Ode to Harry

With the depressing reality that the Harry Potter era is now over, I decided to post my thoughts and feelings of a decade with my favorite wizards...

Once upon a time, I had never heard of Harry Potter until the first movie came out.  Didn't I mention I hated reading?  I did.  Maybe that's why I had never heard of these books.  My dear friends Melissa and Carrie would quote the movie ALL THE TIME as we scooted our way to seminary.  I remember them telling me what it was about... a wizard in modern times, but it's sort of medieval... set in England.  This was my thought... "that sounds SO STUPID."

I now eat my words.

My mom suggested we go see the movie in the dollar theater because it was so popular.  Whatever.  We went.  I'm pretty sure I didn't blink and I probably drooled with my mouth open the whole time.  I asked for the books.  ME!  I wanted to read a book!  My mom bought me the first three in paper back thinking I would never read them.  Well, for those of you that know me... the rest is history...  I devoured them. I DID read them a time or two... I actually have lost count how many times I've read the whole series.  Many.  From then on it was midnight book parties and movie premieres, endless conversations with other crazies waiting for years on end for their Hogwarts letter to arrive.  Maybe the owl got intercepted.  Anyway, I was most upset to be gone on my mission when the 4th and 5th movies came out... as well as book 7.  I KNOW!  Book 7!  It was tragic.  But, I managed to get home without hearing anything.

Fast forward several years.  Here we are just after the last movie came out.  I'm very sad that there's nothing else to look forward to in the series, but I'm happy to say that I stuck with Harry until the very end.  Now, the movies... I know the movies aren't perfect.  I will be the first to laugh at Daniel Radcliffe's AWFUL fake crying in Prisoner of Azkaban.  Or to quote the lovely Emma Watson's overly dictioned lines in the first four.  A few quarks aside... I LOVE the movies.  I have accepted they just aren't the books.  They're different... and I love them both.

Leading up to this last movie premiere, I decided that I wanted to re-read the entire series.  I thought it was a fitting way of finishing off the whole thing.  School ended.  I started reading.  I only got halfway through Goblet of Fire before I left for Europe (posts still coming).  Luckily, Tesha had it with her, so I finished it there.  However, when I got back, I had precisely nine days to read the last three books and plan an epic party for the premiere night.  Between reading and planning... I basically only thought of Harry for the entire week leading up to the movie.  It was crunch time.  I started reading Deathly Hallows the day before and got through the first movie's material.  Thus, the day it all ended... July 14 (well 15 technically at midnight), I read the part from Shell Cottage to the end.  I read the epilogue in the car on the way to set up for the party.  I finished and it was marvelous.  

I love these books so much.  They helped me to like reading.  They took me to another world.  They drove my imagination to new heights.  They inspired me.  So, to cap off my experience with the famed wizard, I will now reveal my favorite inspirational quotes from the series. I'm sure there's other nuggets of wisdom... I was reading the books to enjoy them, not JUST to write down my favorite quotes. And since I read them so fast, 6 and 7 are severely under-represented because I'm sure there's goodies there.  Maybe I'll just go read them again... 

Sorcerer's Stone (or Philosopher's Stone for you Brits)

"Ah, music... a magic beyond all we do here." 

-Dumbledore  p. 128

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that." 

-Dumbledore  p. 214

"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

-Dumbledore  p. 297

Chamber of Secrets

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -Dumbledore  p. 333

Goblet of Fire

"...it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!" 

-Dumbledore  p. 708

"...we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided."

 -Dumbledore  p. 723

"Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy..." -Dumbledore  p. 724

Order of the Phoenix

"Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels.  But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young..." -Dumbledore  p. 826

Notice, Dumbledore says everything worthwhile.  Now, I just have to wait to have kids to read them to...

P.S. I thought 7.2 was AMAZING!  It was SO epic and magical.  There were so many moments that brought it all home.  Everyone was there.  John William's music reminded us of how far we've come.  Can I just say McGonagall and Neville ROCK!  And how about the world's most uncomfortable hug?  LOVED IT!!!  

Sorry for the world's longest post, but if you didn't like it, you wouldn't have read it all.  Mischief Managed!

The Essence of Control

It's been awhile since I watched So You Think You Can Dance because I haven't had TV and they just recently started posting episodes online.  Last night I watched the first few episodes of the current season and stumbled into this little masterpiece.  If you haven't seen it... it's GORGEOUS!  These two dancers are so good.  They have so much control over what they're doing, but it looks so effortless.  I've watched it like 8 times.  Please enjoy  Melanie and Marko.... they are my favorites now.  I can't even handle how awesome this is.

P.S.  Look forward to some blogs about my recent trip to EUROPE!

Whipped Cream Theory

The other day, I went to a party complete with serve-your-own strawberry shortcake.  It got me thinking about whipped cream and I have a theory I'd like to share...

I'm pretty sure everyone likes whipped cream... a lot.  It's SO tasty and makes many desserts worth eating.  Let's be honest... would you even eat strawberry shortcake without it?  I doubt it.  To me, the more the merrier with whipped cream.  The more of it, the happier I am.  However, we all know it's not the best thing for you, so we're afraid to get how much whipped cream we want for fear of being judged.  So, whenever we serve ourselves whipped cream, we put as much on as we think we can get away with before being mocked by others.  

Occasionally, you can get away with an.... "Oops!   That was too much!  Oh well!"  You can't do that too many times though or people will catch on.  Why must we feel like social outcasts for serving the amount of delightful, whipped topping we actually want?  A challenge: next time you eat something with whipped cream... dish up as much as you want and don't worry about being judged.  You might get mocked, but YOUR dessert will taste better than theirs.

The Job Hunt Begins

Summer is here again!  I have mixed feelings.  Of COURSE I love the sun, swimming, no homework and the like... not that Utah is making that possible this year.... The drawback?  I'm pretty sure this might be my third or maybe fourth summer without a steady job.  Lame-o.  I'm a fun guy.  I work hard.  I'm capable.  True, I always have to ditch the job for a month every summer, but is that REALLY a good reason not to hire someone so willing and in need of souvenir money.... I mean rent money?  Why is finding a job so awful and hard.  It feels like this...

How pleasant.  When I rule the world.... there will be lots of jobs, bosses will hire the most qualified people (not people with connections), people will respond back promptly, and companies won't want you to work on the weekend.  Does anyone doubt I'm a business major NOW?!  Well, I do... but that's beside the point.  My professors would love that I blogged about "the job hunt".  Just don't tell them I don't actually like dressing up and having awkward questions fired at me.  You ask who does?  I will direct your attention to the Marriott School.

Dreaming...

I've been thinking a lot lately about where my life is going.  I have no idea what I want to do when I grow up.  There's so much that is uncertain.  I have big dreams.  I want my life to be incredible.  Do I really HAVE to be practical?  Then there's times where I dare to dream...  I think big.  I have passion.  There's hope that I CAN be everything I dream of.  But then, sometimes those dreams get squished, and that's sad.  I'm not trying to be dramatic, but sometimes the wind gets taken out of my sails.  Dreams are impractical.  Dreams are for dreamers.  

But, what if I WANT to be a dreamer?!  What if life really COULD be what I imagine?  So, sometimes I just try to put some wind back in my sails because I can choose that.  One of my favorite quotes from Shakespeare is in the Tempest: "We are such stuff as dreams are made on."  Aren't we, though?  A little encouragement from Henry David Thoreau: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you imagined."  It's hard, but I intend to.

The talented Miranda!

Many of you know of my love for Miranda.  She's SO talented!!!  But really... the girl who plays her (Colleen) constantly amazes me at how bad she can sing. Even though she's not real, her videos bring me SUCH JOY!  Here's a little sampling of my favorite clips of Miranda's.  Enjoy!

Hopefully you have a new appreciation for Miranda.  And now..... here's my very favorite one of ALL!!!!!!!!

My Legs Can Finally Recover...

The past three years of my life have been very much influenced by BYU's International Folk Dance Ensemble.  It has been an incredible experience that I will always cherish.  Don't get sad for me yet, I still have an amazing chance this summer to tour to Eastern Europe!  I've dreamed of going to Europe pretty much since I knew it existed, so needless to say, I'm pretty excited to go!  I've tried to let everything soak in this year... to truly enjoy it since it will be my last.  But, no matter how many times I tell myself that, my brain just doesn't get it.  Well, I recently realized that my last international show is in two days.... that's right, TWO!    

My legs have told me they're pretty excited since they can finally recover from doing hundreds of prisyadkas.  However, I can't help but lament my very last Hopak.  Six years ago, I put on my MC Hammer pants for the first time.... I'm not sure I'm ready to do it for the last time.  I'll miss the drums of India, the rhythms of Ireland, stupid clog steps that I can't do... especially THAT fast, Serbian yips, getting chucked up in the air, and many more things...  I'm sure I'll post again when it all REALLY comes to an end, but for now.... I'm looking forward to performing in dear P-town for people I know and love.  Curtain up!

What happened to spring?

Last time I checked, spring was supposed to look like this....

So, I have to ask myself why it looked like this yesterday...

Stupid weather.  That's all.

The Power of Experience: Japan's Earthquake

I don't know what it is that makes me so interested in the recent earthquake in Japan.... maybe it's because my grandma is from Japan... I think it's because of the power an experience can have.  If you've been living under a rock...  last Friday a 9.0 earthquake hit off the Northeast coast of Japan.  

Huge tsunamis then tumbled over cities destroying everything.  The death toll is almost 3, 700 last I hear with thousands of people missing!

It's incredible to me that things like this happen.  It's a little reminder to me that humanity isn't as in control of our universe as we think we are.  We are so insignificant.  One thing that has commanded my attention through all this is the Japanese people. I've read lots of tragic and inspiring stories and I'd like to share some.  I read about one grandmother who was carried upstairs by her 25 year old granddaughter.  The granddaughter returned downstairs to get her infant daughter when both were swept away as waves broke through the windows.  A 60 year-old man clung to his rooftop for several days until he was found 10 miles off the coast by a helicopter.  I saw pictures of soldiers praying over bodies of victims.  I saw the faces of those who had lost loved ones and those who had found them.

     

One of my favorite stories is that of a young couple who's 4-month old girl was swept from their arms by the water.  The two survived the disaster and took refuge in their ruined house.  As soldiers from Japan's Self-Defense Forces came to Ishinomaki, they searched for bodies through the rubble.  While searching, they heard a baby cry.  They found the baby girl under a pile of debris where she had survived for three days.  She was then reunited with her parents!

Horrible things happen.  But, I love how much good can still be found.  We can be grateful for miracles and comfort those that need comfort.  I'm grateful that God is watching over each of us and I hope He sends a little extra love and hope to Japan from me.

California Touring!

I had the wonderful opportunity of touring with BYU's International Folk Dance Ensemble to central California this past week and a half.  It was an incredible experience performing alongside some of my best friends. 

The whole thing was so fun... except the part that I got sick... again.  That happens every time, seriously.  Anyway, it was a sad tour without my bus buddy Sally.  Since she couldn't come, I decided to make a cardboard cutout of her.... encouraged by her disbelief that I would actually go through with it!  

She was a huge hit on the bus.  She's in everyone's pictures.  Everyone's.  

Here's the theater we performed at in San Jose!  It seated 2,600 people!  We only filled like half of it,but it was so beautiful.... and my parents, grandma, and Aunt Linda and Uncle Steve came!  It was so good to see them all.  My grandma made me a bunch of cookies with a note that read, "Dear Greg, I hope you like chocolate chips cookies.  Love, Grandma Chiyoko"  She's probably the coolest person I know.

For some reason, Sally and I love taking what we've dubbed "vogue" pictures.  They're kinda weird, but we find them totally amusing. Don't judge.  Anyway, we've apparently convinced others how fun it is!  Here's some die by the world's biggest permanent monopoly board!  Brittany's still working on her vogue face.  Scott's has come a long way.  :)

Out to Lunch

I've been pondering the ordeal that is lunch.  I've eaten lunch all my life.  I mean... I like eating, but when you've eaten a sandwich practically everyday for 20 years (oh that's a sad number) it can get old.  I find myself lately with the notion that sandwiches are gross.  I don't want one for lunch. I don't.  But, what's a person supposed to bring for lunch then?  WHAT?!  I don't know.... a soggy salad?  ...a hotpocket? (gag)  I haven't figured it out, so I'm currently stuck eating sandwiches and trying to add variety with bagels, rolls, etc... accompanied by various snack food.  OH- and I practically always have an apple.  I do LOVE apples, but that gets old too!  For these reasons, I may have bought a BLT at work every Tuesday since, oh... January.  Oops.  At least they're 50% off, right?

Why is lunch so hard?

Watercolor

My dear friend Ron invited Sally, Tesha, Angie, and I over to have a second watercoloring lesson.  Here are the finished products that I painted.  Not bad, I confess, but if I had to paint anything NOT abstract.... I would fail miserably.  So, enjoy these that aren't anything... or are they?

 Ok, this one is actually from our first lesson, but I like it.

This one is my favorite.  It's sort of twisted, I guess, but it's just what I wanted.

Amazing.

I love art.  I love dance.  This video is amazing and I thought I would put it up here as my first video!!!  Experimenting... you know.

A Blog is Born!

Hey.  So, for some reason the other day I really REALLY felt like making a blog.... and here it is.  Who knows if anyone will even read it, but if nothing, it's like really awesome journal keeping, right?      I thought so.  


Anyway, let's hope this is the first of many memorable posts of the little things that amuse me, frustrate me, or whatever else I feel like.  Here we go....