Pure Summer Delight

I am having such an incredible summer break. I went to Ecuador for the whole month of June. I have a job at a factory-type-place and here I have made some neat new pals. The job has early hours, and sometimes I don’t know when I will work but my job gives me opportunities to practice my Spanish and I do some tasks by myself so it gives me time to ponder about life and what not. I’ve also been spending a lot of time with family and friends, around town and at the beach. I have plans for postcard writing, berry picking, gardening (soo hot outside), more trips to the beach, little festivals around NC, doing summer school homework, catching up on some pleasure reading, and movie watching. Life is treating me good, thanks God!

Latin Flavor

Tonight I went to Latin Flavor, which is an event sponsored by the Hispanic Student Association, which happens to be a club I am involved in. It is a dinner and a dance event, and I always love going to HSA dances. Latin dances like the Salsa, Bachata, and the Merrengue are currently my prefer style of “free form” dance . I just love going to parties, dances, and whatnot that have good music, and the partner dancing isn’t an awkward ordeal…most of the time ha. For me it’s  not awkward, since it’s not ‘grinding.’ I’m sorry but I just don’t understand that “dance” style whatsoever! To clarify when I say ‘grind’ I mean that typical Jersey Shore dance stance; guy behind girl, girl is moving, boy is doing odd gestures with his hands…yea I don’t find that entertaining. There is indeed grind-ish moments in some Latin dances, involving a lot of close dancing, but it has a purpose, also rhythm, and movement, as oppose to a held position in the same location like ‘dog dancing’ does. Anyways Salsa, Bachata, and the Merrengue are definitely dance styles i recommend for people to tryout. Well I am off to sleep now because I have a big day of attending a heritage/fiddle festival/competition tomorrow. And then later in the day I will be helping ASA (Asian student association) as they put together Love packs for Valentines day. Have a charming weekend <3

It’s a new year, & finally here is a new post!

My sweet friend Anna, who is a fun, fashion, blogger; granted me a blogging award! What an honor! Since I received this reward I have to tell seven things about myself. Here it goes:

1. At my university I am studying anthropology and dance, but I have no idea what I want to do as a future career, I just like studying those two things.
2. The reasons why I have a blog are that I have disgraceful handwriting but I love keeping a dairy, so I thought I would keep a online dairy..sort of. Also I want to be able to connect with my pals that have blogs
3. My hobbies include: sending and receiving postcards, collecting stamps, tumblr, drinking an assortment of teas, goodreads, and finding new hobbies.
4. My favorite flowers are sunflowers because it reminds me of home
5. I have ridiculously un-healthy habits like eating sweets and Chickfilas fries, and watching many hours of free online movies.
6. When I am watching a movie, play, dance recital, or whatever I always look at the faces around me to see all the different reactions of the people around me.
7. My top three places that I currently long to travel to are: Italy, Greece, & Egypt..all at the Mediterranean Sea  :)
   

   On my 20th birthday hike

Tags: award, blog, blogging, facts, Kelsey

I ADORE Christmas films!

My Favorite Christmas Flicks:

• The Holiday
• Love Actually
• White Christmas
• The Holiday Inn
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• Animaniacs’ Christmas special eposides with Pinky and the Brain, that Squirrel lady, and the good idea bad idea
• Polar Express
• Any of the Harry Potter films

& the list contines. Happy Holidays and merry hoilday films to all!

 

Ethnographic Novels & Falling In Love.

For my cultural anthropology class I read an ethnography called Zenana. It is about many things but mainly about people from an assortment of backgrounds living among each other peacefully in an apartment building in Karachi, Pakistan. I found the book to be incredibly interesting especially one theory I read about why women practice purdah (wearing covering clothing & being modest)..it is to protect them from falling madly in love. Here is a part from Zenana which tells about a female visitor in a village who looked upon a man. “They are struck with love; it is an act of neither will nor choice but of recognition. Fated lovers and beloveds are seen to roam the earth. When they recognize one another, there is no willful thwarting of convention in order to secure union; there is only submission or, more accurately, a replacement of self by the external agency of ishq” (true love, intense passion of love). So in this theory Purdah is to protect women from losing themselves and falling in ishq. I find that intriguing because as they saying goes “love makes you do crazy things” and in this theory that quote is true. You loss yourself in love and I suppose that is bizarre thing to occur. Oh well we shall see than, maybe I will go crazy soon…that would be lovely.

Photo taken in Karachi, Pakistan

 

 

 

Tags: anthropology, books, falling in love, ishq, Karachi, love, Pakistan, reading, zenana

Twenty years and counting…& this is what I know.

Today is my birthday and I have had a profound thought. I am beginning to know myself. I know what I like, I know what I don’t understand, I know what inspires me…what moves me, I know what I want to do with the life that I am given, and so forth. Also I know several elements that make up myself are constantly changing, but I know that I approve of this because it makes life a bit more exciting. I know that I have lived for twenty years and I count every year as a blessing. I know that the great experiences I have had throughout my life have been lessons that will lead to profound wisdom. I know that the people I know I was meant to know and I am so privileged to know them. I know that eventually everything works out, and I know that  one day (in the far future) everything will make sense. I know that every human on earth is an individual and no matter how many ways you try to compare people they will never match up equally. And because I know that, I understand myself to be unique which makes me feel special. I know that if I want people to treat me kindly I must treat them in that manner as well. I know that I am constantly learning and developing into a more defined person, which leads me to continual self-understanding and enlightenment. I know that my future will be a blissful one if I continue to grow as a person with strong morals and hold my respect for human nature. I know that I am a dreamer and I know to never let that side of me go. I have grown to know many things in life and I will continue to do so, these next few years will be wondrous…here’s to the more things I will know.

-Kelsey

Collegiate scholar inductions, contra dancing, & cake

Basically what contra dancing looks like

Now that I am a full time college student I unfortunately don’t have time for blogging. I will during breaks though, next one…Thanksgiving. Well I will write a little so my blog won’t look to terribly sad until November. Today I have inductions into National Society of Collegiate Scholars, which should be fun. I get to get all dressed up and get a pin for being a member. I’m really  looking forward to it. Tomorrow I will be going to an outdoor contra dance which will be a kind of southern charm event. Its a big deal since it’s free, also known as… tons of people will be going there because it’s a free dance, with free lessons, and free fun! Other than that this weekend’s plan are homework, more homework, and sitting outside enjoying the prettiness of the change from summer to fall. Oh today I had a Spanish exam that I studied countless hours for, the results….mi examen de español fue fácil! I was so happy! To treat this occasion of success I will have a few bites of this horribly not good for me, but sooo good to eat, cake; that is yelling at me in my fridge. ¡Gracis a Dois es viernes! ¡Hasta luego!

Pastel, pastel, pastel!