Arts, Culture, and Exploration

I've been a very busy bee lately... I'm trying to fit in as many sites/attractions before my time in Rhode Island is up. We have had gorgeous weather the past two weekends, so I was able to do some exploring. I'll start with telling you about my Saturday in Providence and Boston (two weekends ago).

After a breakfast of fresh orange juice and Mini Spooners (the generic version of Frosted Mini Wheats... I actually think they are better than the brand... the cereal is much crunchier and has more frosting), I headed down to Providence to do some exploring. Both Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) are in downtown Providence in the College Hill district. Thanks to Rhode Island Monthly's weekly communication about upcoming events in the area, I learned that RISD was having several free activities on Saturday to compliment a new exhibit in the RISD Museum.

The Carrie Tower on Brown's campus reminds me of the clock tower at Purdue (When I was an RA on the eighth floor at Shreve, I had an amazing view of the tower... so many great memories from Purdue!). On the bottom of the tower is an inscription that reads, "Love is strong as death." (Kind of creepy if you ask me!)

The Van Winkle gates mark the entrance to Brown University. According to Mitchell in the Brown Encyclopedia, "They are opened inward to admit students at the beginning of the college year and at the beginning of the second semester and on Commencement Day are opened outward to allow the procession to pass through, at which time the graduates traditionally doff their caps."

The students frequently have art fairs to showcase and/or sell their work... I bought a pair of dangly, gold earrings that are made from aluminum cans.

This is a picture of the featured exhibit at the museum. Maybe it's just me, but I don't get it. I drew things like this in kindergarten, and no one called it art, framed it, or paid money for it. (If you can't tell, the drawing is made up of cross-hatches and scribbles. There was another piece of "art" where the artist had drawn a square and filled it repeatedly with the alphabet. (It's a good thing I waited until the museum was free to attend; otherwise I think I might have felt ripped off.)

How about this for an admissions building?

I climbed the fire escape (don't worry... it had stairs and was somewhat sturdy) and took this picture of the city skyline. (Okay, so the trees are blocking most of the buildings, but I thought it was an interesting point of view.)

A church sits at the bottom of College Hill- doesn't this look like it belongs on a postcard?

I thought this was a charming old building... I love the name--"What Cheer Garage"

After RISD experience, I headed into Boston for another cultural experience. A couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and purchased a GPS (tax return + amazing deal at Target = can't miss opportunity), which made it MUCH easier to a) navigate through the city and b) find parking. I can't believe I didn't own one of these earlier this year, but there are two sides to every story. I did get lost quite a bit, but without a GPS, you really get to know your way around an area. After a quick dinner (and changing in Uno's bathroom), I went to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. About a month ago I received a notice (I am on so many list serves- you wouldn't believe it) that they were having a sale on tickets this spring. If you were under 40 years old, you could buy 2 tickets for $20 each (that tells you what the crowd is like), as long as you could show identification when you picked up the tickets. I didn't find out my seat location until I picked them up (they don't tell you), but I was in the fifth row!!! I loved being at the symphony... the music was beautiful and the backdrop was breathtaking (plus, who doesn't love to get dressed up?). The original featured violinist was unable to make the performance (he was stuck in Europe because of the ash cloud), but I was delighted to learn that there was a French horn soloist instead. For those of you who don't know, I played the French horn for 5 years (middle and high school). Learning to play a musical instrument is something I believe every child should have the opportunity to try- it teaches discipline, hard work, responsibility, teamwork, and an appreciation of the arts.

Here is a picture of the inside of the symphony hall... I wasn't allowed to take pictures, but I'm not sure my camera would even have the capacity or I would have had the angle for you to appreciate it. (Photo from the BSO website)

I did manage to sneak a picture of the light fixtures on the ceiling....

...And another one of my view of the stage (no zoom involved!)

I'm going to do my best to make a Boston Pops concert before I move back home, too--I'm just going to miss their July 4 show (I leave the day before), but I'm sure they are just as good any other weekend (and probably less expensive!).

Let Me Go Home...

Sometimes it's easier for me to pick a song to express how I'm feeling rather than try to write it all down myself. Here are the lyrics to one of my favorite Michael Buble songs, "Home."

Another summer day

Has come and gone away

In Paris and Rome

But I wanna go home

Mmmmmmmm

May be surrounded by

A million people I

Still feel all alone

Just wanna come home

Oh, I miss you, you know

And I’ve been keeping all the letters

That I wrote to you

Each one a line or two

“I’m fine baby, how are you?”

Well, I would send them but I know

That it’s just not enough

My words were cold and flat

And you deserve more than that

Another aeroplane

Another sunny place

I’m lucky I know

But I wanna go home

Mm, I’ve got to go home

Let me go home...

I’m just too far

from where you are

I wanna come home

And I feel just like I’m living someone else’s life

It’s like I just stepped outside

When everything was going right

And I know just why you could not

Come along with me

That this was not your dream

But you always believed in me

Another winter day

Has come and gone away

In even Paris and Rome

And I wanna go home

Let me go home

And I’m surrounded by

A million people I

Still feel alone

Oh, let me go home

Oh, I miss you, you know

Let me go home...I’ve had my run
Baby, I’m done

I gotta go home

Let me go home...

It'll all be all right

I’ll be home tonight

I’m coming back home

Dancing With Myself

Today I have been unusually productive... I deep-cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed down the bathroom, finished piles of laundry in my room, wrote five cards, and put a dent in the stack of papers on my desk. You might wonder, "Why has Sarah been so productive today?" I was thinking the same thing when it hit me...

The music! I had put on iPod on my soundock and started a playlist full of songs that I love to sing along to when I'm working. I first made the playlist when I went over to Monica's new house to help her paint. (The title of the playlist is "Monica." So creative.) I wanted to include songs that most people would know and love (not that I mind singing by myself, I do that all the time). I've never been the greatest singer... I'm frequently off-pitch, can't control my volume, and occassionally mumble through some of the words. I always wanted to be better at singing growing up, but it just wasn't something built into my genes. But I think I do one thing that is more important than anything else... I always sing with my heart. (A little sappy, I know, but it's true.)

Here are some of the songs I was belting out in my apartment:

• Counting Crows- Mr. Jones
• Billy Joel- Uptown Girl
• Billy Idol- Dancing with Myself
• Bob Seger- Old Time Rock N' Roll
• Tom Petty- Runnin' Down a Dream
• The Police- Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
• The Beatles- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
• Simon and Garfunkel- Cecilia
• Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Nowhere to Run
• Mr. Big- To Be With You
• Cyndi Lauper- Time After Time
• Maroon Five- This Love
• Aha- Take on Me
• Rick James- Super Freak
• Michael Bolton- How Can We Be Lovers
• Michael Jackson- Thriller
• Toto- Hold the Line
• Paolo Nutini- New Shoes

Does anyone remember the movie "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids?" There's a scene in the movie where the older sister in the family is cleaning the kitchen and singing into the broom, only to find out that her cute neighbor is watching her. If you know me, I'm sure you can see me singing into a broom, too.

Hanging Tough, Staying Hungry

A few weeks ago I was in the car on the way home from lunch with Debbie and a rotation student, Sean, just chatting and listening to the radio. I don't remember what the song was, but somehow we ended up talking about personal theme songs. Without even the slightest of hestiation, I told them that my theme song has always been "Eye of the Tiger," one of the songs from Rocky. (Also, gotta love "Gonna Fly Now"). No matter what kind of mood I'm in, hearing that song always gets me pumped up.

Who doesn't want to run/train/exercise after seeing this?

Background: Every year before the fall semester starts at Purdue, freshman have the option of going back a week early to participate in an orientation week called Boiler Gold Rush. All week there are different events, including shows, social activities, and opportunities to meet people from all over campus. (I'm not really doing it justice, but you get the idea.) Different residence halls (aka dorm) pair up and fight against other pairs to be the most spirited, creative, and enthusiastic team on campus. As you can imagine, this was right up my ally. (So much so that I got involved and was a leader of a group of freshman the next year.) Every group generally comes up with a theme to rally around for the whole week. Shreve and Earhart's theme in the fall of 2003 was.... (wait for it)..... Rocky. I ran around singing the theme song and punching the air for an entire week, and it was the time of my life. I was so excited to be at Purdue and be on my own... I was ready to take on the world. I had never been so excited to be anywhere in my life. (Not that I've changed much in six years, but if you were there, you know what I mean.)

Despite loving the whole underdog theme of the series, I have never actually seen any of the Rocky movies. So when Balboa came on the tv tonight, even though I was planning on going to bed early, I couldn't say no. (Note: I actually cancelled my cable over a month ago. The cable company's customer service is just so good that they decided to giving me cable tv for free.) People say the first movie was the best, so I'll have to watch that one sometime in the near future.

Either I need to be a pro with my camera's timer or have someone help me, but I definitely need a picture of myself doing this, dont you think?

I am writing this while watching it (only during commercials, of course), and they've been having a few facts before some of the parts of the movie. Sylvester Stallone, at 60 years of age, actually did most of the fighting himself. (Click here for some trivia on the 1976 Rocky movie.) While I was watching the part of the movie where he is training, I seriously contemplated going for a run, but since it was already almost midnight, I decided that probably wasn't the best idea.

If you're like me, you love to sing at the top of your lungs with the windows down on the highway. When you are doing this, it doesn't matter if you don't know all of the words. (I usually mumble through some of them on quite a few songs. I mean, it can be really hard to tell what they are saying!) However, for your sake (and mine), I''ll include the lyrics to Eye of the Tiger.

Until tomorrow, don't trade your passion for glory.

Eye of the Tiger

Risin' up, back on the street

Did my time, took my chances

Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet

Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast

You trade your passion for glory

Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past

You must fight just to keep them alive

Chorus:

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger

Face to face, out in the heat

Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry

They stack the odds 'til we take to the street

For the kill with the skill to survive

Chorus

Risin' up, straight to the top

Had the guts, got the glory

Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive

Chorus

The eye of the tiger...