TodoHewellen's Xanga

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:57:29 GMT

I'm feeling the need to rank somthing (see interests). Since I just finished ripping about 2 gbs of music off Tyler's iPod, I'll give you the top 10 albums I've been introduced to during my 5 months in America. Enjoy!

1) Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
2) The Postmarks - The Postmarks
3) Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
4) Tapes N Tapes - The Loon
5) The Album Leaf - Into the Blue Again
6) Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block
7) Charles Mingus - A Night in Tunisia
8) The Decemberists - Picturesque
9) Page France - Hello, Dear Wind
10) The Black Keys - Rubber Factory

Honorable Mention: Sia - Colour the Small One, TwentyMile and Wesga collaboration - Put Yo Tree On It (Single), The Knife - Silent Shout (not really but I feel like I can be more condescending if I list Pitchfork's #1 album of 2006)

Also I had to look up how to spell condescending which I think qualifies as the definition of irony.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:19:02 GMT

My time in 美国 is winding down. Soon there will be no more midnight runs to Taco Bueno, no more renting Alec Balwin movies with my roommate Dave, no more short double lattes from Shades of Brown. All that American goodness will be replaced with something that noone seems to understand, no matter how emotional my descriptive efforts. I'm going back to the grind I now realize I took for granted. Those of us who have been chosen to teach in China are ridiculously blessed. It took 4 1/2 months, a lot of grieving, settling an estate, 3 income tax returns, and countless meetings with lawyers, CPAs, and money managers for this to truly sink in. He blesses us through trials. Why? So we can finally get over ourselves and rely on Him. He is most satisfied when we are most dependent on Him.

I'll see you guys 10 days later.

nothing...nothing

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 04:36:26 GMT

Sports quote of the day:

"It depends how much I drink." -Andy Roddick when asked if he would sleep after being drummed 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 by Roger Federer in the Australian Open semifinals

I WANT TO BE BACK IN CHINA! (yes I'm shouting as I type)

我不喜欢婚礼。

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 22:22:30 GMT

It's post time baby. I just went to buddy Chris' wedding. I was #5 of 8 groomsmen. That means I was required to stand under a bright light for the duration of the ceremony. Luckily there were 4 prayers so I was able to wipe sweat from my forehead and shift my weight without distracting family, friends, and other random onlookers. I think my time in China has left me almost completely incapable of making small talk. I really feel for the bridesmaid who got stuck with me. During the rehearsal I asked if she was married. She replied, "Not yet, I will be in May." I then asked if she was excited. She said, "Of course." I immediately apologized for asking such a generic question and then felt it necessary to add, "I guess the only reason you wouldn't be excited is if you were settling." This was met with a long silence. It sounded like a joke in my head but came across quite differently in reality. I guess people take their marraiges seriously. Who knew?

You'll be glad/ammused to know my languauge skills are also taking a hit. Drew and I went to a coffe shop to study a few days ago. I tried to send a text message to a friend of mine saying, "Don't fight it." When I typed "fight" the Nokia predicative text showed the word "eight". I leaned to Drew and said, "What the heck E-ight?" He looked at me then he looked at the phone...then again at me and once more at the phone. Then he burst into laughter and enthusiatically informed me that the word shown was the number 8, not E-ight as I had pronounced it. Sigh...

If you are in China, I miss you. I'll be back in the middle of February so get ready to party. I'll leave you with a couple pics from the wedding.

Here is the groom.

Luke, Drew, and I opening gifts.

Snap yo fingers...Do yo step...

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 00:44:37 GMT

You can do it all by yourself. I thought about titling this post "Likert's Scale of Hipness". I stuck with "Snap yo fingers..." because it's Tuesday which is usually a day of solitude. The banter on the fantasy message boards has slowed, my friends are 2 days into their respective work weeks, and I am diving into a new and exciting chapter in "Learning Chinese characters from Ms. Zhang". Will anyone understand the reference in my title? Probably not. Does that bother me? To quote my Chinese friends, "Not at all". It amuses me and that's what Tuesdays are all about. Don't worry. The post will still feature a Likert scale. If there are any marketing majors reading try to control your excitement.

I went to OKC this past weekend to visit Luke and Tyler. The time with Tyler was good. We ate some black bean burgers, hung out at a coffee shop, shared some music, and pondered the mysteries of life. When we parted I felt thoroughly hippified. If I had to explain the experience graphically, I would say it left me about here.

Ultra Hip 1 2 Me 3 4 5 Ultra Mainstream

Unfortunately all that indie hipness was quickly washed away by Luke. We listened to The Fray, saw Borat, and argued over the relevance (or lack thereof) of symbolism in the latest episode of Lost. I left OKC restored to my original level which is roughly here

Ultra Hip 1 2 3 Me 4 5 UltraMainstream

In conclusion, it's nice to have friends that provide me with a healthy balance. It makes me more relateable (word?). This is good because I spend most of my time in coffee shops surrounded by people who are vastly different from me. I'd like to put that thought on hold and apologize to the aspiring artisis and musicians I have previously labeled "unemployed", "lazy", and "good for nothing bohemians". Chase those dreams no matter how unrealistic! While I may not be one of you I'm certainly in your corner. That's all. Also, J.J. Abrams is a punk. I don't care how much good press he gets.

The Power of the Dark Side

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 20:42:36 GMT

This cd is so freakin' hip. And I found it all by myself. I'm gonna need some eprops for that. Things are moving pretty slow around Oklahoma. I went to a Halloween party last weekend dressed as Darth Vader. I have a pretty amazing mask but I spent most of the night with it resting atop my head because people would see it and say, "oh sweet Vader mask... who's under there?" Then they would be dissapointed because I only knew like 3 of the 30 people there and its not as fun to say; "It's Eric!" if they've never met me before. The lesson is this: If you have a costume that completely covers your face you should know at least 3/5 of the people at the party or your surprise unveiling will be immediately followed by an awkward introduction. Something to remember.

I've been trying some new things lately. I started going to a new Church in Tulsa. It is really different than any church I've ever attended. Last sunday the minister gave me a high five after telling a really cheesey joke that took about 5 minutes to set up. Needless to say I liked his style and will be returning this Sunday. I've also found a large group of Chinese people who meet on Sundays in Tulsa. (How's that for discretion?) Apparently Tulsa is a hot spot for Chinese fellowship. Who knew? I'm starting to get plugged in there so hopefully I will writing and speaking more fluently when I return.

Aight, I'm about to go ball for the first time since my return. I'm planning on implementing a personal no shot rule so my team can stay in games. If you're in China, I miss you. If you're not in China but have been recently or are planning on going sometime in the near future, I'll talk to you soon. I think that covers everyone who reads this.

:( :\ :| :) ;)

Homecoming!!!

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 21:27:58 GMT

That's right, me and the twentymile are heading to Stillwater (home of the Cowboys) this weekend for a little housedeck action. Hopefully some of the houses will be slackin' so I can get my pomp on. For those of you who didn't go to OSU that isn't an innuendo. I just realized how bad it sounds. I'll put up some pics later.

America is boring. Stay in China.

A lesson in terror

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 00:07:50 GMT

Anyone bold enough to question Samuel L. Jackson's acting chops needs a heavy dose of snakes....on a plane! I've seen this movie twice now, once the night before it opened and again on opening night. Campy? Yes. Ridiculous? Yes. Amazing? YES!!! Both nights the theater was full of hissing fans laughing through serious dialogue. Some of them brought rubber snakes and waved them at people as they left the theater.

Five days after seeing the movie for a second time I boarded a 13 hour flight from Chicago to Beijing. To make the flight more interesting I led silent countdowns that ended in long hissing sounds given from ELT teachers spread throughout the plane. I thought it was hysterical. The others said they liked it but I'm pretty sure they were humoring me.

Anyway, we're back in China now. I guess the university read my blog and saw I listed audio visual english in my expertise section because that is all I'm teaching this semester. The other teachers were hit with a business english class for non-english majors. I don't envy them. The dean of our department told us we needed to select a leader among the foreign teachers. Because my schedule is so cushy, they selected me. That means more one-on-one time with long winded Chinese teachers. Sigh. That's all for now. Go see Snakes. We miss you Tyler.

America: Day 43

Sat, 05 Aug 2006 18:40:05 GMT

My summer is winding down. Tonight I'm going to a little get together with a few friends to celebrate our last evening together. I am leaving for Toronto tomorrow morning. By the time I get back on the 14th, over half of my friend base which currently sits at 7 will have moved away. Luckily I will only have 3 days before shipping out to ELT Edgefest 06. Initially I had some reservations about the camp setup, but then I remembered that Dutra is still the leader of our organization so the digs will be 1st class.

I've spent the past week screening a few movies for my Audio/Visual class (see expertise). I'm trying to decide whether or not the students will get "What About Bob?". I'm feeling pretty good about it. The language is fairly simple, it's 99 minutes long, and I'm confident Bill Murray's humor can span the cultural divide. I'm a little nerous about Dreyfuss' psycho-babble but I'm sure they'll just tune it out. Let me know what you all think. Other screenings have included "The Count of Monte Cristo", "Regarding Henry", and "Stand By Me". More suggestions are welcome.

I'll leave with a list of my top five athlete quotes (see interests). Enjoy.

#5) "I have to be assertive, and if the ball doesn't go in, it gives us a good rebounding opportunity."     -Kobe Bryant

#4) "Incredible feeling"     -Amare Stoudemire when asked to give a few sentences describing his first All-Star experience

#3) "Me myself, I like to run around the outside." -Eric Dickerson on his running style

#2) "Lennox Lewis, I'm coming for you man. My style is impetuous. My defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah!"       -Mike Tyson, who else? The best part of this is him squaring up to the camera as he says "Praise be to Allah" as if that is the scariest portion of the quote.

#1) "I don't got a problem with homosexuals. I go to WNBA games."    -Ozzie Guillen defending himself for using a homophobic slur to describe a Chicago Sun Times columnist. He also added that he has gay friends and once attended a Madonna concert.

Fantasyfest

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 14:08:09 GMT

I'm supposed to use this blog to discuss what's happening in my life. Unfortunately, since I've returned from China my social life has been pretty nonexistent aside from being dissapointed by $8 "blockbusters". Thus I will use this venue to discuss my biggest source of entertainment, fantasy. I'm not talking 6th grade Kapowski fantasy, but rather the ultimate conversation starter for males age 16-34. Have you ever noticed how the most dull individuals light up when you start discussing fantasy football. One minute you'll be asking yourself, "who invited the mute" and the next you'll be struggling to get a word in as he tells you all about his draft, his sleepers, his busts, the big game he got screwed out of, and how he overcame it all to win his league. Everyone has stories and everyone thinks theirs are the most remarkable. The conversations will last for hours. Just yesterday I listened to my friend Dave talk about his draft strategy. We already had the lottery and he has the 4th overall pick. Of course he hates that pick and wants to trade up or down. So I listened to him talk about who he will trade with and for what. Will he have to give up a seventh round pick also? Who will be available if he trades down? Are cash considerations a viable bargaining chip? How will this affect his overall draft strategy? Four hours later we were both as interested as when the conversation began.

I wanted to follow that section with one discussing my own draft strategy but I've decided against that. It's not because I think you're bored . Most who started this post have probably scuried to another one of their subscriptions. I just can't run the risk of a league member clicking on over to xanga and adopting my strategies as their own. Too risky, not gonna do it. OK, I'll give you one sleeper just for kicks. Curtis "my favorite" Martin. Curtis Martin? Wasn't he bust city last year? Indeed he was, and he's older than Buster Keaton and his offense line wasn't upgraded in the offseason. However the return of Chad Pennington and the league's most favorable run schedule has C-Mart primed for a bounce back campaign. I'm not saying to make him a starter but he will be more than servicable as your number 3.

Dorkiest post ever.