It’s Sunday night. Usually I’m doing some last minute homeworking. Or I’m watching an episode of Community. Or both. 

But this Sunday was different. Besides seeing one of my favourite (Top 7) bands (Metronomy) in concert, front row and making some serious eye contact with the cuteness that is the keyboardist, I also went to a bar. I know what you’re thinking. “Wooooow! I’m so jealous, I heard those are like supper rare !”.

I never go to bars. I’m technically not allowed to because I’m not eighteen. Oh my god ! Under age drinking :O (I will be deleting this post before I get famous). But my friends wanted to so why not peanut. And then I find out that Keith’s beer is a mere 4$. Oh no…this is going to be a long night. My friend Larietta (her name has obviously been changed, you think I’d be friends with a girl called Larietta?) likes drinking. A lot. And she’s generous when she’s drunk too. So she just kept buying me beers. And I’m lightweight. There’s a story right there ! So I’m drinking and singing along to the cheesy music. But I’m one of those drunks who laughs. A lot. No but you don’t understand. I make hyenas look like Stalin. When you’re drunk aaaaanything is funny. I, myself, took the liberty of getting out of my chair, sitting down with my knees bent next to my friend (what’s a good fake name?…Hmmm…) Caramelia (IT EXISTS !). I edge over to her ever so slightly and then whisper into her ear:

“I’m a hobbit.”

(I bet he thinks he’s a hobbit)

So when I’m drunk I make “Lord of the Rings” references. That’s pretty cool actually. AND THEN, to cap it all, the rather good looking guitarist with whom I had exchanged a fair few looks with throughout the night gave me his number. Like his phone number. Like

oh

em

geeeee

But you know what? I ain’t gonna text him. 

Anywhoodles. Enough sharing my lurid love life with my English teacher (Hello Mrs. Walser !). Whenever I go out and drink with my friends, stuff happens. I would say “shit” but it’s not always bad. Although I did drunk text my friend telling her that ever since she got a boyfriend she changed…So yeah, I guess you could say that shit happens when I drink. But I also have a lot of fun. So where’s the balance? Do the two just cancel out in the end? Would’ve I been better to have stayed at home watching “Community” in the comfort of my home? I know not. I had “a night to remember,” but that doesn’t always imply that it was good. Technically, I remember the night my aunt died but it doesn’t mean it was good. Wow..this post has taken a dark turn….Anywhoodles. Basically, I’m confused. My generation seems determined to repress their mistakes and issues by getting shit faced and then saying that, despite the mind-shattering hangover, “it was like toooootally worth it and like amazing”. 

Seize the carpe, drink responsibly. 

That’s what my friend Nina asked me when I told her that for my next blog post I will do the ginger challenge. 

The ginger challenge is exactly like the cinnamon challenge but, you guessed it, with ginger. 

I have watched many people suffer through the cinnamon challenge on YouTube. So of course, I knew that I had to try this, but with a my own twist.

Why ginger? Why not turmeric or all spices or ground pepper (I pity the poor soul who tries that one) ? Well…

1) Why not?

2) I laaaaaaawve gingah ! 

3) I looove gingerbread lattes at Starbucks, but that one isn’t really related.

How, you may ask, is doing the “ginger challenge” at all related to “seizing the carpe”. Life (oh no…here comes a cliche) is about those fun little moments that you never forget. Plus, this makes good table conversation:

“I’ve eaten a tablespoon of ground ginger. What have you done?!”

So it begins…

I strategically put “Psychotic Girl” by The Black Keys (of course) on in the background so that people will think that I am cool and clever because I listen to Blues Rock. 

I film it for my friends who sadly were unable to attend this epic moment in my life. I put the ginger in a tablespoon. I hesitate. You don’t have to do this, I say to myself, you have nothing to prove to anyone. Hey what the heck ! You only live once. 

The first moments aren’t that bad. I even wonder what makes this so hard. But then I realize that the whole of the challenge is to swallow and not just to put a nice tablespoon in one’s mouth. 

I swallow. Scratch that. I attempt to swallow. Allas, no water=no swallow. Remember that kids ! Although there is a tinsy-winsy bit of it on my tongue which I use to clump the ginger into a little ball which I can then swallow. But I’m outnumbered. They’ve encircled me. But I’m a fighter so I can do this. I bite through the taste, a cloud of ginger escapes my mouth. Some of it clings to my eyeball. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu !

I swallow the ginger. I drink water. It’s all over now. Was that worth it? 

At least my mouth tastes like India.

Seize the carpe, do something stupid and pointless that will not make you any the more wiser but instead will fill you with regret and dirty your keyboard.

Let’s start off with a generalization: Most people shower every or every other day.

That’s just how it is. Unless of course you’re in South America or Africa or some parts of Asia or the Middle East, basically everywhere except the West. And even then. 

As they say in french “BREF”. 

So showering is a peculiar experience to me. We do it almost every day. We’re naked. Alone (at least I am) . It can last between 2-20 minutes, depending on whether you’re a woman or a man generally. And most of us also sing. It seems. Why? 

I have no friggin’ clue. But I say sing ! Sing ! Sing !

What U love to do is plug my iPod into my stereo and bring it into the bathroom. Then I make possibly the most difficult decision of the day: What album do I pick? I could choose one really long song like Stairway to Heaven but I can’t be sure that I’ll be done showering in 8 minutes. I mean, imagine this, I’m in the middl of lathering up my hair with lavender-scented conditioner when suddenly the song finishes and I have nothing left to sing along to. I can’t just get out of the shower and wet my iPod yet I can’t be devoid of music from the time that I rinse until the time I’m done showering. What to do?

I dunno. Figure it out yourself. 

What I’m trying to say is chose an awesome pawesome album to sing/dance to in he shower (my favorite right now is “El Camino” by The Black Keys or “London Calling” by I-can’t-believe-you’re-asking-me-that).

What will happen is your daily routine will go from boring to boogie-woogie awesome pawesome on the awesome scale. If you dance and sing in the shower I guarantee you will feel better*. 

Seize the carpe, sing and dance in the shower.

P.S In the likely incident that you fall in the shower, don’t sue me because you were just being stupid.

*Sarah Foulkes makes no guarantee of validity

I don’t know exactly what Dan and Pat meant when they wrote “Gold On The Ceiling” but damn it’s an awesome song. For those too unfortunate to have not experienced pure awesomeness (or for those who prefer a more graphic image, eargasms), Dan and Pat are the two members of the blues/alternative/garage/ rock band from Akron, Ohio. “Gold On The Ceiling” is the 3rd track on their latest album entitled “El Camino”. They are awesome. Check them out (or else I will kill your family).

Tuesday, March 13th (yesterday) I went to see them in concert. Don’t worry, I know how awesomely lucky I am. But not only did I see them in concert with the awe inspiring “Arctic Monkeys” from Sheffield, I got to see them (and this is the part that kills) for freeeee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yCIDkFI7ew

You may be wondering why you hate me and why I’m, and I quote, “a lucky bitch”. Well dear my friends, I know people. I have contacts in the biz’.

Actually, I’m just friends with someone who’s Mum knows people. Not so glamourous after all :-(

For many months leading up to concert I fantasized about being brought up on stage and then hanging out with the two bands afterwards and then after their realization of my awesomeness and uniqueness they all fight each other over who gets to date me. And then me and the winner get married and have lots of babies. 

No I am not Glenn Close from “Fatal Attraction”.

The funny thing about rock concerts is that I get so excited and so into the music, but I also get really uncomfortable. There’s almost always a mosh pit (this time two of my friends started it despite my plea). You get pushed around, your toes get stepped on, your arms get tired, your throat gets dry, your hair gets messy, your legs get tired, your ears ring…All of this, yet it’s still friggin’ awesome ! And so worth it ! Sure it can be painful, but hopefully if you’re going to see a great band, it’s more than worth it.

One day, I will gladly tick “crowd surfing at a rock concert” off of my bucket list. 

As the ancient saying goes “Seize the carpe, go to a rock concert”

When my day is feeling particularly uneventful, or just plain sad, I like to bob my head along to a few happy tunes. 

I thought I’d share a few with you. I am known among my friends to be the one who listens to depressing music and watches depressing films. Yet I am so cheerful and enthusiastic most of the time. Music, like countless others, has a hug effect on my mood and my day. If I listen to all of “In Utero” or a Joy Division album, I get very unhappy and grumpy. So I always need those songs infected with a contagious beat and a buttercup voice.

So without further ado, I present to you my selection:

“I’m Sticking With You” by The Velvet Underground. 

“West Coast” by Coconut Records

“5 Years Time” by Noah and the Whale

“Shuffle” by Bombay Bicycle Club

And Finally…

“Young Folks” by Peter, Bjorn and John

What’s interesting about these songs is that despite their cheery and catchy tune, most of them, in terms of their lyrical content, aren’t that happy. “West Coast” is about desperately missing someone.

“5 Years Time” is prophesying the end of a relationship and the possibility that in 5 years time “[they] may not get along”. In many ways its bitter sweet because the relationship is going very well yet the narrator still can’t help thinking about what the future might entail.

I think “Shuffle” is about how we shuffle (see what I did there) our feelings for one another, which isn’t very merry happy.

But the message I think we should take from these songs is that, no matter how cheesy and hard it is, making the best of our situation is important. 

So in future, remain blindly unaware of the true meaning of the lyrics and just sing along without a care in the world.

Seize the carpe, listen to cheery music.