Last day off in Portland... and fixing your face

Last day off in Portland!  HappySad!

Portland has been fun, lots of great people, coffee, tea, sites etc.  I also got the chance to go to visit my aunt and uncles lovely farm on the Columbia River Gorge.

The view from the garden

Dinner anyone?

What a treat!

For me, in a lot of ways, Portland has felt like a healing city.

I read this article recently about how sometimes, in order to heal, we first need to bleed... and that sometimes we put emotional bandaids on things that haven't yet had the chance to do so, and then we remain stuck with these unhealed things going on.

This really resonated with me for a couple of reasons.  So I have been trying, in my own way, to deal with those things over the past couple of months.  It's hard, and sometimes it seems like I feel worse instead of better.  But I am hoping that is some of the process.


In other news... let's talk about something superficial.  My face. 

I just have one of those faces... one of the ones that looks angry/grumpy/bitchy when at rest.  Yes it's true.  And although 98% of the time I am in a fine and dandy mood, aparently my face says otherwise.  This has been brought to my attention in a major way.  My big boss tends to think I am never ok, and has taken to ask my boss if I am indeed 'ok' or 'happy' at work.  Random strangers tell me on the street on my way to yoga class to 'Smile, it's not so bad,' and it even came up in a recent job review.  And just last week when asked how I was doing and I replied, "I'm good thanks," I was met with a, "Well you should tell your face that because that's not what it's saying."

This isn't new.  I have had my face for... well my whole life.  But recently I think I have started to develop a complex about it.  If I am not smiling and perky people tend to think that there is something wrong. And then I have to field questions about the state of my face vs my personality.  So what's a girl to do?  I am starting to hate it.  Not my face, I like my face.... but I certainly don't like the line of questions that come with it.

Which leads me to wonder why now?  Do I look bitchier than normal at the moment?  Is it a sign that I am indeed unhappy with my current life choices?  Am I alienating people with every accidental stink eye?

Suddenly instead of worrying about the size of my thighs, or the choice of dress, now I have a whole new set of worries and how I am projecting myself.

Hrmmmm.... I don't like offending people... And I am really trying not to.... I guess for this week I will have to try harder!

Also I bought a hat.

OK I am off to enjoy the sunshine in Portland for this last day off!

Hello hello hello

Hi.

It's been a while. 


Nice to see you.


I will not apologize for my absence, I had some stuff that I had to do. 


I will update you on that stuff in.... one... two... three... GO


So when last we spoke I was happy healthy and working in the woods.  Living it, loving it, all those fun things.

I am still mostly happy, healthy, living and loving... but I am back with the circus. 

Say whhhhatt? Yes it's true!

Basically a coworker who I worked with here at Totem left and they called me to fill her spot.  So after taking almost a year away from the circus, I am back again. 

It's the same show, with mostly the same people.  Although I have to admit that most of my best friends have since left the tour, so I have to reinvent myself a bit as well and find my own way... again.  One of the reasons why I have been absent here is I have been trying to process that and figure out how to do just that. 

At the moment we are in Portland.  It's very pretty and loely here and the people are kind for the most part and we have been received very warmly.  It's a nice change from LA where we were before in my personal opinion. 

The crew has been changing a lot, many people leaving, many people coming in.  That in itself is an interesting thing.... with a few people coming and going the whole dynamic at work shifts and changes.  It is easy to get discouraged and down about the fact that things are different, but they are not necessairly bad, it's just a change.

We are also getting ready to move abroad.  We will be heading to Vancouver in a few weeks and then we go to New Zealand and then Australia.  And with those shifts many more people will come and go... because that is the nature of international transfers.

It leaves me thinking a lot about what is next for me... what am I doing?  Where will I go next?  But then I remind myself to try and stay in the moment and in the present.  And to just try and do my best. 

And to try and update this here blog more... cause I know I miss it.  And maybe you do too.

Back to the Woods

I spent the past two weeks in Boulder Colorado which was awesome despite the horrible flooding that took place while I was there. 

I am getting ready to go back into the woods now so this will just be a quick update post.

My trip was really great and I got to hang out with the boy a ton and play with his adorable pup and be uber domestic while he was in class which is hard for me.  I mean seriously, I vacuumed and baked for gods sake!  But then when the floods came I was stuck inside for about 3 days which drove me nuts!

So we went to the Denver airport for me to fly home and many tears and hugs and kisses and cries later I got dropped off ready to get on my plane.  It was a sunny gorgeous day so I settled down to read my book and go home.  And about an hour before I was suppposed to go it started POURING down rain so much so that I couldn't even see out of the window.  Our plane was redirected to another airport because it wasn't going to be able to land in Denver.  So I ended up leaving about 3 hours later than I was supposed to.... which worried me because that meant we were not goig to land in ATL until 1 or so.  And my house is about a 3.5 hour drive from ATL. 

So I began frantically calling and texting people in the greater Atl area from Denver looking for a place to spend the night and found one.  Super awesome save the day!

And now I am stressed but looking forward to going into the woods tomorrow and forgetting about all of this other stuff going on outside.

While I was on vacation I found out that I didn't get a job that I wanted.  Which made me sad.  But it means that I will be here in the states for the next while and that makes me happy for a number of reasons.

Anyway.... I have to run.  Love you all and thanks for all the support.  I'm off to the woods.

xoxo

New Job... well it was new in April.... but you don't know about it yet!

So yeah!  I don’t work for the circus anymore.

My days, which used to be filled with scenic painting, making moulds, and dressing in black to run show tracks…. Are now filled with keeping kiddies safe in the wood, cooking over fires, leading backcountry hikes, and helping teens feel better about themselves and life in the woods.

I work in the woods for a week at a time.  So my week looks something like this:

Tuesday morning I wake up at about 6:15 in the morning.  I have some coffee and drive about an hour and a half to work.  Every Tuesday we have an in service which lasts for a few hours and we go over what is going on for the week. 

Then I head out into the field.  We spend most of Tuesday going over the previous week with the staff shift that is coming out of the woods.  Then for the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday we stay in the same location with the kids and their therapist comes out and has one on one sessions with them. 

She sets some objectives for both them as individuals as well as for the whole group.  And then for the rest of the week we facilitate the kids both getting their assignments done as well as working the program.  For the group that I am currently working with days generally include: breakfast, lunch, diner, a daily NA or AA meeting, camp breakdown and setup, and a hike.  Hiking is a big componenet of the program and the kids hike anywhere between 1-9 miles a day though for the most part it’s  usually 3 or so.  The kids carry everything they need with them  on their backs.  Another big part of the program is bowdrilling.  Which means using primitive tools to create fire. 

The main idea of the program is these kids for one reason or another hav lost their way.  They are either into drugs or sex or whatever… they are not doing well and have lost themselves back home.  So we take them into the woods and they stay there for about 10 weeks or so.  And while there they don’t have phones or social media or any of that stuff… and they learn to do things for themselves.  If they don’t make breakfast… they don’t eat breakfast.  As staff, we facilitate their activities and keep them safe, but we actually do very little for them in the way of chores or anything like that.  So they become relatively self sufficient out there and they focus on what they need be it NA meetings or trauma issues or what have you.  And they leave the woods stronger and more self assured people.  Many of them will go on to a therapy based boarding school while some will return home. 

So basically while I am out there I try and keep everyone safe.  I try to engage and build rapport with kids that don’t necessarily want to talk.  I try to set a good role model for my students.  I try to hold firm boundaries.  I try to practice empathy and compassion even when dealing with the most frustrating of students.  And I try to take one day at a time.  One week at a time.  And one kid at a time. 

Why hello there

It's been a good long while since I posted here.

Everything has changed!  So I guess I have some updating to do huh?


I left Cirque on February 3rd. 

It was a sad goodbye.  I cried and cried and cried when I left. 

I had such a good time touring with Totem and they were such an amazing circus family. 

So I packed up my little red car with all of my belongings and was on my way to the great unknown.

 

 

 

Little Red Car with Everything I own in the trunk

And I was on my way to move to Denver.  Well that was the plan anyway.... I went to visit some friends in Asheville NC and while I was there I decided to take an intensive first aid course.  While there I met some people who told me that their company was hiring.  They work for a wilderness therapy program.


Soooo I ended up forfeiting the plans to go to Denver and instead moved to Asheville, North Carolina. And I started trying to do all the things that one must do when they come off tour and move into a new flat.  You know... buy a bed, curtains, cups, forks.... all that nonsense. 

And then I started my new job as a field instructor with a wilderness therapy program based out of the blue ridge mountains. 

These are a few of the places I call home now.  So the way that my program works is that I am working with some teenagers who have gotten themselves into trouble and have been send into the woods with us.  We backpack and hike and cook over fires and all the rest.  And they are there anywhere between 8-15 weeks.  I go into the field for a week at a time.  So my schedule looks like a week on and a week off. 

I'll tell yall more about the specifics of the job in the near future.  Suffice to say that I do love it.  It feels like for the first time in a long time I am doing something that matters with a capital M.

Let's see... what else.  I went to a part dressed as a deer...

 Which was a lot of fun and a good.... look I can make friends in this new town kind of thng.  I often feel a great deal of social anxiety when surrounded by a lot of new people.  And this has been true here as well.  I have always worked and played with the same people so being thrown into a completely social group has been hard.

I am not sure why really.  I have never really had a problem making friends or meeting people but I still get anxious when I have to do these kinds of things. 


So at the moment I am trying to figure out what is next for me.  Well, actually at THIS very moment I am sitting in Boulder CO.  Why?  A boy... always a boy.  Ha.

I met a boy in NC.  He moved to CO for grad school.  He's kind of a big deal... to me.  And yeah I am here for two weeks visiting.  It's both super nice to be here and also super hard. 

Again, a future blog will be dedicated to this 'relationship' stuff.  But this particular entry is more of a general overview.  So yes, I am involved in a somewhat complicated and somewhat serious and somewhat sad relationship.  Shock horror right!! 


And.... I am entertaining the idea of going back on tour.  With the Circus.  Maybe abroad.

I interviewed for a job about a week ago.  For a show that is going to Japan.  I am hopeful but not at all expecting to get it.  We will see.  Many things on the horizon.  Many things to write about. 

I shall begin tomorrow with the individual topics. 

Until then.... xoxo

The hard choice?

So I have about 2 weeks left here with my show in Miami!

And then I am off!

I have some freelance work lined up to do afterwards in Denver.  And I was seriously considering and looking forward to trying out the whole.... regular life kind of thing.  You know, apartment, rent, bills, books, art, friends, regular coffee place, etc.  That stuff. 

But then... these OTHER jobs became available.  A few teaching jobs outside of Tokyo, and two other jobs with Cirque doing props. 

And I applied for them.  And even as I did so I thought... what am I doing?  Do I really want to be on the road for another year... gluing stuff to other stuff.  Fixing things... working too many hours and probably still having no life...  But it's so easy!  It's so easy to stay with the company and to continue to do exactly what I'm doing now.

Which is funny right?  That the easy choice--in my world--is working for the traveling circus.  And the hard choice is working in a bookshop or something.  That is so random and weird but just how the cards have fallen.

So what.... apply for the jobs and see what happens.  and should I get one of them.  The focus must turn to what happens after?  Be it going back to school online or whatnot... and securing something less mobile and more permanent for after. 

Or maybe I will finish up here and go to Denver and do some freelance stuff and love it and never leave.  Who knows.

Back in North America

Hey y'all.  I'm back in N. America... on my way back to Atlanta.

Much has happened since Jesus..... september?  Damn I have goten bad about writing.  But writing in general, not specifically blogging, is part of a... not New Years resolution... cause I think they are shit, but part of a goal I am setting for myself.  I really do like writing, letters, blogs, emails.  In a way, writing has always been my preferred form of communication.  I can be clearer with my thoughts.

Sooo... I just got back from Asia.  I had two weeks holiday to use and some things to do in Hong Kong.  So I went to Hong Kong and Thailand and sat on the beach and thought about things.

See... my contract is up with the circus at the end of Jan.  Yeah.  So I am officially out of work at the end of Jan.  In some ways I am super excited about it and I'm glad in a way that I'll be forced to go do something else and have new experiences.  So I am loosely coming up with some kind of plan now... but yeah keeping it loose.

So I went back to Hong Kong.  And I will write more about this next time perhaps.

But basically I was shocked and surprised as to how I felt about returning.  Basically I returned to this city which I loved... loved so much I really worked towards making it feasible for me to return to live...  So I went to HK this city I adored filled with people I loved.  And I found this... empty place?  Where I thought all the love was?  I don't know I really really used to love this place.  And now to feel nothing.  It's like waking up next to someone you have been with for a while who you love and going... what the hell...

Yeah... but then I left and sat on the beach for a week and now I feel better about it.  My relationships with that city have changed I guess... it doesn't feel like a potential home.

Don't get me wrong.  Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world.  And actually as I was sitting on a friend's terrace my last night there drinking a beer and sharing some laughs before getting some thai street food... I thought yeah, this could be a home of sorts.  But at this present moment... I would have to work too hard to be happy I think.  And not that I am not into working hard.... but I have been working pretty hard to be happy for a while.  And I am ready for things to be a bit easier.

More on this later.  I am in the Toronto airport at the moment and beyond exhausted with a 3 hour flight and about 50 hour work week in front of me.  Yikes.

Sick.... Gross

Hey kids.

I'm sick.  I seem to have caught this moster cold that just makes me feel fluish and icky and gross.  I've basically spent the past 2 days in bed drinking tons of juice and trying to sort it to no avail.  Bleh. 


Not a lot has gone on this week!  I cut and bleached my hair...

 So that's fun!  I was tired.... and decided to go back to being blonde again.  I kind of missed it.  So... yeah.  It was funny to show up at work today because not many people here have seen me blonde before.... so they wee a bit shocked!  And the cut is awesome... similar to the last time I got it done but shorter on the sides because I think in some attempt to regain some youth I have really enjoyed being a bit punkier and wearing a kind of fauxhawk.  Who the hell am I?

 But see it's not so different to how my hair was last year at least in color... This was taken on my 29th birthday when we took a collective trip to Fun Ice World.  Because... that existed.


Other than that.... I have been reading a lot.  And writing a fair amount.  And really enjoying it.  Remember the good old days... back when shit was real?  When I thought I wanted to be a writer or an editor?  Yeah.  Well I don't want that anymore but I do really enjoy writing and reading and reading about writing and writing about reading.

There is something deeply satisfying about sitting down and really expressing myself clearly on paper. Or e-paper?  anyway... I have been playing with some short story ideas and working on a few concepts.  For nothing but my own enjoyment.  And I like it. 

I'm also working on Christmas gifts.  Look at me so forward thinking!  But art is usually a great gift but it takes time.  So trying to finish that up for everyone. 


And... thats about it.  Trying to plan for holidays.  Not so much for Berlin.  But to go back to Asia.  Ill be in HK for a few days and then in Burma... and then back in HK.  More to come on that!!


Miss you love you.


xoxo

On getting old and stuff.

Yesterday I was at work and a girl I used to know came to see the show.  She was my coach in high school.  And I realized that the last time I saw her was 12 years ago… And then I thought… damn I’m a real life adult now.  When the hell did that happen?

This also coinsides with the fact that I joined the company’s 401k this week and got a real life financial advisor.  

Both of these things are things that I have been meaning to do for a while now but just got around to doing it this week. I don’t know how long I will be with the company but it makes sense to go ahead and join the 401k.  It’s basically free money… And then as far as the advisor…. I just don’t know what to do with finiances.

I work for a job that pays me well.  And I am debt free.  Whoo hoo that in itself I am thankful for.  But what am I supposed to do?  I know that it shouldn’t be sitting in a savings account.  So I thought I would do the responsible thing and talk to someone who can help me.  So here I am setting up an IRA and choosing investment options…. And bleh it’s so important and so boring at the same time.

In other news I leave for Berlin in 13 days!  Which is totally on the other side of this whole adult coin!  Because I am going to Berlin to have a good time, take some photos, be in some photos, and get a tattoo.   So while on one hand I am putting on my serious glasses and signing IRA paperwork… on the other hand I am putting pink and purple in my hair and getting all funky to go and take some amazing pictures with a friend who is working in Berlin and who chose me (honored!) to model some of her jewlrey.  Too fun!  So I guess… life isn’t soooo serious.  I just know that in the future I will probably have a job that pays much less than my current job so I should probably do what I can to have my money work for me both now and then… ya know?

And speaking of holidays…. I am going on leave in 60 days.  And I am headed back for another Asia trip!  Many fun things are bound to happen including photos taken on top of buildings, and on top of boats, crazy space age makeup, and general Hong Kong nonsense…. And in the middle of all of that I am planning a trip to Burma!  More to come on this… I am making the plans now and trying to map out exactly what I am doing.  But I am excited.

The moral of the story is that…. I’m busy.  But its good. 

And I miss you guys!

Xoxo

Songs for before...

 Hello world.  I was sitting on the metro today and I swear... when I am in public I really try not to overhear everything that everyone else is saying.... but sometimes I can't help it.  Anyway I'm sitting on the metro heading to the Smithsonian and these two women behind me start talking about how one of them is making an album... or something to that effect.  The kind of punkier one said to the other that all of the songs titles were things that she had always wanted to tell her ex boyfriends.  Fascinating no?  I really tried to stop listening in at about this point but not before she said that the first title would be "Shut up Already." Ha.

As I walked around the various exhibits I thought if I could create an album to the same effect... what would be on it. 
 
And the answer is nothing too bad...  I have stayed friends with all my exes for the most part bar one or two...  But I did think it was a funny story and I would totally buy the album just to listen to it the next time I'm a bit heartbroken and in that fuck you kind of mood. 



Aaaannnnyyyway.....


Hi.  I'm back. 

Yeah... I've been absent for a while.

I've been busy... and absorbed in my own thoughts probably to a point that I just couldn't really share any of them.

I am still not sure how much of them I can share.  Just kind of in a bit of a weird place and trying to figure some stuff out.... more to come on that without pouring my heart out and geting all emo kid on you guys!

So instead I just wanted to share a heap of photos... mostly instagram photos. Of what has been going on here in DC.  I've been here for about 5 weeks now.... living out of a hotel for 5 weeks is new for me... and yikes.

I am off on Thursday and other than maybe a coffee date... I am free.  So I will talk to you all soon.


xoxo

Top row: My hair.... before and after getting it cut.  Dan and Trish enjoying some lethal rum punch after work at a BBQ. A beautiful butterfly I found at the Natural History Museum.  Boots and Awesome sculpture!  And Museum signs.

Middle Row: The hurricane came to the circus!  And we had to cancel a show!  After we already sat the audience!!!  The natural History Museum.  My LEGS... knitting and knee highs!  The Space museum.

Bottom Row: Wolftrap... what an amazing place.  Before Watchmen... super good.  Luke and the light up bowl.  Ohhhh ahhh.  My lips...... I've been obsessed with orange lately! 

Holiday Plans

Sometimes I find planning holidays so hard.  Just because I want to do everything and I want to see everything!


I am headed to Berlin in October for a week which will be fun.

And then I have two weeks off in November/December!

Well... kind of....

See the thing is that at the start and end of that trip I must be in Hong Kong for some super secret spy training and whatnots.  But I have a week off in the middle.  And there are just so many ideas and choices!!!


The two top front runners at the moment are Borneo vs Burma.  I have been to Borneo before but when I went I stayed in the NE part in Kota Kinabalu and I want to go to the SW part in the jungles with nothing but nature and monkeys and explore that.

Burma is interesting because it's just opening up really.  You have to be careful about how you spend your money so that you are not giving all your cash to the gov't.  But it can totally be done.  Right now though... Just trying to plan it out to give me the most for my time.

But on the horizon is Berlin!  Yeah!!!  So excited.   Like 30 sleeps til Berlin and 80 til Hong Kong.


Lets go!

So I have been in DC for a short while and tried to settle a bit.   However I think when living in a hotel one can only settle so much... because you're in a hotel and the windows don't open and the area you are living in is way less than 'homey'.

I have had a day off where I was pretty tired from set up but did some site seeing etc.

Trying to save lots of money this city since I will be in Berlin after this.  But so many amazing museums!

So while in Berlin I am also doing a photoshoot with some ppl which is making me kind of nervous.... I just don't want to feel uncomfortable with myself at all.  So to get ready for that I have been hitting the gym and trying to be conscious for the most part.  Yesterday I totally overdid it however.... my hip flexors are so sore walking is.... an effort.  Yuck!  So here's hoping that subsides.

And all this week so far I have been busy doing trainings for work which has been boring but necessary I suppose.   So back to finish that up and then to today's show.

So yeah, sorry it's been brief.  But yes, I am alive and well.... just busy as always.

xoxo

Welcome to DC!

Well I made it! 

Today was Day 1 of set up.  And it was brutal!!!

Not the work so much, it was the same as usual.  But it was about 90 out today so that just takes all the energy out of you! 

There was a problem with one of the motors so they couldn't put the big top masts up today which was a bit of a bummer because it means that my call time will be moved from 1pm to 10am tomorrow.  But 'll make it!

This city is unique to me because we are staying in hotels instead of in apartments.  I know I know you think that must be bad right?  Actually so far I am really liking it!

We are in the residence inn which means that I have a little living area and a kitchen with a full sized fridge and a 2top burner.  So it's kind of a like a little studio apartment and I like it!  I mean I could do without the whole living in a hotel and seeing people I work with constantly.  But I love having a little space that is just mine.  And I can listen to my music and walk around in my underwear without anyone caring!

Anyway.  This week is very busy and I will write again soon once I can actually do something interesting.  Just trying to stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay sane in the heat!  Tempers tend to run shorter in the heat.... so let's all just hang in there!

Final weekend in Boston

I had a super nice long weekend in Boston.  It was the last one so I am glad that it went well!  I have to say... I was mildly skeptical about loving this city.... and I don't think that it is a place I would ever really like to live, but visiting and staying for a summer has been super fun. 

So I am in the middle of packing up all my stuff.... for people not on tour, can you imagine all of your belongings fitting into three bags?  Yep, all of them.  And then each city I unpack everything and try to make whatever place I am staying be it a hotel or an apartment feel a bit more.... homey.  For me, that means having fabric covering most flat surfaces, having a candle burning, and having art stuff out.  But it's a balance between the ease of packing and 'having stuff'.  In DC we will be staying in a Residence Inn which basically means a little studio appt.  So maybe I will show you what my living space looks like.

So... what I did this weekend.  On Monday Dave and JoAnn and I walked around Boston.  We went to go get lunch and then walked loads through the commons and through the public gardens to get frozen yogurt.

Then on Tuesday after my barre class JoAnn picked me up and we went for a little drive that had us ending up at a really beautiful sculpture garden and then we went to Walden Pond.  I felt like I was back in North Carolina.  What a beautiful place!  The pond (I would call it a lake) was clear and so warm.  We were inspired and stripped and went swimming for a while before it started raining and the sun went down so we got cold.

Being in very beautiful natural places makes me very happy.  It's a weird thing sometimes because being in big cities also makes me happy and those things don't really go together at all.  I have often wondered how I will find peace between those needs.... the need to be somewhere naturally beautiful and the need to be somewhere big with things going on.

I am not sure yet....  the quest continues.

OK I have to pack... must must must!!!

 We also went to this super cute farm and community gardens where I met a cute goat and saw loads of beautiful flowers.

Kishi Bashi and Tall Tall trees

So last night I had the immense pleasure of going to see Kishi Bashi.  So amazing.  Seriously this guy blows my mind.

His music makes me so happy.  And he is just so incredibly talented it's unreal.


Anyway here is the story:

We got to The Great Scott where the bands were playing at about 9:30 and the first opening band was on.  It's a great venue in Boston and kind of small and intimate but still holding a good number of people.  We set up camp kind of farther back had a couple of drinks and watched some of the swimming as the music played.

After a while some ppl from the circus came and joined us.  Josh, our guitar player came with his wife, and Umi one of our acrobats from Japan came as well.  At this point they were actually sold out but turns out Josh used to live with the guy in Tall Tall Trees (opening band #2) so they got in!  So we are sitting around having a drink and whatnot and we see this older Japanese guy kind of sitting in the corner.  Umi goes up and starts talking to him and lo and behold it's K Ishibashi's dad!  So he comes over and starts chatting with us.  He lives in VA now but was born and grew up in Okinawa.  So I had this kind of surreal moment of talking to him about that.  And then he asked my name and when I said Keiko he was super surprised.  K's wife is also called Keiko but you don't run into many blue eyed Keiko's.

Anyway back to the point.  Tall Tall Trees was awesome.  He played the banjo and I kid you not this guy is amazing!!  Such good energy and I bet he sounds amazing recorded.. I can't wait to find out!  Just so..... good.

Then Kishi Bashi took the stage and it was nothing short of one of the best shows I have ever seen.  Just super amazing music played by one man.

Without sounding super cheesy... the sense of having music washed over you.... was fantastic.  He covered a Beirut cover as well that was just amazing.  I literally can not say enough good things.

I've put some of his music below but he is even better live.  Please go support this guy and if he is playing in your area go see him.

His music just makes me so happy.  Literally impossible for me to frown if I hear it.  On my ipod for whenever I am having a bad day.  OK ok enough gushing!





This is my last weekend in Boston and I have three days off.  I am spending the rest of this morning packing and then have some errands to do so that hopefully I can enjoy the last two days here before the madness of moving and then DC!

xoxo
K

Kishi Bashi

Just the quickest of posts to say that tomorrow night... well actually tonight.... I will be going to go see Kishi Bashi.  His real name is K Ishibashi.  He is freaking amazing and I am sto glad that I looked up and saw that he was playing here in Boston tomorrow.  I would highly encourage you to check out his music.  It's great summer stuff! And it just makes me happy.

Please just listen to this one and see what you think.


And if you liked that here is him playing live at the NPR studios.



AND THE BEST PART????   The tickets were only $10!!!!!!!


I love music. 


Gotta go to bed.

xoxo

k

Bowaston and Brooklyn

 Hello hello hello!  Sorry sorry sorry!  AGAIN!  I have been busy wrapping things up in Boston!  We are here for about a week and a half longer and though I have a bunch of friends in the DC area I will miss Boston and I am not totally excited to go to DC.  HOWEVER.. I do have some fantastic friends in DC so that should be epic and fun.  I have just had a good time here and Boston was a good place to spend the summer. 


I took this picture while having dinner the other night.  No edits... just a pretty sunset.

And then I went to NYC last week to catch up with some friends from Macau of all places.  There were a few people visiting and a lot of people working and it turned into a mini reunion.  So fun.  3 of stayed at my friend Dave's.  He is working on the Cirque show at Radio City and his place is STUNNING!  The most amazing views!  Anyway he has a one bedroom place and Emily and I shared the bed and Dave and Andrew  shared the couch.  Maybe a bit tight but we all made it work.  So lovely to catch up with people!  I actually went to Brooklyn to get a tattoo by the lovely Seth Wood at Saved Tattoo.  He's awesome, and super nice!  Their studio space is really lovely and literally everythng that I saw that was being worked on or was coming out of the shop was lovely!

 See?  He's a dapper fox!  This is right after, I will try and remember to post some photos in another week or so once it's completely healed.  But yeah.  Those purple colors are not really there, just the light blue.  Bruising, yuck!

Anyway after talking to Seth and seeing the size etc I was expecting to be there for a while.  But he is super quick!  This whole thing took just over 2.5 hours.  My appt was at noon, and after some resketching, resizing, more resizing, tattooing photos etc and clean up... I was leaving completely done at 3:30.  I was amazed.  

In other news Boston has been super hot and I have been doing lots of sanding which means I look something like this:

 I will try and do another post from Boston and then one as soon as I get to DC. 


xoxo

K.

Turning 30!

Yeah so that happened!  I will post some photos soon once I hook up my camera etc.

But I had a nice time with friends.  Celebrations started on Sunday with an after work BBQ (not for me but because Sunday the 24th was Jean-Baptiste Day so all the Quebec'ers were happy).  So we had a BBQ and then went to a bar in cambridge.  Super nice place with super friendly bar tenders who were.... rather liberal in their pours.  To the result of a kind of amazing evening with a rather tender head the next day.  

 

My actual birthday started with a rainy morning and some friends and I went to this place called Blunch for uh... Brunch?  Anyway.  It's a pretty awesome sandwich shop.  This isn't mine, I'm still not eating meat!   But they were all pretty awesome sandwiches and absolutely helped with the headaches felt by all! !






For dinner some of my best friends and I went to dinner.  We decided to get all dressed up because we rarely get the chance to do so.  
So we got all fancied up and headed to Uni.  A super post sashimi bar. So... I am not eating meat I did however eat fish this evening.... I mean... it was by birthday judge away.  So the food was awesomely amazing.  However it was a bit hoity toity for my liking if I am honest.  Like I said the food was amazing.  But.... it was also amazingly slow.  The whole restaurant seats about 25 people.  And I would say 90% of the food is raw. So I just think that for 5 people to eat and it takes 3.5 hours is maybe a bit much?  


But who am I to judge.  In the end the food was really good and as I am sure you can see from a few pictures it was beautiful.  But we were supposed to meet some people at the bar afterwards and to say that we were a bit late is an understatement.  Our dinner reservations were for 7:30 and we made it to the bar at about 11:15.  So... yeah it was a lengthy process.  But it was had in excellent company so that was great!  Maybe next time we will just stick with a bit less fancy food. 

This was the dessert by the way and it was pretty incredible.  Coconut ice cream, mango sorbet thing.... chocolate pieces..... it was yum.














Ok so in other news.... I am doing well!  I found out that I have two weeks holiday so I need to get on planning that.  Maybe South America.... maybe somewhere else in Asia I have not been?  I don't know yet.  Something awesome though for sure!  


Mainly I have been trying to be positive and surround myself with positive people.  I know it sounds cheesy but I realized that a few of my friends were (as my brother put it) a hole that was sucking up some of the fun.  And it's kind of true.  Introspection is good, but too much isn't and at some point you need to just live life and stop worrying about it.  I am working on doing this but when I have people around me who can not do that either it tends to bring me down.  It sucks because I do care about them and I want everything to go well for them but at the same time you can only try and be supportive for so long.  


Rant rant.  Anyway.  I am good.  I have been working out a lot lately which makes me feel good about myself and about life and I am enjoying work because I am getting to learn new things at the moment.  So all is well happy birthday to me.  Lets hope for a good year! 

Quickets of updates

Not too much to report at the moment.  Just trying to settle into Boston which it seems, is a pretty nice city!

Last week I saw ‘Moonrise Kingdom,’ the new Wes Anderson film, here near Boston Commons.  I really loved it.  I know his movies are not everyone’s cup of tea.  But I really love how stylized they are and how everything is so planned out.  It’s like a picture book.  Every detail in place and every detail thought out.  Much of the movie is actually pretty quiet with little to no dialogue. 

I like all of the quirky details and I like that all of the books have titles and I like that you can watch his movies over and over again and pick out different things. 

And I like that he went to UT.  Yeah!

What else have I done this week?  I started taking a barre class.  It’s kind of a mixture of yoga, pilates, and ballet.  And it’s super hard!  I am enjoying it though and it is so nice to have something besides work to schedule my life around.  If I continue to enjoy it there is another studio in DC.

And I had a life chat with my boss yesterday.  And I agreed with him to stay on the tour for now.  There have been many departmental reorganizations as of late.  My boss left and we got a new boss, we hired a third person and then he got transferred to another department.  So at the moment it’s just the two of us.  

So… yeah.  And I feel like I am selling out by staying for a while!  I do I do I do.  But here is the upside of staying:  We are about to be closer to my home which is nice because it means that I can go home for the weekend.  I am finishing another class so I can be completely certified.  And yeah, it’s super easy to save some money.  PLUS this show is only stateside until about Feb 2013 and then it goes to Canada.  At the moment I have no interest in going there with it.  So there is a departure date set already it seems. 

So yeah meanwhile I have some tickets to Russia to figure out and some vacation time to use.  But all in time all in time. 

Also… it’s my birthday next week which means I am turning 30!  Holy shit how did that happen?  How scary is that?  Not so scary and super scary at the same time.  When I get all emo I start thinking about how I am 30 and yeah, completely lost.  And how most of my friends are married with kids and “lives”.  A buddy of mine turned to me the other day and said, so do you think with people like us…. We will just be alone forever?  OUCH!  I would hope not.  But yeah probably.  Not that it’s a horrible thing.  I just never thought about it like that.  I don’t want to start a rant about marriage and kids… I will save it for next time. 

Anyway…. Ramble ramble ramble.  Gotta run and do super important circus business.  More soon.

Xoxo

K

Boston... again

See look at that... two posts in one week.  I'm getting better.  Not a whole lot to report but I will do it from a photo... what's on my phone kind of thing for ya!

 

After a super long set up a beer was most welcome.  This is actually Nate's but I thought he could use a happy face. 

I have had a few questions about some things that I do on a daily basis... this is what I did this morning!  So you take this chemistry lab rack thing.... that has lots of pyrex on it.  Then you break apart about 40 highlighters of various colors.  Then you color the water!  Highlighters actually work the best!  Better than UV dye better than powder pigments!  And then it glows super super well under UV light!  How bout that!!!!  These are actually played as a musical instrument during one part of the show.  So they are all tuned with different amounts of water and then he plays them with a bow, and little sticks that he hits against them like drums.  kinda cool right?

 

So yesterday I went to this ice cream festival charity event.... You pay $10 for entry and then you eat as much ice cream as you can/want.  There were about 10 stands set up from differnt dairies.  Everything from Ben and Jerry's to local mom and pop shops.  Each stand has about 3 different scoops.... so yeah.... I tasted about 30 flavors of ice cream!   I was just taking bites of most of them but my buddy I went with was eating the whole mini scoop. So after about 30 minutes I think I had about 8 scoops of ice cream and I think he had about 17!  SO INSANE.  Needless to say that I didnt eat anything else last night and I felt super sick.  Had to walk for about 2 hours before I felt like it was safe to stop moving and that I wasnt going to throw up!  Ugh.  But really good at the same time.

During our walk we found the make way for duckings statue.... its supposedly a big deal.  I'll get back to you on why.

And now it's super late and I need to go to bed.  But more to come I promise. 

xoxo K