Girl Rising: Showcasing the Strength of the Human Spirit and the Power of Education to Change the World.

"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom."

~George Washington Carver

Photo found here

Nelson Mandela once said that, "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." So I heard about what looks like it will be a really cool documentary, GIRL RISING, and really wanted to go. It's a film about educating girls, and by doing so, changing the world.

If you're into documentaries, like I am, then you should check it out. The screening is June 10th, at the Water Gardens Spanish Fork 8 and tickets are just $10. Now that I bought tickets, as of this moment, there are only 41 tickets left to this special screening. Awhile back, there was a screening in Salt Lake, but I missed it and decided that the drive (or the Frontrunner train-ride, as it will be) would be worth it.

Click here to read more about it and buy tickets to this screening.

Also, here is a preview written up in the Salt Lake Deseret News. And another one by Public Radio International. Looks good, right? So come.

Here's the trailer.

 

Need to grab a tissue? Feel inspired? Well, go buy a ticket. See you there!

Thanks to cjanekendrick for letting me know about this screening.
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My heart wants to sing every song it hears.

"I can't seem to stop singing wherever I am.
And what's worse, I can't seem to stop saying things - anything and everything I think and feel."
~Fraulein Maria, in The Sound of Music

I feel much like Maria lately, in the quote above...

"The hills are alive with the sound of music." Tonight, a spur of the moment decision was made and Katie and I went to see this at the Tower Theater:

Photo found here.

Only it was really this...

Yes, you read that right... it was a sing-along. SO, SO fun! Goofy, silly, nerdy Sound of Music fans. As we walked into the theater, we were each handed a cellophane bag with such items as a silk white flower (Edelweiss), an invitation to the ball, a piece of fabric like the drapes out of which Maria made the children's play clothes, a confetti pop thing (for when Maria and the Captain finally kiss!), etc. We were instructed to pull the items out at the appropriate times and use them/wave them for all to see. We also were given certain tell-tale calls for certain characters such as the Baroness (hisssssssssing like a snake), Gretl (awww--because she's so cute), Maria (cheering of course), the Nazis (booooooo), the Captain (cheering and hubba hubba), etc.

So silly, but so fun! Fun to sing along (words were projected on the screen like in karaoke). Fun to watch a musical I haven't seen in a long time. Fun to take part in a love story. I'm such a girl, but I love love stories. :) And so fun to pull the plug on my confetti popper when the kissing started! :)

I'm looking forward to February when they'll have the West Side Story sing-along!
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Babies. The Movie. Recommended.

"I restore myself when I'm alone."
~Marilyn Monroe

A few weeks ago, I had simply had a enough of people. You know those days (weeks)? When everybody seems to need a piece of you, or a moment of your time, or advice on a decision (that they don't even end up taking). I'd been working several late nights and just wanted to do something alone. Something where I didn't have to talk to anyone. I wasn't in a bad mood, just tired of talking to people. :)

So I left work at 7:00pm in time to drive to the movie theater and see a film called Babies. Interestingly, the film doesn't have a lot talking (just what I was looking for), since the main characters aren't old enough to speak. It was very much a visually moving experience.

The film follows four babies from birth through their first birthday. Ponijao from Namibia. Mari from Tokyo. Bayar from Mongolia. And Hattie from San Francisco.

The babies and their day-to-day experiences were actually really delightful to watch. I found myself laughing out loud at points and really enjoying the journey of human development on screen. Watching the babies discover their world around them and grow in their capacity to express themselves was really satisfying. Also, I think I re-learned the importance of voiding my life of excess and doing away with a focus on material things. Babies don't need tons of toys. They were most content playing with dirt, sticks, and the occasional goat.

Great film. Liked the music. The film served my intended purpose of getting away from my own life, not talking to anyone, and through delightful humor, lightening up my mood. I went home happy. The babies were just beautiful and irresistible to watch.

I definitely recommend the film. You'll learn something. You'll laugh. And you'll walk away pleasantly smiling.

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The Lovely Bones. The book AND the movie.

"Reading is a means of thinking with another person's mind; it forces you to stretch your own."
~Charles Scribner, Jr.

As you may have seen from a photo in my Christmas post, I read The Lovely Bones over the holidays. I figure, now is as good a time as any to post my review.

Set in the 1970s, the book is narrated by Susie Salmon, a young teenage girl who announces in the first sentence of the book that she was murdered. We also soon find out that she was brutally raped prior to the murder, but I don't think Susie ever says the word "rape," except for once later in the book, not even referring to her own experience.

Susie narrates from her own version of heaven, but since she, herself, has not yet come to terms with her own death, she spends the majority of her days watching her family and friends grieve, wishing to console them. She follows their daily activities, hoping for a chance to let them know she is okay. She also follows her killer, a neighbor, who she simply knew as Mr. Harvey, learning the deep ugly truth about this quiet, solitary man.

Susie, not yet ready to let go of her life, lives the milestone moments of life vicariously through her younger sister. She watches her father's never-ceasing struggle to find her killer and discover what really happened to her the night she was murdered. She watches her baby brother grow up, her mother estrange herself from the family, and her grandmother move in to help run the household. Susie might learn more about life than her 14-year old mind really wanted to know.

The book was certainly intriguing. The rape and murder told in the first chapter held my attention and left me wanting to know how it all ended, hoping for justice. Seeing the scene and the years following from the eyes of a 14-year old who knew what happened, was interesting, but at times frustrating. I wanted the detective and her family to figure things out more quickly. I wanted the rapist -- who, we find out, is in fact a serial rapist and killer -- to be caught, be humiliated, to suffer, and die. I guess I just needed to be patient...

Shortly after I read the book, Katie and I went to see the movie version, which came out in mid-January. As you know, generally I dislike reading a book before seeing the movie (if there is one) because I'm usually disappointed by the movie. I prefer to end the whole experience with the part I enjoy the most -- the book. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the movie portrayed even the most minute of details from the book. Certainly some things were left out and a couple of minor things were changed, but overall, it may have been the best adaptation of a book I've ever seen. (At least, that I can think of, right now.) I thought they did an excellent job bringing the story to life.

The actors were well cast. Stanley Tucci was convincingly creepy as Mr. Harvey, which I found a impressive since earlier in 2009, he was so wonderfully charming as Julia Child's husband in Julie & Julia. Though Mark Wahlberg would not have been my first choice for Susie's father, he did a fine job. And by the end of the movie, Susan Sarandon also won me over as the grandmother.

Alice Sebold's gripping story seems, somehow, delicate when told from Susie's more innocent 14-year old point of view. The pain and grief, which are requisite in a story like this and ever-present, ultimately evolve into hope. Sebold's writing is lovely, yet appropriately disturbing, and Peter Jackson's skill in film adaptation is to be praised.

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Groundhog Day.

Rita: "Do you ever have déjà vu?"
Phil: "Didn't you just ask me that?"
~Rita (Andie McDowell) and Phil (Bill Murray) in the film Groundhog Day

For the last several years, in celebration of Groundhog Day, I've had a tradition of inviting a few friends over to watch the 1993 film Groundhog Day. I've found that every time I watch the movie, I just like it more and more. This time, I found myself laughing out loud almost non-stop, it seemed. You see, as I may have mentioned before, I have this keen ability to forget details of movies (and books), which allows me to watch them again and again ALMOST like it's the first time. I'd forgotten SO many details and nuances since last year's viewing, so it had me wheeze-laughing at times. It really is a very funny movie. Bill Murray is one funny guy.

So, the other funny thing is this... on the way to work today, the radio station I had switched to started playing Sonny and Cher's "I've Got You Babe" and jokingly began to recreate the recurring 6am scene from the movie. Now if you haven't seen Groundhog Day recently, then you may not remember, but this is the song that Phil wakes up to again and again and again. Hearing it on the radio this morning brought a huge smile to my face. Good job radio peeps!

Happy Groundhog Day to you!

Oh, and if you're interested in knowing if Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, he did. According to him, there will be six more weeks of winter. But apparently, not all groundhogs think alike. Read here to learn the some other groundhogs predicted winter ending much more quickly. Hmmm. I think they need to band together and provide a much more unified front. What do you think? haha...
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Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles.

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."

~Hamilton Wright Mabie

For me, Christmas started when I received a beautiful Christmas swag all the way from Maine Wreaths in early December, from my Grandpa. It smelled so wonderful that I decided to keep it in the house for a couple of days before I hung it, as the sole Christmas decoration we put up this year, on the front door, where it's still hanging. I know Christmas is over, but it's a decoration that is more seasonal for me, as opposed to strictly holiday, and I love seeing it every time I come home. (Picture to come.)

On December 19th, we (SLCA) sang the works of  Rachmaninoff, Respighi, Ramírez, and Rutter to a sold out house in Libby Gardner Hall during our holiday concert. Read the rave review here. SLCA requires a large time commitment with rehearsals, individual study and practice of the music, and extra rehearsals before concerts, but it's always worth it once we're on stage and singing. It really is rewarding and I just love adding all this exceptional choral music to my repertoire. Not to mention, singing with a great director like Dr. Brady Allred, and with such wonderful singers and friends.

The Christmas season would not have felt complete without attending the evening Christmas Carol service with friends or the noon concert with my mom of Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols, both at The Cathedral of the Madeleine. The choristers of the Madeleine Choir School truly fascinate me with their poise and discipline. Great concert atmosphere, great singing, and a great way to celebrate Christmas!

Then off to Dad and Nancy's or as we like to call it, Resort Montrose. I arrived on the 23rd and had a full day with Dad and Nancy to myself! Loved it! We talked, ate Phở, talked, shopped, tried a new frozen yogurt bar down the street, sat by the fire, talked, read, wrapped presents, talked, and talked. It was great! The next day, Christmas Eve, Marina and Shepherd arrived separately (Marina flying in from NYC and Sheppo driving down from San Francisco) in time for a Christmas Eve dinner of tamales (yum!), traditional opening of Christmas pajama pants, and a hilarious showing of Hangover.

Christmas morning brought the unveiling of so many fun gifts (future posts on these). Isn't it fun when you're so excited for everyone else to open the gifts from you, almost as excited about opening your own gifts? That afternoon, we drove over (in Shepherd's new car) to Auntie Vicki and Uncle Hank's for the traditional family Christmas Dinner.

Enjoyed delicious fare including: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans with carrots and pine nuts, southern pineapple casserole (delish! -- Thanks Amanda!), shrimp cocktail (I could live off this), and a bunch of desserts that I didn't even try.

Saw cousins who have grown a foot since the last time I saw them. Held my newest baby cousin, Henry, born in November. Enjoyed catching up with everyone. We ended the night at home reading. All in all, a great Christmas day.

Since the five of us don't get to see each other often enough, we spent the rest of the weekend just spending time together talking, reading, enjoying new Christmas gifts, listening to music, walking around The Americana at Brand window shopping, seeing Up in the Air, and going out to Min's Kitchen for a delicious Thai dinner.

Sunday, I flew home. And Monday, it was back to work. But like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I still felt like I was on vacation this week. Work was quiet since so many people were on vacation. I just felt a whole lot more relaxed at work than I have in awhile. It was nice.

A great Christmas season it was for me. And after finals, it really was relaxing and most enjoyable. I hope yours was too!

Photo of The Cathedral of the Madeleine found here.
Photo of the organ at Libby Gardner Hall courtesy of Tom Sparks.
Photo of Southern Pineapple Casserole found on a Google Search.
All other photos courtesy of Nancypants.

Confession.

So, I'm not a sci-fi girl.

In fact, I've pretty much avoided it (purposely) my whole life.

Just not my thing.

But I decided to go to the Star Trek movie a few weeks ago with M, Brian, and Katie.

And...

I know, it's hard to believe...

but, I really liked it.

And watching Chris Pine didn't hurt matters at all...

(Photo from here.)

Uh, so yeah...

Beam me UP Scotty! :)

I'd like to see this too...

I'd like to see this...

Berlin: Movies in English and Potsdamer Platz.

Wednesday evening, Brittney had originally planned for all of us to go to a Pink concert at the arena where Casey plays, but "the guy" who works with the team wasn't able to get tickets for us after all, and Casey ended up having practice that night. So we didn't go to the concert. Since we had a babysitter scheduled for that night, Britt, Katie and I took advantage of the free evening. Katie and I went across the street to pick up sushi to go and brought it back to Britt. We then went to see a movie at The Sony Center, where they show movies in "OV", original version, meaning in English. It has a variety of restaurants, movie theaters, an IMAX theater, shops, offices on the upper floors, and Legoland underground. (Yes, that's a lego-giraffe!)

Casey met us there after practice and we walked around a bit. My camera battery died, so this picture is from Wikipedia. But it looked just like this the night we were there.

The Sony Center is located at the Potsdamer Platz, which is about one kilometer south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. Potsdamer Platz is rich with historical significance for Germans. According to Wikipedia, the square (platz) was physically divided in two by the East German and West German walls. There were very few buildings left, and underground the U-Bahn section through Potsdamer Platz had closed entirely; although the S-Bahn line itself remained open, it suffered from a quirk of geography in that it briefly passed through East German territory en route from one part of West Berlin to another. Consequently Potsdamer Platz S-Bahn station became the most infamous of several geisterbahnhofe (ghost stations), sealed off from the outside world, patrolled by armed guards and through which trains ran straight on without stopping.

This is what's left today.

(All pictures found on Google Image search, with the exception of the lego-giraffe.)

Post-Valentine's Day Wrap-up.

So it seems that many of you don't like it when a story is started and never finished. Am I right? Well, I can completely relate, so I thought I'd finish off my Valentine's Day "story" and let you know that M was in fact my Valentine. However, when I asked him to be my Valentine, his reply was, "That doesn't count; I already asked you to be mine." :)

M requested that I be ready at 11am on Valentine's Day, when he would come over and together, decide what matinee we wanted to see. But, I was so excited to sleep in on Saturday, that I was behind in getting ready. I texted M at about 1045 am to tell him I was running late. He replied, "No worries. I'll come over 1130 am." That was the perfect thing to hear. I love feeling un-rushed.

I was ready right at 1130 am when M arrived with these in hand.

I love stargazer lilies. They are so deliciously fragrant! And even better, M remembered how much I love them. Then, as we sat down in front of the computer checking out all of our movie options, the doorbell rang. Katie was in the kitchen making herself some lunch and had tuna-covered hands, so she asked, "Will you get that?" Then M said, "Yeah, why don't you get it." A little suspiciously, I walked to the front door to find these tuxedo-clad men.

Yes, they are a barbershop quartet. (M's dad is the tall one in the center.) My jaw dropped as I let them in. They began to sing to me from M. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but I smiled the whole time. I was truly shocked. Happy, but also a little nervous that these four singing men were staring at me and only me for a full five minutes! But SO fun! When M told me I had a few surprises for Valentine's Day, I never would have guessed this one. :)

After my serenaders left, M and I decided on a movie. Confessions of a Shopaholic. We wanted something light and romantically comedic. On our way to the theatre, we stopped off at a new healthy fast food restaurant called Au Naturale. I've been wanting to try it and am happy to report that they do not disappoint! Take a look at their delectable menu here and stop by sometime and check them out. I would love to see them do well and be successful in changing the nature of fast food.

Being that it was Valentine's Day, I decided to wear these all day. (Okay, so I only made it from my house, to lunch, to window shopping, and to the theatre, but it was fun.)

After our movie, M dropped me off at home and I took a nap. How great is that?! He planned a nap for me into our day. Like it or not, I've learned that a woman needs her sleep.

Then dressed up and ready for a night out, M picked me up again at 6 pm and we headed down to this restaurant, where we ate on our first date. It was freezing and very windy outside. I was wearing a cute red and black dress with tall black sassy boots, which coupled with my car-length black wool coat, provided little protection from the cold as we waited to be seated. Good thing I had an "M" with me. They keep you pretty warm. ;)

But just before our food arrived, M disappeared for twenty minutes in the bathroom. I was pretty certain that he was getting my final Valentine's surprise ready to give me. But then he came back and just went about eating. No surprise, yet, I guess. Finally, he sighed saying, "It's not working." "What's not working?" "Your last surprise isn't working the way I had planned." I don't really remember exactly what he said at that point, but he finally asked me to listen to his coat pocket. (I was cold, so he'd given me his coat to put over my legs.) I listened, and heard his recorded voice coming from the pocket. Following the voice's request, I reached into the pocket and pulled out this:

Yes. You saw that right. He bought me a new phone! (Apparently, he and many of my other friends felt it was high time I had a new phone. I thought my little blue Samsung was just fine... I guess I was wrong. haha.) I was in a little bit of shock. I'm not always good with "big" gifts. I got a little overwhelmed, especially when I first started using it. Sensory overload. But isn't it beautiful?! I love it! One of my favorite features, which I'm sure many of you will roll your eyes at, is a four-level Sudoku application! M has me hooked on Challenge Sudoku on Facebook, so he was especially pleased to find out that the phone had my new favorite pastime as well. :) Thank you M!

Valentine's Day was grand. Not necessarily because it was Valentine's Day, but because M planned out the whole day. I generally don't do the whole commercial Valentine trip. You know, buying a lot of stuff that has hearts on it, or is full of tons of sugar, or stuffed animals holding fake velvet hearts. But I DO love sharing love with the people who matter most. And let's be honest, a designated day especially for loving isn't so bad. After all, I love love. Remember?

Thanks for a great day, M!

No Life Without Wife.

Okay, so last night Katie and I wanted to watch a movie. Since we're quite keen on saving money lately, we decided to stay home and watch one of the movies that she had downloaded on her computer. She gave me a long list of choices, noting that she was saving the one she really wanted for last. And what was the one she really wanted to watch, you ask? Bride and Prejudice. A Bollywood-style version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, it's a musical that puts a new spin on the classic. It's not just retold; it's reinvented. And it's fantastic! The clip below is one of my favorite songs. I seriously laughed for a good portion of the movie. Hope you enjoy!

So just rent it. I guarantee you'll be entertained! :)