Plans

Things go wrong.  Babies get born.  Babies get not born.  People live.  People die.  Plans go well.  Others don't.  Sometimes what we set out to do goes exactly how we want it do.  Often it doesn't.  Life goes on.  Life doesn't go on.  It is near impossible to always predict things accurately.  Life is spontaneous.  We might get scared.  We might get happy.  Knowing that we will be happy might not lead to happiness.  Roll with the punches.  Life goes on.  Let it keep going.

~another musing of the ill-informed~

The Fault in our Stars

Gosh I hate John Green.  I was just on a stint of being happy and at peace and then I have to go read The Fault in our Stars and get all depressed-like.  The book is about people with cancer who end up meeting and are interested in each other after a long series of plot development who go to Amsterdam together but are quickly pulled back into the harsh reality the life is terminal.  Not that they ever lost that realization.  But at least they could not think about it.  Which helps.

Like any other John Green book for me, it is terribly depressing because it talks about subjects that make me depressed.  So there you go.  John Green: Great author, absolutely horrid for my emotional health.  The Fault in our Stars? 9 flowing tears out of 10.

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Have Not Posted Here in A While

I think I should start doing this again.  I have been thinking and reading a lot with much more time now.  I think I might also finish posting from the Europe trip that happened in April.  So long ago.  So right now I am trying to upgrade in refereeing which is being annoying right now.  Humans are so nonmalleable.

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Europe Trip 01.04.12 7:22 PM Sunday

Our first performance today was at a church right on Old Town Square.  The church was quite nice, but for some reason the choir was not singing at its best.  Probably a combination of singing in the morning, not watching the director, and not being technically correct with the actual singing.  It was not a very nice feeling.

Our band at the stand at Old Town Square.  Sorry about that color guard flag there...

Right after the service we went to the church we used last night and changed into our band uniforms.  Before the performance, I thought the residents of Prague would be upset at us playing loudly in the middle of their city.  It was completely the opposite!  At least as far as I know.  We had people following us from where we warmed up to the Easter Market.  They loved us!  We've been in parades before, but you haven't been in a Parade until you march on cobbled streets and sidewalks, people pressing on both sides taking pictures, and having to dodge objects and holes all over the place.  It was SO crazy!  The most rewarding experience by far on this trip.

The band marching away from the square

Spent the rest of the day getting lost, getting unlost, then getting lost again all over the city.  Really didn't have anything to do.  Just like I'm doing right now.  Waiting to get fed, guten Nacht.

Playing around with light on my camera in Old Town Square

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Europe Trip 31.03.12 11:26 PM Saturday

First full day in Prague.  It was quite a day.  There is an Easter Market in Prague, so there are many stalls in the Old Town Square, a pedestrian only zone near the Vltava, or Moldau, River.

A view of beautiful Prague

This guy was either really drunk or his horse had a bladder problem

We started the day with a tour starting at the Castle District, going across the Charles Bridge, and ending at Old Town Square.  The tour was alright.  It had some great views of the city from the castle and the buildings had a dark feel to them in general.  After the tour, we went to a restaurant our guide recommended near the square.  I had a Moravian Sparrow, a meat dish served with red and white cabbage, potato dumplings with bacon, and bread.  Also had ginger ale, and it was the best ginger ale I ever had, it actually tasted like it had ginger in it.

This guy amused me, he stayed so still...

After that, we walked around a bit, looking in stores and stalls until our performance at a church near the square.  The performance was alright, but the acoustics were great!  We then walked to dinner which consisted of soup, meat on mashed potatoes, and a nut cake.  After getting to the hotel and getting all of the clothes ready for tomorrow, I started prank calling other people from our group on the hotel phones and talking to them in German.  They have no idea what's going on!

Sunbear eatin' some foods!

Tomorrow is April Fool's Day.  We have a church service and a parade at the square.  For reals. After that we plan to only talk in incomplete sentences to the staff on the trip.  It will hopefully be very interesting.




~another musing of the ill-informed~

Europe Trip 31.03.12 7:13 AM Saturday

Dinner last night was a buffet, so lots of food.  Not that I mind only eating a little bit.  Though the Europeans we saw did have quite a bit of food.  After dinner went to my room.  Sometime after that I fell asleep.  I slept past room check.  Them when I woke up after that I kept asking if we had room check yet.  I was pretty tired I guess.  Hotel wifi is REALLY bad.  You can stand right in front of the router and not get any signal.  Like I said, REALLY bad.

This morning the clock/alarm provided a bloodcurdling chirp that awoke my entire room at once.  We were quite annoyed. :O So we took showers and went to breakfast.  Nobody from our group was there yet, at least we couldn't see anyone.  So I think we ended up eating in the wrong room.  Oops.  I am pretty sure I heard one person remark, "Those stupid Americans!"  Not quite as stupid as they think, I am sure.  Anyway, the food was good, they had real apple juice instead of water in the apple juice thing like at dinner last night.  I really like the meats over here, they seem more substantial than stuff in the states.

A beautiful view of sunlight sneaking through the clouds taken from the castle

Currently watching German TV.  I think that most people here will be able to speak German and sometimes English, as well as the local language which is close to but definitely not Polish.  Was watching a cartoon version of the Jungle Book!  Sehr gut!  And now I'm watching a comedy about I guy who likes to pretend he does different jobs.  Hilarious!  Today we have a tour of the Castle District and then a performance at a church off of the Old Town Square.  Wiedersehen!

A view of the castle from a bridge over the Vltava (Moldau)

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Europe Trip 30.03.12 3:26 PM Friday

In our room at the Hotel Duo in Prague, Czech Republic.  I cannot read anything here!  Too many consonants!

AHHH! Consonants!

Sunbear in front of a building outside the hotel

We departed from Frankfurt a little late for an hour-long flight.  That was a doozy.  Pretty much liftoff, lunch, prepare for landing, all in rapid sequence.  It was quite fun.  Got of the plane (in Prague!) and had to get luggage (what a tedious process!), then get everyone in our group together, and then got on the busses to the hotel.  The tour director was on our bus and explained a few things to us, though I don't think anyone was awake to hear it.  We were all so tired.  Finally got to our room and unpacked.  Walked around then FINALLY took a shower.  Feel so good now.  Some kids were playing frisbee outside and I am now watching German TV.  Fascinating!  I am not even sure how they say goodbye in the Czech Republic (not even sure what language they speak. Maybe Polish?), so for now, wiedersehen!

EPIC FRISBEE!

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Europe Trip 30.03.12 8:41 AM Frankfurt Time Friday

Wow.  That was a long flight.  But I suppose it was alright for not being on a plane since I was 6.  I got stuck next to a German man who was used to being largely postured, pushing me and Sunbear nearly out of our seat.

Sunbear on the plane

As for the inflight entertainment, it was incredibly boring.  My entertainment consisted of me listening to Bartok, watching other peoples' movies, and watching the map of our flight path on my own screen.  This reminded me of the Indiana Jones map scenes, prompting me to think and hum the theme.

Doo doo doot doo! Doo doo doo!

Didn't really sleep too much on the plane because of the really bright screens on the back of peoples' seats and people named DEREK MCBLANE being really annoying (Names may have or may NOT have been changed).  So I'm sitting here at Frankfurt Airport waiting for the connecting flight to Prague.  One hour to go for what I think will be essentially takeoff and then get ready to land.  See you in Prague.

Sunbear on the plane at Frankfurt

(Btw, first time I've been in a foreign country)
(That is, other than America)

Tchuess!

The dress on that woman on the toilet sign is quite revealing!

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Europe Trip 29.03.12 14:42 Thursday

Waiting by the gate right now for boarding to begin.  Some German person next to me sneezed.  Gesundheit!  The short while before we get to the Czech Republic that I even know what language they're speaking. (German)

After the two hour bus ride to Newark, had a whale of a time getting boarding passes, going through security, and checking baggae.  That last part had a little bit of a snag.  They wanted me to keep my mellophone with me on the plane, but it was supposed to be checked.  After only a slight bit of consternation, everything was sorted out and my instrument was on its way down the conveyor belt.

Well I guess me and sunbear will try to rest before our 17:25 flight.  Haven't been on a plane since I was six, so I don't quite remember what to expect.  Until then, as the German people next to me said, "Tchuess!"

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Back From Europe

Just got back from Europe last night, so I will start uploading a journal and pictures from the trip starting tonight.  See you then!

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Finally!

By this time tomorrow I will hopefully be in Prague, Czech Republic.  I guess I still don't want to get too excited.  I will be putting up pictures of the legendary Sunbear and keeping a journal of his adventures (and mine as well).  Can't wait until we get there!

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Going to Europe on Thursday!!!

I love trying not to get excited about stuff.  I guess I just have so much going on right now that I don't really have time to think about things that are going to happen.  I like that.  Because if I get excited, I get REALLy excited.  Well, I'm just about packing and making final preparations.  Look for pictures in the next week with the star, SUNBEAR!!!  I still need to get him though...

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Streak of Procrastination VANQUISHED!!!

As I said I would, despite the not so good weather, I took pictures today!  And, in a rare show of nonprocrastinativity, I've uploaded them to the computer!  And will even post them here right now!  The same day!

Hopefully more forthcoming.  Enjoy!

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Taking Pictures

I really need to stop procrastinating.  But it is SO much FUN!!!  Anyway,  the trees and flowers have started to bloom and they look very nice and I need to go out and take pictures, but I am far too lazy to do this.  So I think I will do it tomorrow.  Take a good walk and take a lot of pictures.  Which I will then post on this site.  What a good plan!  Except I procrastinated too much last year and the flowers started turning brown and icky.  Let's hope that doesn't happen tomorrow, I really need to get outside!

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Fantasy

The best fantasy writers must be completely immersed in the world that they create.  They must be able to live and breath it whenever they are writing.  Only then will their world make sense and not have huge jumps in plot and details.  The fantasy writer must become like an actor, placing themselves in their world that they and only they can understand.  The best actor becomes that which they portray.  As the fantasy writer must live in their world in order to portray it accurately.  You can tell when a fantasy writer has worked well on their tale: when the reader understands exactly what happened and why.  And no huge surprises.  You cannot invent methods at the end of the story.  That is an author just trying to bring closure incompletely.  It doesn't work because it doesn't make sense.  And that is not cool, not matter what.

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Spring is almost sort of here!

The bulbs outside my house are getting ready to bloom!  I hope they don't flower when I'm in Europe.  That would be disappointing.  I hope they come up when I'm here, then I can get some AWESOME pictures.  I'm very excited for this...

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Doing Nothing

I enjoy not having to do anything, just being there, doing there, having a there moment.  When you don't have to be anywhere, do anything, say anything.  And that happens so little in our society because of time.  The thing that tells you what to do even if you don't care.  You must sleep.  You must wake up.  Always moving, talking, doing.  No stop.  Sometime...

~another musing of the ill-informed~

The quiet place

I enjoy quiet places when they are not usually quiet.  The large hall where people bustle around and there is general chaos that is silent.  I like to jump around and make a fool out of myself and just not care what is going on, just being there.  I guess it is sort of parallel to the silent party in the high level government building in Saga by Conor Kostick where everyone plays music on their headphones and dances with no sound.  That kind of thing.  Sort of thumbing your nose at everybody.

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Festival is over

Just came back from a chorus festival.  SOOO tired!  It was alright I suppose.  I always enjoy the German songs.  They just seem so much fun for me.  What I don't get is why people like the stereotypical big man bass sound.  And everybody can do it.  If I wanted to, I could do it.  It is just so much more aurally pleasing to have that lighter more mobile sound.  It doesn't work if you want to do fast long runs or stuff that is more technical.  I just don't get it sometimes.

~another musing of the ill-informed~

Talking is an inefficient way to communicate

People can't listen to each other.  They don't listen or don't care about what other people are saying or just can't comprehend it.  What is more efficient?  Not sure.  Can we speed up the speed of thought?  How fast do you think?  How fast is fast?  Can you change the speed of thought?  This is something I could get into I think.

~another musing of the ill-informed~