homeade hair cut.

On Friday, I got my hair cut. I sacked up and said "let's do this!" because I desperately wanted my curls back. Well, the salon experience was something else. Really wonderful. Massages, long hair washes, the whole bit! They really take care of you at hair salons here... before the actual hair cutting begins, that is.

This is not my first time putting the fate of my hair in an Asian hairdresser's hands. When will I learn, I wonder? Maybe now. My hairdresser was 60% fascinated about my having curly hair and 40% frightened. Really, just SO nervous about what my hair would do (being curly and all), if he cut it too short. I tried to tell him over and over again that short was fine, just layer it, but to no avail. I left the salon with a sort of shorter version of my hair beforehand... curly on the top, straight on the ends: NOT a good look.

I let it go for a couple of days then realized I had had enough. At this point, I went into my roommate's room, got some scissors, consulted briefly then realized I didn't care whatsoever and that we should likely just start cutting before I could change my mind. I wish we had taken pictures of the process. Although things like this, you don't soon forget!

It definitely could use some refining, BUT it looks cute! It's short... really short! But my curls are back, fiiiinally.

(Sidenote: Sorry hair, I will never mistreat you like this again. It's been a rough year, next year will be better!).

holy folk!

I am a Folk gal at heart. Always have been, always will be. Folk music is just so simple, so honest. Perhaps this is, and always has been the appeal? Sure, it's always offered an alternative to what's being played on the radio and listened to by the masses at the time, but I think what's more interesting is not the genre itself, but the audience of this genre. Maybe, just maybe, people like myself appreciate it because in this hectic life we all seem to lead, it's an escape; a chance to get back to the basics in a world where this is becoming harder and harder to do.

Listening to: She & Him - adorable in every way and First Aid Kit- love, love, love them.

best science class around.

a league of their own.

Since seeing them at Lollapalooza two summers ago, Dr. Dog have become an absolute favourite of mine. I put them in a category of their own-- I truly think that their sound sets them apart from any other band out there (not to mention they were phenomenal live!). Dr. Dog, you bring a smile to my face.

Shame, Shame is their lastest album and is a gem, to say the least. Favourite tracks upon my first few listens? Shadow People, Unbearable Why, and Jackie Wants a Black Eye. In my humble opinion, these guys are about as real as they come anymore. What I appreciate so much about this band is the simplicity of their music. No gimmicks, just goodness.

Kudos, dudes.

two days down south...

Perhaps it's a good thing, going into a trip with little to no expectations. We planned a 2 day trip (using our 3 day week-end to our advantage), to go south and visit Kaohsiung. I had researched very little, and went into the week-end with an open mind and an excited little heart. To say the least, Kaohsiung was beautiful. It was quiet, well manicured, easy to navigate and sunny! My question at one point was "why would anyone ever want to live in the North?". Seriously.

As we walked along the water and took boats here and there, I really was taken a back by the city's culture. Art everywhere, an overall feeling of romance, and its laid back nature (laid back, as far as Asian cities are concerned!). Kaohsiung, to me, was unlike any big city I've ever visited-- it may even be up there in the ranks with Chicago!

Just an extremely inviting city, in my opinion. Maybe next time I visit, it will be for a little bit longer. Maybe another year, sometime down the road...?

4 months...

It really is hard to believe that 7 and a 1/2 months have come and gone already. It's the beginning of April now and by the beginning of August, I will be home again! So, that's only 4 months. Crazy.

This band and song remind me of last Summer. I really cannot wait to be home (I miss bike rides... among a few other things, of course!).