another chance.

My face has stopped swelling. That's always nice. It still hurts, but it's more of a muscle-sore, really.

I don't know why, but I've been coming up with names, but I dislike that they always have a Harry Potter connotation with them. If I ever wanted to use one of them in my story, I couldn't just solely because of that reason.

Maybe I'll alter "Stella Sirius".

I really have no life.

I got back from a botched marathon of the Harry Potter movies. We only watched the first one, but I like hanging out with my cousin Ryan and his friends. Regine came over later, too. We ordered in Japanese. It wasn't the best vegetable yaki udon I've had, but it filled me up.

Hanging onto every heartbeat.

I'll be honest. It really bothers me when I read curves are sexy and being skinny isn't. I mean, I don't have "good" curves, I guess.

But I can't help that my metabolism is incredibly fast. Any weight, as long as you're happy, is beautiful.

This has been in a self-esteem boosting post.

part two.

I figured I should clear up Gruesome Chusome Jr.

My dad got into a lot of fights when he was younger. That was his nickname.

I nearly threw my sister down the stairs in a fit of OCD, jetlag and PMS fury.

street lights.

I'm writing a new novel, or so I hope. I'm getting my wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow. I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series and finding myself very amused at understanding all the vague references that my four year old self would have not of understood all those years ago.

I came up with names for my children. At least so far. Please don't mind me, I'm actually really bored right now and in procrastination due to Walden by Henry David Thoreau.

Alexander Neville (If you're thinking what you're thinking, you're right).
Adaphea Valkryie (My daughter's going to hate me).

strangers in the wind part two.

I think the best part about travelling is that you don't necessarily have to talk to anyone. You can remain anonymous as you want.

The benefits of the London Underground is not only for transportation services, but for the freedom. It allowed me to take a different persona. I think that's another part of London that I really liked.

Yes, I usually pretend to be someone else because most of the time I'm not happy with myself. It allows me to be as melodramatic as I want to  be without someone questioning me. I guess that's escapism. As a writer, it's easy to make up cliches and apply them to yourself in order to provide some entertainment.

I mean, you get to choose your own soundtrack and everything. It's like being in a movie.

In other news, my dad is now calling me Gruesome Chusome Jr. Okay.

Glad You Came.

Unfortunately, this crappy dance-ish song is stuck in my head and it won't go away. It's one of those songs that bother you so much that you end up liking it. It would appear that the boyband is returning. It's almost like if South Korea has influenced the West with their boybands. It would make a lot of sense, considering that Asia is becoming more dominant as time passes.

Along with dominance, the accordion seems to be popping out in music again. In example of this:

"Glad You Came" by The Wanted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzkOOFcEoe8&feature=related

"Stereo Love" by Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Z3YrHJ1sU

I have just returned from a seven and a half hour flight from London Heathrow after spending a week in the city of London. I fell in love immediately. Everything is made of stone - I don't know why that struck me as so odd, but I really liked it. (Everything is made of stone because they do not want another Great Fire of London to occur again). I really appreciated the architecture and whatnot. It made me realize that we just don't have the time or effort to make masterpieces like St. Paul's Cathedral.

I'm definitely moving there after college. Everything was brilliant. It wasn't as crowded as New York, but it was much more alive than New York, if that makes sense. Everything closes at seven, which could be detrimental in some areas, but it's just mostly business places, or places like Pret A Manger, a major food chain in Central London.

I mean, everything was brilliant. The Tower of London, the London Eye, the bus tours, everything. I really mean it. The history is so rich. I'm not doing this any justice, I know I'm not. I feel like absolute crap. The flights weren't good at all. I just can't write anymore.

Maybe tomorrow.

First Day in London.

We got into Heathrow around 8:40-ish. We originally were supposed to get in early, but there were landing congestion, so we were twenty minutes late. I was so excited, but then I got sick after circling for a while. That's never happened before. Example: when we landed, I was looking out the window to see the English countryside and that's when I felt like I had to vomit.

It made me glad that I wouldn't be flying internationally for a while after next week.

Customs was a nightmare. The separation of actual United Kingdom citizens and other citizens from like the United States or Canada was hilarious. The UK side was filled with absolutely gorgeous people, while the otherside was fat, red-faced and not so attractive.

London is absolutely beautiful. It's blown away what I thought London would be like in my head. It's not like New York City, but maybe a toned down version of it. There's a lot of hole in the wall places and I feel welcomed, somehow. I'm trying really hard to look too much like a foreigner, but I don't think it's working. I probably just exude American.

We saw Big Ben, which is so much more impressive in person than in photo. The London Eye was really cool. I took a lot of pictures and guess who looked like a tourist? I'll post them later; this computer isn't really the most efficient to blog on.

The Purple Monkeys are back in business. I can't wait. Maybe we'll win this time!

No cars go.

I've updated a lot, but THIS SECRET FROM LJSECRET IS A BIT TOO ACCURATE.

Silence.

I'll be doing a little ranting tonight on the topic of MUSIC. I'm sure it's been heard before but I've been meaning to do this for ages. Have you ever noticed the genre of pop-punk? It's a sorry excuse to listen to riffs like All Time Low but have "deep meaningful lyrics" which actually goes along the lines of "Here are my teenage angsty problems in song, but it will be anthem like and therefore I will have the kids flocking to my music and that makes me better than them [All Time Low] because this is reality!".

You [the bands] are adults; no longer teenagers. The problems that the singers croon about in all their songs and albums are just dragging them down the street by their throats. Have any of them noticed that they sound the same too?

The typical pop-punk band is a heavy drumbeat and power chords. In addition to sounding the same, they must all incorporate varsity letters, crappy art and something about how depression does not affect them anymore and they want to spread this word to their "family". They always call their fanbase their families because the families they were born into stifled their creativity and emotional growth, hence why they must SCREAM their pain into the fans hearts! But it's okay because the fans understand the pain they endured, or at least they think so.

The fanbase is predominantly high school students who think they went through exactly what their god went through, but no. They're just whiny children who think that their wealthy white lifestyle is smothering and does not allow them to be themselves. Luckily their parents who have endless riches give them enough money to go purchase all the "band's" merchandise and attire themselves in clothing from Hot Topic.

Let me start with two bands which I will be analyzing. Four Year Strong and Set Your Goals.

Four Year Strong


("Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R5ysL36BGg)

The typical pop-punk crowd. Let's face it: success in many bands aren't exactly what they are trying to achieve for they are artists and therefore are just doing what they love. That is an honest reason to enter the music business, to create what you think is good and to enjoy doing such.

There are no security banisters, which is nice sometimes, and they are in a dingy local club. There are people everywhere, but that's okay because they're just feeling the music, right?

Wrong.

To like one of these bands in a school is much like a bandwagon. Why? Here's how it starts.

A group of people begin to enjoy a pop-punk band and wear their shirts all the time on a rotating cycle. People in the school start noticing them and figure they look interesting enough and give them a listen. These people end up enjoying what they hear and buy similar shirts. Befriending the original group, they attempt to recreate the 90s and be "chill" or "straightedge" when the proper term is "abstainer". This continues to grow until some bitchy girl decides to analyze their stupid antics.

Set Your Goals


("Echoes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FicQ4hBBUV4).

Can you hear the heavy drums? It's all I can hear. A key point in being a pop-punk band is to make sure the drummer has a heart rate over one hundred the entire show. They sound exactly the same. I would list more, but my ears can only take so much eardrum shattering awfulness.

I mean, at some point, each person who ends up enjoying this same sounding garbage, ends up either like:

http://www.dobi.nu/yourscenesucks/hxc/index.htm

OR

http://www.dobi.nu/yourscenesucks/orgcore/index.htm

To bring this to a close, I bid you the final blow. The bands aren't even different and now they copy each other's merchandise style.

Example:

WELL THESE LOOK SIMILAR, DON'T THEY?

As a final author's note, I leave you a list, oh dear reader, to see that my point is proven again and again. Please (actually, please save your ears) listen to a second and then run away.

Set Your Goals

Four Year Strong

The Wonder Years

A Day To Remember

A Loss For Words

Transit

Man Overboard

Tigers Jaw

Such Gold

LOVE YOUR FRIENDS; DIE LAUGHING!!!1111!

Fuck you, seriously.

Also take note the vocal style of each singer. They all attempt to sound like their balls are being tugged on by a truck. 

FIN.

I got you in my pocket...

I've also experted my flirt which is pretty much failproof. The ever-so bashful smile and look away.

I used it on Andy and the Genius guy. We had an appointment twenty minutes later but suddenly we were next.

Or is flirting the same thing as teasing.

QUESTIONS.

flowers and football tops don't mean a thing.

I wish I had the guts to wear makeup. But not like, basic makeup. I'm a fan of bold colours and although they're not flattering, I'd probably wear it.

But only like lipstick or something.

I'm also probably going to bleach my hair at least once in college.

I'll run away with you.

I feel like making a mass post of all the concerts I've been to, just to keep things in order.

• Angels and Airwaves at Roseland Ballroom, opening acts were The Ace Enders, The Color Fred and Meg and Dia. They all sucked, I don't suggest looking them up.
• The Kooks and The Morning Benders at Terminal 5.
• Warped Tour in the Nassau Colosseum Parking Lot in Uniondale.
• Angels and Airwaves at Madison Square Garden. They opened for Weezer. Tokyo Police Club also played, but I was too young to appreciate them.
• Franz Ferdinand at Roseland Ballroom. Born Ruffians opened, I suggest them.
• Warped Tour in Uniondale. No one of note.
• Passion Pit at Terminal 5.
• The Morning Benders and Miniature Tigers in some weird place in Santa Barbara, California.
• Arcade Fire with Spoon and Owen Pallet at Madison Square Garden. Look them all up. Now.
• Phoenix at Madison Square Garden. Do not look up Wavves, they are awful. Look up The Dirty Projectors, they are something. Daft Punk showed up as special guests and it was awesome.
• Muse at Nassau Colosseum with opening act Metric.
• Interpol at Radio City Music Hall with opening act School of Seven Bells. Excellent.
• OMD (Orchestral Maneuvres in the Dark) with opening at Oh Land at Terminal 5. Beautiful.
• Some crappy local bands.
• Some more crappy local bands. 

In the future?
STORNOWAY AT SOMERSET HOUSE.

strangers in the wind.

I find it so funny that once I fall head over heels for some stupid guy, I have to come to livejournal to ramble about him. Then again, I don't think it's socially acceptable to talk about a guy this much in person. I wish I didn't though, I know Andy's a sweet guy and all, but I wish I had the will power to stop thinking about him this much. 

I feel like I'm in endless conflict of comparing him to Rob. I like Andy for multiple reasons and I like the fact that he hasn't treated me like a complete douchebag. Which is always very nice and very appreciated all the time. I don't need to be consistently told that I'm 'hot' or have 'small boobs' or have a 'great ass'. (Sarcastic note: I KNOW ALL THE THINGS. I'VE SEEN MYSELF NAKED BEFORE). He appreciates me for who I am (and as MVP) and I can talk to him most of the time without being nervous. It's really bad when I get nervous. 

As I continue to write this, I realize that this is okay to post on blogspot, so I might just copy and paste. I don't care anymore. 

I think what I like best about Andy is that he doesn't try to make me feel less than who I am. He doesn't speak to me condescendingly, like Rob would do quite a lot. Just because you're older than me does not make you better than me. You're only a year older than me, Rob and you act like you're an old soul who has seen the world three times. Andy's essentially out of college, smokes (not that I approve of that AT ALL) and has at least five years on me. 

I'm just glad I met someone who likes me for me. He hasn't tried to change me in anyway and I like that. I've met his sister already and everything, the other Caroline. 

It's also very nice for me to look in the mirror and not detest everything I can see. I've followed stophatingyourbody on tumblr to aid the process. I've gotten to the point where I guess I'm kind of happy of how I look, even though I haven't really changed in the past three years. Or maybe it's two. 

 

All of me hopes that Andy plays in the next tournament. I'm gonna try and make this happen. I really am. (I said this with Rob. I hope I don't jinx this). Part of me hopes that if I do get him, he'll come to marching band and badminton and stuff. I could go to ~Winter Wonderland. Another part of me hopes that if he is mine and comes to all these stupid school functions, he'll kick the shit out of Rob and put him in his rightful place. 

 

Under my foot. 

 

I'm tired and I kind of want this summer to end already. I haven't done much and I'm just sitting up late at night blogging. I have stuff to do, but my bed is unmade. I can't sleep in that. 

 

"Run to the lights of the city; these moments pass and we'll be there. Run to the lights of the city; this dance will last us forever. Forever." - Strangers in the Wind by Cut Copy.