Over the weekend, I stumbled upon some news from another person going to Liverpool to study. The news is that I might be able to get financial aid from America to pay for Hope (BAM!). The U.S. just needed a school code. If they didn't have a school code then Hope wouldn't be eligible for... or I wouldn't be eligible for funding. Well, I called my good old friend, FASFA today and Hope indeed does have a school code (SUPER BAM!). So, Sean from FASFA was so kind to make corrections to my financial aid form and told me to call Hope Friday-ish. This is great news. It will be even better if I actually get aid. It would help so much to have the burden of paying for the program off of my shoulders. I only have 4100 pounds left to pay, but I also have to pay for my dorm. So, it would be just great to get aid. I wanted to do some kind of fund raiser but I just can't pull that off on my own. Maybe write to Ellen, or McCartney. It's really not expensive it's just shy of what I can afford comfortably. SO, Say a prayer, or whatever you do for me to get help to pay for this.
Also, I have been hoping to leave in August with Charles to join him on the trip again with my mom. In my head, it's easier for my mom to be on a plane with me when I am leaving Scranton than to be leaving Scranton all by myself. The issue is that classes don't start until October 3 (or 3 October ) and I obviously won't fly out there to come home August 31 and fly back for September 24 (real move-in date). I got an e-mail from Hope today and they said that they don't have a problem with me moving in August 31 (why not, I am paying for it) but they need to make sure there will be an accessible room available for me. I swear Lola is worse than a toddler sometimes. So anyway, that's where I am at. I am making the deposit for my real dorm tomorrow. Hopefully, by Friday I will hear some other positive (and less expensive) news.
In the meantime, I am moving out of my apartment on July 15. This is bittersweet to think about. I have lived here for almost five years (December 15 is the anniversary) and so many things have happened here. I think above everything, I am going to miss the Halloween parties. They were the best. There is so much stuff to pack, I want to cry over it!
So I guess we can all hope the Hope has some great news for me.
:
Monday, May 23, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill...
Here's something I did for a paper last year. I had to change some of the details to accomodate length requirements but besides the tv ordeal, everything else is true. You can even see that I made an error in my last blog stating it was 1996. My paper begs to differ. I agree with the paper.
Anyway, it isn't the best but I thought it was fitting here. I am sorry that it stinks! :)
February 21, 2010
Narrative Essay
Mid-Term
Anyway, it isn't the best but I thought it was fitting here. I am sorry that it stinks! :)
February 21, 2010
Narrative Essay
Mid-Term
After almost 15 years of living the Beatles, someone finally asked me about my
love story with, “Hey Youngin’ what made you a Beatles fan? Aren’t you a little young to
be likin’ them?” Please understand I don’t “like” the Beatles. I like Tim McGraw. I like
Fettuccini Alfredo. I like the color pink. However, my mother, Marywood University, and
the Beatles, I love these things. I need these things. These things have made me who I
am. These things are a part of me. Throwing the term “like” around while speaking of
the relationship I have with the Beatles is like saying The Great Barrier Reef is the size
of a fish tank. Looking back, it seems that the Beatles, John Lennon especially, were a
part of me when I was convinced that no one sung as great as Bert and Ernie.
To play the blame game, let me take this moment to write of my mother. My
mother is a hard working, helpful, and passionate woman. She is compassionate,
considerate, and very empathetic. Growing up, I remember her singing. She was
always singing; in the car, in the house, cleaning, cooking, or helping with homework.
Mom gave me many things, and she continues to do so, but with her love for music, she
is the one who gave me rock ‘n’ roll. With rock ‘n’ roll comes the Beatles, and she has
given me them as well.
In the fall of 1995, there was a TV special about The Beatles called The Beatles
Anthology. It was practically all black and white videos (BLACK AND WHITE! Really?),
and I must confess, I had absolutely no interest in this. But, being that there wasn’t a TV
in my room, what my mother wanted to watch is what we were going to watch.
Apparently, she was hell-bent over this Beatles thing and content with torturing me for
the night. So, Twist and Shout started to play and there I was singing the words! I was
proud that I knew the words to something my mom loved. But that wasn’t the moment,
that didn’t come until the end of that night’s special, but I paid more attention from this
point on.
As I mentioned earlier, my mom has this amazing ability to empathize and she
does this with total strangers and it was this characteristic that actually started it. The
Beatles were singing I Want to Hold Your Hand. My mother sighed one of her motherly
sighs and said “It’s such a shame what happened to him.” I said “What happened to
him, mom?” “He was shot.” She said quietly and she looked very sad when I looked
up at her. Curiosity definitely peaked and I had to ask “Who was shot, mom?” She
said “John Lennon” and she pointed to this man just smiling as he was singing and
strumming on his guitar. From that moment, The Beatles, especially John Lennon,
have been the biggest passion in my life. And, since that time, The Beatles have been
the most consistent thing in my life. I count on them. This “band” pulls me through the
toughest times and laughs along with me through the best times.
I can surely make a soundtrack to my life with Beatle songs. I can write about the
huge moments in my life where they were a part of it, like practically being front row for
a McCartney concert last August. But it wasn’t necessarily all the big moments that tie
me to the Beatles. There were many small, subtle moments throughout life that have
made my connection with the Beatles so strong. Mere coincidence? Maybe. A sign
from Above? Sure. Unable to be ignored, denied, or reflected upon? Absolutely.
Starting at the beginning, which is usually a great place to start anyway; as a kid,
I was funny, loud – but reserved, unsure of myself, but sure of what I wanted. Most of
all, I was the writer, I was always singing, I was the creative child, and I was
the “peacemaker”. I earned this nickname because every time my siblings would get
into a tiff it would be me telling them to stop; this is before I ever heard the words “give
peace a chance”. The first poem that I ever wrote is titled “Sleepy”; I wrote it in first
grade and a few lines are: …the sun shining/ the birds are singing… compare that to
Lennon and McCartney’s Dear Prudence they reference the sun in the first verse …The
sun is up/the sky is blue… and the birds in the second … The wind is low/the birds will
sing… may seem like a coincidence but I still think it is interesting to note. The Beatles
started creeping into my life far before I knew what hit me.
Another a simple and subtle tie to the Beatles- my first favorite song. Don
McLean’s American Pie, in which there are several references to the Beatles and John
Lennon himself. In the eighth verse, McLean says, “The marching band refused to
yield”, which it wasn’t until an analysis of the song in my 9th grade Honors English class
that I learned that the marching band was, in fact, the Beatles. Ironically, the marching
band hasn’t yielded in my life in any way.
Countless times, I have said a prayer to Jesus Christ in hopes that He can help
me. However, I also shout a prayer to my grandmother when I think the Big Guy is too
busy for my insignificant troubles and there are times when I do, indeed, say a little
prayer to Lennon, especially when I need to find something that I have lost or when I’m
running late and need make it someplace on time. But what happened to me on my 25th
birthday celebration in New York City can certainly be marked as one for the books.
In Central Park in NYC, there is a place called Strawberry Fields. It is a memorial
to Lennon and it sits right across the street from his former apartment building, the
building where he was murdered and the building where his widow still resides. This
was my second time to Strawberry Fields and it is a time that I will never forget. Not
only was it my birthday celebration, it was also a lovely May day in NYC. So, instead of
taking a cab up to the memorial, we decided to stroll through the park. As we came
closer to the site, I began to hear a faint sound of a guitar and many people singing. It
turns out that there was a band playing just Beatles songs that day in the park. No, we
couldn’t persuade them to sing Happy Birthday, if that’s what you’re hoping. I watched
the band for about 30 minutes or so, and had it not been for three friends sitting on a
bench bored as can be (they don’t appreciate music), I would have stayed the whole
day. Anyway, this is the first time that I believe that Lennon, or the powers that be, have
sent a sign.
I was singing along to You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away and I looked to my
right, towards his apartment building and I thought how much I would love just to speak
to Lennon. At that point, I looked up to the sky and there was some rubbish stuck in a
tree. It took a minute to focus on what this was but that rubbish turned out to be two
balloons, one said; “Happy Birthday” and the other had a peace sign on it. Well, it may
sound silly, but there was my hello that I have been longing for!
I go through phases of favorite songs by the Beatles; it is to a point where I
just say I don’t have a favorite song. This is true. I can’t just pick one song and forget
about the other 250+ songs. On the album known as The White Album, there is a song
called Julia, written by John Lennon for his late mother, Julia. On a seemingly wonderful
October morning in 2009, I was driving down N. Keyser Ave listening to Julia on repeat.
Well, for some unknown reason the man in front of me slammed on his brakes and I
couldn’t stop quick enough and I rear ended the white van that was determined to ruin
my wonderful day.
Luckily enough, the man wasn’t hurt, I just got a bump on the head, and my car
was still drivable. So, overall, it could have never happened. But, because I did hit my
head my mother, while screaming at me for not paying attention, told me to go to the
emergency room to get my head checked, which I’m still not sure if she was sincere
about this. I took the adventure to CMC and I told the ER receptionist what happened,
and I waited. I waited forever in a swine flu infested waiting room, listening to Julia on
repeat, for someone to check out a goose-egg. After about two hours in the waiting
room, I finally was presented with my nurse, named Julia. I think you can pick up that
irony.
I believe in the Beatles, I believe in John Lennon, and I believe in what music
can do to someone’s soul. I believe in signs from Above and that may make me crazy
but that’s ok, crazy leaves an interesting life. When I am done at Marywood University,
I would like to pursue another Master’s at Liverpool Hope University in England. This
Master’s would be in the Beatles. I think it is fitting and I think that I might as well ride
this passion as far as it can go. Maybe one day I can teach a Beatles as Literature
course, which would be wonderful!
Some believe that the Beatles are merely a rock band and to some, that is all
they are. To me, the Beatles are a way of life. I’ve spent the last 15 years chasing
John, Paul, George, and Ringo, their lives, and pouring myself into their history. I’ve
brought Beatlemania back to my mother and many other people along the way, and I
certainly plan on doing this for the rest of my life. I will never be satisfied, being born 20
years too late, the dream of seeing them perform together is impossible. Time machine
anyone?
love story with, “Hey Youngin’ what made you a Beatles fan? Aren’t you a little young to
be likin’ them?” Please understand I don’t “like” the Beatles. I like Tim McGraw. I like
Fettuccini Alfredo. I like the color pink. However, my mother, Marywood University, and
the Beatles, I love these things. I need these things. These things have made me who I
am. These things are a part of me. Throwing the term “like” around while speaking of
the relationship I have with the Beatles is like saying The Great Barrier Reef is the size
of a fish tank. Looking back, it seems that the Beatles, John Lennon especially, were a
part of me when I was convinced that no one sung as great as Bert and Ernie.
To play the blame game, let me take this moment to write of my mother. My
mother is a hard working, helpful, and passionate woman. She is compassionate,
considerate, and very empathetic. Growing up, I remember her singing. She was
always singing; in the car, in the house, cleaning, cooking, or helping with homework.
Mom gave me many things, and she continues to do so, but with her love for music, she
is the one who gave me rock ‘n’ roll. With rock ‘n’ roll comes the Beatles, and she has
given me them as well.
In the fall of 1995, there was a TV special about The Beatles called The Beatles
Anthology. It was practically all black and white videos (BLACK AND WHITE! Really?),
and I must confess, I had absolutely no interest in this. But, being that there wasn’t a TV
in my room, what my mother wanted to watch is what we were going to watch.
Apparently, she was hell-bent over this Beatles thing and content with torturing me for
the night. So, Twist and Shout started to play and there I was singing the words! I was
proud that I knew the words to something my mom loved. But that wasn’t the moment,
that didn’t come until the end of that night’s special, but I paid more attention from this
point on.
As I mentioned earlier, my mom has this amazing ability to empathize and she
does this with total strangers and it was this characteristic that actually started it. The
Beatles were singing I Want to Hold Your Hand. My mother sighed one of her motherly
sighs and said “It’s such a shame what happened to him.” I said “What happened to
him, mom?” “He was shot.” She said quietly and she looked very sad when I looked
up at her. Curiosity definitely peaked and I had to ask “Who was shot, mom?” She
said “John Lennon” and she pointed to this man just smiling as he was singing and
strumming on his guitar. From that moment, The Beatles, especially John Lennon,
have been the biggest passion in my life. And, since that time, The Beatles have been
the most consistent thing in my life. I count on them. This “band” pulls me through the
toughest times and laughs along with me through the best times.
I can surely make a soundtrack to my life with Beatle songs. I can write about the
huge moments in my life where they were a part of it, like practically being front row for
a McCartney concert last August. But it wasn’t necessarily all the big moments that tie
me to the Beatles. There were many small, subtle moments throughout life that have
made my connection with the Beatles so strong. Mere coincidence? Maybe. A sign
from Above? Sure. Unable to be ignored, denied, or reflected upon? Absolutely.
Starting at the beginning, which is usually a great place to start anyway; as a kid,
I was funny, loud – but reserved, unsure of myself, but sure of what I wanted. Most of
all, I was the writer, I was always singing, I was the creative child, and I was
the “peacemaker”. I earned this nickname because every time my siblings would get
into a tiff it would be me telling them to stop; this is before I ever heard the words “give
peace a chance”. The first poem that I ever wrote is titled “Sleepy”; I wrote it in first
grade and a few lines are: …the sun shining/ the birds are singing… compare that to
Lennon and McCartney’s Dear Prudence they reference the sun in the first verse …The
sun is up/the sky is blue… and the birds in the second … The wind is low/the birds will
sing… may seem like a coincidence but I still think it is interesting to note. The Beatles
started creeping into my life far before I knew what hit me.
Another a simple and subtle tie to the Beatles- my first favorite song. Don
McLean’s American Pie, in which there are several references to the Beatles and John
Lennon himself. In the eighth verse, McLean says, “The marching band refused to
yield”, which it wasn’t until an analysis of the song in my 9th grade Honors English class
that I learned that the marching band was, in fact, the Beatles. Ironically, the marching
band hasn’t yielded in my life in any way.
Countless times, I have said a prayer to Jesus Christ in hopes that He can help
me. However, I also shout a prayer to my grandmother when I think the Big Guy is too
busy for my insignificant troubles and there are times when I do, indeed, say a little
prayer to Lennon, especially when I need to find something that I have lost or when I’m
running late and need make it someplace on time. But what happened to me on my 25th
birthday celebration in New York City can certainly be marked as one for the books.
In Central Park in NYC, there is a place called Strawberry Fields. It is a memorial
to Lennon and it sits right across the street from his former apartment building, the
building where he was murdered and the building where his widow still resides. This
was my second time to Strawberry Fields and it is a time that I will never forget. Not
only was it my birthday celebration, it was also a lovely May day in NYC. So, instead of
taking a cab up to the memorial, we decided to stroll through the park. As we came
closer to the site, I began to hear a faint sound of a guitar and many people singing. It
turns out that there was a band playing just Beatles songs that day in the park. No, we
couldn’t persuade them to sing Happy Birthday, if that’s what you’re hoping. I watched
the band for about 30 minutes or so, and had it not been for three friends sitting on a
bench bored as can be (they don’t appreciate music), I would have stayed the whole
day. Anyway, this is the first time that I believe that Lennon, or the powers that be, have
sent a sign.
I was singing along to You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away and I looked to my
right, towards his apartment building and I thought how much I would love just to speak
to Lennon. At that point, I looked up to the sky and there was some rubbish stuck in a
tree. It took a minute to focus on what this was but that rubbish turned out to be two
balloons, one said; “Happy Birthday” and the other had a peace sign on it. Well, it may
sound silly, but there was my hello that I have been longing for!
I go through phases of favorite songs by the Beatles; it is to a point where I
just say I don’t have a favorite song. This is true. I can’t just pick one song and forget
about the other 250+ songs. On the album known as The White Album, there is a song
called Julia, written by John Lennon for his late mother, Julia. On a seemingly wonderful
October morning in 2009, I was driving down N. Keyser Ave listening to Julia on repeat.
Well, for some unknown reason the man in front of me slammed on his brakes and I
couldn’t stop quick enough and I rear ended the white van that was determined to ruin
my wonderful day.
Luckily enough, the man wasn’t hurt, I just got a bump on the head, and my car
was still drivable. So, overall, it could have never happened. But, because I did hit my
head my mother, while screaming at me for not paying attention, told me to go to the
emergency room to get my head checked, which I’m still not sure if she was sincere
about this. I took the adventure to CMC and I told the ER receptionist what happened,
and I waited. I waited forever in a swine flu infested waiting room, listening to Julia on
repeat, for someone to check out a goose-egg. After about two hours in the waiting
room, I finally was presented with my nurse, named Julia. I think you can pick up that
irony.
I believe in the Beatles, I believe in John Lennon, and I believe in what music
can do to someone’s soul. I believe in signs from Above and that may make me crazy
but that’s ok, crazy leaves an interesting life. When I am done at Marywood University,
I would like to pursue another Master’s at Liverpool Hope University in England. This
Master’s would be in the Beatles. I think it is fitting and I think that I might as well ride
this passion as far as it can go. Maybe one day I can teach a Beatles as Literature
course, which would be wonderful!
Some believe that the Beatles are merely a rock band and to some, that is all
they are. To me, the Beatles are a way of life. I’ve spent the last 15 years chasing
John, Paul, George, and Ringo, their lives, and pouring myself into their history. I’ve
brought Beatlemania back to my mother and many other people along the way, and I
certainly plan on doing this for the rest of my life. I will never be satisfied, being born 20
years too late, the dream of seeing them perform together is impossible. Time machine
anyone?
Meh, I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry that the formatting is off I couldn't figure out how to fix it. If you want the actual file just contact me and I'll get it over to you. Oh, I know my titles should be underlined, italicized, or in quotation marks.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I've Just Seen a Face
I have met many people over the years that have been fascinated that someone so young (HA!) likes The Beatles the way that I do. Many people have asked me what got me into them. I can easily tell you it was my mom, which is true. But there was a moment that, if it didn't happen, my life would really be completely different. It was a Sunday night and it must have been the Spring of 1996 because I was in 6th grade. At the time, I only had a small black and white television in my room and I remember I absolutely did not want to watch tv on that small screen that particular evening. Well, my mom was hellbent on watching this stupid tv special about this band that was around when the dinosaurs roamed. I can still hear her saying, "I want to watch this Beatles Anthology (1) tonight, so you're going to have to watch this if you want to watch tv out here (in the living room)." I don't know what possessed me to stay and watch, it might have just been that I loved (and still love) being with my mom. Either way, I was in it for the long haul... even then I didn't know how long it would be.
As funny as it was, most of the footage in BA1 was in black and white and I ended up coloring with the nearest set of Crayolas I could find. I remember being so incredibly bored throughout most of it but recognizing one song, "Twist and Shout". Even to this day, approximately fifteen years later, I can still remember how furious I was that I had to watch this. I promise you I am not so angry anymore, nor do I still have that black and white tv in my room :).
I digress, so BA1 is almost over and I remember I was still coloring. The blokes on the tv were singing a song that I didn't know and it was still in black and white. At this point, my mom (who is really too compassionate for one human being in this day and age) said, "It's such a shame what happened to him." Of course, I am the best daughter a mom could have and I acknowledged her statement with a mumbled, "What happened to him, Mom?" not looking up from my paper and markers. Her response, "He was shot," was shattering as a bullet through glass. I immediately looked up at my mother (mind you I didn't really know of anyone getting shot before - I think Tupac and B.I.G. were even still alive) and swallowed real hard and said, "Who was shot, Mom?" My mother then, with a frown and sad eyes pointed to the tv and said, "Him. John Lennon was shot and killed." At that moment in time, I looked at the tv and saw this guy smiling, playing his guitar and singing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and could not, as hard as I tried, figure out who would do this to that guy who wasn't bothering anyone and why something like that would happen. From that point on, I needed to know everything about The Beatles and John Lennon.
I can't say that I never would have liked The Beatles if I didn't watch BA1 that night, maybe I would have ended up loving them just as much. But, I highly doubt it. Anyway, that's the story that has brought me to this moment and sending me on this incredible once-in-a-lifetime journey. I owe it all to my mom and a black and white tv.
As funny as it was, most of the footage in BA1 was in black and white and I ended up coloring with the nearest set of Crayolas I could find. I remember being so incredibly bored throughout most of it but recognizing one song, "Twist and Shout". Even to this day, approximately fifteen years later, I can still remember how furious I was that I had to watch this. I promise you I am not so angry anymore, nor do I still have that black and white tv in my room :).
I digress, so BA1 is almost over and I remember I was still coloring. The blokes on the tv were singing a song that I didn't know and it was still in black and white. At this point, my mom (who is really too compassionate for one human being in this day and age) said, "It's such a shame what happened to him." Of course, I am the best daughter a mom could have and I acknowledged her statement with a mumbled, "What happened to him, Mom?" not looking up from my paper and markers. Her response, "He was shot," was shattering as a bullet through glass. I immediately looked up at my mother (mind you I didn't really know of anyone getting shot before - I think Tupac and B.I.G. were even still alive) and swallowed real hard and said, "Who was shot, Mom?" My mother then, with a frown and sad eyes pointed to the tv and said, "Him. John Lennon was shot and killed." At that moment in time, I looked at the tv and saw this guy smiling, playing his guitar and singing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and could not, as hard as I tried, figure out who would do this to that guy who wasn't bothering anyone and why something like that would happen. From that point on, I needed to know everything about The Beatles and John Lennon.
I can't say that I never would have liked The Beatles if I didn't watch BA1 that night, maybe I would have ended up loving them just as much. But, I highly doubt it. Anyway, that's the story that has brought me to this moment and sending me on this incredible once-in-a-lifetime journey. I owe it all to my mom and a black and white tv.
A Beginning...
I guess it would make most sense to explain what I am doing, or why I am doing it.What is it that I am doing? Well, if you haven't read the blurb on the side "The Story" then you're a slacker but I will cover it one more time. I am going to move to England this September (hopefully August though) to pursue a Master's Degree in The Beatles, Popular Music, and Society. "What will you do with it?" is what you may be wondering. My response? "Be awesome." I would like to teach a Beatles as Literature course one day. Oh, by the way, I am certified to be a secondary English teacher. The Beatles Master's will be my second Master's degree. Fancy huh?
In all reality, when I saw that there was a Master's offered in The Beatles. I figured that if there was anything that I have mastered, or will ever come close to mastering, it is the Fab Four. Since they are already something I am good at, I thought to myself after all of the time I have spent in college and grad school doing what everyone else thought I should do or what I thought the real world has instructed me to do, I am going to do this one for me.
So I went to Liverpool in August 2010 to make sure that I liked the city before I even applied to school. Well, I fell in love. I couldn't find one thing that I disliked about the city. Let's not forget that there are Beatles things everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I stayed in Liverpool for nine days and I was in London for two days before I went to Liverpool. Besides the rain, I loved it. It was very hard to leave there and I cried the whole way home until I made it back to my bed in the States (after 24 hours of traveling, you would stop crying too).
So, anyway, that's the story in a nutshell. I went to Liverpool with the idea of school in my head and six months to the date that I left for Liverpool, I was accepted into the program. That's what this blog is for. A way for my friends and family to stay up to date on what is going on while I am preparing for the move and while I am over there. Enjoy!
In all reality, when I saw that there was a Master's offered in The Beatles. I figured that if there was anything that I have mastered, or will ever come close to mastering, it is the Fab Four. Since they are already something I am good at, I thought to myself after all of the time I have spent in college and grad school doing what everyone else thought I should do or what I thought the real world has instructed me to do, I am going to do this one for me.
So I went to Liverpool in August 2010 to make sure that I liked the city before I even applied to school. Well, I fell in love. I couldn't find one thing that I disliked about the city. Let's not forget that there are Beatles things everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I stayed in Liverpool for nine days and I was in London for two days before I went to Liverpool. Besides the rain, I loved it. It was very hard to leave there and I cried the whole way home until I made it back to my bed in the States (after 24 hours of traveling, you would stop crying too).
So, anyway, that's the story in a nutshell. I went to Liverpool with the idea of school in my head and six months to the date that I left for Liverpool, I was accepted into the program. That's what this blog is for. A way for my friends and family to stay up to date on what is going on while I am preparing for the move and while I am over there. Enjoy!
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