Farewell For Now, Facebook

Good evening!

I'm sitting here watching the sun set as I write to you; it's another beautiful pink-purple mix.

While I say goodbye to another day, I feel a sense of overwhelming change come upon me. I'm not sure what the change will bring, how it will alter my life, or even what it is, but my gut is telling me that a new path is starting to unfold before me and that I'm ready to take it. There's something in the breeze that reaffirms this truth. Nature often hands us clues about our lives; if only we would listen once in a while.

To start this new chapter off, I've decided to give good ole Facebook the boot. Like most twenty-somethings, I joined Facebook in order to make friends before the dreaded orientation week at my university. Back then, the site helped you establish contacts with those who would soon be in the same dorm, clubs, or even classes as you. You had to have an official email address hosted by your university to even register. Today, however, the scene has changed. Now relatives, young and old, near and far, are on the site posting new updates about their lives, while companies constantly try to catch my attention with their ads, paid posts, and the like.

Last week I got so sick of logging in for no good reason that I decided to run a personal experiment. I made a vow to myself that as of July 1st, I would no longer log into my account. I won't close my account permanently, I just won't allow myself to log in through my laptop, smartphone, or any other device I find in my hands. My goal is to stay disconnected from the virtual world until September 1st.

I'm looking forward to see how my mentality changes, how much I accomplish with those spare five or ten minutes I currently find myself wasting throughout the day, as well as how many emails I get notifying me of what's going on without me or asking me why I haven't been on in a while.

Ironically enough, a large number of news outlets, including sites such as Today.com and TechCrunch, ran stories on the negative reactions toward Facebook's manipulation of certain users' news feeds today. There have also been numerous videos highlighting the creepy factor of how the site works. One video you most likely watched that went viral under the name "Look Up" focused on social media in general and the influence of our smartphones on our lives. However, let's be clear: I'm not leaving and hoping to run into a future boyfriend because I'm not looking at my Facebook feed on my phone. I'm not taking a hiatus because I don't get as many likes or posts or comments as others. I'm taking a break because I want to see how productive I can be without the distractions, how much I can accomplish just being me in this physical world. I'm closing the door, but not locking it up (yet), in order to get closer to myself.

So follow along as I fight the urge to sign in and see what I discover along the way. Who knows, maybe there really is no way to live without being virtually connected 24/7 these days. Only the next two months will tell!

Until next time,

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Jump Through June

Geez Louise did June fly by! I'm still trying to swallow the fact that I'm yet again one year older, let alone that it'll be four years this summer since I got my city assignment for my first teaching position in France. Since then, my life mentality has shifted, my naiveté of other cultures has slowly begun to diminish, and my need to please others before myself has certainly changed the most.

I find myself trying to avoid dwelling on the past in order to live in the present, but a look back at past versions of yourself is often necessary to push yourself forward to who you want to be. I spent a lot of this month imaging the future, analyzing the past, and trying to create a vision of who I want to be in order to make this year a successful one. These are a few of the songs I found myself listening to as I did just that.

In order to listen along with the descriptions below, be sure to click on the link. You can also follow me on Spotify by clicking here. Please note, you need a Spotify account in order to access my monthly playlists. I've included both the artists and song titles below, so feel free to listen with another app or music platform if you prefer.

Have a listen before we jump into July!

1. "Something's Got A Hold On Me" by Etta James: Most people recognize the first twenty seconds of this song because of Avicii's "Levels remix." Although I admit to signing that section as loud as I possibly can when his remix comes on the radio, the other two minutes and thirty seconds of the original song are what really get me grooving.
2. "Waves - Robin Schulz Radio Edit" by Mr. Probz: The repetitive beat in this song soothes my soul much like the physical waves of any beach.
3. "Stone Rollin'" by Raphael Saadiq: Step, tap, stir. Step, tap, stir, twirl. You'll catch me doing circles around myself while cooking to this one.
4. "Cut Your Teeth- Kygo Remix" by Kyla La Grange: As an aspiring bellydancer, I've been using this song to help with isolations, external hip circles, mayas, and shimmies.
5. "Say You'll Be There" by MO: An amazing cover of one of my favorite Spice Girls songs. This version sounds more dreamy and gives the lyrics a different vibe.
6. "Without Me" by Fantasia, Kelly Rowland, and Missy Elliott: I have heard this song on the radio dozens of times, but never had my phone close enough to use the app Shazam to figure out who was singing the first bit. What a wonderful, powerful trio of female artists.
7. "Gotta Work" by Amerie: This has always been one of my pump up jams to keep myself strong, centered, and working on what I truly want from my life.
8. "V.S.O.P" by K. Michelle: This lady always seems to have drama, but she also always gets me up dancing. Just wait for what I'm talking about; it happens right before the one minute mark.
9. "Get Free" by Major Lazer featuring Amber Coffman: For some odd reason, I'm just discovering this song. The lyrics, the vibe, the voice: woo-ee!
10. "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Gladys Knight & The Pips: I was in a Motown mood the second half of the month and had to include this one. What a classic!
11. "jasmine (demo)" by Jai Paul: This song was included on a CD mix my sister made for me. I've been listening to it on my drive to work ever since: no AC, windows all the way down, hair getting tangled the whole way there.
12. "Stay Ready (What A Life) by Jhene Aiko featuring Kendrick Lamar: Jhene's single, "The Worst," is all over the radio these days. This song deserves so much more national attention; although, admittedly, I'd love to keep it to myself.
13. "Jerk Ribs" by Kelis: She's moved from milkshakes to jerk ribs and the vibe is unbelievably groovy and, in my opinion, more natural for her voice. I'm loving her new CD, especially the songs that involve whistles!
14. "Be My Man" by Asa: Break out your tambourine again! I found this artist through Indila, a French singer I follow and who I mentioned in my last post.
15. "Upside Down" by Paloma Faith: A great, upbeat song that sounds like it should come out of a random jukebox in the middle of a city park.
16. "Kukere" by Iyanya: This was my wake up song last summer. I was all about the African playlists on 8tracks. I can't seem to get it out of my head a year later.
17. "Sing" by Ed Sheeran: I know, I know...what is this guy doing on one of my lists? I hit fast forward on every song I ever hear by him, but I'm guilty as charged of loving his latest single. I blame the catchy beat and refrain on Pharrell. The puppets that were in this music video, though, Lord that was freaky.
18. "Sweet About Me" by Gabriella Cilmi: I rediscovered this song when I popped an old summer CD mix in my car the other day. My Swedish coworkers sure knew what good music was all about, and, I'm sure still do.
19. "Back In The World" by David Gray: I'm so happy that David has a new CD out there this year; I wasn't a big fan of his last one. He's one of those artists I associate with a certain season. While I tend to only listen to him in that in between summer and fall time, this song was really calling to me this month.
20. "Hide" by Little May: Little May is an Australian trio of lovely ladies who follow up on every tweet of praise they receive. I reached out to them after listening to this song dozens of times a day for two weeks straight. Check out their music video for this song, as they're not yet on Spotify. I'm in love with what they did in this music video, especially the dance circle.
21. "Nirvana" by Sam Smith: This guy's voice is like buttercream icing: so damn smooth and sugary. While the acoustic version is worth a listen as well, something about the last twenty seconds of this song makes my heart skip a beat every time I listen to it.
22. "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding: Watching one of my studio's teachers perform a bellydance solo to this made me add this classic to the end of this month's list. The bellydance show included Korean pop, Bollywood music, and even old 1920s jazz. Creativity, emotions, and expression were abound that night.

There you have it folks! One more day and we're officially half way through 2014. Can you believe it? I certainly am struggling to accept how fast time is passing this year.

I'll be writing more frequently as I'll be doing a mini experiment the remainder of the summer. Stay tuned for the next post to learn more!

As always, have a wonderful week and stay true to you!

Bisous,

La petite pamplemousse

Think About It Thursday: Cycling Trivialities

I haven't posted on a Thursday in a while. As the title explains, Thursdays are reserved for deep thinking. Yet, I don't sit down and make myself think of a topic at a specific time or for a certain period of time; the thought process just happens, and bizarre as it is, usually on a Thursday. Perhaps, being closer to the end of the week, Thursday happens to be when all my thoughts reach the brim of what I can keep in internally, and a deluge of emotion is released. Whatever the scientific reasoning, I know that writing down my thoughts (preferably with a pen and paper) is much more therapeutic to my being than keeping everything in or explaining how I'm feeling to others verbally.

For most of the East Coast, today's forecast ain't lookin' too good. Showers upon showers, grey cloud after grey cloud, and a lowering of the recently high temperature. Personally, I love rainy days as much as sunny ones. The type and amount of rain really does determine everything for my day. On days like today, when the sun will never get the chance to peek through the clouds to say hello, I find myself either extremely motivated to work on my future, or extra nostalgic for all things, places, and people past. Somehow though, my reasoning always takes me back to square one and the need to focus on the current moment. 

This morning I decided to give Bon Iver another chance. I most certainly do not have anything against their talent; more so, this particular band reminds me of a very lost time in my life. Listening to any of the songs from the second album hits a switch in my brain, signaling that I should probably cry rivers and let snot fall from my nose like a waterfall. I most certainly am a sight when I cry, as I'm sure most of us all are. 

Why do I always cry, you wonder? I cry because I think of when I first started listening to the album. I was stressed out and exhausted and emotional. It was the week before Halloween and I was in charge of the school party. My computer died and I had no money nor insurance to fall back on in case of this quite normal circumstance. (Whose computer hasn't died on them before?) I had to rewrite all of my lesson plans, figure out Halloween games that were appropriate for three- to eleven-year-olds, prepare to have my classroom skills evaluated by the head of the English department, and return to the Préfecture to wait in line for my carte de séjour (which in the end, I never received). I immediately thought my life was awful, that I had the worst luck in the world, that I was having the worst week ever; the complaints continue. I had no idea what was coming. These were mere trivialities, arriving in one go, but trivialities nonetheless. The Apple staff in Lyon helped reprogram my computer for free. I made new lesson plans. Our school had its most successful Halloween party yet. I passed my evaluation with flying colors and received wonderful recommendations to even further improve my teaching skills. After four hours, I even received a new récépissé from the Préfecture. I made it through the week.

And then I received a call late at night. I didn't even hear my mom's voice before I realized why she was calling. My Mom-Mom was gone. 

Image courtesy of SlideShare

It will already be a month ago tomorrow that my Grandad passed away. This time death didn't come so suddenly, but it came and went nonetheless, taking another person I love and look up to, away. The weeks leading up to his death, I repeatedly listened to a song by Lord Huron, that now will be timestamped with those same feelings expressed earlier. One day last month, I called my Dad and explained how I felt too comfortable at my job, how I needed a new challenge, how I wanted to explore the world some more but didn't know where to start, and how I didn't know where exactly I wanted my life to go. Significant to one person, trivial compared to the entirety of the universe. A week after this phone call, my Dad courageously flew out to be with my Grandad while his spirit cautiously passed into the sky. Ever since, I've felt extremely guilty of even complaining about my life, of thinking, again, I had it bad; not because of my Grandad dying, but because I wasn't focusing on and recognizing each current moment as special, unique, and absolutely needed to prepare oneself for the future. Death always seems to reiterate the difference between the three tenses: past, present, and future.

Worrying about what is or is not to come is something we all struggle with, and I'm nowhere near achieving the ability to overcome that; but, I do try to remind myself that in the end, we must learn to trust our guts before allowing our reason to overtake each individual circumstance. On the same note, we can't wait around for anything to happen. Waiting produces more worry, more over thinking, more anxiety where anxiety has no place, yet or maybe even ever. We all need to dance, run, walk, do cartwheels, draw, write, or even take up the recorder again. We can't look back and worry about what was or should have been. We must accept the present, learn from the past, and look forward to, but try not stress, about the future. Most of the time what we stress about never happens. Plus, those who we miss are still with us, whether we can physically see them or not. In the end, we're just cycling trivialities.

Image courtesy of SlideShare

Until next time,

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Mamacitas in May

Hello fair readers,

I hope you're enjoying this warmer weather! Today, I made my way to the local nursery and picked up new vegetable plants and flowers for my balcony. (This year's winter was certainly generous with snow; I'm actually glad now that I didn't keep any of my plants past October as I'm sure they wouldn't have made it). Anyway, I sit here, covered it dirt and sweat, and realize that I haven't posted in nearly a month. Eek!

 And what a weird month May has been. Lots of circles: emotionally, physically, and mentally. I swear that I started making a May playlist at the end of April, but my over-thinking got the best of me and I got lost in my mind for a while. A spring funk if you will. But hey, enough with the excuses, let's get down to business already, shall we?

As always, be sure to click on the link to access this month's playlist. You can also follow me on Spotify by clicking here. Please note, you need a Spotify account in order to access my monthly playlists. I've included both the artists and song titles below, so if you're not into Spotify, you can always check out my favorite women however your musical hearts desire.

Be warned, the emotions run high this month!

1. "Workin' Woman Blues" by Valerie June: Boy, does her voice gives me the chills. I feel my soul being transported to the Blue Ridge Mountains every time I hear this song.
2. "Just A Little Lovin'" by Carmen McRae: I rediscovered this song while compiling an all around American music mix for a friend.
3. "Heart Stops" by Anya Marina: I can never seem to play this song only once. You may have heard her voice before as she does the best cover of T.I.'s "Whatever You Like."
4. "Living Proof" by Cat Power: I grew very fond of Cat Power's music during my sophomore year of college. She's one of those artists that you listen to non-stop and then you give up for greener music scenes. Once you return to her music though, the sound still welcomes you with wide open arms. 
5. "Trace of You" by Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones: When musically-inclined step-sisters finally meet, their music takes on a whole new meaning. 
6. "Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin: The soul, the sass, the class.
7. "Undone in Sorrow" by Crooked Still: Back to a misty meadow I go with this song. The burning ache to return to fiddle hits me every time I listen to this.
8. "Goddess" by Banks: This gal does something with her songs that is so bizarre, but feels so familiar. I can't explain it in words, though. I cannot wait to see her live next month.
9. "Dernière Danse" by Indila: I am obsessed with this gal's part in Soprano's "Hiro." I had no idea she had an album out on her own until my dear friend Soumia sent me a link to her latest hit. For a quick translation, go here.
10. "Sittin In Limbo" by Sarah Dugas: I first heard this song while driving to New Orleans. She sure knows how to sing about her sorrows.
11. "Listen With Your Heart" by Norah Jane Struthers: I really must have been missing the mountains when I made this playlist.
12. "Cry Me A River" by Julie London: Why don't songs talk about heartbreak anymore? It's just so beautiful and relatable (sorry, Ke$ha, you just don't do it for me).
13. "Merry Happy" by Kate Nash: British girls are the best at break-up songs, hands down. You always can learn something from what didn't work out.
14.  "Hurry On Now" by Alice Russell: Get ready for your troubles to melt away.
15. "Train In Vain" by Annie Lennox: Annie has been a favorite of mine since childhood.
16. "Adieu" by Coeur de Pirate: One of my go-to Canadian singers. If you would like a translation of this song, go here. 
17. "Sand in My Shoes" by Dido: I was obsessed with this song in my teenage years. As summer approaches, this song is perfect for those relationships that are effortless to get involved in, but oh-so-difficult to forget.
18. "Air Balloon" by Lily Allen: If there's a gal who doesn't give a flying f*** about anyone's opinions, it's Lily. With an album titled, "Sheezus," you have to give her props. Personally, I love her even more because of her music video parodies (check out "Hard Out Here").
19. "J'ai tant escamonté" by Zaz: This song is a dream, plain and simple.
20. "Criminal" by Fiona Apple: How could I make a female playlist without including this lady?
21. "My Blood" by Ellie Goulding: Personally, I think this tops "Burn" on any given day. Another dream-like, fluid composition.
22. "New Strings" by Miranda Lambert: I know, I know, I claim to hate country...but she's the one country singer that I do admit listening to (probably because of her kick ass attitude).
23. "My Moon My Man" by Feist: Last, but certainly not least, an old favorite which got me through many work shifts selling jewelry and all things Swedish.

If anything, I hope you have found a few new gals to check out further after this post.

On a side musical note, I was ecstatic to see Chet Faker live this past Thursday. He did a great job and got extra bonus points in my book after telling everyone: "Put down your fucking phones, there's already like 100 versions of this on YouTube. Just enjoy and dance." Preach! I know I got my dance on!

I hope you have a wonderful week!

A la prochaine,

La petite pamplemousse