Instagram

This week I got an Instagram.

I think maybe technically I have had an account for awhile but I've just never looked at it before.
Anyway, someone convinced me that it was a good way to connect with friends and show them I care about them by knowing what is going on in their lives.

My first question is: does anyone else find it a little bit creepy that we all feel this need to be watching each other all the time? I mean "following" used to be cause for suspicion.

Honestly though, I've been surprised by how I do feel like I am caring for my friends more now. I am deliberately sending the message, "Hey. I care about you. I care about what you care about. I want to know what you are excited about. I like what you are doing with yourself."
I appreciate that social media can help us watch out for each other.

However, I think that it opens up a lot of other possibilities for hurt as well--even accidental hurt.
There are a lot of people who base their sense of worth on their social media status. There are a lot of fun things going on on the Internet that I might not be invited to. There are a lot of friends getting together without me. I think Facebook, Instagram, and other personal broadcasting stations can all too easily taint the way we perceive ourselves, others, and the reality of our lives. We start to think in terms of likes and friends and forget about doing real things like visiting others, going on a walk together, or learning a new skill because we are so consumed with watching what others do.

So, like most media forms I think there are pros and cons to Instagram. For one thing I get to see adorable pictures of my niece across the country all the time. But who is sitting next to me right now that I am completely ignoring because I am looking at my screen?

Rab Ne Bana di Jodi

Back in December my family somehow ended up with this mysterious Bollywood movie that has turned out to be the beginning of a full-blown fetish. We hadn't really experienced much of Indian culture outside of the Bombay House on the Ave. (100% recommended), but now I think we all harbor secret dreams of waking up Indian someday.

Watch this clip and you will understand.


There is so much vibrant color that you can practically smell the incense. The music truly lifts you and you find yourself dancing--body and heart. And the plot is the most beautiful part! The title is revealed to mean "This couple is made by God" and the movie shows through an arranged marriage how love is about what we are willing to sacrifice for each other rather than compatibility or circumstance.

Since Christmas we have now seen three more Bollywood films. Though Rab Ne Bana di Jodi is still my favorite, I really appreciate finding new ones in order to immerse myself in another culture and learn from the wisdom of other people with different lifestyles than my own.

Okay. Because I am generous. One more:

K*A*R*O*A*K*E

According to Adam Lonsdale and Adrian North (2010)* one of the main gratifications of music is to encourage social interaction.

Well it is true!

On Valentine's Day, Ryan and I were planning on going to Red Lobster, but when we got out of the temple at 6pm and called, the wait was 1 hr 50 minutes (that's five-zero thank you very much angry waitress on the phone). So we did some quick thinking and decided to go to Se Llama Peru on Center Street instead because every time we pass that place it is hoppin' and besides I served my mission in Texas which pretty much makes me an expert on Peruvian food. (wink wink.)

So we went and wouldn't you know there was a Peruvian mission reunion happening right as we got there and a whole bunch of exuberant 21 year olds were congregating outside. But we pushed our way in and the waitress seated us right in the corner behind the KAROAKE speakers, because apparently KAROAKE is what happens at Se Llama Peru on the Saturday before Valentine's Day (and hopefully all Saturdays?)

There was a middle-aged man in a sportcoat with cufflinks and half of his hair left crooning away on the microphone in Spanish.

He walked from table to table singing and trying to get people to come up and perform, and it did not take long before all three of us were best friends. I didn't even mind when he handed me a microphone so I could comfortably sing "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from my chair. I don't know why no one has thought of this before. How else do you want to pass the uncomfortable hungry minutes waiting for your food? Usually I drink about a gallon of water with too much ice in it before I get my food, or at Mexican restaurants I go through a basket of chips and salsa. Not so at Se Llama Peru. I sang and sang and sang and didn't want to stop when my Aji de Gallina arrived.

Singing together encouraged social interaction so much that I hardly even minded the exceedingly large group of RMs that were quickly overtaking the restaurant. In fact, I wanted them to join us at the microphone and cheered when they did.

My husband served his mission in Taiwan and tells me that Karoake is a really big thing in Asian countries. Apparently it is normal to pay a bunch of money to go out with friends and sing together. After my Valentine's experience, I can add this to the long list of things we should learn from the Asians (right after how to make good stir-fry and live to 100): if you want to bond with someone, SING with them! And make it so socially acceptable that you can bond with perfect strangers within 5 minutes. I think the world would be more peaceful if there was more karoake going on.

And I mean it.

*Lonsdale, A. J., & North, A. C. (2011). Why do we listen to music? A uses and gratifications analysis. British Journal Of Psychology, 102(1), 108-134. doi:10.1348/000712610X506831

Wall Street Journal

Every morning my husband and I look forward to going out to get our Wall Street Journal. As we put our sack lunches together we eye the headlines and bend over for closer looks at the pictures as we pass the table. We hardly have room for both of us at the tiny table, let alone an entire unfolded newspaper, so we have to choose the section we are interested in and put our plates on the rest of it while eating breakfast.

I've noticed that we hardly ever read an entire article--we just glean it for the general ideas because we are too excited about the rest of the paper--and once we've skimmed the whole thing it all goes in the recycling bin. Seems like a lot of work to publish a paper just to be picked over and thrown away. We have a plethura of news apps to choose from, but we still just really look forward to pulling the WSJ out of the plastic bag and plopping it down to munch on with our cereal. What is it about the daily newspaper that so attracts us? Here are some things I can think of:

• It is real--something you can touch and hold up and flip through and spill milk on. Sometimes I feel lost when I come away from looking at so many screens all the time. When I come away from my newspaper I feel like I have both feet more firmly (and knowledgeably) planted in our current world.
• It gives a sense of awareness of what is happening around us--even if the events don't really affect us at all, we somehow feel better knowing. 
• It also makes us feel like we belong with the rest of the world--it is like evidence of our membership.
• It makes us feel intelligent when we try to strike up a conversation at work.
• It has become a ritual for us; something we look forward to dissecting together.
• Newspapers are icons of the America that I love! Along with Thanksgiving, the mailman, and Norman Rockwell. Take a gander:

Plus, do you know who sells Newspapers?

So when we got the letter that our WSJ subscription was up, I didn't mind renewing it. Even though it goes against all my overly-frugal tendencies. Even though we don't scour every last penny out of it. I am happy to pay for this daily tradition with my husband and my ticket to participating in this world of ours.

Family Tree

The following information could really enrich your life:
(At least that is my goal).

I recently discovered a really intriguing, addicting pass-time. It is completely free. It sucks you in more than Pinterest, but it actually satisfies you. It is "screen" media, but ends up connecting you with members of your family who you usually can't associate with. It makes you feel smarter, more unique, and more confident. It feels like a treasure hunt and no matter what you find it is a pleasant delight. It is this website called FamilySearch.org.

Now I have known about FamilySearch for awhile, seeing as in my church we are constantly encouraged to learn more about our families and create pedigrees of our ancestors. I have had a lot of exposure to it, but up until this year I kind of associated it with feelings of dread because I knew that I was supposed to log on and search and search and search for these little green symbols that represent gaps in my family tree:

The only problem is that it is SO hard to find them in my family tree. So I didn't really like spending time on FamilySearch. However in my family history class we are doing all sorts of genealogy assignments that have nothing to do with finding these gaps. Instead we are focusing on getting to know ancestors that are already listed but in much greater depth. I got to call up my grandma in Virginia and talk with her for an hour about her parents. My uncle sent me this picture of them:

Aren't they lovely? Can you imagine the moments that created each wrinkle?

I never met them, but hearing her describe them I felt like I was reuniting with old friends. She described how my great-great-grandmother used to make a pie crust that was so flaky you couldn't even hold it in your hand.

So that's where I get it! 

She told me about their hopes and dreams and failures. She shared with me her cherished memories. I got to write the whole thing up and share it under my great-grandmother's name on FamilySearch.

I love that media provides me with a way to get to know these people--not just my ancestors that have already passed on, but my grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles still living. It brings us together. It makes me proud of all the people I am connected to, and fills me with hope and anticipation of all the joy we will share together, and all the exquisitely painful experiences we may share as well. There is something deeply wonderful that awakens in my core, way deep down, when I feel connected to my family. That must be what this life is all about.

So please, go to FamilySearch.org and create an account for yourself. You will be amazed by the details you can find; the records that evidence that these people actually existed. You will feel a new anchor in your life as you discover your roots. You will find great peace in who you are.