Midispiache

no parlo italiano

After 26+ hours of travel, three planes, two trains, a bus ride and a hike, I made it to the Lisio Foundation in Florence, Italy. I couldn't have done it without Amy, my travel buddy, who speaks Italian better than anyone in our group. It's day 4 and I'm beginning to fall in love with Florence. I still haven't tried all of the city's flavors of gelato, but I'm working on it. I have, however, purchased a freaking awesome pair of sunglasses and have been doing my "I now have the best sunglasses in the known universe" dance since the moment I got my 4 Euros in change.

Until later, my darlings. Ciao!

D&D

Lauren, Curtis, Michael, and I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for the past couple of weeks and plan to make it a weekly get together in the fall. I also plan to create a monthly game night of crazier stuff like Flexible Mattress (Apples to Apples but all the cards and questions are player-written) and other board games. Our Dungeon Master, Michael, is very theatrical and entertaining (and patient thank goodness). Lauren is a human bard, and we shall soon be serenaded with Lady Gaga. Curtis is an elvish monk who's slogan is "penis." My character, Friend, is a halfling rogue notorious for being downright weird (like licking people or taking the fingers of fallen enemies as trophies). I bought my own dice set last night and am ready for play again in the fall when we're all back in town!

outlier [ˈaʊtˌlaɪə]

n. an extreme deviation from the mean

Malcom Gladwell's "Outliers" is a text that strives to prove that context counts. Culture matters. Opportunity matters. Arbitrary societal decisions matter. Practice makes perfect. The extraordinary are no more than ordinary people with unusual circumstances. The concepts are simple, and the case studies are shocking. I would put this text on my "list of literature for my children" and hand it to them when they ask me why they are raised the way they are, why some people are more successful than others, why there is or isn't distance between themselves and their social superiors. In fact, it would be a great book for a 9 year old. I wish I'd read this when I was in the 5th grade, before learning some of these lessons the hard way. I recommend Outliers to any age as ultimately motivational company.

SO Excited!

I'm going to Italy in a week! Eeeee!

I also like someone who likes me back! Double eeeee!

I'm also in the middle of painting my new room RED and PINK! Tripple eeeee!

AND some of my work is headed to Portland for a gallery showing of international student work! Quadruple eeeee!

Put me in stripes and I'll sing you a quartet. EEEEEEE!

From the Schnoz's Nostril

I smell with my little schnoz...a Doppelganger! I was first exposed to "Perfume, the story of a murderer," by Patrick Süskind, in film form and was enchanted. The tale of the serial murderer-perfumer was a bittersweet cast of comedic characters and a misunderstood lead. When the movie rolled in the last of its reel, or spun the last of its magnetic etchings rather, the story's antagonist was, to me, a protagonist for the senses. In novel form, he is a straight up creeper. The movie represents the storyline fairly, but there is a level of disgust and mistrust lost in translation. Ideally, I would like to read the book in its original German print. As it is, the book was a quick read and the movie only a couple of hours. I recommend either of them as interesting company, and I think that American readers would enjoy the film experience more so. (btw I mention that not because Americans are lazy, but because I fear loss of content from cross-cultural translation in the novel, as well as the level of visual appreciation found in the states)

Tipping the Scales

I don't own a self weight scale. Never have, probably never will. So I was surprised to find, when I tested the novelty at Gramma's house, that I weigh less than my ten year old boy cousin. We both have problems. Now I want to make this clear: I eat when I am hungry, and I eat nourishing food. I know how to eat right, and I know how to pack snacks that deliver a protein-and-calorie-filled punch. I just haven't been paying much attention lately. Here's to a fun-filled 4th of July weekend and healthy weight gain!