like a bird in a cage I broke in and demanded that somebody free it

So I was thinking about the 70s. As in the 1970s.

I don't know about you fellow readers, but a lot of my friends, myself included are just so enthralled with the idea of being around in the 70s. I think the movie Dazed and Confused best encapsulates the experience I would have loved to have with my life. It's also weird because it was the era our parents were growing up in. I wonder if they realize now how good they had it, and whether or not we are over-glamourizing their time. I think what I look back and wish for the most from that era is the music, the clothes, and I think just the general freedom I feel that people had. I feel like back in the day people just took things way less seriously and there were less cares, but maybe people just cared about different things. I also think family life was a lot more different and there was a lot more nuclear families (mom, dad, brother, sister)

So where I am going with all this. My question is...are people going to look back, like in 100 years and be like "damn the 1970s is where it's at", but in all future-y language. Like I'm pretty sure we are well aware of what 70s style is like despite that it was more than 30 years ago. But most people probably wouldn't be able to differentiate 1870 from 1850 and there probably was a huge difference. Do you think it's just because we have so much archived? I don't know...

whatever, it's time for a beer

"one of you is gonna be raped, and one of you is gonna be killed"

So Saturday I blogged about how amazing my day was and my day had not even finished by the time that I had written my blog...no, no, I still had a whole evening to go. So it started with a great little chat with becky. Glad to hear from her. Then I got ready and headed off to kings head and met up with friends, some made that day some from years ago. It was weird because I had been texting manny earlier and seeing what he was up to and we unknowingly ended up being at the same place. So I had a drink there and we headed over to katies boyfriend/jules house and started drinking. So I began to get my drink on and all left other than katie (and the boys living there). We just had a few more drinks, not quite sure what we were planning but we knew we'd figure something out. So we decided to meet up with people at the nor'villa hotel. Dirty dirty place for those of you that don't know. We also had to bus there. So we're walking across the bridge on main street and this lady on a bike comes up behind us and starts talking to us, and asks if one of us could ride her bike. Lady where on earth do you think we are going to ride it? Am I going to leave my friend alone. She also indicated she had been drinking and smoking (just cigarette's) she then asked us our age and katie replied 15 because clearly we looked young. So she gave us some advice about not taking rides from boys no matter how much they complimented us because one would be raped and one killed. Lady you are crazy. So we made it to a bus and walked further downtown and managed to catch the bus that would take us straight to the hotel. I felt bad for anyone else on that bus who had to listen to us. We were SOO loud.

So we finally arrived. It was just as I was expecting. Nearly empty except for the people we were meeting up with for a birthday party. These were mostly people that I had gone to high school with except two years older than me. There was really not a huge difference though in character. Still super homo.. There was also a stripper pole used by many of these guys. A little out of control and no one was doing anything to stop it. I didn't mind at all. After last call we went and drank outside for a while outside the bear vendor, because we're classy people. So all in all a phenominal night was had by all and I look forward to having it happen again!

So speaking of single stamina, apparently I am the only one here left with that. I realized on the weekend I have no single winnipeg friends. How weird is that?!

I miss the feeling, of feeling

So today is the first day that I'm back on my own, well for the two weeks my parents travel. It's exciting to finally be able to be independent again, but I don't like living on my own as much. At least at school I have roommates to check up on me. This summer though has been pretty good, because I have been keeping so busy. I have done so much stuff. I have been checking out a lot of different festivals and I am just loving it. I'm so proud of myself for just going otu there and doing stuff. I'm really excited as well because the weekend after next I am volunteering at the brazilian folklorama pavillion. Clearly the resemblance is pretty sound.

Today I had an amazing day as well as far as getting stuff done. It started off with some starbucks coffee, then over to the thrift store. Found some incredibly ugly flowery harem pants that I do look forward to wearing. Then I went grocery shopping (which is a favorite activity) and found some food, and only the food that I want for the next two weeks. Yumm!!! Then took my bike to the beach and biked around birds hill and ended off with a swim. And hopefully I will be heading over to katies tonight. Right on...I love summer.

I also finished creating my schedule for school and I am excited. It was so tough though because there were so many interesting classes to take!! AHH it was stressful deciding whether or not I wanted to take something for personal interest of whether or not it will help me. I could totally be a lifelong student.

Whatever...have a good night!!

The Perfect Space

So as you can tell this is a two blogs in one day kind of day. I guess I feel that it's so due for one that I need to do one to some up last week, which was the folk festival.

Dreams came true.

Wednesday I only stayed for the wailing jennys. I had no desire for emmylou harris and my parents said that I didn't miss much. The wailin jennys were pretty good. Those ladies can sure harmonize. Some parts it's just so perfect that I get the chills. I'm for sure going to need their new CD!

Hoots and Hellmouth was really the newest exciting band for me. I also owe my dad one of their CD's for his birthday present! It's three guys playing a little bit more high energy kind of Avett Brothers style music. Oh yeah did I say high energy. They are very excitable. They were awesome because they were just everywhere. I think they are at the stage where they have the ability to just hang out around the festival and connect with fans as well as enjoy the music as well. They just all seemed so down to earth. In fact, I was watching the william elliot whitmore (great name) concert and they were just hanging off to the side of the stage, and at another workshop they were doing for the same, but that workshop was for a very different genre from them.

The best night for me would have to be the thursday....The Avett Brothers. Generally with most bands I'm not familiar with many of the acts that are coming and I become a fan after seeing them. I have been a fan for a length of time now. Seeing them live was so good. I had to squeeze past so many people to be tightly packed into the front part of the standing area. THEY ROCKED IT. It was amazing to be in a crowd of people that have actually heard of them as well!! All the songs they played were so good. (Hence the blog title)

Before the concert started I was sitting with Allison Enns who is my friends older sister and we have known them from church. All of the sudden Charlie rushes to the tarp demanding a camera. Turns out he had back stage passes and had seen the an Avett brother, and so he went and introduced himself and they even walked in a half embrace for a few paces. I don't even know how he could live anymore. He will never wash that shirt...upon his return later to the tarp I could see faint traces of tears behind his eyes. Perhaps I could even say, he was a bigger fan than a 13 year old girl seeing Justin Bieber and sending death threats to any other of his potential love interests. So anyways...sorry charles, I stole this picture from your facebook!

I have also been listening to the Avett Brothers a lot lately. I feel like I want to write a song, and so I have been listening to lyrics a lot more lately, and the Avett Brothers songs are just so smart and so original.

So anyways...the rest of the weekend does not compare with the majesty of the Avett Brothers but I guess I owe them a little bit of credit...ha ha ha

Saturday I was not feeling so great, and so I didn't go to the festival until later. But I went and saw a workshop including Delhi 2 Dublin (world beats), Arrested Development (Hip Hop), and Konono No. 1. Konono I did not enjoy. It was very monotonous, typical african and they were playing the finger piano, which I don't really enjoy. (*Side note...I heard them on UMFM the other day and they were not bad on the radio) But it was weird seeing my dad listen to Hip Hop...and further more enjoy it! We all danced up a storm. That night I spent more time at the alternative tent so that I could see more delhi 2 dublin. So So fun. I didn't want to sit around to swell season. And then we finished the night with a couple jigs from the peatbog faeries.

On Saturday Another favorite band...a favorite from before (in fact I was telling people they were my go to Band if I had to stay in and study on a saturday night) the Cat Empire was playing that night and I could not miss it! I even went to the dance area myself and snuck through. I was just annoyed at this dumb 15-ish year old girl falling all over the place. I felt that she was one of those people finally away from parents and has had her first sniff of alcohol. Like I can understand that it's a cramped area. It's not like I've never been to a crowded bar before, but girl you gotta get ahold of yourself! Cat Empire has also just released a new CD in June and so I was able to hear some of the new songs from that and they were a lot better than the last album they released.

Sunday, the only person that I was really getting excited about was no not Sarah Harmer, I am so sick of hearing about her new CD!! She is so typical canadian singer. good voice but not exciting...although I did love how she is very active in working to save the niagara escarpment upon which I live and so she sang a song about that and my mother and I let out a little chear for that. The opening singer though Gord Downie had really good stage presence, and he make a remark about the G20 dealio that just happened in toronto, about how for about 7 seconds toronto had sympathy from the rest of Canada! Andrew Bird really was the highlight of the night and I'm sure he is much better live than in CD because he puts on such a show. It's just him up on the stage but he loops his music so he ends up accompanying himself and creating his own beats.

Last weekend I really learned a lot more about how a beat can be created without specifically using percussion instruments!

One thing I've noticed though after seeing concerts and my parents then purchasing CD's is that the real show is SOO soo much better!!

Something completely unrelated. A couple weeks ago I went to go see Sex and the City 2 with my cousin. I don't care the reveiw the movie (which did have the most beautiful clothes), but I felt so good about myself because in the preview.

Another problem, why do American's all think Canadians talk with accents. I find that aside from the Maritimes and Ottawa-ish area we are all pretty non-regional. Like...I don't say a-boot. I'm not from Ohio.

Sorry...I guess I had finger diarreah (instead of verbal?)

on the fringe

So fridays seem to have sort of unofficially become family nights...or so they've worked out. Two fridays ago I went to see rent, last friday at folk festival and tonight my father had some tickets to the fringe festival. We attended a show called Who took out the White Trash

Some thoughts
* The main character was a southern baptist lesbian and man was she funny. She basically talked about how ignorant white trash people are. She also at one point says, some stereotypes and it's true. People don't get stereotupes without there being some truth. Blondes are all dumb! just kidding. I like it when racism can be joked about in public. I'd like to be able to poke fun at our differences. I think it makes people a lot more comfortable with each other and I think by recognizing our differences it makes us more understanding.

* We also went to banana boat after seeing our show. There was some irish guy when we go in there talking to what I assume was a mother and son talking to them about how ireland is now part of the british union..etc. And he just keeps talking to these guys going on and on about who knows what. And you can tell this woman does not want to be in the conversation, but she still keeps going along with it, but at the same time keeps giving me these looks, like Why does this guy keep talking to me? Lady... I don't know you, stop looking at me. These people also didn't even buy anything. What's that about?

* Does anyone ever go to the shows for the people trying to advertise their shows on the street? A good show will speak for itself. Every show there seems to have good reviews. Those people just bother me. If I don't look interested in taking your pamphlet, don't try to put it in my hand...save a tree

july split long weekend

So last time I blgged was canada day. This weekend I guess you could call the Canada long-ish weekend. I enjoyed it very much. last thursday on a recommendation I downloaded the new b.o.b album, after reading about a friend recommending one song. Instead of downloading that one song I figured I might as well download the whole thing. I then decided to have a bath and I started off by playing a song that featured another new favorite Janelle Monae. Song name - The Kids. Turns out it takes the hook and samples a bit from the VAMPIRE WEEKEND SONG - the Kids are alright. I believe that will be a new summer staple for me. It's weird what kind of music is popular right now. It's sort of ballad-y kind of stuff but it's also very commercial sounding, but the melodies in songs are just so pleasing to my ears despite being very simplisitc lyrically and musically.

So that started off a great weekend. Work was steadily busy friday so the day went by pretty quickly. Then in the evening I went to the musical Rent on Rainbow Stage with my mother and cousins and aunt and mother's friend. It was SOO enjoyable. It had everything as I told some "girls kissing boys, girls kissing girls, boys kissing boys, boys dressed like girls." But the singing was just unbelievable. Sometimes when you are at musicals the actors get a little bit over ambitious with their singing and it almost hurts to listen to...but in this case it was not an issue. Everyone performed their parts so well, and it makes me want to listen to all the songs again.

Saturday we headed up to our family friends cabin and I have only just returned. I am a little sunburned which was a goal of the weekend. I love to feel some sense of accomplishment. Summer is such a strange time of year where basically all I have to do is work for what is realistically a short period of time before returning to school so I've really tried to set a list of things I want to accomplish in the summer just to keep me motivated in doing things. This includes the ukelele playing, getting a tan, reading books. Try to maybe minimize screen time.

I will be even more depressed next week though. Folk festival is on the weekend and I have nothing big to look forward to after that...maybe my parents going on vacation...

I died so I could haunt you

So I left the last blog with intentions of perhaps the next day coming out with the list of reasons I am happy I moved. That didn't happen right away. So here after delay is that list.

1. My friends
My new friends that I have made since moving away have really demonstrated what true friendship means, and I never thought I could enjoy someone's company so much. It's weird for me to be able to spend so much time with the same people day in and day out and not get sick of them. It's amazing. When becky and I don't see each other all day I truely miss her. To be honest I have no idea how I make it through the summer.

2. Independence
I get to do whatever I want, whenever I want. I never have to eat food I don't like. I can stay up late. I don't have to ask permission to go anywhere. It's amazing. It's also not as though I have been restricted to much at home, but I don't have to think about the feelings of anyone else...well I do, but generally they have the same feelings as me.

3. Networking
Business is very important for networking. I have also had a lot more of a chance to meet new people. Now when I do start looking for jobs I have a lot more people that I will be able to use in that kind of a search.

4. Opportunities
There are many different opportunities I've had. Things like travelling around ontario (visiting various friends), seeing different things and bieng able to live on my own. I'm not weighed down by what else is happening with my parents.

5. No Past'
Not that I have a tumultuous past, but it's nice to meet people and not worry about what they have heard from other people and you don't have to worry about them judging

6. Family
I have had the opportunity to spend more time with my grandparents. That's nice. I'm still working on making my way up to favorite.

7. Shorter ride to school.
If I stayed here I would be attending the asper school of business. That's an hour bus ride, I guess I'd have a car but parking at the u of m sucks.

In conclusion I think that I definatly feel a sense of dualism within myself because I feel like two different people, although I try to act the same no matter where I am or who I'm with (I like to think I'm not a fake). And it's a really strange feeling that I know that I have another life waiting for me in Ontario, but my past is all here. Unless you experience it, it's very difficult to describe. I've also noticed that the explainations here are not as long as what I've given up. I guess that it's the simplicity that I like? Could be....

This has also been a great week. It's canada day today. Let me think what I've done. Monday...I biked to work. This was not a great decision. I already was not feeling well, I got to show off what I had for breakfast to a co-worker...classy. Then Tuesday I biked home and it went so well!! It's so far though. This coming up three weeks though I'm going to be starting work at 7...I'm gonna die. Especially with folk festival coming up...oh well, at least I'm off at 3:30!!

The ukelele playing is also going way better than I thought! It is recommended for all to learn and join my ukelele orchestra!