Music Corner: The Civil Wars

04 Wednesday May 2011

Posted by Alex in entertainment, music, video

Came across a great band on NPR today. During the interview they were asked how they came up with their name, to which the female singer responded something to the effect of how anytime you put the word “civil” in front of something, it kinda means the opposite of it…as in, there’s nothing “civil” about war. She brought it back to how we each have these inner wars and tensions which are reflected in a lot of their lyrics, whether in relationships, addictions, etc. Kinda random, but I thought it was a cool anecdote to share before blowing your minds.

“Dance me to the end of Love”

“Falling.” Picks up to epic proportions after about the second minute (in my humble opinion)

“Barton Hollow.” An actual produced video, sound is a little different but still great.

Probably not the best stuff to listen to if you just got dumped…but definitely worth a listen if you’re not an emotional basket case.

Easter week in Guatemala

21 Thursday Apr 2011

Posted by Alex in Easter, Guatemala, memories, tradition, travel, video

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I miss a lot of things about Guatemala. I miss the language, the culture, the food, the smell of smog (really, I do), my grandmother and my friend Isabel, traveling through the countryside, walking everywhere, my green and brown school uniform….you get the point. And holidays. Holidays in Guatemala have so much more intensity than holidays in the U.S. Specifically, Christmas and Easter. As of 2006, 50-60% of the population in Guatemala was Catholic. With an increase in Protestant churches, this number might be a little lower now. But still, there is a huge Catholic population in Guatemala, and the ferver in the celebration of these holidays is something to behold, whether you’re a believer or not.

This week is Holy Week, which means that most people in Guatemala have a week long vacation. Yeah, kind of like Spring Break…but everyone has it on the same week because it’s accommodating a religious holiday, not a school schedule :) And although some people use the time off to hit the beach and relax with the family, there are still many people that use it to attend the processions that are organized throughout Holy Week. Each day, different processions are had throughout the country that commemorate the last days of the life of Jesus Christ. I’ve admired these processions since the first time my grandmother took me to see one when I was little.

A few things about these processions.

A lot of preparation goes into them. And a lot of preparation goes into making the carpets over which the procession will pass. Each town or city prepares the streets through which the procession will pass by decorating walls and doors, and making detailed and intricate carpets out of vibrantly colored sawdust. I remember having to wake up super early to work on these when I was little. But it was so exciting!

As you can see in the pictures, the carpets are surrounded by fresh pine needles. That, combined with the smell of incense, are the smells of Easter! In Guatemala, at least…

Other things: hooded men. That’s never a bad idea, right? I think my grandma told me where this tradition started…but my memory is lacking. I saw a couple videos from processions this year, and I was actually bummed to see a switch from the purple traditional robes to suits. And that is why you….lose traditions (I was tempted to incorporate “and that’s why you don’t use a one armed person to scare someone”). Music. The procession is followed by a full band. The music is usually somber, appropriate given the circumstances. There’s something so sorrowful and moving about this music.

Finally, and maybe most impressive: the people. The people that trek from all over the city and country to watch these processions, and the people who chose to carry the floats in the procession. Women carry the float of the Virgin Mary and other female saints that may follow behind the main float, and men carry Jesus and other male saints. Each of the floats that comprise the procession usually weigh several thousand pounds, and require 50-100 people to carry it. If my years of Catholic schooling in Guatemala serve me correctly, the pain of carrying this weight is supposed to symbolize the pain of Jesus carrying the cross. If you need some suspense in your life: watch people trying to get one of these floats in or out of a church, or trying to turn a corner!

So, my point is, I want to go to there. I’m hoping that next year, around this time, Jeff and I will be in a position where we can go to Guatemala for Easter. Then I can post videos of my own!

Music as the Soundtrack to Life

12 Tuesday Apr 2011

Posted by Alex in entertainment, life, motivation, music, video, work

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I’ve been listening to music before work a lot more in the last few weeks. I usually listen to news radio so I can find out what’s going on, but let’s be honest, that’s a pretty depressing way to start your day.

So lately I’ve been listening to music. And I’ve taken it a step further: I’ve become one of those people with headphones on while I walk into the office…I know…not the most social thing to do, but who needs awkward elevator interaction anyway?

Anyhow, I’ve realized that walking into the office while listening to music I really enjoy is a much better way to get my day started. So I think from now on I’ll go through the routine of opening up the office, and turning on lights and computers, with the accompaniment of good tunes.

Who needs social interaction anyhow.

Just in case you’re curious, my morning routine lately has included this song:

Mostly for the following lyrics:

But I will hold on hope

And I won’t let you choke

On the noose around your neck

And I’ll find strength in pain

and I will change my ways

I’ll know my name as it’s called again

So come out of your cave walking on your hands

And see the world hanging upside down

You can understand dependence

When you know the maker’s hand

So make your siren’s call

And sing all you want

I will not hear what you have to say

Cause I need freedom now

And I need to know how

To live my life as it’s meant to be

I find it motivational. I really, really like the line “you can understand dependence when you know the maker’s hand.” It strikes a chord, and in a nerdy way, I wanna delve deeper into the meaning of it. Anyone with me?

Happy Tuesday everyone.

Haiti Stories: Deforestation

03 Sunday Apr 2011

Posted by Alex in Haiti, mountains, stories, travel, trees, video

≈ 1 Comment

So until I figure out exactly what I want to say about my trip to Haiti, I’m just gonna share some random short stories on here.

One work site I got to work on was school 9, where I got to observe while they finished rendering, then went in the next day with Abby and a small group, and we did a deep clean of the school so we could start painting the following work day. Getting to this site requires a little bit further of a drive than most other work sites, which allows for a nice view of fields and mountains. Although it was nice to get out of Leogane and enjoy a longer-than-usual drive every morning through some rural country side, the view of the mountains always made me sad.

I can’t remember where I read it, but I do remember reading that back in the day Haiti was one of the richest countries in the Caribbean, as far as natural resources and what not. If you can believe it, Haiti was actually called “the Pearl of the Caribbean.” It was difficult to keep that in mind when I looked at the bare and brown mountains on our way to and from the school or beach. How did they get so bare and brown? I’m sure there are many reasons, but a big one is the reliance on charcoal as the main fuel source in Haiti. I could go on at this point…but realized I started with a description of this as a “short” story…so I won’t digress…

But I will share the following video from a former All Hands volunteer that might give a little hope: