Today was...eventful. An interesting end to an interesting week.

shroomshipper and I went into the City today to see Dr. Atomic at the Met (opera house). It was a gray, dizzly day, but we had fun. I ordered hot chocolate at a little cafe (we boycotted Starbucks) and I got hot milk. Fun times.

Dr. Atomic was grossly disappointing. Visually, it was gorgeous. Unvisually...not so much. You can read my review here.

If you'd like a little sample from the libretto (aka if you like poetry), here's something:

In the ocean of your hair
I see brief visions
of a port resounding with
melancholy songs,
of vigorous men of all nations
and ships of all shapes
outlining their fine and complicated architectures
against an immense sky
where eternal heat
languidly quivers…

That's nice to read, but three and a half hours of that non-stop and sung tends to annoy the brain. This opera was totally what I DID NOT need.

I wanted to purge it from my system, but I didn't have any music in my car! Let me list the things that broke this week:
Ipod
car CD player
internet router (for laptop)
laptop (but I fixed it -- mostly)
cell phone

After that, I went straight back to school for a vocal recital. What a great recital! It was such a pleasure. :)

Donizetti rocks my life.

Whatever happens tomorrow, I'm ready because it's a new week. I survived this week (thank God!) and next week can only be better.

All I ask is that no one sing the aria from Dr. Atomic that is exactly five lines and starts "In the north the cloud-flower blossoms..." She must have sang those five lines 10 times. I HATE THAT ARIA WITH A BURNING PASSION.

I'm okay.

"Well my heart knows me better than I know myself
So I'm gonna let it do all the talking.
I came across a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree.

I felt a little fear upon my back
He said "Don't look back, just keep on walking."
When the big black horse said, "Hey lady!"
Said, "Look this way, will you marry me?"

But I said no, no, no, no-no-no
I said no, no, you're not the one for me
No, no, no, no-no-no
I said no, no, you're not the one for me"

P.S. This made my day on Wednesday. Only Star Trek fans will understand. And if they do, they still might be mad because of the implication. Sorry.

Click the thumbnail to see!

The funniest things I heard all day:

1. My brothers, Justin and Ryan, turn on the World Series game.

 

Justin: Look, the score is tied already.
Ryan: It starts tied.

2. Harry Kim has a crush on Seven of Nine and attempts to woo her with subtle lighting.

Seven: This lighting is inefficient.

3. Same scene, later after Seven catches on to Harry's wooing:

Seven: I don't understand these complex rituals of deception.

4. Captain Kirk attempts to outwit some androids with his "illogical human" ways (this never gets old):

Kirk: Oh no, Scotty's dead.  He's had too much happiness.

hhahaha

Ohhh, what a crazy day.  I really needed that.  It's just been...insane.  I've actually had to deal with some drama (professor drama strangely enough).  I'll probably get into it eventually.  I'm too tired today to elaborate.  Let's just say that I'm happy and upset simultaneously.  Hurray for complex emotions!

I had some fun and some frustration today.  I broke into my grandparents' house and "stole" Mary Poppins tickets.  I'm going to see Mary Poppins on Broadway tomorrow!  (And this was totally unexpected.)  Yay!!!  I can't wait.  :D

I was frustrated by the drama and by my not-so-loyal GPS, Terry.  Terry gave me angst.  It tried to make me go down a street that didn't exist.  Then it wondered why I was such an idiot.  It tried to make me back-track like 5 times.  *sigh*  You can't always trust technology.

I have to go to sleep.  I have so much work to do and I need SLEEP.  What is this "sleep" you speak of?  Ich weiss nicht.

Buona sera!

 I'm trying something different today
prose is so old
or too powerful a sword to wield
no 
this is not "good" poetry
is it poetry?
e.e. cummings?
whatever

I've got Rice Krispies
in the keyboard
down my shirt
there's nothing else to eat!
I'm a full-blown
college kid
I'M STARVING
haha
not really
those poor kids are starving
I'm just a spoiled brat
who hasn't eaten
or wanted to eat
or remembered to eat
for many hours
are RK healthy?

I've been snooping around
LJ
and found someone I know
but don't really know
ever have that happen?
is it considered "stalking"
to read without their knowledge?
do I have a moral obligation to tell them?
or to friend them
or to comment with my name?
will it scare off their honesty if I
unveil my presence?
I don't know
suggestions welcome

I'm missing a possibly
"important"
moment in history
the future president is at my school
and I'm not
I mean,
what's the point?
if I'm there
I'm just a few miles closer to them
and yet still just as far
(metaphorically)
I can't get anywhere near anything
so what's the point of being there?
I might as well use my time well
(by being on LJ - haha)
studying and practicing at home
and chillin' with my Dad
who's working hard
(hurray)
on our kitchen
--hence the RK--
no stove
no microwave
no toaster
no way to make lunch
he says
"there's cereal in the back room"
thanks Dad
apparently he's not worried about me
becoming anorexic
or something crazy
at least someone isn't
just because the culture's vicious
doesn't mean that EVERY GIRL
is prone to eating disorders
if anything
I have the opposite problem:
I don't care enough about what I look like
I'm a happy pear-shaped girl
but I do love my pilates
<3

I think this is just lazy journaling
yes
sometimes "creativity"
is just an excuse
for laziness
hehe
it was fun anyway

AMAZING. These athletes never cease to amaze me. Phelps broke the record and won EIGHT gold medals. Unbelievable!

I want to give all credit to his teammates. That last guy was SO fast. Everyone was crucial. What a day for sports!

I don't even like sports and I was wrapped up in this race. It was the longest 3 seconds of my life as the US team came in for the win. YAY USA!

I'm going to be sad when the Olympics are over...

The Olympics are always so exciting.  I just love them so much.  I think it's the closest thing to world peace.

I was sitting there, watching the finals for men's swimming and I said,

"Think about it.  Millions of people all over the world are watching this right now.  They're watching the man from their country and cheering and listening to the announcer describe every detail in their language.  Isn't that so cool?"

Then my brother says,

"Yeah.  They're probably all screaming, 'Dang Americans!'"

hahahah!  We did win, but hey, everyone else rocks, too.  I think all those Olympiads are winners because I could never dream of doing what they do.  Even the losers are a million times better than me!  And that makes me respect them.  Every single one of them has dedicated their lives to their craft.  They've given up a lot to accomplish what they have.  That, if nothing else, makes me respect them.

But I can't help but cheer for those "dang Americans"!  :)

Did you ever suffer from opera withdrawal?

I've experienced writing withdrawal, fiction withdrawal, and singing withdrawal, but this is the first time that I've experienced opera withdrawal.  *sigh*  With all new loves come new pains.  Slap that one onto your list of quotes.

I'm dying to watch Nozze but ALAS! I couldn't get to the library to take it out (stupid hail/sleet/"frozen rain"/snow/slush, etc).  I have books overdue at Hofstra library (whoops!) and I couldn't return them today (innocently) because of the weather.  I really REALLY want to go to the public library (CHERUBINO, I LOVE YOU!) but...grrness! 

Lightbulb: maybe I should just buy the DVD.  Hm...novel idea.  I'll wait for after Christmas, though.  I always do that.  I never buy anything (for myself) a month before Christmas because you just never know!

Alright, rant over.

So!  I have my dictation final today.  I'm so glad THAT's over.  I won't be having any more potential ulcers until January (when I have to take the class again).  *sigh*  I'm really not looking forward to two finals tomorrow (starting at 8 in the morning!).  The honors college social science one makes the logic circuits in my brain blow.  My professor just defies logic.  AND! just when I thought he was going to be logical and coherent on his review sheet, HE WASN'T!  I expected too much, I suppose.  Don't you ever learn, Kim?  I guess not...  I have too much faith/hope in people sometimes.

As you can see, I'm rather emotive at the moment.  That's what opera does to you.  GOSH, I love it.  I have much to do...I must go...*sigh*

Adieu

P.S. Maybe I'll watch Jane Eyre instead.  That's about as good...  SOMEONE HAS MY BOOK!  And I can't go to the library to get another...  WHY must my mother loan out my books?  She's too nice for her own good sometimes.

P.S.S. I still can't believe that the Contata was CANCELED!  That's the first time in like...forever (or just 60 years).  Ohhhhh, today could stink.  But, then again, Mom gave me a lot of chocolate and I didn't die driving home from school.  That's a pretty good day in my book.  Then again, I haven't published my book yet.  So, disregard that last comment.

Extraneous!  I gotta go before I melt all your brains with my drivel.

Life is strange.

Just in general, life is strange.  There's nothing else to be said about it.  You could throw a thousand adjectives at me and, heck, they'd all describe life for someone somewhere.

It just kills me to see California burn.  And I'm not even there.  I can't do a thing but pray about it.  There are so many things that I can't do.  And, yet, people obsess over those few things I can actually do (and I don't do it myself; everything comes from God anyway).  What do I honestly have claim to?

The last breath I took?  My memories?  My honesty, pride, family, hair, that old tissue on my messy floor...?

Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

Sure, I'm given things to be a steward of, but that's about it.  I can't even handle that sometimes.

God, I could never make this on my own.  If the whole world were to crumble today, what would I have?  A few shreds of dignity?  A few pretty, useless memories and some rotting medals?

So many questions and so few answers.  That's life: a lack of answers.

So, this was extremely spontaneous but OH WELL.  I need to vent in this obscure way every so often. 

I'm sorry if none of this makes sense.  Frankly, the world doesn't make sense.

P.S.
:)

It's amazing to think that exactly 50 years ago, humankind sent their first victory into space. Failure had struck so many times and finally (ah!) success. What an amazing day for every adventurer.

I can almost imagine what it must have been like: a piece of carefully prepared technology being launched into the unforgiving depths of space. How small it must have seemed against the massive landscape of space! That poor little Sputnik had to fight the forces of nature: those dueling pressures of the great masses that make their homes in the ocean of stars and vacuum. It's amazing that it survived. Space is so alive and turbulent. How could such a tiny piece of humanity's handiwork survive such a wilderness? It is a miracle. Every successful mission into space is a miracle. Perhaps miracles are not as rare as we think.

It must have been very much like the day Columbus finally saw the shores of the Americas (even though he was a bit confused at that time and didn't know it was the Americas). Space is this century's Atlantic; we have ventured, slowly but steadily, into it and gone a bit further each time. Sputnik was only the beginning. We have yet to write the end of the story. We've circled the Earth, landed on the moon, and sent probes into deep space. I guess our next stop is Mars. It's only a matter of time!

Today's the day to celebrate good old Sputnik. He's 50 today and that's quite an accomplishment: half a century! What will we have done when he's 100 years old? Only time can tell us that.

Dear Mom,

        I’m sure you want to hear some war stories.  You want to hear how your little Jimmy has been so brave and heroic so you can tell all your friends, “Now, my son Jimmy, he’s such a hero.  You see, he’s in Iraq.  Did you know that he...?”  Well, I’m tired of telling war stories.  Besides, once I tell you them, you’ll wish that I hadn’t.  That’s the way it always works.  I’ll be sure to take some time to make up some good ones for you so that I can tell you something great and noble when I return.
       Until then, I want to talk about the things that have been passing through my mind.  I can’t tell anyone else, so I might as well tell you.  It’s pretty philosophical.  I think you’ll like it.
        I’ve realized that of all the things I carry, the hardest thing is that which cannot be seen.  It’s heavier than the helmet and the backpack and even the weapons (although they weigh upon my conscience as well as my arms).  The most difficult thing to carry is my bravery.
        Before the war, I’d always thought that bravery was light and lofty.  That’s why I always loved those super-hero cartoons that they show on Saturday morning.  Superman, Batman, Spiderman...they all had something that I didn’t: courage.  They had this innate ability to do the heroic, self-sacrificing deeds.  I so much wanted to be them.  I wanted to be brave.
        And now I’m here and guess what?  I’m forced to be brave.  I’ve found that bravery is very different than what I had always imagined.  It weighs upon me like the heaviest of loads; it crushes my head like the strongest of vices.  I cannot lift my foot to take a step, lift my eyes to look ahead, without feeling its ever-present weight.  Bravery is one of those sweet smells that is so sugary that it’s nauseating.  It’s solid galoshes and a constricting straight jacket.  Bravery is a clawed lizard that hangs out on my back, driving me forward and never letting me forget that it’s there.  I have scars from its residence there.  Can you feel it?  It doesn’t matter because I do.
        I’ve found that bravery is a hard thing to live with because you meet it at every sunrise.  It’s required at every moment in every day.  I cannot lift my head from the pillow without succumbing to its control.  Every second is a chance for its appearance.
        You know why?  Because it takes bravery to live every day facing death.  Nothing is certain; everything’s a gamble.  One moment I could be alive and well, and then, a single second later, KABOOM! I could be dead from an enemy bomb.  What kind of life is that?  That’s a brave life.
        Bravery’s more common than I first believed.  Every time I step out of my tent, I think of Dad teaching me how to drive.  At the time, I saw a calm, collected Dad giving me directions.  I look back now and see that I had his life in my hands every single time.  How easily we could have died or been injured in that metal death trap!  And yet, he was silent about his fear.  He faced it all with such bravery.  Did his courage clutch his chest as mine does?  I can’t help but wonder.  Don’t ask him for me; I’ll ask him myself one day.
        There’s something else.  I can’t say this to anyone but you because if I did, the guys would never leave me alone about it.  I’ve had this song from that stupid Broadway show in my head; it’s “What I Did For Love” from A Chorus Line.  It’s hard to go from President of the Glee Club to a soldier without something lingering.  I guess I can’t get everything that belongs back home out of my mind.  The lyrics just won’t stop circulating in my head.  The beginning goes like this:

   
        After about a week of this song, I began to think that it really did fit my situation here.  I’m out here, carrying the weights of the war, for love.  I love my country, I love my family, and I love you.  The war wasn’t ever as clear as it is now.  I see it all from this vantage point; I see that if we pull out, every single American is at risk.  These terrorists are monsters.  I hate to say that about other human beings, but I swear it’s true.  They don’t have any morals, any sense of the value of human life.  They don’t even flinch before killing.  They kill not only us, the enemy soldiers, but their own people– civilians and all.  They even have the nerve, and cowardice, to kill themselves.  How do you catagorize people like that?  When I first saw it all firsthand, I just couldn’t take it in.  I’m still blown away by it.  I don’t think I’ll ever come to understand.  All I know is that I have to protect everyone from these people.
        You see, it is for love that I carry this weight, that I carry my bravery.  For if I’m not brave, people will suffer.  If I die, you will feel pain.  If we pull out and give up, Americans and more innocent Iraqis will feel pain.  They might even die.  In fact, they probably will.  How often I have seen the potential bloodbath in my mind’s eye!  The second we pull out, that’s what this land will become: a reservoir filled to the brim with blood.  This place will explode into a thousand different factions.  It’s just another powder keg.  As Americans, we have the ability to keep it all contained.  That’s what the people back home don’t understand, what they don’t see.  This is all so crucial, not only to the Iraqis, but to the American people.
        Now you see why I can’t put down this burden.  I long to, and I will someday, but that time is yet to come.  I’m sure that one day I’ll put it down, but that day is not today.
        I love you with all my heart.  Don’t worry about me: I’m in good hands.  I’ll leave you with the best part of the song.  Maybe it’ll catch on back home.  You could call it the theme song for the war.

                                                                                                                                                                        Love always,
                                                                                                                                                                                   Jimmy
                                       

So, for the first time in my life, I wrote an article for the school newspaper. Apparently, I handed it in 3 days before the deadline for the last issue of my senior year! haha Love how that worked out.

ANYHOW! I decided to write a serious piece because our junky newspaper is filled with stuff that's really rather pathetic (in subject matter). The writing is good; the topics are not. I mean: fashion? Gimme a break. So, I wrote about something that I feel that many people do not know about: slavery in the modern world or, as the UN likes to term it, human trafficking. Here's my article. I have a disclaimer: I can't write non-fiction for my life. I'm afraid it's horridly boring BUT you will learn something really important about the world. I promise! It's short and to the point. I want to make people aware that there's a world outside of their house and school and town and country. There are people suffering in horrible conditions in other countries and we are so blessed in America. Not only should we recognize that blessing but we should pass it on to those less fortunate. We should use what we've been given.

So, here it is. Please don't tear it apart. Like I said, I stink at non-fiction. I will never ever ever be a journalist. I tell everyone I'm going into publishing and they always say, "Oh! You're going to be a journalist?" NO. No no no no no!

Alright, enough of that. Onto the good stuff:

Slavery Today?

Imagine being torn from your family at a very young age and being forced to live in a dark, windowless room every day, all day. Imagine being a slave, working against your will either as a prostitute or a hard laborer every day, all day.

“For an American audience, their conceptualization of slavery is locked into a picture from the past,” said Kevin Bales. He is right. When Americans think slavery, they think about the African slaves and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. They think “Civil War.” Slavery, however, did not end with the Thirteenth Amendment. According to U.S. State Department estimates, there are 27 million people currently enslaved around the world. That’s more than double the number of Africans enslaved in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

This modern-day slavery has a new name: human trafficking. This involves victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Unfortunately, about 50% of these victims are children (anyone under the age of eighteen). It is estimated that two children per minute are trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Children who were rescued from this horrible life have told their stories. One survivor said that she was only eight years old (and her sister was four) when they were sold into the brothel. She recalls, “I was in that brothel for 3 years and for two of them I never saw the sun. They never let me out. I was in a little room and there was no window.” She had to satisfy multiple “clients” everyday.

Trafficking greatly impacts the children involved in it in. The children are not only exposed to HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases but they also experience psychological trauma, a loss of educational opportunity, and a loss of family. Even after they escape, many are vulnerable to further abuse.

Why does this horrible, heartless business of trafficking occur? First of all, it’s a lucrative, 12 billion dollar per year industry. Secondly, the law enforcement in these foreign countries is weak and does not handle organized crime. Most of all, there is a low social status of women in these other countries.

Human trafficking is a real problem. Fortunately, non-profit organizations in the United States have been created to combat this horrible practice. Justice for Children International (JFCI) is one of the largest anti-trafficking organizations today. This organization has a three-pronged attack against human trafficking: Aftercare, Prevention, and Advocacy.

JFCI has set up safehouses for those who have escaped. This keeps the survivors from being recaptured and it helps them heal from the wounds. JFCI has provided medication, education, and basic supplies for the escapees that live in their safehouses. JFCI is responsible not only for creating these safehouses but for training men and women to work there. Many former slaves have recovered and gone on to live normal lives thanks for the efforts of JFCI.

As a part of their Prevention program, JFCI has built water-pumps in vulnerable, “high-traffic” villages so that girls will not be abducted on their way to fetch water. Other projects include: building centers to teach children and their parents about trafficking, providing an education for children at risk (so they can get jobs), and funding a coalition of organizations in Southeast Asia to help share prevention tools and ideas.

JFCI’s Advocacy program is the one most closely related to Americans. JFCI representatives have spoken at schools, churches, and social groups in order to make people aware about human trafficking and its effects.

Human trafficking is an issue that has remained unknown and undiscussed in the United States. Awareness of problems in other parts of the world can only benefit the global community. Please benefit everyone and help stop human trafficking.

You can find out more about how you can help at www.jfci.org.