My Top Ten Songs of 2010 (Or Just in General?)

I kind of just feel like doing a Top Ten for the sake of doing one. I'm bored, what can I say? So I'm doing this list based on some of my favourite songs. These aren't top songs from 2010, but songs I "discovered" this year that I just absolutely love or songs that I've loved for a long time, I'm not picky. So, yeah. The end. Oh, and these aren't in any particular order.

1. Open by Andy Shauf - seriously this song leaves me breathless every time, actually all his songs leave me breathless

2. Moss on a Rolling Stone by Noah Gundersen - obsessed!

3. Glenn Tipton by Sun Kil Moon - so this was a song I heard in a Youtube clip from another band, and I knew I had to discover what song it was right away

4. San Francisco by Damion Suomi - a good song I'd say

5. Always by Switchfoot - I used to love Switchfoot and then I kind of stopped, but when I heard this song, I was like, "Why did I stop listening to them!". Seriously, it's amazing!

6. The Ballad of Love and Hate by The Avett Brothers - I'm obsessed with this band and couldn't just pick one song, but I chose this one because it's really pretty!

7. Made Too Pretty by As Cities Burn - this song is really deep and I love songs that make you think

8. Where There is Ruin, There is Hope for a Treasure by So Long Forgotten - this is another song that makes you really think about the life you're living and the hypocrisy in the world

9. Names That Fell by Zach Williams - I just really like this one

10. Street Corner Preacher by Amos Lee - this guy's got soul

On, "Cool"

I've always wanted to be cool. Like my whole entire life. I was never one of the popular kids at school, and wanted to be like them more than anything. As I got older, this wasn't a priority anymore, but I was still curious about the concept of "cool", and still am. I'm so intrigued by what makes someone cool and what makes another person uncool. What may be cool for me could be nerdy or stupid to someone else. Someone might find someone with tattoos and stretched ears cool (as I would probably "define" this), whereas someone might find someone like that to be a loser and think that someone who wears a baseball cap backwards and baggy sweatshirts as actually cool. I think TJ Detweiler and Jack Morris are cool, whereas Randal and Screech aren't. We might have different ideas about what is cool, but a lot of times we can easily agree on what isn't cool. Most would agree that greasy hair and big glasses are nerdy, and yet someone could have these and still make them cool.

So is it about the person or the idea? I used to think girls that were short, had no boobs or hips, and skinny were cool, and whatever clothes they wore I would think were the coolest things ever. If I went to buy the exact same clothes, I just didn't look cool because I didn't have that body type. I never see myself as being cool, no matter what I wear. If I buy something that I would classify as cool, I eventually get sick of it and don't see it in that manner anymore. Maybe the novelity wears off, and with that, the idea I sought after is lost with it. So maybe it isn't about the clothes?

Some people I think are really cool because of their personality. They're nonchalant, say cool words (such as their own catch phrases), or just don't get caught up in the hype around them. Again, people who are the exact opposite of me. I can never see my qualities as cool because I'm anxious, a perfectionist, think too much (hence why I'm writing this because a cool person would never write about being cool), and care too much about what other people think of me or what marks I get in school. I envy people with the "I don't care" attitude.

So maybe this concept of cool looks at what we think is perfection. I'm not cool because I don't have this perfect body type, no piercings or tattoos, and don't say cool things. Maybe this is why we have so many different ideas about what cool is, because what we're really after is an idea of perfection. Maybe this is why some may think that men with long beards and who wear plaid shirts are cool because that's what their perception of perfection is.

What if cool was actually an attitude, and not one that's so apathetic, but one that valued the characteristics one already has? Chinua Achebe in Things Fall Apart explores an African idea of what cool is, which is defined as a person who shows composure. Those who were considered "hot" had to be excommunicated so that other people wouldn't suffer from this "heat". Maybe the real cool people are the ones who act composed. They don't freak out over every little detail and just enjoy life and who they were created to be. Personally I think I like this better because it's something I can achieve. I don't have to have no boobs or hips to be cool, but I can just act in a composed manner in whatever I do. God also thinks I'm really cool, which is definitely a comfort everyday!

Ten Things About Me

My cousin did this in her blog, and I decided that I wanted to do the same thing. I'm going to do more recent things about me, and also things that probably no one knows like at all. Anyway, here it goes:

1. I go through random obsessions when I'll only drink or eat something all the time until I discover something else I like. I don't eat the same thing for every meal, but it will be a food that's associated with one particular meal. For example, right now I'm obsessed with oatmeal and eat it everyday for breakfast. I'm also super obsessed with green tea and drink it about three times a day on average.

2. I love Youtube. Like seriously love it. I try to finish all my school work quickly so I can go on Youtube and watch videos. I'm obsessed with hair routine videos. I just love watching what products people use in their hair to make it look nice.

3. I have rekindled my love for Recess. I've watched every episode again on Youtube and also watch it everyday at 1:30 on Family. I'm constantly quoting lines from it.

4. I only watch old TV shows like "Full House", "Growing Pains", "Boy Meets World", and "Saved By the Bell". Those are my faves. I don't know anything about these new shows on.

5. I usually listen to artists that no one knows about yet. I feel cool asking someone if they've heard of this band, so they say "no" and I can be like, well you should listen to them.

6. I really love poetry and run to the poetry section when I go to Indigo even though I know everything they have there. I can't say I understand it, but I guess I feel cooler when I'm like yeah, I study poetry. Take that!

7. I pretty much only wear my glasses when I want to look artsy or like an intellectual. I'll go to a cafe, pull out some book I don't understand, but looks challenging, and wear my glasses (I guess I'm admitting to be somewhat of a fake, but seriously, who isn't fake sometimes?).

8. I love dark coloured nail polish. I'm on the hunt for a purply black colour (okay so this is recent).

9. Recently, I've had a newfound love for Canada and pretty much every class I'm taking this year has something to do with this country. I've lived here my whole life, but I just want to know more about where I live and develop some national pride.

10. I want a sister! Like so bad!

P.S. I came up with these on the train ride home. Yeah, I was bored and my iPod wasn't cutting it.

Something to Think About

I basically never use this blog, and it's such a waste, but I decided I'm going to post two things today because I had planned to write something else, but I just thought of this like five minutes ago. So here it goes I guess.

I was just downstairs telling my mom I wanted to get another hole in my ear and she got pretty angry and told me there was no way I was doing that. Jokingly, I asked her why. So she gives the typical "Christian mom" answer and starts quoting Scripture, telling me that the Bible says you shouldn't have any piercings and that women should dress modest. Two verses that are so completely different, from different time periods, and written for different groups of people.

This got me thinking about why we do stuff like this. I mean I know the Bible says that we need to obey our parents, which is why I wouldn't actually get a piercing, but I don't understand why we pick and choose what we want to believe in the Bible. I find that if there's something in our society we don't like, we go to the Bible, find something that's remotely about that topic, or interpret a verse to fit with our view, totally taking things out of context. When there's something we think is okay, if there's a verse about it in the Bible, we ignore it and say that it doesn't apply to today's society.

So why when the Bible talks about piercings and tattoos in Leviticus do Christians get so defensive and say these things are wrong, when they don't know why that particular verse was written, but when there's something in the Old Testament that says don't eat this particular food, we ignore it and say that doesn't apply to us?

I don't have an answer, but I just find it curious. If we believe one thing in the Bible and apply it to our lives, why don't we believe the entire book? Or why do we constantly take things out of context to fit our viewpoint? Some things are very clear in the Bible, but when it comes to these "grey" issues, there's so much debate. Anyway, that's it. I wish I had an answer, but it's just something to think about.

The End.

Books That Need to be Read

So I was thinking about this dumb blog today and wondering what I wanted to write about. I don't really have anything to say, so I wanted to make a list of ten books I thoroughly enjoy and think other people should read. I'm not saying these are my all-time favourite books, but I do like them. I don't want to do the typical book list where everyone says Shakespeare or Jane Austin, but books many may not be familiar with. So I guess here it goes:
Oh, and these aren't in any particular order, just whatever pops into my head. I also think I'm going to include some poems because I love poetry, so there. The End.

1. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - I read this book when I was preparing for my AP English exam because our teacher thought we should read more literature. I absolutely fell in love with the book. I guess I just love tragedies and this book is definitely tragic. I cried, and if I cry, it normally means it's good.

2. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Such an interesting look at slavery and how children seem to perfectly understand what adults are so dumb at grasping. Definitely very moving.

3. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - A very intriguing thriller. You just want to know what's happening so bad. A cool psychological outlook.

4. "The River" by Flannery O'Connor - O'Connor was such an interesting woman and she wrote some very moving short stories. This story explores how words can be misinterpreted or how children long for a greater sense of who God is than adults might.

5. "Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley - I was so moved when I first read this poem. It really makes you come alive. You have to read it with passion.

6. "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner - I was scarred for life after reading this story. You'd never expect what you find out at the end. It is grotesque, but I think it's worth reading if you're just in that mood.

7. City of Glass by Paul Auster - An interesting look at doubles, literature, and language, all wrapped in what's supposed to be a detective fiction story. Such a cool book, but not what'd you expect at all.

8. A Perfect Gentle Knight by Kit Pearson - Okay so this is a child's novel, but it's still very moving. I burst into tears near the end because it shook me up so much. I always think that if a novel moves you enough to make you cry, it's generally good.

9. As For Me and My House by Sinclair Ross - I recently finished reading this book, and I still don't know how I feel about it. It's very ambivalent, which allows for many interpretations, but it's still interesting. I'm adding it to this list because I think I'm slowly starting to appreciate it more. I felt really bored and yet drawn in at the same time while reading it making me feel too conflicted and weird. I guess that's why I didn't know if I liked it or not. Think about the narrative voice and it becomes quite interesting.

10. "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath - Plath was such a good poet and yet so tragic (maybe that's why she was good?). This poem talks about her relationship with her dad and husband, and it's one of those poems you have to read with a lot of pathos.

There are so many good reads out there, so try to find something that interests you, and become more literate. Words are at our disposal and have such power. Use wisely. Aha.

Oh, MJ!

Listening to Michael Jackson right now. The way it should be. Oh, MJ. :)

The End.

Comfortable with Silence

Music is such a beautiful thing. I cannot fathom how amazing it is sometimes. The way notes are configured together can completely change a situation or set a mood. Before I started driving, I always dreamed of the day when I could drive with the windows down and blast some hardcore tunes. The day finally came, and now I cannot drive without having some kind of music being played.

Silence has just become too weird and sometimes almost morbid. I remember driving down the road one time and deciding for the very first time to turn off my music. The sun was beginning to set, and no cars could be seen anywhere on the road, which was quite strange, especially for the time of day it was. I remember thinking at that particular moment that I could easily crash my car into something and die. I was really frightened at that moment for letting a thought like that go through my head and reflected on how easy it was to die. That silence had a horrible element to it, but silence isn't always scary and can be a very good thing.

There's a chapter in the Bible in which a man is trying to hear God's voice, expecting it in wild, loud places, but finds it in the stillness of a whisper. God's Word also says to be still and KNOW He is God. It's important to learn how to enjoy silence, because it can really strengthen and teach you more about yourself. Last year I spent a lot of my time at school alone, giving me the opportunity to learn about myself without feeling the need to impress others or pretend to like things that when alone, I could admit I didn't care for. I make this point because I've been listening to a guy named Andy Shauf who writes in one song, "I'm comfortable with silence in the end". I think we need to learn to be comfortable with silence and not let it scare us. Silence is a good thing because we finally get rid of all other distractions, and focus on what God wants to say to us. It may be hard to believe, but God is always talking to us. We just need to listen up. When we become "comfortable with silence", we can hear what God wants to say, which will allow us to become more of who He desires us to be. And that is the coolest thing.

The End.

My Attempt at Perfection

Oh, wait! perfection doesn't exist (here).

Reality

Listening to music coming from the speakers,
Drinking tea.
Writing in pen; (Organic.) Peace.
Just some kind of reality, but

It's so real it hurts.
Serenity that floweth like a river -
Silence creeps in the veins (despite the music).
- yields its flow from a dream unto reality.

It's so real it hurts.
The reality that comes pouring in after drought.

Back to the Basics

Ah yes, this blog. I honestly have forgotten all about it.

So this is a brand new year with brand new things to discover and brand new things to learn. It's really quite exciting. This year I want to focus on going back to the basics of things. I'm tired of making things too complex and then forgetting the simple things that make life enjoyable. For example, as Christians, we sometimes make things too complex and spend hours studying about King Hezekiah rather than putting our faith into action. We worry too much about trivial things and don't focus on what the Bible is truly saying. Then we get discouraged when we don't see God moving the way we think He should be. What I want to do is get back to the roots of what Jesus talks about and be about God's business, rather than agreeing with what some pastor says, but not doing anything to change. Anyway, I just want to be different this year, which has become so cliche to say, but I want my words to have genuine meaning behind them. So there.

The End.