My Feels Over The Phantom of the Opera, Last Night in Bangkok

NO SPOILERS, don't worry.

          I expected the show to captivate - as the telling of the story of the Phantom always does - but not surprise me since I am so familiar with both the story and the stage adaptation. But literally 10 minutes into the 3 hour opera, my emotions found a loophole in my certainty. Before there was even enough story to be affected by, the opening score gave me pangs of nostalgia for the years in middle school and high school that I was Phantom-obsessed. Understandably because of the inescapable impact of the symphony, the first thing I was reminded of was playing the Phantom medley in school band concerts a little more than once. I remember having so much joy in practicing what was really a simple, simple percussion part because as a whole the piece sounded so epic, so dynamic, and I was a part of the makings. I thought about the people I used to discuss or sing Phantom with. Jinsol. Nina. Richelle. Nathan. Kestrel. Mostly band geeks like me. I remembered buying the VDC of the movie (yes, it was back in those times) and watching it twice when I got home. I remembered the soundtrack of Phantom being permanent items in my mp3 player. I remembered being amazed, lying in bed at late hours, by how much additional thrill the original book could offer. I remembered the first and only choice that came to mind when Auntie Fumiko asked me what show I wanted to watch in Vegas. And lastly, I suddenly remembered how at 14 years old, watching the Phantom of the Opera live for the first time, that my breath was taken away just as early on at this very part.   

         For the rest of the show, I continued to be at disbelief at how despite knowing what enchanting effects, stunning choreography, and comedy sketches were coming up (and how sleep deprived I was at the time) I remained at the edge, and even barely, of my seat with eyes wide open. By the end, I was standing with my eyes were bulging from an extra layer of salty water. Not from sadness. Or happiness. But from how beautiful the entire composition of live sound, images, and motion was. And the beauty of appreciation ringing through the Rachadalai Theater Hall. 

I wonder how many more times I have to have this experience before I feel like "I've seen it all". 

But I hope the number is infinite. 

  "Softly, deftly, music shall caress you.

Hear it, feel it secretly possess you.

Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,

In this darkness that you know you cannot fight.

The darkness of the music of the night."

COMING SOON: "No Middle Ground"

Officially one day in... my summer's pretty awesome so far.

Stay tuned. =]

What to do with Excess Safety Pins, Stretchy String, and Mismatched Beads

So if you have these:

Around 50 safety pins of the same size
About 1.5 feet of stretchy string
And a whole lot of beads

Then you can make this:

Optional Step 1: Dye The Safety Pins

Look through your vandalism stash for a can of black spray paint (or a color of your choice).
Go outside and protect the floor by laying out some newspaper.
Spread out the safety pins on the protected area.

SPRAY EM! (Don't forget to wait a bit for one side to dry and then flip all the pins over and spray the other side.)

Step 2: Bead the Pins

Once the paint is completely dry, adorn each pin with beads by "threading" beads through the sharp point.

Step 3: String the Beaded Pins (The Slightly Complicated Part)

After every pin has been fancied up to your liking, it's time to string them.
Each pin is strung through the clasp and the loop.
Make sure each pin's beaded side is facing the same direction but that clasp/loop orientation alternates between pins.
It is recommended that you begin at the center of the string...
Important: don't stretch the string. Leave enough stretching potential between each pin.
Tip: if you struggle with stringing through the clasp (as I did), string through the hollow section of the pin first and then drag the string into the clasp... you'll get it.

Step 4: Tie Up

In my excitement over finishing up the bracelet, I forgot to photograph this step, so bare with me. 
After you've strung all your pins (and checked if the length makes a good circumference for your wrist), 
tie up the two ends of the stretchy string separately to the their respective beginning points.
Double knot the two knots. Chop off the excess string. 

If you're successful, you should end up with something like this:

Step 5:...Wear Fashionably.

Peace.

Hippie Night

Me with the singing duo of Momo & Pan.

My blog needs some interesting pictures from my life, so here are some (very few) from Friday.
It was the 10th anniversary of my faculty's international program. There was fancy catering, alumni, great entertainment - none of which I actually photographed - and a theme I highly approved of... HIPPIE.
#hippiemikaishappy☮

I got to help out behind the scenes with make-up for the fashion show, which was therapeutic and what I really needed to put aside all the drama going on in my life right now as the school year comes to a close in 2 weeks. Shamefully, I've really missed these extravagant events my faculty is notorious for, which is me indirectly saying that I haven't been participating. And deeper into this statement is my regret for somewhat losing touch with my amazing, vibrant classmates who constantly invest their time and talents into making these events possible.
Self-intervention: I need to prioritize people better. 

Peace.☮♥✌ÿ

To Kill a Lord of the Rye

         I don't know how many of you can relate, but there was a time in my life, in my pre and early teens, during which I was routinely prescribed great literature to read over an extended period of freedom we all called "summer". In retrospect, I feel lucky to have been a book-gobbler as a child; that I took on eagerly rather than rejected to do such assignments. Yet I still feel as though I took "summer reading" for granted somewhat. During my stage of naivete, there were a couple of books I misjudged as too historical or abstract, too tediously written and therefore not well written. As for the books I read and cherished - there were a few - I might have based my love and respect for them on limited comprehension. It wasn't until I was older and somehow rediscovered the same books on my own terms that I realized that lit teachers actually had taste and that it was a privilege to have them leading me through a promising reading career.

          Now in university, I envy that era of my youth. That era when someone other than yourself was responsible for your intellectual wellbeing. I fear that I have lost so much momentum in reading books ever since reading books was no longer institutionally mandated. The university student's "lack of time" illusion is only half of the cause of my current predicament. The other half is not having ENGLISH TEACHERS around me anymore!! Is it too unseemly to email one of them for a summer reading list now?? Like "hey, I'm in university now, but uh, I'd really like you to assign me summer reading, Mrs. Kristi/Val/Ruth/Robin/Tiffany."

          Okay, I'd probably not do that, but I'm serious about my endearment for summer reading. Why is it such a big deal, you ask? Why not just pick up a book right now, Mika? Because summer reading is not just reading any book and anytime. It is a formal commitment to stay educated over the summer. #pullquote And it doesn't involve just any kind of literature. The books of summer reading are the cream of the crop (or challenges to feel proud about overcoming)! The kinds of books that survive generations.
          So, it is 2013 right now. And with summer just 2 months away, I, Mika, am assigning myself summer reading. Let's start it 8 and see how it goes. =]

Mika's 2013 Summer Reading List

* = to be selected at the bookstore.