Cultural Festivities on the National Mall

I was reminded this week of how lucky I am to live in DC. I got to go to 2 events on the National Mall and see/do things thousands of other people travel from faraway to experience.

Thursday (aka Independence Day)
I spent the first 9 hours of the day finishing the research for my final paper (and doing laundry and Pilates), then dressed myself in patriotic colors and met up with Britt and some other friends in the shadow of the Washington Monument. Our friend Mark had been there since 7:30am that morning staking out our spot for the fireworks but by the time we got there around 7:30pm, it wasn't even that crowded! We hear terrible things about the crowds but there was still lots of free green grass to sit on and the Metro wasn't overcrowded. Too bad the Washington Monument had ugly scaffolding on it.

The fireworks were spectacular. They were between us and the Lincoln Memorial. I don't think I've been that close to fireworks before - it definitely added to the experience to feel the boom in my chest whenever they were launched!
Friday
Worked on the outline for my paper and then went to The Salsa Room w/ Doug. It was the first time wearing heels and dancing in 3 weeks since I sprained my toe at my last Broadway jazz class. So grateful it is healing. Glad I found a new salsa buddy! Hopefully he doesn't move away soon like all my other dance friends!

Saturday
Wrote the intro to my paper (yay, big progress!) and went to an intermediate jazz class at Joy of Motion Dance Center w/ Andrea as part of our audition preparation process (see blog post). We were nervous/excited and had no idea how hard it would be. The teacher was incredible; we could tell he'd had years of professional dance experience. He went through everything super fast and we struggled to keep up. My ballroom background did NOT prepare me for this new vocabulary of dance, linguistically and physically. I took an intro jazz dance class at BYU, but that was about 4 years ago. I kept turning to Andrea and saying, "Please tell me the audition routines are easier than this!" because she went to one of the prep classes and learned the first audition routine. Good thing I have a few more dance classes before auditions this Saturday; and I'm only going to the beginner level ones from now on! (this pic was taken before the class started - still non-sweaty haha)
After the class, I stopped by the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall for the last hour before it closed. I was sad I didn't have time to volunteer like I did last year (I hadn't started grad school yet; see blog post). I'm so glad I went. It was a great interactive cultural experience :) There were 3 themes:

One World, Many Voices: Endangered Languages and Cultural Heritage
I didn't really learn about any language, they were mostly general cultural display/discussion. I asked this guy to teach me some rhythms on the punta drum - so fun! I've been wanting to learn how to play the conga drums, but I'll have to find a place to practice first (where I won't disturb the neighbors or roommates).

Hungarian Heritage: Roots to Revival
There's alot of dancing in Hungarian culture! Like this 1st pic of a wedding processional dance, and the 2nd pic of a community circle dance. It reminded me of my intro folk dance class at BYU; we learned alot of Eastern European dances.

It was fun trying to get up on those stilts. The little kids were much better at it; when I finally got balanced on both legs, I could only stay long enough for a some nice father to take a picture. Then I gave the stilts back to the kids haha.

The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity
This was the theme I was most looking forward to, but it turned out to be the smallest and I didn't catch the fashion show (just this picture pose). Disappointing :(

I'll definitely have to give myself more time to explore and participate in the festival next year!

God bless America

Busy as a Junebug

Hi world!

It's been 3 weeks since my last post - my longest lapse yet! But I've been posting alot in my other blogs (see sidebar). I've been really busy with school/church/dance and haven't had time to do as many DC adventure-ish things so I wanted to wait until I accumulated enough fun things to blog about :) Also, some really exciting dance opportunities are coming up and I've been really focused on that: Wizard Girls auditions (see blog post) and jazz dance camp! Audition prep is serious stuff and I'll write about it more in my dance blog, probably after the craziness is over on July 13!

Til then, here are some highlights :)

Britt and I celebrated our 1 year friendship anniversary by doing exactly what we did when we first bonded (see blog post)! Rode bikes on the Mount Vernon Trail and got Thai food :D We also wore the exact same outfits as a year ago, the only thing that looks different is our hair haha - mine is longer and hers is blonder

Used up some vacation hours by taking a favorite dance class I don't usually get to take - Broadway jazz at Joy of Motion on Friday mornings! Super fun but I sprained my toe and am now waiting for it to heal so I can train more rigorously for auditions!

Did my church calling by helping put on the multi-ward summer soiree. It was a big success!

Went to an Interfaith Single Christian Women Panel. There was a nondenominational girl, a Catholic, a Presbyterian, and a Mormon. It was refreshing to see that there are other faithful young women out there who love the Lord and are trying to live by higher standards.

I got a group to go see Monsters University - delightful and hilarious. I highly recommend it to any age group!

Took a break from studying all Saturday to go to the Elders Quorum Pinewood Derby. It was highly entertaining and heartwarming seeing 30 young "fast and righteous" guys getting competitive over racing blocks of shaved and painted wood - I love wholesome Mormon activities :D

Speaking of Mormons, I would just like to reiterate that I love being one.

I love being in a community of people trying to be like Christ. I love that all of our social activities are clean and uplifting. I love that we can have so much fun and wake up with a peaceful conscience the next morning. I love having so many sources of guidance and inspiration - especially prayer - during challenging times. I love having commandments that keep us safe and free. I love this inexhaustible gospel that allows us to always be striving and growing. I love knowing who I am, where I came from, and my divine potential. I love my Heavenly Father for leading me to the Church and listening to all my prayers. I love my Savior for loving me despite my imperfections.

I'm happy to be alive today :)

The Dancing Scholar

Life is all about achieving that elusive balance. I'm in the thick of my summer class right now (I'm just taking one 6-week class - "Making America Modern 1870-1930") and have been able to spend most of my free time on the weekends dancing! It's super efficient because I get to combine exercise with social interaction :) It's hard to plan dance outings because I don't have a car, but that's probably good because I might go everyday if I did! More details and pics will be on my dance blog.

Last weekend, I organized a group to go swing dancing at Glen Echo Park. It was an open invite and I met a ton of new people thru my friends :)

There was a groovy live band and we all sweated buckets in the non-air conditioned ballroom.

This weekend, I got 3 glorious doses of dancing :D It started with a concert at the Kennedy Center called "Ballet Across America", in which 3 ballet companies gave a showcase performance. Allow me to play dance critic for a moment...
North Carolina Dance Theatre: beautiful jewel-toned costumes, cheerful crisp music, innovative choreography but glaring technical issues (i.e. lines, spacing, spins - probably because they do various kinds of dances and not just ballet), still generally very uplifting.
Ballet Austin: minimalist-style music in minor key, dark moody costumes and lighting, technically sound but dry and lacking soul.
Dance Theatre of Harlem: (this is what I specifically came to see) bursting in soul with graceful rhythmic choreography and score of Aretha Franklin & James Brown hits, glorification of black culture with exceptional technique :)

I left on a extreme dance high and was SO glad I was able to immediately expend my energy at The Salsa Room with Doug & Dallin.

On Saturday, with a combination of bravery and laziness, I decided to try not wearing eye liner or eye shadow on a very social day...after looking at my pictures, I don't think I'll be doing that again haha.

Britt picked me up to go to Heather's bridal shower. That girl was so vibrant with excitement for her upcoming wedding that it helped raise my hope for love :)

Later that day, Britt and I headed to Dante's all-purpose party (celebrating many things). Great food + fun people = good times :)

But we had to leave early to meet up with Matt and go to Chelsea's lesson at the monthly Langley ward swing dance.

I didn't expect many people because of all the outdoor summer parties going on at the same time but there were over 100 people! Sweated more buckets, met lots of new people, and danced til I dropped (not literally). In other words, it was a success :D

On Sunday evening, I attended Daniel and Elizabeth's first "Undistinguished Lecture Series". It was a lovely event with hor d'oeuvres, white blankets, a homemade podium, and classy people in their Sunday best :D Daniel wove together an interesting lecture relating scriptures about becoming little children (such as Matthew 18:3) and excerpts from The Little Prince to building eternal relationships. He talked about how we need to allow ourselves to be open and vulnerable in order to make lasting meaningful relationships. Apparently it's a topic Heavenly Father is tutoring me in lately because it's directly related to my recent blog post on "Vulnerability and Defiance".

Oh and I played croquet for the first time. If you ever feel the need to work on your patience, just play this game :D

Grad School - a 2nd Chance

Have you ever thrown yourself into something you think will make you happy only to realize that it makes you quite miserable? But everyone around you is so supportive and encouraging that you feel like you shouldn't be a quitter, that you can just tough it out? But then you realize you are REALLY miserable and spend all your spare time and mental space dreaming about the proverbial "road not taken" and decide that life is too short to stay in something you hate, especially if you have the power to change it? So then you drop your original plan like a hot pan (cuz it sears your soul) and follow your heart back to the harder but much more fulfilling plan?

"What the heck is Linda abstracting about?!"

You probably figured it out from the title - I'm referring to my graduate education. My "original plan" was getting a Masters in Higher Education Administration (which I started last August and quit this March) to become an academic advisor/career counselor (See "Back to School as an 18th Grader"). My "more fulfilling plan" is getting a Masters in American Studies (my undergraduate major) to become a professor. I'd always wanted to do the latter, but was too afraid to fail. After praying to ask Heavenly Father if I could possibly switch back to American Studies and getting an exceptionally strong answer of YES, I was out of there!! Better to end the agony after 6 months than stay on for the full 2 years of a program I dreaded! I know it wasn't a waste of time because "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7). I used to walk past the American Studies building longingly...and now I'm back where I belong! I'm so grateful for a 2nd chance and a new start.

I started the first course in my new program this past week, and I couldn't be happier :) So happy that I mostly studied during the long Memorial Day weekend while most of my friends went off to the beach or lake or mountains. I'd also just moved into my own room (much more conducive to studying) this month and am loving it!

The one celebratory thing I did this weekend was go to the National Memorial Day Concert on the west lawn of the US Capitol (still haven't been inside). I'm starting my 2nd year of living in DC and it feels weird to NOT feel new anymore, but it still feels surreal to be living in the nation's capital during big patriotic events like this. I was afraid no one would be left in town to come with me and was extremely relieved when a good sized group ended up coming :)

The concert consisted of stories, songs, and short speeches by the National Symphony Orchestra, Colin Powell, Alfie Boe, and others. I couldn't believe I got to hear Alfie Boe from Broadway's Les Miserables sing "Bring Him Home" in person! I've listened to the Youtube video dozens of times and am trying to learn to sing/play the song myself. It was such a beautiful experience.

Most of the men on my Dad's side are veterans or currently serving in the US military; I wish I could've shared this experience with them. It was a patriotic and spiritually uplifting way to spend a Sunday evening :)

Other highlights of the week...

Monday - I signed up to be a mentor for the BYU Political Affairs Society and met with my mentee, Kyrene, after work. I tried to be helpful but this girl has got it together! She was already doing pretty much all the stuff I advised her to do. Watch out, world! Kyrene is going places.

Wednesday - My visiting teachers, Erin and Shannon, took me to a Rita's for shaved ice and frozen custard. We ate and chat on the front steps of the store in Chinatown. Have I mentioned how much I love the Church's Visiting Teaching Program?

Friday - Work let out 3 hours early for the holiday and I decided to cancel my exercise class to go play piano in one of the practice rooms on campus. How often do I have 3 unexpected free hours, my sheet music in my desk (I brought it earlier in the week), and access to a piano? Very very rarely. So I indulged til my fingers ached and couldn't play anymore. It was heavenly :)

Take a Hike!

This week, I became alot more comfortable with myself. I don't mean complacent and stagnant, I mean self-accepting and striving. I feel like I've gotten to the point where I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone but myself. I've come to peace with the fact that I'm more of an introvert, but I can turn on my extroverted side when I need to. I'm getting to know myself better and enjoying my own company. I don't feel weird or guilty if I go do stuff on my own. Maybe this comes easily and naturally to the rest of you, but this is progress for me :) I like the balance I've been able to achieve of being by myself during the weekdays and being super social with friends on the weekend.

Monday thru Friday, I've been seriously channeling my inner bookworm. I've always loved reading and really indulged myself this week w/ new and old books :)

I finished using my 2 week pass at Lava Barre - a combination of ballet conditioning, strength training, and Pilates. It kicked my butt, literally. We all have our stronger and weaker muscles. I found that I have pretty strong calves, back, quads, and abs. But I had to keep taking breaks during the arms and glutes sections...I blame it on my desk job.

It's humbling to have weak spots but it keeps me motivated to seek new fitness challenges.

I went to a record TWO ticketed shows (aka not free) at the Kennedy Center this week, a spirituals concert and a jazz festival. I wrote a paper on slave spirituals and jazz is my favorite music genre, so I greatly anticipated these events. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. I couldn't believe I was paying to listen to what sounded like noise to me! $55 for music that grated my ears and irritated my soul (I think music should speak to the soul)...

If I were a music critic, I'd probably be a tough traditionalist curdmudgeon. Spirituals and jazz have come a long way (and I would say, a long way down hill) from their original forms that I had fallen in love with. The artists I heard all did modern reinterpretations or original compositions that lacked any endearing rhythm, melody, and groove. I think I only like music I can sing or dance to. I've decided modern jazz is an acquired taste, and I'm going to stop spending my money to acquire it because it's only repulsed me thus far. However, I must mention the Women in Jazz concert ended with an 84-year-old lady who was quite a good scat singer. Besides that, the only other aspect I enjoyed was being in the rooftop Terrace Theatre for the first time (after coming to the Kennedy Center dozens of times before). The view never gets old.

Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to go with my friend Doug to the Salsa Room and since I don't have a car, I jump on any opportunity to go dancing when others offer. It was bachata night and it was awesome :)

Saturday started with a wonderfully drizzly morning hike with the ward. I'm on the Activities Committee and I kept asking if it should be cancelled due to the rain, but Krishna (the co-chair) insisted that we go on with the activity...and I'm so glad she did! We all met at the church building and carpooled to Great Falls, Virginia. I rode with these lovely people and our conversations quickly delved into taboo topics like gay marriage and abortion. "When in DC..."

There was alot of breaking and reuniting of groups; here's the group we mostly stayed with -

It was still a beautiful sight despite the cloudy skies. I think I loved it so much because the rain and greenery reminded me of Washington, my home state (and Trent's and Marcilyn's).

Partway through the trail, Rob had the great idea to climb out on some boulders so we broke off from the group. We set my camera on a rock and Trent was our speedy camera man who dashed back and forth to set the timer haha. We finally got some good ones after many tries. Notice the obligatory staircase prom pose, also Rob's great idea :D

Andrea and I had to take some dance pics :D

Saturday evening, I went to the other ward's "Mr. Colonial" man pageant. It was pure hilarious entertainment. I'm impressed by and grateful for the gallant men who put so much work preparing for their candidacy and were brave enough to strut their stuff in front of so many friends and strangers! I'm honored to be friends with Jeff (Mr. Colonial 2012) and Michael (Mr. Colonial 2013) :D

It's been an ongoing challenge to balance living life and documenting it, so I don't take pics at EVERYTHING I do anymore. Other fun things I was able to do this week w/ no pics to show for them:

- Making s'mores in Jess's backyard
- Going clothes shopping with Trent
- Visiting teaching Meisha with Elizabeth
- Hanging out w/ Tara/Brooke/Kate/Vanessa/Austin/Rhett on a lazy Sunday afternoon and the subsequent impromptu massage session
- Going to Chris & Berlin's Music Culture Night and eating way too many cookies

Onward and upward!