Make Flowers

"They literally gave me sh*t. But you know what? That's alright 'cause I'm gonna take that sh*t, turn it into manure, and make flowers... You can literally make flowers out of sh*t. And everybody likes flowers." 

 -Esse, my friend

On Repeat: "Tokyo City Underground"

I was distracted watching Japanese music countdown videos this afternoon and look what I came across! It's a song called "Tokyo City Underground" by a band named Passepied, and it's pure. magic. The pace changes, the high-energy, the jazz undertones, the sophisticated musicality... it's almost out of this world how special this song is. The high-pitched singing (yes, that is her real voice) started to grate my ears when I first heard it, but now after a few listens I just find it charming. Passepied's style is very similar to that of Soutaiseiriron), another Japanese pop/rock band known for its high-pitched vocalist, mysterious persona, clean production, instrumental layers, experimental sound, and often anime-worthy tunes. However, what makes Passepied different is that they're a little more daring and willing to be seen. Plus the animation in this video is pretty cool. Check out "Tokyo City Underground" below!

Outings: Grand River Coffee Cafe

Grand River Coffee Cafe - East Lansing (5 September)

• Had plans this evening;  came here to pass the time between my appointment with Sue and said plans
• Couches, comfy chairs, a fireplace, an indoor watefall; makes you feel like you're in someone's study or living room 
• Veggie "panino" + carrots + steamer w/ skim milk and honey
• Was supposed to get a bunch of reading done, but kept getting distracted with Japanese music countdown videos; trying to get back into J-music and see what artists over there have been creating this year
• Only managed to get through one reading for one class
• Was about to leave but just as I'd finished packing up my stuff, a storm hit
• Waited for the storm to ebb before going back to campus; my evening plans fell through but that's cool because by then I didn't feel like venturing out again anyway

Sessions with Sue 16

This afternoon was my first session with Sue since spring semester ended. Since May I'd been keeping a list of things that I wanted to talk about, so we spent the hour touching on some of those items. But for some reason it all felt underwhelming. As if I was just going on and on, talking about nothing for no reason. Since today's was basically a catching-up session, I don't have any overarching theme or a bunch of notes this time around. Just two things:

• There's lots of heavy stuff going on with my family and some of my friends, but I don't seem to be affected by it. Oddly enough I feel better than I have in a long time

• Being proactive (rather than reactive) and being more engaged about planning out my days and activities has been doing me well! One of many things that going to Paris was good for

Trees Fall

"It is my deeply-rooted belief that trees do not judge themselves when they fall. No one can convince me otherwise."

 -Lacey, this morning's Yoga Basics instructor

Outings: Spartan Remix and Tutti Frutti

Spartan Remix 2014 - The Rock (4 September)

• Annual multicultural/welcome-back event; I've gone every year
• "Infinite Harmonies"; whoever came up with this theme deserves a hug and a high-five!
• Was finishing a French capstone project... didn't get there until the last hour
• Sun was setting, some student orgs were already packing up
• Performance stage on one end; pretty groovy band (Desmond Jones) playing in the grass on the other end
• Tons of people showed up! Yay for all the people I know who helped organize this event!
• Tried looking for friends who I knew would be there but only managed to find three
• Wasn't much going on so I left; 30-ish minutes counts as attending an event, right?

Tutti Frutti - East Lansing (4 September)

• Walked from Spartan Remix to a nearby meeting; was in near Ivy's on-campus apartment building so I gave her a ring
• Met up with Ivy and she gave me a tour of her apartment building, showed me her apartment, introduced me to her super cool roommates
• Wasabi Triscuits!
• Sweet-bitter whiffs of high quality maccha that Ivy brought from Uji last year; Ahh the Japan nostalgia!
• Ivy and Dia were heading out for frozen yogurt with Dia's boyfriend Pedro; they invited me to come along
• Rode in Pedro's car to Tutti Frutti, one of many places in EL that I still hadn't visited
• Kept it simple this time around: Green tea yogurt + blueberries + Heath bits
• Had just enough time to make our selections, enjoy our treats, chat it up, and snap a picture before the place closed
• They dropped me off and told me to visit again anytime; how great it is to have friends in the neighborhood!

Big Question

"Good luck with that big question!" -Paul S.

All of my school friends and acquaintances that I've come across so far are in the same It's-senior-year-I'm-freaking-out-I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-my-life-gahh-the-pressure-I'm-not-ready-for-the-real-world club. Every single one of them. Just like me. A bunch of us ran into each other between classes today and the conversation that followed confirmed this for me. And while I wouldn't wish senior year uncertainty or anxiety on anyone (given my current position I now feel incredibly sorry to every person to whom I've ever asked the "What are you doing after you graduate?" question), it is comforting to know that pretty much all of us are in the same boat.

Above was the parting well wish of a school acquaintance of mine named Paul. And the way he said it just really struck me. What he said was simple, but the message I heard was much deeper than that. Like we all have our own Big Question, and only we can figure out what the unique answer to our own Big Question is. And not only that, but we will all find our answer(s) in our own time. Thanks Paul.