Kimchi Craving

A couple years ago, I visited a dear friend in South Korea and was formally introduced to Kimchi as well as to an array of other hugely delicious Korean foods.



Right now, I have an intense craving for kimchi, which is essentially fermented cabbage. I'll be the first to admit that it sounds and, in most instances looks, unpalatable, but it's truly fantastic. Supposedly kimchi is readily available in most mainstream grocery stores but I find pre-made, mass-produced kimchi sketchy (which is silly seeing as I am more than willing to eat other pickled foods from grocery stores). So I'm entertaining the idea of perhaps making my own. Tastespotting has many recipes to choose from.

Remember to use your imagination this week

Now that I'm a college graduate with a pseudo-full time job working afternoons and evenings, it's become something of a habit to lay in bed all morning drinking coffee and daydreaming. Basically, I've fallen into a post-school slump in which I do very little.
This charming video, spotted over at Kitsune Noir, reminded me of the importance of living creatively.



I wish you a creative day/week/life. Now, I'm off to try to make my/the world a more beautiful place. Adieu, for now.

Yes, yes, absolutely yes!

In an online article, E! asked if viewers would be interested in seeing Tilda Swinton play Conan. My answer is a resounding yes!



Perhaps one day...

Monsoon Monday at the MFA

I hadn't left my apartment in over 24 hours and was starting to go a little mad, so I decided to visit the Museum of Fine Arts with my roommate, which was almost a mistake considering the miserable January rain we're having today and the fact that both of us got quite wet. Since October, there's been an Egyptian exhibit at the museum featuring the contents of Tomb 10A from 2,000 BC that I'd been meaning to visit for ages. Upon finally going I am happy to report that the exhibit did not disappoint.



Children often adopt strange fascinations with things- trucks, snow-globes, dinosaurs, whatever. Well, my childhood obsession was Egypt. In elementary school, I probably checked out every book about Egypt written in a first to eighth grade reading-level from the library and as I paged through them I dreamed of one day working to uncover a hugely important artifact with mystic properties that would propel me forward on a super-natural adventure while also changing history forever (perhaps I also watched The Mummy a few too many times). Though my career aspirations have drastically changed since childhood, I have always maintained an interest in Egyptian history and artifacts, and was very pleased with the way in which the remnants of Tomb 10A were displayed at the MFA. The tomb casings in particular caught my attention, and they've been hung and lit in a way that allows people to easily study the mastery of the hieroglyphics and carvings of the coffin. The thing about hieroglyphics is that they can sometimes seem like pictures a child with rather impressive fine motor skills drew, but these were not and each hieroglyph was a beautifully detailed works of art. The colors and fine brushstrokes revealed not only the governor's wealth and power, but also the Egyptian's dedication to beauty and precision.

I wonder, if a culture still wrote with hieroglyphics, would there be a greater weight to the words we use? Would we be more careful with what we write? Can you imagine a blog written in hieroglyphics? If they looked anything like those in Tomb 10A it would be a marvelous sight, indeed!

Why did it take me so long to hear about this girl?

I'm very newly obsessed with Janelle Monae. Not only does the girl have the moves and the voice to capture the attention of her audience, she also has fantastic style, bringing an eccentric new flair to female-androgyny. If Andre 3000 were to have a twin sister, she would be Janelle Monae.



I love how she operates outside the realm of reality, insisting that her listeners engage in her sci-fi world as they enjoy her music and are immersed in an imaginative space that is truly original. Few performers have the ability to pull off such an avant-garde persona, but she seems able to rock it and she's only 25. I'm smitten.



AND, SHE LOVES BOW TIES!
For more, check out her website.

Even if it sucks, I'm going to love this!

Joaquin Phoenix has a [much anticipated and supposedly awesome] record coming out.

This video of him jumping is enough to already make me a devoted fan. That, and I love his beard!

Do you think, kinda like Samson, his musical capabilities grow with the heft of his beard? I mean, he was pretty clean shaven in Walk The Line and he was damn good in it, but maybe his beard has given him a lyrical prowess that he could not properly harness before he grew it out? It's like how Peter Jackson only directs good movies when he's fat.

Check out this Huffington Post article about Joaquin's unreleased genius if you feel so inclined. Or don't, I don't care.

on DEADlines

So. I'm supposed to be writing an article right now. It's about the fantastic local businesses of Southie (uh, I mean "South Boston" as the 30-something, chino-wearing, stroller-pushing men and women of the area call it) and how everyone should visit the Broadway strip. I gave myself a week to write it and though I have many crappy drafts completed, I have yet to create any semblance of an actual article. Essentially I have failed my first self-given assignment. Awesome.

Instead of writing, I've spent the vast majority of this evening looking at wedding stuff (dresses, flowers, feathers, blogs) for my best friend who is soon(ish) to be married. I'm a bridesmaid. I've never been a bridesmaid before. In fact, I've only been to one wedding, and ohmygosh! it was a wonderful wedding! But in general I don't know how any of this shit works and delving into the strange world of brides[maids] has only driven home the fact that I definitely want to elope if I ever decide I actually want to get married. My friend will be a beautiful bride/wife, though, and I'm so incredibly happy for her and her beau/fiance/(2nd) best friend/boyfriend.



I almost just made a list of things I would do if I were having a wedding, but then I realized how a) disgustingly self-indulgent that is and, b) how stupid it is because I abhor the idea of having a wedding for myself (though I love the idea for other people). BUT, if I were to have a wedding, it would involve bow-ties (for the bride, too), dramatic themes (James Bond, Titanic, LEGO, Peacock, etc.) and an open bar.

Oh! And twinkle lights, of course!