I'm a Marxist of the Groucho variety.

Can't stop listening to 36 Chambers.

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 05:42:18 GMT

Shaolin hurts.

Especially horse stance - my legs start quivering after a mere minute. I have to start practicing it against the wall so I have better posture, lest a scary ass monk comes at me with a staff again.

Also, Feiyues are the sweetest kicks. I gotta get me another pair to wear on the street. Fitty euros on the Feiyue website, ten bucks at the Shaolin Temple!

Gawker stalker-ish.

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Fri, 25 May 2007 01:32:02 GMT

Went thrifting with Black Panther lesbian friends at the Salvation Army on Bedford. Saw ADAM GREEN in the train station, but didn't approach him.

Pancakes and dancin'

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Thu, 10 May 2007 01:45:37 GMT

Was actually able to register for classes today without difficulty. Am I the only one? I was so happy and surprised, and I actually got all of the classes that I wanted. Missed a couple of my classes today because I was sitting at home, anxiously awaiting the disaster that usually is registration, but everything went smoothly. Whatever, it's a reasonable excuse!

Fall 2007 will be my first semester as a history major. I'm not taking any GER or PD req. (thank GOD), but I am taking 6 classes (the dance class is only 2 credits). The classes I'll be taking are on topics that are actually of interest to me, and some of these professors have come recommended by people I trust. So here 'tis:

Dance 145 - Fundamentals of Ballet (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays)
Engl 377 - 20th Century American Fiction (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays)
Cla 101 - Classical Mythology (Tuesdays and Fridays)
Hist 341.40 - Germany Since 1914 (Tuesdays and Fridays)
Cla 250 - Greek and Roman Tragedy (Tuesdays and Fridays)
Hist 341.11 - Roman Empire (Mondays and Wednesdays)

For the Classical Mythology class I've got a professor named Kowerski III. I haven't heard anything about him, and though Bernardo and Salemi come recommended, their classes didn't fit into my schedule. The professor for the German history class is Hett, and Branko V. Oppen (<3) is the professor for Roman Empire. I hope neither the Greek and Roman Tragedy class nor the 20th Century American Fiction class are busts. Hopefully, we'll read some Fitzgerald and Nabokov for the latter. I have Thursdays off and only one class on Mondays.

Went to a tango class and practica the other night, and lemme tell you somethin' putas. Dancing tango feels a bajillion times better than any kind of rebound lovin', because not only is it fun and a pleasure, but it makes one feel accomplished.

Waked and baked with F. today. He makes the most perfect pancakes you will ever see or taste. Seeing a man cook (like a wizard, may I add) all by himself is such a joy. Pancakes with honey >>>> pancakes with maple syrup. In reflection, this was a great day! Waking and baking, eating great pancakes, watching Charm School while stoned, and getting all of the classes that I wanted! Yay! (:

Did I also mention that I have the apartment to myself for the rest of the month? YYEEISS 'TIS THE TRUTH. I really should have a gatherin'.

Funn tonight

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:40:24 GMT

Tonight is the party at the Met for the New Greek & Roman galleries! If I don't forget my camera (which I always do) I'll be posting up pictures.

People are actually playing good salsa outside my apartment. I don't have to put on my music for once.

Alsoo... Sissy! BRANKO HAS A FACEBOOK!!!!11 His current status says that he "is rather positive that Alexander died of malaria." *Sigh* Man that professor is foine. He's also a really good artist. And he likes King Crimson and Astor Piazzolla. And he's putting together an exhibit of Persian jewelry. Um, dude. I totally want to be him when I grow up. Sissy, I guess that's a reason for you to join Facebook.

Edit: "Interested in: Women, Men"

BEST DAY EVARR!!!1111 SQUEEEEEEE

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 04:19:01 GMT

Yankee game! Come from behind win - won in the bottom of the 9th with a bases loaded, full count, 2 out grand slam bebezzz!

Sondre Lerche show later on the same evening! Great show!!! Drumstick and VIP access! ZOMG!

More later.

Spring Break

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:40:10 GMT

Haven't done a bit of work since Spring vacation started. Celebrated Passover Sedar on Monday with my love and his family, and I received a studio easel from them that they weren't using. Played homemaker there - cut up vegetables and made the matzoh balls.

Tuesday, Erik and I met up with an anarchist friend of mine, Marcelitte, and her girlfriend Nai(?). We went to see Slavic Soul Party!, an Eastern European brass band, at Barbes in Park Slope. Spoke about the Food Co-op, gypsy culture, and Marcelitte spoke about her travels around the country. She hopped a train, was caught, and as a result she spent some small time in jail. She spoke about the failure of the female jail system, and that among those incarcerated were mostly minority women who were too poor to pay for child support. There were no nurses in the jail or on call, while there were pregnant and sick women abound, filling up a lengthy waiting list. She invited me to her Anarchists of Color meeting, and while hilarious the organization title may seem, I just might go to meet new people.

Tomorrow is a change of plans from the Cloisters to the Frick, the Met, and the Neue due to inclement weather. Hopefully I'll take some portraits of my darling and me, so I can make good use of my new easel.

Went on a mad music downloading spree today. Downloaded Metric, Petern Bjorn and John, Jose Gonzalez, Au Revoir Simone, France Gall, more Francoise Hardy, and Os Mutantes. I am in love with Os Mutantes so much right now.

Additionally, I joined indie_exchange, and as part of their rules, I uploaded an album, and a song for a person's request. I'll post it up here for people who aren't in the community.

The Plan - Embrace Me Beauty
Feist - Mushaboom

I'm in the middle of making a complete livejournal switch, so be prepared children. Good night, and for those on Spring Break, have a good one.

Stuck studying on a beautiful day. ):

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:07:42 GMT

What do I do when I have a huge Geology midterm in a couple of days? Update my livejournal, ofcourse. It's gorgeous outside, too. 78 Duhgrees.

I'm applying for Housing at the Brookdale dorms for the Fall semester. I really hope to get in, though it's very difficult to get one. Not that my family treats me terribly or anything, but I just hope that I don't have to deal with the added stress they give me whenever I ask to go out at night. Apparently, the dog across the street is liable to rape me as soon as the sun sets. Actually, they have gotten very good about letting me go out, but as of late my grandmother gives me a ridiculously hard time if I ask to go out more than once a week. I'm almost 20 and in college. I don't understand their logic. >< An example would be that since I went to a birthday party on Sunday night, I can't go to tango practice on Monday night. Re-cock-ulousness.

Am thinking about whether or not I should finish Sartre's Nausea. I'm not very enthused with it, and I'm told that existentialism is becoming a bit obsolete, at least when compared to post-modernism. I'm not one to stop reading something just because it's become unfashionable, but I'm not enjoying it. Gah. This sucks. My reading habits suck.

I padded my Belle & Sebastian and Shins collections, finally got more Kings of Convenience, and I am currently downloading some Jon Brion, Mazarin, and Hanne Hukkelberg. On the 7th of April, I'll be going to a Yankees game and seeing Sondre Lerche during the evening. In other news, Justin Timberlake's next album is supposed to be The Rapture-like? Not sure how I feel about that.

Imma go do my laundry, clean up, and finally get some studyin' done. Poo.

Animus

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:20:01 GMT

I sleep until noon on Tuesdays with a nap sneaked in the late afternoon. Spring 07 has been pretty hectic so far, with school and 18 hour work weeks. Wonderful friends and dancing with my darling are some of the few things making things more bearable. ~~Hardly any~~ None of my classes are interesting to me and are basic requirements that I need to get out of the way. I'm just praying I escape with good grades. I need to take a note from Theo and ignore my school readings and enrich myself with the books that I want to read.

I've recently come to a realization that my college career has been less than the spectacular, mind-opening experience that it could be-- mostly due to general education requirement classes and full classes. Another factor is work; I keep trying to arrange a schedule that will give me a day off from work and school, rather than taking the classes that I truly want. Hopefully being a junior will give me enough of an edge to get into some of the classes that I would enjoy. For the most part, I would like to take history and comparative literature classes. I'd like to take the Nabokov Between Two Worlds class, the Decadence and Surrealism in French Literature class, and the History of Berlin class, ideally. I don't know if they would be offered in the Fall, but I'm sure there are equally interesting classes offered. If none are available, I'd like to take a basic Classics course. I'm also really thinking about taking Fundamentals of Ballet, just for fun-- to get some exercise, fix my pathetic posture, and add something when I dance tango.

On another note, despite what most people think, I regularly read everyone's livejournals, even though I never update my own, or comment on others. I really need to "clean up" my friend's list, though. I'm also considering just making an entirely new lj. What does everyone think?

Right now I'm downloading more Beta Band (<3), trying out some Juana Molina and Serena Maneesh, finally getting some Erik Satie (<3 x a bajillion), and wondering if it's worth it to get some JT. I also really need to finish reading Les Miserables. I finished 1000 pages in two weeks and now that school started, I have read 100 in a month. Terrible. I need to get back Lolita from my aunt, get some Sartre, and begin Kerouac.

And now, it's time for me to catch up on the latest Heroes episode.

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 04:48:48 GMT

Gerald Ford couldn't live in a world without James Brown.

ugh

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 22:30:00 GMT

I want my effing grades already, lazy ass adjunct professors.

almost there!

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 14:29:50 GMT

I have the displeasure of going to school today to take one more final and then I'M FREEEEEEEE!

But then I have to go to work.

Concrastination

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 01:54:23 GMT

I always make posts whenever I should be studying. And they're never interesting because when I study I never go out and do anything fun anyway.

I'm almost finished with Christmas shopping. I bought my presents for Erik, Lis, my little cousins, Harvey, and just now for Theo. My sister just needs some extra cash so I'm giving her that, and she's going to be taking care of my mom's present. Theo, I really wanna show you what I got you right, pero that would ruin the surprise. I'm really excited about your gift, and even though it's small, I think it's pretty damn cool.

My finals haven't even begun yet. I wish they would be over already. I've got two tomorrow, Greek Art on Thursday, and Italian on Friday. I have work right after my final on Friday, so I don't even get a break! God. But after everything is over and taken care of, I'm planning on having a really eventful vacation. Planned events include excursions to the opera, El Greco to Picasso at the Guggenheim, the Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Museum, the Neue Galerie, and seeing Les Mis! And Les Mis is in fact offering student rush tickets for around $27.00 a pop! I might bug Erik to get sweet seats as a Valentine's Day gift, though.

Also, I do, in fact, have the Jew flu. I caught parts of a movie about two Jewish teenagers in 1940s New York and surprisingly, I was totally crushing on the Hasidic one. Lis, don't hate. We all know you're just a Nazi.

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:29:26 GMT

Because everyone is doing it...

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:37:46 GMT

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 01:13:05 GMT

The Sex and Gender Roles class is filled. Ugh. I hate being a sophomore. I wish I was Honors. It's ridiculous how so many rich bastards in the Honors program whine and complain about their free laptops, free dorms, and free school. Yeah, I'm really sorry, except that we don't get that shit for free and have to pay for that shit out of our own pockets.

Also, I'm probably going to call out on Sunday, making me even more piss broke, but school is more important. I have a couple of papers that I haven't started on yet and finals coming up. Everything's coming down to the wire and I have no time to do anything. ><;;

Hmm. Sorry for the bitch and moan entry.

Edit:

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 01:52:03 GMT

Haven't updated in quite a bit. Too lazy, and I never really post about my life here anymore, anyway.

Watched Pierpaolo Pasolini's "Il Decameron" today. Penis flashing all over mah monitor in language lab. I bet I frightened the girl watching "Il Postino" next to me. I didn't get much out of it, save for some jests at Catholicism. Some sexual peccadillos were really funny though. The nun scene was the best-- yay for religious orgies.

Was a cupcake for Halloween, but I'm not sure when I'll get pictures. The Village Parade was a mess; I don't think I had any fun. It was far too crowded, and New Yorkers like to be especially rude or abuse people with cute costumes.

Just finished up midterms, now I have to write papers. Ugh. T___T

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 02:38:20 GMT

I feel a little emasculated that my nerdy accordionist boyfriend is more of an indie pop snob than I am.

So guys, recommend me snobby music. I'm in the mood for something folky.

performing arts library weeeee!

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 03:06:58 GMT

I just scored a cd of The Threepenny Opera in the original German with Ute Lemper as Polly Peachum. Oh yeah. (:

I also got some weird native Filipino music, Wagner's Lohengrin, 20s Dixieland jazz, Freaks (One of us! Gooble gobble! We accept you one of us!), and an opera videocassette of Eugene Onegin.

I'm gonna try to get some German Expressionist and/or Conrad Veidt films when I drop these off. OMG I love the library. Anyone have any suggestions for music that I should look for? Don't think I have any more time to listen to so much opera, so I'm gonna stay away from that for a bit.

Sondre Lerche at the Union Square B&N

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 22:48:37 GMT

I've been spending most of my time with Erik, and I have no complaints. I'm making the most of my summer-- I've been keeping up with my reading and seeing various events about the city. I've read Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, The Idiot by Fyodor Dosteovsky, The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and I'm currently reading Arabian Nights. As for the events I've been going to, there are quite a few to name. We went to the Museum Mile Festival, saw The Threepenny Opera (with Alan Cumming and a particularly brilliant countertenor who played the part of Lucy Brown), the Broadway Under the Stars event (and who happened to make a surprise appearance? Wow wow wee wow, the most beautiful woman in the world-- Liza Minelli!), the first annual New York Accordion Festival, a short trip to Brighton Beach, and a free show by Sondre Lerche at Barnes and Noble.

A couple of fagelas.

There are a few more fun things to do before the summer's over. Art exhibits, a beach trip to Cherry Grove, opera in Central Park, and a tango show, just to name a few.

Pictures from the Museum Mile Festival

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 17:04:30 GMT

The only things of interest at the festival were the bands. The Girodet show is fantastic, but most of the Met was closed after hours save for a few galleries. Erik especially enjoyed the Klezmer band, and made acquaintance with the accordionist, who was very knowledgeable and eager to accomodate our young pupil in mastering his craft.

But my favorite was definitely the young German singer of questionable sexual orientation who performed songs from the Weimar Era in front of the Neue Galerie. You can learn more about Daniel Isengart at his website. I especially enjoyed it when he even donned a feather boa for one particular number.

More people should wear suspenders.

I've uploaded a very bad and very short clip of a very good performance. But unfortunately, video does not do him justice.

yay summer

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 02:08:43 GMT

I love summer. I woke up at noon today, ate, and went back to bed until 3:30. Then I went on the intarweb, and stumbled on a few cool things.

Bibliodyssey is a blog featuring various illustrations and science diagrams. I especially like the illustrations for The Life of Gargantua and Pantagruel, the magnum opus of 16th century monk François Rabelais. The illustrations are by François Desprez, an artist whose work was popularized into lithographs by Salvador Dali.

In the same vein, a publishing company commissioned designers to create pulp covers for classic books. My personal favorite is Moby Dick--"Primitive pirate passions were a prelude to DEATH!"

And here's a YouTube video of an Indian band covering "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" in Hindi. It is pretty awesome/hilarious.

I suppose I should actually write about what's going on in my life. Last weekend my mom took me to see a NASCAR race in Dover. It was pretty arduous; it was a long drive and I was surrounded by tobacco-chewing rednecks, but the race itself was entertaining. Later on in the week, Theo hosted a Prohibition party, where everyone got pretty plastered, but I left early so that I couldn't embarass myself any more than I already had. Yesterday I enjoyed the company of Erik where we strolled around Greenwich Village, found a few lovely quiet public gardens, and stumbled upon the meeting of W. 4th and W. 12th streets. We were good-naturedly taunted by Spanish twinks wrapping up celebrations from the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Tomorrow will be the Museum Mile Festival. Erik is especially excited about the accordion chansons at the Goethe Institute. At the Neue Galerie there's supposed to be live performances of German songs of the Weimar era! Exciting. (: On Wednesday, MC Chris will be performing at UCBT.

Hmm that seems to be all. I hope everyone's summer is treating them as nicely as mine is treating me.

Annoying picture post!

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:33:31 GMT

I had some pictures from my camera from the Sondre Lerche show, and Lis's sister's cat had kittens so they camera-whored for me.

They go together like Mr. Slave and Mr. Garrison.

Question!

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 00:33:45 GMT

Does anyone know anything about Brazilian music? (I'm mostly looking at you, DV.)

I want to start listening to some Sergio Mendes. I have vague childhood memories of really getting into Brazil 66 on longish drives to my uncle's house in Jersey, and I must revisit them. Also, I really like that only song that I know by Astrud Gilberto, "The Girl from Ipanema."

Boredom before work.

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 14:44:08 GMT

Create your own Music List @ HotFreeLayouts!

I hate technology.

katrina.basilio@gmail.com — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 16:15:34 GMT

My iPod is pretty much dead. That, or I just need to replace the battery. I tried to add more songs to it, but my computer wasn't recognizing it, and the iPod just turned itself onto disk mode all on its own. Whenever I try to turn it on, it flashes a stupid exclamation point and folder and the link to the iPod support website. I want my fucking tax return now. A new iPod is two weekends' worth of working. Fuck.

So, when I get a new one, what shall I engrave on it?