06/28/15

Dance at the world, and the world will dance back.

flamenco dancer. photo credit: spain-holiday.com

This morning, I went to the bank to pay a bill. I stepped outside and was greeted by a sunny day, which was particularly pleasant after the last few rainy ones. I walked inside the bank and waited behind the only other person in line — a middle-aged man whose face I couldn´t see. The tile floors lended themselves so well to sliding around that I couldn´t help myself. I began to fancy myself an ice skater, the small bank lobby my rink. The man in front of me turned around. What happened next I had not anticipated: he began to dance! Flamenco (1), no less.

I started giggling as we danced around our 2 meter x 2 meter stage. Words flowing as smoothly as his dance moves, he spoke romantically about art and life. He talked about the importance of creativity and how it mirrors the beautiful process of a germinated seed growing into a plant. He even made a direct analogy to the birth of a child, which was surprising considering that children had been on my mind recently.

I have noticed that so many small coincidences in my life connect many of the seemingly random situations I find myself in.. In all this randomness, we make connections. We meet people whose narratives overlap with our own. And it´s crazy how one person´s actions, subtle as they may be, can influence another´s. You notice my smile and wear your own; others notice yours and begin to grin themselves. I goof and dance around, and it turns out you like to do that, too!

Smile, and other people will notice…and some will smile back. Dance, and the world may just dance back. (:

Nirel

(1) Flamenco is a traditional Spanish dance, native to the south. This story takes place in Granada, Andalucía (in Southern Spain).

08/12/13

FYF : Concerts – Alt-J @ The Commodore Ballroom

Playlist: Alt-J – Fitzpleasure

Much like The Black Keys’s Brothers was the soundtrack of my 11th grade year, I listened to Alt-J’s debut album, An Awesome Wave, on repeat throughout my first year of university. That album just resonated with me — I blogged about their KEXP performance and even recorded a drum cover of the song “Breezeblocks”. Needless to say, I was stoked to see they were coming to Vancouver and bought pre-sale tickets to see them several months in advance. My friend, Kett, and I scored second-row spots and the show was fantastic. Also, The Commodore Ballroom is gorgeous.

-N

This post is part of a series of posts I am writing about my first year at UBC, upon reflection. Check out the First Year Flashbacks category or look for the “FYF” image beside each post to read more.

08/10/13

FYF : Concerts – AMS Block Party @ MacInnes Field, UBC

Playlist: Mord Fustang – Lick The Rainbow, Good For Grapes – London Fog

Like I said, AMS knows how to put on a kick-ass outdoor concert. Maybe it was the fact that I came earlier and saw all the bands play, or the pouring rain, or the four cups of hard cider now that I’d turned 19, but I liked this end-of-the-school-year show even better than its beginning-of-the-year equivalent. Line-up included Mord Fustang, Dillon Francis, K’Naan, Good For Grapes and Anxiojam. After that, I’m excited to see what AMS has in store for Welcome Back BBQ 2013! (Minus MacInnes field, which unfortunately has been ousted to make room for the new Aquatic Centre.)

Looks like Dan has his hands full…

Anxiojam!

-N

08/6/13

FYF : Concerts – Idan Raichel Project @ The Vogue Theatre

Playlist: Idan Raichel Project – Mi’ma’amakim

My Mama was my valentine this year when she came up from Seattle to visit and see this show with me on February 14th. My friend saved us front-row seats in this intimate venue, so we were actually able to tell Idan Raichel “good job” (in Hebrew) and he answered us, “thanks”! Having my mom and friends at this show, which showcased fantastic musical talent, made it a total blast. Also, check the IRP out if you are into foreign music at all — Idan Raichel is an Israeli artist who collaborates with musicians from all over the world to create masterpieces in various languages.

My beautiful mother & me….just an arm’s length away from Idan Raichel!

-N <3

08/4/13

FYF : Concerts – Bassnectar @ Thunderbird Stadium, UBC

Playlist: Bassnectar – Bass Head

Timestretch was the first dubstep album I ever listened to. Since then, I’ve managed to find a place for the genre in my heart: blasting it during workouts and raging at the occasional concert/music festival. Going to this show made me realize that I am by no means a “raver” — the music was way too loud (yes, I am aware I sound like your grandma) and Bassnectar is not as upbeat as the Skrillex-esque dubstep I’ve been listening to lately. However, I still managed to have some fun, thanks to the friends I was with. Remember, kids — friends are important. Especially at a rave that you went to not knowing it was going to be a rave. Oops.

My Haida First Floor Piglets!

-N

08/2/13

First Year Flashbacks : Concerts – Welcome Back BBQ @ MacInnes Field, UBC

Playlist: Morgan Page – In The Air

I’ve always been an avid concert-goer, and my first year at UBC was no exception. A huge part of the reason I chose to attend UBC in the first place is because Vancouver is a beautiful city with so much going on — and if an artist is going on tour, it is likely they’ll play here.

AMS knows how to put on a sick outdoor concert. I definitely felt “welcome” after this show, featuring: Hey Ocean!, Morgan Page, Starfucker, Minxy Jones & DJ She. Partied it up with my new Jumpstart buddies. (:

Broken foot? What broken foot? I’m here to dance (safely, of course – don’t want to break the other one…).

-N

08/2/13

Taglit – Birthright Israel : An Introduction

Playlist: Enya, Buena Vista Social Club

If you are Jewish and between the ages of 18-26 (or if you just enjoy reading travel blog posts), read on.

I have been incredibly lucky this summer to have gone on so many fun and exciting adventures. One I feel especially grateful for is the trip bestowed upon me by Taglit-Birthright Israel, an organization that sends Jewish young adults on a 10-day excursion to Israel…for FREE.

Yes, I’m serious.

The qualifications are as follows. You must: Have at least one Jewish parent, identify as Jewish, be between the ages of 18-26 and never have been to Israel on an organized trip or lived there past the age of 12. That’s it!

I don’t understand why anyone would not want to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to a beautiful country with a group of amazing people. Taglit offers trips throughout the summer and winter and if you meet the requirements, you have nothing to lose by applying.

This post is the first in a series I’ll write, highlighting my favorite experiences from the trip. I will also write a follow-up series about places I visited during the 3 1/2 weeks I spent in Israel post-Taglit (yep, you can extend your stay and they will still pay for your return ticket!).

Disclaimer: These posts are not sponsored (unless you count my Birthright-Israel trip as compensation, but I’m still writing them just because I want to share my experiences with those considering going on the trip and others who want to read about them).

Hope you’ve also had a fantastic summer so far,

-Nirel

That’s me in Masada, excited to tell you about my adventures.

03/14/13

Useful online research resources!

I am a dork.

There’s no denying it. But why would I want to? I embrace my inner dorkiness – in fact, I celebrate it.

That is precisely why I’m awake at 4:30am, doing way more research than is required for a genetics presentation I’ve been assigned. Because it’s fun!!

Don’t believe me? See for yourself – visit a few of the sites below and browse through a topic that peaks your interest. Check out JSTOR’s collection alone for a few ideas.

Pssst… Even if you can’t find anything interesting enough to read about for fun, these sites will at least be super useful when you need to do any of the following things (at least one of which you will inevitably do, being a university student):

(Research) paper
Presentation
Critical review
Other stuff

Some lovely resources for your researching pleasure (in no particular order):

PNAS *cue immature giggles*

^ So long as you are a UBC student (and have a standard campus-wide login, or CWL), the links above will grant you FREE access to collections of thousands of journals, containing probably millions of really neat articles and research papers. Thank you, UBC Library!

*NOTE: If you are not a UBC student, do not be discouraged. You may still have access to many of these articles and papers, even if you don’t have access to all the journals that contain them.

Have fun exploring!

Nirel

01/27/13

Freeeee Boooooooks!! (and some music)

Playlist: Gemini – Fire Inside

Martin Solveig – The Night Out

Swedish House Mafia – Greyhound

(Yes, I’ve caught the electronic music bug that since I arrived here have noticed is super popular in Vancouver.)

Oh my gosh. If you’re currently taking an English or philosophy class in high school or university, check out these websites before you buy your required reading books. They allow you to download e-books for free that you can read on your computer, iPhone, iPad or e-reader. This has made me so happy.

http://www.planetebook.com/

http://www.gutenberg.org/

http://www.free-ebooks.net/

http://www.openculture.com/free_ebooks

Psst… It’s worth checking out all the links, as some of the sites only have classic books while others include contemporary ones as well. Also, these are only the first few sites that came up when I google-searched “free e-books” – so feel free to google key words yourself and see what you can find! (Just make sure the websites are legit so you don’t get a virus. The ones above are.)

Happy reading!

-N

01/16/13

Upcoming Guest Lectures!

Hey guys!

I know this is a little short-notice, but here’s a list of the upcoming guest lectures/lecture series/film screenings/discussion sessions that I know of at UBC. Most of them are free or of low cost. Come check one out if it fits in your schedule and you think you might find the topic interesting!

Big Mouth Speaker Series

When: TODAY! (Wednesday, January 16 2013)

Where: Buchanan Penthouse – Buchanan B, 1866 Main Mall, UBC

Time: 5:30p – 7:30p + reception

Cost: Free.

Brief description: A Speaker Series about Art and Education
Big Mouth is an evening dedicated to redefining the relationship between the arts and education. Seven speakers from various creative industries will give seven short speeches, sharing their life experiences, perspectives and passions with a crowd of UBC students.
Big Mouth emerges out of a distinct need to shift a specific paradigm in this crucial time for Arts students in Canada. Our goal is to disrupt the stereotypes and doubts surrounding turning an arts education into a career, and to inspire and convince students of real possibilities to direct an arts education into a career and a lifestyle.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/458103884226614/?fref=ts

“Miss Representation” – Film Screening & Panel Discussion

When: Thursday, January 172013

Where: Room: HA 098 of Sauder School of Business – University of British Columbia 2053 Main Mall Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2

Time: 6p doors open, 6:30 film starts (90 mins), panel discussion to follow

Cost: Students/staff: $5.00
Sauder alumni: $8.00
General public: $15.00

Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to The Minerva Foundation for BC Women.

Brief description: Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

Website: https://secure3.sauder.ubc.ca/events/miss_representation/

Mel Chen, Visiting Scholar, GRSJ Institute

When: Monday, January 21 2013

Where: UBC Liu Institute for Global Issues – 6476 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver V6T 1Z2

Cost: Unsure.

Brief description: Associate Professor, Gender & Women’s Studies at U.C. Berkeley, Animacies: Biopolitics, Racial Mattering, and Queer Affect (2012, Duke University Press). “Toxicity Incorporated: Toxic Assets, Privileged Bodies, and the Affects of Toxic Management”

Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/421895057880658/?ref=22

Helpful websites for this sort of thing:

The Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Social-Justice-Institute-UBC-Events/512911055409313

Sauder School of Business News & Events

http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/News

More to come soon! Busy working on my RA application that’s due today. (:

Love,

Nirel

Celebrate Life!

Get excited and explore.

Tag Archives: blog squad

Dance at the world, and the world will dance back.

FYF : Concerts – Alt-J @ The Commodore Ballroom

FYF : Concerts – AMS Block Party @ MacInnes Field, UBC

FYF : Concerts – Idan Raichel Project @ The Vogue Theatre

FYF : Concerts – Bassnectar @ Thunderbird Stadium, UBC

First Year Flashbacks : Concerts – Welcome Back BBQ @ MacInnes Field, UBC

Taglit – Birthright Israel : An Introduction

Useful online research resources!

Freeeee Boooooooks!! (and some music)

Upcoming Guest Lectures!