A Masterpiece.

In my search of integration, I have gotten obsessed with learning about the kitschiest parts of Italian culture and recently I was introduced to some of the very best of the worst best that I just had to share it with y'all.


I decided this post needed to be written while Lindsey and Chris were visiting from Pescara. We went to a restaurant and I heard what is possibly one of my favortie Italian songs of all time: Insieme by Mina. In all honesty, months ago I wouldn't say that Mina belonged in this category. She is a wonderful artist with an amazing voice. And I'm such a fan of the lyrics on top of it all. My German friend Linda gave me some of her music and I went through periods where I would play it non-stop. Her hit Parole, Parole, Parole will really get stuck in my head sometimes, but in the good way. While talking over these songs with Gabriele, he finally showed me some of her performances on YouTube. I can't believe I had never thought to watch her before. I'd say she certainly knows how to work a camera. But the strangest part is that at some point she decided not to make any more appearances on television after a huge success there. What a character! I consider her along the Barbra Streisand persuasion, maybe because they are contemporaries with strong pipes.


Gabriele caught on to my enthusiasm for early 70s Italian music and reintroduced me to Raffaella Carrà. I had first heard one of her songs a few months back at a private concert by Pilar, which ended in a wonderfully amusing scene between the sweet voiced Pilar and the host of the concert dancing. The dance happened because the song she sang is called Tuca Tuca and is accompanied with a dance I'd consider a more intimate version of the macarena. Gabriele explained that this song was often played at school dances when he was in middle school (which just made me giggle a lot). Turns out Raffaella is a gay international symbol a la Madonna as a dancer with catchy songs that are popular not only in Italy but also Spain, Brazil, Greece, Russia, and elsewhere. She was also in trouble back in the day with the Vatican because she was the first womanin Italy to ever show her belly button on television! Che scandolo! Anyway, after hours of more clips, I knew I wanted to share a bit with you, but this video sealed the deal. Ladies and Gentlemen: Raffaella on the tour of Italy in Tanti Auguri. A masterpiece.

I think I'm drowning. Asphyxiated.

Dear MereCo,

Please accept this break up song from me as my two week notice.

Many thanks,
Sam

Extra quarters to meet the boss

I'm working as diligently as possible these days because things are coming down to the wire. I've got a big presentation Saturday, paper drafts, more presentations, tests, quizzes....Blah, blah, blah. The hardest part of all of this mess is that I still care. (That's something I really didn't expect.) I still want things to be fantastic and show all of the work that I've done, not the stuff I feel like I'm producing now. I know I'm gonna get through this, but it's weird how this month has become the most impossible of my four year career. And that's saying something in respect to sophomore year.

I was talking with a fellow nerd yesterday who told me that my life's just like a video game. This is the final level. The part where you meet the big boss/monster/nemesis and it takes a bit more getting through. He told me to have some coins at hand for the next few weeks, just in case I'd need some extra time/lives. Here's to putting my initials up on the high score list and moving on to something more meaningful.

32 days.

Whew. There's a lot to do. No more breaks. So many activities it's making my head spin (1:35--and excuse the bad language for the sweet humor)! I'm looking forward to, but the hours still add up. I just realized that I have to complete 3 projects I've been working on for 1 semester, 1 year, and 2 years. Not to mention the other classes. Yikes. I keep telling myself that if I cut it all down into tiny pieces it won't be a problem. But no matter what I do I just see BIG LISTS. I don't really see how I'm going to win here...unless I look at my miserable bracket that still kinda won. And that kinda winning is the only winning I'll be doing now in life. Ugh.

But I've decided that owning one of these is clearly the only viable solution to solving all of my problems.

To be one less lonely girl....

I don't understand why it's a big deal because I'm not really weird about it, but the 14 year old Sam deep in my heart has a thing for Justin Bieber. He's cool and smooth and everything the dorky me pined over eons ago.

I'm glad someone else recognized it!

P.S. Only 3 more days until Easter...and Facebook. Is that sacrilegious?

To start things off

I've been thinking a while about starting an everyday blog just for cool things that I find online or strange stories that occur in real life. I was finally moved to do so because I'm off Facebook for Lent. There are a matter of days left until Easter--and I can't believe I've actually done so well--but I thought it'd be fun to have a sound off spot of my own.

Also, I've found some fillers for the time I would have normally wasted on Facebook.  Some things are intellectual and others not so much. My new favorite website is The Atlantic. They give you a chance to come up with how you feel about different issues by bringing articles from different perspectives and also have some really wonderful editorials. Today I read a re-post and decided that it was worth sharing. Happy Sunday!

Please Bring Strange Things.
Please bring strange things.
Please come bringing new things.
Let very old things come into your hands.
Let what you do not know come into your eyes.
Let desert sand harden your feet.
Let the arch of your feet be the mountains.
Let the paths of your fingertips be your maps
and the ways you go be the lines on your palms.
Let there be deep snow in your inbreathing
and your outbreath be the shining of ice.
May your mouth contain the shapes of strange words.
May you smell food cooking you have not eaten.
May the spring of a foreign river be your navel.
May your soul be at home where there are no houses.
Walk carefully, well loved one,
walk mindfully, well loved one,
walk fearlessly, well loved one.
Return with us, return to us,
be always coming home.
-Ursula K. Leguin