Wizard Wrock

I do not wish to talk about Harry Potter as often as I do, but much laughs come my way because of my healthy interest in the boy wizard and his magical world. To illustrate, I have a story to share. To preface the story, I must tell the tale of one promising and one enduring friendship. Camaraderie was established this past week between a bright, witty, mega-talented girl and myself. Without missing a beat, she inquired if I would be interested in attending a wizard wrock concert with her on July 6^th. I did not have a companion for such an excursion. So unbeknownst to the rest of the world, we happily made plans to enjoy Harry and the Potters when the time comes. Keep this in mind as I now switch to describe another event I attended this past week with a favored chum. We listened to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra perform the beautiful music of Stravinsky, Enesco, and Haydn. I observed with delight a kindred spirit housed in the body of a weathered, tall, thin man. A smile that stretched from ear to ear was cemented on his face through out the concert. His head moved to and fro as he let the music seep into his being. His joyful reception to the enchanting orchestral music mirrored my own feelings. The beautiful story The Giver by Lois Lowry penetrated my thoughts. Music is a powerful stimulus of emotion. Its effects are wonderful, thrilling, and just as I described three sentences ago—enchanting! I would feel stunted in my emotional development if it were non-existent. Unfortunately, such thoughts were not immediately shared as I learned that my friend had not read the book. I then positioned myself to referee a ping-pong match of thoughts that could only have one result- either I would ruin the book experience for him by describing the plot and sharing my thought or I would not share the thought and let him experience having his mind blown by the book. I opted for the first one. (...And by writing this, I may have done a slight disservice to any who have not read it. I am sorry but this Newberry Award winning book came out in 1993. You’ve had plenty of time to read it.)

So how do these two stories intersect? Well, let me tell you. Today, I sat beside a bespectacled, smartly dressed friend who asked, “How was the concert?” I smiled with a pinch of astonishment and replied, “Its not until July 6^th!” I proceeded to ask, “How did you know? Do you like wizard wrock?” Ha. Ha. Ha. It was his turn to be a tad bewildered. I instantly realized without him having to ask what I was blabbing about that he was referring to the SPCO concert. I merrily confided my review of the concert and asked by chance if he had read The Giver. Unfortunately, he had not. So I am left to state it all here in this blog.

Quick note on the title: I am running a marathon in October... you can expect posts about the runner’s high, flashbacks to high school cross-country, and of course my adventures here in Minnesota with this Kenyan.

My adviser thought she heard a wounded animal cry...

...but it was only me after hearing Jaclyn was eliminated on America's Next Top Model (ANTM) last week.

Alas, I have other TV info to briefly record in this humble blog. As promised four posts ago, I will expound on my enthusiasm for NBC’s The Biggest Loser (TBL). Last week, my favorite person on the show was eliminated. His name is Moses Kinikini. 

[MERLIN’S BEARD! A quick Google search to find out how to spell his last name led me to his Facebook page... This lovely man is MORMON! I thought he might be since he emphasized his love for family quite nicely through out the season. Blimey, why didn’t I put my fan-stalking skills to use earlier? And why am I so giddy by this info now? I think this information solidified a kinship between Moses and myself...somehow...]

Initially, I was planning on dedicating this entire post to that episode because it was quite a roller coaster of emotion for me. However, time has marched forward since last Tuesday and I have kept up with its beat. There are new topics that I wish to write about such as the movie that I will be seeing in the near future at the Minneapolis International Film Festival titled Two Indians Talking. But before I get to that, back to TBL. What was so AMAZING about last week’s episode? It was filmed in the breathtaking country that is known as NEW ZEALAND! Among my many oddities, is an intense-affair-like love for this country. I must credit Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings for introducing me to the country back in 2001. This love is solid. It cannot be shaken and it has only grown over time. It’s like there is a magical charm that's binding us and strengthening with each passing year. Anyway, I think the best example of my love for this country occurred in a conversation with some friends in ol’ Tucson back in the day. My amigas and I were talking about the ideal marriage age. I stated that if I were still unmarried at a certain age, I would journey to NZ and find a Maori man to bring joy and happiness to. Oh what a plan! The Biggest Loser episode took place in NZ and it was a pretty sweet experience for all of the contestants. For anyone who wants a good laugh, all you need ask is to see my notes when I attempted to re-watch the episode on Hulu. Here is an excerpt written after the sky building jump: “Ken and Bob look as though they are going to die. They didn’t and now their smiles are priceless! Dang it, I’m smiling just as cheesy if not cheesier because I’m rejoicing in their triumph too!”  I have THREE pages of this for 40-ish minutes of an 84-minute show! So that is all that I will write for that episode. I was happy for 99% of it. Then Moses was eliminated. I have returned to my happy state because that is the way of things. 

Now to the Mpls Int. Film Festival, which is currently going on at St. Anthony Main. Two Indians Talking is a movie about two Native guys (First Nation) who have an intense dialogue about Native issues. The film summary from the catalog makes me so excited that I must quote it here:

Two young First Nations men growing up together on the reservation have decidedly different views on the current struggle their community finds itself locked in. Adam, a serious college kid who likes to cite Nietzsche or Rousseau, looks for strength in his intellectual pursuits, while his cousin Nathan, from “the school of hard knocks”, is a rebellious high school drop-out who looks toward protest for answers. Their differences lead to a confrontation in an empty community center, the night before a major demonstration is to take place as they debate hot-button issues along with their differences about life: women, politics, dreams, education, poverty and hopes for the future.

Wow, right? My blog writings reveal my struggle to understand and solve Native issues. This movie is a must for me. I am quite determined to form a focus group that would probably only be composed of me and one other person interested in Native issues! But by golly, this movie needs to be broken down, analyzed, and discussed! I would like to hear how other Native tribes perceive it. I would like to hear how groups of Navajo’s review it. Man oh man, I am on fire with these thoughts! Alas, that is all I will write until I can focus my thoughts on this movie and watch it.