Epic Music

Ah, music. William Shakespeare once said (or wrote) "If music be the food of love, play on." As Gideon Graves from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World said "Music to my earholes." How true they are. The point is that music is one of the best things. The New York Times reported that music can in fact improve your productivity because melodious release dopamine in the brain and music can prevent a wandering mind, which is an unhappy mind. Read the article, it's actually very interesting. Think about how productive or pleasant life could be if you had your very own soundtrack to your life. An original soundtrack, that is.

Yes, this is how I listen to all my music all the time. How do YOU listen to YOUR music? You square. 

[PROTIP GUYS: If, for some reason, you're not a soundtrack nerd like me and can't think of what these songs sound like, click the links for Youtube! Hooray!] Going for a run? For some people that haven't yet achieved runner's high (AKA me), running is boring unless I'm distracted by a game (volleyball, basketball, soccer (or football if you're in the UK) or TV. Add the Sherlock Holmes soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and suddenly you're Sherlock Holmes (I prefer the Robert Downey Jr. version, please don't kill me BBC Sherlock fans), running down the street to catch a large opponent or running from an explosion. You have fled on a flight of fury! Or, if you prefer something a little calmer, you can transform a simple walk through a field into a leisurely stroll through the British countryside with the simple addition of the 2005 Pride & Prejudice soundtrack. Or it's a windy day, and I mean really windy. The kind of windy that sends some girls into a panic about their hair, while the rest of us either do nothing or spend every moment trying to get the wind to blow their hair back. I know it can't be just me. Add Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas and you're suddenly a Native American girl caught up in a whirlwind romance (thanks, thanks, I really tried. I didn't.) with a foreign man.

Disney: creating attractive 2D animated men since... I would say 1959 with Prince Philip in Sleeping Beauty. 

And I'm not just talking about listening to music in my headphones, because that's honestly the most obvious solution. Maybe, perhaps, it would be played from the sky somehow? Speakers are still too tangible; it has to sound like it's all around me and is REALLY good quality, so that everyone could hear it and feel the same way. I wish someone could compose a movie soundtrack for me, but the question would be: who would do it? I love John Powell's music, which is very lighthearted and unique. But then John Williams could compose an epic and adventurous score, even if my life isn't epic and adventurous. Hans Zimmer composes similar music, but it seems a little less adventurous, more dangerous and exciting in that manner. Then again, there are so many brilliant composers to consider (as if I were seriously considering this): Alan Silvestri (The Avengers, Forrest Gump, Captain America, Back to the Future), Thomas Newman (Finding Nemo, Cinderella Man, Wall-E, Skyfall), Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek, Chronicles of Narnia, X-Men Origins, Prince of Persia, Cowboys & Aliens), James Newton Howard (Liar, Liar, Atlantis, Dinosaur, Treasure Planet, Defiance, Bourne Legacy, Hunger Games, Green Lantern, Batman Begins/Dark Knight), Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings soundtracks, AMAZING), James Horner (Titanic, Avatar and the Amazing Spider-Man), and Randy Newman (Pretty much all the other Pixar movies). The funny thing is that I don't have any training in music or anything, I just judge the scores based on how they fit the movie and if I like the songs. Kind of a "does the music make me feel like I could be in the movie or does it give me goosebumps" rating system.

Don't get me wrong; I listen to a bunch of other music. The only place I really draw the line is hardcore rap, country, dubstep, techno, metal, crazy stoner music and super teeny-bopper music (like One Direction). Other than that, I'll listen to about anything. I will even admit I still find "Call Me Maybe" enjoyable. Hey, it's catchy, okay? Even still to me. But then again, I didn't listen to the radio as much as other people, so maybe it's still kind of novel and not overplayed to me. But the point is, scores are more moving for me than lyrical songs sometimes. I guess it just depends on the mood. But next time you're watching a movie, pay attention to the orchestral music; it won't do you any harm.

Space Cowboys

When someone tells me I need to watch or listen to something, I usually resist until I discover that thing on my own. For some odd reason, I don't immediately listen to people's suggestions, yet I get frustrated when I suggest things to people and they don't immediately take me up on it. I'm weird.

But this isn't about me (ha ha procrastination), it's about space cowboys. Hence the title.

"But there aren't any cows in space!" you might say, or even "Have you seen Cowboys and Aliens? Not a good movie." To the first sentence, I say... um... there isn't enough conclusive evidence. To the second, I would have to admit that I haven't, but I really wanted to, and even if you say it's not a great movie, I'm probably going to watch it sometime anyway without high expectations.

Look at all those attractive people representing 3 different ethnicities. 

I am referring to the magnificent show, Firefly. And before I get a backlash of people saying that show has been all over the internet and has been out since 2002 and what am I doing with my life, I would like to counter with- WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT????

[peeks out] Are they gone? Who's left? Only you? Excuse me while I heave a deep sigh and look exasperated. Alright, you'll have to do. As I was saying, I know the show has been out for a while, but to be fair, I wasn't properly introduced to the internet until 2010 or 2011! I know! Yeah, I had been one of those kids who watch Homestar Runner (if you haven't already seen any of this, I recommend you do if you like the internet in general, but then again, maybe you won't. I don't know you! It may also still be funny to me because I watched it when I was younger and have that nostalgic tie to it. You never know.) and watched Youtube occasionally, but my senior year of high school I was introduced to DeviantArt and then my freshman year of college, I was introduced to... the REST of the internet. Well, the go-able places. I have yet to visit the underbelly of the internet, like 4Chan, but that's something I plan to put off as LONG as possible. [shudder]


So excuse me while I rant and rave about Firefly because I watched the entire show (not difficult since there was only one season of 14 episodes, CURSE YOU JOSS WHEDON! It's ok, I still love you for the Avengers) and the follow up movie, Serenity.


Space. Cowboys. What a brilliant idea. I know the movie Cowboys vs. Aliens wasn't so good, but the concept is great! I'm all for mixing things to that respect; my mom can't stand anachronisms, so watching Moulin Rouge with her (modern songs sung in the 1900's really pushed her buttons), but I love that they can have the best (and worst) of the past and future. My father also loves Western movies, like the Magnificent 7, Tombstone, Silverado, any movie with John Wayne. Personally, I draw the line at John Wayne (I don't think he's THAT good of an actor), but I, too, like Westerns. I also like space and sci-fi, so this is the perfect marriage of space and the West.

ESPECIALLY the Wild Wild West. Go on Will Smith, get jiggy with it!

Now let's talk more specifically about the characters. Silly Wash, flippant/handsome/headstrong smuggler Malcolm Reynolds, the kickass take-no-crap-from-anyone Zoe, the sweet and loveable Kaylee, the crazy and unintelligent Jayne, the beautiful Inara, the wise Shephard Book, the handsome/unflappable/proper Simon and his crazy and slightly morbid sister, River. All these different characters means everyone can pick their favorite! I don't know who my favorite is; I love them all and the interactions between them, but I think a better representation of good writing is that I don't hate any of them; I enjoy them all for different reasons, and depending on the episode, I love some more than others. River kind of annoyed me at first because she couldn't keep it together, but she's grown on me.

I also love the writing; the jobs they pull, the subtle relationships between characters and thankfully, the lack of love triangles. If I see one more show with a love triangle as the main plot point, I will go to Hollywood just to strangle some writers. I think it's great that they sometimes mumble in Chinese; a lot of people may not know about the very large Asian community that settled in the West. And the one-liners, how those lines fill me with joy. There's even an entire video dedicated to the best Firefly quotes!

I should also put in that I am not a big "drama fan", and not in the sense of those annoying girls who complain that they just HATE drama, but then they start talking behind their friend's back the next possible opportunity. I mean I hate drama in the sense that I actually hate drama. I hate it when my friends are mad at each other, I don't like when people blow things out of proportion, I really don't like conflict and I despise shows that thrive on drama, such as soap operas, the last few seasons of Alias, Gossip Girl, CBS dramas etc. That being said, it's a good guess that I'm a bigger fan of adventure and comedy, for instance, light hearted shows about people who have adventures and get into shenanigans while they crack jokes and each episode usually ends happily. Hence the reason I love Doctor Who and another guilty pleasure was the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Not the movie. I've never seen the movie, nor do I plan to.

So that's me, being the Slowpoke meme. I'll let this picture say 1,000 late words for me.

Guy Fawkes Day

This may be late in regards to when Guy Fawkes Night actually was (if you can't remember what day that was, check Facebook statuses), but I figure later is better than never right?

False. Contracting a disease is better never than later.

Bonfire Night means that here in the UK, people drink, watch fireworks, set up a bonfire and sometimes burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes. For everyone else, it means watching V for Vendetta and posting a status about it, usually a quote from the movie. "Remember, remember the 5th of November!"  "Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof."

He's just misunderstood, like the Phantom of the Opera! He should totally be allowed to kill people and or blow up stuff! I bet Michael Bay would love to re-direct this one....

Now I'm not saying that I don't think these are good quotes or that V for Vendetta is a bad movie; on the contrary! I quite like that movie; I think the acting is incredible, the concept is refreshing and the writing is very good. However, I don't like that suddenly, just because it's November 5th, everyone from the US thinks it's their time to shine as anarchists and take someone else's writing and make themselves seem more intelligent. I mean, I do that with comedy shows and comedians all the time to make myself seem funnier, but that's a totally different ball of yarn. They're COMPLETELY different. Just believe me, okay? People steal jokes in comedy all the time! That makes it ok, right?

But on a lighter note, I didn't do anything for Guy Fawkes Day and I'm in the UK! Two years ago, while visiting a friend, we threw a Bonfire Night, and that involved drinking mulled wine and burning thrift store clothes stuffed with straw in a garbage can. We're so badass, guys! We burn effigies and drink mulled wine in moderation! Somebody stop me! I'm kidding though. We drank way more than just mulled wine! We also drank Mike's Hard Lemonade.

So those are my thoughts on Bonfire Night. Totally not relevant because that was at least 4 days ago. Damn my procrastination!

Reflections from Bath

Love at first sight might be a controversial issue to some people, but I am in full agreement with it- when it comes to places. There are many cities that take me a while to get used to before I find that it has snuck its way into my heart. Bath, on the other hand, was love at first sight. I loved it all: the Roman-Gothic architecture, the city center full of shops and enticing smells, the everyday hustle and bustle of people out on a Sunday. As you walked farther from the center of town, the excitement gave way to a quiet, natural beauty. The beautiful fence-lined streets with the antique-styled street lamps faded to old wooden fences with small doors built in them, occasionally hidden behind trees covered in colorful autumn leaves.

The enchanting walkway behind the Royal Crescent,
photo taken by my talented friend Nicole Lovold

A street in Bath, taken by my friend Erin Mc Pherson

The juxtaposition within one town (or city, I'm not sure which) was so incredible to me. I loved that Bath had this variety, and I can only imagine what it's like in the summer. It is hard to put into words how much I loved visiting and seeing everything I could in such a short time. 

For all those who don't read Jane Austen novels, who only watch the movies recreationally, or who just don't obsess over her like my roommate, Jane Austen spent about 6 weeks in Bath when she was in her early 20's and later moved there in the late 1800s. The first time she was there, she absolutely loved it and found it quite diverting. She even stages her first published novel, Northanger Abbey in Bath, where the protagonist Catherine Morland finds it just as enjoyable as I do. She writes, “They arrived in Bath. Catherine was all eager delight; - her eyes were here, there, everywhere, as they approached its fine and striking environs, and afterwards drove through those streets which conducted them to the hotel. She was come to be happy, and she felt happy already.” Living there, however, had its drawbacks and cast a less than favorable light on the city. Jane Austen lived in Bath between 1801 and 1805, but this time, the experiences she had there were rather unproductive and unhappy. She set her last published novel, Persuasion, there and it is a more biting satire about the superficial social life of Bath.

Having only been there a day and not four weeks, let alone in the present day and not in the 19^th century, I still found it to be a beautiful and fascinating place. The shopping areas and streets lined with Gothic Architectural elements made me feel like I was a Regency Era woman going to town to spend an exciting day full of busy people and interesting shops. The parks and green space made me feel like sitting underneath a tree and appreciating nature, reading a book, or writing. The best part was that I could have both of those feelings in the same day without a lot of hassle. Excitement and peace in the same day? Count me in! It truly felt like the best of both worlds. 

All I needed to make this trip feel like a time travelling expedition were Regency Era garb and the 2005 Pride & Prejudice soundtrack. However, had I been there during the week-long Jane Austen Festival in September, I would have been elated. Jane Austen fans flock there from around the world to see everyone in 18^th century costume and many themed events such as dancing and etiquette lessons, concerts, talks, and even a costumed masked ball!

The day spent there, even without a costume promenade, was still wonderful. I can only hope it doesn't turn out to be a Jane Austen situation; I hope Bath is a nice city to not only visit, but to live in.  

Drink in the nature, everyone. Drink it in.
Photo again by my friend Nicole Lovold

The city, while vibrant and vivacious, is nicely offset by the quiet rolling hills and sun dappled dirt paths, with large trees with gnarled roots obscure the buildings. It is a place to feel inspired, creative, calm, captivated, curmudgeonly, classy and comforting. Wait. That third to last adjective didn't fit. Let's try connected. You can feel connected with nature. That sounds about right.

 So the next time you find yourself in the UK and you need a break from London, might I suggest Bath? It has interesting shops, some great places to get a tasty Cornish pasty, original Roman Baths and the Grand Pump Room, the Coeur de Lion, which is the smallest pub in Bath, some wonderful nature trails, the Jane Austen Centre, and even Pulteney Bridge over the River Avon, which has been preserved since 1774 and is lined with shops. Don’t take my word for it, though; go see it for yourself.