P.O.D. 9 and thoughts on the nature of blogging

P.O.D. 9 and thoughts on the nature of blogging

Strawberries on the beach, Nice.


I was reading someone's travel blog the other day. It was interesting, full of stunning pictures, and informative - full of stories and life. So, basically, nothing like mine. For me, blogging is a task that's neither here nor there - I'm not really sure why I do it. I think I do it to keep in contact, to let people in on my life and experiences, but it feels extremely one-sided at the same time. If I don't write much, or what I do write is rather uninvolved, it's partly out of that feeling of imbalance. I mean, I don't really know who reads this blog or even if people read it, and then I also don't get the same insight into my reader's lives either. It's - to use elementary school parlance - unfair. Sometimes it seems to me that blogging is just a really narcissistic endeavor, which is a tendency that I definitely don't need to encourage.

I guess what I'm getting at is a question about how much effort I should put into blogging. At this moment, it's pretty low. I'd like to share all the experiences and stories, but if no one shares my enthusiasm, I'd much rather write in my journal. What I'm curious to see is how many people actually pay attention. So, should I continue? Anyone?

currently obsessed:

currently obsessed:

Spike Jonze has been keeping a pretty stealth blog, We Love You So, that's featuring all sorts of goodies from his upcoming film, Where the Wild Things Are. Of course, I'm so, so, so excited about it and have been for what seems like the hundreds of years it's been in development. The film's been plagued by problems: over-budget, "too scary" for kids, etc. But I mean, Catherine Keener and Maurice Sendak? How could you go wrong? You can see the trailer here.

However, best of all is all the extraneous stuff he blogs about. I got really excited today when he featured artist Michael C. Hsiung, whose work is whimsical, fantastical, and epic - a bit like a Decembrists song illustrated. Better yet, his work is available locally at the Wonderfair Gallery in Lawrence. Hurry up and get your own print, because I'm sure there's bound to be a boost in popularity now that Jonze has caught on. Me, I already have this one lurking around in my basement.

Oh, Spike - we love you so!

P.O.D. 8 - Nice

P.O.D. 8 - Nice

Citron.

P.O.D. 7 - TAPAS!

P.O.D. 7 - TAPAS!

These pictures aren't any any chronological order (actually, they might be backwards...) but they achieve the effect. If we didn't exactly tapas bar hop, we at least experienced the tapas culture over the course of our stay. Overrated and not exactly becoming to a backpacker's budget, in my opinion, but how can you ever complain about such exciting food? Or food, period?

The tapas experience varies: at the top tapas bar, you sit down and order your tapas from a menu (thank god we had my cousin to guide us!). The bar pictured in the middle was absolutely insane - crowded as hell, but with such a great, non-touristy atmosphere. Too bad we didn't know what to order and ended up getting these seared sausage chunks (everyone was eating meat) and some sort of Cava. The last was probably my favorite, simply because they had the tapas all prepared. You simply grabbed a plate, loaded up on whichever ones you wanted, and they counted the number of toothpicks at the end! Ingenious!

hardcore

hardcore

The rule of thumb at Oxford is that as soon as you finish a paper, you're working on another one or two. That means lots of stress, time spent at the library, and incessant browsing of the internet. For the most part, I've been focusing lately on finding stuff to do in London during field trips, but here's the behind the scenes look at a very cool exhibition at one of my favorites, the American Museum of Natural History in NY:

"A whale with legs? A four-ton tongue? Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time opens this Saturday."

look good, smell better

look good, smell better

Gum that makes you smell like roses and all sorts of pretty things? Amazing!

edit: because i am turning this into the girliest post ever - so kawaii! (double edit: sorry, how hetero-normative of me.)
"NYU student conducts most adorable robot experiment ever"

P.O.D. 4,5,6

P.O.D. 4,5,6

To make up for my failure to keep up with the photo project, I'm posting up a picture smorgasbord, all related to one of my favorite artists, Gaudi. First up is Parc Guell: beautiful, unusual, and tourist-filled - quintessentially Gaudi. You may recognize it from Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona" - it figures rather prominently in the film, as does much of Gaudi's work.

Next is undoubtedly Gaudi's most famous and unfinished work, the Sagrada Familia. I don't think I can fully describe how bizarrely stunning this cathedral is; the size of it is overwhelming, but most of all, it feels so organic, like it just slowly rose out of the grand. Unfortunately, the interior is nowhere complete, so you don't get the awe-inspired feeling one gets at, say, the Notre Dame in Paris. Nonetheless, magic. And terrifying.



However, my personal favorite is the attic that Gaudi did for Casa Mila, whose roof I showed you a couple of days ago. I mean, it's the roof of an attic. Can you imagine that much attention being paid to something usually presumed to be the storing house of Victorian nightgowns and acidwash jeans? I mean, just look at those vaulted ceilings!

want one

want one

found at Lawrence.com


Okay, back to paper writing...

P.O.D. 3

P.O.D. 3

Hot chocolate so decadently rich that it simply must be eaten with a spoon? Check.
Drunkenly flashing the next table at one of Barcelona's venerable institutions at four in the afternoon?

Uhhh... Un-check.

P.O.D. 2

P.O.D. 2

Terrifying dragon slide in strange Barcelona industrial park (you climb through its mouth and come out its backside). All three of us slid down together and permanently cracked our tailbones because 1) there was no traction whatsoever 2) the angle was literally close to 75 degrees. I don't understand how millions of Spanish children haven't died.

spoiling the appetite

spoiling the appetite

I love Ruth Reichl. I really, really do. Beyond just wanting to eat with her (Check out her recent New York Diet for an idea), I just want to hang out with because she seems really hilarious and chill. It wouldn't hurt if she could score me a job at her publication. But this video from Gourmet... Uhh, what?

pictorial pleasures

pictorial pleasures

Since I'm feeling generous today (/can't get any work done bc of allergies), I've decided to begin recounting my Grand Tour adventures. Because I'm reticent to exercise any of my literary skills, this will be composed mainly of pictures - one a day, in vaguely chronilogical order. Perhaps this will generate traffic to my site. First off, Barcelona a la Gaudi.

Until I actually getting around to publishing anything of merit, here are some hints and suggestions to keep you entertained:

1. Very Short List, which is a subscription service you can sign up for that serves you up via e-mail an interesting website, news story, etc. once a day. It's cultured, informed, and funny. I'm signed up for all three (and they're coming out with VSL food soon!) and it's definitely the most exciting thing that pops up into my mailbox (Sorry, KU Dean's Office).

2. I read this New Yorker article about neuroenhancers the other day. It doesn't necessarily arrive at any interesting conclusions, but it is interesting in how many of the people in the article (including the author itself) view the use of these drugs as perfectly defensible and understandable. With so many of our college peers now using Adderall and Ritalin to get a boost, will its use spread even wider?

3. Check out this Drew University senior's dorm room at NYMag - mind blowing. It reminds me of the way universities used to have their dorms, with the proper rugs, wood floors, and huge windows. So Ralph Lauren meets Brideshead. Aaaah, poor lil' state students.

until we bleed

until we bleed

I would update about Oxford/European adventures, but, ew, sick with allergies that started up in the middle of a movie in London. I just drank a whole carton of OJ, so it should be fine. Promise it's not swine flu, but did anyone see that BBC story about zombie swine flue yesterday?

Uhhhh.