Not sure if you can tell I'm actually making progress- sometimes I'm not sure myself. Learning the piano is harder than I thought! You might notice I have a new digital piano that Jim got me for Christmas. It's a Yamaha P85 and I've really been enjoying the full size keyboard and weighted hammer-action keys... much more closer to a real piano than the kids casio I was playing on before. I finally have a pedal too so I have to get to work on adding that in. I just can't grasp moving my feet while I'm trying to figure out what to do with my hands... yeah, yeah, I know- practice makes perfect.
Here's the latest tune, a basic rendition of "Hello, Dolly"
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Jim's 'Go or Don't Go' - God Grew Tired of Us
If you think that you've had a bad day, take a couple of hours to watch God Grew Tired of Us: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. This intriguing 2006 documentary gives you a glimpse of just how absolutely horrible this world can be, as well as the incredible resiliance of the human spirit.
In case you're not up to speed on who the Lost Boys of the Sudan are: In 1987, the Muslim government of Sudan prounced death to all males in the Christian south of the country. Nice. 27,00 young boys fled - on foot mind you - on a nightmarish 1,000 mile journey to Kenya, where 12,000 survivors eventually ended up in a United Nations camp in Kakuma.
The story picks up in 2001, with many of these boys, now young men, receiving an opportunity to be relocated to United States. Despite their hardships in Africa, we see their reluctance to leave the camp and separate themselves from the only "family" they know.
One thing that made this film unexpectedly interesting to us was that two of the three subjects in the film were placed in Pittsburgh. The other young man was sent to Syracuse, NY.
Once in the United States, they are set up in apartments and arrangements are made for getting them jobs. In the more lighthearted scenes of the movie, we see light switches, flush toilets, pre-cooked food and refrigerators being explained to the young men. Keep in mind, these are people who have never used electricity, and think that a common American job is cleaning dog teeth.
Although the United States is an opportunity for the young men, we see their struggle to make ends meet and send money back to friends and family in Africa, all the while deeply missing their homeland. The film deals in a thoughtful and respectful way with cultural differences and the emotional baggage of their past experiences. I think the film will also cause most viewers to reflect on American culture, and rethink any preconceived notions of African culture.
The amazing thing about these young men was the faith, joy and optimism that was still present in their outlook on life, especially after what they have been through. Their progress is followed over several years, and we see them mature, seek out lost loved ones and faithfully work to preserve their culture.
I highly recommend this film. Co-produced by Brad Pitt and narrarated by Nicole Kidman, God Grew Tired of Us was a thoughtful break from the usual explosions and CGI effects that I regularly subject myself to. I say "Go."
In case you're not up to speed on who the Lost Boys of the Sudan are: In 1987, the Muslim government of Sudan prounced death to all males in the Christian south of the country. Nice. 27,00 young boys fled - on foot mind you - on a nightmarish 1,000 mile journey to Kenya, where 12,000 survivors eventually ended up in a United Nations camp in Kakuma.
The story picks up in 2001, with many of these boys, now young men, receiving an opportunity to be relocated to United States. Despite their hardships in Africa, we see their reluctance to leave the camp and separate themselves from the only "family" they know.
One thing that made this film unexpectedly interesting to us was that two of the three subjects in the film were placed in Pittsburgh. The other young man was sent to Syracuse, NY.
Once in the United States, they are set up in apartments and arrangements are made for getting them jobs. In the more lighthearted scenes of the movie, we see light switches, flush toilets, pre-cooked food and refrigerators being explained to the young men. Keep in mind, these are people who have never used electricity, and think that a common American job is cleaning dog teeth.
Although the United States is an opportunity for the young men, we see their struggle to make ends meet and send money back to friends and family in Africa, all the while deeply missing their homeland. The film deals in a thoughtful and respectful way with cultural differences and the emotional baggage of their past experiences. I think the film will also cause most viewers to reflect on American culture, and rethink any preconceived notions of African culture.
The amazing thing about these young men was the faith, joy and optimism that was still present in their outlook on life, especially after what they have been through. Their progress is followed over several years, and we see them mature, seek out lost loved ones and faithfully work to preserve their culture.
I highly recommend this film. Co-produced by Brad Pitt and narrarated by Nicole Kidman, God Grew Tired of Us was a thoughtful break from the usual explosions and CGI effects that I regularly subject myself to. I say "Go."
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Snowmageddon 2010!
Yesterday we had zero inches of snow. Today, we woke up to 22! We spent 3 hours shoveling and were able to dig out 1 car and the neighbor's driveway. Once we got the car out, we went out to get something to eat but all the stores and restaurants were closed. Oh well- we'll need the car soon anyway. Got a call from the Borough that a State of Emergency has been declared because so many are without heat and power. In fact, our friends and their cat are on their way over right now because they have no power and their house is 46 degrees!
I've never seen so much snow in my life. Enjoy the pictures...
The Kia!
And there's the Saturn...
The neighbor's driveway...
Surveying...
Cold Paws...
I've never seen so much snow in my life. Enjoy the pictures...
The Kia!
And there's the Saturn...
The neighbor's driveway...
Surveying...
Cold Paws...
Is it time to go in?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Jim's Website of the Week...
If the current state of our country has you discouraged and you are looking for a little inspiration, check out Real American Stories . The site was created "to share American stories and to help us appreciate who we are, where we come from, and how truly fortunate we are to be part of the American experience." It may help clear your head for a few minutes of the daily news clutter, which is always a good thing.
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