The Magic of Music

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it recently but- I have a deep and emotional bond to music. I don’t just mean listening to it either. I do enjoy the upbeat or sometimes melodramatic songs on the radio; and to be fair, that’s mostly what I have in my itunes catalog. But the music that always moves me, and can change me on such a deep level are naturally the classics. I mean, they wouldn’t have lasted for so long if they weren’t classic, right?

One of my favorite things to do when I’m alone is have classical music playing way too loud while I sit and am washed with the vibrations which ARE music. I haven’t done that recently. I’m not sure why, some combination of living where I don’t have public radio (my main source of classical music), and then just never having the right time while I was in the states, and before that I avoided music. I just couldn’t handle the way it moves my soul while I was putting my life back together. I must be in a really good place if I can withstand it now.

I’m not sure if it’s the same for everyone, but for me, if the music is made on a piano, guitar, violin or any stringed instrument it moves me more. Maybe it’s something about the way the vibrations are made, (and I realize that all sound and thus all music are vibrations, but the way that one note can overlap another while continuing a melody the way a piano can, is different then the one resonance chamber of any brass, or woodwind).

And it’s not just listening to music, it’s making it too. I have tried to learn a wide variety of instruments, none of them really stuck except voice. But that’s probably because you can’t really put that one down. (really, I started with the recorder then tried the viola, flute, saxophone, trumpet, oboe, guitar, piano and dum-beck(it’s a middle eastern drum). Singing is best for me because I’m not so distracted by my lack of skill as when I’m on an instrument.

But I’m shy when singing, the smaller the group the more shy I become. I often make my singing voice a little more plain than it really is when I know people can hear me. I don’t know why, maybe I’ve heard too many people that think they sound good and don’t want to come off that way. I just clam up if I know anyone is listening (even from another room). The shyness exception being singing in church and singing Christmas carols.

Also I have always mourned the lack of volume and umphf my voice has (or doesn’t). I wanted to be one of those big Broadway belters, or a sassy jazz singer with a voice like whiskey on the rocks. Also, not to sound pretentious, but, I miss going to the opera.

I have a fairly pretty voice, it blends very well, it’s mid range for a women. It really isn’t unique in any way, save I can stay on pitch while singing with others, or find a pitch in my head so I get my intervals right. The one thing I HATE hearing from choir directors or voice teachers is ‘you need to breathe more’. Really? You hear my speaking voice? I’m just quiet. And when I Do get some volume it’s not without it’s toll, I’ll lose my voice if I sing like that for too long.

But my voice aside, I have something in me that is happy when I make music, singing or otherwise. And I want to start listing to more classical music too.

Sunny Monsoon

It’s been sunny for the past two days. That’s impressive considering it’s monsoon season. The sky is a pretty blue and there are fluffy white clouds. Too bad it’s hot. Like oven hot. But when it’s raining it’s super humid, I wonder if summer is nice anywhere. At least there are no mosquitoes in the city. They were the bane of my summer existence in Texas. Well, they weren’t only around in the summer, they could really pop up any time.

We did have a nice long, cool spring though. I’d never had one of those that I remember. It was really nice. I’m used to the 9 months of humid summer weather in south Texas, with a short break of rainy and slightly cold for about three weeks.

I do kind of miss the overpowering smell of sunscreen and chlorine which was the only relief from the heat and humidity. Justin and I get to go to San Antonio for two weeks (for his work) and I’m fully intending to mooch pool time from our friend.

I've been planning our vacation for months now (and it was a little complicated so it needed lots of planning) but it's hard to believe that it's almost here! Justin flies out a week from today, then I leave Korea two days after (I have to stay to pay rent in person, how dumb is that?). Once I get to the states I won't be back to Korea for 2 whole months.

I feel like I haven't done too much since it's gotten hot and humid, I just don't want to be outside. I Have organized a book club, I am kinda proud of that. It's not a local book club, but it's with all the friend-girls I care about. (Is it just me, or is there no good name for a friend who is a girl. I don't like the term 'girl friend', 'Oh i just went shopping with a girl friend', it just sounds funny. anyway.). But it works out that no one in the book club lives in the same city. I think it's more fun to read a book at the same time as someone else, so you have someone to talk to. So I have done that.

Like I said, not much is going on. We're down to our last fridge food, trying to strike the balance of having enough milk for cereal but not having extra food that I'll just have to throw away before we leave.

I still have to pack, but I've been mentally packing my bag for weeks, so I think I'll be okay.

Cat Vacation

So our Gambit is going to have a comparably complicated summer too. The last minute TDY that Justin got which I'm accompanying him on (to San Antonio) made taking Gambit with me not possible. It was too late to schedule him as a carry-on pet OR a checked pet for my flight.

So in August when I follow Justin to San Antonio, Gambit will have to be pet-sat by my life saver, Ceci (and her husband Wayne), but for less time than she was expecting, which is good. Only... it's going to be earlier than they were expecting him too. I'm hoping they don't mind. But it's only for 2 weeks.

Then Justin will be back in Korea for 3 weeks and will take Gambit back to our place for that stretch of time. Then Justin will take Gambit as a carry-on pet in September when he flies to California. (yay!)

Gambit will stay at the Berkeley house with us the rest of the time we're in Cali, but he's going to have to put up with a variety of family taking care of him. Because Mom and I are going to an out-of-town wedding one weekend; and Justin will be out of town the same weekend. But my Dad is the cat whisper so I'm not worried.

The next stretch of time we'll be gone is when we go to visit Nick for about a week. All four of us are going and it's either one of my busy cousins or my grandfather taking care of them (the cats)... Maybe I'll ask Julia to take care of them, she's responsible and doesn't have too much on her plate right now I think.

THEN I have two carry-on cat spaces reserved for when Justin and I leave in October to go back to Korea. Right now my Mom doesn't want me to take Teddy to Korea and she's hinting that I should leave Gambit with them too. We'll see how the cats get along. But it's complicated.

Vacation!

Things are getting complicated. By things, I mean vacation. I guess vacations always will be complicated when overseas travel and pets are involved. Unless you have a dedicated house keeper who can run errands for you while you’re out of town for two months, and take care of your cat. (and I’m Not complaining, I’m so happy we get to travel home and see family and friends, and be in the US, it’s going to be awesome).

So the plan as of right now is this:

August 1-14:
Justin and Lucy fly from Korea to SAN ANTONIO. Justin returns to Korea for work (since this leg is on the government’s dime for him and he’ll be in SA for work). Lucy will fly to California for an extended visit.


September 5:
Justin will fly from Korea to CALIFORNIA


September 8-11:
Lucy and Mom will fly to MARYLAND for a wedding. Justin will fly to SAN ANTONIO to visit friends. Both parties return to California.


September 21-29:
Justin and Lucy fly with Rose Mom and Dad on a family vacation to HAWAII to visit brother Nick. All return to California (except for Nick).


October 4:
Justin and Lucy fly back to KOREA and are very broke.
***

That wouldn’t be so complicated in and of itself, considering we’ve been planning all the various parts of the trip and saving money (since January) to get us across the pond and back. BUT enter two factors:

1: we have to pay our rent and bills in person at the bank. So one of us has to be home at the 1st (rent) and 15th (utilities) of the month. OR figure out how to make arraignments otherwise (I’m working on it).

2: we have a cat in Korea (Gambit) that would need to be cat-sat for two months, or he needs to fly with us and stay mostly in California.

2B: I also want to bring my first cat, Teddy (who has been staying in California with my parents) back to Korea so we’d have BOTH cats with us when we eventually end up back at “home” in Korea.

So it’s a whole lot of complicated and involves a lot of who to what airport with which cat and when. But we're both super excited. I haven't been back in the states since January of this year. Justin has only been there briefly on TDY for a few days and before that he hadn't been back in the states since October of last year. So we're really looking forward to spending a longer amount of time back home.

Also, if you want to see me and will be in any of the places at the same time as me, email me so we can get together!