#i really want horchata but i live in white people country

[bubbasbubblebutt]

Everything in RE would be cutshort if they just gave him some mexican food tbh

[hellofromthe-otter-slide]

1-65 😈

Well, this is literally every question, so everything is under the cut.

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

Not really

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

Mostly a 2, but girlfriend made me go see Candyman last weekend, so right now it's a 3.

3. The person you would never want to meet?

Uhhhhh, I don't know, Elon Musk? He sounds insufferable

4. What is your favorite word?

Okay, I'm gonna grab a German word for this one. Eichhörnchen. It means squirrel and it's borderline impossible to say

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

A big ole oak tree

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

That weird hair bump is back and I didn't even go to sleep with wet hair

7. What shirt are you wearing?

My girlfriend's tie dyed shirt with a middle finger on it

8. What do you label yourself as?

Latina, gay, nonbinary

9. Bright room or dark room?

Dark room. Whoever turns of the big lights are fucking monsters

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

I'm pretty sure I was asleep

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

My age now, so 25

12. Who told you they loved you last?

My girlfriend

13. Your worst enemy?

My instructional coach. Straight up

14. What is your current desktop picture?

The bridal party for my friend's wedding I was in

15. Do you like someone?

Yes. I'm sadly dating her

16. The last song you listened to?

That's What You Get by Paramore

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

Goodbye, Jeff Bezos

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

Second verse, same as the first (Jeff Bezos). For people I know in real life, my instructional coach

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

I...do not like this question. No one. Everyone is Dobby, now a free elf

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

My eyes. Only one in the family to inherit my grandmother's green eyes

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

I'd dress the same and probably just go about my day

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

Gift giving. I always deep dive to figure out the perfect present

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

Um, fire. I don't fuck with that shit anywhere near me

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

Wheat bread, a little mayo, spicy brown mustard, hummus, white cheddar cheese, tofurkey, sliced tomato, avocado

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

Probably something responsible, like buy a vacuum

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

Tokyo

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?

I think it's called Rumchata? Like alcoholic horchata?

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? 

If any man is seen instituting patriarchal rules, he is fed to the beast

29. What is your favorite expletive?

Fuck

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

A print my girlfriend got me that's framed

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

Oh geez. Um, all of it? Start with a clean slate

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!

Germany, my second home. I'm coming back

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

Sydney, my German Shepard growing up

34. What was your last dream about?

Oof. It was a nightmare that I don't really remember

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?

I am a good writer, I think. Good enough to make my friends upset about the angst I wrote

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

Yup! Broke my ankle

37. Have you ever built a snowman?

I'm from Indiana, so yes. It's not as easy as it looks

38. What is the color of your socks?

While I usually wear colorful, fun socks, I am currently barefoot

39. What type of music do you like?

Whatever Aly & AJ are doing

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

Sunsets

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

Mint chocolate chip

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)

I mean, I was just forced to watch the UGA game

43. Do you have any scars?

Two from the aforementioned broken ankle. Had to get surgery

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?

I am a teacher

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

That mental illness can just shoo

46. Are you reliable?

Very

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

What the fuck is going on?

48. Do you hold grudges?

Nope

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

Otters and sloths

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

My best friend taught me about oviposition once

51. Are you a good liar?

Yup

52. How long could you go without talking?

So long

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?

My mom cutting off all of my hair during first grade

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?

Yup

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?

Very many

56. What do you like on your toast?

Honey and butter

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?

A lighthouse

58. What would be you dream car?

An electric one. I'm tired of paying for gas

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

I sing and conduct fake interviews about my writing

60. Do you believe in aliens?

Yep

61. Do you often read your horoscope?

Never

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?

Q

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

Dragons

64. What do you think about babies?

They look weird as newborns

65: you didn't give me an extra question here so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[secondbalcony]

It’s time to read-again my bad but correct essay about Vampire Weekend’s lyrics from 2010:   ‘Just give it to us straight, Ezra Koenig. Are you saying rich girls deserve their money, or are you saying rich girls are dumb whores? Do you taunt the 57% of America that can’t take real summer vacations, or do you mock the 43% that go on holidays? Was “Mansard Roof” an endorsement of roofs or an anti-roof satire? The Vampire Weekend wars are about class, maybe, but they are also about classification: the lyrics in Contra keep trying to do things we don’t allow pop lyrics to do. We can all adore Jean Renoir (prepschool kid, Popular Front activist, had a rags-to-riches dad) for making films that treat the rich with worship, scorn, anger, affection and grief, but apparently we’re not gonna let a pop album get fancy on us like that. Books and films are supposed to confound us with layers of ideas and conflicting emotions; pop lyrics need to fess up or shut up. So Koenig pleading that his lyrics “aren’t ‘about’ anything but have levels of meaning” can come off like someone yelling “Checkmate!” in the middle of a poker game – obnoxious or confused or both at once.  There’s Ezra Pound and then there’s Ezra Koenig and the whole way that we talk about pop lyrics is about not getting these mixed up. But if I have to choose between Vampire Weekend and the logic of our pop-talk I choose the Vampires. Partly because Vampire Weekend can be kind of great, and mostly cause really I hate the logic of our pop-talk: outside pop-talk, in the actual reality of writing, listening to, and reading language set to popular music, artsy lyrics are as much a part of pop as the distortion pedal.

Since at least the ‘60’s (early Kinks, late Beatles, “The Velvet Underground And Nico’) pop songs have been awesomely and miserably Warhol-damaged, Joyce-Damaged, Brecht-damaged and Dada-damaged. If you love these damages you call them avant-garde and if you hate these damages you call them Art School, which is fair enough— people do become artsy in Art School. But the point is that the last 150 years of trying out new ways to make meanings in art made a big impression on a lot of kids, and a lot of these kids started bands. And other, younger kids who couldn’t care who Gertrude Stein was get the virus listening to Patti Smith and Bowie and the Pixies, and sometimes one of those kids turns out to be Kurt Cobain and then weird abstract lyrics infect the entire pop bloodstream. And the Wu-Tang Clan weren’t nothing to fuck with either. But the way that we talk about pop lyrics never caught up. Because pop-talk is lazy about lyrics, and discussing lifestyles takes a lot less effort than discussing writing styles. It’s easy to profile the Godard-affectations of liberal arts youths, and it’s harder to ask what a “Week End” fixation might say about a band’s approach to sense and nonsense and ideas and images. And if you hate Godard films in the first place, then the easy way is better—but I love Godard films so I’d love to find a little bit of “Week End” in my pop.

Most of what Contra is up to owes more to traditional novels (Waugh, Fitzgerald) than to weird films or experimental poetry, but the whole thing lives or dies on the natural liberties of avant-damaged lyrics: abstraction, collage, contradiction, self-reference. Koenig doesn’t string his crisp, descriptive sentences into narratives but stacks them in layers. Which is beautiful and resonant and complex, and also means that Contra can’t do anything to stop you if you want to believe it’s a country-club anthem. So music critics Googled for the price of Wolford Tights and compiled lists of vacation destinations, but never asked themselves why does this pool-party-album keep compulsively referring to The Clash. Or why do songs that start with “every dollar counts, and every morning hurts” end with a trust fund, and songs about holidays flash to Iraq. Or why it’s called “Contra.”

“Contra” talks about conflicts a lot—small and comfortable ones at first, like wanting to be rich so you can buy the modern art that you don’t want rich people owning (‘White Sky”), or loving your self-made-man father but hating the cultural myth that this kind of success represents (“Dad was a risk taker/ his was a shoemaker”). We also get all sorts of breakups between Koenig and rich girlfriends, and arguments with girls and music-critics about class, and a couple of political and sexual identity-crises. But what really puts the “contra” in Contra is the things that Koenig does with words: On “Horchata” it’s the way that Koenig rhymes “drinking horchata” (road trips, multicultural culture, left-liberal college kids) to “foot on Masada” (Birthright Israel trips where they tell Jewish kids to marry Jewish). On the break-uppy “I Think Ur a Contra,” it’s accusing the ex “you’re a contra” (you’re a hater), and then accusing the ex “you’re not a contra” (you’re not a revolutionary), and then defending —from the ex? from critics?—with “don’t call me a contra” (don’t call me anti-revolutionary). All throughout Contra words fight it out with each other or divide against themselves. Even the punk song “Cousins” is a hissy fit that self-destructs with wordplay: everything Koenig is yelping works both as a rant against posh music critics with self-righteous attitudes and as a hysterical caricature of the Vampires themselves. Koenig sings “You, greatest hits 2006, little listmaker” and you can’t tell if it’s an insult for a critic that made the list (wrote the list) or for a Vampire that made-the-list (got listed).

Which is kind of the point that the repeating chorus of “Me and my cousins and you and your   cousins…” is trying to make—that personal animosity requires a whole lot of common context. Vampire Weekend can get pretty bitchy when it comes to critics who demand to hear them tell rich people to go fuck themselves, but Contra is obsessed with punk and politics in its own terms. You don’t call an album “Contra” and then pack it up with references to The Clash unless you’re aching for a face-off with Joe Strummer’s angry ghost. And every time the shadow of The Clash shows up to haunt the lyrics (“Taxi Cab,” “Diplomat’s Son,” “I Think Ur a Contra’) Koenig gets dead serious and apologetic, and melancholically tries to explain why he can’t do heroic political anger. Koenig is in love with being in the middle— all “You’re not a victim, but neither am I” and “Never pick sides, never choose between two, but I just wanted you”—and honestly he’s doing a good job there. If you’re going to occupy a middle ground in life, then it’s a great idea to use it for creating nuanced, fragile songs about how politics and love and money interact while also constantly reminding us about The Clash.’

[perfectirishgifts]

Get the Flavors Of Large Format Libations, Even For Parties Of One

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/get-the-flavors-of-large-format-libations-even-for-parties-of-one/

Get the Flavors Of Large Format Libations, Even For Parties Of One

Fruit punch with ice served in beautiful big glass bowl

A party just isn’t a party without gathering at punch bowls and buffet tables, but, unfortunately, this is the year we can’t have parties. 

However, to paraphrase the late Michael Hutchence of INXS, if you “miss the people, and miss the fun,” at least this is the year ready-to-drink innovations and other cool products have made it possible to experience that buzzing party vibe in smaller servings.

So freeze those ice cubes, don you now that ugly sweater, break out the cat’s earmuffs and/or the dog antlers and pour yourself a cup of holiday cheer!

All of the following items are available at select retailers in store or online. But to spread even more cheer to businesses that could really use the support, please consider using these products as inspiration to order similar format cocktails to-go from local bars and restaurants, many of which are offering holiday menu selections. (Bonus if you live near a Miracle pop-up bar!) 

Punch

No reason you can’t pour these RTD punches into a bowl (even a plastic container) with ice, and add citrus wheel garnishes and/or cranberries to capture that festive vibe. 

Drnxsmith Rum Punch

The motto of Drnxmyth is “the best bar in town delivered to your door”, and each canned cocktail is developed by real mixologists, not a boardroom. The Rum Punch, created by Los Angeles bartender Bad Birdy, is made with real fresh juices and was fashioned to be refreshing, but not too sweet. 16% ABV, $11

Rockey’s Milk Punch: For those who don’t know, milk punch is not actually milky, though it’s made with clarified milk—which adds a special tartness to drinks. The centuries’ old technique involves a chemical reaction with tea, and is rather tedious to do at home, especially just for a serving or two. Thank heavens NYC bartender Eamen Rockey came up with a delicious, bottled version of milk punch! Sip it on the rocks, or add a splash of spirit (rum, whiskey, tequila, gin, etc.) or even bubbly. 12% ABV, $26

BeatBox Peach is the newest flavor from this line of tetra-pak, single serve RTDs and is meant to evoke the flavor of peach ring candies, though the flavors are only a touch sweet, and they are still fairly low in calories, considering (130). $4 per pack 

Eggnog Christmas milk cocktail with cinnamon, served in two glasses on vintage tray with shortbread … [] star shape sugar cookies, decor toys, fir branch over white wooden plank table. (Photo by: Natasha Breen/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Eggnog

It could be argued that no single party cocktail says “December” quite like an eggnog. The problem is, that’s a lot of preparation for a single party. Luckily there are some festive and delicious bottlings that only require a chill, and perhaps a sprinkle of nutmeg. Bonus: lipstick is also canceled in 2020, so nothing to re-apply when the spice rubs off your lipcolor. 

Priced at only $9 for a 750 ml bottle (though it tastes wayyyy more expensive), Evan Williams Southern Eggnog the #1 seller in the all-in-one nog category. The real dairy cream recipe combines Evan Williams bourbon as well as well as rum and brandy. 15% ABV 

Bacardí Coquito

Coquito, which translates to “little coconut”, is a traditional Christmas eggnog variation that is a staple of home kitchens in Puerto Rican households. Bacardí’s bottled version—with rum, coconut cream, vanilla, toasted spices and cinnamon—sold out quickly last year, but they’ve brought it back for a limited time in 2020. 13% ABV, $20 

Drinks Inspired By the Dessert Table

RumChata Peppermint Bark

As if a rummed up, shelf stable version of the popular Mexican comfort rice milk drink, horchata, wasn’t clever enough, this year the makers of RumChata have launched a Peppermint Bark flavor. Who needs to be judged grazing at a party cookie tray when you can pour yourself a chocolate-mint dessert (in the elastic pants-friendly privacy of your own home) that needs zero preparation—not even ice! 14% ABV, $22

Dr. Bill Lumsden and Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake

Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake is the latest limited edition of this Highland Scotch from the mind of Director of Whisky Creation Dr. Bill Lumsden, who says his most joyful childhood memories involved cake. This fruity, comforting whisky is 46% ABV, $100. 

Aberfeldy 12 Year Scotch Hot Chocolate kit

Sparkly, Scotchy Hot Chocolate 

Personal pampering is taken to the next level with this luxurious, velvety rich Aberfeldy Golden Hot Chocolate kit created in partnership with Exquisito Chocolates in Miami. A $45 all-in-one set includes an entire 750 ml bottle (I know!) of Aberfeldy 12 Year Single Malt Scotch (this is a non-peated, Highlands malt), a 6.8 oz bag of Limited Edition Aberfeldy Golden Hot Chocolate Mix, 6 Aberfeldy-infused marshmallows, and to make it extra festive, 4 g of edible gold glitter, along with 2 branded mugs. So fire up the virtual yule log (or queue the holiday rom com—no one is judging), and order one at Reserve Bar (note: if it is sold out, I am told they plan to restock by Friday the 11th) to cozy up to.  

Death Valley Nails Death & Co. polish collection

Look (and Mix) Your Best at Home 

Speaking of pampering, since you’re home relaxing, why not give yourself a mani/pedi to feel more gussied up for your personal holiday cocktail party? Death & Co. cocktail bar has teamed up with Death Valley Nails to develop limited edition polishes inspired by bartenders on the national team—Devon Tarby (Co-Owner, Los Angeles), Shannon Tebay (Head Bartender, NYC), and Alex Jump (Head Bartender, Denver). A percentage of sales for each shade of the vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic line goes toward Mojave Desert Land Trust, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and Soul Fire Farm. They are available from Death & Co Market and Death Valley Nails for $12 each, or $35 for the trio. 

Finally, if you want to give the gift of home cocktail classes, or take some yourself, Santa Teresa 1796 Rum has the 1796 Virtual Holiday Speakeasy, where some of the country’s most talented bartenders from NYC, Los Angeles and Miami can personally guide your way! Details here—just pick a cocktail and book!

More from Spirits in Perfectirishgifts

[brayanramales-blog]

Brayan Ramales

New York Latinx Culture and the Arts

October 23, 2019

Sunset Park

Mid-Term Field Trip Assignment

Sunset park has always been the cultural center for Mexicans in Brooklyn for me. Since I was a kid if you wanted fresh tortillas, mexican produce and pan you would have to go to sunset park. Mexican fruits and vegetables you couldn’t find anywhere else would be in sunset park. As a child I would a be excited when my mom would take us to Sunset Park on Sundays. Taking the B35 from Church Avenue and McDonald Avenue to 39st and 5th avenue felt like I was taking a bus to mexican heaven. Only communities like Sunset Park that I’ve heard of were described to me by my  cousins in LA.

The mexican community then felt like it was thriving, we flooded the streets of 5th avenue with our entire families. Many of the mexican immigrants in Sunset got there in the 90’s and early 00’s. The people and the neighborhood as a whole radiated an energy of hope and hard work. Young mexican families found a sanctuary in Sunset, seeing these families walk around Sunset excited about the city and it’s prosperity as a kid felt magical.  5th avenue on Sundays felt like a festival, mexicans were walking around with full bags and carts of food, clothing and things for the home. The energy at the time feels like a distant memory. Sundays on Sunset are still busy but with a lot more reservation. The ICE raids and the gentrification causing the mass displacement of the mexican community is deeply impacting the soul of the neighborhood. We don’t really show out like we used to. Living in New York has become even harder and more expensive, mexicans aren’t shopping like they used to on the strip. The excitement of America’s famed prosperity seems to have been erased by the fear of being deported and from being overwork and underpaid.

What I think are the best mexican bakeries are in sunset park, the conchas are so fresh on sunday morning they are still warm at the core, the steam let out on my glasses when opening it in the winter. Sunset Park reminds me of the arroz con leche, tacos , agua de horchata and tortas. Seeing all the mexican faces that all looked so different but so similar made me feel very much at home. I know what this place meant to all the mexicans who were undocumented and couldn’t visit their country where they once called home. Being able to experience your culture through food and being around people who were from where you were from was a close to home as they could get. The way mexicans acted in Sunset Park felt very different then seeing mexicans in non mexicans spaces. It felt as if they smiled wider and their laughs were deeper, being surrounded by your people made you feel safe. It felt like being out of the context of working in this fierce city a sunday in Sunset Park felt like a holiday. I feel like mexican immigrants in the workplace or outside of their environment are usually soft spoken and try to present a respectful demeanor . It felt like everyone got to be themselves in Sunset Park, babies were crying parents were laughing and the kids were playing running around the street. Maybe this would be what Mexico felt like with the promise of financial stability. Being able to travel back and forth from Mexico and the US allowed me the privilege to be able to compare the two. In Mexico the market was filled with energy as well but it felt like their was less of a sense of hope and wonder because it’s hard as it is in Mexico just to get by.  That’s why many immigrate to the United States for opportunity and hope, a chance at a better life. That’s why I sometimes feel like that energy is so hard to come by. America still felt like the “American Dream” nowadays with all the racial and financial tension added to the fear of being pushed out of the neighborhood due to rent increase or being pushed out of the country due to your immigration status that hope seems to be gone.  

I don’t go to Sunset Park anymore, seeing the new faces of the incoming young white artists sends chills down my spine. I rather experience Sunset Park from my memories rather then feel like I’m watching it die. My mom doesn’t really go there either, only when she really needs Huauzontles for a classic mexican dish. A vegetable from Mexico that can’t really be found anywhere else, much less people even knowing what it is. I enjoy going to Sunset Park once in a blue moon when I want some authentic Mexican food. The city is going through some major changes, new people are coming in and it feels like the people who make New York what it is are leaving. I believe that things can change and these neighborhoods can be protected. The community is strong and is currently trying to protect itself from the rezoning of industry city. People from immigrant communities are united and are not afraid to fight and protect the place they call home. Places like Sunset Park are important to protect because of what they provide to the people who make the neighborhood what it is. These people are not concerned with what those in the outside consider it to be “authentic” that word makes me cringe. To try to mysticize people trying to make their environment more like a home some may not be able to go back to for the sake of an aesthetic feels to be exploitive. The irony of people moving into “authentic” neighborhoods and being the same people who make a neighborhood lose its “authenticity” is happening all across the city. The city is not foreign to change, communities fluctuate through the years like a cycle. Maybe that is the destiny of New York  to constantly change. All I know is that these neighborhoods won’t go down without a fight and to try to experience what is left of New York City while you can.

[standrelesvergers]

Father Of The Bride

  Vampire Weekend, The Romantics

For a band who became famous for making erudite references (see ‘Mansard Roof’ on the self-titled debut, ‘Richard Serra skate park’ on ‘White Sky’ on their second album Contra, for example), Vampire Weekend were never about intellectualism over romanticism. And how I’m referring to the term Romanticism here is in terms of hope, optimism, and actual romance. Just as time moves on from your college years, so did the academic motifs of their songwriting, though the intelligence always remained. While self-titled album explored classicism and elitism amidst Northeast/New England, (‘Who gives a fuck about an Oxford Comma’, the now essential VW track ‘Oxford Comma’), there was also the hope and fear of what would happen if none of these things ever got any better (’40 million dollars/the kids don’t stand a chance’, on closing track ‘The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance’). On second album Contra, referred to as the ‘California album’, though it mainly used CA as a place outside and away from New York. Contra explored post early college years about crushed hopes and expectations, as much as it was able to make peace with them (‘Your soul’s grown old and rusty/Burnt beneath the rising sun/It’s locked up like a trophy/forgetting all the things its’ done/And though it’s been a long time/You’re right back to where you started from/And now you’re giving up the gun’, on excellent single ‘Giving Up the Gun’). Then Modern Vampires of The City was the struggle with faith as the end of your 20’s is approaching (‘Oh I was born to live without you/But I’m never going to understand’, from ‘Everlasting Arms’).  While Ezra Koenig has always written about faith, politics, and class, there was also something else.  For every ‘Oxford Comma’ there’s a  ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ (‘Do you want to fuck/like you I do’), or (‘I just wanted you’ on ‘I Think U R Contra’ on Contra), or (‘If I can’t trust you/then damnit Hannah/there’s no future/there’s no answer’ on ‘Hannah Hunt’) from Modern Vampires of the City. Beyond their class analysis, Vampire Weekend has always been a band about love. And now here comes Father of the Bride. In an interview with Stereogum, Koenig remarked how when growing up, you tend to refer to people in either appraisals or accusations but getting older forces you to examine things in more three-dimensional ways. Whereas on the previous three albums, he was able to write about the girl from entirely his own perspective (‘You understood/so you shouldn’t have fought it’ on ‘Horchata’ on Contra, for example), he now has to acknowledge a voice other than his, literally and figuratively. Koenig stated his favorite duets were ones where you had two people in the same situation with different perspectives, a situation that lends itself to creating a story. That story is told through a natural format, country music. Danielle Haim’s collaborations here could be a character, or they could be simply a way of acknowledging the other person in this relationship. This relationship that can go from bliss, to strain, to the verge of failing apart (‘How long till we sink to the bottom of the sea/How long, how long’) on ‘How Long’ as time goes on.  And as with getting older, so does the fascination of what might happen or what could’ve happened get stronger (‘A wicked word/A thought what might have been/Jerusalem, New York, Berlin’ on the closing track ‘Jerusalem, New York, Berlin’). I think most importantly, there’s the realization that even in getting older, angst never really dies (‘I thought that I was free/free from all that questioning/but every time a problem ends/another one begins’ on lead single ‘Harmony Hall’). Beyond the introduction of new genres into the band’s oeuvre (Country duets!!!), this album is both a reset and a logical continuation of the band’s output so far. Politics is mixed with faith is mixed with love is mixed with self-doubt. This album is 18 songs, each one with contradictions at every turn, and no easy solutions or answers. It’s an amazing set of complex dynamics, thoughtful consideration, and deeply personal reflection. If the self-titled album was about wanting to get the girl (see ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ or ‘Ladies of Cambridge’), then Contra was the breakup album (‘I think you’re a Contra/I think that you lied’ on ‘I Think U R A Contra’, and the album cover), then Modern Vampires of The City was the solitary album (‘You know I love you/but you love the sea’ on ‘Unbelievers’), and now Father of The Bride is the ‘I’ve got the girl, but no one can say it’s forever’ album (‘I can’t carry you forever/but I can hold you now’ on first track and duet with Danielle Haim ‘Hold You Now’). Wide-eyed romanticism has been replaced by material reality and the understanding you can love someone, work together, and it still might fail. Much like adulthood.

[chloesblogabroad]

While in the Host Country...

Tell us about a challenge you faced while studying abroad, how did you overcome it?

I had much more difficulty at first working with the patient population than I ever anticipated. I wanted so badly to help the kids we were seeing through dental intervention but was greatly disappointed and defeated when they would refuse help due to their lack of familiarity with the situation. To overcome this challenge, I would take a deep breath and remind myself that the children merely having the opportunity to leave the orphanage and come to the clinic and interact with us was help enough.

What advice would you give to others experiencing the same challenge?  

REMINDER that it is not your responsibility, job, or expectation to save every person. You may want to help someone desperately, but if they refuse that help, then there isn’t much else you can do, and feeling bad about the situation changes nothing.

Your favorite or most interesting cultural experience while abroad?

My favorite cultural experience while abroad was dancing at the celebration for the anniversary of Caylloma. The small community and surrounding villages came dressed in traditional garb and with their offerings for the central fire pit. A bucket of a horchata-like drink made its rounds around the crowds of people watching the circles of villages dancing. We managed to break into a circle and got to grapevine and celebrate with the locals on this special and festive night.

What’s your commute like from home to class?

We mostly commute anywhere from the hospital by a taxi set up by the Peruvian Immersion program.

What do you hear/see on the way?

We saw crazy drivers who took the street lights and signs as suggestions. We saw the beautiful white volcanic rock marbled throughout the city in its 500-year-old buildings.

What’s your living space like?

While in the hospital, three single-person beds were in one room with lamps and locked drawers. There was only one mirror located on the dresser door.

Who do you live with?

I roomed with the two other dental hygiene students who chose to also go to Peru for their public health externship!

How is your home abroad different from your home in the US?  

The dogs of the street howling and barking at night kept me up at first, but I started to become accustomed to it.

What did you pack that you wish you’d left behind?

I brought my grandma’s photo album she wanted me to fill up with Peru photos. I had no reason to bring this but had to because I brought it with me on accident to the airport. I luckily was able to keep it relatively unscathed, but traveling was still rough to it.

What do you wish you’d packed?

I feel good about what I packed. I wish I hadn’t packed so many clothes, but it was nice to have options for myself and extra clothing for my friend whose luggage was delayed.

What’s your favorite food you’ve tried so far?

Rocoto relleno and I love the dulce de leche incorporated in most desserts.

What have you accomplished while abroad that makes you proud?

I was proud that by the end of the campaign, I was actively trying and confidently speaking Spanish to my patients. I was intimidated at first by the prospect of delivering effective dental care when there are cultural and communication barriers. Still, I learned rather quickly that there are universal things like a smile and reassurance that will always work to show your patient you care.

How do you spend your free time?

What free time?

Are you making progress with the language?

Yes! The Spanish classes really helped with basic vocabulary and dental terms that helped us get through the appointment. As there have been more clinic days, I have gotten more and more comfortable giving directions and oral health instructions.

Have you discovered new music while abroad?  

Most taxis have played top Spanish hits that I mostly have not heard of. I loved Es Por Ti by Jares, the Andean panpipe festival tunes whistled during the celebration of the anniversary of Calloyoma, Afro-Peruvian rhythm observed at the Peruvian Folk-dance festival, and more cuimba to my delight.

What have you done abroad that you don’t do at home?

We went to the hot springs in the Colca Canyon and got to dance (to my delight) some salsa variants with locals.

Favorite trip or excursion?

The tour of the Colca Canyon was incredible, but seeing Juanita: the Incan Ice Maiden still preserved back in Arequipa was unlike anything I’ve done before.

What are your favorite words from your host language?

Gordito, chonchlas, chonies

Does being abroad make you think any differently about what it means to be “an American”?

It showed me how privileged I am to have been born an American citizen. There are so many simple luxuries (like the convenience and variety of superstores like Target and Walmart), freedoms, and opportunities I’ve never questioned being available to me and didn’t realize could not be an option for me if I were born to another country.