Glee

The Queen of Nonsense told me to check out this new series. She described it as High School Musical in TV format. It is not; though there is singing. I watched it with Kate who wondered if the lead chick was supposed to be the "blonde girl" from HSM. So don't think HSM. It will only confuse you.

Only the pilot is available (the rest comes in the fall). It has a fun cast of characters and a tight plot. There are some normal characters (see the lead guy and the teacher) and some abnormal ones (see gym teacher and the wife). The plot is modern and relevant. Although there is singing and dancing, it's not cheesy or sentimental. The main character (teacher) is good looking and (thus or also?) very likable. It not super drama (like OC or all the other teen shows) and it's not a sitcom.

Check out this clip of Journey's Don't Stop Believin' and also this link of Amy Winehouse's Rehab.

While we mourn the loss of Pushing Daisies and while this is completely different from Pushing Daisies and could never take its place, I will be watching this fall.

*Side note: guest starring this season are Josh Groban and Kristin Chenoweth! Could life get better; I submit it could not.

Observations

I was at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and noticed a sign that read "Your choice - $19.99" with a myriad of colors of a kitchen item (the "Beyond" portion of the store). I thought this was very generous of them. I just hate stores where you give them money and they give you something you didn't choose at all. 

Sitting at a stoplight a noticed a man with an interesting nose. This got me to thinking: an odd nose can really mess up a perfectly good face. 

The Tanners (of Full House) had a pretty big back yard for living in a town home. In fact, I'm pretty sure they parked in the neighbor's yard. Come to your own conclusion about their neighborhood plan here.

I said "What's up"

It was my first week in Germany. We stopped everyone on the streets. "Hallo! Wie geht's?" I asked an older gentleman. He gave me a strange look and replied. "You don't ask people you don't know how they're doing," Crolace explained to me. 

In America How-Are-You is synonymous with Hi, Hello, or any other greeting. No one expects a reply. I recall many conversations, passing friends on the way to and from university, and saying, "Hey, what's up?" to be answered with, "Hey, what's up?" and we walk on. 

And at the time I didn't mind, but since living in Germany I side with the Germans -- don't say things you don't mean. 

So, naturally I've stopped asking. But not everyone has gotten the memo. The receptionist at work never fails to ask.

"Good morning!" I say.

"Good morning!" she says. 

I'm almost out of sight. "How are you?" It is like she is waiting for me to ask first and then refuses to let it go.

"Fine," I call back. Does she really want me to round the corner back and have a heart-to-heart? I doubt it. 

The only time I do like the question, or rather a version of the questions is this. Instead of saying, "Tell so-and-so I said hi" I like to say "Tell so-and-so I said what's up." I think it's cuter than hi. 

So if I don't ask you how are you it's because, at least at that moment, I don't want to know. And if I do ask, I'm not just greeting you.

Music

Got the most exciting text from my mom and it was as follows: Josh is going to be on channel 11 @ 7.  (I know! My mom used the @ symbol.) So I rushed home and enjoyed all my favorite songs. Honestly, though I own every CD and DVD, I rarely listen to Josh; yet every time I do I just can't help but feel cheerful. He sang Lullaby and Weeping, both of which have an African vibe... not African-American but Africa Africa - as in South. Most of his songs have some international flare but these two are especially meaningful to me for some reason. These two songs especially remind me that there is a big world out there.

Music does that. It points out that there is a world beyond us. It gives us a chance to be in a space different than where we are. Through music we connect to distant people, ideas, and emotions. 

Not that everything I listen to is intensely meaningful and profound. I could not argue that there is much to gain from the JoBros and I don't profess to really "get" the musical genius of Cold Play. What I do get from music is a varied experience. I can grow, if only emotionally, from it. For a moment I'm elsewhere in someone else's life. I'm in Germany with Xavier Naidoo, in a London pub with Mika, in some smoky cafe with Matt Nathanson, at some venue in Long Beach with Sublime, then to 1960's Baltimore with Tracy Turnblad. I can synthesize their experiences -- expressed through music -- into mine.  

Paradoxically, music is a way for me to express or, rather, tap into my many sides. I listen to my Kanye before I got out on the town and Sissel on cool autumn days. There's Jesse McCartney for that leaving-work excitement ("Don't stress, don't stress, don't stress") and Claire de Lune for dinner time. We the Kings for the inner-teenager and John Mayer and Jason Mraz when I'm just being me.

It's almost as if my mom could have texted "Ben Folds/ Paramore/ Beach Boys / Michael Buble

is on" and I would have also expanded my world view while tapping into myself. Music just does that.