Seriously?

Wow, let me go ahead and rant about WORK PLACE ETIQUETTE. Okay, disagreements, frustration, malice, etc are ubiquitous...but seriously, there's a limit. Today at work, my manager - who yes, may be considered by some the heinous, hormonal, uptight type - and another employee got into a full out, no joke, 25 minute yelling escalating to screaming bout. It was ridiculous, and soooo incredibly awkward...especially considering for about half of it I was the only one in proximity - they were slightly sectioned off, but I was definitely still visible, and my presence known. If you're wondering, I had to be there to do my job, though all of it does make some good work gossip. Anyway, it was completely unproductive, unprofessional and straight up bad managerial activity. Honestly, she (my boss) sets the tone for work place and all the employees...they both lost respect with me, especially because it effected my ability to do my job. And then she was snappy at me for not doing something that is, oh yes that's right, not my job. Thank everything thankable I let her know I was leaving on Tuesday instead of waiting until today like I had once considered. By the way, like I predicted she was not happy when I informed her of my approaching departure, but it was a really boring, normal "I'm leaving" talk.

Walking On A Dream

Today is the one month mark!!! I leave for europe one month from today, and embark on a sort of new life. Meaning: yes I will be the same me...family, friends, etc will be the same, but once I leave for europe not only will that be a completely new, possibly life-altering event (which contradicts my previous statement of "I will be the same"...eh...you know what I mean...I'll still be me, just more informed or aware or something), but when I come back I'm moving to DC for a new job, new school, new city, new friends, new life sort of. Though I will miss much about my Provo and California years, I feel completely ready for this transition. Ready to segue.

Stream of conscious: while I was writing the first part of this, I originally had one exclamation point attached to the first sentance, then I added another because I felt the situation warranted excessive remark. However, upon looking it over I felt obliged to add another exclamation point, now totalling 3 exclamation points, because I thought 2 exclamations looked funny. Is that ridiculous or what, I thought it absurd and funny that I give time and thought to these sort of situations. So I decided to include and share my surpirsingly long thought process for the seemingly trivial 3-exclamation point first sentance.


Also, I cannot wait to 'up and quit' my job and leave everything I know. Ok, I do have a little anxiety. Like am I allowed to do this...I am quitting my job, emptying my savings, and waifing around europe (waifing in the homeless sense, not really the helpless sense...though who knows, you may find me the most ridiculous backpacker known, and then waifish in both the homeless and helpless sense). But really, you have no idea how much I can't wait to quit...I have grand dreams of storming out, yelling, and knocking things over. A real scene (not that they deserve it, they treat me well, I am just far to educated for this sort of menial labor...and I am not pretentious). Alas, I'm pretty sure my exit speech will be very civil and boring, no grand departure. My boss will be pissed though. It's in her nature. My sister sprung her "surprise" summer sebatical on her work and they're throwing her a bon voyage party...I don't think I'll get that treatment. More like a month of cut hours and scowls.

I'm Good, I'm Gone

Funny thing: Last weekends marathon event was phenomenal...I did as a result pass out Monday and subsequently slept through work on Tuesday, uh-oh...and I'm pretty sure I also broke or sprained my foot though. Why did we all get so crazy for MSTRKRFT ft John Legend? Anyway, I can't be completely sure, because as it would be, I don't have health insurance. Haha, great right. I'm not sure it's that big of a deal though, the pain is on the top of my foot, and I've broken my arch before (on my other foot) - there was not much they could do for it, just gave me arch supprt. Weirdest part however, is when I move my big toe it feels like all the little muscles around the bones on the top of my foot spasm, like it's vibrating in my foot. The only happening I am concerned about though is as a result of discomfort from pain, I have compensated how I walk with my right foot by kind of pigeon-toeing that foot. Hope it doesn't heal wrong...


PS I'm leaving for E.E. in just one short month. YAY!

Also, I officially accepted at GWU, they offered me a pretty substantial scholarship, so I'm moving to DC. YAY!

Wait now I need to find a place to live. Great.

Coachella 2009 Photo Special

DJ Steve Aoki in the Sahara (aka Dance tent). The biggest of the tents and always a good time. House was pretty dominant this year; awesome as it's which is my favorite.

Saturday afternoon, main stage and Do Lab in the background. There were like 60,000 people at the festival, it's HUGE.

Main stage during sunset with My Bloody Valentine floating through the fields. They blew me away, I was pleasantly surprised as I didn't really know them before.

Bamboo Starscraper at night. It's a music and art festival, so there are a number of art displays also. This one is over 90 ft tall, bamboo woven together with a huge flame on top, from the top it's a six-pointed star.

The Do Lab sign...the Do Lab is a club transported into the middle of Empire Polo Field. There's a DJ in there all day and night, shade and water misters to cool people down. An awesome place.

The inside of the Do Lab. The DJ set up is in the background and speakers are all over, the place is seriously always bumping.

Throbbing Gristle...British industrial pioneers...freaky weird and even a little scary but honestly an awesome show. First show where literally the sound waves were so powerful I was pushed backwards at points, like a sonic boom. No worries, I had ear plugs in. By the way that's a dude.

A sculpture art display called the Serpent Mother, it's a snake that is coiled around an egg which hatches at night. Very cool, and huge as you can see.

The head raises up and down and closes/hisses. The egg is visible at the bottom right.

Oh yeah, did I mention flames ascend up and down her spine, exploding up rhythmically and dropping from the fangs; also when the egg opens flames explode up. Amazing pyrotechnics.

Cauac Twins. Tesla coils, sometimes the lightning would connect. The sounds and visual aesthetics where amazing. These are the largest twin Tesla Coils in the world. So crazy to think when Nikola Tesla was alive he would travel with these coils and sit in the middle of them; these are bolts of electricity!

The Doo Lab basked in the red spotlights.

Melissa and I on Sunday during Yeah Yeah Yeahs! Even after 3 days of camping, like 4 hours of sleep, and 12 hours of dancing I was still super energized and pumped to see them. I love them, they put on a great show.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs stage set-up. We pushed ourselves up pretty close after this.

Here was our view for most of the show...this isn't even zoomed. It was awesome. Karen O...amazing, glittery. She's half polish half Korean.

Lykke Li, a new find for me. Great, sweedish indie and techno. One of my favorite parts of Coachella is finding new groups and being surprised.

Steven and Melissa

Okay this is the Lucent Dossier Circus performance. Amazing, they are so good and incredibly entertainig. I saw them last year too, and love them more everytime I see them.

Described as " a mystical universe where majestic rituals are performed in extraordinary apocalyptic funk and mod regalia."

It was so incredible how she could manipulate her body and twist holding herself up. Awesome strength.

It was a dancing/singing show. Everyone in character. That guy in the background has nothing holding him to that cloth; he climbed and twisted with no ropes or nets, just him.

I love this one...she was an amazing singer and I love how it looks like the guy in back is fighting the black cloth, lost in it.

This guy is so ripped and very talented. There are dancers coming out in the background, you can only see there legs.

All their music was live, she was great too; everyone was. The band is in the background.

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy!

They used a lot of water, the stage is all a mini-pool, and they kicked and sprayed and threw water on the crowd, which was awesome as it was so HOT.

Check them out if you ever get the chance in LA, Lucent Dossier. They are great.

Sunday afternoon...too much party...crash. She is completey passed out. This is during Vivian Girls - they put on a great show and there music rocks - it was definitely very loud, and Melissa just passed out, haha.

Yoga in the Mojave tent. Fun people everywhere.

Melissa and Robby listening to No Age.

Rimski's Bicycle Piano from the UK. This guy Rimski plays the piano as he cycles around the field, he was very good. His singer, Violet, cycled around with him on one of those old bicycles that have a large front wheel and small back wheel.

Oh, and he was also an acrobat, doing tricks on the piano, which isn't super stable, it's on two wheels like a cart. He would rock it and you could see how easily in might tip.

Melissa making friends. My guess is these guys spent a lot of time in the dance (Saraha) tent - they had fluorescent blinking lights all over. You met a lot of fun and crazy or just plain crazy people in the Sahara.


The festy doors open at 11 am, but it gets blistering hot at like 6 am. So when we come out of our sleep comas we spent the mornings at Walmart or some fast food joint anywhere with air condition.

(We camped in Coachella camp grounds with thousands of other festival goers and music is thumping in the DOME - another transported club, see picture two posts ago - until like 3 am, people party all night long, so when you finally do fall asleep it's like death when you wake up not because you're rested but because it is soooo hot...i'd imagine it feels the same as a massive hangover complete with both headache and light sensitivity...no regrets though it was an awesome, complete experience)

Leonard Cohen. The Outdoor Theatre. This was amazing, there was only one person in front of me, we where so close. Honestly, he is such a sexy old man with his deep voice. One of my favorites of the weekend.

Robby and me in the Sahara tent. Dance Dance Dance.

Art exhibit called "THE HAND OF MAN." An enormous, incredibly powerful steal human hand that festival goers control with there own hand. Peopl put on an ergonomically accurate "glove" so when you move your hand the steal hand moves, alowing you to crush cars.

Lifting a car to drop it from like 20 feet.

More festival art...this one called the Sphae, 25 feet tall and it illuminates. The Do Lab in the background and Outdoor theatre behind that.

Paul McCartney inspired electric golf cart and art manaquinn. I like the submarine viewer things on top.

La Familia Divina-Shrine. An exhibit dedicated to self expression created solely out of re-used materials, trash and objects found over 20 years.

An incredible display called the Quad Cubatron. A huge matrix of ping-pong balls and 5760 LED lights, which displays 3D graphics and light.

More of the Quad Cubatron.

This is a super long exposure shot of the part of a light show with huge spotlights. So if you're tired you can lay down and look up at the lights in the sky. The place is visually pleasing from every angle.

COACHELLAAAAAAA

Wow...well everyone I'm back. Coachella was amazing! 72 incredible hours, 60,000 people from all over the world, 100s of bands/djs, and about 16 total hours of sleep in 4 nights. Needless to say I had a great time and I'm exhausted.

Well, I had to make some sacrifices over the weekend...and wasn't able to see everyone I wanted due to overlapping (5 stages + the Do Lab + the Dome = Coachella '09 - you can't see everything, my philosophy was appreciate who you're seeing and don't worry about who you have to miss). I saw so many amazing performances, and had a great time. Here is my final line-up in the order I saw them:

Friday
Switch - DJ set
El Gran Silencio
Dear & the Headlights
Craze & Klever - DJ set
the Aggrolites
Noah & the Whale
We Are Scientists
Steve Aoki - DJ set
the Airborne Toxic Event
M. Ward
Felix da Housecat - DJ set
the Ting Tings
Buraka Som Sistema
Conor Oberst
Leonard Cohen
Morrissey
Paul McCartney

Saturday
Zizek Club - DJ set
Ida Maria
Drop the Lime - DJ set
Joss Stone
Para One
Surkin - DJ set
Henry Rollins - Spoken Word
Michael Franti & Spearhead
TV on the Radio
Fleet Foxes
Thievery Corporation - featuring the Talking Heads and Perry Farrell from Jane's Addiction
Band of Horses
M.I.A.
Band of Horses
the Chemical Brothers
MSTRKRFT - featuring John Legend

Sunday
Vivian Girls
No Age
Lucent Dossier Circus
Busy P
Brian Jamestown Massacre
Lykke Li
Peter Bjorn and John
Antony & the Johnsons
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Devendra Banhart
My Bloody Valentine
Public Enemy
the Orb
Throbbing Grsitle
the Cure
Etienne de Crecy


A few performances I heard floating through the field, but only caught a little of:

Silversun Pickups
Jenny Lewis
Friendly Fires
Franz Ferdinand
Atmosphere
Lupe Fiasco
Girl Talk
the Killers
Paul Weller
the Crystal Method
Perry Farrell
Crystal Castles
Groove Armada
Beruit

Okay pictures and experience to come later.

2 Short Days

Well friends, my anticipation is at an all time high. In just 2 short days, I'm seeing Paul McCartney-a freaking Beatle, I never thought this would happen. I am so excited. Now add another hundred dj's/bands to the mix for the quintessential music experience. We're leaving tomorrow to get our campsite all set up, and then there's an "early bird"-campers party tomorrow night, dj's from like 7 to midnight to get it started, and then after hours parties every night - all taking place in the DOME (pictured above), oh yeah, and of course the actual music and art displays from 12 pm to late in the night. Really.

I Should Be in Bed

Well, I decided to change everything up a little bit (yes, I know, it is very similar still). Anyway, "State of Exit" is another name for the festival in Serbia I'm going to this summer, so my blog will be named such until the festival (really, until I get back and change it). I just thought it was too good that my blog was "Exit Music" (a Radiohead song) and the festival was "Exit Fest" or "State of Exit" so I merged them. I'm not completely happy, but I'll fix it later. FYI it took me like and hour to make that stupid logo, I think it's a little small, but I really need to go to bed. Also I think it's a little to crisp around the edges...check back for more changes to come.

Spring Discontent...Summer Awakening.

Quick update of my upcoming timetable:

7 DAYS - Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (April 17-19). YAHOO.
15 DAYS - Melissa's Graduation; will I make it up to Utah for the ceremonies? I hope so, but I'm still not sure if my boss will give me the time off. BOO.
16-20 DAYS - Tell my boss unceremoniously I will be leaving on May 26th for a summer of schlepping around Europe, and will not be returning to my position when I return. (Okay I know I'm not using the word "schlepping" technically correct, but I like the word and its...eh...feeling).
6 WEEKS, 3 DAYS - Depart for an adventure filled summer in Eastern Europe, with a couple days in London. Returning for one last month before I start school. Maybe in Salt Lake, or maybe California, of maybe wherever grad school is (probably DC).
4.5 MONTHS - Graduate School?!?!?!

Really this is the WORST my anticipation/anxiousness/discontent has ever been. I cannot wait for these things to start happening. I hate my job so much these days, I can't believe I have to be there another month and a half. Plus I am so excited for the summer to start rolling in; I'm sick of reading about everything and want to experience now.

Okay...well guess what: I still Love LA. It's been awhile since I blogged about why I love it here. And I don't have time to do it now, but I love this area, and will definitely be sad to leave.


Well, fyi I'm still reading books about all the places I'll be going this summer. And I'm just about finished with a book on ISTANBUL. I think I will love it there (even without taking into consideration my deep seated fascination with the Hagia Sophia...yes it stems back to one of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen which really inspired me as a 12 year old, and it's incredible, bloody history I took note took at age 14). So expect a Turkish history lesson coming up.

fyi This last one is the Hagia Sophia, but isn't the picture I previoulsy mentioned.