text:
In Which I Reflect on a Middle School Situation, Publishing a Work I Will Read in Shame in a Matter of Years
Then Saturday came. I got a rare pimple in the middle of my left cheek and didn't notice for a while (I slept in then listened to Daniel Johnston until late in the day.) While searching half-heartedly through an old issue of Sassy for the six-step zit-zapping guide, my phone buzzed and Ella wanted to know when I was coming over to get ready. Right, that. Soon enough, her mom was waiting outside, so I ran a brush through my white hair and grabbed my leather jacket.
At Ella's, I put on a little eye makeup but found myself constantly cleaning the black gunk off my glasses. I attempted to hide my pimple with concealer but realized that pale is more "me." I felt secretly cool about not having shaved my legs. I decided none of the accessories I had brought would work, but I felt like without any, I was too typical-looking. Too normal. Not weird enough. For once, I felt under-dressed. And underwhelmed. We headed off to the red carpet.
...Which was a long piece of construction paper, with unsure, smiling, they-grow-up-so-fast parents on either side. I saw some friends and, forming what from afar must have looked like a giant meteor of satin bows and taffeta, we all crowded around one another and exchanged compliments. But they seemed, well, genuine. No one was fishing for a confidence-booster in return. Thoughtlessly and without feeling awkward, I was suddenly embracing friend-acquaintances with which I've never clicked this whole year, and we showered each other with nice things about the other's makeup. One seemed shell-shocked at the decency of my appearance and gave me a hug, but I only found the situation funny and sweet. Everyone admired my shoes, and ignored the far from smooth legs that were attached. I then linked arms with a couple pals as we jokingly glided down the red construction paper. I smiled at parents, and then at the Broadway-themed lights that had been mixed in with all the Hollywood stars and movie posters.
If you're not already familiar with the term "grinding," it is when a bunch of kids stand in a line, closer to one another than they would be on a class field trip, and grope like there is no tomorrow, while adult chaperones stand nearby in a panic about the youth of today. Usually reserved for the Cool Kids (or so I'm told,) last night it defied the politics of lunch table seating arrangements, making the lyric "this is why I'm hot" seem less timely than an all-inclusive "This is why WE'RE ALL HOT! Yay team!" The argyle sweater vest-sporters grinded with the girls in Pink perfume. Girls who won Most Likely to be a Philanthropist grinded with the dudes who felt so passionately about the Cubs vs. Sox debate. It was a moment of unity, of disposal of the social structure we'd known for three years, and, in a weird way, a kind of "HA HA" to the nail-biting adults that stood close by, wondering how Twilight hadn't worked as something that would keep kids sure that, while dancing, they would make room for the holy ghost. You decide if that last part is good or bad for yourself. But that's not actually my point.
Normally the idea of a bunch of hormonally raged kids trapped in the same building -- in this case, a single room -- means that the most scarring happenings will ensue. Something was different this time, other than the awful stench, which made me want to run to a Walgreens for giants and bring back a humongous thing of Febreze to shoot at people while screaming about how, one day, hygiene will reign over Pink brand perfume and Axe! IT WILL REIGN!!!! But other than that, the room was alive in the best ways and no one seemed terribly self-conscious. No one stood in the corner and whispered. No one cried in the bathroom. No girls who grinded were called sluts. And there wasn't even just grinding; people were actually dancing! Donks popped, locked, and dropped with confidence. Everyone was very firm that they fancied a bad romance over just being friends, and were in agreement that shawty had indeed gotten very, very low. Up went hands in regard to the single ladies, and our heads and hearts were truly on the dance floor.
As for me, I learned about a few financially secure men who wisely keep some of their money saved in the bank. I considered Jay Sean's inquiry of whether or not I was "down." But mostly I put away my unreasonable cynicism and insecurities -- that having fun with my peers would mean contradicting my "non-conformist" attitude, hairy legs, granny glasses, and big, fat, pimple. I danced and enjoyed myself and realized that not being the conductor of a grind train doesn't mean that I have to be a wallflower, and then realizing that any labels are stupid, and that I shouldn't make my dress look ugly because I didn't feel "different" enough, and that I shouldn't buy a Daniel Johnston record because Kurt Cobain wore the shirt to the VMA's, and that I can listen to him and enjoy a little Beyonce on the lunchroom dance floor, and that I would really rather everyone just be themselves. And then I was happy because it seemed like everyone was just being themselves. Normally passive-aggressive, catty types seemed sincere when they said they liked my eye makeup. The Dudeliest of Dudes grinded with the girls that hadn't considered a hair straightener or spritz of perfume for the night, maybe because...what's the big deal? I think everyone was just into the music, and into doing what they wanted, and was trying not be dramatic and shut other people out, and to appreciate one another, and to appreciate the small size and community qualities of our grade that we won't have when we enter high school in a few months. Holy shit, a FEW MONTHS. Anyway, that's that. Then I went back to Ella's, where we watched Destination Truth. Today we went to bookstores and added to the fairy dwelling in her backyard. We then listened to Lady Gaga and Jay Sean. We can do all of that.
(Look, I learned a lesson! But you know what's scary? MIDDLE SCHOOL TAUGHT IT TO ME. Shit, I think they DO prepare you for the real world, a little?)
202 comments:
1 – 200 of 202 Newer› Newest»- Desired Youth said...
Wow, that is a lot and I love the wording. Mine 8th grade dance is um, I forget but I think in a week. It will be something like yours, except mine is stupid (well you pointed out yours was eh) and the dance occurs after school, which basically means school clothes and nothing else really.
- May 31, 2010 1:23 AM
- May 31, 2010 1:32 AM
- carolyn said...
- May 31, 2010 1:33 AM
- Marine said...
Ahah that sounded nice =) I can totaly picture you little monsters dancing on a Lady Gaga song ^^
Thanks for explaining "grinding"... 'cause in France we don't call it like that, it's more like "stuck and close"... but it all means the same, right?
anyways, it's nice to hear you had fun even thought you didn't look nerdy enough.
Marine / another fucking fashionista - May 31, 2010 1:35 AM
- Shelley Noble said...
Not patronizing to say, you are so endearing!
Meaning that I read this as you being one of the most intellectually worldly wise souls growing up and writing intelligently about the verisimilitudes of her life.
Please consider saving these to publish as an important diary in years to come. - May 31, 2010 1:39 AM
- Jenna said...
Brilliant post.
Might I just add - you're an amazing writer!
I can't believe you're not in high school yet! You write better than the majority of my teachers!
thegirlwhocriedwolfe.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 1:43 AM
- Under Urooba's Umbrella! said...
So there is hope for this world after all.
:D PHEW. - May 31, 2010 1:50 AM
I went to a party yesterday, and I certainly know what you are talking about. its disgraceful how much people grab! and by the end you are so uncomfortably hot it isn't fun dance at all!
I love your blog Tavi!
Love Poppy
my fashion blog The Culture Kitten: http://poppysperspective.blogspot.com/ - May 31, 2010 1:51 AM
- Adrienne said...
OMG Tavi!! You are the most mature 8th grade girl ever! This is so entertaining!
Because guess what?
I'm in 8th grade too, going into HS in a few months. Sadly, my school's graduation dance is yet to come(a lil less than two weeks), and the theme SUCKS. Ugh... "Tropical Paradise". And I can totally relate to this experience with all the smelly, grinding teens in past dances. But, what matters most is to have fun without worrying, hm? ;) - May 31, 2010 1:53 AM
- Amy and Kevina said...
Although this is obviously not your best piece of writing, I really appreciate the candidness of this journal entry type post. I appreciate that you chose (and I do think its a choice, even though it's a difficult one) to value the style and self-identification of your entire class, rather than writing them off, or belittling their epitomization of middle school.
For what it's worth, I chose to look at my final middle school dance from the view of a disenfranchised and superior-feeling outsider, but can look back now with an attitude more like yours. - May 31, 2010 2:08 AM
- lol said...
the title of this post is so smart and i enjoyed this piece of writing a lot. thank you. we didn't have this kind of dance-thingum back in middle school in my country. but i think because our education system is so different. we get to high school at 13. and there is a dance thing this year for me at the end of the year. you make me so excited.
- May 31, 2010 2:17 AM
- Eline said...
This is such a great post for someone your age! Truly, I didn't realise this at the end of my teens and most people are stuck in that little confined character they've built for themselves well after they've reached adulthood (and sometimes can't ever let it go). Hooray!
- May 31, 2010 2:17 AM
- the_eye_collector said...
It's really nice to know that people can genuinely have moments like these, where they feel only benevolence towards the world and can bury past dislike or resentment that they hold towards other people. Everyone needs a moment of community now and again. On the other hand, I still think it's good that you're not so desperate for the acceptance of your peers as most people are at thirteen. Of course, it doesn't pay to always be contemptuous of other people or to deliberately make a huge effort just to be different, but it's encouraging to me to read the blog of someone who cares very little about what small-minded people think of them.
- May 31, 2010 2:19 AM
this is so so inspiring for anyone and everyone who has been in high school/middle school.
i've had a few nights like this, and i'm in my last year of high school, and trust me, they get more and more frequent, as everyone drops the pretenses and just grooves out to the trashy music (we're all forced to listen to rubbish every once in a while. we've all gotta bear it together.)
love the way you write, lovely little lady.
x - May 31, 2010 2:32 AM
- bestie said...
That was a great read. <3
- May 31, 2010 2:39 AM
- Maggie said...
Your writing is hilarious and awesome. That is all.
- May 31, 2010 2:43 AM
- tali said...
you speak so truthfully...i love it!
i'd really like to see you in an ordinary outfit, just blending in, i can't quite picture it.
i love your blog, it makes me smile :) - May 31, 2010 3:01 AM
- Taj said...
omigod, tavi. I am seriously about to cry!this is so nostalgiaic!I'm about to go and all my friends from 8th grade on FB!!(CREEPSTER ALERTlol)
p.s. uneed to write a book. I would buy it! - May 31, 2010 3:16 AM
- Tomma said...
What a great post! Now I want to see your too-normal outfit.
- May 31, 2010 3:27 AM
- Lovers, Saints & Sailors said...
I loved reading that. There are too many reasons to get down in one comment so I'll just say that.
Thanks. - May 31, 2010 3:48 AM
That was really good, Tavi, and I'm glad you told us.
- May 31, 2010 4:05 AM
- Nicola Searle said...
I second the "Awesome" comment!
- May 31, 2010 4:13 AM
- Cora said...
ahh, that was so awesome, you write so well. We don't have all these 'graduation dances' and whatnot, its pre' exciting if i'm honest.
Cora x - May 31, 2010 4:28 AM
- Aoife. said...
So thats what dances are like across the pond. Hmmm. I didn't think MTV would ever lie to me. Or over exaggerate. Hmmm. - May 31, 2010 5:26 AM
- Enia Is (Almost) Here said...
this is a great, great post and piece of writing (no patronizing age-related attachments allowed). and you know what, you are absolutely bang on. which is why i love my national/midlake/fleet foxes/beach house/insert any 'smart' indie band and my 80s cheese. and which is why i am a feminist and i giddily appreciate my boyfriend's 'fashion!' present when one arrives for our anniversary. and why i am doing my phd and yet love photography and fashion and writing that is as far removed from academic as possible. we are not just meant to be one thing. and if we are, it should be the one thing we want to be, no matter how messy or complicated that is.
- May 31, 2010 5:52 AM
- Peacock's Hat said...
Ah, that moment where you recognise that being different for the hell of it is a little pointless. I remember that moment well. Life gets a lot easier after that point, well, not easier, but just a hell of a lot less effort.
Glad you had a good dance. - May 31, 2010 6:07 AM
- SarahPeslar said...
this can only bring up the "joyful" memories of middle school ( elementary school) that I am left with. I think what you describe here resembles every generation, and will continue so until the day we leave this earth.
http://fashionsmind.blogspot.com/ - May 31, 2010 6:07 AM
Just so you know? There'll be no shame when you read this later. Only pride, and maybe a little grinning.
- May 31, 2010 6:08 AM
Sounds fun, great to read
- May 31, 2010 6:08 AM
Sounds fun, great to read
- May 31, 2010 6:08 AM
- le Blogueur said...
I laughed for a long while at 'conudctor of the grind train' - Tavi you are hilarious.
You should post pictures of what you wore!
http://thispoorlittlerichgirl.com - May 31, 2010 6:43 AM
- nycstylelittlecannoli said...
great post and interesting read!
- May 31, 2010 6:49 AM
- Unknown said...
You should consider yourself lucky to have this insight at such a young age! It took me a long time to be able to look back at the experiences of my youth with a similar mindset. Let me just say that the politics of school and "popularity" only get better with age. High school is slightly better than middle school, but college is incredible. Your intelligence and maturity will get you through til then, when you can finally be yourself, wholly embrace yourself, and find others out there like you to connect with.
- May 31, 2010 6:54 AM
- mleeoliver said...
Hah I kind of slowly realised this, later than you but still. It's so freeing once you realise that you can look so different to the metal heads but still listen to metal, and then listen to a bit of beyonce, and then to a creepy electronica band like the knife, and know it's not about trying to please anyone anymore. As I've been at uni too I've realised people (some people anyways) become less and less caring about what you look like vs. your interests vs. whether those are the same as them. It allows you to grow more into yourself. In a way dressing in a certain way specifically to not conform is just the same as dressing in a certain specifically TO conform..
- May 31, 2010 6:55 AM
- Devery said...
"We can do all of that. "
Yes!! Exactly!
I love this entry. I love you!
x to the o to the oxxoxox
D - May 31, 2010 7:08 AM
- Moira Pineda said...
i graduated like 2 months ago, and we also had some sort of grad ball. more of a party though, and it was the best 5 hours of my life. <3
and when you said 'because it seemed like everyone was just being themselves', you are so right. even at mine.
XOXO - May 31, 2010 7:28 AM
- Chloe Tweeny said...
i will highly anticipate the day when your fist book comes out! (because i'm pretty sure that will happen eventually). you write so well and have a great honest perspective on life. very entertaining indeed!
- May 31, 2010 7:36 AM
- Liza said...
Tavi, you are brilliant. We have our eighth grade "formal" this Friday and it is entitled "A Night in Hollywood", also. Very interesting.
- May 31, 2010 7:39 AM
- Steve said...
What, that actually happened? Cliques in your school must not run very deep, because nothing like that ever went down when I was in middle school or high school (or college for that matter, where people were divided by race, though that's another story).
The most human I ever saw anyone being was towards the end of high school, when it was pretty obvious that even the 'cool kids' were really insecure about themselves. They were usually the nicest people at that point, while the 'smart kids' and over-achievers became the real bullies. - May 31, 2010 8:39 AM
- yanil said...
dude i almost died of laughter! i loved it!
- May 31, 2010 8:54 AM
- clasaadi said...
I don't think you'll ever read this in shame, quite the opposite: as years go by you'll see what an early breakthrough you had with this, how you don't need to chose a label for yourself and stick with it, how you really CAN like totally different things, specially things that don't fit with your image, and still be yourself. Actually, liking those unlikely things IS what makes you yourself and not a clone of all those of your "clique" ;)
Hey, most people only realise this after college lol - May 31, 2010 8:58 AM
- fiona said...
you make me smile, and sometimes tear up (in a good way), everytime you post. i think you're the greatest.
- May 31, 2010 9:25 AM
- Unknown said...
i'm always so impressed by you tavi. even if i cant relate, i loved reading this, because it really let me see through your eyes for a little. thanks, i really enjoyed reading this. :)
darlingmagazines.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 9:39 AM
- *Alberta* said...
You write so creatively.I'm 19 but I really enjoy reading your blog.
- May 31, 2010 10:06 AM
- km. said...
This is beautifully written!! I've been following your blog since the beginning and it's great watching the evolution! You are and always have been a very eloquent young lady.
http://collectionsandcreations.blogspot.com/ - May 31, 2010 10:15 AM
- Katy said...
This post encompasses some of the best middle school memories. Also: " Everyone was very firm that they fancied a bad romance over just being friends, and were in agreement that shawty had indeed gotten very, very low. Up went hands in regard to the single ladies, and our heads and hearts were truly on the dance floor." Genius.
- May 31, 2010 10:22 AM
- Unknown said...
i had a mullet back in eighth grade and the entire year in school pretty much sucked, but the class trip to washington dc made me realize that it was only one year out of many, many, years in academia that each in their own ways would be challenging and fun.
i really love this post. you pretty much summed up immediate importance vs that of long-term. - May 31, 2010 10:23 AM
- Jessy said...
Oh ny goodness! This reminds me exactly of my eighth-grade dance a few weeks ago. our theme was also Hollywood-ish though no one took it seriously. You are an awesome and hilarious writer !
jessy-missj.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 10:28 AM
- FASHION SNAG said...
You make me smile! x
www.FashionSnag.com - May 31, 2010 10:42 AM
- Chanhattan said...
You're story of graduating from Middle school completely sums up what I've been feeling, but have failed to put in words about graduating from high school. Well done my dear, and I know you will absolutely hate high school, but you're supposed to. Those that feel high school is the best years of their lives, are destined to lead very vapid lives.
- May 31, 2010 10:47 AM
- Quinn said...
OMG i was laughing SO HARD reading this!!! you are so brilliant!!!! this is exactly what my dances are like and you capture the moment flawlessly, with equal parts nostalgia and dry wit. UR such an awesome writer!!!
- May 31, 2010 10:48 AM
wow, this reminds me so much of my eighth grade grad dance! i'm glad you had so much fun, and i'm even happier you realized what you did before high school. have a great summer <3
- May 31, 2010 10:52 AM
- Kales said...
Tavi! First off, I really really really want to meet you and have coffee and play dress-up and talk about books and magazines and such. It would be amazing, just sayin'.
But, on this subject. I'm very glad you have realized that you can do things that seem "OMG! LOL, look it's RoBeRt PaTtInSoN!!!!1!!" and teeny-bopper and such. Sometimes, it's just necessary to let loose and have fun, and let go of the "old soul" (I'm one too- you're not alone)thing, for just one night.
I thought I was "too cool" to go to my eighth grade dance. Pop and R&B music? Girls with piles of makeup, cheap dresses, and way, way too much hairspray? Guys with Axe (need I say more)? Not my thing. So I skipped it.
But this year (my freshman year in high school), I was convinced to go to the homecoming dance. So I got dressed up, and I did my makeup, and I went with a group of girlfriends. And it was actually- gasp- fun.
As soon as I walked in that door, I was disappointed in myself for having thought I was too mature and, heck, even too good for these special events. Because it's a part of the teenage experience. I'm not saying that it's necessary to go to the spring fling and fall festival and winter wonderland and party every weekend and whatnot- but every once in a while, we teens just need to be teens.
On a side note- your description of grinding is spot-on. I learned first-hand, even tried it a little (before busting into giggles and resuming my awkward little "swaying back and forth" dance), about the, uhh, dance, I guess I should call it. I walked into the dark gymnasium, lit by twinkling Christmas lights, and saw long chains- excuse me, trains- of people, literally suctioned together, swaying to the beat of the latest R&B song. It was a shock, I'll tell you. But it was a high school experience, nonetheless.
You are a great writer, Tavi. I really enjoy reading your blog. Please, remember to let yourself have those teenage experiences sometimes. Because, as they say, "you're only young once." - May 31, 2010 10:56 AM
- itslissy said...
I'm glad you're wise beyond your years and realize that being yourself is infinitely more cool than being "different." I kinda wish I would've gone to your 8th grade dance, sounds fun haha.
- May 31, 2010 11:18 AM
- cancercowboy said...
i'm glad you had fun; thats how it should be ^__^
- May 31, 2010 11:40 AM
- Melissa said...
This is exactly how my 8th grade dance was. Maybe without a commentary.
- May 31, 2010 11:49 AM
- Melissa said...
This is exactly how my 8th grade dance was. Maybe without a commentary.
- May 31, 2010 11:49 AM
- lauren said...
this is one of my favorite posts. The mix of nostalgia and fist pumping to the "who cares about image? just have fun and be in the moment" thing.
- May 31, 2010 11:50 AM
:) I'm graduating middle school next year!
please read my blog at http://ohgeeitsgreat.wordpress.com/ - May 31, 2010 11:52 AM
- louise or valentine said...
i love your post, so nostalgic and very on-point. i'm glad you appreciated your last middle school dance. things get different in high school and the camaraderie you feel with your entire grade at once may not happen again.
i just sat with with marina abramovic at moma's the artist is present. i sat all night to see her in the morning and the community i fostered with my fellow sitters feels a lot like you were describing.
we were all different but here for a similar reason. we bonded and banded together over an experience, quite like growing up and graduating, that we, only in that moment, could share. and nobody could take it from us.
enjoy it, tavi! you've earned it (as cheesy and as yearbook-y as that sounds).
*caroline* - May 31, 2010 11:56 AM
- Allie said...
This post makes me so happy. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
- May 31, 2010 11:57 AM
- WendyB said...
Everyone's entitled to dance to Single Ladies once in a while, no matter how indie he/she is.
- May 31, 2010 12:07 PM
- Izzen said...
Hurrah, your life will be infinitely superior now you've succumbed to the joy of the occasional dance to really awful music. I may sound sarcastic but really am not. I just wish I had learnt this sooner!
http://izzenxoxo.blogspot.com/ - May 31, 2010 12:11 PM
That was so funny and inspiring at the same time! really great writing! but, now that youve told us that you went to a dance we're gonna wanna see pictures! haha oh my razzmatazz i sound like a mom. im a junior in high school. but none the less i wanna see anyway! haha im glad you had that experience
- May 31, 2010 12:17 PM
- Birdie said...
I wish that that could happen to me. I dont think any of the snooty bitchy girls would ever be nice and genuine!
- May 31, 2010 12:22 PM
- Birdie said...
I wish that that could happen to me. I dont think any of the snooty bitchy girls would ever be nice and genuine!
- May 31, 2010 12:22 PM
- Frockspotter said...
Oh I wish my school dances were like that, they usaully consist of about 100 teens standing in groups in the corner of the hall while the music slowly deafens them...
www.frockspot.com :) - May 31, 2010 12:35 PM
- Renata said...
Even the most hardened nonconformists can be overcome by the graduation dance. It goes against all principles of whatever label normally worn proud during the regular school year (nerd/indie/freak/loner...all of the above. *raises hand*), but damn it is fun.
- May 31, 2010 12:39 PM
- Emilie ! said...
Miss tavi certainly is a journalist! Now I'm not going to overthrow you with all the 'omfg you're still in middle school, you're 14, how can you write like thissss?!?!?!?!' but I do have to say that you a completely TERRIFFIC writer, each long piece of writing you publish I actually read, and ACUALLY enjoy reading!
Unlike any other, fo sho :)
Emilie xxxx
fromahappieangle.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 1:00 PM
- saharmom said...
reminded me of my grade 8th dance. I partyed my ass off. hee hee hee
- May 31, 2010 1:06 PM
- Maia said...
I know both you an myself have blogged about fashion and its provocativeness, and I'm so proud (it is weird to be proud of someone older than me?) that people like you and me, and so many others truly know how to be ourselves, and straying from the mode. But sometimes, we get caught in opposite style ruts, where we think we have to dress "un-normal" to be special. I wish people at my school could let go like the ones in your school.
Great Post, and just thinking about the unification of one grade, makes me sooo happy!
I hope you post pictures from the party! and im glad you had fun! - May 31, 2010 1:18 PM
- Chaz said...
You are so amazing Tavi!
I am 14 too
I have just started a blog
check it out!
xx - May 31, 2010 1:25 PM
- Erin said...
aww I love this post so much. well-written and happymaking. :)
- May 31, 2010 1:28 PM
You sound a lot like Daria, which, of course, is awesome.
- May 31, 2010 1:35 PM
I wish I had realized all of this at grade eight graduation, I wish my graduation was this great, and I wish I had this point of view before high school started rather than right after my senior prom when it is all ending and I feel like I completely wasted it all. Oh, well. Amazing post, by the way.
- May 31, 2010 1:54 PM
- Gabriela said...
i wish this realization had come to me, like, BEFORE I HIT 17. because seriously, you can only be purposely nonconformist (and ultimately bitter and frustrated) for so long in your youth!
sounds like you had fun! i wish i'd gone to more dances now, hehe. - May 31, 2010 2:09 PM
- claudia beetlestone said...
so i am in eighgth grade as well, and this little post made me laugh. you know why? one because im jealous that this happened. and two that u consider yourself a non conformist instead of considering yourself YOURSELF. and three that i wished this would happen at our end of the year dance would happen almost like that. but guess what? it didn't, and i was the girl standing in the corner without my friends to go to. and i was the one crying in the bathroom and wishing i had someone to dance with. that being said i think thats funny, and it is very heartwarming to know that sometimes stuff happens the right way. not for me though. blah. anyway i enjoyed reading this because it pretty much directly has to do with me (minus the hairy legs). love your blog and your writing
-claudia beetlestone
http://beetle-bug.blogspot.com/ - May 31, 2010 2:14 PM
- Pierre said...
your best post ever!
- May 31, 2010 2:26 PM
- Jacquelyn said...
my 8th grade dance was like this too... in fact, it's practically EXACTLY alike. oh the nostalgia. what's weird is i met my boyfriend there and we broke up an hour ago. sad coincidence, but oh, what memories this blog brings back... it was really nice to read, and i basically felt the same when i was at my dance. i was sort of surprised school dances outside of the bay area were like this too. i thought every other school in america had those dances that were in john hughes movies and stuff, but i guess we're not alone. sob.
- May 31, 2010 2:27 PM
- Boston Baked Beads said...
Last night on 60 Minutes they asked Anna Wintour who might replace her as the editor of Vogue in future years. I think I may have an idea who. You are wise beyond your years and very entertaining.
- May 31, 2010 2:29 PM
- The Sartorial Spectator said...
Lovely! I wish my grade eight dance had been like this. Alas, there was a lot of crying and I'm sure I wasn't nearly as stylish as you. Glad you had a fun time and are learning how to synthesize all the different aspects of who you are. I'm still working on that, ten years later!
- May 31, 2010 2:38 PM
- Unknown said...
you are brilliant!
http://artbymeat.blogg.se - May 31, 2010 2:58 PM
- Kath said...
Hah, this sounds like a college admissions essay, to tell you the truth.
I hope you do enjoy high school!
Oh my, you'll be a freshman when I'm a senior. :O
And yes, you can enjoy all those things while being yourself. This will happen constantly throughout your high school career. - May 31, 2010 2:58 PM
- firstname.lastname@example.com said...
I think that this might be my favorite of your posts (other than the Rei rap which I show my freshman fashion students).
So, from one Sassy reader to another- keep up the great and honest writing:)
Anne from El-No Chicago - May 31, 2010 3:21 PM
- firefly said...
My graduation dance, err, is in a few weeks, and goes until 10:30. I, of course intend to dress perfectly casual and mope around and complain about graduating and HAVE FUN. Your dance sounded awesome! Now only if our cool Cali kids could comply...
fireflyworks.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 3:23 PM
- 0rangey said...
I haven't been around in a while and usually I just lurk anyway, but I wanted to say that I love, love, love this post. It is everything I wish I had realized before I turned 23. And maybe I've said it before (and if not then surely thousands of other people have), but your writing style, your voice, your command of the English language is fabulous. Stunning even, particularly considering your age and almost certain lack of training. The fact that I follow your blog despite my almost complete disinterest in fashion will attest to this. Many kudos and thanks to you.
- May 31, 2010 3:35 PM
- Hannah said...
ooh my grade 8 dance is next week..glad you had such a great time..thanks for being such an inspiration to us all!
http//cyrillawest.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 3:38 PM
- Katie said...
Absolutely awesome :) These are the kind of things we need to remember and hold onto.
I know it's a cliché and that probably things will be different once we all graduate but those few moments where everything seems right.
I feel a little lifted because of this.
Thanks! - May 31, 2010 3:57 PM
- laia. said...
this is wonderful, tavz.
- May 31, 2010 4:05 PM
- acotacoo said...
do you know what highschool your going to yet ?
since you live in chicago its a big deal choosing where to go and getting admitted - May 31, 2010 4:15 PM
- Sewon said...
"hygiene will reign over Pink brand perfume and Axe" AMEN TO THAT but unfortunately it never really reigned in college and some people seem to maintain their habits through adulthood. sigh. also, this dance reminds me of my middle school one except we had the "yellow brick road" = yellow construction paper. and i had a skater boyfriend because i thought i was supposed to. xx
- May 31, 2010 4:19 PM
- Niamh said...
Your Blog makes me Chuckle :)
in a good way of course. it always leaves me craving prada and proenza schouler and whatnot. so not good for my bank balance. this just makes me wish i was american and didnt have to wait until you are 17/18 and only get one dance.
oh, well, im irish and proud!
keep it up :)
Niamh. - May 31, 2010 4:20 PM
- Claire said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- May 31, 2010 4:23 PM
- Dana said...
This is so fantastic. It makes me miss middle school. I always loved school dances for this reason :)
- May 31, 2010 4:41 PM
- The Beauty Ally said...
I can't even remember my 8th grade dance... but reading your post reminded me (somewhat) of the feelings I had as a 'weird' kid in Jr. High. I'm glad it was a fun night for you, Tav! (I can call you Tav, right?) I hope you'll have more of those fun nights! Ppl grow up so fast...
That last sentence makes me sound like I'm old, but I'm really not... (I'm 26). XO - May 31, 2010 5:03 PM
- Stephanie Fereiro said...
Have you read The Perks of Being a Wallflower? This post reminds me so much of Charlie, the narrator - especially your last paragraph.
Congratulations on finishing Grade 8 and realizing everything you realized. I hope high school turns out the same way.
xx - May 31, 2010 5:06 PM
- Rikki G. Reynolds said...
I do know that I've felt most mature since separating from high school friends that were still too Daniel-Johnston for Beyonce. But then I went to college, and these days The Daniel Johnston kids think it's cool and ironic to wear sweatbands and dance to "All the Single Ladies," which is okay but it isn't being themselves. And this irony sucks sometimes because I love, really really love pop music. I love Gaga and Britney's "Toxic" more than Daniel, and nearly as much as Calvin Johnson, because it's so fucking sincere and free of irony.
But further, hipster irony embrace of pop music sucks sometimes not just because it mocks things that are, well, intrinsically good. But because when we make fun of Lady Gaga, we may say she's "an attention whore" but really we mean she's a "whore." We say she's "crazy" 'cause she's got Philip Treacy all up on her head. We say she's a "slut" 'cause she is Queen of No Pants. We call her a hermaphrodite because we're afraid of her.
As a society, we only do this to female pop stars, largely.
As a girl like you, all my life I wanted to be "alternative." Just like Kathleen Hanna or all the way back to Hannah Hoch, we wanted to be with the cool kids, the artsy, interesting, noncomformists.
But once we all got there, we saw that the punk bands and the Daniel Johnston fans and the Roaul Hausmans still asked us to make em sammiches, thought we were "cute" for making zines or whatever, and still made "Britney Spears is a Fat Slut" jokes and called Lady Gaga a hermaphrodite.
I know you know what it's like, and you're only gonna keep knowing what it's like. But it fucking sucks for our subcultures to replicate oppression and power structures of our regular cultures. (Read: Uncle Terry, Dov Charney, etc.)
What I'm also saying, though, is that everytime someone makes fun of Lady Gaga's vagina, it hurts me because I relate to her--as a woman, as a Free Bitch or whatever, as a McQueen-kinda-powerful-girl, and her realness. For all her smoke and mirrors, she is what she is. And extravagant, over-the-top pop music is a last holdout for that kind of Liza Minelli come-as-you-are-as-a-woman sensibility. And we all need to be in solidarity, 'cause even though Beyonce is a jillionaire, doesn't mean we should call her a slut, right?
And in the era of irony and detachment of subculture, in the American Apparel/Animal Collective/Globalized/Post-Feminist Hipster Generation, we need to hold on to unabashadness where ever we find it. And we need to protect our rights to act like Free Bitches and not get called sluts for it.
This is convoluted. Rich Juzwiack wrote something similar about how he related to Queens like this, like Madonna, as a gay outcast growing up. It's here: http://fourfour.typepad.com/fourfour/2009/10/madonna-and-me.html and it's one of my favorite things ever written.
So yeah, all I'm trying to say is that it's good to love pop music and defend it and realize that nonconformity is pretty conformist now, and the Fashion world is a little different but there aren't even many Sassy-level femme holdouts, all our indie is still controlled by men who don't take us seriously.
You know this. You read TB. But I've lived it sooo long and the Gaga generation is the most empowered I've felt since I first heard Bratmobile or whatever since I was younger than you and I was confused because They Always Told Me there were no girls in punk.
http://peasant-poesies.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 5:09 PM
- C said...
I loved reading this entry, and I think I may be justified in saying that it is without a doubt my favorite post of yours of all time. Please post pictures?
catie- saycestlavie.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 5:19 PM
- Lauri S said...
:) That's a lovely post.
I really like part where you talk about "labels" and people being themselves. That is so important! and I've only learnt it recently. I suppose the idea of labels try to make the difference and sort of decide something is better than another thing. Bullshit. We're all the same. Regardless our music taste, or fashion styles, backgrounds or education...we all feel the same emotions and we all die one day. for me that's all that matters and all is left to do is to enjoy, just like you did at the party.
I wish people stopped worrying about fitting in one stereotype...
Thanks for the post.
love from argentina,
Lauri x - May 31, 2010 5:20 PM
that was possibly the most beautiful thing i've ever heard. really. props on keeping the same train of thought for like 7 paragraphs.
- May 31, 2010 5:28 PM
- Tavi said...
Stephanie-Indeed I have! I love that book.
RGR-THIS THIS THIS. Thank you for articulating why I love Gaga. My generation doesn't have any other crazy naked pop stars! And what you said about even the Daniel Johnston boys being all MAKE ME A SAMMICH is terribly accurate. There's this Sassy article about how some punk rock/grunge boys actually care about the movement and about changing things, but some listen to Daniel Johnston, Nirvana, etc. just because it's all "blah blah no one understands me, why can't I get what I waaaaaant" and they're actually terribly self-indulgent and self-obsessed. (Which is only a fraction of why riot grrrl is my favorite punk movement, because it's not like, I HATE MY MOM! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WOMEN! etc., and was actually about CHANGING THINGS.) Anyway, xo to you, you're amazing. - May 31, 2010 5:46 PM
Great little story Tavi! This really taught m a lesson : be yourself.
www.lucyplease.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 6:09 PM
- Kelci Taylor said...
LOVE. hah amazing insight!! let's all hope a few of us out here can feel like college taught us some stuff for the real world. we shall see in 2 weeks. you have a suuuppperrrrr bright freaking future tavi!
- May 31, 2010 6:31 PM
- gabi said...
- May 31, 2010 6:47 PM
THIS SPEAKS TO ME. Like, not even kidding, really, it does in a huge way. Oh my god. But uh, anyway...
I don't feel like this a lot. Usually I don't even go to school dances because I think they're really stupid and depressing and it just shows how dumb teenagers are. But sometimes... magically... you just DON'T CARE. You party with your friends and everything is very sharp and raw and REAL. Even though some people are grinding and some poeple are dressed kind of... suggestive... no one brands them and you're all united by one fine thread. And you don't brand yourself and you don't try to be different because for some reason it just doesn't matter to you. Sometimes I get so caught up in if I'm "original" and how disgusting teenage girls can be, what with all they're "mainstream crap", that I forget what it's like to live. I can't say that I like pop music because it's too "overdone". It all just goes back to labels on culture, and that whole system is just kind of messed up. It holds people back from who they are. - May 31, 2010 7:06 PM
- Salma Khan said...
Oh Tavi, your writing is perfection. You made me nostalgic about my middle school days. You hit on point and don't worry, you won't embarrassed by what you wrote, your writing is timeless :)
- May 31, 2010 7:11 PM
P.S. I'm happy that you posted this instead of pictures of yourself in outfits. I like that a lot, because you have super good taste, but this really helps some people who are still finding theirselfs, i.e. me and a bunch of others. I'm glad you don't JUST take pictures of yourself. I think that's what makes this blog so freaking good.
- May 31, 2010 7:11 PM
- Sarah Bentivegna said...
hahaha middle school, such a fantastic time in our lives.
www.summersdaughter.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 7:17 PM
- Sophie said...
Wow. I really liked that post. I can definitely relate to you on that one.
:) I love you Tavi!
Me. - May 31, 2010 7:26 PM
- Bianca said...
when i was first reading this, about the moms and daces, i almost gaged too. but i must admit it was all good fun, middle school that is:)
http://crumpetsandt.blogspot.com - May 31, 2010 7:26 PM
Wow Tavi, that was amazing and very inspirational! You taught me something that middle school taught you; isn't the circle of knowledge great? :)
The wording is quite spectacular as well. - May 31, 2010 7:51 PM
- Alison Hartford said...
I really enjoyed this post. I remember being surprised by moments like that in middle school, and it made me a little sad that things kind of went back to normal the next day. But it is nice to see that middle school teaches us a few things, because if not, what a colossal waste of years! I hope most people look back years later and have at least a few good memories.
- May 31, 2010 7:53 PM
- Domino said...
Your so interesting. You&I are very similar...hahaaha
come by and say hello.
Domino - May 31, 2010 8:09 PM
- hannahbelle said...
Great post :D
It cracks me up, because at first I was like EWW GRINDING KIDS THESE DAYS etc and then I thought, wait, when I was in 8th grade I would have said the exact same thing about grinding, and I would have stayed far, far away from it because that's just how I was.
So yeah I'm old but it's cool because apparently I was old at 13 too. - May 31, 2010 8:13 PM
I'm in eighth grade too, and one of my friends is the girl who (at a dance) would stand off in the corner and scoff at the grinding and non-indie music that is being played. It's almost like she is better than those (so-called) popular kids because they are stupid enough to be mainstream. I am so glad that you blogged about this. You are spot on.
- May 31, 2010 8:39 PM
- Lindsey Cook said...
Wow. I don't think I've read something so well-constructed and so terribly, perfectly true in a long, long, time.
It's totally true, though, and I've been having a similar sort of epiphany this year as well. Who cares about labels and who the most popular kid in school is? Chances are, the nerd you made fun of back in freshman year will be the one to become someone.
And yes, we must all stop worrying so much about how others perceive us. I, too, used to fear that I couldn't listen to Lady Gaga or Miley Cyrus or whatever because it was too "mainstream" and everyone knew me as the girl who listened to music no one had ever heard of. But I've gotten over it. I can now openly admit that I love Hannah Montana just as much as I love the Virgins or the Hush Sound or whoever.
And don't worry about high school. It really isn't a big deal. I'll be a junior next year and as long as you have good friends and your head on straight, you'll be fine. =) - May 31, 2010 9:11 PM
- xeroxahippo said...
we never had dances at my middle school, but I've heard from my other friends that the 8th grade dance is most awkward due to the height difference because the girls go through puberty earlier than the guys. but ughhh axe. it is a deoderant! people abuse axe too much. people are abusing axe way into their college years. it just doesn't stop.
- May 31, 2010 10:59 PM
- Jocelyn said...
tavi, you are the most adorable, wonderful girl. good luck in high school!
- June 01, 2010 12:40 AM
- zoomslow said...
Thanks for the nice description of your night :-) It's so amazing when something that you could never imagine happening, actually does happen - it's like, "um, what? this is like really good!" Haha hold this memory in your heart with an iron grip, so that when you study fashion in uni. you can draw strength from it! :-)
- June 01, 2010 12:59 AM
- Benjamin James. said...
schools dances, dont you love them?
sigh, being a kid is so hard.
writing thingys, with more thingys is fun
this is a shamless self promotion,http://www.off-thetopofmyhead.blogspot.com
REALLY, I DIDNT NOTICE - June 01, 2010 1:17 AM
- Mathilda said...
What a writer you are, Tavi. I hope I can follow your career to see you side by side with Dorothy Parker in the Librarys of the world. You´re one of the greatest, girl.
Let me whisper something at your ear. You don´t have to live seven lives to do all the things you are meant to do. Talented, oh, so much, that you are.
Be a writer. That´s what you are here for. Write. Write. Write. Don´t stop. I have the same pleasure reading you that I do with Dotty Parker, Fran Lebowitz, Katherine Mansfield (this post particularly is so Mansfield), Virginia Woolf and so many other excellent writers of this beautiful language called English.
(Please, forgive mine. I´m a foreigner.) Thank you. - June 01, 2010 1:28 AM
- Vintage Style said...
I LOVE the way you write its AMAZING your words are soooooooo true and hilarious.
- June 01, 2010 1:29 AM
- PZ said...
Hm. The difference between Tavi and I is...I thought I was cool in eighth grade and Tavi really IS cool in the eighth grade.
Seriously though, when you look back on this (you know, when your granny glasses will actually be on a granny) I'm sure you'll laugh at the outdated references, but your writing is crazy good and nothing to scoff at. I hope you continue writing, because you have real talent. /corny-ness(corniness?)
Um, the REAL point is I wish I was as cool as you going into high school. There's a difference between blending in and fitting in, and I think this essay illuminates that. Fitting in isn't always so bad. - June 01, 2010 1:30 AM
- KARLITO said...
And you know what else is funny, high school taught me that too.
(I graduated on Friday and it's barely hitting me as I type this...good luck next year. :) ) - June 01, 2010 3:20 AM
- Unknown said...
Clever and apt, as usual Tavi.
It's been a long time since I was a teenager (when people had pet pterodactyls and Kurt Cobain was still alive and singing his beautiful, grungey heart out), but your writing captures that same zeitgeist of teenagerdom that never seems to go away. I guess things don't really change at all.
www.cultofclothes.com - June 01, 2010 3:20 AM
- J Boo said...
What's with all the generalizing of young adults (i.e fourteen year olds)?
We are not all dim-witted idiots!
I love the Jay Sean reference.
I love it madly... - June 01, 2010 3:45 AM
- Unknown said...
this sounds a lot more eye-opening than my year 8 dance. we had like a 40 year old DJ and the girl to guy ration was like 3:1
the wonders of the dance floor :) totally understand what your saying - June 01, 2010 4:26 AM
- catty said...
Geezus, who are you and what have you done to Tavi?
- June 01, 2010 5:44 AM
- smile and rummage said...
wish high school dances this side of the pond were this intriguing.
love your perspective.
www.smileandrummage.blogspot.com - June 01, 2010 9:41 AM
- Elle Sees said...
love this.
i'm glad you went. - June 01, 2010 10:00 AM
- hope505 said...
Good one!! !! I am so glad you went and had a good time. Srsly this could be one of the best parties of your life, enjoyment-wise, from what you describe here...I say this having been a bona-fide socialite for a good few years & been to so many Hot Spots where Everyone is there and I'm on The List, of course...a small percentage of them are just like you describe....heaven...everyone mixing it up all carefree...people dropping their expectations of one-another and what things 'should' be like for the sake of the fun....people being genuinely nice, wow, what a fresh idea. *ha!* & enjoying what the DJ picks instead of complaining that it isn't what you might have wanted, or what you usually listen to...
I'm glad you had a good time.
* : ) - June 01, 2010 10:26 AM
- Unknown said...
tavi. im graduating high school and i feel exactly the same way. if beng anti social with high schoolers was a sport id maybe have a silver medal. but now that we are all going our separate ways, we've become closer than ever before. its pretty bizzare but it feels good right now.
have fun in high school. its totally dfferent than middle school and people admire individuality way more :)
best of wishes - June 01, 2010 11:04 AM
- Unknown said...
I felt exactly the same way a few years ago. Don't worry, everything's gonna be alright!
all the best,
Eric._ - June 01, 2010 12:03 PM
- Life As I Show It said...
Swell writing Tavi. Took me back a few years and it was exactly the same back then.
Good luck in high school.
Believe it or not...you will love it. - June 01, 2010 12:46 PM
"...Walgreens for giants and bring back a humongous thing of Febreze to shoot at people while screaming about how, one day, hygiene will reign over Pink brand perfume and Axe! IT WILL REIGN!!!!"
Too bad it's not in High School. I advise you to find a route around the main entrance to the boys locker room :)
Great post! And I really do mean that. - June 01, 2010 1:04 PM
- alex ☆彡 said...
just wait until you get to high school. (you may want to actually bring that thing of Febreeze to the homecoming dance... 800 teenagers in a gym at night..)
but yes, high school is much much better than middle school in many ways. and in other ways, it is a living hell compared to middle school. ;3 but you'll like it. be yourself, just like you said. <3 - June 01, 2010 1:28 PM
- alex ☆彡 said...
just wait until you get to high school. (you may want to actually bring that thing of Febreeze to the homecoming dance... 800 teenagers in a gym at night..)
but yes, high school is much much better than middle school in many ways. and in other ways, it is a living hell compared to middle school. ;3 but you'll like it. be yourself, just like you said. <3 - June 01, 2010 1:28 PM
- alex ☆彡 said...
just wait until you get to high school. (you may want to actually bring that thing of Febreeze to the homecoming dance... 800 teenagers in a gym at night..)
but yes, high school is much much better than middle school in many ways. and in other ways, it is a living hell compared to middle school. ;3 but you'll like it. be yourself, just like you said. <3 - June 01, 2010 1:29 PM
- Deepa said...
You are good and you know it! What a brilliant piece of writing. At your age, it sure is. Just waiting for you get published, best of luck!
- June 01, 2010 1:35 PM
- norawoah said...
Isn't dancing the best? Like the great unifier and fun-maker for all who breathe! Getting to boogie down and learn amazing life lessons, you go girl!
- June 01, 2010 1:57 PM
- Lena Salgado said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- June 01, 2010 2:14 PM
- paige said...
i noticed that at my 8th grade dance too. i did not have the fashion sense you have, but i had that same feeling of "i wanna be different". i can tell you strait up that realizing that lesson now will save you so much stress and save friendships in high school. and high school isn't scary. if anything the upperclassman will secretly respect and admire you for your fashion choices. i know i would:)
- June 01, 2010 3:23 PM
- agent 0017/shay said...
loved this piece! wierdly true, i think, about eighth grade dances. Must be that by the end of the year, nobody really cares.
- June 01, 2010 5:25 PM
- littleREDelf said...
i might have had half your brilliant wit when i was in the 8th grade, but hadn't developed the writing chops to really put to words the internal dialogue and conflict of the age that you have captured so well here.
this little snapshot into your life . . . you may think of as carrying a high potential for embarrassment later, but in fact, i think you will be grateful and tickled to read the way you thought, perceived and interacted. i'm 38 now and i LOVE looking back over 10+ years of blogs and the handwritten journals i kept as a girl. remembering names of people i had forgotten about and revisiting the emotions of wonderment and total heartbreak.
this why the diary, the journal, the blog, putting words and thoughts and experiences down are so important and lovely.
your blog is beautifully written and visually intriguing and i always enjoy it, even when i scroll through the images first, then get back to the words. you're certainly a bright, young/old soul and a fascinating young woman! - June 01, 2010 5:34 PM
- Madskirt said...
Love your piece.
madskirt.blogspot.com - June 01, 2010 5:57 PM
- vickyshazam said...
very entertaining, funny, and a bit nostalgic. i wish my middle school experience was like yours!
i wanna bee cool like tavi/ - June 01, 2010 6:16 PM
- Yasemin said...
Oh, I totally understand this. High school for me is like this. I think they maybe do teach you a little bit- but it's not definitely not math science or social.
- June 01, 2010 6:25 PM
- Sheik said...
I can't wait to see what you wear to High School... XD!!
Oh and I love how you worded this blog. It's as if I had read a story. I could picture everything...! - June 01, 2010 6:50 PM
- Isabella said...
oh tavi, this post is amazingly true to life and sooo well written!! :)
- June 01, 2010 7:32 PM
- Limey said...
AHHH! You should come to my high school in CHICAGOO! People keep on stumbling across you on ze interwebs and thinking I am you. I get a lot of people being REALLY nice to me for no reason, then asking "HEY ARE YOU TAVI GEVINSON?" to which I reply "...no" and then they give me the cold shoulder...
ANYWAYS. That's my rant and I loved this piece. - June 01, 2010 8:01 PM
- Unknown said...
That sounds fun. Nobody dances at our dances. They should advertise for ours like this: "Pay five dollars to stand around. Oh yeah, there will be a DJ." We don't even dress up. :p Your dances sound like so much fun.
- June 01, 2010 8:39 PM
- Annabelle said...
A great conclusion to the end of middle school, right? I had an epiphany like yours just the other week, I love epiphanies! (Did I spell that right?)
Anyway, see you next year, freshie! - June 01, 2010 9:06 PM
- geri hirsch said...
best blog post of all time.
- June 01, 2010 9:57 PM
- Unknown said...
Tavi, I just want you to know that, my high school prom went a blast, too. Because everyone dance and is having a time of their lives. Of course, here in Australia, we go from primary to high school -- there is no middle school. When you are grade twelve, we go crazy that we cannot believe that we're going to be seniors for one whole year!
Yeah, it was scary at first, but all in all, everybody had done their job and now it's all over. I guess you guys start a new year in school in September, huh? Here in Australia, we start a new grade in late January, early February. I'll say...good luck at high school and trust me, you'll survive it just all right!
And you will do well in the real world, too! - June 01, 2010 10:42 PM
- Kirsten Wild said...
Love that! It's great to end an era on a high note... people use alcohol/drugs later in life for the same we-all-belong effect that music can provide (and sometimes regret the consequences).
- June 01, 2010 11:01 PM
- marilynn said...
Thanks, Tavi.
- June 01, 2010 11:06 PM
- Unknown said...
ok um wow
firs of all im Victoria and im from MEXICO AND over here we dont go to high school till after 9th grade and well im exactly your age (14)and either you are my twin, my dopleganger or we have some weird connection.. idunno
feel the same way and hope my graduation dance is like that!
reading this makes me feel like you are my bff
ps please make a memoir and include this - June 01, 2010 11:10 PM
- Amy said...
Agh. Girl. This is simply lovely. Secretly little parts of middle school and high school (even with all the bogus drama and sincere pains that come along) do teach you something. That is life and that is beautiful, and the way you so well portray that in this blog is incredible. Your voice is so great. I wish that I had been able to effectively communicate life experiences like this when I was in 8th grade (or, now even).
- June 01, 2010 11:24 PM
- Unknown said...
I've certainly never viewed grinding in such a way. And if only I could make the same realization as yourself. I'm afraid my middle school experience was far less didactic.
- June 02, 2010 12:17 AM
Oh Tavi. You know, I'm sort of afraid of the day you might stop blogging.
I feel like there's magic in fashion in the same way you do, and sometimes your blog keeps me away from thinking about abusive boyfriends and pretentious university professors. Your post (and some movies, granted) was the only way I could ever experience what a school dance feels like, since I live in a country with no school dances or proms.
Thank you. - June 02, 2010 2:26 AM
- Shoe said...
Brilliant Tavi!!
- June 02, 2010 3:28 AM
this post really resonated with me because, in a lot of ways, i think my own personal experiences reflect those of yours. i too was (and still very much am) the "noncomformist" type - in fact, i was talking to a close friend of mine last night when we came to the conclusion that i like all things "old and odd".
as a now-junior in high school, i can definitely say that my tastes in 8th grade do not differ much from my tastes now, and, at the risk of sounding pretentious, i can safely say that nobody i know shares them with me. nothing says "you're different" than being a classical music and opera fanatic, an alternative music fanatic, a movie buff, a russophile, and a pop culture vulture all in one. oh, and did i mention that i like wes anderson? ummmm yeah :/
i found this post interesting because i found myself coming to your epiphany of sorts at the same time. even if you differ hugely from your peers, there is a level of mutual, of human understanding and love, which comes out especially in high school when people have matured and come to respect differences. and i think the best thing of all is being able to hold your own while still having a good time :)
sorry this was so lengthy, but i always enjoy your blog, and i felt that there were so many parallels in this post for me to not say anything! have a great graduation by the way :)
ps - we share a birthday?!? april 21! - June 02, 2010 5:13 AM
this post really resonated with me because, in a lot of ways, i think my own personal experiences reflect those of yours. i too was (and still very much am) the "noncomformist" type - in fact, i was talking to a close friend of mine last night when we came to the conclusion that i like all things "old and odd".
as a now-junior in high school, i can definitely say that my tastes in 8th grade do not differ much from my tastes now, and, at the risk of sounding pretentious, i can safely say that nobody i know shares them with me. nothing says "you're different" than being a classical music and opera fanatic, an alternative music fanatic, a movie buff, a russophile, and a pop culture vulture all in one. oh, and did i mention that i like wes anderson? ummmm yeah :/
i found this post interesting because i found myself coming to your epiphany of sorts at the same time. even if you differ hugely from your peers, there is a level of mutual, of human understanding and love, which comes out especially in high school when people have matured and come to respect differences. and i think the best thing of all is being able to hold your own while still having a good time :)
sorry this was so lengthy, but i always enjoy your blog, and i felt that there were so many parallels in this post for me to not say anything! have a great graduation by the way :)
ps - we share a birthday?!? april 21! - June 02, 2010 5:13 AM
- Emily said...
this is so great! it reminds me of the song from Highschool the Musical - 'no no no, stick to the status quo' where the geek likes hip hop and the basketball player likes to make cakes. and troy loves to sing. xxx
- June 02, 2010 8:07 AM
- evermorepress said...
tavi, you are gold. pure gold. and continuing a tradition of important, intellectual, women's writing that goes back as far as sappho (who you'd love. she was way into fashion and a wiz with accessories).
if you haven't checked it out before, you might also like christine de pizan's book of the city of ladies. she was a total badass of the 14th c.
these are just two ladies who were totally nineties sassy mag but like, thousands of years ago! (sappho at least). - June 02, 2010 9:49 AM
- Rikki G. Reynolds said...
Not worth an email, really, but:
I saw on the Twit that you're reading Absolutely True Diary. Is this for school or for personal? I think it's one of the greatest books ever written and should be universally required reading.
Please let me/us how you like it! - June 02, 2010 4:57 PM
- michelle bee said...
dear tavi,
i love your words. you so perfectly give a window into an experience every 'outsider' has ever had... but somehow youre able to present it in a really balanced-too-old-for-your-years way. it took me so many years to be able to look back at those years of my life with fondness instead being swallowed whole by my 'woe is me' teenager years. in fact, i still struggle daily against being jaded and disconnected from the life and good things around me. remember all this optimism tavi, it will serve you well in the future.
yay for you tavi! and yay for this blog which i enjoy on so many levels. and yay for a mid-western girl being all about fashion... chicago needs much more fashion! - June 02, 2010 9:47 PM
- katie said...
im glad u can finally feel ok in your own skin- its not necessarily a gd thing to try and look different all the time - everyones unique regardless of what they wear or how they do their hair etc.
great post :) xx - June 03, 2010 4:35 AM
I used to love those rare moments when everybody just forgets about popularity and social groups- for me, they came during our school's retreats ( as in,when Catholic schools send us all off to some random place to meditate and relax and think about God, etc.)when on the last night, we all had envelopes and paper and we'd write each other notes saying nice things about each other- sounds incredibly lame I know, but it was nice.
Btw, I wish I'd been able to write like you when I was your age, or just be anywhere near as cool as you. Alas, I was wearing giant Harry Potter glasses and writing bad fan fiction. - June 03, 2010 12:27 PM
- Alex said...
standing in a line and groping? kind of glad that's a dance move that hasn't hit my school yet =P
- June 03, 2010 12:35 PM
- Rachel Ann said...
Great Story! My eighth grade dance was everything yours wasn't. Catty girls, grinding "popular kids", Girls crying. The whole shebang under a Hawaiian themed roof. Have fun being a freshman! my freshman year was the bomb. Now im a junior and freaking out that i soon have to pick colleges bah! You should be on a highschool newspaper by the way.
-XOXO Rachel Ann
Hey check out ma blog girrrl :)
MIUMIUBlueShoe.blogspot.com - June 03, 2010 2:35 PM
- Sarah said...
Thank you for this. x
- June 03, 2010 3:51 PM
- Noah said...
Yeah, that sounds a lot better than my 8th grade prom too. In mine the cliques were more separate that I'd ever seen them, everybody just hung out & didn't dance, and it ended with a very awkward prom king & queen dance. And it had the Hollywood theme too!
P.S. High school is SO much better than middle school. I'm loving it already.
- Noah :D - June 03, 2010 3:57 PM
Love your blog!! & follow you! Do you mind?
Visit me please!! Paola
xxxxzX - June 03, 2010 6:26 PM
- Fab Five said...
First of all, I want to tell you that you're an amazing writer! I read the entire post and was hooked...it brought me back about 6 years ago to my 8th grade dance. Mine was definitely not as awesome as yours....not even close. I don't think my class learned to be themselves until the end of senior year. I'm definitely following! What dress did you end up wearing?
- June 03, 2010 7:02 PM
- Unknown said...
Aww! That happened at my grad ceremony in middle school, as for high school: Good Luck!
Just graduated and glad I did!
http://kemichic.blogspot.com - June 03, 2010 7:44 PM
- Unknown said...
As if you didn't know... awesome post. Keep observing, keep reflecting, KEEP WRITING! xo quinn @ www.qthestylist.com
- June 03, 2010 11:39 PM
- Mathilda said...
About your Lady Gaga apology, I understand it. In the beginning, I found her very interesting, like a Fellini character. But I think she could go further as a musician and working in the music industry myself I wonder if she was not picked because she´s Italian, lives in NY...I mean the Madonna type. I think Amy Winehouse would be a landmark in the industry if she wasn´t so lost. I really thought she would change everything in the business. But apparently she lost it.
- June 04, 2010 1:31 AM
- Little Miss Violet said...
: D Ah, that sounds like fun.
- June 04, 2010 3:37 PM
- Aja said...
i love how the school dance is pretty much universal! anyway, will you post a picture of your outfit? :)
- June 04, 2010 6:04 PM
I can't believe how similar your life is similar to mine (we're both 14!). We hear the same music and DAYUM- Destination Truth. That show is the BESTEST ESTEST BEST! Because I almost pissed my pants when that posessed doll's eye blinked open. That was the scariest episode EVER. I can't believe school's over for you kiddos. Grade eight continues for a few more weeks here.
- June 04, 2010 6:33 PM
- Artemis said...
End of the school year dance always seems to bring classes together! I just had my last day today, but unfortunately, no dance! Hope you had fun at yours, though!
I just started a blog, so check it out and give me feedback:
http://artemisandhermusings.blogspot.com/ - June 04, 2010 7:59 PM
- Frances895 said...
I graduated 8th grade last year and I have to say, that was the most accurate description of a middle school dance I have ever encountered. Bravo.
- June 05, 2010 2:12 PM
- Unknown said...
Fabulous post, wonderful writing. Are you sure that you're only--what?-- 14? Or is it just that 14 is a lot smarter and much more articulate than it was way way back in the day when I was your age? In any case, I thoroughly enjoy your blog, your voice, your attitude. It will be very cool to see who you eventually become, but who you are right now is, I think, singularly stellar, too.
- June 05, 2010 2:32 PM
- Serina Paris said...
aww tavi! your writing is very inspirational! I remember having a great time at my first dance, although i wouldn't say it was perfect, there was that girl crying in the bathroom...
- June 05, 2010 8:01 PM
- yui said...
it's so great that you were able to feel this way straight away. i think it takes most people a few years to realize that what was happening at the end was genuine and kind of sweet...but by then it's mixed with nostalgia and you can't be so sure....
this post brought back so many memories.
congratulations tavi - June 05, 2010 8:59 PM
- GPROA said...
Nearly cried a little. You write great, kiddo.
- June 06, 2010 5:01 PM
- Beth Ruby said...
"Everyone was very firm that they fancied a bad romance over just being friends, and were in agreement that shawty had indeed gotten very, very low. Up went hands in regard to the single ladies, and our heads and hearts were truly on the dance floor."
Sounds like you had a surprisingly amazing time! I have my leavers ball next week though so hopefully mine will be as good as yours sounded. I wouldnt mind a bit of Honey B and Gaga "grinding" tbh.
Oh and congrats on finishing (and surviving) middle school :D
xx - June 07, 2010 11:14 AM
- Unknown said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- June 08, 2010 1:07 AM
- Unknown said...
it took me until my mid-20s to learn what you learned at the end of middle school. and yes, in a few years you may re-read this and be embarrassed. but a few years after that, you'll read it again and be really, and rightly, impressed with the smart, insightful, funny, fresh-out-of-middle-school you.
- June 08, 2010 1:09 AM
- Michelle said...
This is brilliant! You will look back and remember it all because you explained it perfectly.
- June 10, 2010 12:52 AM
- Gypsy said...
hahaha, I remember 8th grade dances- dreadful! I adore how you articulate things, how you put sentences together so artfully. I also would like to say that I didn't learn this lesson until this year! I'm a junior in high school! It's actually quite nice to let go of feeling like you need to cling on desperately to your unique-ness... and realize that sometimes people actually are being themselves, even when you suspect that they're trying to conform. What I learned this year, that you learned already at age 13, was that it's cool to be madly in love with Bob Dylan and jam to a bit of Gaga from time to time. It's nice.
I'm new to reading your blog and I am already head over heels. I admire your level of intelligence and your splendid story-telling. fantastic! I think you'll have a pretty good time in high school if you join some clubs and keep yourself occupied with your art/fashion/ whatever else it is that you love, since sometimes the boredom you experience is overwhelming ;)
http://dancing-gypsies.blogspot.com/ - June 12, 2010 12:16 AM
- half anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- June 13, 2010 3:36 PM
- Unknown said...
As a 19 year old college student, I have to say that your style of writing is amazing. It is so strange having things in common with a 13 year old.
- June 14, 2010 1:54 AM
- Meredith said...
Tavi, I can no longer treat your blog with the kind of disdain I once reserved for middle school girls who defined their status by their denim miniskirts and looked down their noses at my complete disregard for my appearance and now reserve for my college classmates who refuse to shower because it's so mainstream and dye their hair offbeat colors and refuse to acknowledge my legitimacy as a human and an intellectual because my preferences in clothing tend toward solid-colored cottons and cardigans. I admire your openness and creativity.
- June 14, 2010 3:30 PM
- Edwina Bulfrage said...
This was easy to read, comical and honest enough for me to justify clicking on the comment button and writing something in appreciation.
Thank-you Tavi, I'd forgotten all this, now I remember. - June 16, 2010 8:08 AM
Wow, that's a huge, wonderful way to leave middle school. I don't think I've ever gotten over the torment that was middle school, but then, it took me until junior year in high school to realize tht I COULD be different.
- June 29, 2010 4:47 PM
- Katie said...
- July 04, 2010 7:59 PM
- CeliaRehmFashion said...
There is hope for the youth!
Great read - July 23, 2010 2:20 AM
- Unknown said...
I have no words, this was incredible. I too graduated 8th grade this June, although I was too obsessed with the thought of "giving in to the norm" that I ignored the senior dance altogether. After which I did realize how foolish I had been, seeing as all of my friends went and my decision had just been an obnoxious stunt. I just wish I had been as smart as you.
Keep on writing! ~ Brigid - July 24, 2010 3:38 PM


text:
This is the blog of Ian Rosales Casocot. Filipino writer. Sometime academic. Former backpacker. Twink bait. Hamster lover.
The Boy The Girl
The Rat The Rabbit
and the Last Magic Days
Chapbook, 2018
Republic of Carnage:
Three Horror Stories
For the Way We Live Now
Chapbook, 2018
Bamboo Girls:
Stories and Poems
From a Forgotten Life
Ateneo de Naga University Press, 2018
Don't Tell Anyone:
Literary Smut
With Shakira Andrea Sison
Pride Press / Anvil Publishing, 2017
Cupful of Anger,
Bottle Full of Smoke:
The Stories of
Jose V. Montebon Jr.
Silliman Writers Series, 2017
First Sight of Snow
and Other Stories
Encounters Chapbook Series
Et Al Books, 2014
Celebration: An Anthology to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Silliman University National Writers Workshop
Sands and Coral, 2011-2013
Silliman University, 2013
Handulantaw: Celebrating 50 Years of Culture and the Arts in Silliman
Tao Foundation and Silliman University Cultural Affairs Committee, 2013
Inday Goes About Her Day
Locsin Books, 2012
Beautiful Accidents: Stories
University of the Philippines Press, 2011
Heartbreak & Magic: Stories of Fantasy and Horror
Anvil, 2011
Old Movies and Other Stories
National Commission for Culture
and the Arts, 2006
FutureShock Prose: An Anthology of Young Writers and New Literatures
Sands and Coral, 2003
Nominated for Best Anthology
2004 National Book Awards
Labels: poetry
Labels: art and culture, dumaguete, friends
Labels: life
Labels: copyright, coronavirus, education, life
Labels: philippine literature, poetry
Labels: books, dumaguete, fiction, friends, life, philippine literature
Labels: coronavirus, current events, dumaguete, health, history, life, negros, philippine history
Labels: film, history, philippine cinema
Labels: heroes, obituary, people
Labels: coronavirus, fashion, life, love, trends
Labels: poetry
Labels: life
Labels: deconstruction, history, Marcos, philippine history
Labels: actors, celebrity, film, obituary, people, television
Labels: philippine literature, poetry
Labels: coronavirus, education, life, school
Labels: poetry

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It seems that I could not stay away from the kimchi for too long… A new idea hit me that I just had to try; a kimchi egg salad sandwich. Egg salads generally consist of mashed hard boiled eggs in a mayonnaise based dressing along with anything else that you wish. Since kimchi went so well in the hot cheesy kimchi dip that I recently made I was willing to bet that kimchi and mayo would be another great flavour combination that it would just make an egg salad sandwich. When I think about eggs I naturally tend think about bacon and given that bacon also goes well with kimchi I would definitely be adding some to the sandwich. A sandwich is one of those cases where you need to worry about all of that moisture in kimchi because no one likes a sandwich with wet bread. A great way to remove some excess moisture, and to add flavour at the same time, is to saute the kimchi and caramelize it a bit. Since I would already be cooking some bacon I figured why not caramelize the kimchi in some of the bacon grease for even more flavour? (If you are omitting the bacon, caramelize the kimchi in a touch of toasted sesame oil.) Another great flavour combination is mayonnaise and gochujang (a Korean chili paste) so added a touch of it and it had the nice side effect of boosting the bright red colour. The kimchi egg salad sandwich turned out so well!! All of those individual flavour combinations combined to form something greater than the sum of their parts. I will definitely be making more of these sandwiches! I had better start a new batch of kimchi soon.
Kimchi Egg Salad Sandwich
- 2 eggs
- 2 strips bacon (cut into bite sized pieces, optional)
- 1/4 cup kimchi (drained and chopped)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon gochujang
- 1 green onion (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted)
- 2 leaves of lettuce
- 2 slices of bread
- Place the eggs in a sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil.
- Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for seven minutes.
- Transfer the eggs to a large bowl filled with cold water and let cool.
- Meanwhile cook the bacon and set aside
- Saute the kimchi in the bacon grease until caramelized, about 3-5 minutes.
- Peel the eggs and mash to the desired consistency mixing in the kimchi, bacon, mayonnaise, gochujang, green onion and sesame seeds.
- Assemble sandwich.


text:
Assateague Island Oasis
Rte. 611, West Ocean City • 410-629-1492
Enjoy a delicious meal, refreshing drinks, and the peace and quiet that once was. Weekly live entertainment and Happy Hour daily from 3-7 p.m. Just relax!
Boomers Restaurant
525 South Main Street, Berlin • 410-629-0001
Conveniently located on Rte. 113 at the southern entrance to Berlin, Boomers Restaurant has re-opened after a complete renovation. Full service dining, self-service eat-in or carry-out. Food cooked to order. Fried chicken, pizza, burgers, subs, seafood, salads, soups and ICE CREAM! Open Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Bull on the Beach
Rte. 50 & Keyser Point Road, West Ocean City • 410-213-4744
94th Street, Ocean City • 410-524-2455
Ocean City's "Locals favorites restaurant and Sports Bar" just opened it's newest location on Churchville Rd. in Bel Air, Md. Famous for its Open Pit Style Cooking, has been voted No. 1 for the Best Raw Bar (oysters, clams, mussels, steamed shrimp) and homemade all-lump crab cakes, seasoned and mixed by hand. "You'll want to kiss the cook" – they're sooooo good. Don't forget the hand-cut steaks, fresh fish (tuna, rockfish, flounder), salads and soups. A family, so bring the kids! Lunch & dinner specials daily. Happy hour 3-6 p.m. daily.
Captain's Galley
12817 South Harbor Road, West Ocean City • 410-213-2525
One of the resort's premier seafood restaurants. Home of the "World's Best Crab Cake." A spacious and popular jewel located directly on the water of West Ocean City Harbor. Numerous ground- and second-floor dining rooms, plus favorite top-deck outdoor dining. Rich woods and nautical decor create the atmosphere. Menu creates the pleasure. Seafood platter is a sin. Bring the family. House specialties: crab cakes, crab imperial sandwiches, dock-fresh fish.
The Globe
12 Broad Street, Downtown Historic Berlin • 410-641-0784 www.globetheater.com
Under new ownership, The Globe has "Something for Everyone" and remains a cultural hot spot with entertainment five nights a week. Get motivated with gourmet coffee service weekday mornings at 9 a.m. and global cuisine for lunch and dinner everyday. A variety of fabulous soups and sandwiches including a handful of old Globe Theater favorites are designed for those on the go, but feel free to linger because we are keeping the lights on downtown. Stroll in and dine on the stage, in the theater, or at the brand new wine and spirits bar. Make yourself comfortable in The Balcony Art Gallery upstairs and Sunday afternoon join us for our Champagne Brunch from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. No matter the meal, Executive Chef Brook T. Lamar focuses on good health using only the finest ingredients. Come for the global cuisine and enjoy the local artwork, live music, main street charm and familiar faces.
Greene Turtle-West
Rte. 611, West Ocean City • 410-213-1500
The newest location of Maryland's No. 1 sports pub and restaurant, the World-Famous Greene Turtle, which opened in January 1999, features a beautiful non-smoking 80-seat dining room with an exciting menu. Delicious steaks, prime rib, fresh fish, crab cakes and more. Live entertainment. Plenty of parking available. House specialties: happy hour, entertainment, 25-cent atomic wings.
Greenwood Farms
Back Creek Road • 410-352-5700
A country restaurant that will please the entire family with traditional eastern Shore favorites including prime rib, sour beef, soft shell crabs, crab imperial, shrimp, crab cakes and much more. The food is served family style here and will keep you coming back for more year after year. Enjoy a short drive outside the hectic pace of Ocean City and you will be glad you did.
South Harbor Road • 410-213-1846
Waterfront dining and watch the fishing boats roll in. A full dinner menu is available including fresh fish, chicken, burgers and homemade soups. It was voted best burger by the Maryland Beverage Journal. Great happy hour specials with reduced prices on drinks and munchies. Nightly specials. A wide variety of entertainment. Ask about the daily lunch and dinner specials. House specialties: burgers, fresh fish, soups.
Lighthouse Sound
St. Martin's Neck Road • 410-352-5250
One mile west of Ocean City, Md., just off Route 90 on St. Martin's Neck Road. Come relax and dine overlooking the bay and the beautiful Ocean City skyline. Enjoy entrees on the traditional menu from char-grilled filet mignon to jumbo lump crab cakes. Lighthouse Sound has the ambiance of a private country club, but is open for public enjoyment serving Sunday brunch, lunch and dinner. Reservations recommended.
Marlin Moon Grille
Rte. 50 At Francis Scott Key Motel • 410-213-1618
There's no doubt about it, the secret is out about this top-notch hot spot in West Ocean City. From teasers to the salads to the entrees, all are made from only the freshest ingredients. Some local favorites are Mom's Shrimp and Garlic Sauce with Hot Bread for Dippin', Baby Spinach Salad, Grilled Frenched Rib Pork Chops with a Black Cherry Glaze Topped with Crispy Sweet Onions, Grilled Hereford Beef Tenderloin, Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna and don't forget the fresh fish entrees. After dinner, save time to stop in the cozy bar for a cocktail or two.
Panda China Buffet
12641 Ocean Gateway-White Marlin Mall • 410-213-9337
Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, serving authentic Chinese cuisine. This take-out or eat-in restaurant serves over 50 items daily with an all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner buffet. An ice cream-salad bar and fresh fruits are also available. Menu items include snow crab legs, steamed shrimp, sushi and some favorite Chinese food you never had before. If you have a taste for Chinese, then Panda China Buffet is the place for you and your family and friends. House specialties: Fresh seafood, lunch and dinner buffet, ice cream-salad bar.
In the Ocean City Factory Outlets-410-213-7711
Everything happens before your eyes at this Japanese steak and seafood house and sushi bar. No matter whether you take your honey or a large group, the chefs will entertain as they prepare (and sometimes toss) your order in front of you. Be sure to try the Teppanyaki filet mignon and shrimp – it's tender and delicious. Appetizers and sushi also rank high on the delight scale. All the combinations and entrees are sure to please. Plenty of parking here.
Steer Inn Tavern
10514 Racetrack Road, Berlin • 410-208-1900
"An Entertaining Neighborhood Bar" Open seven days a week from 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. Serving typical pub/American food: 1/2lb. pound burgers, Chicken tenders, BBQ Pork sandwiches, salads, soups, wings, fries, shrimp baskets and more! Under 21 with parent only until 8 p.m. Happy Hour from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. We accept Cash, Visa, Mastercard & Discover.
Sunset Grille
Sunset Marina, West Ocean City • 410-213-8110
Come join the experience at the new Sunset Grille. Located within the prestigious Sunset Marina, the restaurant offers a warm, Caribbean-style atmosphere (where Cuba and Key West meet the west end of Ocean City). Features creative coastal bay cuisine and regional specialties to die for. Come try one of the many outrageously delicious appetizers; Tempura Scallops, Seared Ahi Tuna or Caribbean Chicken Quesadilla. One suggestion for a must try entree is Tempura Fried Lobster Tail, homemade lump crab cake or a New York strip grilled over mesquite wood to perfection. Open seven days a week. Lunch served at 11 a.m. and dinner from 5-10 p.m. Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m., Monday-Friday with availability of special drink prices. Casual attire. Reservations are accepted.


text:
West End resident Charles Sumpter Jr. is the latest person to join the race for a seat on the Alexandria City Council in 2012.
Sumpter, 26, announced he will run as a Democrat, placing him among a gaggle of fellow party members intent on winning the primary in June of next year.
A Landmark/Van Dorn resident, his campaign will focus on fiscal responsibility, public transportation and "a more results-oriented government" with a focus on economic development and business growth, especially on the west side of the city, he said.
"I want to bring [the West End] a voice," Sumpter said. "There are other areas in this city out of Old Town; I love Old Town, but there's so much more that we can be focusing on. Rather than sit back, I said no, lets change this discussion."
Sumpter recently resigned from the Washington, DC government, where he was an analyst specialist in contract compliance. He previously worked in the government oversight sector.
"My focus is economic development, government openness, transparency and efficiency, like internal controls to protect against fraud and waste," Sumpter said. "We're spending [money] like it's going away."
Originally from the Bronx, Sumpter has lived in the region for five years and in Alexandria for about two.


text:
Class Central Tips
With every smartphone and computer now boasting multiple processors, the use of functional ideas to facilitate parallel programming is becoming increasingly widespread. In this course, you'll learn the fundamentals of parallel programming, from task parallelism to data parallelism. In particular, you'll see how many familiar ideas from functional programming map perfectly to to the data parallel paradigm. We'll start the nuts and bolts how to effectively parallelize familiar collections operations, and we'll build up to parallel collections, a production-ready data parallel collections library available in the Scala standard library. Throughout, we'll apply these concepts through several hands-on examples that analyze real-world data, such as popular algorithms like k-means clustering.
Learning Outcomes. By the end of this course you will be able to:
- reason about task and data parallel programs,
- express common algorithms in a functional style and solve them in parallel,
- competently microbenchmark parallel code,
- write programs that effectively use parallel collections to achieve performance
Recommended background: You should have at least one year programming experience. Proficiency with Java or C# is ideal, but experience with other languages such as C/C++, Python, Javascript or Ruby is also sufficient. You should have some familiarity using the command line. This course is intended to be taken after Functional Program Design in Scala: https://www.coursera.org/learn/progfun2.


text:
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety (or ninety-three, he's not quite sure), the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie.
It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, was their only hope for survival.


text:
You need a tube of any size made from VERY thick, strong cardboard or soft plastic. An ordinary toilet roll is too thin and won't work. Apart from that you just need a hammer, some small nails (I used panel pins) and something to put inside the tube to make the noise with. We used a big scoop of butter beans and pinto beans (left over from the dinosaur small world play!)
Tap the small nails into the tube at random intervals until there is one every few inches or so. Not very technical, but it doesn't really need to be!
If your two year old begs to have a go too, then that's up to you. We went with it and she had a really good attempt at banging (with the wrong side of the hammer lots of the time!) I tapped a couple in part way for her and she had fun bashing them the rest of the way and was pretty impressed with herself.
The right way around now. Look at that concentration!
This is what it will look like on the inside of the tube when you have finished. The more nails you tap in, the longer it will take for the beans to fall through, making the noise last longer.
Then you need to drop your chosen filling inside. I'm sure there are 101 things you could use from rice to macaroni, couscous to beads!
Next she covered some plain paper in glue and wrapped the tube up in it. You can choose to cover it in whatever way you please, but beware that the nails need to be covered somehow to stop little fingers working out a way to pull them out!
We needed two sheets of A4 paper and she needed help to wrap it securely.
Ta da! Ready to be decorated.
Next she covered the whole tube in glue then had a wonderful time emptying the contents of the Jar of Wonder and sticking them all over it.
I had a packet of animal print papers from the £1 shop and we tore them into pieces together (a fun activity all by itself!) and added those too. They seem appropriate and fit the jungly rain stick theme!
A lot of concentrated effort went into this decorating!
The finished product! She could have gone on adding layers and layers of collage if I'd left her to it! Instead I gave her another stack of coloured paper and she started sticking on there instead.
Testing it out! It sounds fabulous, like a slow shower of heavy rain. Just perfect for doing rain dances and adding to our music basket.
"Hear dat Mummy!"
This activity is good for:
* creativity and imagination
* knowledge and understanding of the world: instruments, tools, building, design and technology
* distinguishing and describing sounds
* music making
* dance and movement
* fine motor skills: sticking, tearing, glueing, tapping nails, shaking


text:
President Obama not coincidentally chose Iowa today as the backdrop for his announcement that the federal government is buying $170 million worth of pork, chicken, lamb and catfish to help producers who've been hit hard by drought-related increases in feed costs and by soft prices because of overproduction.
If shoring up prices was one of the goals, it's worked so far for hog farmers. Word that $100 million of the $170 million will be spent on pork has driven hog prices up today, the Des Moines Register writes.
Before today, hog prices had been down "by about 15 percent since the end of 2011 as record production of hogs has threatened to oversupply the market," the Register adds. "Iowa, the nation's largest hog producing state, has reported inventories of hogs at a record 20 million since late 2011, in large measure because of improved productivity of sows who now average ten pigs or more per litter."
Under the program announced this morning, the federal government will also buy $50 million worth of chicken, and $10 million each of lamb and catfish. The products will go "food nutrition assistance programs, including food banks," according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Size: Medium
USA letter knit sweater top with soft collar
100% Cotton
Size and Fit:
Fits true to size
★ Orders ship the same business day (if placed before 12PM Eastern time). This does not include custom jewelry or preorder items.
★ Free shipping when you spend over $100.
★ Overnight shipping available.
★ Most international orders are shipped with USPS
★ If applicable, payment of duties and taxes is required upon entry (not at checkout).
For more information, please refer to our shipping policy linked here.
★ You have 14 days from the date of receiving your order to return it for a full refund, or 30 days for store credit.
★ We do not accept returns after our 30 day window.
★ All custom products and sale items are final sale.
★ Want to make a return? Our Returns Portal is linked here.
For more information, please refer to our returns policy linked here.
Free stuff and general goodness
*By completing this form you're signing up to receive our emails and can unsubscribe at any time.


text:
Independent Service Provider:
manage-officesetup.com is an independent support and service provider for the most secure remote technical services for all Office products. Our independent support services offer an instant support for all software related errors in the devices, laptops, desktops and peripherals. We have no link or affiliation with any of the brand or third-party company as we independently offer support service for all the product errors you face while using the Office. If your product is under warranty, then you may also avail our support services for free from manufacturer's official website service.Office.com.
manage-officesetup.com clearly states that the registered trademarks, brand names, company names, and product names are the property of their respective owners; we don't claim any ownership for their brand, company or product name. manage-officesetup.com uses any third-party trademark, brand name or logo only for the information purpose. We don't imply an endorsement for any of the Office product and only the trademark owner has the right to promote its products or services.
Warranty Coverage:
If your owned hardware and software products are under manufacturer's warranty, then you may avail the support services for free. In such case, contact your product manufacturer through its official website or offline center. You can also contact the original supplier of the product in such case.
Content Available on manage-officesetup.com:
manage-officesetup.com clearly mentions here that the content available on its website or through the website, is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis; excluding the case where it has been specifically mentioned otherwise. Our company is not responsible for any third-party content provided on or through the website. We don't bear any risk linked with the use of such third-party content, services, software or product.


text:
Anti- has announced the signing of British group The Melodic. On June 23rd the young band will release their debut EP entitled On My Way before embarking on their first ever tour of North America.
The Melodic offer a vibrant new brand of afro-folk-pop that, while inspired by folk contemporaries, incorporates an assortment of influences from around the world, its members utilizing instruments such as the Charango, Melodica and Kora to create a music that joyously defies categorization.
The group's members came of age in the South London neighborhood of Brixton amidst bustling streets and open air markets reverberating with a rich assortment of musics from around the world. In the distinctly English tradition of sonic assimilation, they found influence in the sounds they were hearing. As lead singer Huw Williams explains, "Brixton is a real melting pot of different people so it doesn't feel inappropriate for us to introduce sounds from around the world into our music, there was South American and African music around us all the time, as well as reggae and dub music."
In the end, the young band has created a vibrant new music which references contemporary artists such as Belle & Sebastian, The Magnetic Fields and the Decemberists, exhibits a clear reverence for past masters Paul Simon and Bert Jansch and mixes in elements from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa to create a sound entirely their own.
The Melodic Live Dates:
June 14 NXNE Festival Toronto, ON
June15 NXNE Festival Toronto, ON
June 17 Asbury Park, NJ Wonder Bar
June 18 Brooklyn, NY Union Pool
June 19 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory
June 20 Philly, PA North Star Bar
June 21 DC IOTA
June 22 Raleigh, NC Pour House
June 23 Asheville, NC Double Crown
June 25 Atlanta, GA The Earl
June 26 Nashville,TN Exit Inn
June 27 Chicago, IL Ace Bar
June 28 Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews
June 30 Denver, CO Hi Dive
July 01 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
July 02 Reno, NV w/ Two Gallants Chapel Tavern
July 04 Quincy, CA High Sierra Music Festival
July 07 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
July 08 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
July 10 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
July 11 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg
July 12 Santa Monica, CA McCabe's
July 16 San Diego, CA Soda Bar