The one in which I cover all the cultural bases...

It seems 2011 is going much the same as the end of 2010... busy, busy, busy! Trying to find time to update this blog, while also living life and acquiring the material to do so, is difficult as ever. I actually began this entry back in the middle of January, but haven't had time since then to finish it. So far, 2011 has been pretty great and I've been keepin' it classy, trying to go to culturally and mentally enriching events.

First, back in January, I went to a poetry reading at Books & Books that was partially organized by my ballerina friend, Anya. The poet was a Haitan/feminist/lesbian/writer/actress/playwright/Michael Jackson fan named Lenelle Moise. I got there a little late, but within the first two poems I saw she mentioned both Michael Jackson and zombies (twice). She was a great performer, almost dancing her poems as she read them, and I really dug what she was doing. I've been really into poetry lately, so actually seeing some was a great treat. A simple YouTube search will yield some results, if you wanna check out her stuff, too.

Soon after, I headed to Boca to meet up with The Weave and head to the Palm Beach Opera House to see Verdi's Requiem, an opera. I kind of wanted it to be a fat chick in a viking helmet just singing her guts out and breaking glasses and stuff, but it wasn't. Turns out, this opera was based on a church service... or something. There was a choir, and a lot of Latin (or maybe Italian, I don't really know), and four singers in front who were, like, soloists or something. There was this pretty intense theme of timpani bangs, which was my favorite part, but the rest of it I didn't really get. The music was kind of lovely, and very intricate, and I enjoyed myself, but wish I knew more about exactly what I was listening to. It seems like opera is something you really have to be INTO to appreciate completely.

I also got some culture by seeing some of my boy Willy Shakespeare. The Aussie, my co-worker and friend, played Juliet in this year's Shakespeare Miami production of... you guessed it... Romeo and Juliet. She was a little more bad@$$ than your regular Juliet, sword-fighting and stuff, but the ending was still the same. I always want it to be different and I get surprised every time I see it... Like I don't know what's coming or something. I don't know... Shakespeare is just so brilliant that no matter how many times I've seen it, the play still gets me, and surprises me, and changes with each production and actor and staging.

The quarters were a little cramped (people have NO respect for blanket boundaries even though our spots were saved) but, hey, it was something free and fun to do on a Saturday night. Plus, we got to pick up and chat with The Aussie's mom, Momma O, who was enthralled by my GPS that spoke Aussie... or sort of spoke Aussie, as it turns out. She, apparently, couldn't stop talking about it throughout the rest of her stay.

Speaking of Aussies and they joy they bring to driving and life in general, team Australia had The Third Annual Australia Day party a weekend later. The party was at a park, and some claim to have seen a manatee in the water, but I just watched the pelicans and enjoyed the company. The day was rainy, but good times were had anyway. I tried my hand at cricket (again) and found that I had improved exactly none since the last time I attempted to play, about two years ago. We also enjoyed Australian treats like faerie bread (bread with butter and sprinkles... that's literally it...), Vegemite sandwiches (made that mistake once, never again); and lamingtons (which are DELICIOUS).


For Valentine's Day, T and I did a "room mate date" since neither of us celebrated with an actual Valentine. I obtained free movie tickets, and she had a gift card for the theater, so we had a cheap night out. I wanted to see The King's Speech, but T didn't want anything that serious so we settled on Just Go With It, the Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston/Dave Matthews (surprise!). I'm glad it was free... let's just say that. I think I've reached a point in my life where I just can't watch romantic comedies (except the classics, of course) without bringing along my cynicism and a healthy dose of REALITY. They just end up making me angry, rather than entertaining me. It wasn't an awful movie by any means--I just can't enjoy romcoms at the moment. Dave Matthews was funny. And Nicole Kidman was funny. And Jennifer Aniston looks great. That's about all.

The last bit of life I need to report on is a little daycation kayaking adventure, or as they call it here in Miami, kaYAKing. A few of us from work drove down to Key Largo, rented kaYAKs, and headed out on the bay for a couple of hours. It was a beautiful day, and so peaceful and lovely out on the water, not too hot, not too cool; there was even a breeze.

We kayaked out into the bay into a little area of mangroves. The trees, which might be my favorite of trees, were on both sides of us, and in the middle was a little river where speed boats, bought at the Miami boat Show that weekend, sped up and down at crazy speeds and pushed our little kayak crew off into the surrounding trees. We got to see them up close and personal on several occasions. Check them out...

In between speed boats, Kim and I made friends with some guys from Minnesota who were fishing. We brought them luck because as we paddled over, they caught a fish! We eventually asked our new friends to take a group photo of us, which we managed after much awkward paddling and camera passing.

We kayaked for about two hours, and headed back to watch the sunset over the water with a cold beverage, and then headed to dinner. The sunset was beautiful, and I wished I was still out on the water to see it, but our boats had to be back by 5:30. Things on the shore weren't so bad, though.

Dinner was delicious, and all together the day was a total win. It was a perfect little get away that was much needed. I should take more daycations, just days to be in the sun and smile and laugh.

The consequences of the day, however, made themselves known at 3 AM when I had to get up and go to CVS to get some Aleve because I was in total AGONY, my arms just ached and ached and I couldn't make them stop. NIGHT. MARE. Aleve, however, did the trick and I was able to go to sleep. Lesson learned for next time: make sure I have Aleve on hand.

I've so far succeeded in being better about balancing FIU, work, and life this semester. I'm glad about that, although finding time to update here is still proving to be difficult. I need to get better, though, so I can chronicle my summer. You see, as many of you know but some of you may not, I am going to be in Italy for at least five weeks this summer! I am SO excited! I'll be living with a host family and getting paid to teach, so the trip is actually going to be quite affordable, not to mention amazing. I am so blessed!

Much love.