Want It: ModCloth

Check out these incredible vintage and vintage repro pieces from ModCloth.

Golden Chrysanthemum Dress, $85

Boca Raton Tunic by Orion, $70

Best of Both Coasts Dress by Plastic Island, $130

Little Miss Dress (in gray or mauve), $60

Clara Bow Dress, $40


Midwinter Night's Dream Coat, $150

[www.modcloth.com]

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Wishlist #6: New Gear for the New Year

1. Thugs & Kisses Leather Handbag by Tano, $198. 2. Leather Credit Card File by Abas, $24.50. 3. Beaded Cowl Neck Top by Silence & Noise, $35 4.Black Zoey Boot by Dolce Vita, $200. 5. Dressed Down Leather Handbag by Tano, $250.

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2009 Resolution N°1: Leave New York Once Monthly

Traveling is my second love and this year I'm making myself a promise to leave New York once a month. I want to know what's popping off in other cities, what the dance scene is like, eat the food, talk to people, take photos, explore and educate myself. Here's what I've loosely planned through the summer.

January: Philly (first time!) for vintage shopping, cafe hopping, and chilling with my homegirl.

February: DC (first time!) to visit my peoples and to shake my ass a bit in the nation's capital.

March: Niagara Falls? Toronto? Montreal? *shrugs* Somewhere north.

April: N. Hollywood to visit my sister, her new gallery/performance/event space, and to do it up BIG in LA.

May: Boston for my other favorite cousin's graduation from Bible School.

June/July: Europe! The trajectory is Amsterdam, Rotterdam, London, Paris, Copenhagen, Malmo, Gothenberg and Stockholm. Possible work could bring me to Łódź, Poland and Berlin. More on this later...

Later this year, I want to head down to Durham (for the American Dance Festival), Miami, Chicago, Detroit, and Northern Haiti (to visit my other favorite cousin). I think this is possibly the best resolution I've come up with! Go me. I plan to post about each city of course, so stay tuned!

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Best of 2008

+ Month-long trip to Haiti in January on $500 where I spent time learning about my extended family, my people and my history.

+ Made a good amount of money as a stage manager for theater and dance, picking up tricks of the trade, later realizing that it's not really what I enjoy doing, and having the sense to walk away without burning bridges.

+ Signed with a print ad agency and booked an international commercial through said agency.

+ Created a brand and marketing plan for my shop, then watched my sales increase tenfold.

+ Danced with a new Company in which I learned the politics of being in a Company, the meaning of professionalism, and what it will take for me get to the next level in my career.

+ Landed a month-long residency with an opera production with a choreographer I'd worked with before, making contacts, learning Polish and finally taking control of my ego.

+ Came very very close to landing what I thought would have been my dream job and having the sense to understand that chemistry and fit are just as important as talent and training.

+ Acceptance into what would have been my last chance to participate in Ailey's Independent Study Program.

+ Was approached my several photographers for various project, including an auction for a production company run by a woman who will change my world in 2009. The photo was never sold, and is sitting in my room as a reminder and as motivation.

+ Made a promise to see one dance performance a week for the entire fall '08 season and stuck to it, better educating myself about dance overseas and inspiring me to travel abroad in search of my career.

+ Auditioned for a UK-based dance company, for which I made it to the final cut and whose work further solidified my goal of working overseas.

+ Returned to the source of my heartache/headache and finally letting go, then swiftly getting caught up in a disastrous situation with someone and having the sense to realize how disastrous it was.

+ Took a few steps closer to self-employment embarking on an intensive Pilates Certification.

+ Took even more steps with a Dance Education training course that will hopefully supplement my income as a working dancer while insuring me ;)

'Twas an incredible year! Looking back, it feels like it was a year in preparation.
Here's to maintaining momentum in '09!
Cheers!

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Ten Guilty Pleasures

10. surprise kisses
9. one too many pumpkin spice muffins
8. crushing on boys i'll never have the guts to get with
7. not shaving
6. wiki surfing on the clock
5. half humming lyrics to foreign language pop songs
4. running away
3. laughing at the cool kids
2. hitting on lesbians
1. spending whole days in bed

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Wishlist #5: I Love Booties (& other shoes)!

1. Squared Toed Oxford by Saxon (in brown & gray), $88. 2. Camel Teardrop Peeptoe Bootie by Dolce Vita, $168. 3. Yellow Camden Tiered Petal Bootie by L.A.M.B., $430. 4. Gray Jade Mary Jane Heel by Dolce Vita, $125. 5. Snake Skin Seema Ankle Bootie by Cynthia Vincent, $360.

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Wishlist #4: Oooh Gimme!

On the twelve days of Christmas, I want alla this under my treeeee...



"Paper Planes" Pharoah Poncho by 21 Century Maroon Colony, $88. Ray of Hope Necklace by Obey, $37. Swarovsky Gold Bamboo Hoop Earrings by Melody Ehsani, $250. Bal Dress by Miss Bruno, $310. Tessy Leather Belted Wool Coat by Mackage, $693. Boulevard Boot by Dolce Vita, $178. Laptop Wallet by Working Class Heroes, $105. Emily Slingback Platform Shoe by Frye, $228. Tasha 3/4 Sleeve Short Leather Jacket by Mackage, $594. Amsterdam Royal 8i Commuter Bicycle by Electra, $1,200. Plank Graphic Yoga Mat by Plank, $80. Amour All Handbag by Tano, $295.

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Wishlist #3: Etsy Handmade

1. London Skyline Blue Ballet Flats by Hippy of Doom, $100. 2. Raquel Found Brass Bracelet by sweetVintage, $16. 3. Post Post Modern Necklace by brookadelphia, $35. 4. Mini Frame Pouch by oktak, $30. 5. Victorian Knit Wool and Bamboo Collar Scarflette by Tickled Pink Knits, $68. 6. A Sign of Things to Come Earrings by Block Party Press, $18.

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Must See: BAM's 2008 Next Wave Festival

I just received a phone call from BAM asking if I would be interested in purchasing a subscription to this years Next Wave Festival. I've regretfully missed the last few, but this years program is absolutely too good to pass up! Here's a list of the pieces I'm looking forward to, plus some video to give you a taste.

Urban Bush Women in collaboration with Compagnie JANT-BI, Les ecailles de la memoire. I was invited to rehearse as an apprentice with Urban Bush Women last fall. The apprenticeship ended just before the company left for Senegal where they collaborated with Compagnie Jant-Bi, an all-male contemporary West African dance troupe. I'm looking forward to seeing what they've created.

www.urbanbushwomen.org


La La La Human Steps,  Amjad. My obsession with the Canadian contemporary ballet company La La La Human Steps began when my sister put me on to the Company's dance film Amelia via youtube earlier this year. In Amjad, the Company will perform Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake the way Édourd Loch would like it done. I think this will be the highlight of my year!

www.lalalahumansteps.com

A Quarreling Pair, new work by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance. I've fell for this company at the very first annual City Center Fall for Dance Festival in 2004. The Company, along with a handful of invited guests (including former company member, Alexandra Beller, a woman I truly admire)  performed Continuous Replay. I've since been a devoted fan of the Company's work and I am always floored by the brilliance of the dancers.

www.billtjones.org

Pina Bausch Bamboo Blue Pina Bausch is a big deal in the modern dance world. She's like some sort of goddess to many dancers I know. I don't get what all the hype is about, so I'm really interested to see her latest work, Bamboo Blue.

Pina Bausch wiki

Hooray! In other news, I begin rehearsals for Harnasie in a few hours. I can't believe how beautiful it is up here. Annandale-on-Hudson. That's where I am. All this wilderness makes me kind of giddy... too giddy to sleep! More on being surrounded by nature and miles upon miles away from the city, plus rehearsing the opera (I still can't believe I got this gig!) in the next few days.

In the mean time, g'night :)

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Bag Lady (what's in my bag)

I was packing for my trip and I emptied my purse and it fell out like this, so i took a picture.




1. this is my summer bag. i tend to purchase bags that are interesting in their shape, but don't have spangle hardware, bells, whistle and other such nonsense. my bags represent me well. i purchased this sturdy canvas deisel sac two years ago. this lovely purse has a pretty lotus and blossom print that puts me a light breezy mood. it goes with everything i own and though it looks small, it's large enough to fit all my shit.

(in the event that i need more bag space, the mint and chocolate fabric can be folded and knotted into a gorgeous satchel. other days it's a head scarf or a blanket in the grass or a cover up on the cold ass subway.)

2.electronics (camera + charger, macbook pro + power block, ipod, phone + extra battery). when the new iphone releases later this month, i won't need to carry this stuff any more. happy birthday to me!

3. prayer beads and sutra booklet. when i'm especially stressed or angry or i just feel like i've disconnected from my practice, i bust these out.

4. summer fragrance. i'm more of a scented oils kind of girl, but i received this origins ginger essence fragrance when i was a teen, and i've worn it ever since. it's spicy and citrusy and it makes me think of off days in a quiet park napping under a tree, breeze blowing, sun shining... sigh...

5. bike permit, commuter rail ticket, metrocard. how i gets around. i never learned how to drive and conveniently, while public transportation save me a lot of money and the headache of owning a car, it also lowers my carbon footprint. i'm so on trend :P

6. current read. this is my third attempt at reading this book. it was a gift. the giver swore i'd love it. i hate it when people who don't know you all that well try to tell you what you'll like.

7. moleskin notebook + de la vega "too many thoughts". this is where i keep my dates, notes, writings, drawings, etc when i unplug.

That was fun! Have a good night :)

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On: abandoning the boast, a new ally, and midyear review

So I've been thinking lately, that while it's good to get out of yourself sometimes, I feel that not all habits are that bad and not all not so bad habits need permanent breaking. Case in point: this whole bragging business. I adopted the idea a few months back with the encouragement of a friend, a real advocate of bragging. After practicing the art, albeit not religiously, for some time, I'm ready to go back to my old ways of just keeping my successes and blessings private.

I've been truly uncomfortable these last few months, still feeling like my whatever's happening in my life isn't worthy of public mention, especially when everyone around me is doing bigger, better, or simply different things. It's not that cool to my peers that I've done a European commercial or that I was in a featured dancer in an award winning indie short or that I'm spending my birthday rehearsing for an opera. They're aiming for MTV greatness. I'm trying to get written up in the Times. So then why mention it to them? Not to say that their lack of interest and hateration diminishes the value of my successes for me. I'm just saying, I feel more comfortable when I can simply work on my craft and artistry without attracting negativity and other distractions. So with all that said, I'm abandoning the boast... in the public speaking sense.

In other news, there's a girl at work who's been such a joy and has quickly become my new ally. She and I see things so similarly and she's older so she's got sense. I like her a lot and I'm so happy that she's around. Yaay for brown girls sticking together!

I never did post my resolutions "Fresher Lettuce: 2008 Edition" and so a midyear review:

1. visited Haiti for one month on $500.
2. returned from the afore mentioned trip to a job.
3. signed with an agency and gotten work.
4. performed with a small company in which I learned invaluable lessons in professionalism and artistry.
5. filmed my first commercial.
6. was hired for an opera.
7. was accepted in to Ailey's Independent Study Program again.
8. learned the ins and outs of running and marketing a business on the web.
9. took a few steps closer to being spiritually sound.
10. made a lot of money working freelance and for myself.
11. gave up convenient shit work to do very inconvenient but incredible work thats made me sacrifice, prioritize, and simplify.
12. taken control of the path of my life and being okay with my blue patches.
13. got a raise.
14. gave up that guy.
15. lived a life worth blogging and bragging about :)


Happy 4th you all! Enjoy the long weekend :)

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Wishlist #2: Endless.com

My boss introduced me to this man made utopian dream of a website: www.endless.com last week... the name says it all. I could happily spend the rest of my days browsing through its ginormous collection of some of the most beautiful shoes I've ever seen! The website is incredibly shopper-friendly and features customizable sorting so you can categorize your browsing by vitals like color, heel height, and price. Plus they offer free overnight shipping (!!) and free returns (!!!). They sell bags too. Lately I've been getting into clutches. Not only are these practical little purses on trend, but they're perfect for night out or weekend brunch without the bulk of those silly yet wildly trendy (why, I wonder) oversize valises. I found more than just a few favorites. Look it!



Vince Camuto Women's Oaks Pump, $129.95. Cindy Says Women's Alpha Platform Sandal, $106.95. Report Signature Women's Missy Bootie, $157.21. Cynthia Rowley Cleo Metallic Clutch, $345.00. Inge Christopher Vicotia Clutch, $148.00.

You can contact me at laeticiavp[at]gmail[dot]com for the mailing address to which any of the above items should be sent.

Thanks and you're welcome.
bisou bisou.

----------------
Now playing: Erykah Badu - Green Eyes
via FoxyTunes

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100 Facts About Laetiçia

Because it's been months since my last post and catch up posts aren't that much fun, I give you this list of 100 facts I bet you didn't know about me. You can all thank Melanism for inspiring it. Here we go...

1. I have identical birthmarks on my tongue and on my belly.
2. I plan my days around my meals.
3. I'm also very protective of my food.
4. I understand French and Creole, but in conversation, I will only answer you in English.
5. I was born in Brussels and at one point in my life I was fluent in Vlaamsche.
6. I have very little faith in people.
7. I've an general phobia of horror films and their advertisements.
8. My bunions are genetic and are not caused by many years studying ballet.
9. My favorite movie of all time is "The Wiz".
10. I lack sympathy for anorexics but I do feel pity for the morbidly obese.
11. If I had it my way, I would have music playing all the time.
12. After visiting Haiti, I feel even less compassion for beggars and anorexics here in the States.
13. Lists give me a boner.
14. I rely heavily on the zodiac when interacting with people I don't get (which is generally everyone outside my tight little circle). It's a silly habit and it's only accurate about a third of the time, but it gets me through my days, so I continue to let it guide me.
15. I'm good at feigning calm in nerve rattling situations.
16. When I ask for the truth, that's exactly what I mean. I'm a proponent of tough, honest love and I'm truly attracted to people of the same opinion.
17. I have my septum pierced, but I usually keep the ring tucked in, for work, for dance and cause I like keeping secrets.
18. I used to have my left nipple pierced.
19. I’m allergic to Tylenol.
20. My right foot is a half size larger than my left.
21. My younger sister and I were treated like twins until about age 10 when she had a growth spurt.
22. I’m a Cancer-Leo cuspian.
23. I was born nearly two months premature.
24. I collect black hair products.
25. When I’m taking the stairs, I've started counting them in polonaise.
26. I performed naked in an empty pool located in the heart of Hipsterville, Brooklyn every night for the entire month of September in 2006.
27. I own all five studio albums and every single released by *N SYNC.
28. I’m a chronic knuckle popper.
29. There aren’t too many foods that don’t give me the wind.
30. I’ve never had a boyfriend.
31. I cracked one of my buck teeth in half when I was six.
32. I like to chew two pieces of gum at once, on separate sides of my mouth, that way I can't bit my tongue when switching.
33. I was a cheerleader once.
34. It was in a freak cheerleading accident (the fault of a severely incompetent fool!) that I lost the entire nail on my ring finger, ripped clean from its bed, leaving raw high yellow flesh in its absence. Good times.
35. I could listen to Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat" all day, every day.
36. I don't hold liquor well and I hate the taste of alcohol.
37. When I was a fragile adolescent, I did everything in my power to hide my muscular arms. It was Angela Basset who inspired me to get over myself.
38. I'm a cat person. Dogs are okay, but cats get me, you know?
39. Growing up, I suffered from regular episodes of hypnagogic paralysis.
40. When I was very young, my cousins sat on me and made me watch "Poltergeist" and "Puppet Master. It wasn't until sometime in my teen years that I stopped cocooning myself in bed sheets and hiding a flashlight under my pillow.
41. I've never tried drugs.
42. It takes me a long time to get through an entire album. I sort of skim for the standout tracks and listen to them ad nauseam.
43. My current job's title and what I actually do from 10a-6p are pretty much unrelated.
44. My second ear piercings are stretched to 0g.
45. Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" gets me every time.
46. I have a vintage shop.
47. The few friends that I have are very close to me and I love them dearly.
48. I have a fine talent for seeing the worst in people immediately. This little party trick helps me keep my circle of friends very tight.
49. I don't eat beef and pork. Not because of any religious affiliation, I'm simply not a fan of the texture or taste of either.
50. Particularly with music, I'm a compulsive completist. I like to buy all the albums of one artist irregardless of the quality said album. For example, Michael Jackson hasn't created a worthwhile studio album since "Bad", but I purchased the last four albums he's put out since because a collection isn't quite a collection until it's complete.
51. Sunflowers are my favorite flowers. Orchid come in second by a nose hair.
52. I don't put that much value in words. I'm good at deciphering body language and the mess in between the language.
53. My best body part is my back.
54. My younger sister is about a head and a half taller and at least two dress sizes smaller. Bitch.
55. I took my sister and her friend to Roosevelt Field one day with the intent to shoplift. We got caught. Security took us to a back room and called our parents. After meeting our moms (very loud, easily angered large Caribbean women dragged from their hateful jobs all the way in BROOKLYN to find their daughters sitting tearful, speechless and terrified of the wrath coming our way), security felt for us and let us go without punishment.
56. The first record I ever bought with my own money was the self titled album by Deep Forest. I was just discovering the avant-garde and, back then, this totally blew my prepubescent mind.
57. I used to hate my name because no one ever said it right and growing up suburban, it gave me a certain... air that I could never live up to.
58. I'm represented by the same agency that represents this lady and this lady.
59. I don't know how to swim.
60. My voice raises a couple of octaves when I'm on the phone. People say I sound like a little girl, but I do it so as not to reveal my normally salty demeanor.
61. Back when BET was all glitter and mirrors, Aaliyah was totally my style icon.
62. I'm more trusting of women and children then I am of men.
63. I was an editor on my high school's year book. I rejected at least half of the pictures submitted by cheerleaders, guidos, cool kids and jocks (white people), then replaced them with pictures of my friends and random nerds (everyone else).
64. In my opinion, ice cream and hot chocolate are good anytime of the year.
65. I chew my cuticles when I'm hungry.
66. I also have a habit of chewing ice.
67. People have said I have a great smile. I wouldn't say so.
68. Performing and traveling are my two greatest passions. If I could have it my way, I'd be doing both for a living.
69. When you ask me if you look fat, ugly, stupid, etc. in that outfit, I will always say yes.
70. I love my breasts.
71. I also love my hair.
72. I like to sleep on my back or on my tummy with no pillows.
73. Men's colon makes me want to vomit... violently.
74. I have trouble with tone when writing emails.
75. I hate wimpy huggers... you know those people who just drape themselves all over you or the other kind, who sort of circle you with their arms and pat your back. Assholes. Why bother!
74. I want a big family with lots and lots of children.
75. I met my great-grandmother when she was 105 years old. She was totally lucid and energetic. She inspires me to live longer than she did.
76. I wonder if my lack of a decent male prospects has any correlation to the effect I have on lesbians.
77. I don't trust people who talk too much. I think its generally the case that those are the kind of people who don't actually have anything important to say and so they just make it all up.
78. I have a healthy sweet tooth. I could eat an entire jar of honey in one sitting.
79. I don't have a drivers license or a permit and I never learned how to drive.
80. I will look at you in the eye when you're talking to me. I don't trust people who can't do the same.
81. Throughout my childhood, we had five pet cats. My mom named them all Mimi.
82. I'm annoyed by the color "nude".
83. I half snore in my sleep.
84. I was a tomboy growing up.
85. In a rare act of sheer rage, I pushed this white lady on a crowded train because she was being mean to a fellow immigrant. After she told me to "go back to the ghetto", I summoned my voodoo ancestors and put a hex on her miserable little life.
86. I would never get plastic surgery, but I wonder what botulism in my face would actually feel like.
87. I'm pretty good at keeping my anger and misery locked up. People who cry in public or curse outloud in a stalled train sicken me.
88. My performance resume says I'm an amateur sax and harmonica player, but I actually can't play either very well.
89. The last physical CD I purchased was Outkast's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"... to complete the collection.
90. My undergraduate education was a complete waste of money.
91. I don't really have a favorite color.
92. I love Yukimi Nagano the way most people love Esthero.
93. During recess in kindergarten, this grown-ass Amazonian third grader fell on me and broke my ankle. My mom would later add this event to a long list entitled "Do You Know How Rich We Would Be If I Wasn't Such A Good Person?"
94. I'm not too big on movies.
95. I can fall asleep anywhere.
96. I'm terrible at kissing asses and stroking egos.
97. It's difficult for me to warm up. I'd rather be too hot than chilly.
98. When I hear parents complain about how bad their children are, I want to tell them that they made their children that way, but saying so would be mean and I'm working on being nicer.
99. I'm fascinated by the story of the Amazon warriors.
100. The gap in my smile is from my mother's side.

And there you have it. 100 things you didn't need to know about me.
Have a happy Wednesday.

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Wishlist #1: City Cycles

As I mentioned last week, I'm big on the two-wheeled mode of transportation. Cheap, quick, convenient, and healthy. Plus trés glam when I'm atop the saddle.... booooyyy! I truly do love the two bikes I've inherited... Stella and Applebaum have been real good to me, but they're aged. Don't get me wrong, I respect the vintage. I think, though, that investing in a brand new bicycle, something more comfortable, lighter, and safer, would be a bright idea. Even better, receiving a shiny new cruiser or coaster from someone who cares, would be doubly excellent :)

Here are three items on my Transport Wishlist, you choose:


The Electra Amsterdam Classic 3 (approx. $550) in black, features 3 speed coaster brake, pinstripe fenders with matching coat/skirt guard (!), rear luggage rack, a generator headlight, and an LED tail light. Real Eurochic like, yea?


I saw this beaut in the bike shop near my mom's house. I'm not too keen on the mint color, but you know, it's kinda sharp. The Raleigh Shimano Coasting 2008 (approx. $450) features three-speed auto shifting system, kick back coaster brakes, front rack with built in bottle opener (!), swept back handle bars cased in leather and sofa-comfy saddle. Fly 'til I die hoes!


The Giant Citystorm designed by Michael Young (unsure of price, but if you read chinese, you let me know). This green color with honey comb pattern is the least "asian school girl" -esque of the four choices. This bike is real techno boogie featuring an eight-speed gear system, integrated lock with bullet- and cut-proof wire made of steel and Kevlar, integrated headlight, an adjustable rear light that can be mounted on the seat or rear rack, beautifully designed mud guards, a clock built into the handle bar, and a crazy chic easy attach/remove saddle bag that matches the bike's color options(!). I'm a Taipei urban sophisticate up in this bitch, kiiiiiiid!

Now, I don't claim to be an aficionado by any means. I'm not an athletic biker. I don't plan on riding mountain trails or becoming a bike messenger. I just need a bike that gets me around the city and keeps me looking fresh to def at the same time! These bikes are attractive and practical and if you want to buy one for me, holler!

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Music Survey I taxed from Lenée

List 10 musical artists that you like:

*Not in any particular order

1. Fela Kuti
2. Nina Simone
3. Miles Davis
4. Michael Jackson
5. The Roots
6. Outkast
7. Bob Marley
8. Björk
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Erykah Badu

What was the first song you ever heard by 6?
Elevators on ALTiens

What is your favourite album of 8?
That's tough... is it cheating to say a playlist a friend made for me a few years ago? I guess Vespertine.

What is your favorite lyric of 5?
I don't know. My absolute favorite song from the group doesn't feature Black Thought actually. My favorite lyrics would fall somewhere in Something in the Way of Things by Amiri Baraka on Phrenology.

What are your three of your favorite songs by 7?
Natty Dread, Is This Love?, Redemption Song


What are your favorite three songs by 2?
Four Women, The Desperate Ones, Mississippi Goddamn!

What are your three favorite songs by 10?
I Want You, Green Eyes, Didn't Cha Know?

What is your favorite album by 1?
Oi! If I must... Confusion/Gentlemen.

How did you get into 4?
Bad was the first LP I ever bought with my own money.

What are your three favorite songs by 3?
Giant Steps (of course!), Blue Traine, Autumn Serenade (with Johnny Hartman... swoon!)

What is a good memory concerning 2?
Creating a dance/character inspired by this woman and landing the most rewarding gig of my life.

Is there a song by 8 that makes you emotional?
Sonnets/Unrealities XI or Declare Independence

What are your three favorite songs of 1?
It's impossible to pick just three! But with out thinking about it too much... Shakara, Confusion, Water No Get Enemy

What is your favorite song of the 9 artist?
Just one?! I think As, because I have so many memories to accompany it.

1. Of all the bands & artists in your collection, which one do you have the most of?
Outkast

2. What was the last song you listened to?
Elliptical by Me'shell Ndegeo'cello with Sy Smith on The Article 3 EP

3. What's in your CD player right now?
I don't listen to CD's anymore... but the last album I downloaded was some of Kenna's latest effort. Good shit.

4. What is your favorite instrument?
Alto Saxophone of course.

5. Who's your favorite local band?
one of Phil's. I'm sprung I know... cut me some slack!

6. What was the last concert you attended?
Afro-Punk Festival 2007 at BAM

7. What was the greatest concert you've ever been to?
I don't see a lot of live music, but a few years ago I went to CurrentTV's launch event at Central Park featuring De La Soul, Fishbone, and Lauryn Hill. Definitely a musical highlight in my life.

8. What's the worst band you've ever seen in concert?
I gotta say Femi Kuti at Summer Stage 2006 was thoroughly unimpressive to me.

9. What band do you love musically but hate the members of?
uhm... I don't think this question applies to me. I can't think of an answer.

10. What is the most musically involved you have ever been?
I auditioned for Bill T. Jone's tribute to Fela. I killed the dance section, but I bombed my little sax solo... it was beyond embarrassing!

11. What show are you looking forward to?
They've all passed... there's so much that I've missed this summer! I hope I can redeem myself next year.

12. What is your favourite band shirt?
I own a hoodrat ass "Jigga" t-shirt that I wore to death when I was like 14.

13. What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?
Me'shell Ndgeo'cello seems like she'd be a real cool down to earth lady.

14. What musician would you like to be in love with you for a day?
Hmm... I'd enjoy watching Rich Medina losing his cool over me ;)

15. What was your last musical "phase" before you wizened up?
I used to be a fanatic for N*SYNC... Dirty POP!!!

16. Sabbath or solo Ozzy?
How about Common or Black Thought? Ruminate on that shit.

17. Did you know that filling out this survey makes you a music geek?
Yo mama.

18. What was the greatest decade for music?
The 70s.

19. What is your favorite movie soundtrack?
The soundtrack to the very first musical I saw on Broadway. It was later made into a movie starring Whoopee Goldberg: Sarafina!

20. What would you be without music?
sad and crankier. [edit]

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Proust Questionnaire

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A feeling that I am needed by someone, for love or inspiration; a sense that there is no one in this world who can replace me.

What is your greatest fear?
To find myself an dying woman alone and giving in to regret.

What is the quality you most like in a man?
The power to influence his environment. I am most attracted to men who inspire me to be grow.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My naiveté, in life experience and in my ability to communicate.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Daydreaming.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
I wish I were better educated in historical figures to answer this question accurately.

I would identify with the Every Woman. If there ever was a woman who struggled to understand her own beliefs while balancing the responsibilities of career and family, I would study her path to success.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Confidence in her femininity, and all the while humble in her demeanor.

What is your greatest regret?
I try to live a life without regret; acknowledging remorse for the past will not change it. I just try and learn from the less fulfilling moments.

Which talent would you most like to have?
The ability to communicate in every language.

What is your current state of mind?
Self-aware.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
I think there are none. I think also, that people confuse courage with coping or necessity.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
I want to think about it more, but the first that comes to mind is Santiago of the Alchemist. I absolutely believe in finding an internal rhythm to guide you and not allowing fear or guilt keep you from experiencing the best life possible.

Who are your heroes in real life?
Matante Michaelle

What is your favorite occupation?
Finding someone to fall in love with.

What is it that you most dislike?
Dishonesty and arrogance.

When and where were you happiest?
1. Alone meditating on my thoughts.
2. That first kiss.
3. Dancing all night to Fela.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
I think I appear dim to some.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"like", "uhm". When I pay attention to eliminating these from my vocabulary, I find that I'm a much more eloquent and creative speaker.

What is your most marked characteristic?
Others would probably say that it is my smile or that I'm always happy.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would like to be more articulate, in movement, thought, and communication.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Creating. [edit] Doing

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Losing all memory of the people I love.

Who are your favorite writers?
I'm lucky that I find new favorites with every book I've read; Toni Morrison, Flannery O'Connor, Zadie Smith.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
There's a comedian who jokes about coming back as a rich white woman's poodle. There's a thought.

What is your motto?
"Life is what you make of it."

How would you like to die?
I want to pass knowing that my life was an event worth remembering.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My life thus far.

What is your favorite journey?
The one that I've planned for the end of this year. I haven't worked out all the specifics, but I'm hoping to celebrate the new year in Haiti. Stina will meet me there with her husband. I'm not sure if we will stay with my father's family or my mother's -- I could conceivably stay with both. I'm just not sure of what Stina has in mind for the trip. I plan on gaining a greater understanding of my culture. I suspect that when I return to New York, I will be a more worldly woman, or at least I'll be able to speak the language.

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An Idiot's Guide to Fresher Lettuce (2007 Edition)

I made this list back in January. I've been successful at keeping most of the items at the front of my mind since it's inception, but I know my motitvation to complete the tasks will ebb and flow like my mood. They aren't ordered in any particular manner, though the first three items do hold greatest importance to me. I've decided that achieving them wiil have the greatest impact in my emotional well-being.


Properly grieve my father’s death
This fall will mark eight years since his passing, and yet I haven’t been able to rid myself of the secret depression I’ve felt all this time. I remember crying for a little bit and then suddenly coming to a point of acceptance. The following morning, I went to school. I sort of skipped all the clear mourning phases and continued on with life, bottling up my deep sorrow so as to appear strong. Stress manifests itself in my body as illness. The times when my sadness was on the verge of surfacing were the times I was most unhealthy. In the coming months, I will make up of for tears I forced myself not to shed.

Live life with true Integrity
It’s such a simple idea, yet so unbelievably difficult to act on! I think I’ve found the answer to happiness. Being honest, to myself in particular is a challenge for me sometimes. I demand absolute honesty from others, but I find myself hypocritically holding back to save an ego here, someone’s self-esteem there. Lying to myself, has led me to heartache on more than just a few occasions. I’m going to try and keep this concept in the front of my head as often as I can manage.


Become the type that attracts my type
It’s true that a woman should work on herself before attempting to find a mate. My ideal partner is financially independent, emotionally mature, creative/artistic, worldly, passionate about something and an all around good person. I imagine this person is looking for the same characteristics in his mate. I will begin a process of embodying these qualities, so that when he finds me, I’ll be ready for him :)

A page a day
I want to begin a daily ritual of vomiting everything that’s in my head – every idea, every dream, every thought—no matter how dark or ridiculous, every secret. A full page. More if I need to. So I can clear my mind and to see myself more realistically.

Be less available
People take you for granted when you’re always around. I’m going to postpone returning calls and emails, reject more invitations, just be more distant, more detached. I’m such a cling-on. It’s the Cancer in me.

Explore more
I want to change my view. I never go out anymore. I need to go on field trips to a museum or to a concert. Meet different people. Strike up a conversation with strangers every now and again about whatever moves me. I’m such an introvert. I want to be more outgoing in a non-obnoxious way. I want to take chances once in a while. Hop a turnstile maybe. Or maybe play my sax in the subway or do an impromptu performance piece in the middle of Bryant Park. Audition more. Ask a man to dinner. Be daring and dangerous for a once.

Rebuild My Savings
I was proud of my substantial savings at one point—so proud in fact that I couldn’t resist a bit of spreeing as a reward. Unfortunately, a rainy day came along and my just-in-case-and-then-some fund quickly depleted to less than half of its original amount :( I plan to create a budget that will limit my spending and replenish my newly christened emergency/independent woman fund.

Regain my Physical Strength
I know as a performer I won’t be retiring at 30, but the reality of time and age have begun to affect my body in ways I couldn’t fathom as a limber 16 year old. My muscles have lost their tone, pulling my bones and placement out of the ideal shape I worked so effortlessly to attain. I have to get back into class, work on some yoga or Pilates, before it becomes too frustrating to reverse the damage.

I think these 8 goals are absolutely with in my grasp. Twelve months from now, I will be unrecognizable and a few steps closer to a woman I can admire.

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