Friday, December 25, 2009

as usual

As usual, I am thrilled that there is a new semester starting soon and a new chance to rock at life. I am so ready to nail all of my performances this semester and work really hard to develop them. And I finally know what I want to do after college! I have decided that I want to get a masters degree in performance. Yay! Although I really have no idea where to look. But that is part of the fun.

This next semester includes understudying Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, usual University Singers concert, Brian Hartman's small ensemble Ars Nova, B MINOR!!!, and of course, ITALY! So many things to think about and be excited about. And hopefully studying some Bach with Ms. Harrell.

Also, I have gotten a bug inside me to tutor. I don't know how, and I'd love to get paid for it, but that is not the number one reason that I want to do it, or really any number reason. It's not that I've gotten a new wave of excitement to teach public school. Tutoring just sounds appealing to me, to really work one on one with someone struggling and (hopefully) see a difference. I might check out the Intersection, where my friend Jackie works, or Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Do any of you bloggers out there in Columbia know of a place I can help out once a week or so?

I can't wait till my brothers are grown up and we have a better relationship. They are already starting to get more fun, and I am excited for the days when we can all come home for Christmas and really talk and have a good time. Although I love coming home, most of my time here is spent on my computer or reading a book. Or eating, of course. This year lunch/brunch was hashbrown and egg casserole, "compote" cranberry stuff, or as Tom and I call it, "compost," french-toast egg-nog casserole, golden juicy ham, and...a Fat Tire? Yes. I can finally join my parents in a drink around the house.

Also, I got a Kindle for Christmas. wtf.
Reasons I am against Kindle:
-it's not a book
-like Taylor said, it will destroy libraries
-it extinguishes the whole book culture we have going on here. You can't turn a page on a Kindle. You can't underline and write in comments on your favorite part. You can't borrow a Kindle download from your friend and read their comments. You can't see a pretty cover (because we all know we judge books by their cover). You can't feel the pages and smell the ink. You can't slam it with satisfaction when you're done and stuff it in your bookshelf amidst other conquered works. You can't huddle with your friend around a Kindle the way you would your bookshelf and talk about what a great character so-and-so is in so-and-so's novel and then pull it out and lend it to your friend. Your Kindle won't show the dog-eared pages that you got stuck on, the ripped pages from when you dropped it on the kitchen floor, or the numerous coffee stains. Well Kindle, guess you'll be going back to my dad's hands where you came from, you God-forsaken electronic.

On that note, I've truly had a WONDERFUL Christmas :) and hope you all have too.

2 comments:

breezylucia said...

ok,ok....i don't know how i feel about a kindle. BUT, it seems similar to the way music technology has advanced from physical objects to files. Like Nicole said, it will save trees and is more environmentally friendly. AND, you still can "underline"/"highlight" things like in Word, ya know? I don't know about downloading other people's notes and such, but i'm pretty sure that IS possible. Like, it would be helpful in classes and stuff. I think there are still covers-like album art in iTunes, so we can continue to judge them.

Yea, it's not the same as reading a physical book, but it does have its advantages for sure. We always resist change too, especially when it is so new and seems threatening.

i just wrote a lot of papers this semester about technology's unavoidable impact on our lives, and coming to accept the changes it brings rather than ignore them- then later be left in the dust. I'd rather stay up to speed with technology's advancements, like keep your enemies closer kind of a thinking. So i'm just trying to look at the Kindle as a whole from a different perspective.

Because also, it will impact photography. Photography is printed on papers-books, newspapers, magazines- what is this going to mean for us photographers?! I haven't thought too much about this- but it is something that I will eventually have to deal with.

LONGEST COMMENT EVERRRRRR

breezylucia said...

ALSO, my friend justin's blog about the kindle: http://itsjustjustin.com/?p=2716