I love art. (And Dave Brubeck.)

What's strange

The Master of Library and Information Studies program is located within the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie. As such, I am enrolled in two management classes this term. What's strange is that I'm actually finding them really inspiring.

I learned all about a management theory called "Servant Leadership" yesterday. It is all about: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to growth of people, and building community.

So am I.

It was really nice to learn that there are ways to approach work, and "management" (a scary term for me) from such a perspective.

I bought a copy of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" today. Up next - "How to Win Friends and Influence People".

I'm still not very good at networking.

"It's a meme..."

I stole this from Xine. Although I guess you can't steal memes. Huh.

Three Names you go by:
1. Ange
2. Ella
3. Baboo

Three Things That Scare You:
1. Staircases with open slats and/or no hand rails
2. Walks home alone after dark
3. Electricity

Three of Your Everyday Essentials:
1. Coffee
2. Ballet flats
3. Laughing

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. Pyjama top
2. Pyjama bottom
3. a smirk

Three of Your Favorite Songs Right Now:
1. Ain't No Other Man - Christina Aguilera
2. Late in the Evening - Paul Simon
3. Unsquare Dance - Dave Brubeck

Three Things You Want in a Relationship (other than Real Love):
1. Openness
2. Touch
3. Friendship

Three Truths:
1. The new is the true
2. The old is the true
3. Love

Three PHYSICAL Things about the Opposite Sex that Appeal to You:
1. Strong hands
2. Sparkly eyes
3. Genuineness

Three of Your Favorite Hobbies:
1. Reading
2. Photography
3. Walking

Three Things You want to do really badly right now:
1. Find my black jacket!!
2. Be in the black when it comes to money
3. Do well in school/stay balanced

Three Places You Want to go:
1. Japan
2. Montreal
3. Bali

Three Things You Want to Do Before You Die:
1. Accept
2. Love
3. Be

Three Ways that you are stereotypically a Girl/Guy:
1. I like makeup a lot
2. I have a hair straightener
3. I cry at movie previews

Friday

I think I'm going to try to make Friday afternoons "my time". I have had a crazy two weeks. This program has a heavy course load, and I spent the first week feeling entirely out of my depth. The second week has left me feeling a lot more stable, but still a little uncertain about how ready I am for everything that's coming at me. I left class today feeling the need to be with myself, and to do something other than go home to check countless emails and plan my weekend's work schedule. I decided to go downtown.

The first place I stopped was Attica Furnishings. I wandered around the main floor feeling poor and covetous, and then made my way to the second floor. Across the room there were large poster-board things printed with quotes, all pertaining to one word: modern. I don't know if you remember my style statement (not that you should), but it is Organic Modern. Those are my two words. So these quotes all made me stop and be very aware of myself.

What's really modern now is an amalgam of what makes us comfortable and joyous, what inspires and what soothes. Modern is pared-down but not brutally minimalist, complex in concept and evolution but simple in expression. It's thought provoking yet ultimately a very personal solution for living in today's world.
- Donna Warner, Editor-In-Chief, Metropolitan Home

Reading this statement made me fully aware that I hadn't been bringing my self to everything I've been doing. To anything I've been doing, really. I've felt so out of my element that I've completely forgotten about bringing my tastes, my senses, my aesthetics, my passions, my self to everything I do. I want to focus on that a little more.

Wait - a lot more.

Your favourite thing ever.

I've been playing this game with everyone I meet to help me remember names... it's not really a game, but it is fun. It involves me being introduced to a person or group of people, then asking - "So, blank, what's your favourite thing ever?"

It's actually very helpful and icebreaking...

Some of my favourite responses:
- Being the first one awake when camping.
- Sex and food.
- PEI potatoes.
- [insert name of person's significant other here].
-"Music" (when obviously their real answer was sex, but they felt inappropriate saying it out loud).
- The ocean.

My own favourite thing ever? Dim-sum. (For now.)

So, friends: what's your favourite thing ever?

Beautiful evening

There is a chapel on campus.

I love churches. I don't count myself as religious (although spiritual would probably be a good term), but I love being inside churches. I love the wood, and the open space, and the way the stained glass windows block out the world while still letting in the light. I think I will be spending some time there, just sitting.

Last night there was a concert in the chapel, featuring kind of indie folky artists that, as a friend put it when trying to convince the entire cafeteria to come, "the hipsters like". The first band was The Olympic Symphonium, who were introduced with the words "contemplative, zen folk". I think the word was contemplative... it may have been a different word, with a similar meaning. They were pretty fantastic. Gorgeous melodies and instrumentation. They reminded me a little of Iron and Wine.

Then came the headliner, Catherine MacLellan, from PEI, whose voice is stunningly gorgeous. Sumptuous and a little adorable.

The chapel is set up so that the pews are sideways, with everyone facing into the centre aisle. Candles were lit all up and down the rows, and for a little while I was just watching the flame move as if in time with the music. I was so relaxed and happy. The last song was a sing-along (I love sing-alongs), "I'm gonna set this heart on fire and bring this world some light."

I felt lit up.

Glowful

My day glowed today. It was so lovely. Outside there were torrents of rain and wind - the word hurricane was mentioned - but I spent the day being cozy and active.

There is a gym on campus. Today is the second day in a row that I went to it. I did active cardiovascular things for thirty minutes and then spent ten minutes stretching and doing little yoga thingies. I gave myself a few minutes to lie flat on my back in shavasana, and I felt blissful. There's that word again. It was delightful.

Moody girly music

For some reason I've been super into moody girly music lately. I'm not sure why - I haven't broken up with anyone or anything.



Today I've been listening to this Missy Higgins song (Where I stood) on repeat. I recognized it as soon as a friend played it for me yesterday - we placed it as having been on So You Think You Can Dance last season - but I think one of the Australian blogs I follow may have mentioned Ms. Higgins at some point in the past, because I recognized the website too.

Maybe it's because it's raining. And I'm missing the part that comes before the end.

Whoah. Moody is right (but mostly awesome and thrilled with where I am, I swear).