sunburnt russians & stupid teenagers.

It has been an extremely tiring week. On Sunday most of our senior class took a trip down to Pattaya, one of Thailand's beach cities as our "Senior Skip Day". We spent 3 days at a hotel right by the coastline. It was a pretty okay trip. It proved how segregated our class really is- hopefully that will change? It's not like we have much time left anyway. The hotel was beautiful, but there was an unusual amount of Russians populating the beaches (most were very old, quite obese, and had no shame in walking in their speedos and bikinis). We might have been the only teenagers there. On the way to Pattaya, the movie 127 hours was put in and it was damn depressing. We almost let one armed James Franco set the mood for the trip. I really liked the movie though- it reminded me a lot of Requiem For A Dream, the way it was edited and the soundtrack as well. Anyways, I didn't have to pee the entire 2 hour bus ride (which, I must say, is quite an accomplishment for me). I roomed with Joanna and Mika and we went to the beach. I didn't intend on going in (the water in Pattaya isn't that clean and I really didn't want my hair and clothes wet), but then I was picked up a thrown into the ocean. Later that night we took a song-thaew into the city, ate dinner, and hung out at this place called the cocktail car. The guy who worked there was nice enough to let Monica go behind the bar and teach her how to make some drinks. Then we went back to the hotel. 

1. Writing a song about Joanna- you can clearly see her face of appreciation.

2. The sea 3. Our hotel 4. Sam, Joanna,  and Ayaka

5. Monica being a bartender for the night

6. Back from dinner, outside of our hotel

7. Monica, Me, Mika, and Karl on a song-thaew

8. Joanna, Sam, and Namwan

At one point on the road, Karl pulled a Chinese fire drill. At a red light, he jumped out of the song-thaew and violently ran around 3 or 4 cars and safely back into the back of the truck. Possibly the most amusing thing I've witnessed in my entire life. On the second day, we pretty much just hung out at the beach and took a trip into the city to grab some stuff to eat.

For dinner, we ate at this Lebanese restaurant and headed over to Walking Street. The place as filled with all these bars, people trying to sell you stuff, and of course, the prostitutes. Really not the best place to be. Ever. Around midnight, Mika, Joanna, and I finally put my guitar to use and headed toward the beach with intentions of singing and playing by the ocean. While jamming on the beach, these two Russian guys came over and sat by us and just listened. We talked to them for a while, and they sang along when we played Nirvana. They were nice, but it took a lot of effort to communicate. The rest of our friends came down to the beach, so we took a quick picture and they retreated back to their beer and lawn chairs.

We went back up to our room at about 3 in the morning and I seriously experienced some crazy paranormal activity in our room. Shit, I can't even type about it because it's so freaky. Both Joanna and Mika were taking showers (there were 2 in the bathroom) while I laid on my bed waiting for them to finish when I started to hear some knocking sounds. It wasn't our door. I didn't think much about it, but every couple of minutes or so I'd hear it again. Suddenly I heard a really loud knock and looked up quickly. That's when I saw a white figure/flash shoot into the bathroom door. I am certain I saw this and at first I thought it might have been Mika in a towel, but when I got up to check, the door was shut and I didn't even hear it close. When I opened the door, Joanna and Mika were both showering, so there was no way it was either of them. I was really freaked out, so I kind of chilled in the bathroom until they finished (fucking courageous, I know). I took about a 5 second shower cause I kept hearing the sounds in the bathroom as well and reluctantly told Joanna what I saw. Turns out she saw some pale figure in the bathroom while she was showering too and was hearing some noises as well. I think we over analyzed, but there's no way we were imagining it. I fell asleep terrified, but I slept pretty well that night. I was just too tired to deal.

1. FOOD  2. Tam, Sarthak, and Jacky

3. After walking through Walking Street

4. Friends  5. Our Russian groupies

We left the next day. I think we were all ready to go home (at least I was), but we took a nice stroll on the hot beach (dodging sunburnt Russians lying on the sand) and drank some nasty coconut juice. I don't know- the mood just wasn't there. It was overall a pretty good trip. There will be a lot of things I will look back on and laugh about.

1. Monica, Joanna, Mika, Me

2. Sour coconut juice

3. So much swag

4. About to leave

I feel like after this trip I'll be forever tired. I am still recovering.

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
Bask in the contagiousness of this song. We are performing it for the banquet.
Band practice today was a lot of fun. I'm going to miss times like these.
P.S. I've finally gotten accepted to a university!

international festival.

Sorry for the lack of posts. It's just that I haven't exactly had anything interesting to write about. The past week has been pretty much just getting rejected from colleges (lol, two to be exact), playing Nazi Zombies, and just spending quality time with my friends before we part. News has been really crazy: the tsunamis, earthquakes, massacres... Things seem to just be going all wrong all around the world. My thoughts and prayers are going out to everybody affected. I know people think that it's useless, but I believe it. It's hard to just sit here and know you can't do anything but watch as the world unravels.

On a brighter note, today was my school's international festival. It's when all the different cultures and nationalities in our school come together and teach each other about it. People often come dressed up in their traditional costumes. I kind of had trouble choosing what to go as: American, Taiwanese, or Thai, but Joanna gave me one of her Indian dresses so I decided to wear that instead. All my friends who dressed up looked so great. I won't post that many photos- most of them turned out really blurry.

1. Joanna in her Indian dress
2. Mika and her yukata
3.Sam & I- the Japanese/Indian wannabes (he is not wearing a bathrobe; it is a male yukata)
4. Henna

Woke up at around 10 and at 11, Sam and I sold coupons. Interesting job. Lots of interesting people bought coupons. There was a lot of good food and the performances were VERY ENTERTAINING. I'm sure people were pissed off as Joanna and I laughed at everything- especially the little kids' Bollywood dance. Anyways, today was a pretty good day. I should really get packing, because our class is taking a trip to Pattaya for 3 days- no teachers, no parents, just the class of 2011 for 3 days at the beach (it's okay, Thailand is safe). I'm ready. I'm psyched.
That Day by Villagers
I've been completely infatuated with this song and have abusing the repeat button.

albums that remind me of summer of '10.

This is going to be a long one.
As some of you may know, I spent last summer in San Francisco at a pre-college program at the Academy of Art taking classes in film & television, screenwriting, graphic design, and radio podcasts, whilst living in a dorm with 80 other high school students. It was one of the best summers I've had and I regret not really blogging about what had happened that summer or even taking pictures (my camera broke), but I do have certain songs and albums that constantly bring back memories from the experience. This will be a recap of that summer and why each of these albums play a part in it.

(P.S., I hope that if you are reading this, you actually listen to the music. It is a crucial part of my life.)

1. Brand New: Deja Entendu (2003)
2. The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead (1986)
3. She & Him: Volume 2 (2010)
4. The Clash: The Singles
5. Neutral Milk Hotel: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (1998)
6. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: Up From Below (2009)

So I guess I'm going to rant about every album. Prepare yourselves.

1. Deja Entendu
This album was almost somewhat of a comfort to me being in this college environment. It reminded me of home for some strange reason and it got me through the rough times and the homesickness. I often walked down the streets of San Francisco listening to this album and just feeling like a bad ass. Like I could do anything in the world. I've seen Brand New in concert once before in 2008, and it's kind of crazy how I started to listen to them religiously again. My short film was very much inspired by Brand New.

(Only posting it because I know you love it Dongjoo.)
Anyways, there was a record shop a couple blocks from my dorm called "Rasputin" and I'd make trips there a few times a week just to browse, and I swear to God my musical soulmate worked there. On ALL of my favorite CDs and records, there was a sticker that said "Matt's Recommendation" (including ALL Brand New records, The Queen Is Dead, The Double LP Black Parade vinyl just to mention some...) I never had the guts to ask any of the employees who Matt was, but I did leave him a post-it note in the Brand New section the day I left. This Matt may think that I am a psycho, but I guess I'll just never find out. I often wonder if they talk about the post-it. Hopefully he's found it by now.

The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows by Brand New

Musically and lyrically amazing. I don't have anything else to say about it.

2. The Queen Is Dead
I knew most of the songs on this album before I bought it, but it is such a beautiful record if you play it all the way through. My roommate and I were in North Beach (I forget what we were doing there. I think we went to China Town first to buy some ginger chews and ginger to make ginger tea, and North Beach, or Little Italy, is right by it) and we found this small record shop. Going through the CDs, we found a used copy of The Queen Is Dead, and we both decided to go for it. I also found these really awesome band plates (The Green Day and The Clash ones).

Anywho, this album played a huge role in my summer as there was a day when Cleo and I bought a bottle of champagne and some orange juice and locked ourselves in our dorm room for an entire day. From morning to night. We lit candles, made mimosas (more orange juice than champagne for me), and ate ginger candy. We did not do anything at all except sit on our asses, listen to the album in the dark and eat leftover Chinese food from the day before. This album was on repeat for god knows how many times. It was the only thing we listened to that day. By the third or fourth time it played, we knew every single word. The only thing we were focused on was the music. The strange thing is that time went by so fast. Soon enough, we realized that it was 11:00 PM. I've never went to bed so content and so happy, despite the lack of real food and the numerous cups of mimosas.

I Know It's Over by The Smiths


3. Volume 2
I was a pretty big fan (of Volume 1 and Zooey Deschanel alike), so when their album came out in March, it was one of my first purchases when I landed in the States. This was also one of the albums I could not stop listening to over summer break. Also a funny memory to go with this album: I was walking down the street (literally DOWN, ah, San Francisco) and I totally tried to do one of those skip dance moves in the video below and completely tripped on my boot and fell on my ass. It was very embarrassing. I also I have to say I like Volume 2 more than I like Volume 1. Their songs always make me feel like I'm skipping in the brisk spring air or the fresh summer heat. I've made it a point to listen to this album while driving, but only in the day time. I don't know. It just gives me such a feel good indie pop (maybe even some crazy alternative country) vibe. Jeez. Do you ever get that feeling where you're itchy somewhere and when you go on and scratch the place you thought you were itching, and it turns out that it's not that spot that's itching and you are scratching at yourself violently and you still can't find where the hell the spot is? I am feeling that right now. Okay, besides the point. The music video for their first single "In The Sun" is absolutely adorable.

In The Sun by She & Him
Also other favorite songs on this album are: Lingering Still, Thieves, & Me and You.

4. The Singles
So this album is a compilation of all of The Clash's singles. As you can tell, I got really excited, because it was pretty much all of my favorite songs from The Clash (sad, I know) in one CD. I don't have much to say about this album. There was one night when I had my dorm room to myself since my roommate went home for the weekend and all I did was dance to this album and eat instant ramen. With pens.

Hahahahaha, well I was a happy camper that night with my instant noodles and raspberry iced tea. Not so crazy about the pens, though. My fingers are quite tired. I also have some work to tend to today. My bangs are way too long. I think I might cut them. Anyways, I listened to this album so much because one of our assignments for Radio & Podcast class was to write an album review of an artist that was popular before we were born. I also wrote about it to suck up to my Radio teacher because I noticed that Joe Strummer was her laptop wallpaper. Genius, I know.

I Fought The Law by The Clash

5. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

I've heard a few songs of NMH prior to this summer, but only The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 and In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. It's really strange how I came across buying this album though. Either on the 1st or 2nd week I was in SF, I was browsing at Rasuptin Records, and of course looking at the Brand New CDs. This random old, almost homeless looking looking guy with long hair came up to me and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and, of course, I was extremely confused (and slightly frightened). He handed me a CD and said something along the lines of "a girl like you deserves to hear music like this", and he walked away. It was very strange. I held it in my hands and honestly, I had no idea who the CD was by or even what kind of music it would be (the cover art doesn't have any words on it). I put away the CD I was originally going to buy as I only had enough money for one and I just bought it. He seemed like he knew what he was doing, and not everyday something like that happens to you. Anyways, it's an amazing, amazing album.

Two Headed Boy by Neutral Milk Hotel

6. Up From Below

I can't express how much I love this band. Their music just makes me feel so alive. I really don't know what else to say except that it's amazing to incorporate all the instruments they have, and bond together as such a huge band. This is one of those bands that you know for sure, they are doing it because they love it. I've never seen so much passion. 

This video... I have no words. You decide for yourself.

Home & 40 Day Dream by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros


So that about wraps up this entire longevity of this blog post. I know half the people aren't going to listen to shit, but that's okay. I really don't care. Just know that you are missing out. I've noticed I stopped writing as much when it gets towards the bottom of this post, but fuck it. You guys aren't reading anyways.
Love,
Richelle