Sweet Wesley Willis... I just received 3 bangin' CDs from my friend Sam. And they actually went to Samoa (I saw the postal stamps), and then got forwarded to my address here. Only 6 months later...
I also forgot to mention that Sam gets extra points because he kept me in touch with my Texan heritage while I was abroad: see his blog.
I got to meet up with him, his girlfriend Allison, and his brother Mac at ACL, and I can't really remember the last time I've laughed so hard. Good kids.
CD1 (sam's faves): Broken Social Scene- Looks Just like the Sun. I listened to so much BSS (and by so much I mean 2 songs on repeat) back in Samoa. This song woulda topped the chart. (Honorable mention: Pants pants pants- Sensible Gangsta)
CD2 (music everyone loves): Spoon-Stay Don't Go. This one makes me my body involuntarily spasm in a way that it kinda turns into a funky dance. Those are my favorite kinds of songs.
CD3 (study tunage): Malaria Codes- Octopus Project (can't find a link) This is another song that just compels me to dance. It seems like that's really the only way I judge music nowadays.
Sam, as you may or may not be the only one reading this-- here's that clip I was trying to get you to watch:
Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Ofa/Alofa/Aloha Spirit is Alive in Euless, TX
High school football is big in Texas. I always expected to grow out of it, but now that I'm living back home, my favorite thing to do is to go to my alma mater's pep rallies and football games. And I don't even like football.
Lately, my high school has been getting tons of press coverage on the football team(not just local, but NPR, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, CBS, and BBC! *). And it's not because of the football. It's because of the Haka, and all that it symbolizes within this school:
I remember entering middle school and wondering why my friends' parents were transferring them to other districts. You'll get... shot/pregnant/into drugs/turn gay/dye your hair/in a gang... if you go to Trinity. That's what I heard. Our rival high school made T-shirts that say "I was going to go to Trinity, but then my dad got a job." And to be fair-- yeah, there were kids that went there who got pregnant/shot/into drugs/etc... but then there's... me. And I didn't join any gangs. The point of it is that there are people of all kinds in the world who may do things differently from you, but all you can do is build a community and show each other love anyway.
When I went there, I felt at home. I wrote several editorials for the school newspaper about how much I appreciated our diversity, which is kind of funny to me now because I had no idea how unique my high school was until after I graduated and left to go to a private liberal arts college (white-ville, USA). While I was there, I became aware of and sensitive to racial discrimination. There were so many kids that were adamant about ending racial discrimination, but it felt like we were all walking on eggshells all the time, which in reality I think segregated the community even more. This period in my life just left me depressed and hopeless about ending discrimination.
I came home right before I left for Samoa and went to a pep rally to watch my little brother in the drumline. Being back on campus and watching the kids interact brought back so many memories... and I got a little emotional. Looking around the gym, it seemed like there was so much potential for discrimination, and yet the sense of community there is indescribable. Here's a clip from the pep rally:
So now that I'm back home, I love to go to the games. I don't even like football, I just like the atmosphere. It's so cool for me to see the "Dallas mom" (with her big hair, excessive makeup, etc) get high-fived by the 75 year old Tongan grandmother every time Trinity scores a touch-down.
As I was leaving the pep rally last Friday, I saw mobs of kids congregating in a circle on the mall. In my day, this almost always meant a fight was breaking out. But as I got a better view, I realized that the times, they are a-changin'... :)
Before, I generally felt that racial tensions were heightening, and that any resolution was hopeless. That even on a national level, there are some things that are just irreparable. But this school is a prime example that a little bit of ofa / alofa / aloha can go a long way.
* Here's some news clips- I've said what the haka means to me (as a Euless "insider"/Trinity alum/white girl), but several of these clips illustrate what it has done for the city of Euless/Polynesian families/Trinity HS.
NPR
bbc clip
NY Times
CBS
Lately, my high school has been getting tons of press coverage on the football team(not just local, but NPR, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, CBS, and BBC! *). And it's not because of the football. It's because of the Haka, and all that it symbolizes within this school:
I remember entering middle school and wondering why my friends' parents were transferring them to other districts. You'll get... shot/pregnant/into drugs/turn gay/dye your hair/in a gang... if you go to Trinity. That's what I heard. Our rival high school made T-shirts that say "I was going to go to Trinity, but then my dad got a job." And to be fair-- yeah, there were kids that went there who got pregnant/shot/into drugs/etc... but then there's... me. And I didn't join any gangs. The point of it is that there are people of all kinds in the world who may do things differently from you, but all you can do is build a community and show each other love anyway.
When I went there, I felt at home. I wrote several editorials for the school newspaper about how much I appreciated our diversity, which is kind of funny to me now because I had no idea how unique my high school was until after I graduated and left to go to a private liberal arts college (white-ville, USA). While I was there, I became aware of and sensitive to racial discrimination. There were so many kids that were adamant about ending racial discrimination, but it felt like we were all walking on eggshells all the time, which in reality I think segregated the community even more. This period in my life just left me depressed and hopeless about ending discrimination.
I came home right before I left for Samoa and went to a pep rally to watch my little brother in the drumline. Being back on campus and watching the kids interact brought back so many memories... and I got a little emotional. Looking around the gym, it seemed like there was so much potential for discrimination, and yet the sense of community there is indescribable. Here's a clip from the pep rally:
So now that I'm back home, I love to go to the games. I don't even like football, I just like the atmosphere. It's so cool for me to see the "Dallas mom" (with her big hair, excessive makeup, etc) get high-fived by the 75 year old Tongan grandmother every time Trinity scores a touch-down.
As I was leaving the pep rally last Friday, I saw mobs of kids congregating in a circle on the mall. In my day, this almost always meant a fight was breaking out. But as I got a better view, I realized that the times, they are a-changin'... :)
Before, I generally felt that racial tensions were heightening, and that any resolution was hopeless. That even on a national level, there are some things that are just irreparable. But this school is a prime example that a little bit of ofa / alofa / aloha can go a long way.
* Here's some news clips- I've said what the haka means to me (as a Euless "insider"/Trinity alum/white girl), but several of these clips illustrate what it has done for the city of Euless/Polynesian families/Trinity HS.
NPR
bbc clip
NY Times
CBS
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
ACL recap from someone who isn't paid for their opinions but dishes them out anyway
Last weekend I went to what might be my final ACL fest. I've been every year since the very first one (minus last year), but they're just getting more and more congested with people, and I just don't do crowds. It's hard to get lost in your favorite song when you've got people yelling over the music, when you're staving off a case of the black lung from all the dust, and all of Zilker Park is essentially a big fat sweaty mosh pit.
With that said, here are some ACL highlights:
What Made Milwaukee Famous.
Friday I went with my friend Astrid (from Germany) and it was her first ACL fest, and this was the first show we saw. Since it was in the middle of the day, we basically walked to the front and watched the show with plenty of standing room. It was a pretty awesome show too-- the lead singer's got some pipes! And later we even met the drummer and guitarist.
Sultan- What Made Milwaukee Famous
Vampire Weekend.
They're just adorable. I think they're like the Jonas Brothers for grown-ups.
Campus- Vampire Weekend
Gogol Bordello.
They blew the metaphorical roof off of Zilker Park. Everybody likes to dance to gypsy music and that's fact.
Start Wearing Purple- Gogol Bordello
Erykah Badu.
Okay, so I had forgotten about Erykah for a while, and was expecting to just enjoy her music if only for nostalgic purposes. But Daaaayuhn! I mean, she was pregnant... and she was on FIRE!
Tyrone- Erykah Badu
Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet ft. Bela Fleck.
Okay, so when I say all this, I really mean a highlight was Ben Sollee (3rd from the Left). I was so disappointed when I didn't see his name (as a solo artist) on the lineup, but then when I went to this show and saw that he was a part of this awesome quartet, I nearly dropped a load. Plus I got to meet him later, which was another highlight!
A Change is Gonna Come- Ben Sollee
Mason Jennings.
I mean, yeah he's one of my favorite music artists, period. But it was also a really good show.
Plus, I have always wanted to be in a crowd of people singing and dancing to "I love you (and Buddha, too)"
The funny thing about that song is that it reminds me of the "Charismatic" Church (think, the Pentecostal church in Borat) I went to when I was a young'n. And we'd sing and dance and all that jazz. But I have since been turned off by that kind of church because of its exclusive beliefs and other reasons. This song sort of helps me reconnect with my severed past... in a really cool way. Maybe I should just stop talking and you should just listen to the song... maybe you'll see what I mean.
I love you (and Buddha, too)-Mason Jennings
With that said, here are some ACL highlights:
What Made Milwaukee Famous.
Friday I went with my friend Astrid (from Germany) and it was her first ACL fest, and this was the first show we saw. Since it was in the middle of the day, we basically walked to the front and watched the show with plenty of standing room. It was a pretty awesome show too-- the lead singer's got some pipes! And later we even met the drummer and guitarist.
Sultan- What Made Milwaukee Famous
Vampire Weekend.
They're just adorable. I think they're like the Jonas Brothers for grown-ups.
Campus- Vampire Weekend
Gogol Bordello.
They blew the metaphorical roof off of Zilker Park. Everybody likes to dance to gypsy music and that's fact.
Start Wearing Purple- Gogol Bordello
Erykah Badu.
Okay, so I had forgotten about Erykah for a while, and was expecting to just enjoy her music if only for nostalgic purposes. But Daaaayuhn! I mean, she was pregnant... and she was on FIRE!
Tyrone- Erykah Badu
Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet ft. Bela Fleck.
Okay, so when I say all this, I really mean a highlight was Ben Sollee (3rd from the Left). I was so disappointed when I didn't see his name (as a solo artist) on the lineup, but then when I went to this show and saw that he was a part of this awesome quartet, I nearly dropped a load. Plus I got to meet him later, which was another highlight!
A Change is Gonna Come- Ben Sollee
Mason Jennings.
I mean, yeah he's one of my favorite music artists, period. But it was also a really good show.
Plus, I have always wanted to be in a crowd of people singing and dancing to "I love you (and Buddha, too)"
The funny thing about that song is that it reminds me of the "Charismatic" Church (think, the Pentecostal church in Borat) I went to when I was a young'n. And we'd sing and dance and all that jazz. But I have since been turned off by that kind of church because of its exclusive beliefs and other reasons. This song sort of helps me reconnect with my severed past... in a really cool way. Maybe I should just stop talking and you should just listen to the song... maybe you'll see what I mean.
I love you (and Buddha, too)-Mason Jennings
Monday, May 5, 2008
Crabbers
Please note that this is me getting really dressed up to hit the clubs! And they find yellow rubber flip flops perfectly acceptable! Anyway, Crabbers is the place in town where everyone tells us not to go. And we go anyways, and we dance, and we sweat, and we have a great time (usually).
But last Saturday, a fight broke out at Crabbers and a guy was taken to the hospital where he died.
I guess I won't be going back to Crabbers anytime soon...
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Dance, Palagi! DANCE!!
Our last night in Lotofaga, our families take pride in dressing us up and throwing us in front of their friends to dance. I love to dance, but I was totally taken by surprise with the scandalous dress they gave me. They even oiled down one of my friends. Samoans mean business when it comes to dancing at Fiafias.
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