LDS General Conference (April 3, 2004)

I think the best place to begin with this post is with some few points.

• I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
• Every six months, members of this church have the opportunity to participate in what is called "General Conference." Latter-Day Saints travel from all over the world to attend this conference which originates in the 21,000-seat Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The church membership is currently at 14 million and as such, conference is broadcasted to thousands of meetinghouses all over the world as well as online so that all may watch and listen.
• General Conference is intended to be a revelatory experience as participants learn from living prophets, apostles, and other church leaders through the power and influence of the Holy Ghost. Receiving inspiration and instruction from Church leaders will serve as a guide for members' present day lives.
• I have a unique phobia of heights, big buildings, wide open spaces, and probably other things I'm currently unaware of.
• The Conference Center in Salt Lake City is a VERY big building.

With the above points in mind, I will proceed with my General Conference experience in the Spring of 2004. At that time I was living in Spanish Fork, UT with my aunt, uncle, cousins, and siblings. My parents remained in Laredo, TX, however that Spring my father had the opportunity of traveling to Utah with other Laredo Church members for General Conference. My dad had with him four tickets; two for the Saturday Morning Session, and another for Sunday Morning Session. It was his plan to attend both with one of his children. My older brother and I were the only ones old enough to attend so it was determined that I would attend one and my brother the other. From the time I knew of this I was not at ease. Much of what happened that day was a blur for me. I remember being very sleepy during our drive there since I could not sleep the night before due to the nerve-racking anticipation, but I could not sleep due to the anxiety.

Once there, I clung to my dad as we entered the building. Imagine my disbelief when I learned we were to go upstairs. I covered my eyes throughout this ordeal and remember nothing, only that we were then to go upstairs once again! There are no words to describe what I felt. If anything think about something that would cause you great anxiety, then think how that scenario would feel worse and then you might feel what I felt.

We proceeded to enter the actual conference area (I'm sure there's a particular name for it) and I realized we were on the highest level for seating. We proceeded to find our seats which happened to be close to the edge! We finally took our seats and I figured the worst was over. I let myself relax and try to take in the fact that I would be in the presence of a prophet of God. I remained anxious, but I felt enough peace to remain there for the full 2 hours. At one point I was thankful that I was strong enough to be there and have that experience with my dad. Once the session concluded, the anxiety increased as we began the descend. We left and all was good.

Seven years have passed since that day. I don't know if I will ever return to the Conference Center and face the possible anxiety and horror caused by my phobia, but I am glad to say that I've been there. I've experienced General Conference with thousands of other members that gather to hear important messages imparted by servants of God including his very own prophet. While there I received a witness of the peace the spirit can bring to our lives during troubled times. Even though I faced great difficulties I will forever remember that I overcame them and enjoyed this remarkable experience. I did it!

For Olga

This is me updating my blog.... muah...ha...ha!

I'll do it properly later when I'm done with my paper. (eek!)

What's this?... my life for the next four months?!

(Good words to live by these upcoming months.)

Schedule for 2011 Winter Semester is as Follows:

REL C 324 - The Doctrine and Covenants

CMLIT 202 - Civilization: Literature 2
Taking it to fulfill two GE requirements but I'm excited nonetheless. A bit scared about the readings (10 books required for the class) since it's difficult for me to concentrate when I read, but what else can I do but try my best right? Besides I'm taking it with Becca!!!

ITAL 201 - Intermediate Italian 1
I added this to get enough credits to be a full-time student, but now I'm simply excited for the class. It'd be a shame to waste the little I learned freshman year and now I get to refresh my poor Italian and make it better!

TMA 315R - Special Projects 2 (Digital Video Technologies)
I figured if I want to be a learned film student, I should learn more about the digital aspect of cinema.

TMA 441R - Screenwriting 3
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS CLASS!!! I've taken both Screenwriting 1 and 2 and in them we learned about writing short scripts. This class is for feature-length screenwriting.

Sitting in:
TMA 492R - Media Arts Genres (Musicals)
I really wanted to take this class, but my desire is not so strong that I'd submit myself to a grueling 18-credit-semester. I already took this class last year with Dean Duncan and we looked at the horror genre. It was great. Now Sharon Swenson will focus on the musicals genre. What is there not to like about musicals right!? So I'll be sitting in class but not actually be registered for it. I'll go for the lectures, buy the book and do some reading, maybe stay to watch the films or rent them and watch them at home (I don't feel like sitting in class for five hours until 10pm every Wednesday again this semester).

That's how my semester looks for now. Aside from school I'm hoping to practice playing the guitar and piano, maybe actually paint or draw something, and exercise (anyone want to join?) Last semester opened my eyes to certain difficulties, but now that I'm aware of them, I plan to kick butt this semester. If all goes well I'll graduate in April, so why not finish with a bang!

Employment... I should get on that ASAP. Any tips anyone?

Oh and one last thing: Dating. I wouldn't mind if it became existent this semester. As much as I like hanging out, it's not the same. If this continues, I'll resort to staring at my shirtless-Shah Rukh Khan poster every night, then getting a date from me without having rock hard abs will be impossible. (Kidding)

Ideas:

1. Trafalga Fun Center - Have never been.
   
2. Laser Tag - I ranked 5 out of 20 recently. So be scared, be very scared.
   
3. Salsa Chocolate - Don't know how to salsa? Learn! (BYU Salsa Club meets every Tuesday at 8:30pm in the Garden Court and Salsa Chocolate provides an hour of lessons before the dance.)
4. BYU's Peter Pan - Grandma (aka the amazing Shelby Luke) costume designed for this play so you bet I will be attending. Basically anyone want to tag along?
5. Living Legends - I've gone to this show every year since freshman year. So again, tag along?
6. BYU International Cinema - Free. If you don't like any international cinema get off my blog now. Kidding... but seriously, who are you?
7. Dollar Theater - Inexpensive (1.25 with student ID to be exact). If there's something decent (quality wise) why not.
8. DVD Rentals/Netflix - Normally I'd say, "You're pushing it" but I'd be happy staying out of the frigid cold. And don't insult me by thinking I limit myself to chick-flicks or family movies. The occasional Gladiator or The Hurt Locker is most welcome.
   
9. Video Games - That's right. I'm a gamer. Recently played Batman: Arkham Assylum, some Red Dead Redemption, and got slaughtered in Black Ops (I need more game time). Other favorites include Mario Games, Guitar Hero/Rockband, etc.
10. Eating - Everybody does it, so why not give in to peer pressure. Anything goes.

I've given 10 ideas so far, your turn. What you got?

Reaping Rewards

You know how it is when you get an idea or thought in your head, and you say to yourself, "It would be cool if that ever happened to me." Well it actually happened to me!

I actually paid attention to and clicked on a banner ad on Facebook which read, "BYU Meal Plan Video Contest" and it had a picture of a film-type guy with the words, "Win an iPad!" (or something like that.) I don't recall the exact wording of the description.

Anyways, I click on the link which takes me to all the information with regards to the contest. I decide that it's doable, if only I had a good idea, because if I've learned anything about making videos, it's all about the idea, concept, or story. If that's no good, don't even make the video. It's like Thumper says, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." Same idea applies to film/video making in my opinion. So great opportunity in front of me, I simply lacked a good idea.

It's funny how most of the time we as college students think to ourselves that this college education will someday be worth it (if it doesn't feel as such at the moment.) We may also feel like we're not becoming adequate for what's ahead of us. I had been feeling like that for quite some time: an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. In any case, when such feelings arise I say to myself, "What else can I do but keep trying... right?" *confidence slowly receding throughout the thought.

One day... or should I say night, my evening film class was coming to an end. It is called Media Arts Topics (I think), focusing on what makes films great. Each week we look at a certain aspect of film that can make a great film. The professor for this class (Dean Duncan) felt it was best to show this through several short films. That week the topic was THINGS... focusing on the benefit that the use of materials brings to film. Material world, materialistic person, and other terms have a sort of negative feel to them. It makes sense how they could be considered a possible evils, but that is not always the case. What about that small box of knick-knacks that one keeps safeguarded as a priceless treasure with each object housing a valuable memory? I can't make his lecture adequate justice in this short blog post, but you can hopefully sense the idea of where he was going with this. One of the many films he showed us was Toccata for Toy Trains. It was then that I received the much desired idea for my video.

What should the video be about? Food! How was I going to focus on it?-by showing the process by which it is made. I'm sure the BYU Meal Plans' big thing is that it makes food readily available for you in the place where you typically spend most of your time, on campus. People make you food, and a Meal Plan takes care of getting that food to you. However, what if none of this existed? What would be the impossible ideal?-food that makes itself, and THAT was my BIG idea.

I proceeded to make the video by taking many many pictures and putting them together, adding music, and tweaking the visuals. Behold the result:



...and yes I did win the iPad.

Feeling of inadequacy? Considerably diminished, but never extinguished. In a way it's a good thing, it keeps us humble....right?

Celebration of Humanity, Remembrance of Mortality

I recently came across an article online at LDS Living about celebrating Halloween on Sundays. I've commented so much and I'd like to keep a record of what I wrote hence this blog, but I hope others will find it interesting as well and have something to comment. Below is the link to the article followed by my remarks.

How to Celebrate Halloween on a Sunday

Article of Faith #11
"We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."

"There are rules that the Church leadership resists interpreting for us.
For keeping the sabbath day holy, we are expected to decide in our own family precisely how we go about obeying that commandment, and people draw the line in different places." For instance, working on Sundays, how many Saints work at the Church's own TV and radio stations? Or how many students are needed to work on Sundays to feed the missionaries in the MTC? Then of course, that's out of necessity.

Maybe you feel the need to celebrate Halloween with your family, this article and those who've commented have given great suggestions in finding that balance between keeping the sabbath day holy and celebrating Halloween with family. Watching a movie is not holier than trick-o-treating, but for some it doesn't interrupt the observance of the sabbath day. This is one of those instances where people draw the line in different places. The movies listed (Hocus Pocus, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Warerabbit, etc.) are family Halloween-themed movies and not a suspenseful thriller which some might prefer for the occasion. Also I'd like to point out that the sabbath day was made for man, not man for the sabbath.

One might think that celebrating Halloween is not appropriate for the occasion since it celebrates or follows pagan beliefs. What about Christmas? Sure it's meant to celebrate Christ's birth, but it was adjusted for pagan beliefs, otherwise it would be celebrated in April which is when Christ's birth took place, not in December. Why not inject Halloween with our own beliefs? Sure, have fun and trick-o-treat, but you can also make it more than day of candy and all things spooky by teaching about... death and the resurrection?

Some feel that Halloween is a celebration of evil things; witches, vampires, zombies, etc. I took a horror film class recently and I learned for myself that vampires, zombies and such are not evils, they are simply a reflection of human fears. Some have twisted this reflection to portray evil, but it's not inherently so.

As a Hispanic, Day of the Dead is the equivalent. Growing up in the U.S. we trick-o-treated on Halloween and dressed up. I knew Dia de los Muertos was coming around when my dad would bring some bread of the dead or pan de muerto, but that's as far as it went with that Mexican holiday and I think it was mostly because of where we lived. We didn't make sugar skulls and shrines for our loved ones who had passed. We didn't visit their tombs since the few relatives who had passed lived across the border several miles away. I know little about Dia de los Muertos and I haven't fully experienced it, so it is a goal I have for the future (maybe starting this year) to learn about it and celebrate it. Going with the article's discussion, I see this day as an opportunity to learn that death is a temporary condition that is overcome thanks to Christ's atonement. If that isn't holy enough, I don't know what is.

Seducción y Pasión española

Maja
Aroma de seducción. Pasión española.

This roughly translates to "Aroma of seduction. Spanish passion." It's a talcum powder I now wear instead of deodorant since this summer. It takes longer to put on, but it lasts longer and smells better. I haven't felt seductive at all lately, but I have been feeling rather passionate about many things Spanish but I'm sure that's not a result of my using the fragrant powder.

I've always loved the music typical to Spain, but I never bothered to learn more about it or acquire some. Now, I'm bent on soon obtaining some Cante Flamenco music, which could be described as Flamenco with a Gypsy feel to it. I often pretend to know how to play this kind of music on my guitar, but I only go as far as two chords.

I've also wanted to put up a picture/poster/drawing that best represents this style. I found the previous picture, but it's rather small. I'm determined to draw or paint something similar soon. For now, the cover of Pedro Almodóvar's film Volver with Penélope Cruz on the cover should suffice.

It now all seems too much of a coincidence that my dear friend Sydnee Wilson was called on an LDS Mission to Madrid, Spain. I recall attending with Sydnee the first day of her Spanish Literature class. The professor went over an early form of Spanish literature which was called Jarchas and other terms which I do not recall. I DO remember that these poems and the Spanish language in general was highly influenced by Hebrew and Arabic. I knew there was some Arabic mixture in Spain, but Hebrew? Now certain words and the "J" sound make much more sense! We also read some poems along with the modern Spanish translation. Oh how beautiful! They were both romantic and tragic. She then played an audio clip of one of these poems being sung. Again, very beautiful. I lack the words to properly describe it.



I think the above example (the first song) best represents what I heard in that class. The below one is basically a flamenco song which I'm sure was influenced by the previous style.




I should definitely get over my phobia of heights, and take up my dad's offer to visit Spain and Italy in the near future. The architecture also gives me a je ne se quois feeling (French to describe something Spanish? I know.) so being there in person would also be something worth sacrificing for. Who knows, maybe I'll bump into handsome Spanish footballer Xavi Hernandez who I might add is a World Cup Champion! (to my unknowing friends, footballer=soccer player).

Basically, I'm feeling rather Spanish lately, and why not? Some of my ancestors are from Spain so it's basically in my blood to love all things Spanish... including handsome footballers. What can I say, I've been seduced by Spanish passion!

Nostalgia for Bliss

This past summer, I had the opportunity of accompanying my dad to help my grandmother move to a different city. She was moving from the small agricultural town of Caborca, Sonora to the big industrial city that is Monterrey, N.L. (both in Mexico.) As soon as we arrived, I new this was going to be a big change not only physically, but emotionally. My grandmother had lived there since the 70s, and I had visited her in that house for many summers of my childhood. As furniture was stripped bare of its decorations, I began to realize that this was going to be my last time in that house for many years to come. It would never be the same again. The house was being rented so it would stay in the family, but visits were guaranteed to diminish.

Nostalgia was inevitable. There were so many memories attached to my grandmother's house, and with memories come feelings. Once as a little girl, I played a wonderful game of hide-and-seek with my brothers and cousins. All the plants surrounding that house gave great cover. In order to trick the seeker, we would take unripened oranges from my grandmother's tree and throw it on the opposite direction. How much trouble we were in when she found out. Even after that we kept playing. We played until one of my younger brothers accidentally threw an empty glass beer bottle in my head. Oh how furious I was then, and how I laugh at it now. Regardless, it is a memory that has stayed with me since; it is my definition of bliss.

The inside of the house is filled with just as many memories, if not more. We would receive many crates of grapes from the farm my grandmother worked for. Green grapes, dark grapes, big red grapes, all very sweet and delicious. My grandmother would cook a wide variety of delicious dishes which at times in my childhood I would not want since it looked weird, but would enjoy immensely as I got over such childish things. She had many photo albums of black and white or sepia photos of past family members, and some less older color photos of my once young father. The photo collection grew as did the family.

Now my cousins have moved on to bigger things. Everything and everyone else was different, but my grandmother's house remained unchanged. It's as if time passed along without as much as a glance. The only way one might have a clue of time's passage is the garden. Even though the trees are most likely taller and some plants are different, the garden looks the same; green and lush as ever- an oasis in the dessert.