Isabel Bayrakdarian and Komitas Vardapet

I've begun research for my Senior Honors Thesis for French. I figure if I'm going to graduate with a largely useless major I should definitely go as far with it as possible. I've decided to focus on the composer Pauline Viardot-Garcia (1810-1921)- composer, pianist, opera diva. Her music is regaining popularity and attention these days (her 200th birthday is coming up!). In my research I found a wonderful album of Viardot's songs compiled by the Armenian-Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian.




I'm especially intrigued by Isabel because she graduated with a degree in Engineering right before she became a full-time professional singer. I really admire her for such a nontraditional path to success. I dream of having half the success she's had. Not only does she have a gorgeous voice with amazing legato and impressive breath control, I feel every note she sings.

Since I'd fallen in love with her voice I started listening to her newer projects and came across one she's worked on recently: the music of Komitas Vardapet, the father of classical Armenian music.



His story is very sad. Komitas was a well-respected, prolific composer and musicologist during the late 19th centry mainly concentrating on preserving Armenian folk songs. During the Armenian genocide in 1915, over one and a half million Armenians were systematically murdered by the Turkish regime. As during the Holocaust later to come, all intellectuals (musicians and professors etc.) were the first to go. Komitas was miraculously saved by the US Ambassador who admired his music. Tragically, he was the only one of his family or group of friends and colleagues to survive. He lived only to see everyone he loved die.

Komitas spent the rest of his life in mental institutions because of deep depression and eventually died there. You can visit a virtual museum dedicated to his life and work here.

Isabel Bayrakdarian recently recorded a CD of the folk songs he collected- some happy, many sad. This haunting lament "Dle Yaman" is one of my favorites.

Also listen to "Andouni" (Homeless), about the devastation of war.

you're unique, just like everyone else

I was sitting around thinking today. Thinking that I needed to start blogging.
(The irony being that I already have a blog and I already had started blogging awhile back)

Blogging. It sounds so silly. But I kept on and realized that even if no one subscribed to it or even read it, I still wanted this blog. I wanted it to be a damn good one too. I read Cameron's blog and I envy her posts. They're focused, interesting, and very funny.

So, those are my criteria for this new blog. It must be focused, interesting, and funny (I think that's too much pressure for one human being to handle). I kept my posts from years past because I felt they met at least two of the above criteria (you can choose which two.)

But seriously, what should I write about? I wouldn't mind becoming famous for writing the only blog dedicated to (insert obscure band/artist/cheese/mushroom here), but let's be honest people: I'm way too intrigued by too many things to focus my interests in any way shape or form.

I made a mental list of what I might like to cover in this blog with a face-lift, all things I love:

-all things Francophile (music, books, kitsch, food)
-Opera and classical music
-Food (reading about it, eating it, cooking it, looking at it)
-Obscure historical events and people (Did you know that John Winthrop was an asshole?)
-TV shows I deem hilarious (30 Rock. Done.)
-Weird animals (I'll save these for later)

There will be no talk of cars or sports here. None.
So here's to writing a blog about things that move, inspire, thrill, and chill me.

Hooray for the narcissism of blogging!

tarte aux framboises

rasberry almond tart.

yes ladies and gentlemen, i am the queen of the kitchen.

no, this is not a photo taken off of the Food Network's website. THIS is a photo taken by yours truly of my latest creation. this is what i do with my spare time. wish you had been there.

rapper's delight

For the past month I have been taking a Chemistry course to fill one of my science divisionals to graduate. As I do not plan on spending the next decade of my life pursuing a medical degree, I decided to take the no-frills non-science major course: Chem 108 Everyday Chemistry. It's been a fun, entertaining class. I've learned lots about the chemistry behind air pollution, global warming, nutrition, and crack cocaine. During the drug chapter, I felt a little self-conscious when I corrected the professor when she said morphine only comes in intravenuous form.

"Actually, it comes in a delayed-release pill form as well." I blurted out.

There were possible three reactions people had to my in-depth knowledge of the best opiate on the market:
1) What a know-it-all
2)Wow, I didn't take her to be a prescription drug abuser or
3)(Zzzzz...)

I also have become the poster child for a disease we've discussed regularly in the nutrition, drug, and biotechnology chapters. Take a wild guess. If you guessed albinism, you would be wrong. But if you guessed diabetes, YOU WIN!!!! When anything ever has to do with diabetes in class my professor says, "And Virginia, you should know this..."

7 times out of 10 the answer is "Diabetes"
3 times out of 10 the answer is "Insulin"

Darn right I know that crap. I think next week if she says "Virginia you should know this" I will answer "INFECTIOUS COLITIS!" or "Auto immune pancreatitis!" or "DRUG INDUCED LUPUS!" But I can't tell my whole life story, then I'd be so much less mysterious...

So, Chem 108 is fun. Lots of football and soccer players who make life interesting. Especially earlier this week when we were given a nefarious extra credit option (more like requirement). We were given 15 minutes to write a RAP about CHEMISTRY with the person sitting next to us. We had to PERFORM it in order to receive credit.

I was paired with a large football player who seems tough, with his arms covered in tattoos, but in reality, he seems to be quite gentle and shy. I think he was weary of playing into the "rap" stereotype. Or maybe he's just shy. He wouldn't call it a rap; he insisted we write a "poem". I got a laugh out of him when I insisted, "But hip-hop IS poetry!" He smiled at me, a short white girl wearing pink pants and a green polo. I felt shamed as I stood in front of the class as I spoke in rhyme about amino acids and saturated fat. My cohort refused to alternate lines with me, he merely stood there. He was proud of our work, but he remained a gentle giant.

The pair of boys that won rapped about the chemistry of viagara with a sung chorus of "We usin' Viagara-one pill a a time" Key words in their rap included "longer" and "stronger". My professor was in disbelief. They insisted they based their performance on statistics.

ZZZ's

I have been criticized by my new Wake Forest colleagues for my love of napping.

"You sleep more than anyone I know"
"Gah, did you take another nap?"
"You have pillow lines on your face again"

Give me a break, people. I only take one (maybe two) naps per day. And so what if this sleep addiction causes me to miss appointments, press the snooze button 20 times, or screen my phone calls? I know what I'm doing and I don't feel guilty. It's what I'd like to call "concentrated laziness". Two hour nap? Great, two hour workout. 30 minute nap? Great, 2nd 30 minute nap and then 30 minute work out and break a sweat.

Honestly, I think my body just needs more sleep these days. It's resting and trying to recover from the past year of chronic illness and stress. It'll just take time to be able to function on 6 hours a nights instead of 8. Or 9. Maybe even 10.

Two-Ingredient Taffy

In my first blog post, I thought I might make a contribution to society and culture as a whole in order to get off on the right foot. I thought I might share a little gem of a genius, haute couture, GOURMET recipe that has the power to bring peace to the middle east and keep paris hilton in jail indefinitely. It also has the power to provide universal health care for all people like me with defective immune systems. But anyway.

among my close circle of high school friends, i am known for many things that nearly always have to do with a random interjection of sudden, instantaneous knowledge or wisdom. Two-ingredient taffy is one of these.

What is two-ingredient taffy?

Tim would describe two-ingredient taffy as "simple joy":

Tim (12:18:35 AM): simple because it's easy to make

Tim (12:18:51 AM): and joy because it's savory beyond all words

It may look....well, rustic....(it is rolled in wax paper)
It may be difficult to chew (hey, it's just lasts longer that way)

But anyway, the first time I made this delicious delicacy, I brought it in a sketchy paper brown bag to my unsuspecting friends at baccalaureate. They trusted me and tasted the genius combination of ONLY TWO INGREDIENTS. They guessed the two, they failed. But here, for the first time in the history of the world, the recipe for TWO INGREDIENT TAFFY WILL BE SHARED.

Two-Ingredient Taffy:

*In a microwave safe bowl, combine MARSHMALLOWS and a generous amount of PEANUT BUTTER.

*Microwave at short increments at medium heat, stirring after each segment of time.

*It will have a tacky, thick consistency and very messy. If it meets your hair, you will need a haircut because that stuff ain't coming out friends.

*Using a spoon, put spoonfuls onto a square of wax paper. Wrap. Refrigerate for as long as you can stand it.

ENJOY.