Eat a Pomme

Very Cool!

2009-09-29T19:40:00.000-04:00

I just started work at a New Age/Holistic shop in Nashville called Center of Symmetry. I'll be reading tarot cards and leading workshops on a variety of magickal topics ranging from tarot card classes, writing workshops, and spell workshops. Woo hoo! I'm so happy about this job, and really excited about working with other like-minded people and moving ahead with my spiritual side! (just thought I would share the good news)

Question: What kind of workshops would you attend at a New Age and Holistic shop?
Blessings,
Kristin

the letter hidden under the piano fall

2009-09-19T22:25:00.005-04:00

When you went to work I tried to play your piano,
but the sounds that came out were stale
and bent out of tune.
I wanted you home:
I wanted to see your hands playing--peachy silky softly moving
fast then slow in perfect motion and melody, pressing,
creating divine soprano and sonorous bass.
I wanted to watch your body
rock in time with your song, your back bowed in prayer
towards the keyboard, in rhythm, in love:
you are god and music

New Chapter!

2009-09-18T22:51:00.003-04:00

Horray! Who doesn't love a new chapter in their life?

I am now settling into life in Nashville, and it has been a wonderful journey. I thought I would share with you a few of the fantastic things that I have in store for the next few weeks.

-Job. Finally. Done with school. I am looking for a job, and even though there is some urgency to this, I am hoping to find something that I can enjoy. I suppose everyone wants this. My ideal job would be working with students with disabilities. However, I am going to visit the witch shop downtown and see if they need anyone for tarot and medium readings.

-Spirituality. Can't wait to tap into that spiritual side again. I am reading loads of inspirational and spiritual books again, and trying to be as open to it all as possible. I am meditating more, and leading a more balanced and healthy life. Even when I read my blog I think about how much I've grown and changed over the last few months--I've gone from being more sarcastic and negative to cheerful and content. I realize now that when my emotional levels get all wacky, and I feel crappy, that it is important to take a step back and either meditate, modify my attitude, or just relax. It's been helping. Otherwise, I am hoping to tap back into the world of magick. Luckily I have found tons of blogs as great places to do some reading at home and connect with other magickally inclined folk. Hopefully, I can find a group of people I can share spiritual interests with in Nashville.

-Creativity. I have had time to write! This is brilliant! I am hoping to learn how to take advantage of writing, now that I have the opportunity to do so much more often. I am writing poetry, and trying to piece together a chapbook. I am also working on a collaborative project with sister
and brother. More news about that in the future!

So. Here are my questions for you:
1. How was the job search for you? Have you been looking for a job recently? What do you do?
2. Where do you find a spiritual outlet? Have any recommendations for online reading?
3. How do you get inspired to be creative? Where do you go to do your creative work?
I would love to hear from you, so leave a comment!

More soon.
Many blessings,
Kristin

Postcard to Readers

2009-09-07T03:29:00.003-04:00

Dear Readers,
It's been a stunning vacation, these last few months! I have seen a bit of the US, met some amazing and inspiring people, and have done tons of self-reflecting. Between stops in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, I have experienced a period of personal growth and spirituality. I hope that in coming postcards and letters I can express to you the love and creativity I have felt and am feeling. It's late at night here in Connecticut, and there are still some brave tree frogs outside singing in the cooling weather. The neighborhood owl is out and hooting again. Right now, I understand everything they are saying. So, now I am going off to dreamland. Then it's back to the garden to get some fresh tomatoes, it's back to Nashville with some good books and a journal full of poetry and intent.
Blessings,
Kiki

What it is

2009-08-25T02:17:00.001-04:00

2 am in Connecticut
and outside stepping over pebbles and cursing
until I look up and see
a clear sky
loaded up with UFOs and owls

I'm moving to Nashville.

Tidbit is an awful word.

2009-06-16T12:13:00.003-04:00

I just noticed I hadthat word plunked on the top of this blog for a good long while. I think my mother uses that word often, and perhaps has passed it along to me via genetics. She'll use it when talking about cooking--you need tidbits and dashes of ingredients. Then you nibble on them. My stomach turns when I think about nibbling on tidbits.

Next week I move back to the United States, where there are Duane Reeds, baseball stadiums, and malls with Forever 21s in them. I haven't shopped at a Forever 21 in like six years, but I'm ready to take it on. I'm sure I can find a show-stopping-tunic there. Here's the planstan: get a tunic at Forever 21, then eat at Buffalo Wild Wings (nibble on corn dog and flaming hot wingies). Then, go to Virigina for a week. Hang out in the south, see DC, come back for 4th of July. Then, begin to feel slightly agrivated with all Americana tidbits and wish for a proper tea back in the UK. Then, spend whatever money I have left on a planeride to the UK, where I will be disappointed in the its weather, education, and men.

Oh also in the plans: I'm going to see a Mets game. I don't even like the Mets. But I'll do anything for a date, you know what I mean? At least I'm going to a game where they are playing the Dodgers. Oh, and in a sports-convo-faux pas this week, I said that I hoped to begin watching basketball this year, adding that I could follow the Knickers.

Interview Dos

2009-05-14T23:03:00.002-04:00

What’s poppin’?!?
Damn. A lot. Well, right now I am in Birmingham International Airport, waiting to check in for my flight that leaves in four hours. I’m going to Spain for a few days to unwind. I’ll be in Costa Dorada. Whatever that means.

Ever been to Spain before?
No. I’ve never really had the inkling to. I was actually hoping to go to Greece, but flights were wacky-expensive since I am foolish and make travel plans a day before wanting to leave. So, I went to the nice people at Thomas Cook, and they hooked me up with a nice resort deal. Should be fun. I’ll be hanging with bright red tourists German. Good times.
I know like three things in Spanish, so I bought this thing called ‘Musical Brain Trainer’, a CD with a cover that reads ‘200+ essential words and phrases anchored into your long-term memory with great music’. It’s very charming acoustic music with a fun beat. Fine: totally dorky, but I’m groovin’ to it like it’s the new Cut Copy. I think this CD is going to make me fluent. I’ve already learned ‘Quisiera un café con leche’. It’s a little like French, but not nearly as irritating.

What do you want to do in Spain?
Not be wet and cold, as I have been in Nottingham. I would like to sit on the beach, maybe see Barcelona for a day. If Barcelona impresses me, as everyone says it will, I’ll plan another short visit there. I’m going alone so I don’t have to feel guilty if I end up just passing out on the beach, or spending a day in a spa getting a massage and mani/pedi. I’ll probably drink heavily, and write some poems about Spain and how guilty I feel about never really wanting to visit it.

But, really though. Where the hell have you been?
Hmmm. I don’t know. I think I was in America for a while. Yes, I know I was. I went to a funeral. My grandfather passed away. His name in the army was ‘The Duke’. He was incredible, lived until 91 years old, and was ill for a short amount of time. So, my family and I were just grateful he didn’t suffer for too long, and had a wonderful run while he was here. I do have to mention, though, I think he looks after his grandchildren in the afterlife. I also think he is the reason behind the Red Sox doing so damn well, and the Yankees sucking right now.

You’re a Yankees fan, I take it?
Obsessive Yankees fan. Though, they’ve been sucking so much I’ve started watching the Mets as well. You know, just to be an asshole. It’s been a struggle keeping up with games while in Nottingham. But, I have been lucky enough to find the Nottingham Thieves, the local baseball team.

You’re grandfather was a Red Sox fan?
Yes. I loved talking baseball Pa. I’m telling you—the man had all the stats in his head about the team right up to the end. I wonder what he thinks of the whole Manny Ramirez thing.

Probably not too pleased?
The Duke was a man of strong morals and gentle patience. He was also incredibly thoughtful, so my guess is he knew the dude was juiced all along, but didn’t judge.

How’s Nottingham?
Lovely. I’ve been doing the three things:
1. Dancing. Between pole dancing and burlesque, I’ve been learning and performing a ton. I have a pole dancing competition coming up in a couple of weeks. I’ll be doing a burlesque/pole dancing fusion number. My stage name for the event is ‘Cabana Kiki’, and it is going to be very Carmen Miranda-ish. Then I have another burlesque performance on June 19th. It’s what I live for. It’s what the people want to see.
2. Studying. I’ve just come off of an exam period at school, so I wrote five essays in a week. Why? Because I like to wait until the last minute. I lived in the library, which was fascinating. I would get there at 8 at night and stay until 6 in the morning. I guess I didn’t have to stay until 6, but the walk home that early is wonderful. You get to listen to the nightingales and watch the magpies hoping around.
3. Writing. However questionable my writing has been in the last couple of months, I’ve still been at it. I like going to poetry readings and reading weird things. The last reading I did was at this tea shop with the cute guy working there.

A cute guy?
Yeah. He served me my first plate of crumpets. He listens to Fleet Foxes and Sparklehorse. I wonder how he felt about the poem I read about kiwis and testicles. I’ve probably blown my chances with him.

We’ve heard a rumor that you’ve gotten a tattoo.
It’s true. I have. My wonderful wonderful soulmate of a friend, Andy, is a tattoo artist, so he hooked me up bigtime. I have a pretty and colorful peacock feather on my right arm now. It’s lovely. I think I’ll be adding more to my arm when I get home. I’ve been wanting some kind of barn owl, or perhaps a lunar moth. I’ll trust whatever Andy says to get. He’s the smartest, and someday I want to marry him. As for the tattoo, I will post pictures after my holiday in Spain.

We’ve also heard a rumor that you’ve gotten into a MFA program.
That’s right. Master of Fucking Arts. I’ve gone into fine arts, and couldn’t be happier. I will be attending Southern Connecticut State University (where I went for my Bachelor’s) next fall for my Masters in poetry writing. They’ve also hooked me up with a sweet-ass position as an adjunct professor.

What will you be teaching?
English composition. Should be interesting, as I am the queen of typos and like to give my editing to other people. But I love to read, so I’m going to force them to get involved with literature. Maybe I’ll make a twitter account for my classes.

How have you been feeling, healthwise?
I’ve been through a slew of testing to see what the hell is wrong with me. According to the tests, not much is wrong with me. I have an intolerance for wheat and dairy, and allergies to garlic and shellfish. I also have IBS. I’m a walking gasbag, and wonder if anyone could ever love me after I have a slice of pizza. Cool thing about not being able to eat is that I’ve lost a lot of weight—everywhere but my boobs. So, I have these massive knockers and fit in a size 6. I wonder how long it’ll last….

You’ll be leaving Nottingham in June, then?
Yes. I am working at National Guitar Workshop over the summer. I can’t wait. I’m absolutely overqualified for my job, but I just love it so much. I’ve made some wonderful friends there, and am actually going to be taking a roadtrip with this guy to Virginia:

He seems nice.
That’s Terry. He’s swell. He loves World of Warcraft. And cats. And purple guitars.

How do you feel about going back to America?
Thrilled some days, sad some other days. I really have always loved England, even when I was homesick. The truth is, I feel pretty settled in at this point and have some great friends to spend time with. So, leaving them behind for boring-ol’ New Haven is a shame. But, on the flipside I have loads of friends in the US I can’t wait to see again. And I’ve missed the following things about America, which I will smother with attention:
1. My Blackberry.
2. Baseball games (in person).
3. My father’s dog Tucker. My father calls him a ‘Rat Fink’. I don’t know what a fink is, but it’s a good name.
4. Astoria. I’ve always liked Astoria. I will go there and enjoy it thoroughly, and all those in the neighborhood who’ll hang with me there.
5. Pinkberry. Not to be confused with Blackberry. Pinkberry is a godsend, and I eat mass quantities of it, even though it makes my tummy ache.

What do you want to do before you leave England?
Probably just travel a lot. I want to stay somewhere haunted in York or Edinburgh for a night or two. I’d like to get to Paris, maybe Nice, definitely Crete… um… I don’t know? Enjoy crumpets with my crush at Lee Rosy’s?

Do you plan to visit Eat A Pomme more often?
Yes. I’ve missed it. I’ve missed my readers. I’ve missed reading their blogs. I’m coming back. I am on twitter, and you can bother me there when you can’t find me here: http://www.twitter.com/KikiD333

What should I write about?

2009-04-17T15:18:00.000-04:00

Whoops. Julia mentioned that I should write a new blog entry. It’s been a long time apparently. I guess that there are a couple reasons for that. The first is that my access to the internet is a bit more limited than it used to be. Apparently, my wifi source “dlink” realized that I was borrowing web from him and has put a password on his wifi. Asshole. The second reason I haven’t written in a while is because it’s been a very busy and very strange month. I was home in the States where I 1. went to a funeral, 2. had an incredible reunion, 3. got a tattoo, 4. went through a crippling severance.

What’s new with you?
Give me something to write about and I will write about it.

Can You Suggest a Better Word for "Blow"?

2009-03-17T09:06:00.002-04:00

I thought that was you blowing on my back when the window had just opened accidentally. I pretended you were outside, steaming in the cold night air, thrusting arrows towards my eyes and my stomach. Girls like me hear about boys like you all the time: the boys who look comfortable with a cap on, the boys who jog and play sports for fun. I know your kind: I’ve heard about you and your slanted politics before. But, how fantastic you look under a hanging moon, with the freckles on your shoulders and cheeks shining like flecks of pyrite in quartz. And your smile mendacious, fostered in a cradle of blankets and nervous glances, all while meteorites fell beyond your vision.

The Massive Survey Project

2009-03-10T11:13:00.016-04:00

I know surveys are completely cheesy, but for me, they are like experiments in self-assessment and creative writing. I got tagged on facebook for the following survey, which I intended to post immediately after getting it. The thing was, I realized this survey was a pretty damn weak one, and by all accounts, I’ve seen much more interesting questions on other surveys. So, to make it a more unusual survey, I’ve filled it out several different times at several different points. I wanted to see the evolution of the answer over the course of a couple of weeks. You should try the same. It’s good fun. Twisted, good fun.

Print it out and circle the correct answers.

1) Time when you start answering these questions:
a. 14:29
b. 09:45
c. next day 21:40
d. three days later 15:47
e. at least a week later 21:43
f. today 11:23

2) One thing you want to do before you die:
a. I really don’t care.
b. I think I’d like to marry a handsome man.
c. Live the Golden Girl dream in Miami
d. I would like to see India. I think.
e. Rub my face somewhere I shouldn’t rub it.
f. I want to throw a hula hoop around the horn of a narwhal.

3) Did you have a nick-name at school?
a. Well, lets see. In highschool I went by Pie or K. Then, I’ve been called Christ-in in some groups. Mostly people just call me Kiki now. I like that.
b. You can call me Kiki.
c. I am going to be doing a burlesque performance and my name will be Kiki de Fleur.
d. Kiki
e. I was called Pie for a very long time, because I’m round and fat like a pie, evidently.
f. My gym teacher used to call me “Dombrowski.” I remember hearing her yell to me, “Dombrowski! The gym mats are not meant for napping on!”

4) Is the glass half full or half empty?
a. Andrew said the glass is neither half full nor half empty, it’s twice as big as it’s supposed to be. I like that answer.
b. The glass is half full of orange juice with extra pulp.
c. I don’t care about this question anymore.
d. My stomach feels strange when I think about drinking orange juice.
e. Fill my glass with some rosé.
f. Break the glass and make a puddle.

5) Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
a. I think this question is absurd, and on that alone, I refuse to answer the question but will answer another question in replacement. Yes, one time I did eat fifteen plates at YoSushi.
b. I don’t eat broccoli, honestly. I don’t care.
c. I hate broccoli because when I eat it it makes my stomach ache. I hate when you boil it and the water runs green.
d. No more broccoli stories.
e. Chicken with broccoli on the Chinese menus is good and makes me ill and full of msg.
f. Broccoli trees never change with the seasons.

6) What does it take to win you over?
a. At this point, more than you can offer.
b. Anyone who laughs at my jokes.
c. A good smile. A good laugh.
d. A good smile and a nice voice. Ding dong.
e. A good voice. A good story. A voice telling me a good story. Sigh often.
f. Ambition, intelligence, wit and conversation.

7) What’s the most attractive thing in the opposite sex?
a. This person should be capable of laughing at my jokes, even if he does not value my sense of humor, he should at the very least appreciate my sharp observations and witty banter. This person should equally have a sense of humor, one which swings between wretched toilet humor and sarcasm. This person should also be tall, have a nice smile, and have a good girthy cock.
b. I like shoulders. And hands.
c. Arms. Hands.
d. Arms, hands, eyes, voice, shoulders, thighs, lips, skin, hair to tug at.
e. An ability to hold my attention for all the wrong reasons.
f. I’m slowly forgetting. I need reminding.

8) Thongs or French knickers?
a. I like French thongs.
b. Thongs that speak French.
c. Granny Panties
d. Thongs.
e. Pantalinas
f. High rise thongs, aka “Rio cut” in neon orange. Ref: 1992, Brazilian beach.

9) Boxers or pants?
a. Oh, the British and their “Pants”.
b. Boxers with bears on hikes.
c. Boxers with old fashions bicycles.
d. Boxers with bears riding on old fashioned bicycles.
e. Boxers with bears doing silly things that I can no longer recall.
f. A pair of red pants that makes you look like superman.

10) What can’t you say no to?
a. A baseball game.
b. A baseball game.
c. A hot dog and a beer at a baseball game.
d. A hot man at a baseball game who buys me a beer.
e. Any man with a good voice and a good story.
f. A baseball game, with a man with a good voice, who buys me a beer, and boos when A-Rod comes to the plate. I’d marry him.

11) Out of your friends, who is the:

One you can always rely on?
a. Jason. He’s a dragon truck of philosophy, smarts, and awesomeness.
b. Jason rules.
c. I often rely on Jason. And my therapist.
d. Jason and my therapist, Jason the therapist, my therapist who is nothing like Jason.
e. Jason.
f. I rely on a number of people, honestly: Jason, Ines, Neil, Kendra, Tracy, Abbi, Hannah, Kat, Maya, Mark, Ben, and my family.

One you can always ‘vent’ to?
a. Neily. He listens or at least pretends to.
b. I like anyone who is willing to lend an ear to my venting. I like to turn my venting into a mixture of dark jokes, rude stereotypes, and bad imitations of foreign accents.
c. Strangers
d. I like a good reaction. Proceed with caution.
e. If gone unchecked, I’m one of those people who’d write down Tori Amos lyrics as a way to express what I’m going through.
f. I have no filter. Ask me and I will answer.

Best dancer?
a. All of the pole girls: Kat, Hannah, Ines, Abbi
b. You can wiggle quite nicely.
c. Cheryl is a great dancer too. I am also , when you put reggae on.
d. You are a good dancer.
e. I need food. Maybe broccoli.
f. Sometimes the best dancers are the worst dancers. I like to go to the club, and cheer on the drunk guy flapping his arms like chicken drowning in its water dish. He’ll keep dancing. Egg him on. He’ll take of his shirt and/or tie when the proper song comes on.

One you have only known for a short amount of time, but it feels like forever?
a. Ines.
b. Ines.
c. Ines.
d. Ines.
e. Ines.
f. Ines.

One you laugh with so hard, a little bit of wee comes out?
a. My sister and brother. I’m watching “You Scare Me Round,” and so glad they both find as hysterical as I do.
b. I laughed so hard the other day at this story that Aurelien told me. He makes wee come out. It’s because he has magical eagle powers.
c. It’s sleeting outside. It sounds like a rainstick.
d. I laughed today when Jason called me a "butt butt."
e. Ssion videos

f. I’ve been giggling a lot. I need to get it out of my system, as one would get wee out of their system. It’s a process of rejecting waste, you see.

12) If you had any superpower, what would it be?
a. Mind reading would be the most fantastic curse one could be stuck with. I think that would be nice, or I’d like the superpower of being speedy like a bullet. That way I can travel quickly and get shit done with time to spare for catching up with my four girls in Miami.
b. I want to be speedy like a bullet.
c. I want £ coins to come out when I blow my nose.
d. I want to clap and make a thunderous sound that breaks open the earth’s crust.
e. Laser beams that come out of my finger tips that play dvds projected from my eyes or cds from my ears.
f. I want teeth like a shark that shreds away at dyed red hair.

13) If you could look like anyone, who would it be?
a. Daria, Lisa Loeb, Lydia, Fiona Apple… oh wait! Ha, nice.
b. I just want to be someone with skin like two shades tanner. Or someone with more hair. On the head. Hairy head.
c. I want to look like someone who sits in first class.
d. Anyone with the ability to eat whatever they want.
e. I don’t care.
f. Oscar Wilde.

14) What is your biggest procrastination?
a. Skype and Facebook chats
b. Mythbusters episodes.
c. Shopping for lingerie.
d. I never procrastinate. But I do spend an awful amount of time lying.
e. I like talking with friends and brooding.
f. Coffee breaks, which turn into “reading trashy vampire books” breaks.

15) What is your biggest flaw/weakness?
a. I like to think about things that have happened and things that haven’t happened yet. But when it comes to living in the moment, I struggle.
b. I love love and that’s dangerous when not many people do the same.
c. Shopping for lingerie.
d. I’m jealous a lot. I’m needy a lot.
e. I have no feeling of self-worth. Fucking wrap your brain around that.
f. I don’t edit my papers enough. It’s because it’s not worth it.

16) Any pet peeves?
a. I really don’t like it when people say they’ll call and they don’t, or say they’ll call back and then don’t, or say they’ll text you and then don’t, or behave like they want you around but really rather be alone, or behave like they have the mental age of 8 but it could just be one big act.
b. I think I really dislike people on a general level, and I take anti-depressants to avoid becoming irritated.
c. People who talk the talk but can’t walk the walk.
d. Cowardly behavior.
e. Boring people. Stalkers.
f. Indifference. An inability to express feelings.

17) What do you want in 10 years time?
a. Stability.
b. Anti-depressants
c. A dog. A god.

d. A boob job.
e. A time share in the Bahamas?
f. A car that is less than 15 years old.

18) Kisses or cuddles?
a. I don’t care.
b. Don’t touch me.
c. A high-five.
d. A basketful of kittens. Kittens yawning.

e. Raspberries. Non-sexual way.
f. I want an owl, perched on my arm. I will feed it a mouse.

19) Worst recent experience?
a. Being really sick.
b. Being really sick and depressed.
c. That feeling of longing.
d. That feeling of longing…
e. That feeling of longing then the following feeling of disappointment.
f. That feeling of guilt and dread, which are a result of feeling bad for allowing myself to feel longing and disappointment.

20) Best recent experience?
a. I’d say hanging with the Telegraphs was the last best one.
b. Listening to Allie play her guitar under the trees in New Milford. And falling asleep in the grass with my skirt up to my stomach, only to be woken up by a zen surfer from Buffalo who invited me for coffee.
c. I love reggae music, and when I heard that reggae cover of Pink Floyd’s “Time,” I knew that Bob Marley was right when he said, “Don’t worry about a thing because everything little thing’s gonna be alright.”
d. Singing the music from Grease and doing my eye makeup quite nicely.
e. Writing “Crank Post cards.” The idea is to send a postcard to someone with the most absurd comments on it that you can come up with. It’s brilliant, and disturbing. I wrote one to Jason, with a picture of Robin Hood and his Merry band of Bandits or whoever they are. Friar Tuck and a deer were included in the illustration. So, I wrote, “First we eat the buck, then we eat the friar! Hooray England!”
f. Reading Laxdæla Saga. Guðrun is my new hero. If you ask, I will read the dream passages to you, and you will know why.

21) Time when you finish answering these questions:
a. 14:41
b. 09:54.
c. next day 21:48
d. three days later 15:54
e. at least a week later 21:51
f. today 11:43

On Presentations of Papers and the names in Icelandic Sagas

2009-03-02T21:22:00.006-05:00

Last week I was lucky enough to be a presenter at an inter-disciplinary conference held by the music department at the University of Nottingham. Most of the students worked on music within films and were from the music and media studies departments. I was the one representative of the English department, and presented a paper on the influence of Norse mythology in Viking metal. I read a lovely paper that looked at the literary, historical and cultural influences in Viking metal, theorizing that Viking metal is the modern-day retelling of Northern myth and the regeneration (and reinterpretation) of oral tradition in Icelandic saga.

The paper was supposed to be long enough for a 20 minute presentation, but in typical Kiki fashion, I over did it, and ended up with about 25 pages of material that I had to condense into a presentation that went over the general topics of what I have been researching. I focused most of my research on two things: the first being the inspiration behind the bands’ decision to discuss Viking history and Northern myth (a section titled “The Mead of Knowledge”), the second being how the bands interpreted this said Viking history and Northern myth (a section titled “Modern Day Skalds”). Since academic chat can go on forever and ever , I’ll leave the details about the paper at that. I plan to carry on this research, and develop the paper into my Master’s dissertation. That being said, my hope is to interview bands firsthand, delve deeper into Mimir’s well, and further try to research the modern-day renderings of these myths and sagas. If you have any questions or would like to hear more about the paper, just ask. And, yes Ben, we’ll talk about it at great length.

Just so you know, these are two of my favorite videos that I came across during my research. Although they have nothing to do with what I was writing about, I had a kick watching them, and feel compelled to share them.

The first one is of Grutle and Cato from Enslaved fishing in Texas. There is something wonderfully comforting about their socks and sandals, their joy for the balmy heat of the south, and their melodramatic reactions to catching fish:

The second one is an interview with the best ending I’ve watched in a while. Alice Cooper=a clever fellow.

Finally, I’d like to pay tribute to the saga writers of Iceland, for giving me more names to chuckle about during my daily readings of the sagas. Right now I am working on Hrafnkel’s Saga, which opens with the following line, offering up some of the best names I’ve heard in the sagas yet:

“During the reign of King Haraldr Fine-Hair, the son of Hálfdan the Black, the son of Guðröðr the hunting king, the son of Hálfdan the Generous and Food-Stingy, the son of Eysteinn Fart, the son of Óládir the tree-cutting king of the Swedes, a man called Hallfreðr sailed to Iceland.”

SO: here's my assignment to you: can you come up with Saga names?
Go on, give these Icelandic Sagas some Viking names they can be awed by.
Thorrson Sausage-Fingers? Ingrid Daughter of Sigurd Ice Troll?
Please be funnier and more creative than me.

On Health

2009-03-02T21:19:00.003-05:00

I would like to thank the United Kingdom for their National Heath Services. I have been sick now for a couple weeks, to the point where I had to go in today on an emergency appointment. The doctor was able to help me within minutes with helpful advice and a prescription that has calmed down some of the side effects of my illness. Next week I have to go in for blood testing, and then will have to meet with the doctor the following week. I say this because, if I had to go I through this in America, by the time I am done with testing and consultation, I would be hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in debt. So, I raise my wine glass to national healthcare... And then I put the glass down and promptly get back into bed and go back to sleep.

My House Update

2009-02-20T16:57:00.005-05:00

Best clean-up: Bleaching down the black mold in the shower.

Best quote: "Hey--you know what would be cool? If we had furniture."

Best wall art:

That'd be post-it art of the guys I've failed to date while here.

Best found art:
The old leather coat hanging on the laundry line outside.

Best neighbors:
The strange guy next door who sees me almost daily, looks straight at me, and has yet to respond to my "Hello".

Best odor: The faint smell of cat urine in the corners of the living room. It's enough to make me never ever want a cat for a pet.

Best insect interaction: The spider which dangled behind my roommate's head. I said, "Whatever you do, do not back up." She turned around and screamed, ran out of the room, and begged me to kill the thing. Being the kind person I am, I just scooped it up in a cup and put it outside. That was, of course, after I called my neighbor asking him to come over and do the job for me.

Rad News From the World Of Kiki

2009-02-19T08:31:00.005-05:00

I have a massive paper/presentation next Friday. Go on: ask me how much I’ve prepared for it. Mmmm hmmm… let’s just say: not enough. But, with all fairness, I have had a nasty cold for the past four days, and haven’t really had the energy to do much but sleep. But, the paper is going to be epic: it’s about Viking metal, and the influences of Norse mythology in its music, lyrics, and live performance. I’ve kind of narrowed down my paper to focus on a few choice bands. Tell me what you think—here are the bands: Amon Armath, Bathory, Einherjer, Enslaved, Korpiklaani, Moonsorrow, and Thyrfing. It’s pretty awesome bringing these bands into the academic world, and I’m thrilled to go on and on about something other than the gore of black metal (thank you, Gorgoroth, we’ve head it all before).

.... And now for something completely different...
I am going to be taking part in a burlesque show. I’m so excited and proud of myself for this. I’ve always loved dancing, and always loved burlesque. So, getting up and performing is going to feel wonderful. I’ve been slowly putting together a couple costumes—and that seems to be part of the fun (especially for the UK’s economy, which is getting a boost from my purchases). I’ve also picked out the songs I’ll be dancing to (I found a freaking “Burlesque Cover” of “What a Girl Wants” by Christina Aguilera). I’m nervous about getting everything together in time for the performance, which is less than a month away. But, I figure once I’ve gotten the metal presentation out of the way I can move my focus to that.

My Valentine’s Day was lovely.
Not that I had a date. Well, instead I spent it V.I.P. at Rock City in Nottingham with TELEGRAPHS, my friend Hattie’s band. They did a lovely show, and played with Alkaline Trio, who I also got to meet and hang out with. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the kids love their music, but I wasn’t really sure what they did or who they were before I met them. I felt bad—I was having a conversation with the lead singer of the band about how I’m a lonely bitch and think that British boys misinterpret my needs, all while downing all the red wine in his dressing room, and having no clue who he was. What a good sport.

Here I am with four out of five of the members of Telegraphs:

They were the sweetest people you could ever want to hang out backstage at Rock City with. Seriously. Love these guys.

Oh, and finally: I’ve caved and am now on Twitter. Do y’all have Twitter accounts? Please find me if you do:
Kiki Tweet Tweet

How was your Valentine's Day?
Do you know who the heck Alkaline Trio is, or what kind of music they do? And is it true one of them was on a Gossip Girl show or something?
And, do you have any suggestions for stage names for me? Miss Kiki might just be the easiest, but I seem to be lacking in creativity when it comes to re-naming myself.

After Due Consideration…

2009-02-19T08:29:00.000-05:00

I am moving back to the States once my studies are done here in Nottingham. It’s a strange feeling—I have always been a creature of indecision and often find myself going back and forth between different options. But, the recent events in my life (see below posts) have really influenced my desires to make my way back home.

I feel like my entire life has been spent sort of wandering around. I wander from place to place, hobby to hobby, boyfriend to boyfriend, just being sort of wishy washy about everything. I kind of just want to be comfortable and settle down. I want to be a dog owner and a garden keeper. And, I would prefer to do so in the area of my closest friends who have known me for years and my family, who has supported me with whatever wackadoodle decision I make.

It’s not that Nottingham or England are lousy places to be. Quite the contrary: I have enjoyed the people I’ve met here, and have had a great opportunity studying at the University of Nottingham. But, I am reminded about this crazy lady who read my palm in a coffee shop in the middle of the West Village a few years back. She said to me, “You will be able to move somewhere exotic, but love will bring you back to familiar places.”

I guess that after all the hecticness of things here, it just seems appropriate that I would want to go home and be around people who will give me unconditional love and support. So, now the goal is to just 1. find a job and/or 2. find a nice small MFA program to get involved with. Time will tell.

And that is that.

Yikes!

2009-02-04T12:29:00.002-05:00

Hello All,

So, I've been in a freaking hell over here in Nottingham. I've just moved to a slum-house. Here's the thing: the place needed things fixed up before we moved in, but nothing major. We gave the landlord a couple weeks notice before we moved in, and asked that the things be sorted before we got there. And you guessed it. They haven't been fixed. Not only have they not been fixed, I've discovered the following issues with the house in the few nights I've been there:
-The stove is broken.
-The oven is broken.
-The heat doesn't work properly, and shuts off for no reason in particular.
-My mattress is so old, I feel each spring in it when I try to sleep.
-The sealing on the sides of the bathtub are peeling away to reveal black mold.
I've asked the landlord to have these problems sorted by the end of the weekend, or I'd be moving out at the end of the month. Do y'all have any suggestions on this matter?

Also: I've just been in kind of a sour mood. I'm sure you can tell by the post below. I really don't know how long the post will stay up, as I am uncertain about putting up such personal things. Well, I guess it's up because I'd like to hear what people think about it. Plus, it was a really cathartic exercise for me.

Thanks for reading, and leaving all the amazing comments.

How are you all doing?
Did anyone else in England enjoy the strange snow storm?
Have you ever lived in a shithole, and how did you get through it/get out of it?

Here’s a List of Things I Was Going To Say To You To Begin a Conversation:

2009-02-04T12:28:00.002-05:00

1. I suppose you’ll need me to cut your hair at some point.
2. I suppose I’ll need to fetch my panties at some point.
3. If we could just go for a walk in the snow, I might be able to pretend for a moment that things are just fine.
4. I’m sorry I am demanding.
5. I don’t think I’m demanding. I think you are overreacting. Or under-reacting.
6. I’m sorry I looked through your phone to see who you’ve called. Who is David?
7. You hold me back: I need to talk metaphors and symbols.
8. I like it when I talk in metaphors and symbols and you don’t get it.
9. How about this snow? I remember you saying it’s the first you’ve seen snow in England since moving here. How unnatural.
10. You might have been someone I learned to love.
11. You probably came off better in my imagination than in my reality.
12. I tried to concentrate today, and just felt like a disgusting person.
13. I am a disgusting person. I understand why you couldn’t say I was pretty.
14. I am shocked you couldn’t say I was pretty.
15. I am pretty—when I haven’t cried and have had a full night’s rest.
16. I can give you compliments. I have before. I could again.
17. Am I desperate?
18. Can you believe it’s still snowing? It looks so clean outside.
19. Could you imagine us, ten years from now, where we’ll be? Who you’ll be?
20. I know I move fast. I feel the vertigo. My stomach hurts. You don’t get that, do you?
21. You never did get me.
22. I never did get you.
23. When I watch you, and see you trying to concentrate, it reminds me of a man blowing into a conch shell.
24. When you are quiet, your eyes sort of shake, like two jade marbles in an empty skull.
25. When you sleep at night, your mouth is slightly opened, like an old man, just dead, forever paused on a final exhale.
26. One night while you were sleeping, I was drawing imaginary lines between the freckles on your back. I pretended they made the shapes of bridges.
27. That snow: it’s fucking freezing. I bet you are cold. I’ll warm your hands.
28. I miss you, though I don’t know why I bother.
29. I’ll quit smoking. Maybe I will not. I would if you told me I was pretty.
30. I can’t imagine going on holiday with anyone else. It depresses me to think you wouldn’t be posing in the photos with me.
31. I wonder what you wonder. And then I realize you don’t. It makes things worse.

What's Up With That and A Game For You To Play

2009-01-23T10:48:00.004-05:00

It’s been a good week. I:
1. Got a job. I will be working with the Academic Support team at the University of Nottingham, where my tasks include taking notes, practical support, and mentorship for disabled students. I can’t wait to start!
2. Got a place to live. I’m moving in with Ines in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood, with nice double beds. Hooray for room! As soon as we move in, I’ll take pictures and post them.
3. Got an offer to read a paper at a conference. The name of the paper is Scandinavian Metal: Northern Mythology Live in Concert. Yeah, I’m epic. Actually… if there is anyone out there with words, thoughts, advice, and/or guidance on the topic, please let me know. And, surely, you’ll hear more about this as I go through the process of writing the paper.

I also wanted to say thanks for the goth feedback. Yes, black mascara and eyeliner is so lovely, isn't it? I don't know, I think I will keep my gothness on the inside and my grimness on the outside.

I’d like to draw your attention to two blog entries that came as a result of my gothy entry.
One is at Lady Eurphoria's Blog.
The other is at Ben's Blog,
And, while I am sending you elsewhere, you should read this poem at Holly's Blog. It’s really awesome, and says things I’ve always meant to say.

Finally. Here’s a hands-on-project for all of you. I stole this from Laura’s blog, Bagel's and Guns, and thought it was a fun lil’ blog activity. It's also a chance to toot my own "here's my individual self" horn.

I Am: complicated, eccentric, expressive, and hyper-sensitive.
I Want: substance and conversations over breakfast.
I Have: many questions to ask you.
I Wish: I was good at math and science so I could be a meteorologist.
I Fear: that’ll I’ll always do things the hard way.
I Hear: swords and trombones.
I Search: for Andy Green because I dream about him often.
I Wonder: what he thinks when he looks at me.
I Regret: needing bad influences in my life.
I Love: the Golden Girls.
I Always: am thinking a little too hard for a little too long.
I Usually: talk to myself in the shower.
I Am Not: simple.
I Dance: around a pole.
I Sing: along to Fleetwood Mac and Blondie.
I Never: can be serious for more than three minutes at a time.
I Rarely: fight, but when I do you should take cover.
I Cry: and wonder about what makes other people cry.
I Am Not Always: stable.
I’m Confused: by love.
I Need: to read and write more often.
I Should: move South.

So, just erase my answers and fill in your own. Feel free to pop them in my comments section. Or, if you put it up on your own blog, then let me know so I can go read it!

Am I Goth Or Not?

2009-01-18T12:56:00.010-05:00

I have always had a dark side—you know, the side where I brood and spend nights milling over my feelings. The other week I started noticing a few things which made me wonder: am I goth?

I started to consider that I might be an in-the-closet-goth after watching a documentary called Goth Cruise. This is a film about a Caribbean cruise specifically geared towards got folk. Hell, here's the site for the actual cruise if you feel like you need a morbid holiday at the Tropic of Cancer: Goth Cruise And to be honest: after watching the movie, it sounded like a very intriguing holiday, indeed....

I particularly felt a fond connection to the petite gal with a love for parasols. Even through the dark and dismal visage of the goth, she still held a cheerful character, a vivacity for life and exploration. And when on the beach, she slathered on massive amounts of SPF to keep her pale complexion. Not to mention, she was wearing a vintage-inspired black two-piece on the beach.

I started to take notice to some of my own personal habits. This past week I have done the following things:
-Downloaded two Jesus and Mary Chain albums
-Read Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.
-Watched the entire first season of True Blood on HBO
-I seriously contemplated getting a tattoo of an owl perched on a crumbling gravestone with an inscription in Theban reading ‘Living'.

So, I ask you: do you think I’m goth?
Here are some of my qualifications as a goth:

-I am P-A-L-E:
I am the fairest of fair people. Naturally. No makeup needed: I glow under fluorescent lighting.
-Eye Makeup Magic:
I often forget blush and foundation, but you’ll never see me out in public without a hefty layering of black eyeliner.
-Dracula:
I love Dracula. Bram Stoker’s Dracula may be one of my most favorite novels ever. And as I have mentioned in this post, I am sincerely interested in traveling through Romania to have a first-hand look at the inspiration for Dracula’s homeland.
-Overall obsession with Vampire literature:
I don’t know what it is, but all vampire tales and stories strike me as some of the most fascinating out there. Whether it’s some of the original gothic works, such as The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, The Vampyre by John Polidori, Carmilla by J.S. Le Fanu, or a new fiction books like the Twilight or Sookie Stackhouse series, or books by Laurell K. Hamilton, I am all over it like a goth is all over black nail polish. Here are two lists which might help satiate the appetite of anyone with the same obsession for vampire books:
Wiki Vamp Lit Entry
Post Twilight Fix
-My other taste in literature tends to be quite as dark.
As a medievalist, I often find myself lost in the otherworld of Sir Orfeo, or the battles against the undead in Grettir’s saga. In this world, there is the foundation of the supernatural, mysteries, and the unknown. I also have a love and passion for the noiresque at the fin de siècle. There is something about the end of the Victorian era, which ignited tales of passion, darkness, the occult and supernatural, which made for a time chock-full of dark tales so incredible that they might be some of the best books (in my opinion) ever written. To name a few authors/poets: Oscar Wilde (The Picture of Dorian Gray is my favorite book), W.B. Yeats, Charles Baudelaire, Matthew Arnold (a little earlier but read ‘Dover Beach’), H.G. Wells, R.L. Stevenson, Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Kate Chopin, and Vernon Lee. Often times, I read the works of these people, and wonder why I wasn’t living in London in 1895.
-Music from the Darker Side:
Now. I have the most eccentric taste of music in the whole world, but let me give you a sample of some of the more goth stuff I like to listen to: Cocteau Twins, Solace, The Cure, Siousxie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Dead Can Dance, Nine Inch Nails, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Joy Division, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nick Cave, Cranes, Lacuna Coil, and I’m a HUGE HUGE Tori Amos fan.
That must count for something. No, seriously: I’ve been to Tori shows, and there are LOADS of goth chicks there.
-My love for burlesque: I just want to be tightened up in a corset and in high heel black boots with a set of stockings. Why not?
-Occult:
I’m obsessed with the occult. I’ve been immersed in the world of occult and paganism since I was an adolescent, and to this day try and give myself the frequent opportunity to become more knowledgeable about all aspects of occultism. I was in a coven for a bit of time too, studying Wicca. I worked as a professional tarot card reader and my favorite party trick is reading palms (you know I always read the love line first).
-I’m a freaking poet:
Yeah, totally. Okay, so I only have one or two poems about cemeteries, I still think that the idea of self-expression is a central component to being goth.
-Cemeteries:
While on the topic. Yes. I love cemeteries. My favorite is Père Lachaise, and it is often the first place I visit when I am in Paris.
-Black clothes:
Morrissey sang: “I wear black on the outside because black is how I feel on the inside.” I can tell you that even as a child, I was prone to wearing black. I remember being picked on when I was younger for always wearing black jeans and a black sweatshirt. It suited me, even when people said, “Did you just come for a funeral?” And, my dark humor would always make me grin and say, “Why, as a matter of fact, I did.”
-Comparisons to Lydia: Can I tell you how many times people have called me Lydia? Well, now that my bangs are growing out and I no longer dye my hair black, I don’t hear it quite as much.
-My dream house:
I want to live in a haunted Victorian Mansion, with creaking doors and wolfhounds for pets. I specifically want a library with dusty old books with busts of various Roman Emperors (please see British Museum Cotton Manuscripts). Additionally, I would like for there to be an organ or an out-of-tune piano, silver candlesticks, and burgundy colored curtains. Gargoyles are also a must—both for indoor and outdoor décor.
-My favorite video game? Maniac Mansion.
If you don’t know about the wonderful world of NES’s Maniac Mansion, I seriously recommend you get involved. And, if you are familiar with it: you know I ALWAYS played with Razor.

Here are a couple sites I found kind of cool while researching the land of the goth:
Darklinks
GothNet

So, here are my questions to you:
1. Am I goth or not?
2. Are you goth or not?
3. What qualifies you as goth or not?
4. What is your dream house like?
5. Have you read any vampire books, and if so, which ones? Please tell me all about them.
6. Would you like to go on the goth cruise?

Home from Home or the Other Way Around?

2009-01-15T10:25:00.005-05:00

Finally. Exam papers are done and over with. I have this awful feeling that mine are not nearly as wonderful as I would’ve liked them to be. It’s been strange studying a subject that I sort of get grumpy about. I get grumpy about Medieval English. I do. I wrote four papers about it, and cussed often, listened to a lot of doom metal, and pulled all-nighters at the library. Regardless, they are done.

I’d like to post some of my favorite pictures from my holiday break back in Connecticut. Not too many… just a few memories I enjoyed.

Here I am with my sister, my brother, and my sister's boyfriend on a freaky car ride Christmas morning. I would say we're the more 'eccentric' part of the family.

It's my dog, Tucker. He's a little bratski.

My dear friend Maya and I. We got to hang a bunch, which was a blessing indeed. This is us at Acoustic Café.

These are the ruins of an old gun factory in South Glastonbury. My friend Tracy and I went for a winter's walk through the woods to check the ruins out. They're really gorgeous with the sun light behind them, eh? I always wondered what kind of stories came out of the factory when it still existed. I had heard that it was once a gun factory during the Revolutionary War, but that there was a huge explosion which destroyed it.
I guess it'd be a nice writing exercise to write a story for the old factory.
Have any good ideas?

It was a strange feeling being back home, and then going back to another home. But, I don’t know if I’d necessarily call Connecticut or Nottingham my home. I feel sort of like I am on a perpetual flight over the Atlantic. Has anyone else ever moved away far from home and felt this way?

Does Medieval English make you grumpy too? What subjects do make you grumpy?

What music do you listen to when it’s four in the morning?

Missed You!

2009-01-10T10:44:00.002-05:00

Ah, back in England after a couple weeks away in America!
Thanks to everyone who has joined up with my blog--I'm sending y'all psychic hugs.

I wish I had time for a thorough blog, but sadly, I've got to write papers for my classes, all of which I've left to the last minute and are now due in 48 hours. Yikes. I'll be back on after that is all sorted out and over, but in the meantime, I'd love for you all to take a peek at a couple poems I've had published online this month:

decomP Magazine
Young American Poets

How was everyone's holiday?
Did anyone get a Wii!?

Also, what was your New Year's Resolution?

A Lesson in Geography and Led Zeppelin

2008-12-19T11:26:00.007-05:00

I’ve been put up to a challenge.

Okay, so I’ll admit, I’m a product of public education in America, and my geography isn’t all that great. My friend Andrew is like freaking SurvivorMan with a backpack and a map of the universe imprinted in his memory. He can look at an empty map and name off about 90% of the countries and be correct. Seriously, I have no clue how he figured them all out and remembered them. Listen: I don’t even know if I could tell you which state is which in the ol’ U.S.of A.

Funny thing is: the guy can point out Lithuania on the map, but he can only name on Led Zeppelin song: Stairway to Heaven. Very shocking and slightly sad, it’s something he maybe should’ve lied about. Either way, we devised a challenge for each other: if I memorize all the countries in South America, he’ll find ten favorite Led Zeppelin songs. Easy Breezy, right?

Since I’m such a sweet gal (and since he doesn’t read my blog), I am going to list my ten favorite Led Zeppelin songs. I would also like to mention that this was a very difficult list for me to put together. I originally had a list of about twenty, and had to cut back.

Kiki's Top Ten Favorite Led Zeppelin Songs

10. The Song Remains The Same (Houses of the Holy): Incredible introduction to a flawless album. I associate this song with my travels through the Yorkshire Dales, where I listened to Houses of the Holy exclusively. There is something about House of the Holy that makes for the perfect soundtrack to the rolling green hills and ancient feeling of the northern areas of England.

9. What Is and What Should Never Be (II): The perfect combination of mellow, sexy, gritty, bluesy, and heavy all wrapped into a psychadelic classic.

8. Immigrant Song (III): I feel like I’ve come from the land of the ice and stone when I hear this. Plant sings amazing lyrics, which awakens the Germanic gods which reside in Valhalla.

7. Kashmir (Physical Graffiti): Dear Mr. Page and Mr. Plant, thank you for visiting Morocco and taking loads of narcotics. You made a nice song about it and were kind enough to add a symphony to it. Love, Kiki. PS: I wish I had a time machine to go back to 1970 and see you live at the Yale Bowl.

6. Custard Pie (Physical Graffit): This song is sexpot rock heaven. Fucking raw and fantastic.

5. Traveling Riverside Blues (BBC Sessions): One word for you: Classic. Dirty blues, slide guitar, complete with the filthy lyrics from Lemon.

4. Going to California (IV): Every time I hear this song, I’m transported into a happy universe and away from the troubles and miseries of my day. For the three and a half minutes of this song, I am able to envision myself peacefully resting in a sunny vineyard somewhere in California.

3. The Battle of Evermore (IV): Someone told me that all chicks love this song. Fair enough: I’m a chick and I love this song. It’s gorgeous, features the mandolin, and has lyrics about Avalon. Beautiful and romantic.

2. Ramble On (II): Note to rockers: making reference to Gollum (or anything Tolkien for that matter) makes for a rock classic. Not to mention, Page’s guitar licks surmount mostly everything else the 70s had to offer. Bless them for every bit of this song: the soft drumming, the heady bass, the sexy wailing, and the storyline about moving along.

1. No Quarter (Houses of the Holy): The haunting organ sets the ambiance of dreary travels and the occult. Plant sings, “Winds of Thor are blowing cold,” which totally kicks ass in my opinion. I’m fairly sure this is the most essential Led Zeppelin track, surpassing Stairway to Heaven as the topic epic song they’ve written. I remember hearing this for the first time when I was younger: maybe about 12 or 13, and how I’d walk through the woods listening to this, wishing I was at the Boleskine House. If I could consume this song, I would. It’s perfect.

Honorable Mentions: The Ocean, Houses of the Holy, All of My Love (yes), Trampled Under Foot, Over the Hills and Far Away, When the Levee Breaks, Thank You, Moby Dick, That’s The Way, In The Light, The Wanton Song and Whole Lotta Love…

Oh, here’s South America. I’m studying, I promise. I already know where Brazil and Chile are.

Maybe next week he’ll have to list ten metal bands and I’ll study Africa.

So, I'm wondering:
What are your favorite Led Zeppelin songs?
And, how's your geography?

To-Do-List: America

2008-12-14T11:14:00.013-05:00

Between schoolwork and partying, I've been busy the last week or so here in Nottingham. Next week is looking to be a boring week of studying in the library, and packing for my trip back to the States. So, my apologies for not being a bippybloggerette.

I'm getting anxious about returning home. I'm leaving on Tuesday the 23rd, and will be home in time for Christmas Eve. I have a strange and unsettling strange feeling about going home. I've wanted to get back home for so long, and whined about being homesick. But, now, I'm finally becoming settled into my routine here in Nottingham. I've found things to do with my time, found "peace" with my degree and less-than-satisfactory living situation, gotten excited about my surroundings. I'm in England, it's what I wanted to do forever. Here I am: writing, dancing, socializing, learning, etc, etc.

I've made friends who I'll genuinely miss while I'm away. I take great comfort in knowing I'll be back to see them soon. However: there is a massive group of family and friends back in the States I can't wait to see again. I've been imagining how amazing it'll be to greet everyone again, re-tell old jokes and share new stories. In the spirit of getting excited about returning to America, I've made a list of some things I'd like to do while I'm home:

• Eat a Buffalo Wild Wings at the Milford Mall. I love Buffalo Wild Wings. The combination of watching the Yankees play, playing quiz games, and eating amazing buffalo wings just rocks my world. Of course, now that it is the off season, I can settle for ice hockey or an imported football match.
• Drink at Delaney’s in New Haven. Tim Parrish and Jeff Mock must be present.
• See three shows: at least. One must be at Cafe 9.
• Shop at Goodwill Boutique. They have charity shops over here which actually go to the trouble of weeding out all of the older/ironic jumpers. I need to stock up on old sweaters and jeans.
• Visit my friends in New York. Drag them to Pinkberry. Mark. I'm looking at you. And, can we go to the Nintendo store please?
• Go on a ghost hunt. Here are some ideas: Haunted CT Oh, ps: can you drive me? I don't have a car. Kay, thanks.
• Make an evil ginger bread house. Gingerbread houses are a bitch to make. So I figure if mine ends up looking like the ruins of Vlad's Castle, I'll have accomplished something "creative." I also intend to display impaled heads on the front lawn of my gingerbread house. Tis the season!
• Peel Terry away from WoW by enticing him with homemade Indian food. Or just join Terry in playing WoW, and order delivery Indian food.
• Go on a variety of sushi dates. I want to eat every type of sushi ever invented. Everything. Feed me. I want the "Ziggy Piggy" (ten points if you know what I'm referencing) Love Boat of sushi all for myself.
• Go to a New Age Fair. Get an aura picture/past life regression/tarot card reading/buy a crystal or five or ten.
• Send postcards to Ines and Andrew. ... lie to them about all the "exciting" things I'm doing.
• Send submissions out to literary magazines. Postage is expensive in the UK.
• Send out my applications for MFA programs. I am going next year, dammit. I'm going. GIVE ME A POSITION IN YER MFA PROGRAM I'LL WRITE YOU AMAZING THINGS.
• Sing karaoke. I'm thinking Fleetwood Mac's "Gypsy" or Kenny Loggin's "This It."
• Go for a walk in the woods after it has snowed, and listen to Immortal, Darkthrone, and/or Enslaved while doing this. Yeah, a bit of a contrast to Kenny Loggins. Deal with it.
• Have a dinner party. Invite Val because he eats everything I cook.
• Pick up ranch dressing for Ines, so she can eat and enjoy a salad. (Eat your vegetables, Ines!)
• Pick up Country Time Lemonade for Abbi.
• Fake a British Accent. Then when people comment on it say, "What accent? I don't have an accent."

What are you doing for the holidays? Oh, do share your plans? Have you got a list of things to get done? Are you visiting anywhere exciting????? Tell me all about it!

Play With Poetry/Blogger's Block

2008-12-05T07:13:00.006-05:00

I think I might have blogger's block. I've been distracted the last few days with the final weeks of classes and attempting to fill out applications for MFA programs for next fall. If I have to write one more goddamned 500 word essay that "describes myself and explains what I want to do with my MFA" I might go crazy. I have also been freaking out over possible portfolio poems: I love a poem one day, and then the next day hate it. I chop it up, then stuff it full of pointless language. Then I just say, "To hell with it all," and throw my arms up in frustration. It's a fun process. I also think I'm applying to some very competitive programs (Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Uni of New Hampshire, Uni of Guelph in Toronto, Syracuse). I don't really know if I'm qualified for these schools, but I'm giving it a go regardless.

So, no HaHa bloggity-blog-entry today. Instead, here's a poem/prompt I had fun with.
Please play with me.

I took this from: The Writing Site
It is a prompt for grades K to 2. Since I tend to fit in that group mentally, I thought I'd have a go at it:

“Explain how your favorite color makes you feel. Use your five senses to compare your color to other things.”

Indigo:
You are the perfect panty color:
A perfect contrast to peach cheeks,
a sensual color, like melted berries.
Indigo:
You naughty color, so tongue
and cheek: you are the wine stain
spilt down the front of my dress.
Indigo:
You are pronounced with in a foreign
accent. You are from a country where your midnight
sky is pressed up against a steaming red mountain.
Indigo:
You are a chakra—you are my
third eye, you make me dream about Inanna.
She is the shape of a star, rounded like her breasts.
Indigo:
You are the color of the sheets on my bed.
You smell like cherry vanilla and
ripple under rocking bodies.

And you know Miss Kiki, your cutie creative writing teacher, wants to see your attempts at this.
Tell me your favorite color!!!!! What is it?!?!? Come on, we'll do "Farmer on the Dell" and have nap time after you write me one.

When I do fall asleep I end up having nightmares, then sort of wake up, write what I dreamt about, and then post it on my blog for your judgings.

2008-12-02T06:04:00.007-05:00

If you are a li' poetic workshopping type: what information do you need to complete this here pomme/firm it up? Kay, thanks.

Just Kidding!

2008-12-01T13:56:00.010-05:00

So, it turns out that if I leave Nottingham University early, I’ll end up having to pay half my tuition, even if I’m not attending classes. Looks like I’m here for the year, which is a real thrill since I was getting excited about packing it up and moving to New York City. I guess New York will still be there next fall, and I will be fine living in England. I actually quite like England. I’d always wanted to move here, and when I lived in Paris, I was spending loads of free weekends lurking around London. I have nothing against England: it’s the circumstances that I’ve been through here, which include everything from heartache to homesickness to confusion to disillusionment, not to mention frustration that I think my degree is kind of lame. I wish I went to school for a MFA. But, I’m a grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side gal, so I’m sure in a some alternative universe, I’m at Hunter College getting my MFA, and my blog titled “Drink Jus d’Orange,” is me just whining about how I rather be in England doing a MA in Medieval English.

Whatever. I’m over it.

Ahhhhkkknneeewwwaaayyyssss….
Does anyone have a lastfm account? I just started one, and it is severely addicting. It tracks what you play on your iPod and in your iTunes gallery, and makes a chart of your top played artists and tracks. Sadly, I have no clue how to use it yet—I think there is a way to find your friends on it. If you have it, please find me and we can be friends forever: KikiD333.

Here’s my top artist list, according to lastfm.com.

Yeah, it’s a ridiculous mixture of music. Is it possibly embarrassing?
Should I be worried that Madonna is somehow sandwiched between Tom Waits and Cocteau Twins?
What does this say about my personality? And are there people on lastfm who assess my worth as a human because of this chintzy widget?
What are you listening to that makes you cool/decreases to your indie cred?

Sorry that my blog entry is brief. I guess I'm just a little distracted mentally: I’m trying to wrap my brain around being in England for at least six more months after thinking I’d be gone in three weeks. No worries, though. I can always blog...
Dear Brooklyn,
Sorry I can't make it till next summer or fall. Please don't hate me for loving Tori while I write and practicing dance to the new Madonna. Is the new Madonna old business now? Cause I'm also dancing to Lil' Wayne and Ssion, if that means anything.
Love, Kiki

Here I am:

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

So Long England, And Thanks For All The Fish (and chips)! An Interview.

2008-11-25T03:37:00.018-05:00

Professional Interviewer: So, Kiki, you’re moving back to the US? What is this all about?
Kiki: England, however charming and lovely it is, has left me feeling gutted. No... that is not fair...
The following things in England have left me gutted: 1. The academic program I am enrolled in at the University of Nottingham. 2. The barren wasteland that is my credit score. 3. Two men in particular. 4. Food here has literally gutted me, as I am now unable to digest wheat, dairy, various vegetables, and garlic. I have emotional and physical indigestion.

PI: That’s disgusting.
Kiki: I know. It’s why I’m leaving.

PI: When are the bags getting packed for good?
Kiki: I leave from Birmingham on December 23rd. I’m not so sure what’ll happen after that. Maybe someone could fetch me in Newark.

PI: Newark is going to be a wonderful welcome home.
Kiki: I’ll probabaly cry. That and get mugged.

PI: Beyond the holidays, what’ll you be doing?
Kiki: Well, I’m in the process of registering at CUNY Brooklyn College. I’ll be going for my MA in English during the Spring semester, and hopefully (light your little Wiccan Candles for me) switching over to their MFA program in the Fall (I'll be applying to programs at both Brooklyn and Hunter College). I guess it means I’ll be in NYC.

PI: Do you even like NYC?
Kiki: I think theoretically everyone likes New York City. And then you go there for a holiday, and you think “I’m overwhelmed.” You leave it, long for it, move there and wonder why God hates you. So yes, I suppose I do love New York City.

PI: Does God hate you?
Kiki: My intestines say yes, but my legs say no.

PI: How is that?
Kiki: My legs look better than they ever have. It’s exciting. I wear heels more often.

PI: Do you have a plan of attack for moving to New York?
Kiki: It all makes sense in my brain. I guess I’ll get all the academic stuff sorted first, then I will try to a find job to supplement my horrific lifestyle, and then a place to live.
(Dear Brooklyn, Thank you for Craigslist, xoxo Kiki).

PI: Any long term plans?
Kiki:I really just want to settle into life in the city. Honestly, I'm scared shitless. It's another massive upheaval and I hope this move is the right decision. I guess I won't know until I get there, but in the meantime I'll keep myself up at night by worrying myself silly.
I'd like to get a dog and go to a lot of Yankees games. I'd also like to visit the Badlands eventually.

PI: What did you learn in Nottingham?
Kiki: Wine should be worshipped on an altar of cheese. Gay clubs are the best place to go dancing. Lying is an offensive way of saying that you are making a story more intriguing.
Home is where your friends are, so part of me will be in a flat by Victoria Centre. Part of me will also be in Austria, in the airport, wearing red tights and directing people to their appropriate gates.
I realized that I love writing and that’s what I should do for the rest of my life, even if people give me dirty looks when I read poetry. I feel comfortable writing. I feel comfortable being an asshole.
I have also learned how to hang upside down from a chrome pole. I’m officially a stripster.

PI: Kiki. Come on. Did you learn anything academic?
Kiki: I learned how to make mind maps. I made a mind map of the ten guys I would marry. I made it while waiting for a show to begin on the back of a plane ticket receipt, for a plane ticket I cannot use nor refund.

Thorlac Turville-Petre taught me loads about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I think that Green Knight had a hillmound for a chapel, and I’ll stick by that notion. I also learned that runes are best left being romantic and enigmatic, as portrayed in Enslaved songs.
I also discovered these letters on the international keypad: þ ð æ œ ç.

PI: And what advice would you give to anyone looking to make a huge move like you made?
Kiki: Just get a pug and some pinkberry. See your friends, hug and kiss them, and remember that they make life worthwhile. Sights and scenery have little to do with how well you feel, unless of course you are in Key West listening to Christopher Cross.

16 Word Experiment: Please participate.

2008-11-22T14:42:00.004-05:00

Simple:
A 16-word poem. That's it. 16 words. Any words you'd like.
You know, it's really quite addicting once you start.
Here are some of my favorites that I wrote:

I hear that owls
can turn their heads
360 degrees: left, right,
and through your skull.

******

Lying is when you
say you’ll dye the
sky red but dump the
bucket in dirt instead.

******

You like exotic places:
Tibet, Chile, Morroco. You
write about your tunics
getting dusty while travelling.

******

I liked your blue
briefs: the band was
pumpkin orange, and you
called yourself a superman.

******

Earth worms on the
sidewalk after spring rain
flatten and harden quickly:
snotty bloody rubber cement.

******

My first boyfriend sent
me four carnations on
valentines day: they smelt
poisonous. A damned prophecy!

******

Lichen and moss
grow on birch bark:
a moose chews it
off and spits it out.

******

If I see that
alien with the black
watery oblong eyes, I’m
gonna cut them out.

******

The fallen pine needles
by the public pool
stung my feet each
summer we went swimming.

******

That yellow kite had
a tear down one
plastic wing: raucous radical
flapping, forever circling left.

******

A car had to
swerve around me in
the middle of the road.
Wishful thinking done dead.

******
The creative writing teacher in me wants you to leave a 16 word poem in my comments.
Consider it your homework assignment.

Is Flannel Back In Style Yet?

2008-11-18T23:02:00.021-05:00

When it comes to fashion, I really haven’t the slightest idea what the hell to do with myself. I suppose that part of the fun of fashion is that you can be clueless, and as long as you’ve got some skinny jeans on you’ll fit in somehow, even if you are just being “ironic.” That being said: I really want to start wearing flannel again. They're comfortable and warm. They're a nice change from the cardigan or hoodie. They ... uh... have buttons.

Part of me wonders if my desire for wearing flannel and doc martens has anything to do with the fact that they were the base of my clothing collection when I was 13. And who wouldn't want to relive that awkward, self-loathing year of puberty all over again? Okay, all sarcasm aside: it was 1994 when I was 13, and I was concerned about was watching My So Called Life every Wednesday evening, making mix tapes, smoking cigarettes without getting caught, discovering the occult, and daydreaming about Trent Reznor.

Maybe for some reason, my fashion sense has to reflect a deep seeded desire to go back to simpler times, to reclaim a youth that has long passed me. But, even if it is some sort of nostalgic mind trip, who cares, right?
So:
Is 1994 vintage yet?
If it is, does that mean it is due time for flannel to make it second round in the world of style?

Will we start talking about how no one makes as good a song as Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth? Maybe we can talk about Sebadoh while we’re at it, since every now and then I still like to put on Bakesale.

I wouldn’t mind talking about these things with or without the flannel for that matter.
Could we put the following shows back on the air?
The State: Best Sketch Comedy.

My So Called Life: Best Imitation of my life (even now).

120 Minutes: Because it made my life fuller, and my helped me cover my notebook with all the right band names.

Maybe I'm the only person who really kind of liked wearing baby dolls with boots, and flannels with torn up old jeans.
There's must be a world of bored bloggers out there who pondered this already and dug into the nifty references to pop culture of 1994. Perhaps fashion designers, musicians, and highschool kids have thought about it too. Do high school kids control the fashion world?
If that's the case, here is my message to highschool kids: I think it's time to ditch the Uggs, and throw on some doc martens. And, instead of that Taking Back Sunday tee, rock the flannel. Better yet: wear a thermal shirt underneath, layered with an old Sonic Youth Goo t-shirt. All the cool kids are doing it. It'll make you cool and maybe get you a prom date.
Come on... Get into the sound... It's Beck when he was your age!
Loser - Beck
Maybe the safest bet is to just send another inquiry to the borough at the center of the universe:

Dear Brooklyn,
Is it acceptable to wear flannel again? Is it cool to wear yet? Am I too early? Am I too late? If flannel is a legit fashion item again, would I just get it at Goodwill Boutiques? Can I wear one of my step father’s old ones with paint on it, then just belt it and wear it with shiny leggings to look hip? Who would wear flannels? Would the kids who are into drop-crotch pants wear them? Do they listen to 4 Non Blondes and Faith No More?
And thank you for sending Asobi Seksu to Nottingham. They were fantastic.
Love,
Kiki
PS: In addition to flannel, I’m also anxious about bringing back babydolls with doc martens. The problem is, I can't figure out which boots to go for: the vinyl electric pink (an electro twist on an old grunge look) or the 20-eyelet basic black (goes with everything: from casual to formal, from goth to grunge!)? What will score me more dates?

Thank You

2008-11-15T17:44:00.014-05:00

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I have compiled a list of things I am thanksful for. Just in case you find yourself at the Thanksgiving day table, with little conversation or grace prompts, you can print out this list and share your thankfulness for the following things:

Gravy
Seems like a good place to start, since we all drench our Thanksgiving meals in Glorious Gravy. But I’m here to tell you: gravy has powers beyond that of the Thanksgiving ladle. Honestly, you can put gravy on just about anything to enhance its taste. When I was younger my mother used to say, “You can put gravy on a shoe, and Kristin would eat it.” Nice observation, Mamadukes, though sadly inaccurate: I would not eat shoes with gravy on them. That is a waste of good shoe and good gravy. However, here are some things you can put gravy on: meat, meat, meat, meat, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potato au gratin, bread, biscuits, rice, pasta, meat, salads, tacos, eggs, meat pies, casseroles, brocoli, carrots, any steamed vegetable that is served to you at a wedding, venison, macaroni and cheese, french fries (chips for the limeys), bagels, hash browns, hash, brown things, red things like meat maybe, cheese sauce, stuffing, misc. foods, misc. vegetables, misc. meats.
100% Delish. Try it out. Bring some to a party because it also makes a nice dip.

Mustaches
I went to see Volcano! play the other night down at The Bodega Social Club, and I was so happy to see that the lead singer was sporting one. Of course, no one will ever be able to have a moustache quite like my father’s circa 1988. He had this massive thing that would always catch the foam of the beer he was drinking. He no longer has it, and if he did, he would shame the crowds of younger/hipsters how are working furiously to grow theirs out as quickly as possible. Here are some of my favorite mustaches:
• The Selleck Stache. Now, this is the stache that screams manhood and copdrama all at once.

• The Dali Stache. If you can make a floral arrangement out of your facial hair, I applaud you.

• Your father’s mustache. I believe that for some dads, having a mustache is sort of an honorable badge of fatherhood. I like this picture, since he’s standing at one of the lions in Nottingham centre.

• Old Fashion Mustache. Victorians not only dressed lavishly, attended seances, and colonized foreign land. They also found time to grow and groom some of the finest specimens of mustaches. Let’s go, steampunkers! Start growin! You’ve got catching up to do.

• Hipster Mustache. I love a hipster with a mustache, and frankly, am sick of hearing all the haters go on about how they are just trying to be ironic. I live nowhere near any hipsters, so I don’t even know if it’s a trend that has already passed us by. Hey: if you live in Brooklyn, can you tell me if the kids still look like this?

• Yankees Mustache: Jason Giambi grew a mustache last season for good luck. Unfortunately, for the Yankees to have had any luck this past season, he would have had to grow a mustache, a beard to his ankles, and a mullet. Either way, the Yankees have had some wonderful mustaches in their history. Here is Giambi with Bobby Abreyu on “Mustache Day” at the old Yankee Stadium.

A side note: Did you see that delicious new player they’ve traded to the Yankees for next season? DING DONG NICK SWISHER, WELCOME TO NEW YORK!

• 1970s Stache:
Dear Brooklyn,
Vintage is always in style.
Love, Kiki

Pugs
Best dogs on the planet. Look at this guy, really look at this cutie:

And this buddy:

Come on- you love them so much and want to dress them up. They don’t really bark-- instead they kind of squeal, snort, and waddle around. Wherever I end up next, I will be getting a pug. I will be naming the pug Tootsie and dressing him or her up in outfits. It will be the best thing in my life ever.
Please look at this site, and you can see how AMAZING it is to dress up a pug:
Famous Pugs In History
Please visit this page for informtion on how to find rescue pugs in your area:
Adopt a Pug!

Legwarmers
God bless legwarmers and their wonderful, erm, leg warming abilities! Shit, I say everyone should own a pair. They’re awesome. Do you have any idea what it’s like having cold calves? Let me tell you: it's pretty damn miserable. The awesome thing about legwarmers is that they never go out of style. No, I disagree with you: they never go out of style. I mean, look at all these great legwarmer-wearing opportunities:
Wear them when you’re pole dancing!
Wear them when you’re working out!
Wear them when you’re famous!
Wear them when you’re seeing Santa (that’s me in the legwarmers)!

Tom Waits
The man is a genius. I love him and am in love with him. I listen to his music daily. Now, this is a huge thing for me, because if you asked me about Tom Waits five years ago, I would’ve turned my nose up at him. Tom is like coffee or cigarettes: you probably won’t be hooked after the first taste. But, for some reason, you keep going back to him. And soon enough, you’re addicted, and feel as if you can’t function without him on a daily basis at specific points in your day. For me, Tom is company when I’m walking downtown at the end of the night. I’m inspired by his lyrics, and could only dream of having the gift with words that he has. My favorite albums are Alice, Rain Dogs, Closing Time and Mule Variations. Tom is worth checking out and spending many intimate nights with.

Jason Beaudreau
He’s like sunshine in human form. Talking to him is like listening to Pink Moon by Nick Drake.

New Age Fairs
There is so much stuff I want at New Age Fairs! You gotta go to one, just one, trust me. They’re a trip. I just want to get my aura picture taken like every other day, and New Age Fairs are the place to get them. Not to mention there are booths and tables loaded are oils, incenses, crystals, athames, tarot cards, tarot readings, palm readings, faery figurines, runestones, cloaks, candles, cauldrons, pendulums, crystal balls, psychic readings…. It’s intriguing—an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon.Have you ever noticed how New Age Fair people love this kind of art?

Why? It’s cool, don’t get me wrong. I’m into the moon and ravens. I just want to know what it is that they’re attracted to.

Oscar Wilde

Not only is he one of the best writers ever, he had a witty quip for everything and a fabulous wardrobe. For Wilde beginners, I recommend The Importance of Being Earnest. Once you're done with that, and you need to get a little darked out, please read The Picture of Dorian Gray, which to me, is one of a handful of perfect novels. Sadly, I don’t feel like giving a smarmy academic book report, so you’ll just have to spark notes it, or do the work and read it.

Borgo Pass
Doesn’t everyone read Bram Stoker’s Dracula to hear about Jonathan Harker’s journey through Borgo Pass on the way to Dracula’s Castle? Well, maybe it is just me. It sounds pretty amazing, though, seeing as Jonathan describes it as having “a stormy existence.” Not only this, we hear about the sounds of the wolves howling, the ghostly lights that flicker out in the darkness of the thick woods in the middle of the night, and of course Dracula’s castle. Sounds like my next holiday destination. Ummmm… honestly, though? Anyone up for a trip to Romania?
Holiday Itinerary

Shallow dance and pop music
There are two reasons I’m thankful for shallow dance and pop music: 1. It gives me something to dance to, and you know how much I love to dance, and 2. It gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Really though, I’d love to say that Tom Waits and Melvins are excellent perkups in the morning, but not really. Sometimes, even I, Ms. Gloomy Gal, need to have a little pick-me-up-dance-alone-while-dressing-and-applying-makeup session. Here’s the top ten most played from my dance playlist, which is titled: “Hip Hop and Dance Music SlutClub”
10. “Blind” by Hercules and Love Affair
9. “I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan
8. “Swing” by Savage (feat. Soulja Boy)
7. “She’s Not Me” by Madonna
6. “Slippery Dick” by Peaches
5. “The Way I Are” Remix by Timbaland
4. “Crank That Soulja Boy” by Soulja Boy
3. “Womanizer” by Britney Spears
2. “American Boy” by Estelle with Kanye West
1. “A Milli” by Lil Wayne
Everyone in the world is thankful for Lil Wayne, and I suggest you thank God for Lil Wayne during grace at Thanksgiving this year, making specific reference to the song “Mrs. Officer.”

Ghosthunters
Best show on television because: 1. It’s about catching those ghosties, 2. It’s homebase is in Rhode Island, the little sister of Connecticut, and 3. Grant is a peach:

This Poem
WE REAL COOL

The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.

We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.
-Gwendolyn Brooks

And this poem
BEDTIME STORY

When a tree falls in a forest
And there’s no one around
To hear the sound, the poor owls
Have to do all the thinking.

They think so hard they fall off
Their perch and are eaten by ants,
Who, as you already know, all look like
Little Black Riding Hoods.
-Charles Simic

“Around the World” Video by Daft Punk
I wish I was a mummy in it more than mostly anything else.

World Of Warcraft
I’m out of the closet now. World of Warcraft is so addicting, I had to stop playing. I’m not kidding. It is the neverending fantasy role playing game with that is easy to get hooked into and hard to get out of. It was very easy to slip out of the space time continuum while playing WoW. You'd lose HOURS to quests, raids, farming, auction house visits, grinding up to higher levels. I'd find myself in front of the computer saying, "Just an hour," and finding myself sucked into the game four hours later. Here’s the truth: I was awful at World of Warcraft. While others somehow are capable of getting themselves up to level 70, I sort of lingered around level 40, wondering how I was ever going to find the time to figure out what the hell everyone was talking about. I was a pathetic noob. Anyways, it’s probably best that I gave it up, because now I have time to do all sorts of cool stuff like writing blogs, brooding, and weeping. I miss it, but I know how dangerous it is.

I’ve lost friends to the game.

Pinkberry
I can eat Pinkberry Yogurt until it comes out of my ears and nose. Pinkberry is not only a place to get a refreshing dish of healthy frozen yogurt, it’s an enlightening experience. When I get back to America, I will be going directly from the airport to 177 Bleeker Street to pick up a large cup of yogurt with strawberries and captain crunch on it. If you live in New York, I am jealous just knowing that you can go get Pinkberry whenever the hell you want. Damn you (shaking fist in air furiously)!

Palm Reading
Although I am no Master Shaman palm reader, I find it to be a great bar trick. There are certain things I’m always looking for inparticular when I am given a palm to read. One line is the love line, or the “Freya’s Branch,” as I learned it. You can see if the person is romantic or not, has had many partners in their life, if they are sexual or not, all sorts of juicy info you want on someone who you are flirting with. I also like to see how the mind line falls. If it falls a certain way, it could show a person as a long or short attention span, is an idealist or realist, is creative or scientific. People often want to know when they are going to die, and my answer is always the same: “Soon.” Har har, bad joke. I don’t think there is any way to tell when you are going to die. Besides, it’s a line in your hand, come on folks: eat well, don’t smoke, exercise regularly, and watch out for falling objects. That’s the best I can give you on that. Banks of Haunts was the last person to let me read his palm. He said, “You could’ve figured that all out from talking to me.” No, Mr. Banks, I figured that all out from rummaging through the things under your bed. Kidding, buddy, kidding! Kindasorta…
Besides, it’s really easy to forget all of the specifics if you aren’t staring at people’s sweaty palms like ten times a day. And we all know that I have two prefered means of psychic deliberation: tarot card readings and trance mediumship. That, however, is a blog post for another day.

Conveyour Belt Sushi
Thank you Yo!Sushi for existing. Thank you thank you thank you. Yo!Sushi is a chain in the UK that is set up like a diner. You sit at the bar, which has little stations at it with chop sticks, ginger, wasabi and soy sauce. In front of the bar are two conveyor belts—each going in opposite directions—where different varieties of sushi are sent around the bar. Sure, it’s not like Iron Chef quality sushi, but it is pretty damn good stuff. Not to mention, it is kind of hypnotizing watching all that raw fish move around the bar.

And that's where I'll be this Thanksgiving.

Top 11 Pictures From the Past Two Weeks

2008-11-13T13:47:00.016-05:00

Top Eleven Pictures from the last two weeks

The last two weeks sort of flew by in this debaucerous whilwind of partying, dancing, laughing, crying, etc., etc. So, possibly the best way to show the highlights is through my favorite photos. They are pictures from my trip to London with Ines, where we got to visit various sites, the vaults of the British Museum for our class, and spend time we my dear friends from Brooklyn. There are also pictures from a Playboy Bunny Party. Enjoy the countdown... let me know if you have any favorites and what you think!

11.

Welcome to foggy London town. You are being watched.
Here’s the nifty “double video effect,” all thanks to the cameras within the Tower of London, which Ines and I had the pleasure of exploring thoroughly. So, how would I sum up the visit? Cool looking place, amazing history, not nearly enough ghosts. I look like a goddamned dodgy tourist, while my partner in crime looks like a sweet and angelic dear.

10.

As part of one of our Medieval English course, Ines and I got to take a neat fieldtrip to the vaults of the British Museum. And, in typical Ines and Kiki fashion, we took complete advantage of the ancient artifacts that were on display for us. In addition to trying on brooches and poking furiously at 1000 year old coins, we played with old Anglo-Saxon weapons. My favorite was an old spear, which may have been used as some sort of ritualistic tool. This photo shows Ines in proper warrior spirit, clutching at her sword like that badass “angel” she is.

9.

Here’s Ines, Dylan, and I, backstage after the Bear Hands show. Dylan was lovingly nicknamed “Puppy,” after having the sweetest expressions and affection of the most adorable little baby dog on the planet. I’m so glad he was willing to pose on numerous occasions for my camera. Look at all those pretty blue eyes!

8.

Ines and I had to see Buckingham Palace while in London! It was gorgeous, and loaded with tourists. To their dismay, Ines and I climbed up onto the sculptures to make a few classic poses. Here I am nestled in the lap of some hunky Greek God. Please note the legwear: fantastic vintage boots with legwarmers. It's sharp fashion, it is. And, also, I nicknamed Buckingham Palace “Schmuckingham Palisades.”

7.

Tee hee hee. How can you not love a picture with a dirty Greek windchime?

6.

Another incredible celebration I was fortunate enough to partake in was a “Playboy Bunny Party.” Dressing up for a Playboy Party is well fun, and the party was loaded with drinks, a pole for dancing on, and amazing company. Here I am posing with my darling friend Kat, who worked the pole like a pro that night. I think we look gorgeous, don't you think?

5.

Dance Party, Round 1, was at Banks’ flat in northern London. Bless Banks for having Janet Jackson in his iTunes collection. Here I am with Chaz, a Derby native, who was kind enough to give me a sweet tattoo on my knuckles. NYFC stands for “New York Fucking City.” I know I didn’t go all out and get my face done up like Chaz, but it was still good fun. On a side note, Chaz is wearing one of three costume hats that Banks had hiding under his bed. Banks actually has a lot of strange treasures under his bed, all of which I recommend you explore if you ever have the chance. Anyways, there is a video somewhere of Val and I dancing with the hats on to Gloria Estafan, snapping our fingers, saying “Foggy London Town.” Hysterical.

4.

It’s rare for me to be happy with pictures of myself. I love this one from the Playboy Bunny Party. Why? Not only am a I cute lil’ bunny, I look happy. It’s because I’m doing what I love to do: dancing without a care in the world Plus, my eye makeup looks top notch. And, don’t you love how my little camisole coordinates with the ears and bowtie?

3.

Oh, Ines… that girl cracks me up. Here she is, excited at the prospects of filling these drinking horns full of rosé. If she could only poke and play with these artifacts like she did with the ones in the basemet of the museum!

2.

A classic shot that is the stuff of dreams... well... for some. Here are the sexy ladies of the Playboy party, all posing and strutting their stuff around the pole. It’s just a fun group shot.

1.

My wonderful, wonderful friend Val. Having grown up with Val (I have known him for 15 years), meeting him in London was something I’d been excited about doing since getting to England. I could remember when Val and I were 13, talking about how someday we’d somehow make it to England: the land which imported such guys as the Smiths, the Cure, and the Young Ones. Even in recent years, I remember telling Val about my travels through England. He’d say, “I have to get there.” And, he got there. And, by wonderful luck, we were able to spend some time together. Here we are, somewhere in London, after Bear Hands performed. I think this is one of my favorite pictures of Val and I, ever. There is something so sincere and so joyful about our expressions. You can just tell how happy we are to see each other. And, perhaps there is even the sense that some very wild activities will follow. This picture was by far the best out of the past two weeks, because it shows something so important to me: friendship. Here ‘s Val and I, two people having connected years ago, stayed close, and found a way to live out our dreams and share them together.

Honorable Mention: London Dance Party

This photo was actually not taken by me, nor is one of my own photos. Hayley, the fabulous (and kindly patient) publicist of Bear Hands, had a party in her flat and had some great photos I stole for my own collection. During my second trip to London, I was involved in some pretty sinful and debaucherous activities, many of which I am thrilled were not caught on video and/or photograph. However, one of the biggest highlights for me during this trip to London was the dance party, which included “American Boy,” “A Milli,” and “What’s Your Fantasy.” And, if you know anything about me, you know what happens when a sound with a good grove comes on: I start dancing. Look it how happy and drunk we are in this picture! Here I am posing with Val and Tommy, along with Hayley and her friend Carly. What fun. That night was damn fun. Nights like that are wild and fun, and only come on rare occasions.

Thanks to all my friends for everything, with special emphasis on the dancing and laughing. xxx Kiki

Worst or Best Poem Ever? You be the judge. Reply with one word only: Oui ou Non. Thank you.

2008-11-11T22:52:00.004-05:00

Watching the Musician Play

How does that
wild worm grow
hair on his back?
That savage
French furball
flapping
oos and eus
from his bouche,
with segments at
his neck and knees,
twisting across
a purple stage.
A dandy worm
wearing a black
velvet blazer
with a ruby brooch—
with hair slicked back
from days of
not washing,
and a wiggling
pelvis moving
to the beat of
the bass drum.
How does he stay
in time with
that groove?
He tricks the crowd: he
knows what they want
to hear. He squirms
into their minds
through their ears.

Where I am at the moment:

2008-11-11T13:54:00.007-05:00

Hooray for tea. Horray for Lee Rosy’s Tea Shop.

After searching for a place to write in Nottingham, I am happy to finally have discovered Lee Rosy’s Tea Shop, which is located at 17 Broad Street in downtown Nottingham. My first introduction to the shop was a couple weeks ago for a poetry reading. There are two floors, and the reading was on the bottom floor, which offered an intimate and cozy experience. The readers shared their work from a big, old red lined plush chair, while listeners and onlookers lounged around the dimly lit room in couches and small tables.

I am now sitting on the upper floor, this being the main floor where the coffee bar and teas are. The lighting is dark, sort of a rusty dull orange, which sort of sets the mood of the place: mellow, artsy, and the perfect brooding/writing environment. Not only is the settting charming, the music is hip. No more are the days of cringing while listening to Bob Marley and “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey in the long queues at Starbucks (which I’d like to add are clogged with strollers). Instead, everything Marvin Gaye to Rainer Maria make up part of the soundtrack here.

As for the tea: it’s brilliant. They have a huge variety of teas that I know nothing about. Luckily, the hipsters who work here are not only sweet, they are knowledgable about the products they have available. So far, I’ve tried “Almond Cream Black Tea” and “Vanilla Roobois,” both of which were satisfying and comforting. There are loads of black teas, green teas, white teas, herbals and reds. You’ll find whatever your little heart desires.

Right now the joint is hosting a knitting event, which they apparently hold weekly. They also have indie shows and poetry readings. Best of all: OMG THEY ARE OPEN PAST 6!!!! Just when I thought the only places I could retreat to after dinner were the bars, I’m happy to say that Lee Rosy’s is open until 8 Monday through Wednesday, and 10 Thursday through Saturday. Absolutely brilliant! To think: people go out after dinner! My god, Nottingham: a capital concept!

Best of all: I feel at home here. As one reviewer online commented, Lee Rosy’s makes him or her feel “posher and more cosmopolitan than [he really is].” Alright, maybe it is kind of a smug sort of psuedo-soho setting, but there is nothing wrong with that. It’s a change from Starbucks or Costa, and it offers a little diversity in its music, its menu, and its clientelle. You’ll find knitters, indie rockers, professionals, writer and students with their laptops, and neighbors who wish to sit at the window for an excellent people watching view. Being here makes me feel a little less sad about Nottingham. It makes me reevaluate my prior judgements of Nottingham as being a sleepy town lacking in youthful culture. Perhaps, Lee Rosy's is just the tip of the iceberg, and will allow me to step out into a city that has more to offer I initially thought it did.

Here’s the skinny on Rosy’s, via facebook: Lee Rosy's Teas

And here's someone's artsy collage of Lee Rosy's:

Look at that lightbulb-a-rooni! It's smart! And, perhaps the only source of light in the entire place.

HEY
Does anyone know if there are any other good artsy spots in Nottingham where someone who writes poems about finger necklaces and listens to Tom Waits compulsively can hide?

And what about poetry reading opportunities? I haven't had my artistic heart handed to me on a platter enough yet. As my good friend Ben put it: "Right now when you read you sound like a cute girl who wants everyone to like her poetry. But, soon enough, you are going to sound like a bitter girl who wants to make everyone feel agitated and uncomfortable." Thanks, Ben. I'm approaching that point.

I Was Busy Sorry Sorry Sorry

2008-10-30T19:07:00.009-04:00

So much for the weekly blog entry. Actually, come to think of it: I wasn't busy. I've spent the past week sick, missing home, and kind of just writing. I will not bore you with the details of what I was stewing over--all you need to know is I'm up and about again.

This weekend I'll be in London, which will be fantastic for Halloween. I'll be doing the whole ghosty-hunty thing. And most importantly: my friends from back home are in a band playing in London. My friend Val has been a dear friend since I was 13. I remember we used to sit in gym class--now, this is way back in the day--and we would talk about The State, The Young Ones, and Sebadoh. Over the years we've grown to know each other, we've always talked about wanting to see England. I'm happy that Val finally is here in England, and I'm happy that the two of us get to hang out together in London! Cute, isn't it?
Anyways, the name of his band is Bear Hands, and you should go see them if you are in London:
BEAR HANDS!!!

I read a handful of poetry at a reading tonight at a poetry reading. Ugh. It went alright.
And, originally, I had put up the video of me reading one of the poems here. But, I woke up in the middle of the night, with this set notion in my head that I should not have it up. So I decided to take it off. I figure that if something wakes me from my sleep, then I should pay attention to it. I think it has something to do with the fact that the poem is about someone in particular. Not in a bad way, maybe quite the contrary. I just wouldn't want to go startling anybody, that's all. Anyways, the listeners seemed to be slightly satisfied by what I wrote, if they were listening at all. I suppose that people were have enthused about listening to what I said, the other half were disappointed that I didn't write a rhyming love poem. I'm not sure what was happening.

I wondered: What does the poem need, other than an animated reader? Does it need a bouquet of flowers? Better names for the colors I mention in the poem, like scarlet or ochre? Maybe a stanza about making out? Should I mention the smell of fish in the room, and in the poem? Do I need to take my top off? Do British people dig my American accent? Do they like it when I say "Notting-HAM" or should I quit it? Should I write more poetry about being from America, and doing American things, but then tell it in a fake British accent?
Hahahaha ohhh Ines, let's drink lots of rosé tomorrow for Samhain/Halloween.

Does anyone have a good costume idea for the best holiday of the year? I kind of wanted to be Jaime Lynn Spears, but I don't feel like it now. I want to be a Navajo Mom, but no one here will get it. Actually, I don't know if anyone will get it. It's a middle-aged woman who likes Native American art, and shows it through her fashion choices. She probably smoked a lot of pot in the 70s, too.
Here are some pictures of the mighty fashion accessories of the Navajo Mom:

1. Most Valued and Most Important tye-died shirt of an animal.

I've gone with the traditional wolf, mostly because I'd use this shirt during the rest of the year too.

2. Dreamcatcher Earrings.

Because you can catch some amazing dreams with your ears.

3. Patches! Patches! Patches!

On a stonewashed jean jacket.

4. Sandals

With socks, obviously.

I think I'll save it for next Halloween, when I'm back in the States. Do they have a Navajo Mom equivalent in England? Is it like a Druid Mom? Wait, I actually think I'm a Druid Mom, minus the Mom part.

Obama-rama

2008-10-20T13:38:00.004-04:00

Yeah, I know that title probably has been used before. It’s alright. It just sounds so nice.

So, it’s almost that time: Election 2008. Where the average American can make a difference in political system that governs are charmingly bizarre nation. Since I’m out of the country, I’ve had the pleasure of filling out an absentee ballot. So, I’ve already voted for Senator Barack Obama.

Now, all polls, debates, and political issues aside, I have found a fantastic array of Obama kitsch on ye olde internete. Here’s a small sampling of some of my favorite and light-hearted Obama accessories/art just in time for this momentous election.

Favorite Obama Picture:

The best part is the unicorn. My god, even the unicorns are voting for this man!

Favorite Obama Supporters:

Gnomes, like most other woodland creatures (the exceptions being ogres, trolls, and cave demons) are democrats.

Favorite LOL

I don’t know why I find this so amusing, but I do. Obama WEARS that JC Penny coat. He WEARS it.

Favorite Obama Pet:

Look at that little shirt! This cute lil’Democrat is supporting Obama, and I’m pretty sure those puppy eyes may sway your vote too.

Favorite Obama Treat:

It’s a Obama Face Cake! Delish!

Favorite Obama Fashion:

Skip the shirts. Get yourself some pop-art keds. Walk the talk. Or talk the walk. Or whatever. Just stay out of the puddles.

Favorite Obama Toy:

He has an action figure. Have him kick He-Man’s ass.

Favorite Electr-Obama Photo:

Obama is so hip, I saw him at the Holy Fuck show last week.

Favorite Obama video:

Let’s celebrate: Obama is on the way to the White House.

Another Unusual Confectionary Treat

2008-10-16T16:10:00.009-04:00

Maybe if you keep up with my blog (maybe? showing some love out there?), then you remember the joy I felt when I discovered the chocolate-filled hippo-shaped candies. (Happy Happy Hippos)
Today I found yet another unusual candy in a small newstand shop in Beeston (the suburb right outside of Nottingham).

These intriguing treats are called "Coconut Mushrooms."
Nifty.

I wasn't so sure what to expect from them, seeing as they barely resemble their cousins, the traditional fungus mushroom:

Those are some proud mushrooms that ended up being part of a fantastic soup. PS: I bought these mushrooms from that friendly Mr. Frodo Potter who gave me the onion. He didn't have a clue who I was. Still, great mushrooms. I'll give him that.
So anyways you can see how delightful, delicious and organic these mushroom caps are.

Here are the candy counterparts:

Hmmph. Well, alrighty. I am a fan of mushrooms, and a big fan of coconut too. And, from looking at them in the package, they kind of looked like they'd be interesting. Maybe the brownish part is chocolate? And who could resist the chocolate/coconut combination?

Down the ol' gullet! Meh... Not bad. Not really sure what the brownish stuff is, although it certainly isn't chocolate. It's kind of fruity tasting, and kind of coconutty. Perhaps I just was enticed by the cuteness again. And yes, I always look that sexy when I eat. Just ask anyone who has watched me enjoy a good sushi dinner. Then again, it looks like I have one blind eye. Which is really cool. Kinda like I need an eyepatch.

A Stroll Through St. Mary's Rest Garden

2008-10-16T15:35:00.002-04:00

So, against all odds, the weather here in Nottingham has been better than the weather back home in New England. My family and friends back in Connecticut have been telling me how cold is has been, while we've been enjoying sunny weather and temperatures in the lower 60sF/about 15C. I am most amused by this, since everyone warned me about how much I was going to hate the weather in England. "It's gloomy and rainy!" they said. "You'll feel as miserable as it looks!" they warned.

Here are some pictures from last Sunday, yet another stunning day in Nottingham. I decided to visit St. Mary's Rest Garden, which is in the northeast corner of the town.

It was a small little enclosed area with small gardens, paths, and gravestones. There was also the Curious Tower, which I was amused by simply because of its name:

Just around the corner from St. Mary's Rest Garden was a street called Promenade. They were freaking adorable, simply because they were so "English." Maybe not in the historical Tudor housefront sense, but they were sweet, colorful, and had the staple English gardens.

Neat symmetry thing going on here:

Fancy fence with ivy action:

Red leaves! Red bricks!

The soundtrack for my walk was exceptional as well. I listened to Thievery Corporation's new album, Radio Retaliation and Bonobo's Animal Magic. I know they aren't on "My So Called Playlist," but they both have an electric, downtempo, and urban sound that was fitting for a lovely days stroll.
Give them a listen:
Thievery Corporation on Myspace
Bonobo on Myspace

The Curious Quirks and Habits of Kiki

2008-10-10T21:32:00.010-04:00

Example A: My favorite accessories are scarves and pins. I know some people like belts and handbags, but I’m forever a stewardess. I love the feeling of silk wrapped around my neck, and find it to be a nice way to spice up my traditional “black-and-grey” wardrobe.

Example B: When a good looking guy walks by, I will say, “Ding Dong.” This originated in the film Bridget Jones’ Diary, and I have utilized its comedic value in my everyday life. Any passerby is a potential victim. If I think he is a strapping young buck, he’s gonna get it. I mean, I don’t say it loud like some freaky pervert or anything. I’ll just say it if I’m in a group of girlies and it’ll make them laugh. There have been many times where I’ve thought it, and the thought alone had me smiling and feeling good for a minute. A guy can also get a “Ding Ding Dong,” or a “Ring-a-Ding-Dong,” if he really rocks my boat.

Example C: I love to tell people I take dance classes. I don’t feel necessarily as legit when I tell them its for pole dancing. If they only could understand the sore muscles and bruises that my body endures to made a good swirl or two around the crome pole. It’s really quite sexy, and its good to know that I’ll actually have a marketable talent once I leave school with a MA in Medieval English. Well, I also take belly dancing classes to. But let’s face it: I won’t be winning any awards for that anytime soon. I think more than anything I have always had this fantasy of being graceful and rthymic. But I’m a dopey and awkward soul moving to my own beat. It’s great for burlesque, when I can just ham it up and shake around ye olde pasties, but not so sexy when I’m clapping my zils like I’m a retarded crab. You wanna know what, though? Give me a hand, an A in effort, and a pat on the back for trying.

Example D: Bangs or not so much?
I’ve wanted good bangs for YEARS now. I think it was somewhere between the time I started listening to Elliot Smith and stopped listening to Phish (yes another confession) that I decided to go with the whole “bangs in the haircut.” So there they were: sweet little choppy things on my forehead. Sometimes swept emo style. Sometimes straight down and full. Always irritating. I mean, really. I would say that there are only three days out of the week when I am satisfied with how my bangs actually look. Rarely do they stay in place. And, they are always flopping about in these sort of nasty chunks of greasy disasterness. Completely unappealing. Here’s a chart:
So, I always say I’m going to grow my bangs out. I start growing them out and they look even worse. They get this funny-feather-effect and I feel like I’m somehow representing 1991 in all the wrong ways on my face. That, or they form the greasy lumps and hang in my eyes all sadly. So once that happens, I say that I can’t wait to get my hair cut. I go to the salon, telling them how desperately I’ve wanted “to shape my bangs,” and they are chopped up yet again. So is the circle of life.

Example E: I sleep with stuffed animals. And I apparently burrow by wrapping myself into a nest-like heap of blankets. Although this could lead to the dreaded title "Blanket Hog," at the very least I bet it is cute.
The holidays are just around the corner, and I would one of each of these from Father Christmas, please:
http://www.squishable.com

Example F: I think I got in trouble at my last job for calling all the old women who shopped there “hoary.” It could’ve been that, or when my boss showed me some article he read on Global Warming, I looked it over once, handed it back to him, and said, “There aren’t enough sources on this for me to take it seriously.” Whoops.

Example G: I like to add “doodle” to the end of words. “Snackydoodles,” “Linkydoodles,” “Candydoodles,” and so forth. If you are lucky, I will attach it to your name: “Staceydoodles had a perm in 1988.”

Example H: On the subject of perms in 1988. Here’s a memory that still stays with me to this day. As a child, my family lived on a nice suburban street in Connecticut. I was just a little girl when we were here, but I remember the neighbors clearly. There was one girl in particular who I remember most of all. She had the most unbelievable perm anyone could ever have. I mean, this was perm to the epic extreme. It was feathered, frosted, teased and hair sprayed. She also had the pink lipstick/blue eyeshadow combo and sported some sweet stone-washed denim (both in jacket and Jordache Jean form). So, I still think about her to this day because I really want to go visit that old suburban street in Connecticut, go up to her door, hoping she answers, looking exactly as she did in 1988. I wouldn’t have it any other way. She MUST look as she did in 1988.

Example I: Nicknames. Along with the “doodle” obsession, I enjoy giving nicknames to people. For the most part, friends and companions are free of getting stuck with humiliating nicknames. The only acception is poor Terry Berry, who to this day still frowns at me when I call him that. In my retail jobs I made a habit of nicknaming frequent clients, plants, and bums. One client was called “Granny Fanny” because she always complained that “The crotch was too low” on any pair of pants she bought. I really wanted to say, “Well Granny Fanny, just jack those suckers up to your tits in the next size up.” Then, there was “Dotty Pootin,” who actually stuck her ass out the front door to break wind one day. Then, there is “Mr. Mumbles,” who was a sad homeless fellow with no teeth. One winter night he stood outside the store window and started bugging out so bad, the window behind him fogged up. I also made a “Mr. Sweaterface” out of a folded up wood scarf and some cleverly placed pins. I was so pleased with my creation, that I took pictures and shared them with my friends. Terry Berry wasn’t so impressed with Mr. Sweaterface, but I know he was trying to keep the “Rocker Image” up by not telling me how adorable he was.

Example J: I eat sushi in humiliating quantities. One time I was at a Japanese restaurant with my boyfriend at the time. The waitress came over, took my order, and then said “thank you,” and walked away with out asking my boyfriend what he would like. I flagged her down, and asked her if he could take his order as well. She laughed and said, “Oh I’m sorry, I thought you ordered for the two of you.” And I’ll have you know, there were no leftovers after that meal.

Example K: I’m totally obsessed with squash. No, I’m not talking about that nasty fall vegetable that I always pick over at Thanksgiving. And no, it’s not the weird sport that they play in the weird white room box room. I’m talking about the fruit juice that I discovered here in jolly ol’ England. So, from what I gather, this fruit squash is just some sort of fruit concentrate. You pour a little in a glass, then fill the rest of the glass with water. I know. I know. Sounds ridiculous. But it’s kind of a big deal to me because they don’t have this squash juicy drink in America. It’s super cheap and comes in fancy flavors like “Apple Currant” (whatever that is) and “Exotic Juice” (like being in a tropical island). It’s probably not all that good for me, but I drink it all day long. I just figure that since I haven’t had it up until now, I should be safe taking in all the sugars and preservatives.
I <3333 U Squishy Squashy Goodness!
(Also note that I'm growing my bangs out... again...)

Example L: Dude, who ISN’T into boogie-boarding?That kid loves his life so hard right now, it’s ridiculous.
Growing up, my family used to take summer vacations to Rhode Island. It was there that my fondness for the water sport began. Seriously: I’ve wanted to go boogie boarding for like three summers now, and have YET to do so. This summer, my plan is to : 1. Go to the beach in Rhode Island 2. Go Boogie-Boarding. That is all.

And on that wonderful and zen image of getting hurled under 8ft waves in Narragansett Bay, I will stop there.

xoxoxo

PS: I promise promise promise tomorrow I’m going downtown to take some sexy pics of Nottingham. You’ll love them.

My So Called Playlist

2008-10-10T18:26:00.015-04:00

To Whom It May Concern:
This is what happens when you:

1. Make me sound like a My-So-Called-Life episode.
Just in case you missed 1994, MSCL was the BEST SHOW ABOUT BEING MOODY. The heroine of the show, Angela Chase, is an insecure, dark, brooding and sad teenager. She uses similes at least thirty times a minute. She say, “It’s like when you let go of the handles of a bike and feel freedom.”

The best part about this show is how melodramatic it is. Angela broods over her favorite high school subject, Jordan Catalano in every episode. Jordan is everything you don’t want in a boyfriend, but chase after anyways. He is aloof, emotionally distant, incapable of expressing ideas, horny and hot.

I totally love how she says “or something” after just about any statement she makes. I think I may dye my hair red like hers, in solidarity. But, for some reason, I always revert back to that insecure girl who thinks too hard over things I shouldn’t. It’s the melodrama of the situation, the darkness, the laying around and sighing. It’s quite the state, and I have to really let you know, that you make me go there.

Even though we all wish it was 1994 (remember that Woodstock with NIN?), the so-called feelings of emotional immaturity, insecurity and melodrama are not things I want to be experiencing in 2008.
Or, maybe I will dye my hair red. Like Angela Chase. And Tori Amos. That’s like moodyX1000.
2. Make promises like, “I promise not to break any promises this time.”
3. Pretend to not see me when we walk past each other in the hallway of the Library. That’s fine, as soon as you turned the corner I flipped you off.
4. Call me unexciting, even though I suspect it is psychological projection.
5. Leave the country without leaving contact information, for an unknown amount of time. Then, when you get back two years later, call me a bitch for asking you where you'd been. Then, after another two years pass, tell one of my friends who you ran into in Boston that you're planning to call me soon.
6. Let me become emotionally involved with you. Then tell me that you do not think that love exists.
7. Tell me it isn’t the right time to be with me. Since it is never the right time for someone who doesn’t think love exists. And especially after investing months of continuous time together.
8. Drag me to all of your shows, even though you know I hate (FILL IN YOUR BAND’S GENRE OF MUSIC). I would like to send up the white flags here, just in case: there have been many shows I've willingly gone to. I'm just saying that ska is stupid.
9. Have a girlfriend.
10. Have a wife.
11. Tell me I’m needy.
12. Tell me I’m too complicated.
13. Make yourself emotionally unavailable and blaming your inability to commit on the last girl you dated. And then proceed to talk about how much you depended on/loved/miss your ex-girlfriend.

I would like you to exam the contents of this playlist thoroughly.

MY SO CALLED PLAYLIST:
1. Tori Amos: "Angie"
Melodrama Scale:

You expect every sad and misunderstood girl to have a massive stockpile of Tori Amos music in her collection. And you better believe that I own everything that woman has ever. You turn her on when you need to pretend that you sing better than you really do, and to feel as though there are other moody girls out there who suffer for being unique. This song, however, is a Rolling Stone cover, so we’re not at a Neil Gaiman-darkness level yet.
2. The Sundays: "Goodbye"
Melodrama Scale:

They lyrics are sort of empowering, since Harriet Wheeler vows to say goodbye and godbless to the one who has hurt her. Since she is letting go, she loses melodramatic points.
3. Radiohead "All I Need"
Melodrama Scale:

Great song. New album. Same old issues of feeling like a dejected piece of crap. At least I skipped over Thom’s solo work where he calls himself a “lapdog.”
4. Siobhan Donaghy: "Those Anythings"
Melodrama Scale:

Since Siobhan music mingles in the world of goth, I’d say that’s pretty dark. It’s very Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer kind of wimp goth.
5. Massive Attack: "Better Things"
Melodrama Scale:

Massive Attack always captures the essence of heartache. And with the gloomy vocals from Tracy Thorn, the song has a feeling of being cold and wet on some stoop in Bristol.
6. Bats for Lashes: "I'm on Fire"
Melodrama Scale:

An eerie but hipster friendly cover of the Boss makes this song more scene than melodramatic.
7. Broken Social Scene: "Lover's Spit"
Melodrama Scale:

These guys probably just stole these lyrics from my 1996 diary.
8. The Verve: "On Your Own"
Melodrama Scale:

Richard Ashcroft strung out and dumped leads to some pretty brutal howling about dying alone and needing to get rid of the “hole inside.” Well done, Richie!
9. Death Cab For Cutie: "Title and Registration"
Melodrama Scale:

The most embarassing of all tracks on here. And that is all I have to say about that. I am sorry, but you made me do this. Like Angela would say: "It's like the way you are. Or something."
10. Sondre Lerche: "Stupid Memory"
Melodrama Scale:

It's more of an insight than anything else. From a guy who clearly deals out the dumpings, and is not dumped.
11. Ida: "Road to Ruin"
Melodrama Scale:

Country-influenced indie pop can never get too darked out. They can try the sad lyrics, but you still feel warm and cozy listening to them.
12. The Radio Dept.: "I Do Not Like it Like This"
Melodrama Scale:

The title of the track says it all. It’s a lush, shoegazed-inspired song about feeling like shit because other people impose misery on you.
13. Feist: "How My Heart Behaves"
Melodrama Scale:

Ms. Feist was so obsessed with MSCL you can tell just listening to this track. When you have to explain your heart’s behavoir, you are so melodramatic.
14. Chairlift: "Make Up Your Mind"
Melodrama Scale:

Too strange to be completely melodramatic. It’s just the kind of song you wouldn’t want sung in your general direction.
15. Fionna Apple: "On The Bound"
Melodrama Scale:

Yeesh. Fiona is so freaking complicated, I even think I would dump her.
16. Goldfrapp: "Monster Love"
Melodrama Scale:

Very introspective. Very sad and quiet. Not the kind of babbling madness you'd get from Fionna or the PMS you get from DCFC.
17. Sufjan Stevens: "A Good Man Is Hard To Find"
Melodrama Scale:

Don't get me wrong, it's a great song- it just isn't very melodramatic. It was just a melodramatic device of mine to put a song on here with the title "A Good Man is Hard to Find."
18. Rilo Kiley: "Go Ahead"
Melodrama Scale:

Jenny's passive aggressive attitude in this song is enough to give it mega-drama points.
19. Françoise Hardy: "Il N'y Pas D'Amour Heureux"
Melodrama Scale:

You know it’s rough when you have to end on a song in the second langauge you barely use. It’s melodramatic to speak in foreign languages, and Frankie here makes a damn good point: Love is… uh… something something.

...

Yeah. Pretty rough, isn’t it? That’s a pretty heavy hour of dark swooning songs.

At least it’s an hour of time I can look fondly on. Can’t say that about the ones we shared together, because it all turned out being a fraud. See what you get me saying? It’s a damn shame. At least I took Morrissey off the playlist, so consider yourself fortunate for that.
Thanks again. I have to go back to laying on my bed and sighing.
Kiki

My conversations are full of hahas!

2008-10-06T20:15:00.006-04:00

Here's a good exchange between my brother and myself.
I was proud of our ingenuity and smugness.
Love us for being clever and imagine our conversations at family gatherings.

KIKI
Wait am I supposed to get it? You still have your youth, please explain:

Because at first I was like "NoWay," but now I'm thinking "fairly-to-pretty legit."

JOHNNY
It looks like they're 16. Which is why it makes complete sense. Ugh. Upon quickly reading their two sentences on wikipedia, they're a swedish (of course) duo with a brand new cd out. It's just another two hipster-envy kids making a "trendy" alternative/electro band and for some reason they've made it to "Alternative Nation" on MTV (also not a surprise.) As for the video, I'm guessing they're a bit too obsessed with american apparel ads. A quote from them on their new cd "Boylife" (shudders): "An eleven track story about being young for too long." "Reminds you a bit of that feeling you got when you heard Daft Punk for the first time. Disco without a thought of a tomorrow..." They're now comparing themselves to Daft Punk. Kill me now. No, wait, just kill them. So all in all, I guess I'm too old to get it too. I guess we just remember what good music, or for that matter, what good dancing is.

KIKI
Ha ha I love the “young for too long” comment. That’s what happens when you’re in a Malmo, Sweden: the government in Sweden actually pays you to do to look young and trendy. What I find agreeable about this lo-fi-fnk video, however, is the brunette’s mad dance skills. The next time I’m in Paris at the clubs I’m going to use the “blinky-fingers” move as much as humanly possible. I have also been using this video as a dance reference:

mostly because they take it all around town and that’s what I like to do. And, while on the topic of French: there is only one Daft Punk. I want to go as a Daft Punk Robot for Halloween pretty badly. Well, that or pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears. And here’s a confession: I moved to France for Daft Punk, not the cheese. Kind of like how I’m in England for the Mighty Boosh, not the monarchy. Thanks for keeping me up-to-date and using wikipedia as your main source of reference.
...
And isn't it kind of funny how American Apparel is meant to be for hipsters, but hipsters have rejected it as being mainstream? They are so ungrateful! Really though, who wants to pay $40 for a lowgrade jersey tunic (even if they have it in aubergine)? Can't you get a banging FCUK dress at TJMaxx for 40 bucks?
Or, take it down a notch and go on a shopping spree at Goodwill Boutique. They have all the styles of the 90s on stock at a reasonable price (pink tags half off week? damn right I'll take those velcro sneakers). I hear that the early 90s are all the rage in your city. Is it true? Do they teach you this in art class? If the 90s are cool, does it mean people are wearing those pants again?

JOHNNY
Alright. The cat's out of the bag. The only reason I rejected his dancing is because I'm incredibly jealous of it. That and their blush. It's there. I also love the dead stare as the finishing touch, while apathetically waving his hands in front of his face. But now I'm more worried about these kids... Why hasn't anyone arrested them yet? They harness a power to jump more fiercly than any mortal on this planet. At Notre Dame no less! These kids are nuts! The children truly are our future.

And yes, your probably right about the real hipsters rejecting it. But there's still plenty of people who are spending hundreds dollars a visit whenever a new shade of red comes out for their cotton t-shirts. They'd rather spend their 40 bucks on a pair of socks there instead of being creative. Now if you'd excuse me I have to get back to my Ace of Bass mix tape while desperately trying to hunt down for those pants. My MC Hammer attire is almost complete...

KIKI
OMG I <333 AOB!!!
Don't forget to add these guys to your tape:

And I have a question: why did I think our cousin looked like Gerardo when I was young?

JOHNNY
I completely forgot abut C & C Music Factory. I'll make sure to put them on my lip-synching mix along with Milli Vanilli. As for Rico Suave... I don't remember the comparison. I must have blocked out the images a long time ago.
Unfortunately, along with this song:

KIKI
When Digitalism remixes this one, I'll be the one saying "I TOLD YOU SO"

Really though, it's pretty freaking catchy. I have complete faith in this.

Miss Crabby If You're Nasty

2008-10-06T20:08:00.008-04:00

What a fucking day.
I’m going to bitch now, because it’s my blog and I have the right (although I feel likes it is a slight abuse). So I’m going to apologize, in advance, for not utilizing this space on the internet to put up pretty pictures and tell you a nice poem.
Here are the top five reasons I am pissy today:

5. Insomnia. I went to bed at six in the morning. Yeah. It’s good fun. I have the kind of innsomnia that stops me from going to bed at a reasonable time. Sometimes I have long bouts of it, sometimes I don’t have it at all. Ever since moving I haven’t had the abililty whatsoever to regularize my sleeping patterns. That means I’m still awake to talk to my friends in New Haven when they get back from the bars at night. So, last night, like all other nights, I fell asleep some time after six in the morning, even though I had a ten a.m. date with a French class. As you could expect: I slept right through that class completely. Good new: I got five hours of sleep last night. Bad news: I’m an adult who can't wake up at a reasonable hour of the morning.

4. No more Ugly Betty. Seriously. I’m stressin’. After becoming addicted to what is the BEST SHOW ON TV RIGHT NOW, the old episodes have been pulled from youtube. Youtube has been my only access to television while I am in my small little flat here. Ugly Betty and her sweet weekly dramas over the silly doings of Daniel Meade and Henry have just won me over completely. And, now, I’m stuck wondering what happens after episode six in season two. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN BETWEEN HER AND HENRY. YES THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! So, I went onto my lovely internet (see #3 below) and attempted to find alternative websites online where I could watch old episodes of Ugly Betty. And guess what? The University of Nottingham ethernet connection has blocked all the websites, and has instead replaced them with a screen explaining that the sites are blocked for security reasons. Not only that, the connection here won’t let me download free songs from artists’ websites. So, no, I’m not up-to-date on the the Twelves remixes or whatever because I’M NOT ALLOWED TO ACCESS IT. What’s most amusing is: no porn sites are blocked. I can watch all the porn in the world, but no Ugly Betty. Go figure. … Not that I would look at porn. That’s for dudes.

3. Why the fuck is everything so goddamn slow here? I mean, come on. People move at a snail’s pace here. Why are they all creeping along? And furthermore, all of the sidewalks are about two feet wide, so these slow walkers take up the center of the sidewalk and move along like a tug boat with a busted engine. NEWS FLASH: You aren’t on your three hour lunch break in the Jardin du Luxembourg. MOVE ALONG. Don’t you have a class to get to, or some homework for your degree in Sociology? And you know what else is slow here? The internet. I think I had a better connection on my dial-up modem in 1995. I am actually writing this entry on microsoft word, since I don’t trust that my internet connection will actually stay connected. I haven’t read my gmail for a couple days now, either, since that requires technological speed that the UoNottingham internet cannot obtain with hamsters running in wheels as its main source of electrical generation.

2. Bus romance of the century. So, today I was late to my 2:30 class because my bus driver took a detour. She pulls over the bus, and said, “I’ll be back in two minutes.” She proceeds to get out of the bus, and start talking with a guy outside. He is in a dashing neon orange vest and has his sunglasses on his head. After watching their body language, I realize it is not a business meeting. She is batting her lashes at him and he’s got his hands on her shoulders.
Long story short: she pulled us over to have a chat with her boyfriend, who PS: was fat and bald and not worth it. Best part is, I got to tell my world-reknown professor of Medieval English that there was a public transportation love afair that came betwix myself and class. Yeah, he almost bought that story. Surely.

1. Groceries for two days: £15. Coffee: £2. The stress of financial debt for the rest of my life: priceless. Sorry to use the old “mastercard commercial” cliché there, but I mean really. Is there any reason things are so fucking expensive here? It’s not like I’m on Crete, or getting a massage while I sip my coffee. The price of living in England is so brutally high, that I pray everyday that I can manage to pull together the funds for dinner. Luckily, I can’t eat half the food here because it isn’t pasteurized (not nice on a lactose intolerant/ulcer-worthy digestive system). So, cutbacks on cheese: both sad (I love you Port Salut!) and budget-friendly. And while I’m on the subject of money, let me just say this: I haven’t been able to open a bank account since I’ve gotten here. The first bank rejected me out completely, saying that my credit did not qualify me for a BANK ACCOUNT. I wasn’t applying for an American Express or a mortgage, folks. The second bank told me I’d have to come back a week later when the proper employee could varify my address in the UK. The third bank told me that the person taking care of student accounts was not available for another three days. And the queue for the bank on campus bends and twists around the perimeters of the entire Student Union building.

It’s been great fun.
However, allow me to take a minute to look on the bright and pleasant highlight of my day:

Thank you, Mr. Cute Guy Who Gave Me The Onion. Today there was a little fresh fruit/veggie market set up in the Student Union building. I stopped in to get an onion for the soup I am making tonight.
I brought it to the register and said, “You’ve saved me from a trip to Sainsbury,” to the guy behind the register.
He, like all other British guys, looked like a mixture between Harry Potter and Frodo. He said, “You know what, just take it. For being sweet.” He then handed me the onion and smiled.
“Really? You’re too kind. I’ll bring you some soup.”
He laughed, “Just promise me you’ll come visit me next week.”
So: THANK YOU MR. FRODO VEGGIE GUY FOR BEING THE FIRST BRITISH GUY TO HIT ON ME.

After assuming that my role in this country was to be the brooding “l’étrangère” slowly sipping cheap white wine at bars all alone, it was refreshing to have some fellow, an actual creature of the opposite sex!?!, look at me like a slightly attractive person. Honestly, maybe he was just being nice. Maybe he’s just full of shit like every other charmer with a foreign accent that I’ve met. But, you wanna know what? His service was quick, he was friendly, and I’ll go back to visit him next week and see if he’ll watch some Ugly Betty with me.

Chicken Korma Dance Party

2008-10-04T18:03:00.005-04:00

Your Agenda:

1. Vodka/Red Bull
2. Cut Copy dance party at Gatecrasher
3. Get home. Don't sleep.
4. Cook:

Chicken Korma

¾ teaspoon tumeric
¾ teaspoon cinammon
¾ teaspoon chilli powder
¾ teaspoon white pepper
¾ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon salt
cooking oil
1 medium-to-large chopped onion
1 or 2 cloves of minced garlic
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can crushed tomatoes
3 fl. oz. plain yogurt
3 fl. oz. coconut cream/milk
3 fl. oz. chicken stock
Cooked zucchini (optional)
Cooked potato (optional)

*Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Combine the ginger, chili powder, cinnamon, turmeric, salt, curry and pepper; stir into the hot oil and cook for 5 seconds. Add the onion and garlic; stir and cook until onions become transparent, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken, and cook until chicken is no longer pink, 5 to 8 minutes.
*Combine the chicken stock with the chicken-onion mixture; stir and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, and yogurt; continue cooking 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in cooked zucchini and potato. Serve over basmati rice.

5. Go to bed at 7 a.m.

University of Nottingham

2008-10-04T15:49:00.004-04:00

So, I'm finally "settled" into life at the University of Nottingham. Classes started last week, and I am now in the "Medieval English" program. I made the switch from Viking and Anglo-Saxon studies because Medieval English focuses on literature, while it seems that Viking and Anglo-Saxon studies focuses on language. Since I'm already taking French this year, I didn't want to add Old English and Old Norse onto that as well. Instead, I'll be reading Middle English (which is not nearly as complicated as Old English and Old Norse), Medieval Literature, Chaucer... other things... you know... Just wasting time like usual.

Besides the silly degree, the campus itself is absolutely gorgeous:

There are pathways through the campus, all of which are quiet and charming.
There is a sweet little lake in the center of the campus:

It overlooks the Trent Building, where all of my classes are held.

Peaceful campus, boring post.

Kitty Cats

2008-09-19T15:44:00.007-04:00

I love these little kitties I found people watching from a window in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

I've arrived in Nottingham, and have been busy going from workshop to seminar for the past couple of days. It's actually been nice to meet other people, and to finally see the campus and begin my year finally. I have pictures of the campus, and I'll be posting them shortly.

Until then... admire the cutie kitties. :-)

Stratford-Upon-Avon: Shakespearean Photos Galore!

2008-09-13T09:33:00.013-04:00

You may have heard of this fancy playwright named William Shakespeare, who lived in England a few centuries ago and wrote Hamlet, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, Troilus and Cressida, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, Midsummer's Night Dream, Othello, and so forth. He grew up in a town not too far from Birmingham, so I decided to take a nice little daytrip to see the town the Bard calls his birthplace and final resting place.

This is his daddy's house, and charming little Tudor cottage nestled in Stratford-Upon-Avon's town center. You won't believe how long I had to wait to get a clear shot of this house. Little Baby Willy was apparently born here, although I doubt the gift shoppe was there during his time. I'll be honest, house tours are not necessarily my favorite thing, as the most amusing part of this trek through his house was the ancient toilet, which was called "Stool Something-or-Other." And, as an English student, I feel a slight amount of guilt for being so amused by it. But how can you not chuckle at a stained-oak wooden box for stool? Why did they include that piece of history in the tour? Was it the supposed crapping chamber of England's most beloved poet? I'm sorry. Onto more serious matters.

Nash's house was where Shakespeare's granddaughter lived, and is just a five minute walk down the main road from Shakespeare's childhood home. This house was the highlight of the tours through Stratford for me, as the gardens were absolutely exquisite. Even after a dreary, wet and cold summer in England, the gardens behind Nash's House still managed to be bright and in blossom at the end of the season.

Here I am enjoying the garden.

Next on the walk through Shakespeare's life is Hall's Croft, where Shakespeare's daughter Susanna lived with her husband Dr. Hall. It was again another home with ancient trinkets, thick pieces of lumber for ceiling support, and a garden. I liked how all the floors in the house had bowed over time, so walking through almost had this dizzying effect similar to that of a playhouse at the fair. Only, this playhouse smell a little more musky.

I loved this little relief sculpture tucked away in a far corner of the garden.

Finally the day ended at the Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway were buried.

The view outside was great too. I for one, being a self-proclaimed in-the-closet-goth, have always taking a liking to ancient cemeteries and gravestones covered in moss.

What was most enjoyable about this cemetery was that it also had a lovely walk and view along the river Avon. You can't tell from the photos, but I was thrilled to see some white swans swimming by.

So, all-in-all a day well spent in the town Shakespeare (sort of) called his home.

Happy Happy Hippos

2008-09-09T19:58:00.008-04:00

I have found the end-all cure for homesickness:
A candy called "Happy Hippos."

God bless the British for this jolly confectionary creation, which not only is packed with sugar, but happiness as well. I happened upon these little treats while browsing the aisles of Tesco, a supermarche in downtown Birmingham. After trying to avoid the gloomy feeling brought on by missing people back in America, these hippos glowed like altar candles in an agglomeration of dark Mars bars and Cadbury fruit bars. They had life in them, and they called to me, "Kiki.... Kiki...Kikiiiii.."

I was further delighted by the diagram on the back explaining the contents of said "happy hippos":

Such simple, yet effective adjectives! Tasty! Crispy! Creamy! Creamy... again! What sensations could these ingredients evoke in me?

Here's the little guy unwrapped:

Et voila! What a delight, indeed! I'll be honest, it was thoroughly enjoyable biting off the nose of the hippo, leaving behind two segments which somehow resembled a Mr. Peanut. Or, perhaps even more accurately, a Mr. PotatoHead who was purposely assembled incorrectly. Come on-admit it- you totally put the nose where the mouth was supposed to be on him when you were in grade school. Next you bite off the end segment of the candy, so all that remains is a set of hippo eyes staring up at you. The hippo looks so damn defenseless. Yet, you enjoy finishing the treat, savoring the crispiness, the creaminess, the chocolatey nutty goodness-all of which allow you to escape the madness and dreariness of your in-the-closet-goth mind.

And, as you eat what remains of him, you realize that they should have really named the candy "Helpless Hippos."

I've eaten the whole freaking package already.

Birmingham England.

2008-09-08T16:31:00.005-04:00

There's a building called the Bullring, where they hold shops and foodcourts that are out of my budget, but I go into pretending I can afford anyways. As you can see from the above picture, Birmingham likes their modern to mingle with their history. Have you ever heard of TopShop? It's a glorified mall shop, taking the brightest of Williamsburg fashion and Salvation Army bins from 1989 and putting a high price tag on each item, again combining the joys of modern trends with historical artifacts such as stirup pants. Looking for neon yellow shirts and legwarmers? TopShop has it for you, and it is only worth a week's pay at Starbucks, which I am happy to inform you is available at every corner of downtown Birmingham. So, a tall vanilla latte is 2.35 GBP, which is about $4.75. It's great fun.

All harhars aside, I am so glad that I had the chance to get out of the house today. I have been sleeping for the most part since “arriving,” and have found myself in a dark lull, consistently brooding over all the things I have left behind in the United States. It is hard for me to remember why it is I wanted to move so far away in the first place. Perhaps it is just too soon to worry about something like that; afterall, it seems natural to feel so homesick when initially removed from familiarity. Either way, I found myself in a lighter mood after getting out for the day, and somehow was able to ease my mind for an afternoon of perusing the mall stores of Birmingham.

Weeee...

Newark International Airport

2008-09-04T16:18:00.005-04:00

Guess I didn't make it to New York City. I had cold feet, and still do. I'm not sure if I'm ready to make the leap over to the UK afterall. Part of me just wants to find a job near my friends and family. Apparently, though, this is not my fate.

I'm sitting at the gate for my flight over to Germany. Then from Germany I go to Birmingham, where Neil will pick me up. I am staying in Birmingham for a couple of weeks to mill around, brood, watch loads of Mighty Boosh, and light candles to the Loan Gods in hopes that everything will be good and ready for me when I get to Nottingham.

Where I am

2008-08-23T12:35:00.000-04:00

Portland, Maine.

It smells like cooking fishes.

I might move to New York City instead.
I like New York.
Less funny accents.
It's a 50 50 chance....

Out and About in New Haven

2008-05-18T23:27:00.009-04:00

I'm so happy the school year is over. Basically, it means that I have the time for a social life again.

Friday night Mates of State played at Toad's Place...

Here's the cute couple playing:

The show was high energy and poppy. It was good stuff, and quite contrary to the metal shows I've attended this past year. Their new stuff (and everything post Team Boo is new to me) is really fun to listen to. The harmonies are great, the organ is pumping, and the strings are romantic.

I was really happy to meet up with great friends, too...
Bart and I got to hang out after a year of doing poetry readings together.

I also got to hang out with Maya, and my friend Sara, who I hadn't seen for at least a year.

Saturday was a good day to be in downtown New Haven. So, last summer the Indiana Jones movie was filmed in New Haven, and they had a car show to celebrate its release in theaters. I don't know a thing about cars, but they were really cool looking. You know, very rockabilly.

These two were my favorites:
Dog butts are always amusing.

And so are fuzzy dice.

A poem... for your liking... mayhaps?

2008-05-16T00:45:00.001-04:00

Past Life

Cornwall was this place
meant for you and me
to visit together in early springtime.
Red clovers bent in the sharp wind
that is soaked with sea and salt.
You picked one and pulled apart
the petals, letting them free
over the cliffside.

We lingered along an old path
that traced the coastline—
one you said we walked centuries ago.
You said Tintagel was once
our home in a past life.
I said you dreamt too much
about imaginary kings and chivalry.

I loved how we kept
warm: my back against
the castle remains and your
fingers digging into its crumbling
crevices, your breath moistening
my neck and my hands burning
on your back.

Things That Keep Me Up At Night

2008-05-15T00:40:00.006-04:00

So, the whole moving-to-a-new-country thing is really ruining my ability to get a full night of sleep. I often start to doze off, only to be suddenly shaken with anxious thoughts about the "millions" of things I need to accomplish before I leave.

The following is a mere therapeutic exercise which I hope will help ease my mind. Here's the "Oh Shit I'm Moving in Four Months" To Do List:

Sell everything I own. It is strange to know that about 80% of what I own will be gone as of the beginning of September. All I can bring are two check-in bags and an itty-bitty carry-on (which will contain my copy of "Oh The Places You Go"). I am shipping over a couple small packages of books for school, but otherwise, EVERYTHING HAS GOT TO GO. The car, the bed, furniture, dishware, excess shoes (I didn't think they existed either but Jason tells me they do), excess clothes, books I haven't read since I was 17, CDs I haven't listened to since I was 15, DVDs, jewelry items, etc. etc. etc. I am going to be ebaying everything, and whatever is left will be sold at a consignment shop or at a tag sale. I actually had a strange dream the other night about living in an apartment that got flooded. All I could salvage from the flood was my stuffed bear, Ursa. And honestly, I think all I really need to pack are some cute bras and Ursa.

Scholarships and Financial Aid. I have the daily "fake-it-till-I-make-it" mantra that I repeat to myself in the shower: "Nottingham is cheaper than CUNY. And, Nottingham is giving me loads of scholarships and financial aid." I've been trying to apply for scholarships, but they're aren't nearly as many as they lead you to believe. You have to write with your left hand(no joke--that was an actual award), have fought in a war, or be some sort of shut-in biologist who has cured an illness to really be on the receptive end of a decent scholarship. God forbid you just need help because its expensive and you are a smart student who can do a lot with a good degree. However, I did find a few at the school, which I am qualified for, so that will reduce the costs. However, it won't pay for the flat, which is about $10,000 for the year.

The flat. Here's the good news: it's a nice on-campus studio flat, which means I have my own space with a personal bathroom and kitchen area. It's also the closest postgraduate housing to the campus. Here's the bad news: it's a shit-ton of money and I need to figure out where to fetch deposit money within the next two weeks. However, I'm a good beggar, and have some tricks up my sleeve.

The visa. They don't just let you frolic to and fro, wherever you please. You need the right colored stickers in your passport to do that!! So, here's the deal: I need a student visa, which takes about three months to obtain (that is of course after filling out all the irritating paperwork and paying the $300 fee). To get a visa, I first need an UNconditional offer from Nottingham, which they won't give to me until they see my degree from SCSU. So, now I have to wait for my final transcript to get to Nottingham, and then for Nottingham to send me the proper paperwork. Only then can I start the visa process. Knowing SCSU, and having dealt with the detached and dilatory employees at the transcript office before, my final transcripts could take a while to actually make it to Nottingham. So, here's hoping I can actually get the paperwork in time to get the visa before I set off to classes in the fall. Of course, if I don't get the visa in time, I'll tell the folks at Customs what I tell them every time I go to England: "I'm seeing Stonehenge."

The plane ticket. One way or round trip? Hmmm... well... here's a nifty story. So, I've had three round trip flights and numerous charges to a frequent flier miles card with British Airways. The last time I spoke with them they informed me I was able to have a one-way ticket for free with the miles I've acquired. So, last week I called British Airways again, and asked for a oneway ticket, please and thank you. Now, I apparently don't have enough miles for the ticket, so it looks like I have to pay for another flight out of pocket.
At this point, I might take a boat... you know... Ancient Mariner style.

Studying. I haven't the slightest idea what to expect from the British school systems. I don't know how the course load will be, what a module is, or even how they write up a works cited page. I really want to begin looking at Old English over the summer, as well as re-read all of the sagas and some history on Germanic and Anglo Saxon tribes. Not only this, I should probably get my own computer. Finally: The time has arrived. Mac or PC?

Friends and Family. I will miss them, and probably wish they were with me the minute I start to get homesick. As a result, my hope is to spend as much time as I can with as many people as I can. I want to take many pictures and give many hugs.

So, yeah. Talk to you soon. I'm going to get back to Lord of the Rings now. I'm almost done with the first book--they're in Lothlorien at this point. It's incredible stuff, this book.

Bon Nuit

The House in Hebron

2008-05-12T12:31:00.005-04:00

My mother, stepfather and sister live in Hebron, which is this hike from New Haven. I love coming to visit, but rarely have the time to make the hour and a half drive up. I came up yesterday for mother's day, and am staying over for a couple of nights to clear my head and be away from New Haven. I decided to take some pictures around the house, which is in the middle of nowhere.

This is the creepy shed.

I like how it was once red, but now transforming into a charming pale green.

I think this guy has seen better days.

The neighbor hunts, and I guess this guy is his target practice. I'm not to sure how I feel about the whole "hunting thing," but I guess the further away you get from areas where there are gas stations, dunkin donuts, and libraries, the more commonplace hunting is.
I've named him "Lucky," since he's still standing.

Here's my sister and brother's present to my mother:

A garden gnome. His name is I-is-a-pumpkin, and his goose is Shaun Connaway. The mushroom is named Basketball.
My mother is very fortunate to have three very creative thinkers for children.

In case you were wondering how I look without makeup, right after I wake up, in a blustery wind:

People leave behind mysterious objects:

It is on this wooden table... its like an altar to the Steampunk Gods.

Hooray for Folio!

2008-05-11T23:11:00.008-04:00

The last Folio reading for the semester (and for my life) was this past Friday. I took a picture at the podium, since I wasn't sure when I'd be reading poetry for crowds of people again. Here's the view (the battery went dead, so the picture looks kind of fuzzy):

Reading is always this strange sensation... the attention is loads of fun... but it also can be embarassing when you look up and realize that people are looking at you, probably not listening to the poetry, but just coming up with weird thoughts in their head about you... So, I get into this groove where my voice goes kind of monotone, and I just read through the poems, as though I have just read them for the second or third time. Regardless, it was a complete honor to read, as it was to win third place in Folio's poetry contest.

And, as always, we went out to Delaney's afterwards...
Here's the kids' table:

Bart is on the right. He let me read one of his poems for the open mic, which was a wonderful opportunity, as his poems are clever and smart.

Here's Tim and I:

Tim's my punk rock creative writing teacher. He's very tall and laughs loudly when I read my poems. Terry called him "Professor Tim" at one point during the night, which was pretty funny.

Here's the adult table:

Let's see... Patty is sitting next to me... Jeff next to her, Ryan next to Jeff... Tim on my left with Josh next to him... then Becky and Brianna.

I loved loved loved this night because there were so many people to talk to... I was jumping from one place to the next, and having a ball talking to everyone. Terry even bought me a beer (it's non-alcoholic):

There's a sticker on the beer bottle of a hot chick serving two pints of beer.

Good times, lots of hotties and rowdy metaphors to keep the night full of oooo's and aahhh's.

Here I am

2008-05-11T23:11:00.002-04:00

Sometimes when you take photos on the phone, it gets blurry and bright... and makes the eyes go all blue-ish.