Halloween Weekend in NOLA

My sister gave me a hard time tonight about the infrequency of my blog posts.  Meh.  But then I realized that I had yet to post my photos and videos from my trip to New Orleans...from November.  It was a three day trip over Halloween Weekend. I traveled down for work, but went a day early for pleasure. 

First day: Voodoo Music Festival and Florence + the Machine.  Photos and videos below. 

Second day: (Halloween) professional tour of the city with my international visitors, more Voodoo, and a stroll down Bourbon Street.  I never want to be in NOLA again during a festival.  It's just not very enticing or really that interesting for a sober LDS girl.  

Third day: work, good food, live jazz in a club, and beignets at Cafe du Monde. 

Last day: crisis management, then flight back to DC.   

The building is the Fine Arts Museum, marking the entrance to the Voodoo Music Festival.  

Inside Voodoo

Florence + the Machine!!! Videos at the bottom. 

Ah Florence...

Jackson Square -- where President Bush gave his address from NOLA after Katrina

Walt Disney's favorite view in New Orleans, which I believe was used to model the French Quarter in Disneyland or DisneyWorld. 

Happy Halloween in the French Quarter

C'est moi down at the bayou. I'm sporting my Voodoo gear. 

A view down the tracks by the bayou--right close to the 9th ward, aka the most devastated area during Katrina.

One of my international visitors chatting it up with a local on the bayou. 

A view of the city from the 9th ward

Houses from Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation.  The project has been met with scrutiny because they're not building homes in the same style as the classic NOLA houses.  

A view of the levee that broke, leading to the devastation in the 9th ward

Tubas

Tuba that you could sign with chalk. I'm not sure why. 

One of the many venues during Voodoo. 

Deadmau5

Yummy yummy food inside Voodoo. 

My wrist band that was near impossible to get off.

Don't judge me for my poor videos.  My screen on my camera is dead, so I was pretty much guessing with every video.  I think I did pretty well considering that. 

beck

Herr Mozart

This week I'm just a bit obsessed with Mozart.

I watched the movie Amadeus - finally - after many years of putting it on the back burner.  Though I'm sure it's not entirely truthful, it was nonetheless enlightening on what his life might have been like.  Poor guy.  I once knew a guy named Wolfgang.  If he wasn't already married, I would probably ask to be his girlfriend so I could call him Wolfie.

My next performance for the National Philharmonic Chorale is an "All Mozart" concert.  The Chorale is only performing the Coronation Mass for our portion of the program.  Tonight was my first night rehearsing it.  The most interesting and challenging component so far is pronouncing Latin words according to the German standards. C'est tres bizarre.  Je parle francais.  Ich spreche nicht Deutsch.

If this post about Mozart has inspired you to peak a bit into his life or music, I'd recommend this article from the New York Times' ArtsBeat.  Oh and here's the part two.

My roommate and I are in the scheming stage of a Christmas trip to Paris and Vienna this year.  Having Mozart as my obsession of the week has given me a slightly greater hope that this trip will actually happen.  

beck

More Photos of Abby

Just a few photos from my trip to Kentucky.  

First time in the snow with the red jumpsuit from Aunt Becky. 

Undecided. 

Then after a little encouragement...

...she decided she didn't like it.  

beck

Meet my new best friend, Ativa

She's helping me fight identity fraud.  She's doing that by saving my hand from cutting up all the junk mail I get.  My mom taught me to shred or destroy any mail I'm throwing out whenever my name and/or address on it.  That can lead to a lot of hand cramping.

Ativa and I will be good friends.

beck

Dark was the Night

I love the Dark was the Night album.  What's not to love?

This sad, nostalgic song seems especially nice on a grey winter day begging for sunshine.


The lyrics:

an easy swing had it's time shouldered

-slow bending axe.
now it's a photo framed.
the swing hasn't had it.

and here we are rebuilding road
right by roosting towns.
it's just like the love
-the one that's never been enough.

so i'm counting on your fingers
cause you've reattached the twitch
and if you (go) want opinion,
i will die along the ditches.

and every summer is a hot token
to the cold, cold take of rust.
and every autumn singes
with the business of sadness.

fred had it wrong they sing
honey let it burn
and the curve in the country
is never served

so i'm counting on your fingers
cause you've reattached the twitch
and if you (go) want opinion,
i will die along the ditches.


beck

Firework!

Happy New Year! I spent New Year's Eve in New York--though not in Times Square.  I was in Central Park where I had some friends competing in the Emerald Nuts fun run.  There was dancing, a parade, a costume contest, and of course the race.  The race began at midnight, so the countdown to the New Year was also the countdown to start the race.  Those of us who weren't in the race were able to watch the 17 and a half minute firework show.

Have I ever mentioned that I love fireworks? I'm pretty sure that I have.  I just have to emphasize that I do. I really, really do!

It was a spectacular start to the New Year.  The part that really made my night was hearing a part of Katy Perry's song "Firework" during the mix of songs for the firework show.  My brother and sister-in-law introduced me to the song just a week ago and I have become a bit obsessed with it.  (I don't keep up with pop music very well.) My roommate could tell you that I had been singing it all day leading up to the party in the park.  I even professed to her that it was the one song I felt that I needed to hear to have an amazing night.  And so it was.

For your enjoyment, I found a few videos of people who have also been inspired by the song.  The original video and my favorite are at the top.

beck

The original video.


The choreography for this one looked the most fun for me to do--and the most feasible.

My introduction to the song. lol :D






These guys are funny!

Have you had enough Christmas yet?

For me, Christmas isn't over until New Year's Day.  That's when the decorations come down and the merry days end. 

On Friday I'm going up to NYC to see ABT's Nutcracker and catch a glimpse of this year's window displays before they come down. 

So for a few more days, I'm listening to whatever Christmas music I can stand.  I found a few new inspiring compilations this year that are worth two more days of listening.  One is Hey, it's Christmas! I've also enjoyed Sufjan Stevens' Songs for Christmas.  Lastly, I adore the voice of the 10-year-old Jackie Evancho. 

beck