"Do you really like to be alone?" "As long as my friends keep me from being lonely" Archer & The Countess [The Age of Innocence]

Well, another year and another adventure, I always say. Actually, I guess I don't always say it because I just said it for the first time, but I think that it's got great potential to be an new philosophy *cue music from You're a Good Man Charlie Brown*

Anywho, first things first: I'm officially moved into my new apartment! Yay! And, since I know you're DYING to send me things my address is:

956 N 900 E

#2

Provo, UT 84604

And, since I know you're all dying to visit, here's what it looks like!

Living Room 

Dining/Kitchen

Kitchen Angle 1

Kitchen Angle 2

View from Kitchen into Living Room

My Room #1

My Room #2

My Bathroom :) organized for once....

My closet (also organized for once....)

And, there you have it. A new place for a new start to a new and SUPER BUSY semester. I'm excited.

"Oh yes dear. Everything's nice and paranormal here" Dotty [Noises Off!]

So, I know I've already posted but I'm feeling very self-indulgent and declamatory today. That, and everytime I read JLow's blog I feel like I really should do this more, and be better at it.

First off, question: does anyone actually read this? I never get comments so I'm not entirely sure. Do I mind? Not horribly, but it would be nice to know that this public blog is actually being noticed by the public. Make sense?

Secondly, I've had a lot of people ask me about my EFY experience. So...here's my thoughts :)

Alright. Anyone who is LDS and is between the ages of 20 and 30 (or whatever the age group is, I'm not actually sure) needs to do this. It is an AMAZING experience. Like, I could write forever about it. In fact, I did. In my journal. But really, I never thought that I would learn so much from a group of 14 & 15 year old girls. Despite their giggly and energetic exteriors, they're actually quite insightful. And REALLY talented! I was blessed to be placed in charge of a group of girls who a) liked me b) were understanding and c) worked with me and really tried hard to participate. Those may sound like trivial things but trust me. They aren't. My kids were such a blessing to me in ways that I can't even comprehend. All in all, the week was just an affirmation of my true identity as a Daughter of God, and that I truly am of infinite worth. My Heavenly Father loves me and is not only aware of my existance, but and active particpant in my life <3 Amazing.

Are you ready for an inspiring story? Well, you're getting one. At the dance on Tuesday night I was roving around watching the kids dance and making sure everything was 'appropriate' and I saw a bunch of my girls dancing together. I thought I'd 'observe them in their natural habitat' and see what happened. Now just to set up the scene, these girls are GORGEOUS. And I'm not just saying that because they're beautiful daughter of God and I love them. Like, they could have passed for 17-18 and I was even intimidated by them. Like I said, they were standing around and there was this boy standing about 8 feet away from them, bright red hair, really awkward and a little physically disfigured. He was dancing all by himself in his own little world, just having a good old time but not really talking with anyone. Then, one of my girls, Kenna, turned to another one of my girls, Mackenzie, and said "hey, we should ask him to come dance with us" and IMMEDIATELY all 5 of them opened up their dance circled and asked him if he'd like to come join them. He nodded and came over and they all danced together! I'm not going to lie, I got a little misty eyed. It was really touching and such a testiment to the high quality kids that I got to work with all week. It gave me a little glimmer of hope, ya know? So to all you cynics out there I'm here to tell you that YES, there are good teenagers in the world. They're just in Texas :) haha

Oh, and as a side note, I later found out that the red-haired boy's name was Montana. And he's autistic.

In short, EFY was amazing. And you should do it. If you can :)

Me and my co-counselor Weston :)

Me and my girls <3

This is the best thing, the best thing that could be happening, and I think you would agree the best thing is that it's happeneing to you and me [Relient K]

Child Rescue Candlelight Serenade is going to be pretty amazing. It's a huge benefit concert for the Child Rescue organization, whivch is a non-profit organization that tries to fight agains tthe child sex trade in Canada and the United States. AND lucky Utah! It's going to be at Thanksgiving Point this year! So, all us crazy BYU kids can go and support a good cause and listen to some awesome music. The artists that are going to be there are Dashboard COnfessional, Third Eye Blind, 311, Relient K, Making April, Sherwood, Neon Trees, Vedera, Allred, Priscilla Ahn, Fictionist and Steel Train. And another cool thing is that it's not just going to be a concert, but an all day festival where the artists will try to get personal with the audiences and explain the stories behind their songs. It's like a chilled out Warped Tour to benefit Child Rescue. Pretty sweet, no?

Another cool thing is that it's featured here at ModBlog, where Bree from Mod Events and Co. talks all about the event, a little of what when into it, what it's for, and the massive contest their putting on, full of prizes and things to entice people to come out and support the Candelight Serenade. SO I encourage you to check out her post, see what it's all about and spread the word! It's going to be an AWESOME event!!

"I'm like Tinkerbell, Finn! NEED APPLAUSE TO LIVE!!" Rachel Berry [Glee]

So, I'm starting to feel disappointed in my summer, and yes, I know that's entirely my doing. But honestly, sometimes I want to go out, but I just - I get this sickly feeling in the pit of my stomach that's somehow related to deeply engrained need I have for attention.

But the thing about attention is that it's so contradictory. It's almost like I have my days when I crave it, but simultaneously just want to be a hermit and stay home with my Madre. UGH the human brain is an interesting thing. I have such a hard time getting out there to socialize. Like, once I'm in the social situation I'm usually fine, it's just getting me there that is the issue. Man oh man.

Also, something not so new to me is that I stress easy. Especially when there are like a gazillion things that I want to do, timeframe in which to do them, but don't plan them. It terrifies me that they will never get done and I'll just work at B&BW 30 hours a week and have another uneventful summer.

FOR EXAMPLE. Maddy and I want to go to NYC. As a theater major the fact that I've never been there really makes me feel like a failure. It's one of those facts that I tend to hide about my self, you know, like if you're a guy and you like the Jonas Brothers of HSM :) But the whole planning, money raising, planning aspect of the whole thing is stressing me out. Part of me just wants to say screw it, let's go to Charleston or Florida or something and just chill on the beach. Cause I love doing that too - but there are not beach-y beaches in NYC so that's yet another decision I have to make.

UGH I NEED AN EVENT PLANNER!!!! but alas - that too costs money. Which I'm slowly earning. You know, if I just got cast as the star of a major motion picture this all would be solved.

A whole new set of problems would crop up then, but it'd be a change of pace at least. Ha.

You know what I really need to do?

scream.

"A little misunderstanding? Galileo and the Pope had a little misunderstanding..." Sheldon Cooper [The Big Bang Theory]

So, my wonderful, amazing, half-Asian friend JLow has once again inspired me to do a post. It's show and tell time on my blog! woohoo!

Top 10 Quotes from Glee Season 1, Episode 17, "Bad Reputation" - Video - Glee


I.love.Glee. And, I'm not ashamed to admit it. And while the plot really is only so, so (in my opinion) something that really holds it together is the characters. Each one is so unique, and is written SO well that every episode has something that I can fall in love with. Oh, and the singing is pretty slammin too. I just discovered and an amazing website that is dedicated to all things glee. In fact, that's where that link comes from. Every week, they make a video that compiles all of their favorite quotes from the episode. And this week's "Bad Reputation" was full of some gems, and I've provided you a way to partake yourselves. Enjoy.

comics for smart people - and boy do I appreciate that. And while, yes, it does make me feel a little pretentious, I can't help the fact that humor that includes references to things that you have to be well-read or on the pretty geeky side in order to enjoy appeals more to me :) Those above were just a few of my favs, don't worry, I have plenty more saved on my hard drive. I mean, I'm just waiting for the day that the economy fails and they have to derive a new money system where everyone's net worth/monetary value is based solely off of the amount of funny pictures they have saved on their hard drive. *points to self* MILLIONAIRE.

This is Corin Nemec, as Jonas Quinn on Stargate: SG1 a show that I faithfully watched until it's cancellation and am mildly obsessed with.

This is Corin Nemec (far right) as the guy who bought a Mother's Day giftset from me on Saturday at Bath and Body Works, the store I have worked at since last summer. 

AND I DIDN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE HIM UNTIL 10 MINS AFTER HE LEFT THE STORE.

I. KNOW.

Just cuz. He's pretty :)

This show is SO on my list of ones I want to see when I go to NYC this summer. Too bad I can't see the b-e-a-utiful Aaron Tviet. I will get to see Alice Ripley though, so I guess it'll still be good. Hah.

<3 I miss my cranes family. 

"I think our hands just made a baby" Ned Freedman [17 Again]

I'm home! Yay Texas!

I was driving around and I realized that I had forgotten just how much I miss this place. It's so beautiful, and all of the familiar place just help me feel like I belong. It's great.

However, I don't know where I want to eat lunch today. And apparently that poses a problem :/ Once again, my indecisive nature is becoming an issue. Dangit. Oh well - we'll eventually go somewhere so I don't really have too much need to worry. But it would be nice if I could just know what I wanted, say it, and then we would go. Easy as that.

I wonder how decisive people live. It must be so nice....

"Home is where the heart is, so your real home's in your chest" - Captain Hammer [Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]

So, yet another day in Burley and I'm spending my time udating my blog. That sounded really negative. It wasn't meant to. Man, I really need to work on my tone ha

I'm watching the edited copy of 17 Again that Brooke's family has. I find it funny that they have an edited copy of this movie. Terminator Salvation, I understand. 17 Again? Not so much....I'm interested to see if I miss anything in this version. Matthew Perry is about to drive off the bridge and turn into Zac Efron....yes! There's nothing I love more than Zac at his comedic-ness. BoyI sure hope that I'm lucky enough to marry a man that I'm as attracted to as Zac.

Once again, sometimes I should just self-edit before I type. Yes, I know there's a delete key but do I want to delete an entire paragaph? No, because then I just feel like I'm erasing all of my hard work (just a little tidbit inside my brain...)

So, we didn't end up going to institute last night, we went into Twin Falls with Brooke's family and went shopping at CostCo and then had dinner at Cafe Rio and then came home, chatted, and watched two episodes of "The Vampire Diaries". Yup - I've introduced Brooke to yet another item of pop culture that really has no real value. At all.

Oh! A difference! This kid just said "toolbag" instead of "douchebag". Hmm.

Well, tonight Brooke, Cara and I are going to make/decorate cakes tonight. I'm pretty excited. It should be a good time. Plus, I think that we're going to be taking them to people they know, so maybe I'll get out and meet some people or something. That could be fun. Maybe.

Well, I'm slowly running out of things to really say, and I'm sure that nobody is actually interested in this part of my life. ha. oh well.

and yet here I am - still typing. Oh well.

"Also, I can kill you with my brian" - River Tam [Firefly]

Well - it has officially begun. My summer. I'm in the good old town of Burley, Idaho visiting Brooke and don't have any school worries. Which is amazing. And strange. I keep thinking that there must be something that needs to be done  - some paper to write, some play to read, some project to finish up - but there isn't. I'm scot free. Woohoo!

Basically, I don't know what to do with myself. Interesting.

Brooke, unfortunately, however works all day today, tomorrow, and Friday so I'm left here to fend for myself while she's gone. She said that maybe one day if it isn't that busy I could come back with her after lunch break and she can show me around and whatnot - but today was not that day. Which is fine. At least this time I have the internet. Last time I was here they didn't have wireless or anything so I didn't have much to do while she was gone. It's so sad that so much of my life depends on a computer and the internet, and when I don't have those I don't know what to do with myself. Well, I guess that's not entirely true cause when I'm at home I have a car and friends and a pool and stuff to keep me busy. But when I'm out here in this precious little town, the internet seems to be my only connection to the world.

I don't mean to sound like a brat. Maybe I don't, but sometimes when I talk about technology and stuff in realtions to other places it could come off that way. It's just not a life I'm used to. And sometimes, I wish it was the way I lived - perfectly content to sit in the quiet, read a book, take a nap, work out, whatnot. But it's just not what I'm used to. Not that I don't like to do those things, I do. It's just...well...

oh boy. I'm just digging a hole. Oh well.

Tonight Brooke and I are going to Institute. That should be exciting. I've only ever been to institute once, and that was in Wales and apparently nobody really showed up so we just played broom hockey and called it a night. This should be an interesting experience. It'll be nice to try something new :)

Speaking of trying something new, from now on the title of my blog posts are going to be quotes from movies and tv, since I watch so much of it. They'll probably try to be related to what the post is about, but not always. Like today's. It's just one that I like that keeps popping into my brain. Thanks to Joss Whedon :D

4.19.10

Well...today is a bittersweet one in my book for sure. I've officially packed up all of my things (well...everything that I'm going to be storing over the summer anyway) and this is my last night in my apartment with my beautiful roommates.

WARNING - This post is about to get pretty sappy and sentimental so...watch out. If you don't want to deal with that then I'd stop reading now lol

I can't believe that I'm not going to be living with these people next year. We're like this perfect melding of personalities and part of me feels like I still haven't gotten as close to certain people in my apartment as I would like. I was a little bit of a recluse during the fall and tended to stick by Kels so I didn't branch out to Ari and Riley and Julie as much as I wish I had - and I've only had this semester with my precious Gera. And now, next year, I'm going to be living so far away from them and I'm scared out of my mind that we're going to drift (anyone who knows me knows I have this inordinate fear of being forgotten and...well...this is not the ideal situation to deal with that fear in). Especially Kels. I've lived with her my entire college experience, and I don't know what I'm going to do without her right next door to me to answer all my questions, scream with, and just be my goofy self with. It makes me really, REALLY sad. Like, I just don't even know what to do with myself.

Each one of the girls in my apartment has touched my life in a way that I never could have imagined, and I've seen them grow and learn as well throughout the year. They're such an integrated part of my life at the moment and moving on from that security blanket it tough for me. But, I want them to know that I love them more than words could ever express and I hope upon hope that don't forget me when I'm gone ;)

Geez, I make it sound like I'm dying or something. No wonder I live my life in the theater department.

My apartment, however, is not the only family that I'm leaving at the moment. And yes, I'm talking about the wonderful, beautiful, talented members of the cast of A Thousand Cranes. What an experience. I've recently been reflecting on it for my final paper for the tour and it's just bringing back a flood of old memories that I had forgotten about. Which is ironic because they aren't even that old. We had a cast party a week ago tomorrow and Richie made this dvd/movie of pictures and video from the entire experience - January-NOW. And I was just reminded of how much I LOVE these people. They may not realize it, but a huge part of my heart was opened and given to them. Like, sometimes I feel silly as to just how much I feel attached to these people. Richie, Cameron, Caitlin, Darla, Anna, Jes and Jon - you have found a special place in my heart and no matter what other shows I do, other people I meet, or casts I'm involved with - noone will ever take your place. You truly have helped this semester become, for me at least, a reign of love <3

Well, this isn't nearly as sappy as I was anticipating, which is good.

ANYWAY I'm way excited for this summer to start. I have so much ahead of me that I can barely contain myself. I was looking back at myself this time last year and I was only 2 months away from GOING TO WALES! And now I've gone and came back and I can't even believe it. And I can't believe that I'm not going back. Sad Day. However, in comparison I'm just as excited now as I was then - which just goes to show that going to Europe can be just as exciting as going home <3

Here's what on my plate for the next couple of months (in no particular order, of course):

EFY Counselor in San Antonio!
Bath & Body Works
Cameron's visiting from England :)
Drive in movies
My high school compadres
Warm weather
Clear blue skies
Reading in the pool
A week in Idaho with Brooke!
A week...somewhere else....with Maddy!
The beach
Singles ward (I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but it's cool)
My brother
My mother
My father
My grandparents
My home <3

Well...I'm off to clean the fridge now. Ohh buddy I've been waiting all day in anticipation to do this. SO EXCITED.

:/

4.12.10

So, Shannon has been going slightly crazy this week. Why you ask? Well, because the semester is ending and everything is due and I have finals. Yup. But, at least I'm all done with classes! Yay! Now, all I have to do is write a bucketload of finals and then it's off to Idaho and then BACK TO TEJAS! YES!

Now, in these times of crunch, as I like to call them, one sometimes needs to take a break/the time to let your brain melt. Because I'm of the philosophy that it's far better for your brain to melt while you're doing something enjoyable, rather then something you need to get a grade for. Am I right?!

WELL my brain-melting obsession lately has been watching bands do covers of other bands songs in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge. Yup. Here are some of my favorites. Please watch them, enjoy, and comment if you please :D :D

Paramore - Use Somebody [Kings of Leon]




Kate Nash - Flourescent Adolescent [Arctic Monkeys]





30 Seconds to Mars - Bad Romance [Lady Gaga]





The Noisettes - When You Were Young [The Killers]





Lily Allen - Naive [The Kooks]





Katy Perry - Electric Feel [MGMT]





Panic! At the Disco - Valerie [The Zutons]

03.06.10

Music. I love it. I've been listening to a lot of it lately. So, I just thought I would take a moment to post some videos of some of my new favorite artists/songs. It's almost like a little window into my soul. After all, it is what occupies my mind during my 20 minute walk to campus (16 if I want to brave the Helaman hill) Oh, you may want to hit pause on my embedded playlist right there on the right if you haven't already. Clashing music is no bueno.

1. Lizstomania, Phoenix Mr. Carl Culley introduced me to the lovely French band, Phoenix, over this last Christmas break. Their 2nd single, 1901, is what's currently popular and you've probably heard it in a car commercial recently. Anyway, this album was nominated for a grammy and I've been listening to it quite often. Enjoy :)


It won't let me embed this one :( so you'll just have to click here...


2. Je m'en vais, Cali I can thank Mr. Cameron Asay for this lovely gem. His name is Cali, he's French, and I just can't stop listening to him! Uh! So good! It's just, well, hard to describe. Take a listen and watch this video. This lovely person even subtitled the French for you, and while that's of no use to you English-only speakers, fellow French speakers will appreciate it :)





3. Come Back Home, Suburban Legends So, Kelsey introduced me to Suburban Legends about a year ago, but I've been listening to them quite a bit lately. They're kinda ska, and there's lot of trumpets and things. It's fun stuff. Here's the video. Not my most favorite song of theirs, but yeah. It's good.





4. Body Language, Jesse McCartney ft. T-Pain Guilty pleasure. No matter what, I will always shout and jump for joy when I hear this song. I just thought you'd like know.





5. My Girls, Animal Collective Beware, this one's long. But I love it.





6. Volcano, Damien Rice I've known about this song for a long time now, but I just recently acquired a lot more of Damien's music. And it's all brilliant and eerie and beautiful. Enjoy volcano ;0) there's a slammin' cello part, btw.





7. Just Wait, Reign of Kindo New Jazz? I think YES.





8. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart), Backstreet Boys So, my roommate Kelsey has been writing a persuasive paper about how much better N*SYNC was then the Backstreet Boys. And while I do love me some N*SYNC, I will forever be a Backstreet girl, hence why I've been listening to them lately. You know you haven't heard this song in years, and you'll laugh your head off once you see them for ever thinking they had fashion sense <3 and that's why we love the 90's. Ladies and gentlemen, Quit Playing Games with My Heart.


Sadly, this one won't embed either. Cliquez-ici.


9. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Rooney I am in love with this cover of the Ramone's Here Today, Gone Tomorrow. It's really quite different from the original, and while I love me some Ramone's - this is amazing. The only 'video' I could find is this song behind clips from the movie "Say Anything" so....you can just press play and then - surf the web or something while you're musically amazed. haha



10. Womanizer, The All-American Rejects So, I've been really into covers lately. And I know, you're thinking "The All-American Rejects covering Britney Spears? What the..." but seriously. If nothing else, it will make you laugh. It makes me laugh, a lot. :) Congrats Tyson Ritter.





Well, I hope you've enjoyed this musical trip into my brain. Comment please! I'd love to hear your thoughts! And to get your recommendations - I always love getting new musics :D

03.02.10

So, Brooke sent me a text message today that contained the following:

True Friendship.

1. When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew.
2. When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.
3. When you smile, I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.
4. When you're scared, we will high tail it out of there.
5. When you're worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.
6. When you're confused, I will use little words.
7. When you're sick, stay away from me.
8. When you fall, I'll pick you up and dust you off - after I laugh my head off!
9. This is my oath. I pledge it to the end. "Why?" You may ask; because you're my friend.

And normally, I really don't like spammy stuff like this, but for some reason this one totally brightened my day.

:)

2.28.10

I can't believe that February is almost over. I mean, it's almost March. Where did this month go?! I don't even understand....oh brother.

Speaking of brothers, my one and only is wicked sick. So, if you have a moment, include him in your prayers. He's spatting with a nasty case of mono so all help is much appreciated :)

So, lately I've been pretty stressed about where to live next year (as in fall/winter). I haven't really thought about it lately, and I was talking to Kelsey the other day about what she was thinking about and she said that her and Riley and Ari had already been looking at places together. Which means that they were looking without me. So, I don't know whether to ask if I can look with them or not, because they already haven't consulted me. Also, the places she told me she was looking at are even further away from campus then Glenwood. Which is fine for all of them because they have cars - not that they drive to campus, but still. So I don't know what to do! I was thinking about looking at places that are close to the HFAC so that I don't have to walk as far (which I don't mind in the summer/spring/most of the fall but is absolute torture in the winter) but I don't have anyone to live with over there. The one person I was thinking about asking was Kendal, but she's going to be doing a field study in Ghana in the fall so she won't be here. She'll be in Ghana. So I don't know what to do! And since I need to sign a contract sometime between now and the end of April.....ew. I guess technically I could wait until the end of spring term (the middle of June) but yeah. I don't know.

Speaking of things I need to do/am stressing about, I have to call good ol' B&BW and see if they will re-hire me and transfer me to the store at the University Mall so that I can work during the spring. Also, I would have to get a bus pass so that I can get to work whenever they schedule me, since I don't have a car and can't always rely on roommates to take me to work. How rude. Also, I want to save up to get a car over the summer, but since I didn't apply for scholarships for next year (CAUSE I'M DUMB) I might just have to save so that I can afford to come back to school in the fall. Oy vay. Now I'm just spiraling into stress. Brilliant.

2.15.10

So, for the first time in my life, I had Valentine's plans! Which is ironic because they were made not knowing that the day we had planned on was Valentine's day. Last Wednesday Ben and I were talking about how much we liked Jewish food, and matzo ball soup came up. i asked if he knew how to make it/had a recipe and he said no, but I said that I did so we made plans to make soup and watch Annie Hall (in honor of great Jews) on Sunday. We later realized that it was Valentine's day. Funny, isn't it? 

So, Ben came over at like 3 yesterday and I grabbed all the ingredients and we headed over to his place to start cooking! We got it all done and, miraculously, it was yummy! Then we watched Annie Hall and Scoop (thank heaven for Woody Allen) and it was an all-around great day. Here are some pictures of our little adventure :D

Ben dishing out some soup into his bowl

Ben approves of the soup! Yay!

My delicious bowl of matzo :D

1.31.10 B

A Thousand Cranes opens in 2 days!! Holy cow! My life has just been a whirlwind of rehearsal leading up to this point, and I don't really know what to say/think about it. This first thing to say would probably be that I'm terrified. I don't feel ready, I want another 20 years of rehearsal (ok, maybe not that much, but a week would be nice) I would like my costumes to fit, I would like to not have to wear leggings onstage, I would like to know what the heck we're going to be doing exactly at the workshop, and I would like for the cast to be more solidly memorized. Oi vay.

However.

We do have a really awesome show. If we can pull everything together into a seamless performance for tuesday, whenever I know that like a ton of people are coming to see it, then I would feel much more at ease. But not any less proud. I am bursting with joy at the fact that I'm a part of this fabulous production. I know that the Lord's hand has been involved in making this whole process come together, especially in terms of our partnership with Topaz, and therefore I know that he will be involved in making this production fall together.....tomorrow. I know he can do it. I just don't know if I can. Oi vay.

1.31.10 A

Julien: Tu sais qu'il y avait quelques trucs que tu m'as jamais demandé?

Sophie: Comme?

Julien: Manger des fourmis, insulter des chômeurs...t'aimer comme un fou. 

So, I just finished watching a French film entitled, "Jeu D'enfants" or "Love Me if You Dare" and have mixed emotions on it. However, the more I think about it, the more I'm coming believe that I really liked it. The cinematography is beautiful - the colors were something that I felt really made the film. During their childhood, the colors are bright and the frames are a little fuzzy and 'disillusioned', and as they grow older and older the colors fade and the focus becomes sharper. Yann Samuell (the director) chose to break the film into four segments: "Game," "Set," "Match," and "Dare of Dares," which I loved. I felt like each segment grew progressively darker and, since the viewer is frequently aligned with the 'victim' Sohpie/Julien's surprise becomes your surprise. Also, the story is different and clever and something that I don't think would have done well in America. From the time they're kids, Julien and Sophie engaged in a  battle of one-upmanship: if one of them hands a brightly colored candy tin to the other and makes a dare, the recipient is bound to honor it, not matter what the cost. Ultimately the childhood game becomes a mutual infatuation that binds them for life, and they have to choose between playing the game, or following their hearts. However, I will warn that it's not a happy-go-lucky romantic comedy. It left me surprised, excited, scared, and haunter. Brilliant. 

I guess I don't have mixed feelings. haha.

More News!

Topaz in The Daily Universe!

The dark history behind Utah’s Topaz camp

By Samantha Shirley

 - Mon, 01/25/2010 - 22:34

Two hours south of Provo near the town of Delta is a 42-block plot that once housed as many as 8,130 Japanese internees during World War II.

The 19,800-acre site of the Topaz Internment Camp is now barren, but the cement foundations of many of the buildings can still be seen, along with the occasional tea cup, lipstick tube or pile of nails.

The camp, originally called the Central Utah Relocation Center, was open from 1932-1945. U.S. Citizens of Japanese descent were forced to relocate to the camp, mostly from the San Francisco Bay area.

The Japanese people at the camp were born both in the United States and in Japan, but many had been in the country for generations and two-thirds of the internees were American citizens.

Jane Beckwith, a Delta resident and driving force behind preserving the camp, said many of the people at the camp had lost everything. Their bank accounts were frozen, and many came with almost nothing.

The internment camp is on a huge expanse of flat land that was once the bottom of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. The desert area can get both very cold and very hot, and the wind blows mercilessly. The ground is light clay.

“When it gets wet it’s sticky like crazy,” Beckwith said.

In an effort to make the area more livable, small rocks were hauled in and placed on the ground, making it easier to walk on than the clay. Many used larger rocks to form rock gardens and meticulously-placed walkways.

The internees also created ponds and ornamental gardens in an effort to make the camp their home and try to find joy and peace in a very difficult situation.

Residences in Topaz fit up to 20 people. Thirty-four blocks of the camp were for residences, with 12 barracks each, plus a recreation hall and a laundry building with bathroom, shower and toilet facilities. There was no heat or air conditioning and Beckwith said the residences didn’t get screens on the windows for more than a year.

According to the National Park Service Web site, the internment camp was well guarded, with sentry posts at each entrance, seven watch towers, a fence around the perimeter and a military police compound.

The government spent 43 cents per day on each person in the camp and the food they were served was sub-par. Beckwith said they felt as if they were being fed liver and tripe.

The internees cared for vegetable gardens as well, but climate and soil conditions made it difficult for plants to grow. The government had hoped to make the camp self-sufficient through the use of gardens, but it never happened.

“The gardens, they’re not great … but people were trying to find some sort of beauty in a harsh environment,” Beckwith said.

 Topaz has not always been well-known, but it became a National Historic landmark in 2007 with a lot of help and a grant from the National Park Service, Beckwith said.

Even though Japanese Americans were targeted during World War II, many still continued with a strong love for the United States. Many young Japanese men fought for America in the war, and a picture of a plaque at the Topaz site shows mothers with their sons:

“Gold star mothers, incarcerated behind barbed wire, welcome home their U.S. veteran sons – while at the same time, mourn for sons lost, fighting for America.”

The cause for the internment camps across America is not simple. Beckwith said Japanese people weren’t brought to internment camps just because of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

“The U.S. had been actively and covertly fostering a type of racism against the Japanese,” Beckwith said. “I don’t think America can ever afford to do that again.”

A Thousand Cranes!!

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Young Company's "A Thousand Cranes" Feb. 2-13 celebrates peace

Brigham Young University’s Young Company will present a theatre for young audiences production of “A Thousand Cranes,” an award-winning true story of hope and love by Kathryn Shultz Miller, Feb. 2-13, at 7 p.m. in the Nelke Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center.

Two Saturday matinees are planned for Feb. 6 and 13 at 2 and 4 p.m. There will be no performances Sunday or Monday. Ticket prices range from $6 to $11 and can be purchased online at byuarts.com, by phone at (801) 422-4322 or in person at the Harris Fine Arts Center Ticket Office.

“A Thousand Cranes” tells the story of Sadako, a 12-year-old Japanese girl who, 10 years after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII, discovers that she has radiation sickness. While in the hospital she learns of a legend of 1,000 paper cranes and begins folding. She hopes that in completing 1,000 cranes, the gods will grant her one wish: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.”

The production was also inspired by artist Miné Okubo’s belief that “time mellows the harsh and the grim, but it does not erase it.” Okubo was a former detainee in TOPAZ, a Japanese American WWII internment camp in Utah. Okubo’s idea embodies the connection between the WWII victims in the Utah desert and those in the play’s story, according to director Julia Ashworth.

“As Okubo suggests, time brings the encouraging possibility of moving forward and finding hope, but it also allows the discouraging possibility of forgetting,” Ashworth said. “Our production honors this idea as we embrace our own responsibility as citizens to remember such events, and our responsibility as artists to help others to remember, or discover, too.”

Along with the production, BYU’s Department of Visual Arts will host an exhibition featuring 123,000 origami cranes, which represent all those who were in detained in the U.S. internment camps. It will also include artwork by Chiura Obata and other artists who lived in Utah’s TOPAZ Camp. The exhibition will run through Feb. 15 in the Harris Fine Arts Center’s B. F. Larsen Gallery.

There will be a pre-performance reception Thursday, Feb. 4, at 5:30 p.m. featuring special guests, speakers and musicians, including BYU political science professor Byron Daynes, who teaches a course on the TOPAZ Internment Camp; Jane Beckwith, board member of the TOPAZ Museum in Delta; Michelle Reed, co-pilot of the 123,000 crane project; Ty Imamura, a descendent of Sadako’s family, who also had an uncle in the TOPAZ Internment Camp; and musicians Hatsumi Bryant and Kimiko Osterloh, who will play the Koto, a traditional Japanese instrument. The public is welcome to attend.

The Young Company consists of faculty and students who combine their talents to bring theatre art to elementary school students. Cast members include Shannon Hensley as Sadako, as well as Cameron Asay, Caitlin Cotton, Richie Uminski, Darla Jones, Anna Hargadon, Jon Low and Jes Griffin.

The theater production team includes stage manager Amy Cloud and cultural consultant Ai Yasufuku.

The production is sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Media Arts. For more information, contact Julia Ashworth at (801) 422-4539 or at julia_ashworth@byu.edu.