Only the next two months will tell!

Until next time,

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Jump Through June

2014-06-29T23:56:00.000-04:00

Geez Louise did June fly by! I'm still trying to swallow the fact that I'm yet again one year older, let alone that it'll be four years this summer since I got my city assignment for my first teaching position in France. Since then, my life mentality has shifted, my naiveté of other cultures has slowly begun to diminish, and my need to please others before myself has certainly changed the most.

I find myself trying to avoid dwelling on the past in order to live in the present, but a look back at past versions of yourself is often necessary to push yourself forward to who you want to be. I spent a lot of this month imaging the future, analyzing the past, and trying to create a vision of who I want to be in order to make this year a successful one. These are a few of the songs I found myself listening to as I did just that.

In order to listen along with the descriptions below, be sure to click on the link. You can also follow me on Spotify by clicking here. Please note, you need a Spotify account in order to access my monthly playlists. I've included both the artists and song titles below, so feel free to listen with another app or music platform if you prefer.

Have a listen before we jump into July!

"Something's Got A Hold On Me" by Etta James: Most people recognize the first twenty seconds of this song because of Avicii's "Levels remix." Although I admit to signing that section as loud as I possibly can when his remix comes on the radio, the other two minutes and thirty seconds of the original song are what really get me grooving.
"Waves - Robin Schulz Radio Edit" by Mr. Probz: The repetitive beat in this song soothes my soul much like the physical waves of any beach.
"Stone Rollin'" by Raphael Saadiq: Step, tap, stir. Step, tap, stir, twirl. You'll catch me doing circles around myself while cooking to this one.
"Cut Your Teeth- Kygo Remix" by Kyla La Grange: As an aspiring bellydancer, I've been using this song to help with isolations, external hip circles, mayas, and shimmies.
"Say You'll Be There" by MO: An amazing cover of one of my favorite Spice Girls songs. This version sounds more dreamy and gives the lyrics a different vibe.
"Without Me" by Fantasia, Kelly Rowland, and Missy Elliott: I have heard this song on the radio dozens of times, but never had my phone close enough to use the app Shazam to figure out who was singing the first bit. What a wonderful, powerful trio of female artists.
"Gotta Work" by Amerie: This has always been one of my pump up jams to keep myself strong, centered, and working on what I truly want from my life.
"V.S.O.P" by K. Michelle: This lady always seems to have drama, but she also always gets me up dancing. Just wait for what I'm talking about; it happens right before the one minute mark.
"Get Free" by Major Lazer featuring Amber Coffman: For some odd reason, I'm just discovering this song. The lyrics, the vibe, the voice: woo-ee!
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Gladys Knight & The Pips: I was in a Motown mood the second half of the month and had to include this one. What a classic!
"jasmine (demo)" by Jai Paul: This song was included on a CD mix my sister made for me. I've been listening to it on my drive to work ever since: no AC, windows all the way down, hair getting tangled the whole way there.
"Stay Ready (What A Life) by Jhene Aiko featuring Kendrick Lamar: Jhene's single, "The Worst," is all over the radio these days. This song deserves so much more national attention; although, admittedly, I'd love to keep it to myself.
"Jerk Ribs" by Kelis: She's moved from milkshakes to jerk ribs and the vibe is unbelievably groovy and, in my opinion, more natural for her voice. I'm loving her new CD, especially the songs that involve whistles!
"Be My Man" by Asa: Break out your tambourine again! I found this artist through Indila, a French singer I follow and who I mentioned in my last post.
"Upside Down" by Paloma Faith: A great, upbeat song that sounds like it should come out of a random jukebox in the middle of a city park.
"Kukere" by Iyanya: This was my wake up song last summer. I was all about the African playlists on 8tracks. I can't seem to get it out of my head a year later.
"Sing" by Ed Sheeran: I know, I know...what is this guy doing on one of my lists? I hit fast forward on every song I ever hear by him, but I'm guilty as charged of loving his latest single. I blame the catchy beat and refrain on Pharrell. The puppets that were in this music video, though, Lord that was freaky.
"Sweet About Me" by Gabriella Cilmi: I rediscovered this song when I popped an old summer CD mix in my car the other day. My Swedish coworkers sure knew what good music was all about, and, I'm sure still do.
"Back In The World" by David Gray: I'm so happy that David has a new CD out there this year; I wasn't a big fan of his last one. He's one of those artists I associate with a certain season. While I tend to only listen to him in that in between summer and fall time, this song was really calling to me this month.
"Hide" by Little May: Little May is an Australian trio of lovely ladies who follow up on every tweet of praise they receive. I reached out to them after listening to this song dozens of times a day for two weeks straight. Check out their music video for this song, as they're not yet on Spotify. I'm in love with what they did in this music video, especially the dance circle.
"Nirvana" by Sam Smith: This guy's voice is like buttercream icing: so damn smooth and sugary. While the acoustic version is worth a listen as well, something about the last twenty seconds of this song makes my heart skip a beat every time I listen to it.
"Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding: Watching one of my studio's teachers perform a bellydance solo to this made me add this classic to the end of this month's list. The bellydance show included Korean pop, Bollywood music, and even old 1920s jazz. Creativity, emotions, and expression were abound that night.

There you have it folks! One more day and we're officially half way through 2014. Can you believe it? I certainly am struggling to accept how fast time is passing this year.

I'll be writing more frequently as I'll be doing a mini experiment the remainder of the summer. Stay tuned for the next post to learn more!

As always, have a wonderful week and stay true to you!

Bisous,

La petite pamplemousse

Think About It Thursday: Cycling Trivialities

2014-05-29T12:43:00.001-04:00

I haven't posted on a Thursday in a while. As the title explains, Thursdays are reserved for deep thinking. Yet, I don't sit down and make myself think of a topic at a specific time or for a certain period of time; the thought process just happens, and bizarre as it is, usually on a Thursday. Perhaps, being closer to the end of the week, Thursday happens to be when all my thoughts reach the brim of what I can keep in internally, and a deluge of emotion is released. Whatever the scientific reasoning, I know that writing down my thoughts (preferably with a pen and paper) is much more therapeutic to my being than keeping everything in or explaining how I'm feeling to others verbally.

For most of the East Coast, today's forecast ain't lookin' too good. Showers upon showers, grey cloud after grey cloud, and a lowering of the recently high temperature. Personally, I love rainy days as much as sunny ones. The type and amount of rain really does determine everything for my day. On days like today, when the sun will never get the chance to peek through the clouds to say hello, I find myself either extremely motivated to work on my future, or extra nostalgic for all things, places, and people past. Somehow though, my reasoning always takes me back to square one and the need to focus on the current moment.

This morning I decided to give Bon Iver another chance. I most certainly do not have anything against their talent; more so, this particular band reminds me of a very lost time in my life. Listening to any of the songs from the second album hits a switch in my brain, signaling that I should probably cry rivers and let snot fall from my nose like a waterfall. I most certainly am a sight when I cry, as I'm sure most of us all are.

Why do I always cry, you wonder? I cry because I think of when I first started listening to the album. I was stressed out and exhausted and emotional. It was the week before Halloween and I was in charge of the school party. My computer died and I had no money nor insurance to fall back on in case of this quite normal circumstance. (Whose computer hasn't died on them before?) I had to rewrite all of my lesson plans, figure out Halloween games that were appropriate for three- to eleven-year-olds, prepare to have my classroom skills evaluated by the head of the English department, and return to the Préfecture to wait in line for my carte de séjour (which in the end, I never received). I immediately thought my life was awful, that I had the worst luck in the world, that I was having the worst week ever; the complaints continue. I had no idea what was coming. These were mere trivialities, arriving in one go, but trivialities nonetheless. The Apple staff in Lyon helped reprogram my computer for free. I made new lesson plans. Our school had its most successful Halloween party yet. I passed my evaluation with flying colors and received wonderful recommendations to even further improve my teaching skills. After four hours, I even received a new récépissé from the Préfecture. I made it through the week.

And then I received a call late at night. I didn't even hear my mom's voice before I realized why she was calling. My Mom-Mom was gone.

Image courtesy of SlideShare

It will already be a month ago tomorrow that my Grandad passed away. This time death didn't come so suddenly, but it came and went nonetheless, taking another person I love and look up to, away. The weeks leading up to his death, I repeatedly listened to a song by Lord Huron, that now will be timestamped with those same feelings expressed earlier. One day last month, I called my Dad and explained how I felt too comfortable at my job, how I needed a new challenge, how I wanted to explore the world some more but didn't know where to start, and how I didn't know where exactly I wanted my life to go. Significant to one person, trivial compared to the entirety of the universe. A week after this phone call, my Dad courageously flew out to be with my Grandad while his spirit cautiously passed into the sky. Ever since, I've felt extremely guilty of even complaining about my life, of thinking, again, I had it bad; not because of my Grandad dying, but because I wasn't focusing on and recognizing each current moment as special, unique, and absolutely needed to prepare oneself for the future. Death always seems to reiterate the difference between the three tenses: past, present, and future.

Worrying about what is or is not to come is something we all struggle with, and I'm nowhere near achieving the ability to overcome that; but, I do try to remind myself that in the end, we must learn to trust our guts before allowing our reason to overtake each individual circumstance. On the same note, we can't wait around for anything to happen. Waiting produces more worry, more over thinking, more anxiety where anxiety has no place, yet or maybe even ever. We all need to dance, run, walk, do cartwheels, draw, write, or even take up the recorder again. We can't look back and worry about what was or should have been. We must accept the present, learn from the past, and look forward to, but try not stress, about the future. Most of the time what we stress about never happens. Plus, those who we miss are still with us, whether we can physically see them or not. In the end, we're just cycling trivialities.

Image courtesy of SlideShare

Until next time,

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Mamacitas in May

2014-05-18T22:44:00.003-04:00

Hello fair readers,

I hope you're enjoying this warmer weather! Today, I made my way to the local nursery and picked up new vegetable plants and flowers for my balcony. (This year's winter was certainly generous with snow; I'm actually glad now that I didn't keep any of my plants past October as I'm sure they wouldn't have made it). Anyway, I sit here, covered it dirt and sweat, and realize that I haven't posted in nearly a month. Eek!

And what a weird month May has been. Lots of circles: emotionally, physically, and mentally. I swear that I started making a May playlist at the end of April, but my over-thinking got the best of me and I got lost in my mind for a while. A spring funk if you will. But hey, enough with the excuses, let's get down to business already, shall we?

As always, be sure to click on the link to access this month's playlist. You can also follow me on Spotify by clicking here. Please note, you need a Spotify account in order to access my monthly playlists. I've included both the artists and song titles below, so if you're not into Spotify, you can always check out my favorite women however your musical hearts desire.

Be warned, the emotions run high this month!

"Workin' Woman Blues" by Valerie June: Boy, does her voice gives me the chills. I feel my soul being transported to the Blue Ridge Mountains every time I hear this song.
"Just A Little Lovin'" by Carmen McRae: I rediscovered this song while compiling an all around American music mix for a friend.
"Heart Stops" by Anya Marina: I can never seem to play this song only once. You may have heard her voice before as she does the best cover of T.I.'s "Whatever You Like."
"Living Proof" by Cat Power: I grew very fond of Cat Power's music during my sophomore year of college. She's one of those artists that you listen to non-stop and then you give up for greener music scenes. Once you return to her music though, the sound still welcomes you with wide open arms.
"Trace of You" by Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones: When musically-inclined step-sisters finally meet, their music takes on a whole new meaning.
"Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin: The soul, the sass, the class.
"Undone in Sorrow" by Crooked Still: Back to a misty meadow I go with this song. The burning ache to return to fiddle hits me every time I listen to this.
"Goddess" by Banks: This gal does something with her songs that is so bizarre, but feels so familiar. I can't explain it in words, though. I cannot wait to see her live next month.
"Dernière Danse" by Indila: I am obsessed with this gal's part in Soprano's "Hiro." I had no idea she had an album out on her own until my dear friend Soumia sent me a link to her latest hit. For a quick translation, go here.
"Sittin In Limbo" by Sarah Dugas: I first heard this song while driving to New Orleans. She sure knows how to sing about her sorrows.
"Listen With Your Heart" by Norah Jane Struthers: I really must have been missing the mountains when I made this playlist.
"Cry Me A River" by Julie London: Why don't songs talk about heartbreak anymore? It's just so beautiful and relatable (sorry, Ke$ha, you just don't do it for me).
"Merry Happy" by Kate Nash: British girls are the best at break-up songs, hands down. You always can learn something from what didn't work out.
"Hurry On Now" by Alice Russell: Get ready for your troubles to melt away.
"Train In Vain" by Annie Lennox: Annie has been a favorite of mine since childhood.
"Adieu" by Coeur de Pirate: One of my go-to Canadian singers. If you would like a translation of this song, go here.
"Sand in My Shoes" by Dido: I was obsessed with this song in my teenage years. As summer approaches, this song is perfect for those relationships that are effortless to get involved in, but oh-so-difficult to forget.
"Air Balloon" by Lily Allen: If there's a gal who doesn't give a flying f*** about anyone's opinions, it's Lily. With an album titled, "Sheezus," you have to give her props. Personally, I love her even more because of her music video parodies (check out "Hard Out Here").
"J'ai tant escamonté" by Zaz: This song is a dream, plain and simple.
"Criminal" by Fiona Apple: How could I make a female playlist without including this lady?
"My Blood" by Ellie Goulding: Personally, I think this tops "Burn" on any given day. Another dream-like, fluid composition.
"New Strings" by Miranda Lambert: I know, I know, I claim to hate country...but she's the one country singer that I do admit listening to (probably because of her kick ass attitude).
"My Moon My Man" by Feist: Last, but certainly not least, an old favorite which got me through many work shifts selling jewelry and all things Swedish.

If anything, I hope you have found a few new gals to check out further after this post.

On a side musical note, I was ecstatic to see Chet Faker live this past Thursday. He did a great job and got extra bonus points in my book after telling everyone: "Put down your fucking phones, there's already like 100 versions of this on YouTube. Just enjoy and dance." Preach! I know I got my dance on!

I hope you have a wonderful week!

A la prochaine,

La petite pamplemousse

Atlanta: Home of the 1996 Olympic Games, Largest Civil War Museum, and Margaret Mitchell

2014-04-17T14:46:00.002-04:00

As promised, I have more to tell you about my days down in Atlanta, Georgia. If you missed my previous post on CNN Center and the World of Coca-Cola, be sure to read that post first!

As my friend took her midterm exams and handed in papers, I continued to explore the city on my own. On my third day there, I decided to learn more about the history of Atlanta. I took the MARTA and then a bus to get to the Atlanta History Center out past Peachtree. I felt a bit out of place walking on the side of the road with all of the BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Audi cars driving by me. After passing a few swanky bridal shops and hotels, I made it to my destination.

First, I headed into the Centennial Olympic Games Museum. There I absorbed as much information as I possible could on the general history of the Olympic Games, Atlanta's bid to host, and what happened in each event during those 17 days in July 1996. I loved seeing how the number of athletes and events increased with each round of Olympic Games. It was also pretty cool to see each of the mascots and the cultural reasoning behind them all. I most definitely do not remember Izzy (aka Whatizit)! Most interesting of all though, was seeing how political tension between countries can change and even cancel the infamous international sporting event.

Examples of the Olympic medals handed out to athletes in 1996.

The flame was flown from Greece and then transported by train!

Next, I wandered through Turning Point: The American Civil War exhibit. One of the nation's largest and most complete exhibits, Turning Point boasts more than 1,500 artifacts, from both sides of the Civil War. Walking through the rooms, I learned about the complications and intricacies of firearms, what both Confederate and Union soldiers wore and carried with them, the importance of the Postal Service, and even how bank notes worked back in the 19th century. I easily spent two hours in that exhibit, soaking up as much American history as I possible could.

Old Civil War letters

Confederate bank notes

Largest collection of Civil War mortars

Oldest standing wagon from the Civil War

Next, I headed outside to wander the grounds. I walked through the old Smith family farm, which was built in the 1840s. The house was originally located outside of Atlanta, but was moved to its current spot in the 1970s. Surprisingly, unlike the rest of the city, the house survived both the Civil War and the Reconstruction era.

Original slave home from the Smith family farm

Modernity peeks out from behind an old well on the Smith family farm.

Spring is here!

Peace statue

I took my time following the little trail around the 22 acres of land the Atlanta History Center owns. I saved the Swan House for last. Edward Inman was the heir to a large cotton brokerage fortune in the post-Civil War era. After acquiring land in Buckhead, he hired the firm of Hentz, Reid, and Adler to design a home for his family. Philip Trammel Shutze designed the home and adapted Italian and English classical styles (which are quite apparent when you walk through the place.) There are swans throughout the home, as well as eagles, one of Mr. Inman's favorite animals. The Inmans moved into the house in 1928; sadly, just three years later, Mrs. Inman was left alone in the large house after her husband suffered from a heart attack. She lived in the house until 1965. The Atlanta Historical Society purchased the house, land, and furnishings a year later.

The Swan House

Hello lovely!

Walking up the back entrance

Tacky as anything!

Mrs. Inman's bathroom, which is covered with fake marble because she wasn't pleased with the real marble!

Another tacky bedroom!

After a long walk through the gardens, I made my back to the bus stop and then back to Midtown. My ticket to enter the Atlanta History Center included entrance to Margaret Mitchell's old apartment which was located a convenient block or so from where I was staying. I just made it in time to catch the last tour of the day. Author of the classic Southern love novel, Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell was born and raised in Atlanta. A feisty little lady, Margaret claimed that Scarlett was in no way based off of her own life; however, my tour guide was sure to point out quite a few similarities. Supposedly, she had read all of the books in the local library that her husband told her it was time she wrote her own. Whenever company arrived unexpectedly, she would throw a towel over the typewriter to hide what she was working on; however, people talk and most of Atlanta knew she was up to something spectacular.

Margaret Mitchell lived on the first floor.

Mitchell's old apartment complex

After checking out Margaret's house and watching a short documentary on the trials and tribulations of making Gone With The Wind into a movie, I headed over to Piedmont Park. There I wandered the paths and stumbled across an odd-looking family of ducks. My phone conveniently died right around the time I was supposed to meet with my friend, but luckily I was able to plug my phone in at the Georgia Tech bookstore.

Atlanta has odd ducklings!

View from the park

I found my friend and we headed off to grab a quick bite to eat before seeing Aziz Ansari at the Fox Theater. Aziz admitted to being in a relationship during his show, which was extremely unexpected given his comedy shows usually revolve around the single, childless life. His jokes were just as hilarious as usual, but it was still a bit mind boggling to accept the now taken Aziz as reality. By the end of the night, my friend thought her spleen had burst;I was rubbing my cheeks because they hurt so much from laughing.

I loved the Middle Eastern decorations.

Inside the Fox Theater

This guy

He made me cry from laughter.

I must shamefully admit that I was unable to make it to the Martin Luther King Jr. historical site before it closed, but now I have an excuse to return back to this lovely city in the future.

The next morning we left bright and early for my favorite Southern city, New Orleans. I could not wait to revisit the Big Easy and see how far she had come since I last helped out as the JMU May ASB group leader. Tune in next week for my posts on New Orleans and the recent Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

Bonne fin de journée!

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Alive and Active in April

2014-04-13T12:49:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon,

I hope you're all enjoying your day and making the most of this much warmer weather! I am more than excited to see the sun stay up longer each day, especially after working the night shift last year. (Going to bed at 4 pm was not fun.) While a friend and I have been doing a great job of taking walks on Sundays, I'm hoping to switch completely out of the elliptical/treadmill mode and go explore the great outdoors now that running in a park no longer requires three or more layers!

Speaking of running, back in January I (like everyone else each New Year) vowed to take better care of myself. I realized that dancing 2-3 times a week wasn't enough for me. I also noticed that my eating habits weren't as consistently healthy as I thought. So I asked my super(fit)woman sister for some advice on where to start. She suggested starting with the 100 by VDay Challenge by the girls at Tone It Up. Not only did I stick to the routine, I completed more than 150 miles by February 14th. Like anyone who completes a goal, short or long term, I felt more determined, more confident, and more energetic as a result. I'm super excited to join their next challenge, the Bikini Series, and continue getting myself into tip top shape for summer.

On that note, this month's playlist revolves around being active and alive. The first ten songs I listen to when warming up. The middle ten or so songs I run to and are mostly comprised of club mixes to get my heart rate up. The remaining songs are used for a cool down or when I just want to get my dance on around my apartment. As always, you can subscribe to this particular playlist by going here, or you can follow me on Spotify by clicking on this link. You can also search for these songs on YouTube if you're not a fan/member of Spotify. Please note that two of these songs are not found on Spotify, so you'll have to click on the link below to have a listen!

Get ready to sweat your Sunday away!

"Never Go Back" by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals: I love doing a combination of 90s-style side steps and stretching to this song.
"Shameless" by Lissie: Lissie has amazing lyrics, an incredible voice, and one heck of a kick ass attitude.
"I Follow Rivers" by Lykke Li: I'm anxiously awaiting Lykke Li's new album, I Never Learn, which is due to release on May 6th. She is by far one of my favorite Swedish artists who never fails to entertain with her lyrics, beats, or dance moves.
"Beat (Healthy, Life, and Fire)" by Thao with The Get Down Stay Down: When I listen to this song I imagine biking down a country road with flowers in my hair. In said daydream, I also imagine kicking my bike to the curb to jump (by tire swing) into a lake.
"Riptide" by Vance Joy: Gosh I love how he stresses the word "green." Despite the upbeat tempo, this song is quite depressing when you listen carefully to the lyrics. But hey, pass me a tambourine and let's go skipping around to this song in a field anyways!
"This Head I Hold" by Electric Guest: Every time I listen to this song, I do the twist and imagine what my life would have been like if I lived in the 1950s.
"Disparate Youth" by Santigold: I love the music video for this song! I've been a fan of Santigold ever since I saw her open for T.I. & Jay-Z back in 2007. If I ever go into urban belly dancing, I've decided this will be my first solo song.
"Clap Your Hands" by Sia: Who doesn't get excited by a song asking you to clap your hands?
"Carry Me" by Bombay Bicycle Club: For some reason my mind imagines the Blue Man Group banging their drums to this song, paint splattering everywhere.
"Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)" by Nelly Furtado: This lady gets me. I always want to fly like a bird and definitely prefer big hoops to small ones.
"Black & Blue" by Miike Snow: I forgot about this song until I took a road trip to New Orleans with my best friend. We got a little too into harmonizing/air instrument playing during that drive, but seriously, why wouldn't you want to goof around to this song?
"La Réalité" by Amadou & Miriam: My Swedish friend turned me onto this song back in 2006. I remember this being one of our many closing shop songs, vodka and Redbull in hand.
"Waves of Change (Kaskade Remix)" by Samantha James: This is a great song to listen to if you need a consistent beat to get through that one mile mark.
"Blessed - Avicii Mix" by Tom Hangs: A great song to jump around to, especially when out in the club.
"Silhouettes" by Avicii: This song gets me up those hills!
"Calinda" by Laurent Wolf: Can you feel the sunshine pouring through your eardrums? I sure can.
"Paris (Aeroplane Remix)" by Friendly Fires: This was my theme song in 2010. I applied to become a teaching assistant in France and played this song nonstop while waiting to see if I was accepted, hoping that my dream to live in France would come true. I still can't believe I've accomplished that dream already!
"You've Got The Love (XX Remix)" by Florence & The Machine: This is my favorite song to do sprints to when outside. Just wait for the xylophone crescendo. Ah, music porn.
"As3ad Wa7da" by Elissa : I became obsessed with this song when I was in Tunisia for a wedding. Elissa's voice makes me want to pack up my stuff, run away, and fall in love with a stranger on the other side of the world. You can find the English translation here.
"My Feelings For You" by Avicii, Sebastien Drums: I first heard this song in a club in France. Lots of posing involved when you dance along to the beat, but it also has a great tempo for running.
"Something Good Can Work" by Two Door Cinema Club: I love this band and often listen to them to get pumped up for the weekend. Here's a remix of one of their most popular songs. Keep running!
"Lover to Lover" by Florence & The Machine: If I could belt this out while running, that would be something! But, typically you can find me twirling, clapping, and jumping around to this while cleaning or getting my weights out for my toning work out.
"Dancin' (KRONO Remix)" by Aaron Smith: He knows exactly how I feel about dance.
"Dedication To My Ex (Miss That)" by Lloyd, Andre 300, Lil' Wayne: Despite the dirty language, I can't help but love this song. Plus any song featuring Andre 3000 is golden in my humble opinion.
"Luv Back" by Jazmine Sullivan: This gal can sing and boy does she do a great job belting out her frustration with men! I dig the reggae vibe on this track.
"Nothing To Worry About" by Peter Bjorn and John: You might know have heard of these guys back when their hit, "Young Folks," was big. Their most recent albums have a more bizarre feel to them. Go ahead and clap the stress away with this song; you shouldn't worry about anything!
"Mamma Knows Best" by Jessie J: "Do It Like A Dude" is a classic work out song for me, however, I couldn't resist the temptation to add this to the list. The girl can rock it!
"Bumaye" by Major Lazer, Busy Signal: Oh how I love to get low to this song! (How can you not shake it when you hear that beat?) I go nuts when this comes on, whether at Zumba, in the club, or just at home. Be sure to check out the music video for some hard core Caribbean dance moves.
"Feel" by Bombay Bicycle Club: Here's another band that's got me in an obsessed daze. Their music videos are always so creative and this one takes the cake. I love how they always incorporate dancing no matter the tempo.
"Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin: This song makes me feel like I could burst from happiness. You could use this for running, for driving, or even a little interpretive dancing/air guitar.
"Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac: For some crazy reason, I think this song would be great for a dance duet, Dirty Dancing style.
"Like A Mighty River" by St. Paul & The Broken Bones: I was just recently introduced to this group. All I've got to say is sweet Jesus, that voice.

I hope you enjoy this month's playlist. If you have any go-to running, dancing, or iron pumping songs, please let me know! I'm always looking for new tunes.

Enjoy your week and à très bientôt!

La petite pamplemousse

Atlanta: Home of CNN and Coca-Cola

2014-04-04T15:52:00.004-04:00

Two weeks ago, I flew down to Atlanta, Georgia to visit a dear friend of mine. As I passed through security I came to realize that I hadn't been to a new city all on my own in over two years (when I still lived in Lyon, France and would regularly hop on a train or a plane to check out a new city once a month.) Much to my surprise, I learned that Atlanta is the world's busiest airport.

I was psyched to introduce my five senses to what Atlanta had to offer. I decided not to plan anything ahead of time, just where and when to meet my friend once I got off the MARTA. I didn't realize how much I missed being out in the unknown all alone.

I followed my friend to one of her urban planning classes at Georgia Tech once we met up. Sitting in on a class really made me miss school and realize that my current position does not push me as much as I need. It's funny to think about how much you complain about deadlines and work your entire time as a student, but once that's gone from your life, your desire for reading assignments, papers, and tests takes over your being. (Well, at least for me anyways).

After her class we headed out to Lawrenceville where she works as an intern. I wandered the little town on my own for a few hours. I came across quite a few antique shops and a lovely sweets shop called Blue Rooster Bakery. I enjoyed an enormous chocolate chip whoopie cookie and free sweet tea as I revisited old stories I wrote during college. To say the least, I was finally motivated and inspired again.

This picture does not do justice to the glorious sweets available at Blue Rooster.

NOM

Church

Civil War memorial

That night we met a high school friend at Takorea, a Korean-Mexican restaurant with quite nifty interior decorations. The food was delicious, but I, once again, didn't think to ask for sauce on the side. My tongue was on fire and I could barely get a word into the conversation because I was slurping down so much water.

The following day I headed off to Five Points to check out the few main attractions Atlanta has to offer visitors. I first explored CNN Center. I got a bite to eat at the enormous food court as I waited for my tour to start. At the end of the tour, the guide asked me if I was grading her presentation as I walked out the door. "No, I'm just a mere editor interested in how things work on the TV side of things." She looked a bit relieved but still suspicious of all my note taking during the hour long tour.

A few fun facts I learned:

CNN started broadcasting in 1980; CNN.com launched in 1995; CNN en espagnol started in 1997.
Prior to being their headquarters, CNN Center was formerly an enclosed theme park. The escalator going through the mini globe is the tallest escalator in the US, reaching 198 feet. The blue tiles on the floor of the food court make up the 7 continents. There are gold stars signifying where the main studios are located.
Their main US studio offices are located in Atlanta, New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., but they have a total of 45 bureaus worldwide, including ones in London, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi.
HLN used to be called CNN2. It was launched in 1982.
HLN focuses more on entertainment, sports, and opinion shows. It is a domestic only channel which airs Monday through Friday. Weekend episodes are pre-recorded.
The camera in Studio 7 is worth $300,000 and, understandably, only one person has permission to use it.

Looking up from the food court

Love all the flags!

Outside of the headquarters

CNN newsroom

HLN newsroom

After I explored CNN Center, I wandered through Olympic Park to get to the World of Coca-Cola. There was a very cheery tour guide who started everything off with a quick introduction and brief film on the infamous polar bear family. Then, we were off to explore on our own. I took my time walking through the museum, intrigued by the ridicuously successful advertisement and marketing strategies Coca-Cola has maintained over so many years. I also jotted down a few facts during my self-guided tour.

Did you know that during its first year, Coca-Cola sales averaged a mere 9 drinks a day?
When the fizzy drink came to the market, the most popular flavors for fountain drinks were lemon, orange, vanilla, pineapple, strawberry, cherry, and chocolate.
In 1916, Coca-Cola introduced its contour bottle to assure customers that they were getting the real deal. A lot of bottling companies tried to recreate and sell their own versions, so clearly Coca-Cola had to do something about the knock-offs.
A WWII Russian general allegedly ordered clear Coca-Cola, as he "wouldn't be seen drinking an 'American' drink."
Asa Griggs Candler bought the company for a mere $550.
Candler also launched the marketing strategy which would transform the drink, adding the logo to everyday household items like serving trays and glasses. He also introduced the first widespread use of sampling coupons. By 1920, one in nine Americans had tried the drink for free!
By 1930, there were 64 bottling plants in 27 countries. Each state had its own way of identifying where the drink had been bottled (usually by way of a stamp on the bottom of the bottle).
Today more than 70% of the company's revenue comes from outside of the United States.
Did you know that Coca-Cola tried to change its formula in 1985? That move didn't go as well as planned and they quickly returned to the original recipe.
The first mention of the infamous polar bear occurred in a French ad in 1922 (see below).
Coca-Cola started sponsoring the Olympic Games in 1928. They currently have torches on display from a few of the most recent games, including one from this year's Sochi Games.
Today, The Coca-Cola Company makes approximately 500 different drinks.

One of the original dispensers

First mention of the polar bear

Tasting room

National Center for Civil and Human Rights soon to open across from the World of Coca-Cola

After my tour, I took my time walking back to my friend's apartment. I took in the sunshine, people watched, and got lost on purpose. Later that night we headed to Brick Store, which was absolutely fabulous. I felt like I was back in my favorite little bar in Lyon. The exposed brick, wood booths, delicious beers, and generally relaxed atmosphere fed my philosophical state-of-mind with more hunger to explore a variety of new topics spinning around up in that brain of mine.

One of the two main skylines

Don't worry, that's not all folks! I have a second exploration of Atlanta coming soon. (I simply have too many pictures for one post!) Stay tuned for Margaret Mitchell, the 1996 Olympic Games, Aziz Ansari, and the Civil War's impact on the "most Northern city of the South."

If you're in need of some musical inspiration until Sunday's Sing Along post, do check out my go to gal, Banks. I cannot wait to see her in concert this June.

Until then, cheers to the freakin' weekend!

Besos,

La petite pamplemousse

Floralies de Philadelphie 2014

2014-03-27T09:15:00.004-04:00

Bonjour tout le monde,

Je m'excuse pour le délai ; je sais que je n'ai pas posté en français depuis quelque temps. J'ai voulu attendre vous montrer quelque chose que vous ne verriez pas sur la télé, quelque chose que vous ne considéreriez jamais "américaine."

Donc, sans aucun délai, je vous présente les floralies de Philadelphie 2014. Cet événement se déroule chaque année en fin février/début mars. Un peu d'histoire: la société de l’horticulture de Pennsylvanie a été créée en 1827 et ses premières floralies se sont déroulées en 1829. En 1996, la société s'est assez développée qu'elle a dû choisir une plus grande location pour ses floralies annuelles. Maintenant, les floralies de Philadelphie, situées au centre de convention de Pennsylvanie, montrent au monde les belles fleurs et plantes exotiques dans un espace de 133.550 mètres carrés.

J'ai un peu honte d'admettre que je n'y suis jamais allée. Peut-être les floralies n'étaient pas assez « cool » quand j’étais ado, je ne sais pas la raison laquelle j'ai manqué cet événement. Par contre, mon beau père y est allé chaque année. Il y avait même des années où il a présenté ses orchidées. (Il a une grande collection d'orchidées chez nous.)

Nous y sommes allés en famille pendant le weekend d’ouverture. Comme ces fleurs étaient magnifiques! Il y avait du monde l'après-midi, mais à partir de 17h il y avait presque personne dans le grand centre. J'ai entendu ma mère disait que les floralies n'étaient pas assez blindées que des années passées. (J’assume que c’était à cause du froid dehors. En plus on attendait, comme chaque semaine cet hiver, une tempête de neige).

Le thème de 2014 était tout simplement, l'art. En suivant cette thème, il y avait des bijoux fait de fleurs, des chapeaux, des grands "danseurs", même un spectacle avec des acrobates qui se sont tournoyés entres des grandes charpentes de fleurs à la grande entrée.

Franchement, si vous pensez à visiter la belle ville de Philadelphie je vous conseille de prendre vos billets pour que vous puissiez voir ces belles fleurs! Je répète que ces floralies se passent dedans le grand centre de convention, donc il n'y a pas de souci de météo pourri !

Belle boule de fleurs

A l'entrée

Un des mes oeuvres préférées

Deuxième boule de fleurs

J'adore ce chapeau!

Mais comme je veux recréer cette scène tranquille!

Dévinez, c'est qui?

Trop belle!

Cascade de fleurs

J'espère que ces fleurs vous assurent que printemps va bientôt arriver (ou peut-être il y est déjà arrivé en quelques départements de la France). Il a encore neigé ici mardi matin. 5 centimètres, mais quand même! C'est sûr que tout le monde en a marre maintenant. Heureusement, j'ai eu la chance de prendre une semaine de vacances ce mois-ci. La semaine prochaine je posterai au sujet de mes aventures à Atlanta et à la très belle ville de Nouvelle Orléans. En attendant ces découvertes, je vous demande de bien croiser les doigts pour ma dernière audience au Conseil de Prud'homme demain matin.

En espérant de retourner en France et vous voir très bientôt,

Gros, gros bisous

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Mad for Men in March

2014-03-10T00:02:00.001-04:00

Good evening!

This month I wanted to base my playlist around male musicians. Originally, I hoped to create a March Madness-themed playlist, highlighting crazy musicians; however, I couldn't stop hitting replay on Hugo's cover of "99 Problems" last week. His oh-so confident voice reigned my eardrums over and over again, and I decided to give a shout out to all of the men out there singing and playing instruments instead.

As always, be sure to click on the link to access this month's playlist. You can also follow me on Spotify by clicking here. As a reminder, you need a Spotify account in order to access my monthly playlists. I've included both the artists and song titles below, so if you'd rather not sign up, you can always check out my favorite men on YouTube or iTunes instead.

For you, dear sirs!

"Bread & Butter" by Hugo: This song sizzles like freshly paved asphalt on a hot summer day. Hot damn, Hugo.
"I Feel Like Funkin' It Up" by Rebirth Brass Band: The beginning of this song makes me giggle every single time. Whoever makes that squawking noise sounds exactly like Scuttle from The Little Mermaid. There are limited lyrics, but man do these brass players make me want to get groovy in the streets of New Orleans.
"Coffee and TV" by Blur: This song may sound familiar if you watched Cruel Intentions a million times growing up. It also happens to be one of my all time favorite driving songs.
"Carolina" by Seu Jorge: This is not my favorite song by Seu, but it is by far the most sexy. I imagine being twirled around a dance floor in a terrifyingly bright 70s pant suit. (I also see parrots dancing along in my imaginary world, but that might be the tequila talking).
"Lovely Day" by Bill Wathers: You may know of this fella for his hits "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me." Can you feel the pure happiness and love flowing from that voice? This is a wonderful song to wake up to (if you need one.)
"Vagabond" by Wolfmother: I have to admit that I immediately associate this song with that "new beginnings" scene from 500 Days of Summer. Lead singer, Andrew Stockdale, also has one heck of voice. Plus, a good crescendo automatically gets points in my music book.
"Saint John" by Cold War Kids: Any song that gets you to head bang, stomp, clap, and break out the tambourine is a winner. Did you listen closely to the lyrics too?
"505" by Arctic Monkeys: While I'm a huge fan of all the songs off of their latest CD, this will always be my favorite Arctic Monkeys song. The crescendo, the guitar, and Alex Turner's voice get me grooving every single time.
"Wait for Me" by Kings of Leon: I constantly go back and forth on liking these fellas. I don't like when bands get big and acquire egos along the ride to fame. That being said, I can't get enough of this song. I think it's one of those songs you listen to and like without knowing why; then, years down the road, it all makes sense.
"Crime" by Mayer Hawthorne: The first ten seconds had me hooked on first listen. And then, you hear his voice.
"High for This" by The Weekend: Ironically enough, I heard Ellie Goulding's cover of this before I knew there was an original.
"Comin' Up from Behind" by Marcy Playground: Another hit from the 90s that will always be on my go-to list.
"Show Me" by Bruno Mars: I was very much against Bruno back in the day. His hit "Grenade" came out while I was in France and it really got under my skin. Then, I heard this (and his other reggae song, "Liquor Store Blues.")
"Off the Ground" by Citizen Cope: I love Clarence. I've seen him live at least two or three times and each and every show he shines. His voice always improves my mood. Plus, how can you not love him when his lyrics are so stinkin' truthful and honest.
"Struggla" by Matisyahu: I also love Matisyahu. He's another one of those artists you can always count on to make you happier. This song pumps me up and inspires me to keep going.
"Coyotes" by Jason Mraz: Where have you gone Jason, where have you gone?!
"Lazarus" by The Senators: Finally a song with a mandolin that is not by Mumford & Sons. This song makes me want to jump through a meadow barefoot on a sunny afternoon.
"Edge of Something" by Jamie Cullum: I still regret my decision to not spend the 50 euros to see Jamie live when I was living in Lyon. He is just pure genius.
"She Said" by Plan B: A throwback to my Lyon days, when I heard more UK generated English music than anything else. I get a 70s vibe from this song and all I can ever think about is wanting to be a back up dancer/singer with a flowery dress and big fat wavy curls in my hair.
"Des pères, des hommes, des frères," by Corneille: Corneille is such an underrated artist. French-Canadian, he sings in both English and French and does both languages justice. The lyrics to this song are quite powerful.
"Blood" by Middle East: This song is perfect. I wish this band never broke up.
"Imidiwan Ma Tenam" by Tinariwen: These guys are something else. Coming from the Sahara Desert region of Mali, various members of this group have played together since 1979. They've fled Mali a few times due to conflict there.
"The Sun" by Portugal. The Man: I love the lyrics to this song. (No other explanation needed, right?)
"I'm Into You" by Chet Faker: Chet has been by musical obsession since last summer. Please catch me as I pass out from his sexy voice.
"ave cesaria" by Stromae: Here we have another musical genius. From Belgium, Stromae has been praised continuously by the French media since his latest album dropped. You may have heard of his older hit, "Alors On Danse." He has matured since, and it's quite apparent from the lyrics of each song from Racine Carrée.
"Let Me Go" by Maverick Sabre: What caught my attention with this song was the familiarity to "Glory Box" by Portishead. I'm a big fan.

There you have it, folks. I hope you discovered a male musician you never heard of before, or reignited your fascination for an old favorite after listening to this list. Feel free to post any men you think I'm missing out on in the comment box below.

Have a wonderful evening and until next time,

La petite pamplemousse

Think About It Thursday: Revolutions in Egypt, Ukraine, and Venezuela

2014-03-06T23:51:00.002-05:00

A lot has happened since my last post on the Olympic Games at Sochi. Truth be told, the past month I've taken a hiatus from stalking the various online news sites I've got bookmarked at work. I've denied myself the ability to feast on each and every update I can find on countries far, far away. Ignorance is refreshing in a sick, dark sense, but yet also so damn boring after a mere 48 hours. In fact, putting myself back into a close-minded bubble made me more antsy than I already was, reading about other people's real worlds. So back to digging around for endless story updates I go.

Back in January, I read about a documentary called The Square. I wrote the title down on a Post-It where it has sat on my nightstand ever since. I tend to do that with books, musicians, and the like. (Reminder apps do nothing for my brain; everything must be written down in order to stick in my memory.)

I'd like to go on a tangent at this point and bring up a voicemail I received a week ago. It came from a guy who I had met last spring. Upon learning he was a Cairo native on the middle of a club dance floor, I instantly wanted to know more about him. Over hookah and tea, we discussed his country's future on multiple occassions. At that time, Mohamed Morsi was still in power as President of Egypt and a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood. After hearing brief, vague snippets about the unrest on NPR every morning, I wanted to know what was actually happening from a native Egyptian's point of view. I found out his friend, who I also met that night in the club, was blind in one eye as a result of a rubber bullet shot out into the crowd of protestors. He allegedly came here to seek asylum and was at the time meeting with lawyers to see what could be done. My friend claimed he was here for a Master's degree, but now I have my doubts after this mysterious phone call from Egypt some 9 months later. I can't stop wondering if they both went back willingly to protest a second time, or if they were kicked out of our country because we, at the time, supported the "democratically elected" Morsi.

Moving forward, I would like to point out that The Square was nominated for an Oscar. It obviously lost, but the mention is still worth noting. (One of the other two, Omar, I hope to see this upcoming weekend). During our latest snowstorm, I decided to finally watch The Square and see if the documentary would actually reveal something I had missed from reading and listening to our news outlets' coverage. The opinions of those in the film reflected exactly what my friend had expressed to me last year. They weren't all happy about Morsi; actually, they were angry about what he had failed to do so far and nervous about what he would do in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed the cinematography of this documentary. The transition between major scenes was nicely done. Often it would cut to someone spraying politically charged, yet beautiful graffiti . The three main characters kept my attention and stole my heart. I laughed, I cried, and I pondered what it must be like to fight for something with so much bravery, so much determination, so much joy. I continue to wonder if they are all still alive, if they are all still so strong, if they are still friends. I wonder what they think of the possibility of another head army official bidding for presidency. I wonder if they feel more or less safe than they did three years ago. Then I reread the two quotes I wrote down while watching the documentary. (I'm a sucker for quotes.)

The first (on the army): "The more they kill, the more we believe in our cause."

The second: "We are not looking for a leader to rule us. Because everyone who went to Tahrir is a leader. We are looking for a conscience."

Then I take those two quotes, and I ponder what's happening in Ukraine and Venezuela, where I'm positive half of what occurs is twisted and contorted just like it was, and more than likely continues to be, in Egypt. I think of the Ukrainian protestors dancing to "Happy." I think of the Facebook posts I continue to see made by my South American friends in support of Venezuela. I think and I speculate and I opine. And, I ask you, what would you do if your country was not meeting its promises or following its own rules? Would you fight, flee, or continue to go about your own business? Would you join forces with those who you might agree only 15% with, or would their religious, socio-economical, sexual, or other differences prevent you from joining forces in support of improving the one thing you will always be connected by: your homeland.

Until next time,

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Falling In Love With February

2014-02-10T09:40:00.002-05:00

It's that time again folks! In honor of St. Valentine's Day this Friday, I've compiled a list of old and new favorites describing all stages of love. I went a little overboard with this list and could (and probably will) continue to add more, but I'll try to keep it under 2 hours.

No matter your current relationship status, I hope you take the day to cherish and love yourself. If I've learned anything it would be the following: without loving and appreciating who you are, you cannot properly express love for others.

Like last post, be sure to click on the link or follow me on Spotify by going here. Please note that you'll need a Spotify account to access the list. I've included both the artists and song titles below; if you'd rather not sign up, you could always check out the songs on YouTube or iTunes instead.

"O.N.E." by Yeasayer: I instantly loved this song upon first listen. The lyrics went perfectly with a pre-break up. You know that feeling of struggle: when you refuse to accept that a relationship is no longer working but need to in order to be true to yourself and the other person in your life.

"1, 2, 3" by Camille: One of Camille's most beautiful, dreamy songs. I highly suggest listening to her other songs if you've never heard of her until today. This one ends with the French version of "There are other fish in the sea."
"Keep You" by Wild Belle: The lyrics are pretty straight forward on this one. It's such a catchy song; get ready to hit the repeat button.
"I Still Care For You" by Ray LaMontagne: Ray was my go-to paper-writing mode artist in college. This song gives me goosebumps every time.
"The Girl" by City and Colour: Coincidentally, this song reminds me of one of my best friends and our road trip to Atlantic City, not a past love. She's one of those friends you may not see for a very long time, but the friendship always picks right back when you finally do get together in person.
"Me And Armini" by Emiliana Torrini: Why do people always think we're having a melt down when falling in love?
"You & Me - Flume Remix" by Disclosure featuring Eliza Doolittle: I prefer this remix over any of the others out there. There's just something about the build up and suspense. The music video is perfect.
"Inkhatably Omr" by Shireen Abdul Wahab: A beautiful love song in Arabic. I do enjoy Shireen's fast-paced pop songs, but this one takes the cake. For the English translation, go here.
"Don't Wait" by Mapei: I recently came across this song when listening to a 8tracks playlist. I dig the drums and simplicity of her lyrics.
"Why Don't Your Love Me" by Beyoncé: I know, I know. Why didn't I pick one of Beyoncé's more recent sexy time songs for Valentine's Day? Well, because this is a hidden gem that will get your booty shaking just as easily and she reminds you that there's nothing not to love about yourself.
"No More 'I Love You's'" by Annie Lennox: This has been my favorite song since I was about six. I'm not sure if it was the reference to monsters and crazy voices that hooked me or because the song grew popular as my parents separated and divorced, but no matter the subconscious reason, it will always remain my favorite.
"Aicha" by Khaled: This song makes me smile every time I hear it. (More than likely because Khaled's smile is so damn adorable).
"Hoppípolla" by Sigur Rós: In order to fully comprehend this Icelandic song, you must watch the music video. Bring out the tissues.
"Take Off Your Cool" by Outkast and Norah Jones: Another hidden gem that I've been obsessed with since Speakerboxxx/The Love Below came out when I was in high school. Two of my go-to artists on the same sexy track. Meow.
"Wait for Me" by Kings of Leon: Ever since these guys have blown up on the music scene, I've seen a shift in the attitudes (like most artists who get big) and stopped listening to them as often. This song from their latest album gets me though. I wish I could watch them perform it in a tiny, dirty venue, rather than the Verizon Center. It would be even more sexy in an intimate setting, don't you think?
"Tellement Je T'aime" by Faudel: Another classic that I came across thanks to my dear friend, Selim. How can you not love this song?
"Heatbeats" by José González: As much as I enjoy the original by The Knife, José really made this song his own with this acoustic version. I was lucky enough to see and meet him back in college with my brother.
"Human Touch" by Bruce Springsteen: I love this song because of the memory associated with it. My dad would pick up my sister and I in his arms and we would dance, jump, spin, and shout along with Bruce. Plus, the lyrics are just amazing.
"Toi et moi" by Guillaume Grand: This song was on NRJ all the time when I first got to France. The lyrics are quite good, but for some reason it always makes me sad. Maybe it's his pout throughout the music video.
"Middle of the Bed" by Lucy Rose: I absolutely adore Lucy's voice. This song reminds me of those the break-ups that never seem to come to a complete end.
"Adieu" by Coeur de Pirate: You probably have heard her most popular song "Comme des enfants," but if you haven't noticed, I tend to go for the revenge/bad ass break up songs.
"All I Want Is You" by Miguel featuring J.Cole: Like all of Miguel's songs, this one is sexy, even if it's supposed to be sad.
"I Ran Away" by Coldplay: This is by far my favorite Coldplay song. It always reminds me of being way too shy around my first major crush.
"Ya Salam" by Nancy Ajram: This song is also the name of Nancy's third album, which proved to the music industry in the Middle East that she was indeed as talented as she is gorgeous. For an English translation, go here.
"No Ordinary Love" by Sade: My uncle introduced me to this artist when I was fairly young. I absolutely love listening to her voice when eating a late dinner alone. She's got such a soothing voice and her lyrics are just as lovely.
"Rumour Has It" by Adele: My little brother was quite obsessed with Adele two years ago. He would insist on listening to her CD every time we all hopped in the family van. This is the one song I can stand to listen to over and over again.
"Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood: One word: swoon.
"Stand Back" by Stevie Nicks: Another favorite thanks to my uncle. Timespace was my first cassette and I believe it's still tucked away in my old (now sister's) car. Best twirling song in the world.

And that's a wrap! Give me some feedback in the comment section below and be sure to bookmark my blog or sign up as a follower. Enjoy your week and be sure to treat yourself to something spectacular this Friday. You owe yourself a little extra loving!

Bisous,

La petite pamplemousse

Think About It Thursday: #sochifails

2014-02-06T23:39:00.001-05:00

Earlier this morning, my co-workers and I were sharing links to various articles discussing the current situation in Sochi, Russia. Most of these articles focused on the visual proof via Twitter, Instagram, or the like, of the inadequate hotel conditions over there: snapshots of broken door knobs, yellow water, missing toilet stall dividers, and bricklayers still at work. Later in the day, my coworker sent me a Times article, which focused on the fact that 5,000 containers of Chobani yogurt are currently sitting in a freezer near Newark Liberty International Airport. Russia allegedly claims that the United States has not sent over the proper paperwork. Then, in the early afternoon a Huffington Post story claimed that Budweiser has allegedly dropped its traditional Club Bud party spot from the games as well. The whining continued throughout the day with another article highlighting the lack of swag in the press gift bags. I admit that when my co-worker asked me what press gift bags usually include, I hadn't the slightest clue. But, that isn't the point here. The point is that everything you get is free. Every item in that big, as pathetic as it seems to you, comes from somewhere, was made by someone.

Then I read this opinion piece by Margaret Coker.

Let's just take a second here to focus on the negativity so quickly spread via social media once the Tweet or Post buttons are clicked. Let's focus on how repulsed we are that there are signs stating no toilet fishing rather than the fact that the games have begun (even if the Opening Ceremony isn't until tomorrow.) Let's focus on the fact that we tend to highlight all of these awful things that are not in the slightest bit surprising elsewhere in the world. (The reporters complaining about the lack of privacy or toilet paper have yet to use a Turkish toilet, that's all I have to say). What bothers me the most is that, as Coker pointed out, these journalists expected the best. After traveling around Europe and North Africa, I have come to understand the whole "patience is a virtue" philosophy. Don't ever expect your train to be on time. Always bring Kleenex, even to a club, because chances are there's no toilet paper or paper towels left (nor was there ever.) Bring snacks and bottled water no matter how long your journey.

You should relish the moments which challenge and frustrate you; those are the ones that teach you the most about yourself. But hey, there's that thing called a learning curve, right?

In any case, I beg to wonder what half of these reporters would do if they had sparkling five star hotel rooms. Would they still find something to complain about, or would they tweet songs of praise to Russia? Furthermore, are these journalists the farthest they've ever been from America, thus explaining their ignorance of how the rest of the world works? Or, have they ventured far and wide, speaking with citizens of all races, religions, income levels, and sexual preferences and thus reserve the right to deem their treatment the worst out of any past experiences? Why are we so quick to judge? And, most importantly, why aren't they reporting on what they went there to do?

I ask you to think about it. The Olympics, social media, the press, the ignorance of Western countries, the ignorance of Eastern countries, the reasoning behind the hatred and disrespect of others that do not eat, drink, speak, pray, or shit like you.

What is the underlying cause for your judgement and what comfort line are you unwilling to break at any cost?

Wondrous Writer Wednesday: Aslam, Lahiri, and Hall

2014-01-22T23:04:00.000-05:00

Happy Hump Day to all you readers out there. Today, I will explore a few excerpts from two novels and one collection of short stories in this edition of Wondrous Writer Wednesday.

The first, The Blind Man's Garden, explores a fiction version of events in the months following 9/11 in Pakistan (and at times, Afghanistan). Moving from one character's point of view to the next, Nadeem Aslam explores a different perspective and understanding of the 9/11 story, one which many of us Americans more than likely fail to even consider. Adam Mars-Jones, critic for The Guardian's The Observer, focuses on the incoherent passages and magical realism in his review of The Blind Man's Garden. Unfortunately, I have yet to read Aslam's 2008 novel, The Wasted Vigil, to properly compare his past and present work. That being said, I finished this novel in two days (jaw clenched, fingers turning the pages as quickly as possible). I thought very fondly of the story days later, with Jeo and Naheed still taking up space in my head. What stuck the most in my mind was the idea of coming and going, moving from one country or region to the next. The main character, Mikal, goes away with his best friend, Jeo, to help with the war, then tries so hard to return home once Jeo is killed. Yet, when he returns home everything seems to have changed but himself (apart from a few scars and missing fingers). He goes back out into the Al-Qaeda chaos a second time, causing the reader to hope he'll return safe to his lover. However, at the same time, something inside me hoped that he would never return, that he too would die. While I certainly didn't go back and forth between two war zone countries, I do know the feeling of wondering where I actually belong. That feeling seems to have caught my interest in sections of the other two works I'll explore in this post as well.

I've loved Jhumpa Lahiri's work since my first English literature course freshman year of my undergraduate studies. I decided to give Intro to South-Asian Literature a go and ended up working with the very same professor for my senior thesis. We read both The Namesake and Interpreter of Maladies in one semester. Both caught my attention and fueled my hunger for literature that describes and dissects the question I always have bouncing around in my head. Which culture do I truly belong to? Lahiri's second novel was different from what I was expecting, yet those underlying themes still jumped out at me as I read each chapter. Below are four of my favorite excerpts: two sections describing this sense (or lack) of belonging; two exploring the Internet and its ever-expanding reign over humanity's capabilities.

"It was a portrait of a city Subhash no longer felt a part of. A city on the brink of something; a city he was preparing to leave behind" (33).

"End to end, he was told, the wires of all the suspended cables would span just over eight thousand miles. It was the distance between America and India; the distance that now separated him from his family [...] He didn't belong, but perhaps it didn't matter. He wanted to tell her that he had been waiting all his life to find Rhode Island. That it was here, in this minute but majestic corner of the world, that he could breathe" (65).

"She turns on her laptop, raises her spectacles to her face. She reads the day's headlines. But they might be from any day. A click can take her form breaking news to articles archived years ago. At every moment the past is there, appended to the present. It's a version of Bela's definition, in childhood, of yesterday" (265).

"So much of it, she observes, is designed to eliminated mystery, to minimize surprise. There are maps to indicated where one is going, images of hotel rooms one might stay in. The delayed status of a plane one need not rush to board. Links to people, famous or anonymous- people one might reunite with, or fall in love with, or hire for a job. A revolutionary concept, already taken for granted. Citizens of Internet dwell free from hierarchy. There is room for everyone, given that there are no spatial constraints" (265-6).

Finally, I'd like to highlight Sarah Hall, a British novelist who, despite her numerous accolades and achievements, never crossed my mind until I browsed the section of weekly featured works, hand picked by the local librarians. Sarah's first collection of short stories blew my mind. The first story took some time to dive into, but quite frankly I believe that's a result of my failure to continue reading this genre past graduation. While each story was equally disturbing, entrancing, and direct, I appreciated how each character was somehow flawed, grasping for something else (known or still to be discovered) in life. Two stories really hit deep in the gut. The first excerpt comes from "Bees," found halfway through the collection. The main character focuses so hard on these insects, dying, dead, or about to have their life turn in that direction. While reading this story, I was reminded of my little French students who became so upset by these daily occurrences. Even I remember holding funerals for the dead creatures my sister and i came upon while playing. Why does death seem so unfair for smaller creatures?

In this story, Hall also focuses on leaving, going somewhere new, not knowing a thing, but knowing that what you left behind is not worth your energy any longer.

"It is fair to say that since arriving in the city you've been noticing details. You've been gathering them up, storing them away. You're a receptacle for information. This is a new disposition for you - this vacancy. Always before you felt full, heavy with what had made you and who you were. You wonder if it's a prerequisite for living in the metropolis, the scraping out of past existence to make way for a new, enormously complicated one. You are a recent settler. You've come down from the far north. You've left behind the yellow moors and drenched fields. You've left the people who know you, who have reared you, inured you" (70).

"For a week or so you think about going back to the north. The regret passes. You sit outside in your shorts and a vest. The sun is strong, liquefying. You relax. The garden remains littered with bees. You never see them dying. You don't see them tumbling from the sky, or twitching on the ground, pedalling upside down on their backs, their frail wings vibrating into stillness. They are simply corpses. All you witness is evidence of their extinction" (78).

The other story that drew me in was "The Nightlong River." Hall focuses on friendship, death, and determination in this story.

"I thought I would miss her and I did miss her prettiness and her mirth. I did miss her gentle candour. But my dreams were not of Magda. The truth of death is a peculiar thing. For when they leave us the beloved are as if they never were. They vanish from this earth and vanish from the air. What remains are moors and mountains, the solid world upon which we find ourselves, and in which we reign. We are the wolves. We are the lions. After so many nights treading the banks with the dogs and my brothers, intent on some mettlesome purpose I did not truly understand, night after night I dreamed of the river. I dream it now: a river of stolen perfumes, winding its way through our inverse Eden" (166).

Beautiful, don't you think?

I was going to end this post like a local book club, briefing you on all of the books I currently have out from the library, and the two unread hard covers still sitting on my shelf from the National Book Festival that need to be read. Instead, I'll leave you with this recent Bustle article to peruse. It caused me to think back to my English literature courses, my French literature courses, even my bad habit of going to the same area of the library to browse "new" titles. I have to fully agree with the opinions explored in this article. If you can't leave America physically, at least try to in the fiction world. For all of my non-American friends, please leave me a note with your favorite non-American book. I'm ready to explore!

Good night and happy reading,

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: January Jams

2014-01-12T21:34:00.001-05:00

Hola mes amigos,

How is your 2014 progressing thus far? Have you kept up with your New Year's resolutions? This year I've vowed to keep this blog updated on a much more regular basis.

2013 was quite a monotonous year for me; yet, at the same time, I needed just that after getting kicked out of France. I spent a lot of my time regrouping, reorganizing, and realizing who I am now versus who I used to be. Working at 2:30 am EST didn't help my situation much either; there's only so much you can go and explore when you've got to be in bed by 4 pm. Thankfully my hours have shifted and I have been able to strip off the vampire-monk lifestyle I grew accustomed to in 2013.

So, without further ado, I present you "Sing Along Sunday." At the beginning of each month I'll post a new playlist for you to explore. Some of this month's songs are old favorites, while others I just explored this past week; nonetheless, I hope you enjoy what I've got in store for you to start 2014 off on the right foot! To listen to my "January Jams" playlist, be sure to click on this link or follow me on Spotify by going here. Please note that you'll need a Spotify account to access the list. I've included both the artists and song titles below; if you'd rather not sign up, you could always YouTube the songs instead!

"Liquid Spirit" by Gregory Porter: How could you go wrong with a song title like that? Clap your hands, bang your trusty tambourine and start your day with this upbeat song. I love playing this when I'm getting ready for work in the morning. There's a great piano solo too, so don't fight the urge to play a little "air piano" on your computer keyboard.
"Friend Crush" by Friends: This is quite the catchy tune. Don't be alarmed if you feel the need to put this one on repeat, especially if this applies to your current relationship status.
"She Knows" by J.Cole: I can't get enough of this song. There's this lovely little pause towards the end of the song, making you impatient for the beat to start back up.
"Shortyville" by Trombone Shorty: I saw Trombone Shorty live in Lyon two years ago. I cannot even come close to depicting the amount of energy he has on stage. Sometimes all you need is a little percussion and brass to get you moving and grooving.
"méRua" by Umamali: I came across this song while browsing artists on Spotify. I found quite a few Garifuna artists, but this song got me hooked to the style. Descendants of shipwrecked African slaves who intermarried with Caribbean people and Arawak Indians, the Garifuna people are now found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, and Guatemala. Their language contains a mixture of words from Arawak, French, Spanish, Swahili, English, Bantu, and other languages. Be sure to get out your maracas; you're going to need them for this song.
"Warni Warni" by Omar Souleyman: This song made the list thanks to my sister, who found it on NPR's Top 100 Songs of 2013 list. Souleyman is actually a Syrian folk-pop singer. All I want to do when i hear this song is stomp and twirl around in circles. If you're looking to learn how to properly clap along, be sure to check out his music video.
"How Deep Is Your Love?" by The Rapture: I had absolutely no clue who these guys were until I listened to a random playlist a few weeks ago. Thirty seconds into the song, I starred it and dragged it to this playlist. The Rapture apparently started up in New York back in 1998 and grew popular in early 2003. So glad I found them ten years later!
"Propuesta Indencente" by Romeo Santos: Oh bachata, how I love you and your sexy beat. I could easily look up the English translation of this song, but I prefer to try to figure it out on my own each time I listen to it.
"Son Of A Gun" by Oh Land: If you need a new warm up song for exercising, this is it. Snap your fingers and sing along, you son of a gun!
"Sharara" by Débruit and Alsarah: Débruit is actually the name of the project created by Frenchman Xavier Thomas. (How could you not expect me to include a Frenchified remix in this list?) In this song he works with the Sudanese singer, Alsarah.
"Jamaica Avenue" by Bob Sinclair and Tony Rebel: If you're in need of a little bit of warmth on a cold day, give this a listen. I have to admit, I listened to this at least five times in a row on Friday morning.
"Running" by Jessie Ware: I woke up with this in my head last week. I think that explains my obsession with this song well enough for you to give it a listen.
"Differentology" by Bunji Garlin: I first heard this song in December and instantly knew it would become my new go-to song for 2014. Hailing from Trinidad, Bunji has already collaborated with the infamous Major Lazer. Like Omar, Bunji has a trippy video to go along with his song.
"Mast Kalandar" by Red Baraat: I feel like I'm at an Indian wedding in the middle of New Orleans every time I listen to this song. I love the mixture of sounds and the fact that this band includes 8 talented musicians. All I'm missing is an umbrella to twirl down the street.
"Warm Water: Snakehips Remix" by Banks: What a wonderful song to warm up to for dance! You could also pair this song with a fancy cocktail in a lounge. Shake those hips from side to side!
"Follow Your Heart" by Kacey Musgraves: If you know me well, you know i'm not a huge country fan; however, these lyrics are so perfect I can't help myself from including Kacey on the list. A great tune that points out the contradictions of our society and pushes the listener to do what they want with their life.
"Don't Wanna See Your Face" by John Butler Trio: With a coffee in hand on a windy winter day, this song will get you moving on to greener pastures. Lots of clapping involved if you're in need of getting some anger out as well.
"Tesada'a Bemeen" by Elissa: I first heard this song in Tunisia and have loved it ever since. Elissa's music makes me want to pack up my stuff, get on a train, and fall in love with the stranger sitting next to me. I'm more often than not daydreaming to this song. I'm also in love with any Middle Eastern song with a great violin score and boy do I want to learn this one!

There you have it folks! Give me some feedback in the comment section below and be sure to bookmark by page or sign up as a follower. I'll be highlighting a few of my latest cooking discoveries in next week's post. Until then, have a splendid week!!

Besos,

La petite pamplemousse

"Be The Change"; Un weekend à mon université, James Madison

2014-01-08T13:34:00.002-05:00

Il y a deux mois maintenant que je suis retournée à mon université, James Madison. James Madison est située à Harrisonburg, Virginie, 30 minutes des « Montagnes Bleues ». Elles font partie des grandes Appalaches qui s’étendent de la Pennsylvanie à la Géorgie. Harrisonburg est située dans la vallée au-dessous de ces montagnes. À la fac, on dit souvent « The Burg » ou « The Valley » pour parler de Harrisonburg. (Note : Je suis partie avec mon ancienne colocataire, Andrea. Depuis ce virée en voiture, elle est retournée à l'état de Washington.)

Quand nous y sommes arrivées, nous avons fait un petit tour du « centre-ville. » Une blague car le centre-ville consiste d’une dizaine de restaurants, quelques petites boutiques, et voilà quoi. Par contre, il y avait pas mal de nouveautés depuis 2010. Mon restaurant préféré, Jack Brown’s, était plein, plein, plein de gens! Dis-donc, on a essayé Rick’s, un nouveau restaurant mexicain. Toute la nourriture était bio et les margaritas étaient top du top. Quand le serveur nous a annoncé les promos d’alcool (Jell-O shots, margaritas, tequila shots, etc), j’étais sûre d'être retournée à JMU. Après notre dîner en ville, nous sommes allées au Wal-Mart pour trouver de la bière pour faire la fête. Nous avons fait la fête chaque soir. Malheuresement, nous avons oublié nos costumes pour Halloween.

Samedi, nous avons fait du "tailgating." Bref, c'était encore une fête! C'est quand tu bois, manges, parles, et joues des jeux comme "cornhole" avant le match du football américain. Je n'ai jamais vu quelque chose de pareil en France. Nous avons assisté le match de JMU contre Villanova, une université de chez moi, près de Philadelphie. Pour info, chaque fois que JMU touche un essai, nous jetons des banderoles en l'air et cri comme des animaux; la stade ressemble à une mer de violet et jaune. De plus, chaque « first down », nous disons « J-M-U-, DUUUUUKEEES ! ». Je jure que tu peux l’entendre de l’autre côté du campus. J'étais très ravie d’être là car notre équipe a gagné 31 à 21!

Marching Royal Dukes

Le "Quad"

Salle "Wilson"

Centre d'arts "Forbes"

Après le match, nous avons mangé dans un des cafétérias du campus. Mon université est toujours lassée en 3me ou 4me place de toutes les universités des États-Unis pour sa nourriture. J'ai accumulé au moins trois assiettes et 2 bols (et bien sûr j'ai pris quelques fruits pour la route). Après le diner, nous nous sommes retournés chez mon ami Brett pour faire encore la fête.

Campus de l'est

Avec la statue la plus sexy de James Madison

Au "tailgate"

Bud et Coors Light, les deux bières préferées des pauvre étudiants!

Le lendemain, Brett nous a conduit à Mrs. J's Bagels, un Mecque pour traiter la gueule de bois. La queue était horrible partout à cause de ce weekend qui s’appelle « Homecoming». Nous avons essayé les trois locations et a finalement commandé nos bagels après une demi-heure d'attente. Avec les ventres satisfaits, nous avons remerciés notre hôte en partant pour découvrir le Parc Shenandoah, un autre "faut faire."

Le Parc Shenandoah était établi en 1935. Il a pour but de donner accès aux gens de conduire et apprécier la beauté de la montage. Le « Civilian Conservation Corps a beaucoup aidé avec la construction de plusieurs commodités pour le grand parc. Le CCC a était créé en 1933 par Président Roosevelt pour donner du travail aux jeune chômeurs et a été dissous en 1942.

Andrea et moi, nous avons commencé notre tour à l’entrée Swift Run (2365 ft, 720 m haut). Nous avons arrêté à chaque point de vue pour prendre quelques photos et apprécier la beauté du feuillage de la vallée en bas des montagnes. Nous nous sommes dit « pourquoi ne pas faire un peu de la randonnée aussi ?» Nous avons grimpé les roches pour monter « Point Overlook ». Là-haut, nous a eu une belle vue panoramique. Nous avons eu du mal à grimper la dernière roche, mais après un peu d’hésitation, nous y sommes arrivées. Après une heure de randonnée, nous avons continué par la route et sommes arrivées à « Big Meadows ». Il y avait quelques familles cerf partout dans la prairie. Nous avons essayé de les suivre pour prendre des belles photos sans succès. Quand le soleil a commencé à se coucher, nous étions au plein milieu de la praire. Malheureusement, nous avons oublié le changement de l’heure d’été à l’heure normal. J’ai pensé que nous pourrions faire toute la route de Skyline Drive, mais bon, je la garde pour une prochaine fois. Au moins, nous avons fait la moitié de la grande route. Nous nous sommes sorties du parc à Thorton Gap (2340 ft, 713 m haut) pour retourner à Washington, DC. Thorton Gap est située juste à côté de la caverne Luray.

En montant "Point Overlook"

En haut de "Point Overlook"

"Big Meadows"

J’étais très heureuse de retourner à JMU. Comme vous avez lu, nous avons beaucoup profité de ces trois jours à Harrisonburg. En résultat de ce weekend, je suis très inspirée à suivre mes rêves et à trouver des nouveaux buts pour cette année.

Il y a quelque chose de magique en retournant où tu as grandi pendant 4 ans d’éducation supérieure. Il y a bien sûr un sentiment de nostalgie qui te prend, mais aussi une grande appréciation de tous qui t’a arrivé depuis être là. Une passion, non même, un soif de découvrir le monde revienne dans ton corps et reprenne les pensées de ta tête. C’est comme le feu qui se grandit après que tu bouges quelques buches dans la cheminée.

Je vous laisse aujourd’hui avec la moto de mon alma mater: « Be the change/ Soyez le changement. »

Bisous,

La petite pamplemousse

Harpers Ferry, une belle ville historique

2013-11-13T10:45:00.000-05:00

Bonjour à tous,

Quoi de neuf sur l’autre côté de l’Atlantique? Ici, il commence à faire tellement froid que j'ai mis mon manteau d'hiver ce matin. Ils parlent même de la neige ce soir/demain matin. Vous imaginez ? La neige en novembre ? J’espère qu’ils se trompent.

Heureusement, j’ai eu la chance de faire quelques choses traditionnellement «automne» avant que le froid est arrivé.

Il y a deux weekends que je suis allée en Virginie-Occidentale avec mon ancienne colocataire, Andrea, qui va bientôt retourner à Bellingham,Washington. Elle nous a conduit à la ferme de pommes pour cueillir des pommes et une grande citrouille pour Halloween. Nous avons toutes les deux choisis quelques pommes «Staymans» et «Cameos». Les pommes «Gala» étaient déjà pourries et tombées par terre. En total, j’ai acheté au moins 8 pommes pour 5 dollars. Ma citrouille m’a couté 10 dollars. Malheureusement, elle n’a pas durée plus qu’une semaine après avoir été coupée en visage «Jack-o-Lantern». Nous avons pris quelques photos avec les épouvantails et puis nous sommes parties pour Harpers Ferry.

Pommes par terre

Nid d'oiseau

Citrouilles

Harpers Ferry est située juste à côté de la confluence de la Potomac et de la Shenandoah. Là, les états de Maryland, Virginie, et Virginie-Occidentale se rejoignent aussi. Une sorte de « trois points d’un triangle » de l’Est, comme l’Ouest a ses « quatre coins » (Arizona, Colorado Nouveau-Mexique, et Utah).

En 1783, quand Thomas Jefferson ( troisième président des États-Unis) est allé faire un tour de Virginie, il a fait une petite pause sur une grande roche. Dans «Notes on the State of Virginia», il a écrit que la vue de cette roche « mérite un voyage de l’autre côté de l’Atlantique. » J’avoue, la vue est magnifique.

Harpers Ferry est connu pour son histoire pendant la guerre de Sécession et (dépendant de votre source) le héros/terroriste/fanatique/visionnaire, John Brown. Le 16 octobre 1859, Brown a fait une descente sur la ville avec 21 hommes (quelques entre eux étaient des esclaves). Il a espéré prendre les armes de l’arsenal de la ville pour commencer une grande révolte d’esclaves. Ils ont été arrêtés par les citoyens et la milice locale, un échec horrible. Pourtant, son essai est bien connu comme un moment critique, un détonateur de la guerre de Sécession. Brown était pendu après avoir été convaincu de trahison.

Comme cette ville est idéalement placée à côté de la grande voie ferrée et située juste au nord de la Vallée de Shenandoah en Virginie, les deux troupes l’ont pris comme une base. En fait, entre 1831 et 1865, elle a changé de main 8 fois. Après la guerre, l’armée américaine n’a jamais renouvelé son contrat de produire des armes à Harpers Ferry.

En 1944, Harpers Ferry est devenu un parc national. En résultat, la ville compte maintenant moins de 300 habitants. Pendant la première partie de la 21me siècle, beaucoup de Washingtoniens sont venus de la capitale pour prendre leurs vacances à Harpers Ferry. C’est exactement pour cette raison que nous y sommes venues. Pour découvrir la beauté de ses montagnes, de ses deux rivières, et de son histoire.

Maison privée

Vue de la "Roche de Jefferson"

Roche de Jefferson

Ruines d'une église détruite pendant la guerre de Sécession

En ville

Rouillé

Coucou Mr. Soleil!

Habillé comme chevalier, pourquoi pas?

Confluence de la Potomac et de la Shennandoah

Voie élevé

A venir : la Vallée de Shenandoah et son grand parc

Gros bisous,

La petite pamplemousse

Sacré Septembre

2013-10-27T13:32:00.002-04:00

On est déjà presque fin octobre? Je ne le crois pas! De toute façon, j'ai fait plein de choses pour commencer cette belle saison d'automne.

Le premier weekend du septembre, je suis allée à la plage pour la fête du travail. Malheuresement, j'ai dû travailler, mais j'ai eu la chance de profiter une dernière fois du soleil, de la chaleur de l'été, et des fruits de mer bien frais.

Le weekend prochain, je suis allée au festival du vin en Virginie. (Je ferai tout pour essayer du nouveau vin.) Il faisait beau, il y avait un petit vent, et il y avait beaucoup du vin! On y est resté toute la journée et on n'a même pas gouté la moitié du vin en vente...j'ai tout de suite compris pourquoi le festival déroule pendant 2 jours.

Un vignoble avait 26 vins à gouter. J'avoue que la plupart de ses vins était dégoutant…vin à la cerise, vin à la fraise, vin à l'ananas, etc. Il y avait beaucoup de filles qui aimaient ça, mais à mon avis, ce varié du vin est trop sucrée et trop modifiée.

Après quelques dégustations, j'ai noté qu'au sujet du vin rouge, la plupart des vignobles font que du Cabernet Sauvignon ou Cabernet Franc. En outre, il y avait plus du vin blanc que du vin rouge. Même avec le vin blanc, il manquait quelque chose. Soudain, j'ai compris qu'il n'y a pas du chêne dans le procès. Résultat: Il y a un certain manque du gout et du corps. Apres cette réalisation, j'ai demandé à chaque vendeur comment ils font...je me souviens que la plupart a répondu qu'ils laissent le vin veiller en acier inoxydable!

J'ai bien bu, mais bon, ce n'était pas comme le grand festival à Lyon. J'ai quand même acheté 6 bouteilles, 3 de Barboursville, 3 de Horton.

Festival du vin en Virginie

Le weekend d'après je suis allée à Six Flags, le grand parc d'amusement. Il y avait une sortie avec mon boulot et on avait tout le parc le vendredi soir. J'ai fait chaque manège plusieurs fois. C'était le top du top! Je me sentais comme j'avais encore 6 ans. Il y avait un manège qui s'appelle Superman où tu es allongé. Puis, quand tu arrives au sommet, tout est renversé. C'est comme tu voles! Comment la coeur a battu!

Samedi soir, avec ma nouvelle colocataire, on est allée à Virgin Mobile Freefest. Le concert s'est passé à Columbia, Maryland où il y a un grand parc avec trois stages. Le problème? Il pleuvait toute la journée/nuit. Plutôt festival de la boue, je dirai. Tout le monde était bourré et en train de se tombait. Heureusement, on n'est pas tombé une seule fois. J'ai vu MGMT, Robin Thicke, The Avett Brothers, Pretty Lights, et Vampire Weekend. On était toute mouillée mais ça se faisait du bien d'aller entendre plein de musiciens dans une seule nuit! En plus, le concert était gratuit! Gagné!

Pretty Lights au "Freefest"

Le dernier weekend du septembre, je suis allée encore au événement du vin qui s'appelait Wine Riot! Par contre, cette fois l'endroit était plus petit et concentré. Apparemment, les vignobles vont partout aux États-Unis, une sorte de festival internant. J'ai parlé avec quelques vendeurs pour mieux comprendre le procès aux États-Unis…comment importer le vin d'ailleurs, comment avoir la licence de vendeur, comment les tarifs sont diffèrent selon l'état, etc. J'avoue que j'aimerais bien faire ça comme boulot.

J'ai rien acheté cette fois, mais j'ai noté le nom de deux vendeurs pour rechercher plus tard. Un à importer ses vins de l'Afrique du Sud. L'autre se trouve près du lac “du doigt” au New York. Après, on est mangé à la Brasserie Beck. J'ai commandé un steak-frites. Grace à mes années à Lyon, capitale de la bouffe française, je sais comment commander un bon steak. Plus du steak bien cuit pour moi!

Après, on est allée à la Nuit Blanche à Shaw, un endroit près de l'université Howard (historiquement pour les étudiants blacks). Il y avait trois étages d'artistes, DJs, et œuvres. J'ai trop aimé cette artiste du graffiti. Tout cela m'a inspiré à recommencer à peindre.

Artiste à la "Nuit Blanche"

Trop beau les drapeaux!

Salle de "Wine Riot"

J'adore! Ce panneau m'a fait pensé à mon "Pépé Brouillette"

Dimanche, je suis allée au festival du livre au National Mall. J'ai entendu la grande écrivaine Joyce Carole Oates parler de son procès d'écrire, son nouveau livre, et ses inspirations. J'ai acheté deux livres, Midnight in Mexico et And The Mountains Echoed. J'ai pensé à attendre pour avoir mon livre signée par les auteurs, mais la queue pour Khaled Hosseini avait déjà 7 rangs.

Festival du livres 2013

Joyce Carole Oates

Voilà, en bref, ce que j'ai fait ce dernier mois! Si vous souhaitez voir un quartier particulier ou que je vous faire découvrir un sujet américain qui n'est pas forcement rapporté en France, laissez-moi un commentaire.

Je pense à consolider tous mes photos, projets, et pensées sur un nouveau site web, mais pour l'instant n'hésitez pas de me suivre sur Instagram pour regarder quels plats je cuisine en ce moment!

A plus dans le bus!

La petite pamplemousse

The (Jealous, Self-Conscious, Over-Thinking) Interestings

2013-10-15T23:09:00.000-04:00

I still equate the return of chilly weather and the scent of bonfires with a new (school) year. The fact that I'm not going to class (as either a teacher or a student), has brought a mini-depression, if I must admit it. Just think for a minute. If you're fortunate enough to go to grade school, secondary school, and then, college, you've spent approximately 18 years adjusting to the routine, the carefully planed and themed lessons, the week-long breaks in late December and early spring, and the constant absorption of names, dates, equations, theories, and "facts." While in school, you're constantly reminded that you're preparing yourself for growing up, for living in the real world, for getting a real job and paying your bills on time; but, you never learn any of this from your homework, pop quizzes, or final exams. You never are told how an ordinary day only becomes what you make of it. You are instead told to follow the rules, connect the dots, and be on time or else your grade will drop or you'll get a detention slip. There are no specific tests or homework assignments on how to treat others, how to know the difference between what you're good at and what you should be doing, how to go from being entirely dependent on your parents to not at all, how to live your life without following others, how to control your jealousy, how to build self-confidence, or how to just be "yourself."

You grasp these concepts and understandings through time, experience, repeating mistakes over and over again, reading (a lot) of physical books, going to unfamiliar places without breaking out the GPS or map, and spending time alone (especially after spending an afternoon surrounded by friends, family, or peers). Why then, do I crave the classroom more now than ever before? Furthermore, do you? Could you care less? Do you recognize this feeling I'm attempting to describe or did you shout "Hallelujah!" upon receiving your diploma?

I recently finished the latest novel by Meg Wolitzer. I bookmarked one of those "Books to Read This Fall" lists, added The Interestings to my requested library holds, and finished its 480 pages four days later. I'm terrible at accidentally giving away the ending to anything, so I'll try to be as vague as possible. Essentially, Wolitzer explores Jules Jacobson's life, starting with those awkward, yet exciting teenage years. Throughout each chapter of Jules' life, Wolitzer fleshes out the ebb and flow of jealousy (rooted in each and every friendship), the feeling of insecurity that never seems to leave (no matter one's age), and the distinct, yet, often overlooked difference between nostalgia and reality. I can't attest to what's written about married life (with or without children), but I can affirm that Wolitzer pens the twentysomething years as a perfect mixture of confusion, transformation, and dedication.

When I was fourteen, I was given a journal. The cover is a shimmery gold with three, black Chinese characters; when read together, they translate to "Imagination." I decided this would be a different journal. I started writing down famous quotations, browsing the Internet for as long as I could before getting disconnected by an incoming phone call. Thoughts from Helen Keller and Benjamin Franklin fill the first few pages. I slowly moved away from stalking the unending pages of quotation websites and started to write down sections of books or poems that stuck with me, hit me in the gut, made me cry, made me laugh, made me stop in my tracks and reread a second, or even third time. Last night, I broke out my black pen for the first time in months, and added the following quotations from Wolitzer's book (in cursive, if you must know).

"This was a time of life, she understood, in which you might not know what you were, but that was all right. (...) The time period between the ages of, roughly 20 & 30, was often amazingly fertile. Great work might get done during this ten-year slice of time. Just out of college, they were gearing up, ambitious, not in a calculating way, but simply eager, not yet tired" (59).

This paragraph, if we're talking baseball, is a grand slam. It explores a trio of thoughts one must possess in order to pass the twentysomethings course in life (or so I believe after living through the first five years). First, you know and accept the fact that you don't know who you are or what you're doing. Second, you are still growing. (Well, mentally... Physically, I stopped growing at 16). Third, you are excited and ready (in your mind) for what's to come.

"Instead, it took nearly two months, a period during which they each performed their separate life tasks in seeming preparation for nothing, but which turned out to be preparation for so much" (70).

I keep telling myself that the past year and a half is leading me somewhere, preparing me for a huge life moment or a place I don't know even exists yet, but will. As much as I rant to peers and friends, I'd like to highlight the fact that you should always appreciate the mundane lifestyle while you have it.

"And Yvonne said, 'We are all here on this earth for only one go around. And everyone thinks their purpose is to find their passion. But perhaps our purpose is also to find out what other people need" (220).

Yvonne's words sting, but Jules needed to hear them to take the leap out of acting and into psychology. Sometimes interests and hobbies don't turn into anything more than just that. I've already figured that out with belly dancing. Now, the hard part, is figuring out what people need from me.

"Everyone tended to believe everything was their fault;' maybe it was just hard to imagine, when you were still fairly young, that there were some things in the world that were not just about you" (275).

I still have not learned to only say "I'm sorry" when the result of an action is entirely my fault. I'm working on it (and trying to remember it's not about me!)

"Manny shook his head and said, 'Oh, come on. You're telling me that because of the Internet, and the availability of everyone, every whim, every tool, suddenly everyone's an artist? But here's the thing; If everyone's an artist, then none is' " (380).

Amen, Manny, A-holy of holiest-men.

If you find yourself doubting your life, your interests, your relationships, you mistakes and your successes, I strongly encourage you to pick up a copy of The Interestings. My ambition battery is recharged and ready to go as a result of following Jules through life. For an extra bonus, or in case you simply want musical inspiration as well, check out this lovely artist, Jessie Ware.

Out and over to ponder life a bit longer over a cup of Moroccan mint tea,

La petite pamplemousse

Fair & Lovely: What's in a Color?

2013-10-01T12:34:00.001-04:00

Roughly two weeks ago, Nina Davuluri, Miss New York, won the 87th Miss America competition. If you didn't watch it live, you had to have heard about the ridiculous outcry on Twitter. Buzzfeed does a wonderful job highlighting some of the most colorful tweets that surfaced right after the announcement. Reading through some of these, I was shocked, disgusted, and embarrassed. Are people really that ignorant to make such commentary? Or, do they just want to be the first to start a new wave of rant tweets in hopes of gaining new followers on this social media platform? Do they refuse to open themselves up to the people around them? Or, is the harsh reality of our country's divided history so deeply branded into our (thick) skulls that we will never succeed in our battle against racial and religious stereotypes? Or further, are there simply too many people with an excessive amount of free time on their hands that they decide to start petty fights behind their mobile phones, computers, and tablets just to see what happens?*

As a kid, did you ever focus on or care about the color of the people around you? So, why and when exactly do people become so obsessed with skin color? More importantly, will we ever move away from this obsession or is it ultimately a pre-written key player, a state of mind passed down from generation to generation, in each and every history chapter, past, present, and future?

The past few weeks I've been concentrating my personal reading on race relations in the news. After Duvulari was crowned, I thought back to my undergraduate degree, where I focused on South Asian literature. I remember learning about the caste system and how it still exists in today's (modern - well, maybe in terms of technology) world. I discovered interesting skin creams, like Fair & Lovely, which claim to whiten a woman, even down there. Crazy, right? In the same article, one interviewee connected the hype of being lighter skinned back to British rule, when donning parasols and staying indoors was considered "la mode." Others blamed the obsession on the invasion of American retail lines.

Ironically, I find that here in the USA, TV series like Jersey Shore and Real Housewives, promote more and more white Americans to become obsessed with obtaining the perfect tan, rather than embracing their color as well. Why can't we all embrace our differences and learn to be comfortable in our own skin?

I guess, all I really want to know is, where did all the good, accepting, open-minded people go?

La petite pamplemousse

**If you aren't already a fan of Stromae, I highly suggest going on Spotify to listen to his latest song, a modern remix of the infamous Carmen. Les paroles sont ici and decent English translations are available if you can't read the French.

Errer à Woodstock, Ville Des Hippies

2013-09-18T10:38:00.001-04:00

Il y a un mois que je suis allée à Woodstock, NY, ville de la paix, de l'amour, et des hippies. L'année dernière, ma tante Mari est partie de Wilmington, Delaware pour vivre à Woodstock. Son copain a grandi près de Woodstock et ils sont partis souvent en hiver pour skier dans les Catskills.

Vendredi après-midi, je suis partie de Washington, D.C., (direction Philadelphie) pour joindre une autre tante, Patti. Là, on a fait une petite pause à Wawa (genre station-service du nord-est –la meilleure!) et puis allez, hop, on y go! En total, j'ai passé 8 heures dans la voiture. Ooof !

Nous sommes arrivées chez ma tante à minuit. Comme il faisait froid déjà dans les montagnes! Nous avons bu un petit verre dessus des étoiles avant de se coucher (et comment nous avons très bien dormi ce soir-là).

Le lendemain, nous avons pris le temps de se réveiller, de boire un grand café, et de découvrir la maison et le jardin en plein soleil. Ma tante Mari a dû travailler la plupart de la journée, donc elle nous a laissé toute seule. (Elle a récemment ouvert son nouveau magasin, Evolve Design Gallery.)

C’était clair que nous étions deux citadines dans la compagne. Déjà, nous avions du mal à trouver la ville et à cause de moi, nous sommes descendues la montagne avant de comprendre que nous n’avions pas la bonne route. Une demi-heure plus tard, nous avons trouvé Woodstock et nous avons arrêté pour faire un petit tour de la salle d'exposition d’Evolve. J’espère bien que ma tante aura des grandes clientes. Le bruit court que David Bowie va bientôt commencer du travail sur sa maison. Il avait 10 ans qu’il a acheté terre mais comme tout le monde a chassé la rumeur et est venu à Woodstock pour voir, il attendait pour commencer à faire des travaux. Nous espérons qu’il viendra chez Evolve. Ça sera trop cool de dire que tu gère le renouvellement de la maison de Davide Bowie...

Après notre tour, ma tante Patti et moi, nous sommes allées nous balader au centre-ville pour faire un peu du shopping. Partout à Woodstock, vous trouverez des guitares. Devant chaque magasin, chaque restaurant, chaque petite église, il y a une guitare décorée. Par exemple, un des magasins vend que des bougies. Devant ce magasin, il y a une guitare décorée avec des bougies fondues. Au centre de ce magasin, ils ont aussi la plus grande bougie du monde (à ce qu’ils prétendent.) Ils l'ont fait en faire fondre une petite bougie chaque jour.

Comme nous n'avons pas mangé le petit déjeuner, nous avions trop faim. Nous avons choisi de déjeuner chez Oriole 9. Chez Oriole 9, il y a un grand tableau a l’entrée. Là, vous pouvez écrire ce que vous espérez faire avant de mourir. Qu’est-ce que j’ai écrit ? Danser en Égypte et voyager tous les continents du monde ! Les autres rêves ont inclut se marier, faire des enfants, et faire un « road trip ».

J’ai commandé une limonade (à la américaine, pas comme vous avez en France, berk !), et un sandwich BLT (bacon, salade, tomate) au poulet. Ma tante a commandé un sandwich à l’agneau marocain. Nous avons trop aimé tous que nous avons commandé que nous y sommes revenues encore le dimanche après-midi et le lundi matin. Malheureusement, je n’ai pas pris des photos (car j’ai mangé trop vite ….et si vous me connaissez bien, je prends mes temps à manger). Oriole 9 est très connu par des stars et mondains de NYC. On avait l'impression que la dame à côté de nous était un des deux, car elle a mis des lunettes de soleil, un chapeau, et un écart en partant du restaurant avec son bébé et sa maman. À l'autre côté de notre table, il y avait un trio, tous en noir. Ils ont tous sortis des iPads. Ma tante a fait des remarques qu'ils nous regardent bizarrement. J'étais mort de rire car c'étaient eux qui ne semblent pas à leur place avec tous les familles et gens « baba cool ».

Le dimanche, nous sommes retournées en ville pour la promenade de paix et de l’unité de l’humanité. Il y avait une tribu des indiens qui est venue du Canada. Ces indiens ont voyagé par chevaux et par canoës. Ils sont allées jusqu’à Washington, DC comme ça! Une petite tribu, mais très grand comme idée (particulièrement dans ces temps de violence du fusil dans mon pays). Il y avait un monsieur qui a fait une prière, puis tout le monde a recommencé à chanter des chansons de la paix. Mes tantes et moi ont toutes des larmes aux yeux. Trop beau comme message. Après, nous avons mangé une glace bio et nous sommes parties pour voir le réservoir d’Ashokan avant que la tempête arrive. Une demi-heure après, il faisait beau. Quels temps bizarres dans ces montagnes de New York. Nous sommes retournées en ville pour une dernière fois pour joindre le cercle de batteries. Là, nous avions de la chance de rencontrer Papi et Mamie Woodstock (deux hippies qui ont resté après le grand festival de 1969).

Une des guitares

La plus grande bougie du monde

Bouddha

Ils sont venus par chevaux depuis le Canada.

Réservoir d'Ashokan

Circle de la batterie

Papi Woodstock

Magasin de tous qui est "tie-dye"

J’adore Washington, D.C., mais j’aime bien partir me perdre dans la nature de temps en temps. C’était pareil à Lyon. J’ai trop adoré la ville, mais j’ai attendu avec hâte mon weekend à la Clusaz entre amis! Bref, ma tante Marie et moi, nous sommes allées fait de la randonnée dans les montagnes chaque matin. Dimanche matin, le chemin a commencé à Byrdcliffe. Byrdcliffe est un grand centre d’art. Les artistes doivent envoyer leur CVs pour être accepter dans le programme et pour vivre là-bas pendant été. Très isolé et très tranquille comme espace du travail ! Pas du wifi, c’est sûr ! En haut de cette montagne, nous avons pu voir Woodstock, le réservoir, l’église, et les autres sommets de Catskills. Lundi matin, nous sommes parties derrière la maison de la voisine de ma tante (qui est une sculptrice très connue). Ce chemin était plus facile mais j’ai quand même transpiré ! Cette voisine a 74 ans mais elle fait de la randonnée trois fois par semaine. Imaginez une dame en shorts et un t-shirt hawaiienne avec du rouge à lèvres. Elle m'a conseillé (avec son accent de New Orleans) de faire un peu plus du sport quand nous avons commencé. J’avoue, il faut que je fasse plus du sport chaque semaine…c’est vrai que cette dame était la première en haut du sommet.

On a trouvé plein de petits champignons dans tous les couleurs le lundi. Ma tante a voulu trouvé une espèce particulaire qui est vendu à 9 dollars le kilo qu'elle a vu au supermarché mais, nous n’avons pas du suces. Par contre, en retournant chez ma tante, nous avons découvert un arbre à griffes et aussi un ancien mur fait par des fermiers suédois qui ont venu ici dans le 18 e siècle.

Tous les soirs, nous avons grillés des steaks et des légumes (salade, tomates, betteraves, poivres, etc.) du jardin de ma tante. Nous avons bu des mojitos fraiches, bavardé, et regardé les étoiles. Dimanche soir, nous avons vu plein d’étoiles filantes. Nous avons même entendu des coyotes du loin. Nous étions heureuse être ensemble après presque 3 ans. C'était un super weekend entre mes tantes et j’ai trop hâte d’y retourner pour skiera.

Jardin chez ma tante

Famille de cerf

Roches

Mur fait par les Suedois

Arbre griffé

Ma tante Mari et moi en haut du sommet

Trop bien cette autocollant

Comme vous voyez, Woodstock est sûrement une ville très belle, tranquille, et calme et je vous conseille de la découvrir avant de mourir !

Je vous souhaite de la paix et de l’amour !

A plus dans le hippie bus,
La petite pamplemousse

War & Peace: Thoughts on Syria

2013-08-30T23:19:00.000-04:00

While the majority of social media posts have been (and still seem to be) in response to Miley’s ability to twerk it on national television, my mind has been elsewhere (in Syria to be exact).

When I was younger, I always wondered what it would be like to live through the famous world wars. I constantly asked my Mom-Mom what her life was like, how they dealt with the war (apparently she and her siblings chewed on tar to wear off hunger), and if the textbooks told the real story. Today, I found myself constantly tapping my left foot, refreshing my web browser every 5 minutes, and wondering if we are about to start a new chapter of world war history.

I’ve got contradicting thoughts on Syria and I want to explore them with you; so let’s start with the beginning. In brief, Syrian rebels have been fighting their current President’s (Bashar al-Asad) regime since 2011. That's approximately (give or take your sources) two years ago. Two. (I could make a list of countries who are currently fighting with their own people, for how long they've been going at it, and how bloody it was or still is, but let’s stick to the subject of Syria).

Working as an editor, I’m careful not to believe everything I read. That’s just part of the job; you have to do background checks on sources and citations to make sure everything lines up with what’s being announced. My government claims they have proof that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against their own people. Despite this and in response to their citizens' reactions, the UK and Germany have both pulled out of agreements to use direct military involvement, and of course, Russia has blatantly refused to do anything. Our history with Russia reminds me of one of those covered water slides: dark, twisting, and long. I think this has something to do with the whispers of World War III in my head. Maybe I'm overreacting and the media has hyped it all up to be more than it is (like with North Korea and the talks of their alleged nuclear missiles) a few months ago. Who the hell really knows though, we're all kept in the dark nowadays.

Anyways, today both Kerry and Obama spoke out against al-Asad. In this CNN article, President Obama is quoted as having stated, “It’s important for us to recognize that when 1,000 people are killed, including hundreds of innocent children, through the use of a weapon that 98 or 99 percent of humanity says should not be used even in war, and there is no action, then we’re sending a signal that that international norm doesn’t mean much.” I agree with this part of his statement but I still wonder why we, as an international community, continue to create and possess nuclear and chemical weapons if 98 or 99 percent of people are opposed to it. I fully comprehend that not every country possesses these horrific man-made creations, but if one country abides by the rules, shouldn't everyone?

No, chemical weapons are not good. Using them is an easy way out and certainly not a just way to fight. Yet, these weapons are available. Do we honestly think that saying, "Hey this isn't good, you shouldn't do that!" will stop someone from doing it? It's like telling a four-year-old to stop climbing up the slide, and just go down on their bottom like they're supposed to. They aren't going to listen. They won't understand until they slip, fall, and get bloody hands and knees. You can't really force those kinds of lessons.

On the other hand, what eerily reminds me of the past (and my not so favorite President), is this statement made by our current President: “And that is a danger to our national security." How does it go from international to national? Can someone please explain the logic behind this? If we don't intervene, does that really allow other countries to so suddenly have the upper hand in handing out weapons, money, and military training?

This whole notion of protecting one's national security really gets me riled up, especially since I think we've come so far away from its original meaning when we started off as a country. It also reminds me of a book I finished earlier this year, entitled A Woman Among Warlords. I've pulled the following two quotations from the beginning and the end of the book. I think we, as a nation and as an international community, should really digest these words before making any sort of decision:

“As I never tire of telling my audiences, no nation can donate liberation to another nation. These values must be fought for and won by the people themselves. They can only grow and flourish when they are planted by the people in their own soil and watered by their own blood and tears” (5).

“All told, according to Professor Marc W. Herold of the University of New Hampshire, at least seven thousand civilians have been killed by U.S./NATO forces since the invasion of Afghanistan….Herold sums up the predictable impact of these bombings in Afghanistan: ‘In effect, the US/NATO forces are relying upon air power in lieu of ground forces and in so doing causing high levels of civilian casualties which, in turn, push locals towards the resistance. This is particularly important in Afghanistan where the culture of revenge has long stalked Americans there. U.S/NATO aerial attacks turn friends into enemies'” (157).

This is their civil war. This is a fight between their people. Yet, there’s the issue of chemical weapons and so we consider intervening to teach them a lesson, to scold them for crossing the red line. What is our lesson? Don't kill your own people? Don't mess with the international rules set in place by some of the most powerful countries in the world? I’m not really sure whose side to believe anymore. Officials claim that it would be unjust and unfair to turn the other way when we have such solid proof. Yet, what does the world do in reaction to our constant drone attacks on Yemen?

Let me take a breather for a second.

So when I was teaching in France, I had a lovely but quite student in one of my 4th grade classes who was from Syria. She wore jumpsuits with her country’s flag like a lot of my other students (who hailed from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, the Congo, and the like). She was so eager to learn English and came to my afterschool club once a week.

This whole week I’ve been having trouble falling asleep. I sit in bed and wonder what’s happening to her family who still lives over there. Have they already been killed? Are they leaving their country to live as refugees in Lebanon or Jordan? Or have they been living as refugees since the break of war? Did they try to come to France too? What is life really like over there and who does anyone trust anymore?

The U.S. once fought a civil war. There wasn’t any sort of chemical weapon involved, but it was bloody and confusing and a major turning point in our history. While I want a happy ending, I’m not sure when or how or if that will occur for Syria. What I do know and believe is that the U.S. does not always have to be a hero to be appreciated and highly regarded by the international community. We may be powerful, but that does not give us the right to just jump into a fight whenever we deem necessary. I think it's highly contradictory for us to scold Syria yet brush the fact that we too committed a heinous act (by bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki) under the rug. We may be a very powerful country, but let us also keep in mind that it takes a very long time to regain trust, even with our own allies.

With that all being said, I ask you to join me on a quick ride on the peace train.

Good night and good luck,

Petite pamplemousse