oh man do i miss this show.

(Yep, this is what I did at work today.)

more onions

how much truth is in this article?

Art II

something to do while p'nui is on the phone

i may be paranoid, but it seems as if the majority of the words I have to learn for the GRE are about negative things: pusillanimous, harangue, fulsome, and vitriolic.

My guess is that the ratio of negative to positive definitions is 3:1

God bless the mouths that are fed off of all the money I'm dishing into this test...

Today's ee

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of allnothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

A thing like facebook can be detrimental to one who has too many acquiantances. For instance, the other day I got a request from someone named Joshua. I did not recognize this guy but I figured that I must know him from

a) middleschool?
b) high school?
c) Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat when I was like, ten?
d)Was one of the munchkins in the Wizard of Oz but he's all grown up now?
e) My section for Anthro 101?
g) What about my Modern Dance Class in 2004?
f) In a tap class with me when I was eleven?
h) In Redford Youth Theater?
i) Someone I met at the Brothers on a particularly "Zooropa" -ish day ?
g) Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in '94?
h) Mosiac Youth Theater?
i) On a soccer team with me when I was eight?
j) In the shoe dept at JC Penneys?
k) An audition?
l) From Marjorie's church youth group?
m) 5th Grade?
n) From the United Generation Council anti-drug summer job I had my soph. year of HS?
o) Dance class at James' house?
p) Michigan Opera Theater?
q) RYT when it was Tinderbox?
r) Gymnastics when I was pre-11 years?
s) One of the students I met in South Africa?
t) Someone I was particularly friendly with at a rest stop in Tennessee?
u) Applebees?
v) From InterVarsity?
w) Worked in the Animal Testing Lab with me?
x) How about the Bug Range?
y) A frequent visitor of the Jamaican Jerk Pit?
z) Preschool?

I accepted his request, as he could have been from any of those places. Then I saw that we had no mutual friends. Hm.

Days passed.

Today I got a "friend detail request." Thank Jesus! The mystery can be solved. Yep, it was Joshua.

He put that I was his "Facebook Friend."

What the hell is a facebook friend?

I don't know, Josh. You tell me.

...I just don't understand modern art.

i also miss my waterbee

i miss
dive bars that don't have prostitutes in them
redskinned mashed potatoes
cigarettes
sweaters
ebonics
having a kitchen
hymns
upstairs at the ant
jukeboxes that have songs in english. good songs, i mean.
meals that don't involve rice or noodles

i don't miss
plexiglas
cleaning the sink and around the sink
driving
boxed macaroni and cheese
the post-audition waiting period
socks

Janis Joplin covered St. James Infirmary. I guess that was to be expected. Oh well, it probably won't be the last song she covered that I will cover later.

Ha.

Back to this Blog

After some consideration, I decided that I miss my outlet for thoughts that I'd like to broadcast that aren't really intended for the general audience. I like my Bangkok blog, but sometimes I just want to be random and I am tired of hitting the "Publish" button wondering how that thought will go over... So I'm going to add to this one occasionally, for those find that they still check it. I guess it's going to be esoteric now and I won't be expecting comments.

Here's what I've been thinking about. I'm tired of feeling that there is restrictions on what I can say about my faith in my writing. Who am I writing for, I wonder? Are there enough people like me out there who will care about what I have to say about Jesus? About injustice? These thoughts are kind of discouraging to me. Maybe I shouldn't have so much of an agenda. In my latest story I wrote about working at a dying department store at christmastime. I tried to just write about my coworker, but I knew all sorts of things would come out. She was obsessed with racism, so that's in there. I can't write about her and not have her obsessed with it. Also, the people around her were obsessed with Jesus. Anyway, I don't want to have all these hidden agendas but I guess I agree with Natalie Goldberg, that all art is political. It's just unavoidable.

Maybe the same people who don't mind Bono might want to read my stuff one day... Because I think we have the same agendas.

Okay, with that aside, I have been listening to satellite radio online and been writing down some musicians that have really caught my ear:
--The HOLMES BROTHERS have a new album, Simple Truths. Actually, it's not new, I just don't have it yet.
--I think I would like to own THE BEST OF GEORGE HARRISON
--There is a guy with a great blues voice, named JC BURRIS. His album was called Blues Professor. I remember liking the guitar on there.
--I heard a guy named DAVID FORD today who was singing along with Kim Taylor. He was edgy and truth-seeking. I liked his voice a lot. He's from England and he swears a lot.
--Another blues guy, WARNER WILLIAMS was good too. His album was called Blues Highway.

I wrote those down so I can hunt them when I get back in town... I had an amazon fiasco lately so I know better than to order it from Bangkok...

I really miss music. Live music. My favorite is the blues, as you can see. I wish I could just listen to music and not feel like I have to reach for my guitar. I guess I miss playing for people. The Thais have a cool picking style. Maybe I can pick that up. Ha.

I think the next song I'd like to learn on the guitar is St. James Infirmary because it's about time a woman sang it and it always blows my mind. Joel brought it to my attention via the Gypsy Strings. Maybe I'd like to learn a bunch of standards to throw into my mix. Viva la Tradition.

So Long, Been Good to Know Ya

That's a Woody Guthrie song, for those that didn't know...

I'm off today. My plane leaves at 4:55pm. I will arrive in Bangkok tomorrow night around 11:30. (What will be 12:30pm, their time...)

My stomache is a bit upset this morning. I guess that's to be expected. But I had a nice send-off. I got to pray with Harry, Chuck, and my dad and then Harry gave me a Message Bible that he really likes. I'm liking it too. Last night I brought Joel to the Menczers for dinner and then we stayed for their study, so I got to see some people, like my grandma, for the last time in a while...

Saying good-bye is awkward; sometimes I wonder if it would be better if I just split outta sight without hugging anyone. Maybe if no one knew I was leaving it would be easier... I guess that wouldn't be right. It's good to know that people will be thinking about me and praying for me.

Last night, as I usually feel after Dave's teaching, my head was filled with good thoughts and Joel and I felt at peace about the situation. I was pretty happy about that. Nancy Kammer (director friend)pointed out that that the fact that we can trust each other while we're gone is a really big and important thing. So that was encouraging...

I'm sorry if these thoughts aren't reading well. I'm having trouble typing, i feel so nauseous. I hope it goes away soon...

While I'm gone, read about my adventures at NoraInBangkok.blogspot.com

Much love to my homies.

My mother bought me a massive blue suitcase. She thinks it's too big; I can't imagine packing for a year away in anything else. I haven't even begun packing. I'm thinking I'll put it off until after the campout. The plane ticket's in but I haven't applied for a visa because I'm still waiting for the letter if invitation from the university where I'll be working. I'm halfway between excitement and panic. The dreams have started, too. Last night I had a dream that I didn't have enough of a goodbye to Joel and I was racing up and down the terminal trying to find him but it was too late and i cried for the whole plane-ride, and when I got to Thailand they put me straight to work and I found that I was incompetant and lost as to how to get anything done.

Every time I get a moment by myself (I've had many today), the question pops into my head: What do you want out of life? It's not like I'm asking myself, "What do I want out of life," but more like someone else is asking, "What do YOU want?" It's a dramatic question, yes, and haunting. It's haunted me for months now, seeming to go hand in hand with the idea of leaving.

Some have asked, "Why are you going there?" I've had several answers. I've said that I want the experience of being stripped of direct communication--a language barrier. Whether I really want that or not, I'll have it; I know one or two phrases in Thai and I'm not sure if I'm using the right tones. I've said that I want to escape this social life (or theater life) that's kept me from writing stories and essays. I've said that I just feel like it's right. I feel somewhat guilty because I think I should probably have some inspirational martyresque answer having to do with God.

I have these answers but none of them satisfies that other burning question. I'm sure if I was able to answer it, which I am not, I would know that this thing, whatever it is, could no easier be found in Thailand than in Detroit. I know it's time for a change. I know I'm an experience-addict. I know going there will be "awesome" because that's what everyone tells me it will be (or at least I hope everyone's right...) I know the Lord will be with me.

One friend asked me why I was going and I said, "I have no idea." She said, "Well even if you did have an idea, you'd probably find the real reason once you're there, don'tcha think?" And maybe that goes for the deeper question "What do I want out of life?" I continue on, wherever my feet happen to take me, trying to serve God the best I can because I know that guy and I trust him, but I won't know what I've really wanted all this time until I see His face.

Bored?

www.nightlights.com

what's your favorite?

Bangkok here I come

So, i haven't mentioned on here yet because I haven't been so certain about it (and if you read this blog, you'll see that my plans change quicker than most...), but I have taken a job teaching/consulting for English in Bangkok. I leave on August 24th. I'll be working in the office at a university research center called the ABAC Poll (of Assumption University). Those of you who know my friend/college roomate Jenni Goad-Piotrowski, it's the same university she worked at back in 2003/04. I will be living in what is called "The ABAC Hotel". I think it's kind of like a dorm with a half kitchen in the rooms, but we'll see.

While I'm there, I might have a bangkok blog. I'll let you know.

There might be a party for me on the 19th. I'm not sure where or when yet. Details about that are coming...

Hope you readers are well,
NJ

How to Eat Like a Director (Boh. Imp. Vol. IX)

"Set your mind before the mirror of eternity
and everything will work." ~Franz Wright


I've done it. I've directed a children's show at Park Players. It's called How to Eat Like A Child and it opens tonight. It's made up of lessons for scenes: "How to Wait," "How to Behave at School," "How to Beg for a Dog," etc. It features songs that ask: "Why is no the only thing a parent can express?" and claim: "There ought to be as many ways of saying, 'Yes.'" But best of all, it features 29 hilarious kids that were surprisingly easy-going. I had a great time and the parents are pleased with what they saw at the final dress rehearsal last night. I'm a little sad to let it go, but not really all that sad. I think acting attaches me more to a show than directing... And I've found that directing isn't as stressful as I had anticipated. Maybe because I've had the attitude: "I gave that kid the direction three or four times now. If he doesn't want to listen, it's him that looks bad, not me."

I've also started my job singing around Greenfield Village. Thoughts and reactions to this job are being recorded in what I hope will be a lit nonfiction essay that's currently called "The Henry Ford." I will say this, my faltering patriotism is recieved there with open arms...

I'm also booked to direct a short play for the Pandora's Box Fest this year. Anyone have a name of a good female playwright whose written a short? I'm going to check if there's any short Beth Henleys. We'll see.

I have read all the Harry Potters that are out. I must say that the last one let me down in many ways (not in the obvious ways that the readers of this book might think,) but full opinions of the series will be given after I've read the 7th.

Adios for now.

Poem 06/28/06

the world's in flame
or so it seems
i hear cannons and popcorn
two neighborhoods away
i see red and blew
dust and smoke crawls
over pines and maples
and oaks in bloom
surrounding my subdivision

this is not war, this is
celebration, the grand finale now
mimics the more exuberant display
over windsor, hart plaza, for fearless
crowds who've dared to cross
the city line.
canada and states unite
to salute the flags that stream behind
jets above the river tonight
explosives equal freedom

we are free
mysterious creation
the sliver of pink haze moon
still glows. you can find it
somehow still more spectacular

Adventures in Bohemian Impoverishment Vol. 8

With Sir John Garrett at the moment. He's waiting for me to fill the "bubble pool" with a hose. It's not even 9am yet, so I am biding time with the old blog.

I feel like every time I update, I have something completely different going on as the last time. Right now I'm trying to get a job teaching overseas and the best candidate is Bangkok, Thailand. But that's the future (November). I'll go into what's going on now.

I completed my second rehearsal with Greenfield Village, and delighfully, my voice doesn't feel that bad (as I had expected.) I am singing too low for my range as an alto. I'm trying not to talk too much today and I had lots of water yesterday, but i feel, like I said, pretty good. Last week at this time I could barely talk. But the voice isn't like a muscle--at least getting lower... It is like a muscle when you sing high (I'm told that you can exercise to make your voice higher) but going too low could do some damage. Thats what my voice teacher said, and the man teaching me the music.

I just cast my first play as a director... I'm directing a childrens show at Park Players called "How to Eat Like A Child." The auditions went great--I've got Mike Fiedler on board as the music director and it's hard to go wrong there. We cast 30 kids. Holy Moses. But some of them were so cute at the auditions that I turned bright red sitting "behind the table." Is there a book somewhere about blushing? It's a weird phenomenon. It can't be helped and it can be triggered by so many things. One kid got up and sang "My Girl" and changed the words a little... I wish I could remember what he said, but he did a little sway as he sang. And another girl did Missy Elliots rap in Ciera's song about moving your body. I nearly fell out of my chair. At the first audition, a girl sang supersonic, which I had no idea that 7 year olds knew about. What can I say, but this show is going to be a trip up the old staircase.

Manny and the Mirror practice starts on Saturday. We're doing one performance for the Michigan Theater Festival.

Anyone have anything ELSE for me to do?

The Elmores

Alec and I have set up a music page on myspace.

myspace.com/theelmores

Please come give us a listen.

We're starting to hit the illustrious metro-detroit open-mic scene. Tonight we're going to the New Way Bar in Ferndale to play at the open mic hosted by the Gypsy Strings...