Brooke Shoko

Bangkok: Sawadee ka to you.

2012-02-07T12:13:00.001-07:00

Began my first day by wandering around and stumbled upon a great outdoor market.

The hot item of the day (or for life I should say): Buddhas. So. Many. Buddhas.

Found an awesome tour guide, "KJ", who ran me all around Bangkok showing me temples, delicious food, and markets. Pictured in the back left: Wat (wat means temple) Pra Kaew.

The Royal Grand Palace- our first stop.

Photos cannot do any justice to how beautiful and intricate these temples were. I had never seen anything like it!

More of the Grand Palace.

Coating more Buddhas with paper gold. Doesn't it look great? [Mom, let's do this with some of your ceramics at home.]

Beautiful intricate artwork covering the ceilings, floor, and walls.

Wat Pho. A mere 26 meters of gold-coated Buddha.

Wat Arun. My favorite of the three temples we visited.

Did I want/choose to wear this costume and take photos? Not really. (Apparently was part of the tour package I purchased) So soak it up peeps, this is more than likely the last time you'll see me in a getup like this!

The wat up close.

Enjoying the flower and fruit markets after a long and hot day in the sun.

Took plenty of tuk-tuk rides through the city. Great way to experience Bangkok.

KJ and I got along so well that she decided to take me to her daughter's work and introduce me to her family!

Ended the evening with a visit to the nearby Chinatown. Which was gargantuan by the way.

Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice? For less thank a buck? Sweet. Finished off my Bangkok trip on day two by shopping all day at the enoooormous MBK market! Great to see Bangkok. So great to have experienced Thailand.

Thai Muang in review.

2012-02-06T10:34:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Home and Life Orphanage and Bakery.

From left to right. Front row: Sea, Ocean, Um, Cindy, Kho, Leela. Second row: P' Rosa, Peach, Spy, Steve, Pupe, Boom, Bim. Third row: Sun, Root, Pat, Sam, Faa, Benz, Bow, P' Kate, P' Bai Tuey (me).

It's crazy how in just two weeks you can learn to love so easily! This is Mook. If I could adopt any of the kids, it would be her.

Sea, the baby of the Home and Life family.

All of the meals they prepared were delicious. Manuela on the left was the other volunteer my first week. What a great Lady.

Lots of moving, painting, plastering, and working on the new bakery.

New-found forest friend. I didn't dare touch it though. Yellow = poison??? Who knows.

Visiting the temple is a weekly event for the kids. Breath in, breath out.

The kind monk let me take a photo and capture his pleasant state of being.

Found myself in a downpour more than once.

Also visited the local school a few times to teach English lessons. Isn't this girl the CUUUTEST thing in the world?

Older kidlets.

P' Rosa, taking care of her three-legged cat post surgery. Even my dislike for the animal subsided in this moment of pity.

P' Bom, a manager at H&L. To say we got along well was an understatement! Enjoying some shopping in Phuket.

Co-volunteer for week two in Thai Muang- Alexa! I completely lucked out on terms of fellow volunteers. Completely.

And just when I was missing A Bountiful Kitchen, Bom made delicious home made croissants for breakfast last Saturday.

He also lent me his "special drink from the marshmallow tree" which saved my sick little body more than once.

Brookie loves the beach. And floating on her back in the ocean. And getting freckles on her nose. Especially in February.

Sawadee Ka.

Selling their baked goods at the market. The little punks . . .

Market-girl-Gabby who hangs out with Fried-chicken-Chelsey. I think she should be a Baby Gap model. Or something.

Saying goodbye yesterday. So stinking sad. So satisfied, however, with such a meaningful experience. Thank you H&L!

Thai Muang: Home and Life Orphanage

2012-02-03T11:14:00.003-07:00

Project number two in Thailand- volunteer at Home and Life Orphanage. This has been an incredible experience! (What a cliche line, but really- I mean it!!) Founders Root and Rosa started the orphanage after the tsunami of 2005 left thousands of families broken and several children without parents to care for them. Home and Life began solely as a tsunami victim orphanage but has gradually turned into a place for all types of children from homes where parents couldn't take proper care of them. Home and Life allows each child an opportunity to go to school, live a healthy lifestyle, and escape the pressures of child labor. Together the children and staff consider themselves a family. They do a great job of following up on this label- they care for each other, share what they have, and show unconditional love to one another. Home and Life is without question the exception to most Thai Orphanages.

Currently there are 25 kids here at H&L. Getting to know them and learning their personalities has been an absolute breeze! In just two weeks I've come to love and appreciate them so very much. More blogging to follow on what I've been up to and how the departure goes (leaving on Sunday- don't remind me).

More information on Home and Life: http://www.homelifethailand.com/

Um (yes, that's his name), Beam, Bai-Tuey (Thai name they chose for me), Kho, and Sea in the front.

35 Accents in the English Language

2012-01-31T05:56:00.000-07:00

I've always had a small issue with sticking to my authentic Brooke Shoko voice after being exposed to a different English accent for a while. The first incidence of this began back when I was young and visited my cousins in Alabama. I didn't gain any type of accent, but instead just began to sound like an idiot. Ever since then I've noticed how easily swayed my speaking ways are after consistent accent exposure.

As of late, I've been exposed to all types of English accents on a regular basis:

Sill- New Zealand

Karen- Ireland

Lisa and Albert- Holland

Veera and Vivi- Finland

Manuela- Swizerland

Alexa- Austraila

So, for example, after spending a bit of time with Sill I'd be sputtering out words like "reckon", but pronounced it as "reekon". Or slightly saying "vas" instead of "was" after spending time with Manuela.

The silver lining to this strange cloud, however, is that I love accents. I love seeing how so many different nationalities attempt to speak one language but come out with such varied results. Which is why I was so happy to find this gem of a video I'm posting below. Friends Bom, Bae, Alexa, and I had a huge laugh over it last night. This chap impresses me, to say the least. Enjoy.

Typical Thai Eats

2012-01-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Lots of onion and GARLIC in everything! Today my soup had entire garlic shallots in them. No kissing for Brookie tonight.

Tomatoes, cilantro, mushrooms, carrots, and so many delicious fresh vegetables.

Nam Piik Pao- A deliiiicious chili paste they use for tom yum kung (see below).

Had an excellent cooking class in Kuraburi from a friend named Pad. This dish: Kai lookuey. Deep fried hard boiled eggs topped with fried and fresh onions and a tamarind sauce. I was skeptical at first, but I assure you- it is tasty!

Tom Yum Kung- a flavorful soup infused with ginger and lemongrass. Also served with prawns, greens, and tomato.

This dish is simple but good. Cooked greens (I say greens because I have not a clue as to what these leaves are and have never seen them in my life), onion, garlic, and egg. Great source of protein eh?

Enjoying the feast with some other volunteers. Pad (back middle) is the lad that taught the class.

THE FOOD HERE IS SO FLIPPING SPICY. They just throw these suckers in anything like it's no big deal. My spicy tolerance, however, is getting so much better! Ice water anyone?

The fruit. Ohh the fruit here is so wonderfully sweet. Love buying these little pineapples at the market. Trying all types of fruits I've never seen before. Mango is still my #1 fruit though. Two per day (ideally).

Buayloi. A Thai dessert we made at my current project. Flour and water steamed and served in coconut milk.

Let's just say the final product looks much better than it appeals to my palate.

The food at Home and Life (current project) is delicious. A meat-curry creation served every night with rice and vegetables.

I should mention, though, the best part of mealtimes at Home and Life- sitting by sweethearts like Go! Ohhh he's adorable.

Some of the most authentic eats have been at my favorite spot to grab a meal- street markets! Pad Thai, fried chicken, sweet banana crepes, fresh fruit, fried fish, and anything you can imagine on a stick.

Kuraburi: Welcome to Thailand!

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

What to say- An amazing first couple of weeks in Thailand. Have absolutely loved spending time in Kuraburi and am so sad to leave tomorrow. I'm confident, however, that the additional experiences that await me will be just as great! I'll have to write more about the Thai culture and some experiences soon, but I thought I'd slap on a few photos at the blogspot. Cheers.

Welcome to Kuraburi. This is basically the main strip of town. Got here by bus, just 5 hours north of Phuket.

The lovely little bungalow third in from the left has been my place of residency for the past couple of weeks. Love love it.

A peek inside the bungalow . . .


The main purpose of Kuraburi: teaching English at a learning center for Burmese refugees through Andaman Discoveries.

Beginning the day with their "stretches". Hilarious.

Something new to me: you alwayyyys take shoes off in Thailand before entering any home, business, etc.

Grade two, the kids I spent most of my time with. These kids aren't permitted to attend Thai school due to lack of citizenship.

The nursery babies!

I liked the way this photo turned out.

Lining up for some grub. Loved how they all waited for each other to portion up and then offered a prayer before eating.

Bon appetito, baby.

Putting the hands together and bowing is a common sign of thanks and respect.

Love.

These.

Children!

Ollie, the Burmese teacher's son. The youngest at the learning center.

Some of the local Catholic commisioned volunteers were super hospitable and showed me around.

They took me to Greenview Resort up the road for some treats and visiting. Returned the next day for a swim. (Pool at left)

They also took me to the beach another day- gorgeous! And empty- Thai people aren't much into sunbathing.

The watermelon festival was a huge deal here. HUGE. Went on for ten days. I think I attended eight of the ten??

Rain or shine, they had a huge turn out every evening.

And, unfortunately, just could never bring myself to snacking on these critters. Maybe next time. :0

I helped the local volunteers with their booth. Lady on the bottom left greeted me with an "I love you" every day.

Another Thai friend, Toon, showed me around some of the gorrrgeous back country via her motor bike.

The pier in Kuraburi, where you can catch a boat to the Surin Islands.

She also took me on a separate day to visit her father's fish farm. Entertaining, to say the least.


Have enjoyed countless fun and delicious meals with locals and tourists. "Aroy mak mak!"

And today. Said goodbye to the kiddies. No fun, but so great getting to know them and feeling like I contributed in some small way. Loved working with Andaman Discoveries and the Muan Mit Thai Foundation.

Off to Thai Mueng tomorrow for another adventure at the "Home and Life" orphanage for a couple of weeks. About a 4 hour bus ride south. Wish me luck!

Shanghai: 23,000,000 plus

2012-01-16T02:13:00.024-07:00

So great to return to the amazing city of Shanghai! Mother and I were greeted at the airport by her high school bff and long time friend, Leanne. Leanne and her family were excellent hosts to us all week- showing us around a city of 23 million, taking us out for delicious eats, sharing their tips and tricks. Lots of shopping, people-watching, and sight seeing. Every day was fantastic.

Xiao Ni, Leanne's cook taught us how to make dumplings! So so delicious. I miss her cooking!

Exhibit A: "Jiaozi".

And since we were in the neighborhood, decided to visit my students from a couple of years ago. So wonderful to reunite.

My classroom, now turned into a dormitory.

Bessie, one of the teachers.

Loved hanging out with Leanne's girls- Margaret and Sage. This is them, utilizing the dry ice remains from our Cold Stone.

Sage baby!

Any good mother shows her child how to urinate in front of a business's entryway.

The Bund- Shanghai's historic district. Leanna took us in the evening for the most spectacular view.

The non existent mirror that I thought was there. oops.

"Get down, cougs."

Preparing to eat the only bad meal of our entire trip. It was dis-gus-ting.

Seeing Suzhou. A beautiful, quaint town of bridges and canals, just a train ride from Shanghai.

We tried lots of street food, which was (usually) delicious! These little crunchies- not so delicious.

Production of the dumplings . . .

I love this photo as well. Such a great trip to the Orient with Mother and the Erich family! So great to share the Chinese experience with Mum. Wo ai ni, Mama!!

Beijing: Arrival in the Orient

2012-01-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

Mama Sayuri and I begin our adventures in Beijing!

Entering the Forbidden City.

Our tour guide Ping showed us around and had great explanation for all of the Forbidden City's symbolism and structure.

Our friend, unhappy that we were snagging photos of him. MSG much??

Beautiful colors, stonework (stonework?), every last detail important and high quality.

Visited the Temple of Heaven after.

And upon leaving ran into a bunch of Sr.'s actively engaged in an intense game of hacky sack. Grunting and all. "Hiiiyah!"

Loved the rough translations.

Also were taking to many factories and demos. The ladies above are showing how a silk comforter is made.

Dr. Tea demo. New favorite drink: Pu-er.

Jade factory.

Time to see the Great Wall! My new bff asked for a photo together.

The Great Wall was absolutely F*R*E*E*Z*I*N*G.

But well worth it! These awesome photos taken by Mum don't even capture it's grandness!

Looking for the hot chocolate stand.

Mama Sayud being tough in the frigidness.

Testing out her new SiPhone. Pretty nifty.

Zai Jian Great Wall, until next time.

See you in May.

2011-12-30T05:46:00.001-07:00

The day has arrived and I cannot believe it.

Time to fulfill another traveling dream and take off for a while.

I am so very fortunate to have the opportunity and cannot wait to see what the next few months have in store.

[Rough itinerary for the next little bit:]

China (1 week)

Thailand (1 month)

India (2 months)

Kenya (2 weeks)

Tanzania (1.5 weeks)

Europe (Undecided and to be determined by the remains of my wallet at that particular point).

Very much excited to share the things I see, taste, encounter, and learn.

Happy New Year to all and a HUGE thanks to all of my friends and family who

have continuously supported my hobbies and passions. Thank. You. So. Much.

With Love,

Brookie Shoko

Merry Christmas Baby

2011-12-29T04:25:00.040-07:00

Christmas vacation was swell! Jake, Mom, Dad and I did the Temple Square visit on Christmas Eve after sushi.

This was their 30th Christmas together. Sweet right?

Also threw a Christmas get together with the one and only Sarah Busk. Congrats to Reagan's recent engagement. Whoo!

Friends.

More Friends.

Perfect turnout.

And a couple of WONDERFUL surprises from the 435.

Hola.

Couple of gems in this photo.

Sr. Class officers reunite!! We also all agreed to wait til the 10 year to have the first reunion. (SWEET.)

Jack loves it when we visit the cabin!

Took a hike with the fam in the snow. Loved it.

Pretty pretty.

Jake was hungry, so I recommended the nearest tree with the most nutrients.


Best part of the holidays- being able to Skype with Elder Foster! We love these Skype family photos.

Semester in "summary".

2011-12-28T02:22:00.000-07:00

This is a lengthy post on events occurring from August until now.

There are several pictures with captions.

My mother took captured many of the photos.

Grazzi, Sayuri.

August: Summer ends (boo), but my sister meets a guy and decides to start a family (yay!).

Her wedding was beautiful. This is us with the rest of her bridesmaids. (In case you hadn't gathered that.)

The appointed Christmas card photo this year.

Did I mention that my family is UTE OBSESSED? My decision to transfer to the U this semester was, needless to say, a good one. This precious photo of the young Foster children is a reflection of our early university influence. Red=Happiness.

Without Sarah, Jocelyn, and Jessica, I would have died this semester. Although though, as pictured, we did want to pull our eyes out more than once. Sarah is pictured on the left, and Jocelyn on the right. (Keep reading for more on them . . .)

Jessica! What a smile.

Just getting comfortable in our second home. Food-check. Whiteboard-check. iPod-check. Larry-check.

And once in a while we DID have some fun. This is at the last game. That we lost. Anyone know of a good kicker??? MUSS= Mighty Utah Student Section. Thus, Jocelyn's oh-so-clever MUSStache!

Enjoying some pre-game traditional grub at HIRES.

Continued hearing lots of great updates from brother Stephen! Who is absolutely loving his mission, btw.

PIE NIGHT! The holidays most definitely kept things upbeat throughout the semester.

I love it when my best friend and her husband come and visit me.

Glad you kept reading, because this photo is of Jocelyn, Sarah, and me outside of the library. Miracles happen.

piepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepiepie

Thanksgiving the next day- oh my. My mother kills it! Every time.
Corriney, Aunt Sheri, Madre, Grandma Japanese, Me,

Chatting with my pops on his couch.

Sayuri got things rolling in the kitchen this fall! Here she is, getting ready to demo some fudge making on 2 News.

She started up a fantastic cooking program at South Fork Hardward in North Salt Lake. She was constantly cooking for some of the classes (allowing me to act as her assistant), and bringing in several others to share the secrets of success in the kitchen. Curt Cutler's cookie class was easily my favorite. A) He is hilarious. B) His family owns Cutler's Cookies! I needn't say more.

Gingerbread cookies with butter cream frosting. Click here if you want the recipe. You're welcome.

The craziest event of this fall: "the" storm. Destruction, power loss, and an incredible amount of uprooted trees.

Sooo many trees destroyed.

Coming home to Mother and a candle lit house? Priceless. Isn't this adorable? It is.

Hanging out with Jake after not seeing each other for literally days at a time.

One of my dearest friends in the world leaves for an 18 month mission. Goodness I miss her.

The disgusting bruise she had the day we said goodbye. You'll have to ask her how she got it.

If you're wondering what a typical night in the Foster home looks like, there you have it.

Jack's been a real good friend to me this semester.

Also, he successfully learned how to use his iPad last month. Gooooooood dog!

A visit up to the cabin with friends for a weekend getaway.

One of the absolute gems I captured that weekend.

I also held two jobs this semester. Job number one: clean a doctor's office five nights a week. The job was super flexible and so convenient for my schedule at the U. This Sobe water bottle was there on my first day and was still being used when I left. I resisted the temptation every day to throw it away and replace it with a new one. Whatevs.

Job number two: hostessing at Settebello Pizzeria. Decent pay and delicccccccious food.

Another female friend has decided to serve a mission! She leaves this spring and will be serving in Vina del Mar, Chile! Took a visit down to P-Rove to say our goodbyes for the next 18 months. There were quite a few lovely photos, but this one was the true reflector of our friendship's reality. Love to you, Nattles.

Christmas Song of the Week #3

2011-12-23T02:10:00.006-07:00

Last year for Christmas, it was one of my hopes to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas performance, yet was unable to go and came home for the holidays just a day late. So, when Grandpa called me a few weeks ago asking if I'd like to see this year's production, I was *t*h*r*i*l*l*e*d*. I literally could not wait and wrote it big and bold on my calendar. It was the happy thought all throughout an extremely stressful finals week. But I won't rant about that (just yet).

The performance was nothing short of spectacular. The set was phenomenal, the symphony amazing, and the choir unbelievable. I lost track of how many times I got the goosebumps. Such a great evening to share with my Grandpa Foster.

If I were to choose any song that had the most depth and meaning to me during Christmas time, it would be The First Noel. And in particular, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's version- arranged by Mack Wilberg. It is simply beautiful. Our concert choir sang this in high school and since then (despite our lack of the MoTab's eloquence and talent) I have loved it every time I hear it. Have a listen.

The First Noel

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

A visit to West Yellowstone. (mostly photos)

2011-12-20T02:20:00.000-07:00


My lovely travel companions. All initially united in our employment up at West. Kind of.


Just a great, cliche photo.

Upset at the fact that someone else is occupying my summer home. Hmph.

Visiting a handful of locals and delivering Christmas cookies! So great to see so many people I love (Mike and Lewis here).

Octavia. (!)

Layla Marie Pool. (!)

What great fortune we had to coincidentally come on the day of the annual Holiday Stroll! It was fun. And freezing.

Doug Durfey. Our co-worker this summer and last.

Jim. One of the first cooks I worked with during my first summer.

Santa Claus. Ho-ho-ho.

Nancy and Adod. Yes, more co-workers. [They = hilarious.]

Dave number 1. My boss this summer.

It wouldn't be a visit to West Yellowstone without seeing my favorite local, Bean.

Island Park. A bit more chilly since the last encounter. On the plus side, the mosquitoes were much less of an issue.

Over the river and through the woods. Back to the car we go. Lovely visit, great time. Miss it up there incredibly.

Christmas Song of the Week #2

2011-12-08T02:30:00.001-07:00

Winter Song

Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson

Not Christmas, technically, but an absolute favorite holiday tune.

On one occasion last winter, I listened to this on repeat for a good three hours straight.

Enjoy.

Library-Lurking Larry

2011-12-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

Remember me mentioning the Library?
Remember me mentioning that I practically live there?
It's a fun thing, seeing who the regulars are. Making up nicknames for them, making new friends.
Fun, fresh, and wholesome.

A couple of months ago, a good friend told me of a "Larry" who frequented our usual area, the third floor. Larry's behavior was executed with such precision and exactness. We were stunned.

Rough layout of the Larry "Classic"
1. Wander the library looking for a table. Even if there are p-l-e-n-t-y of spare tables.
2. Find table occupied with well-groomed solo female.
3. Ask to sit opposite of well-groomed Specimen A.
4. Sit and slowly, yet surely, engage in relentless conversation.
5. Attempt to get numbers, help with homework, throw abstract compliments, etc.
6. Stay until Female A ignores, leaves, or a better "offer" arrives.
7. Process is repeated.

My friends and I were completely intrigued. So intrigued that we began logging Larry's visits on a regular basis. It's also been fun to capture some of his prime moments. Larry "in action". I thought the story and photos appropriate to share with blogging world. Enjoy.

Christmas Song of the Week #1

2011-11-29T00:40:00.000-07:00

All I Want For Christmas Is You

Michael Buble

Joining the bandwagon.

2011-11-21T00:56:00.000-07:00

A lot of people seem to be doing "thankful" posts.
I really like it. It's nice to read what people appreciate and why.
This post goes along with that thankful theme (yet in a much less genuine way).
{Keep reading.}

A few weeks ago I realized something I was truly thankful for as I was driving to school.

While cruising down past the Jr. High I noticed the students on the track doing the run/walk outside. You know- run the long sides, walk the short ones. It made me reminisce on how dumb I thought the run/walk was. I never liked Jr. High gym. Or high school gym. Could I even venture to say I hated it? Hate's pretty strong, so we'll stick with the word dread. I completely DREADED Jr. High gym:

The smells- Did you just wrinkle your nose? So did I. Wearing the uniform was bad enough. But what the instructors failed to anticipate was the rapid decline this rule would put to students wearing clean clothes. Quite frankly, I saw one too many crusty socks being re-used, day after day. We could also call attention to the wafting cloud of Axe deodorant leaving the boys room. g-r-o-s-s.

The sweat- 7th grade, 1st period: Ms. Chipman's physical fitness class. Did I beg my mom to buy me a sweater from Abercrombie and Fitch so that I could look like an absolute BABE on my first day at MPJ? Yes. Did I wake up at the crack of dawn to crimp my hair and maintain the status every day? Yes. Did I sweat during the relentless tae-bo movies and after the once a week mile run? Absolutely. I was appalled that the district would require such a task when I obviously had different plans. What did they expect me to do when 9 minutes was most certainly not enough time to shower and mister hot stuff officer guy was in my next class?? These are the developments of the "hard life" scars I now carry.

The awkwardness- Remember the scoliosis test? (For real!) What could have possibly be more mortifying to a group of gangly, insecure 13 year old girls than having to pull up ones shirt, and be examined. With everyone watching! Tragic. And then there were those weird girls that decided it was the "cool" and "mature" thing to strip down and prance to the showers for a quick rinse. GROSS. I mean, I guess we all did have the same body parts. I was still offended.

So, reverting back to my initial statement, I just wanted to share with the blogging world how truly appreciative I am to be finished with 7th grade gym. What a smelly, sweaty, awkward experience. It's a great time to be thankful.

Hey, same here.

2011-11-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

Song of the day.

2011-11-15T00:40:00.001-07:00

"Only Love Can Break Your Heart"

Neil Young

Thank You, Nordstrom

2011-11-08T01:01:00.001-07:00

Let us not forget to focus on one of the BEST holidays of the year. Indeed, a day that surpasses Halloween, April Fools, St. Patrick's Day, Valentines Day, the 4th of July, New Years Eve, Kwanzaa, Veteran's Day, you name it- THANKSGIVING. Enough said. Thanks a million, Nordstrom.

Happy Halloweekend

2011-10-30T16:01:00.001-06:00

My new-found friend Aaron let me borrow this costume for party time last night. Pretty legit huh? I've always wanted to be an OB/GYN (psych), so the get-up turned out to be great practice!

The father of this child was thrilled to take him home after another successful delivery.

Colby hated my costume. But it was great to see him. You should see his dog- he's even cuter.

Jocelyn (Wendy's poster girl here on the right), my DEAR friend Jocelyn invited us to her party. This is during the introduction of mutual friends, blah blah yadda yadda. You know how that goes.

Me, Jocelyn, and Sarah. Hanging out off of campus! (Sarah is a pumpkin for the 7th year in a row.)

Some peeps we bumped into.

This is Andrew. We sometimes share a study table together at school. Drew lives for soccer and was thrilled beyond measure about the Real Salt Lake 3-0 win last night. He also looks identical to Brandon Beck, an old neighborhood acquaintance.

And, to end an eventful evening we stopped at the Pie. Yumm. Happy Halloween everyone. Make sure to trick-or-treat in groups and don't forget to check your caramel apples for razor blades. Buh-bye now.

Am I the only one who thinks this is strange?

2011-10-26T01:21:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the J. Willard Marriott Library, where I spend a good chunk of my young-adult life nowadays. It's a fantastic library- nice architecture, newly renovated, good study spaces, you know. I love libraries. I think everyone does. After transferring to the University of Utah (Did I fail to mention I transferred from USU? Oops.) this was the first building I was excited to check out. And like I mentioned, everything's great about it. With one exception . . .

THIS. What the on earth is this all about? Now you're probably thinking, "Cooool, a room with some funky looking chairs." Which is why I will now be so kind as to direct your beady little eyes to the windows. It may be difficult to see from this photo, but there is basically nothing in front of these big transparent windows- just long gray walls of cement.

It's silly, right? Why do I even care? I just do. Probably because on a daily basis I see dozens of people sitting in these chairs (all facing the window). It's as if there's this great view, or something. But there's not.

My one and only possible consensus: people enjoy sleeping facing simple, gray, glassy structures. Or just not facing other people. I still have yet to participate in the mass staring of the cement wall. Wish me luck.

And why not throw in another photo? It's quite nice.

Fall Break: Rio Mesa Center

2011-10-18T16:17:00.002-06:00

The beloved fall break has already come and gone. All of my potential plans I concocted previous months slowly fell apart. So, I decided to see if the Bennion Center had anything planned- sure enough, they did! The Rio Mesa Center is a property near Moab in Southeastern Utah that is currently being leased to the U for ten years. Our objective in spending time down there was to complete/continue a series of projects that fall and spring break groups have been working on for a few years now. The photo above shows our "home sweet home" for the week. The Rio Mesa center is on a gorrrgeous piece of land.

This is the group. Twenty six of us total. Lots of foreign students. Lots of new friends- I didn't know any of these peeps before. And look at us here- one big happy family.

This is Kate. Kate and her husband Hau (pronounced Ho) are earth-loving to a T. They are married, met while working as park rangers (Bryce Canyon I believe?), and currently run the Rio Mesa Center.

This is Hau, the one I mentioned above. Here he is, demonstrating his favorite technique for slot canyon maneuvering.

This is Tim. Tim is THE man. Time lives in Moab and does research on bugs and critters. Tim has a mite named after him.

Tim also took the time (approximately 30 minutes) to inform us on the details of the red-spotted frog. And yes, if you were wondering, the spots contain venom. Yikes!

More lecturing on mites. From a beautiful lookout point.

One of the most comical portions of the trip- working our way through Moab country in Mini Vans. Hi-la-rious.

What better way to stay warm during a 30 degree evening than by huddling around a campfire??

Me and Go-Un (not quite sure of the proper spelling), working on ditch digging. We (as in everyone) also cleared a trail and completed the on-site solar showers.

A large chunk of the week was occupied with various guest speakers. We discussed topics from birding, to light pollution, to archeology, to honey. The honey presentation was my personal fav. (surprise surprise). There were a good 15 samples of local honey products that I tasted. I ended up enjoying a darker honey called Dudley's Mystery. I'm usually not one that's too big on honey, but mmmm this was good.

And, naturally, I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to taste the actual honeycomb!

Normally, I'd probably be disgusted by the idea of 30 plus people poking their digits into this tray for a taste. But because I was camping, this seemed to be a great idea!

So, the week was great. I met a lot of quality people, the weather was wonderful, and we completed our projects within the week that we were there. I was so proud of some of the other volunteers- for a lot of them it was their first time camping (gasp). Some of them really enjoyed the aspects of a camping week, and others not so much. It made me think about my Dad, the person I can credit most all of my love for camping and the outdoors to. I remember my first backpacking trip- I was seven and begged him to let me come on the trip. He finally told me I could come if I was willing to work hard. So many of my best memories come from the many trips camping and backpacking while growing up. Thanks LGF!

Corriney and I, just loving life. What a chunk I was.

On the first (or one of the first) backpacking outings. I love this photo.

Do you want a free (FREE) KitchenAid? Read this post.

2011-10-09T02:01:00.000-06:00

Alright peeps. I'm sure you're wondering one of a few things:

A) Is this a joke? Do I really have a chance at somehow attaining a FREE KitchenAid?

B) How would a young lass such as yourself acquire such a wondrous kitchen appliance and slap the word FREE in front of it?

C) What is a KitchenAid?

D) HOW? WHERE? WHY? WHO?

Answers to the above:

A) No, this is not a joke. This is for real. My Mother (aka abountifulkitchen) is doing a giveaway for a beautiful-brand-spanking-new KitchenAid! This giveaway is generously brought to you by South Fork Hardware. As of lately, Mother has organized cooking classes at South Fork Hardware on various dates throughout the month for only $10 per class! If you're living in Davis County or near, make sure to check out the *NEW* schedule for cooking classes in the beautiful, all Viking kitchen facility at South Fork Hardware in North Salt Lake, Utah.
(More info here.)

B) See answer A.

C) If you don't know what a KitchenAid is, we are no longer friends.

D) You can enter the drawing for the (FREE) KitchenAid Giveaway by doing one, two, three, four, or five of the following:
                    -Become a follower of abountifulkitchen and leave a comment on THIS post.
                    -Go to THIS LINK and "like" South Fork Hardware Cooks on Facebook.
                    -Tweet about this giveaway.
                    -Blog about this giveaway.
                    -Facebook about this giveaway.

Leave a separate comment on THIS blog post for each of the following that you complete above. Easy as pie? I thought so. Best of luck my friends.

I'm With You

2011-10-06T18:59:00.000-06:00

If by chance you were wondering, the Red Hot Chili Peppers released their new album at the end of this summer: "I'm With You". I've wanted to blog about the album for quite some time. But I really wanted to pick apart the album. You know, just listen to it a million times until I really reaaally figured out which songs were THE best. So here are my top three:

Police Station

Even You Brutus?

Happiness Loves Company

Someone's great idea.

2011-09-29T16:26:00.001-06:00

I like this.

Why do I like it so much?

Is it because I'm a planner? A person who is CONSTANTLY thinking ahead to the future?

[We're talking multiple times a day. Many minutes. Sometimes hours.]

Is it because I enjoy the thought of happy futures?

Or simply because I enjoy the concept of deriving benefits from hard work?

Still trying to put my finger on it . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .

Wallah: I enjoy this quote so much because of the motivation it brings.

Motivation, people. Something I truly can lack in the lull of a semester.

GRADES are my future.

An so this continues:

SOUND RELATIONSHIPS are my future

FAMILY is my future.

X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS is my future

SATISFACTION with previous decisions is my future

THE KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUT I ate for breakfast is my future.

MY THOUGHTS are influential on my future.

Do something today that your future self will thank you for.

Simple enough.

Reason #38 as to why you should move back home.

2011-09-27T13:53:00.000-06:00

Fashion inspiration and insight from younger siblings.

But really- it's been great, spending time with my "little" brother.

(Since I've moved back to the B-town. )

I'll expand more on that later.

Cheers.

"How to Become Disillusioned with Finding Love"

2011-09-15T16:23:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure how or where, but quite some time ago, I discovered a blogger. "I am Fickle Cattle" is the name of his blog. He maintains a very liberal, opinion-filled, entertaining blog. Fickle Cattle is an extremely talented writer. I so appreciate a good writer. My sister is such a beautiful writer. I wish she would blog more (ahem). Anyway........

He wrote a post today. Entertaining and interesting.
This is me, re-posting the entire thing.
Many thanks, Fickle Cattle.

How to Become Disillusioned with Finding Love
Written by: Fickle Cattle
<ficklecattle.blogspot.com>

Watch Hollywood romantic movies. Believe that everyone has a one true love. Etch into your soul the conviction that you will find that one guy who will inevitably accept you for everything that you are. Who will love you unconditionally and without question.

Create a list of the qualities the love of your life must have. Set high standards. Reach for the stars. He must be tall, handsome, brooding and mysterious. Intelligent and quirky. Wealthy. He must go to the gym regularly. He must have dimples dotting his face when he smiles. His hair must fall a certain way all the time.

Envision showing him off to your friends and telling them how you fell in love with him because of his lovable personality, or because of how good a person he is. How you fell in love with the way he laughed. Or touched your hand. Or played with your baby sister. Or any other quirky little habit that remind people of how cute he is. Subtly insert a few anecdotes that show how great in the sack he can be.

Know that you don’t need to tell them how impossibly handsome, intelligent, and wealthy he is; they would see that for themselves. Imagine seeing your friends’ eyes widen with envy.

Stamp down any notion that there might be something wrong with you. That’s impossible. Remind yourself that you are perfect, or as close to it as anyone can be. You deserve this, and you deserve someone like him. Cosmopolitan said so, and it can’t be wrong.

Go out on date after date after date. Constantly be disappointed. Rejection, both rejecting and being rejected, makes you cynical. Build up walls. Surround yourself with the emotional equivalent of a moat. Insult people, and point out how they can never live up to your standards. Stop dating. Or date with the knowledge that these people will only prove why you are better off single in the first place.

Watch Hollywood romantic movies only so you can make contemptuous comments on the stupidity of their plot. Smile patronizingly at friends who believe in a one true love. Remind yourself that it doesn’t exist. That it couldn’t exist. That its existence would imply that there might be something wrong with you. And that couldn’t be true. Convince yourself that you like being alone. No, that you love being alone. That you don’t feel lonely, and that whatever hole you feel in your life can be filled up by friends and family. Sleep at night with the nagging sentiment that you are missing something, and hope for the best that things will be better in the morning.

Here's something tender.

2011-09-12T15:43:00.002-06:00

"They're In Love, Where Am I?"

The Weepies

[Feel free to disregard the stick figure video.]

Another Earth

2011-09-06T01:09:00.000-06:00

I saw the trailer for Another Earth a few nights ago. (Every couple months or so I indulge in a late night of watching movie trailers- it's fun.) Another Earth looked quite interesting. The idea and concept of essentially having another you exist on an earth #2 was thought provoking. Also, I fell completely in love with the song on the trailer [That Home by the Cinematic Orchestra].

Today, Mother, Jake, and I decided to see this flick- they were interested as well after showing them the trailer. Another Earth was a Sundance Film Festival award winner. In other words, the only theatre playing it in Salt Lake City was the Broadway Centre Theatre downtown.

The movie was nothing short of bizarre. Definitely glad that we brought the 15 year old brother for this one. So many uncomfortable moments I wanted to laugh at, but couldn't, and then did because Jacob initiated for me. My beloved trailer ended up being completely misleading. The plot was aggravating, the "twist" in the movie was absolutely horrific, and Mother while walking to the car identified the movie as "gross, morbid, disgusting, etc."

On a more positive note, I did enjoy a lot of things about it. The acting was superb, and the emotion was absolutely tangible. I wish it would have taken a different dynamic from the initial plot... Can't say much more. Wouldn't want to give it away. (You're welcome)

"What would you say to yourself if you could meet yourself?"
"There's another you out there. . . Now you begin to wonder: has the other me made the same mistakes I've made?
And is that me better than this me?"

These fantastic one-liners gave me a few things to think about.

Would I be more pleased or disappointed to see myself and the way I've conducted my life?
Would I be happy or annoyed with the people I chose to admire and associate with?
Would I be satisfied or embarrassed with the way I treated others?
Am I living remotely close to my potential?

This film was an absolute acid trip: C+ or B- . . . Can't decide.

What happened this summer.

2011-08-30T19:02:00.000-06:00

Thoughts
School began last week. Monday. Drove back from West Yellowstone that morning. Good gravy the summer flew by. Just as always, I was devastated to leave. Happy to kiss goodbye 80 hour work weeks but so sad to say farewell to so many people I care about. Onto the next.

Work
Work was good. Day shifts in the Saloon. Lots of encounters with locals during this day shift. Just loved the clientele, wearing whatever I wanted that day, and eating lots and lots and lots of pizza. Night shift at the Bar N Ranch was rather nice as well. My first experience waitressing in a fine dining environment. It was nice to work at a place where the food at the restaurant was truly the priority. The restaurant I served at was gorgeous. Brand spanking new cabin-esque building decorated with all sorts of taxidermied animals (think Cabellas). Commuting to Utah a few times a month also was also a large part of the summer. Pulling into Logan at 3 a.m. (or later) became normal, and orientation at USU was a blast- i especially enjoyed getting to know the others on the orientation staff. Did not especially enjoying the 6 a.m. wake up after 2 or 3 hours of sleep.

Free Time
Hiking, swimming at Hebgen Lake, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, boating, cruising through the park, biking, you name it. Managed to also take a few moments at the Three Bear outdoor pool. Does it pay to have connections? It does.

Personas
Lots of visitors from back home. Absolutely loved this. Why is it- that we can see someone back home or where we've met them, and it's nothing special. But the minute we cross paths in a different location or setting it's the happiest thing on earth? I do not know. But the phenomenon I just described was a recurring event this summer. Friends and family constantly saying hello or meeting up with me. It was great. Also had the opportunity to meet many many people. Tourists- the absolute bulk of my interactions. Co-workers and locals occupied most of my spare time. Became extremely close with many and found much satisfaction through good conversation, various outings, etc. The only bad thing about this remains a constant- goodbye is always just around the corner. Bleh.

This summer as compared to others
The best. More difficult in some ways but overall a top notch summer. Excellent living accommodations with one of my closest friends, an appreciation better than previous summers for the gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous outdoors, a full summer to utilize the cruiser, more familiar faces, less early morning shifts, a fresh fruit stand on the corner, and many many a good times.

And the random assortment of photos that I had to throw in there.

Our friends/co-workers were wed this summer. Melissa and I decided to join in the festivities.

This is the view from the restaurant I worked at.

This is a photo of my thumb after I decided to cut the better half of the top off (slicing limes).

I LOVE Island Park. Dear friend Joseph and I canoed down this beauty not too long ago.

Spending just enough time to get that Vitamin D. Ahem.

I missed Jack. Mosely was my step-puppy for the summer.

Meleesa.

Brett and Diane's fam. We met up for church and dinner at Old Faithful.

Harold and Kaari's fam. Enjoying breakfast at Bar N Ranch. (Delicious)

Trying to look somewhat conscious at orientation.

I. Love. Hebgen.

Gearing up for my 2nd attempt at wakeboarding.

Cal is amazing. This was my attempt at photographing one of his many tricks.

Learning that I could get up and stay up for longer than .5 seconds. Success!

Melissa- picking it up like it's nothing. Her athleticism- impeccable.

Awwwwwwwwwwww.

Drying off in the sun. Before Parker decided to push me in the water (again).

Saying farewell to Bean, my favorite local.

Sunrise off Denny Creek Road. Until next time, Montana.

I love MT.

2011-08-04T00:04:00.001-06:00

Jacob, my brother.

2011-07-08T10:28:00.001-06:00

I love this gem found via photobooth.

Filmed about two years ago.

Electric Light Orchestra

2011-06-30T12:47:00.000-06:00

I have a new favorite band.
The ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA.
Also known as ELO.
Fantastic music.
Album favorites:
Evil Woman
All Over the World
Don't Bring Me Down
Turn To Stone (Looove the violin in this one)
Livin' Thing (This one is fun for the summer time)
Telephone Line (This one kind of makes me sad but I love the vocals in it)

A lot of favorites right?
It is a GREAT album.
And that, my friends, is what happens when you walk into Barnes and Noble,
With every intention of purchasing a gift for someone else.
Cheers.

Bear Lake, Birthday, and Such

2011-06-08T18:42:00.001-06:00

Have I mentioned yet that I am working here and there in Logan this summer? It's great. I'm part of the orientation team for USU. Each month I come down from Montana a few times and join 40 others in educating incoming freshman on USU policies, procedures, blah, blah, blah. But really it has been a great time. Last week we took a three day retreat to Bear Lake. Huzzah.

The peeps at the lake were super sweet and snuck in a cake for my twenty first birthday. Everyone made it a fun and memorable day for me. I also took a few hours the day before to hang out with the family down at the home forter. Mother, of course, made a delicccious "Brookie Cookie" and strawberry cake in honor of my birth. We also celebrated by eating out at Red Iguana in Salt Lake and having some random friends over for dessert. People were extremely thoughtful all day sending texts, facebook messages, cards, making phone calls, you name it.

Bear Lake was gorgeous. After an overload of social-ness I took a sever of time for myself one morning and attempted capturing a bit of the beautiful scenery surrounding us.

And driving back to West. The sunset- UN. BE. LIEVABLE. But honestly this photo doesn't even come close. I caught myself pulling over and snapping photos three or four times. Beautiful.

Yellowstone: Back in the Saddle

2011-05-22T21:30:00.000-06:00


Back in West Yellowstone for my third summer. It love it here more each time.

Grant, Melissa, Melissa, and I spent an evening in the park.

This is Grant. He is a local.

Enjoying the view from Canyon.

Best part of this photo- Melissa and Melissa prancing in the background.

Still waiting for the snow to melt up in these parts.

Yellowstone Lake.

Laughter.

Getting some ice cream from the Old Faithful Inn. Cheers.

This was a good semester.

2011-05-06T01:34:00.000-06:00

It snowed a lot. I like the snow. Isn't it pretty?

I cooked more of my mother's recipes.

Did I ever walk up this sucker? Every day.

Spring Break in Mexico. Huzzah.

The Blue Cottage. My humble abode for the semester. Moving out tomorrow.

School. Friends. Good grades (hopefully).

Japan relief efforts.

Good drives, good conversations, good company.

New eats. New thoughts. I love diners.

Reuniting with Diana (galpal from Europa).

The semester flew. FLEW. "Busy busy."

Mormon convention with cousin Ty.

Worst of the worst this semester: my bedroom's buzzing fluorescent light. Ick.

My best friend in the whole world weds her high school sweetheart, Braden.

Spring. Finally. Enjoyed the outdoors to their fullest this week.

Breakfast at the Original Pancake house with the female friendlies.

Instructing Nattles on how to reunite with I-15.

Mother's Doing a Giveaway!

2011-05-03T09:53:00.000-06:00

So as I'm sure most of you are aware, I have a mother. Aka Si. Aka Abountifulkitchen. She runs a fabulous site full of recipes, photos, etc. And in honor of Mother's Day she's doing a fabulous giveaway.

All you need to do:
Visit her website- abountifulkitchen.com
Leave a comment on her most recent post-
[What you love about your mom or being a mom.]
"Followers" can submit two entries.
Winner announced Wednesday. That's tomorrow.
Cheers.

She's giving away this cookbook.

And these chocolates (Mrs. Cavanaugh's- yum-oh)

And some cute cloth napkins.

BREAKING NEWS

2011-05-01T21:07:00.003-06:00

"Osama bin Laden is dead, CNN's John King reported Sunday night, citing sources. President Barack Obama is to address the nation momentarily regarding bin Laden's death." . . . Unbelievable.

I found a blog post that broke my heart.

2011-04-16T14:35:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Letters Between Lovers
(The Things We Leave Unsaid)
By Ashley Shaw

Danny,

It is sunny here,

But not as warm as expected.

Dusty yellow rays bounce off

The shiny red paint

On my car,

But I still shiver.

I never realized how

Cold it could be

In Florida

-Leslie

Leslie,

I, too, am cold.

~~But for a different reason.~~

~~I miss you.~~

~~I wish you would come home.~~

~~I can still hear your tentative footsteps~~

~~Walking through our bedroom.~~

~~It still smells like gardenia,~~

~~Even though all of the flowers~~

~~Have died.~~

It is brisk here.

~~Love,~~

-Danny

Danny,

Yes, I am aware of your brisk temperatures.

~~Like the cold tone of your letter.~~

I made it to the beach today

And let my toes drift lazily

Against the water's edge.

I wore my black bikini.

~~The one we picked out together~~

~~In one of those little stores on the~~

~~Jersey boardwalk.~~

~~I caught men staring at my~~

~~Rounded bottom.~~

~~I don't know why I'm telling you this.~~

I chased the seagulls

Into the foaming surf.

It's so beautiful here.

~~But I still long for home.~~

I hope you are keeping occupied.

-Leslie

Leslie,

I am keeping busy.

~~To distract myself from~~

~~Thoughts of your hair~~

~~And toes and skin and shoulders~~

~~And scent.~~

~~I feel your ghost in each~~

~~Breath I take, and~~

~~I keep thinking I see you~~

~~Out of the corner of my eye,~~

~~Your lips stretched into a smile.~~

~~It was so rare to see you smile~~

~~During the past few months.~~

~~I wish you were here.~~

Yes, I'm very busy.

-Danny

Danny,

I'm having my lawyer send up the papers.

Please sign them at your earliest convenience.

~~Why couldn't you just talk to me?~~

~~We could have resolved this.~~

I'm sorry it worked out this way.

~~Why didn't you just~~

~~Love me?~~

-Leslie

Leslie,

The papers are signed.

~~I'm sorry.~~

~~I wish I could have fixed this,~~

~~But I know~~

~~I could never be what you need.~~

~~I wish I could tell you~~

~~How much I love you,~~

~~How much I long for you,~~

~~How late I stay awake each night~~

~~Just thinking of your eyes,~~

~~But some things are~~

~~Better left~~

~~Unsaid.~~

-Danny

- - -

Post found via StumbleUpon at Daily Love.

Add this song to your newest playlist.

2011-04-10T19:51:00.000-06:00

"Brackett Wi"

Bon Iver

An easy swing had its time shouldered
Slow bending axe
Now it's a photo framed
The swing hasn't had it

And here we are rebuilding roads
Right by roosting towns
It's just like the love
The one that's never been enough

So I'm counting on your fingers
'Cause you've reattached the twitch
And if you want opinion
I will die along the ditches

And every summer is a hot token
To the cold, cold take of lust
And every autumn singes
With the business of sadness

Friend had it wrong they see
Honey let it burn
And the curve in the county
Is never served

So I'm counting on your fingers
'Cause you've reattached the twitch
And if you want opinion
I will die along the ditches

I post too many photos.

2011-04-07T00:28:00.001-06:00

And it's been a while since I've just written.

LATELY
-An overall consumption of peanut butter concoctions and hard boiled eggs.
-A desire to be completely in or completely out of a relationship. I just can't stand the millions of middle phases. Shades of grey (you know). Date me or not, hate me or love me. I'd rather be doing homework than talking or text-messaging if I know you aren't into this (me). I am not one to waste my time, feelings, or opportunities. Alright?
-Another letter from my brother in the MTC. He is doing great.
-A new favorite film: Source Code. Suspenseful, emotional, catchy.
-Zumba once or twice a week.
-Five new ideas on how to leave this country and where to go from there.

TODAY
-A moment of relief as a peer offered me her extra scan-tron when I realized I had forgotten to purchase my own on a test day. Eek.
-One of the best two-hour naps I have enjoyed in a while.
-Dinner in the front seat of my car. This, for some reason, is something I really enjoy.
-A pep talk from one of my professors.
-An opportunity to hold a human heart, observe, and memorize.
-A very messy bedroom. Are you surprised? No.

IDEALLY
-Brooke Shoko, College graduate. I wish to be a working woman.
-A bungalow with a nice porch. I will own the residence and have one or two room mates. It will have a nice lawn, porch chairs, and a vegetable garden. I will pay the neighbor boy down the street to mow the lawn and scoop the dog waiste (refer to next bullet). My dad avoided teaching me how to mow the lawn growing up. It was a work opportunity he wanted to reserve for my brothers.
-Own a dog. A bigger dog. Maybe a Lab. Some dog that will be my best friend, go on walks with me, chill with me in the kitchen, and be there when I get home from work. I will, by the way, have the coolest job someday. I will make a reasonable living and enjoy being independent.

REALISTICALLY
-My social life, happiness, and complexion have suffered from scholastic stressors.
-I should be sleeping. Resting my brain, emotions, and spirit. I couldn't fall asleep and so after surfing the internet, attempting to watch GLEE for the first time (which lasted five minutes), and logging onto Skype, I decided to blog.
-Realistically I should have died in three car accidents by now and be nearing the end of my Junior year in college. I am still alive. I am also completing the end of my Sophomore year. Let the good times roll.

BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS
-Life is good.
-I have enjoyed the little things.
-This blog post was effective in that I most likely roll to one side and be out within seconds.
-Thank you.

Hari Krishnah: Festival of Colors 2011

2011-04-05T15:20:00.002-06:00

The Colors.

The temple.

The destruction.

The mass numbers of people.

The liveliness.

The familiar faces.

The group.

Amatuer Photography Shoot #1

2011-03-24T15:17:00.009-06:00

If you haven't noticed by now, I love photography. Am I even close to legitimate? Certainly not. Do I enjoy it? Immensely. This is my good friend. We'll call him James Dean. He just opened a lookbook account so we took advantage of today's overcast lighting and had a small photo shoot.

Enjoy.

Spring Break Highs and Lights

2011-03-19T19:04:00.002-06:00

Beautiful beaches, snorkeling, reading, laying, beach volleyball.

The most delicious mango(s) I have ever partaken of.

The sweetest child we found by the beach.

Sibling love. They pulled hair over that map.


Hostel Rio Playa. Included 12 room mates from all sorts of everywhere.

Guacamole with every meal.

New friends.

More new friends.

Dan's sunburn: the brunt of most jokes all week.

Long walks on the beach.

Pico, tortillas, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, you name it. All delicious. Mostly authentic.

A lovely 10 hour layover each way.

And to end the trip on a good note, some ideal people watching in Dallas.

Spring. Break. Can. Cun.

2011-03-08T00:47:00.024-07:00

Freshman year spring break: St. George.

Sophomore year spring break: San Diego.

Sophomore year (part two) spring break:

Can flipping Cun.

Beach

Guacamole

Sunshine

Collectivos

Tan lines

Shorts

Reading

Classmates

Swimming

Meetings

Spanish

Piña (ahem)

Foreigners

Sandals

Sunburn

Airport

Dancing

Pesos

Photos

Siestas

SPF

Fiestas

Tacos

Life is great.

Responding to Strangers

2011-03-07T00:34:00.001-07:00

My written response to Elder Bond:

Dear: Elder Logan James Bond,

In all of my twenty years of living life you are the first Mormon missionary who has taken the time to write me. The smell of your envelope was enough to seduce me right away. And . . . from the sounds of it you're everything I want/need in a man: smart, Mormon, increeedibly handsome, confident, great with kids. Elder, I can't wait for our relationship to blossom and see what the next two years will bring us. Until 2013 though. Just continue to work hard, and when days get rough keep in mind that you have a (future) wife and kids at home.

Yours eternally, Brooke Shoko Foster

Post Script: I took the liberty of enclosing my own self portrait. Enjoy.

Brooke Shoko's self portrait. I'm considering a frame?

Eagerly awaiting his reply . . .

Letters From Strangers

2011-03-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Brother on mission. Brother has companion on mission. Brooke has mailbox. Letter in mailbox for Brooke. Letter from brother's companion on brother's mission. It reads:

Dearest Brooklyn,

I currently have the privilege of rooming with your beloved brother, Stephen. First off, let me say that your handwriting is fantastic. You must really work on your penmanship. You don't know me, but I felt like, from the moment I saw your picture, that I've know you my entire life. My name is Elder Logan James Bond, and yes, that is my real last name. If you really like it, wait two years and it's all yours. Your brother has given me his blessing to pursue my endeavor in the courtship of his most beautiful sister. I know what you're thinking, what did you do to deserve such an honor? But let's not focus on that now, when we have the rest of our lives to discuss such frivolous topics. I'm sure your next inquiry is what does your knight in shining armour look like? Well let me leave you with an enclosed self-portrait that I hope you find pleasing to your eyes. Two years sounds like a long time to wait now, but it is not a large price to pay for eternal happiness. I hope that as you continue to write me while I am on my mission, that our relationship will continue to grow as we develop those emotional bonds that will keep our future temple covenants strong and alive between us. I await your reply and your enclosed photo that I may hang up in my room, that I may always view it and be reminded to make you proud as I serve the Lord and the people of Bolivia. I wish you the best of luck in your studies. Don't let your thoughts of me distract your work.

With much love, Elder Bond.

Elder Bond's self portrait.

Unknown: Take Back Your Life

2011-02-22T20:38:00.001-07:00

Not too long ago, I was glued to my computer, watching movie trailer after trailer. "Unknown" popped up. "Hmmm Liam Neeson. Hmmm punch line reads 'take back your life'. Let's check it out." The trailer was great. The movie was better. Incredibly suspenseful, great acting, set in Berlin, mind-boggling plot, rapid. Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Would most definitely recommend. If you happen to bump into my Dad let him know that this is one he'd like. Overall grade: B+

Farewell Elder

2011-02-16T20:13:00.003-07:00

Today. A tad different from normal days. Last October my brother Stephen was called to serve a mission for the LDS church in Puebla, Mexico. The call was opened early October and he finally entered the Missionary Training Center today. It wasn't easy and I doubt it will get easier but the whole experience was appreciated and spiritual. The last few days went something like this: Farewell on Sunday, last family dinner Tuesday night, getting set apart, temple early this morning, lunch as a family, and dropping him at the curb with one last goodbye. Lots of tears, emotions, whatnots. But I'm so extremely proud of him and his decision to serve. He will be excellent and hardworking. His special talents will serve him well these next two years. I'll miss my brother but as my great friend Nattles loves to say, "It's not goodbye, it's see you later." Best of luck Steve-Guy-French-Fry.

Jake and Jack enjoying our Mexican decor.

Last family meal at California Pizza. The guac and chips appetizer? Meager.

"We are fa-mi-ly. I got all my sisters and me."

Bittersweet. Is there a better word?

Final snapshot before heading in.

What Would Be [that isn't]

2011-02-10T10:38:00.001-07:00

If I weren't six feet tall I'd date short boys
If I weren't brunette I wouldn't care as much about being tan
If I weren't realistic I'd have dreams that I could fly
If I weren't mormon I'd most likely drink coffee
If I weren't so busy I'd take up guitar and tennis
If I weren't an American I'd probably complain about Americans
If I weren't in Logan I would be wearing less layers
If I weren't a pianist I'd be a cellist
If I weren't in Utah I'd be in Montana
If I weren't poor I'd drink an Odwalla juice every day
If I weren't a student I would be working full time
If I weren't so blunt and opinionated I'd probably have more friends
If I weren't in school I'd buy a dog
If I weren't a foodie I would be in better shape
If I weren't a girl I'd wear pants to church and be a lawyer
If I weren't so unflexible I'd do the Chinese splits every day
If I weren't single I wouldn't have endured so many blind dates
If I weren't my father's child I wouldn't feel so bad about not going to the U
If I weren't 20 I would attend concerts at the depot
If I weren't American I would be Dutch
If I weren't Brooke I would have been named Natalie
If I weren't studying speech-language pathology I'd be studying music therapy
If I weren't the second child I might not have taken up piano
If I weren't so independent I'd probably rely more on others
If I weren't so lengthy I couldn't eat as much
If I weren't my mother's child I would most likely enjoy the Olive Garden
If I weren't an older sister I'd have shoveled more snow and hauled more things
If I weren't so worried I'd sell insulation
If I weren't only 20 I could work at the gas station
If I weren't so sentimental I'd have less junk
If I weren't from this era I'd be from the 50's

Goodbye and Goodbye

2011-02-02T00:58:00.002-07:00

Sister missionaries.
Just as most of my male friends have decided to come home a large majority of my female friends have decided to leave. Jennifer Frost: blonde, bubbly, room mate of two semesters, just great. Serving a mission in New Zealand. Her farewell was this Sunday. She is dying to leave. I am dying for her to have these experiences. Laurel Skye Simkins: brunette, feisty, room mate of one summer, amazing. Serving a mission in Italy. Her farewell was also this sunday. She leaves tomorrow. And also called me today to basically say goodbye for a year and a half. Boo. Still, however, stoked for all of the incredible moments they'll have these next couple of years.

Draper, Utah temple.

We decided to snap a few "friendly friend" photos before Jen's farewell.

Jen and Nat.

Jennifer and Madison.

Contos and Frosty.

Melissa and Jen. Seeing the trend?

Myself. Jenself.

Bye bye Laurel.

Side note.

Don't even worry that the average temperature in Cache Valley was a toasty
seven degrees today. At approximately 10 p.m. room mate Kelli and I caught
our basement bunkmates chilling around a campfire for nearly an hour. Burr.

Kelli heating the kettle. We love a good Stephen's hot chocolate.

Shoko Has a New Favorite Song

2011-01-25T20:46:00.001-07:00

Surgery Week

2011-01-17T17:40:00.001-07:00

Last year over the break. Wisdom teeth removal. No. Fun. I
vowed to have a surgery free Christmas break for 2010-11.

Today: Post surgery follow up appointment. Sinus surgery.
For years now I've had numerous sinus infections non-stop
from the months of November til anywhere around April. A
couple weeks ago it was decided that my infection days were
over. The operation was a little over an hour. As you can see
from the photo above, they had all sorts of terrain to clear out.
Areas A, B, and C were gutted and widened. They removed
the infection, polyps, and all sorts good stuff via nasal cavity.

Within minutes after waking up, I (apparently) requested
Mother's shades because the lights were too bright.

The gauze is a nice touch, I know. Fortunately it only had
to stay for one whole day. My life for 4.5 days: Eat, medicate,
sleep, eat, medicate, sleep. Over and over. Began to feel a
bit worthless after a couple days of this . . .

Annd after a lovely restroom break found this metalic surprise
stuck to my upper thigh.

Looking.

Good.

Brother Stephen was also having physical difficulties.
Bye bye tonsils. Hello couch fest.

The Surgical Center's new poster child. Pre-surg.

Post-surg. Ouch.

Jack, fulfilling his loyal dog duties. Happy to have my system
cleared. Happy to be off the percocet and back to normal life.

Good Times 2010

2011-01-03T00:50:00.002-07:00

Back to Logan. Missed it. Lots of good learning experiences. Lots of
great new friends and good times.

Spring Break 2010 at San Dee with Kynzie, Melissa the Marshall, and Laurel.
Sun, wind, good food, and one encounter with a young lad from Germany.

Spending time up at the family cabin in Kamas. They have some great little
finds up in that area. This is when my cousins from Washington came to
visit. We had sandwiches and shakes at this diner for lunch. Yum.

The lovely women of PV35. Minus Peanut. Jen and her crossfit. Melissa and
her never getting sleep. Madison and her stories about Katelyn. Kynzie and
her . . . ahem, "dance". Kynzie is married now, by the way. It happens.

Back to Montana. Terribly missing this place at the moment. This is the
Geyser Grill. Have worked there previously. Made it a home with (at one
point) 6 others this summer. See the window at the top left? My room. You
could even access the "deck" from crawling out the window. Lovely right?

Stephen Covey's family hired me to clean some giant cabin of theirs out by
Denny Creek Road. I took this photo one morning while headed out there.
Gorgeous.

Wild West Pizzeria. One of my three jobs in West Yell. My absolute favorite
job this summer. Grant (as pictured) and I worked a few nights together each
week. We also made shift meals together and shared. This here is my first
pizza I concocted. Yummah.

Right in time for 4th of July-ness my family did another great shindig down
in the land of Mexico. Oh by the way my brother's moving there in Feb. For
two years. 24 months. However you see it. And as you can see he's going to
blend right in. No clue where we are in this photo but rest assured knowing
that we had a great time.

Barcelo Maya. We love this resort.

Hermanas :)

Also snagged the cutest black lab EVER and brought him home. Jack is
great. Jack is (now) huge. Jack thinks he is human. Tonight I taught him
what "tupperware" and "iPad" mean.

And the long anticipated moment: leaving for Spain! This is me: fresh,
excited, at the top of my game. About to endure some major jet lag.

This photo is a little close. Oh well. Mother came and visited. Two incredible
weeks in Spain, Italy, and France. Probably the best trip of my life thus far.

Paris. France. City of lights.

Came home from Spain. The siblings were thankfully here. Corrine arranged
a fun photo shoot before Christmas. She gave some great photos to Dad.
He loved it. Davebrewerphoto.com

The offspring.

Christmas morning. Here I am, stoked about something. The first Christmas
I have experienced where everyone slept in. Is that kind of sad? I think so.

We ate delicious food every five seconds. My mother made about six different
kinds of incredible Christmas cookies. These shortbreads: killer.

Needless to say, I won the award for ugliest sweater at the party attended that
night. Grandma Japanese was nice and told me I looked pretty. So great to
be with her and the whole family. Great to be home. Great to be alive.
Thanks 2010 for more than I could have hoped for. And as for 2011 I'll roll
with the punches and not expect much. Because that's just me. I'm a realist.

My Three Reasons to Travel

2010-12-31T18:00:00.003-07:00

I am home. In the lovely comforts of my cozy place in Utah. It is snowing. I have been reunited with my family and friends. Christmas was perfect. School is coming up. Skiing season is here. Estoy muey contenta.

I absolutely loved my travel experience this fall. I learned and experienced much. It pushed me to new levels. My perspectives have changed. My appreciations have been reinforced.

And yet after three months of being away, in new places every weekend and seeing more than I could handle, I am already excited for another adventure. You know the book- "1,000 Places To See Before You Die"? It's amazing. And sitting by my side. As I thumb through it, page after page, I can't help but wonder which of those places I'll see one day. Soon? With my future family? After retirement? Why travel? Why leave the comforts of home and family? Why establish a new life only to leave it shortly? Why work 80-hour weeks all summer to spend all of the savings withing a few weeks? Why put off school? Why?

Because. It has unquestionably been the best thing I could ever do for myself. Travel has slowly shaped me into the person I have become. It has taught me to love, to appreciate, to speak up, to laugh, to observe, to wait, to explore. After really questioning myself, wondering why it is I continue this cycle, I realize that it's for three reasons.

1. The culture. The food, the language, the architecture, the customs, the traditions. What makes Madrid the "City that Never Sleeps"? What makes Xao Bi the typical Chinese man? What makes her ensemble typical European? There are outstanding amounts of things to be seen and experienced.

2. The people. The ambitious and hilarious English lad I met on my first Ryanair flight. The Morrocan immigrant who shared her struggle to find employment. The gorgeous Frenchwoman who was throughly amused at our (me and mama's) pronunciation of the French Metro stops. The best part is taking a little piece of them with me. Figuring how I can carry the good parts of them and incorporate them into my personality. And the worst part of it all is saying goodbye. Thank goodness for technology.

3. The refinement. So much of who I am has come from these experiences. And with each experience I have bettered myself in so many ways. My appreciations for family, the gospel, friends, and familiarity have grown. My testimony of my beliefs has been strengthened. My independence has increased, my knowledge has expanded, my perspectives have changed. I have had more situations than I could count that have humbled me. Travel has provided nothing but an uphill climb.

Madrid: Last Hurrah

2010-12-14T12:00:00.001-07:00

Last night out on the town! This is a photo of me and Elyse clear back in
September. When we knew nothing about Madrid. And speaking on my part,
I was completely thrilled to find a friend. Have enjoyed eating out, traveling,
and attending Intercambios Tuesdays and Thursday nights with her. We have
had many a good times together. I am so thankful to have been able to share
pieces of my experience in Spain with her. Hip hip hooray.

Dublin: Baile Atha Cliath

2010-12-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

The beautiful land of Ireeeeeland. And yes- it is as green as you'd imagine.
Decided to get to know the city initially with the lovely hop-on/hop-off bus.

O'Connell Street. City center in Dublin. You see that needle "thing" in the
center? It cost 6 million Euros (8 million USD). It also has a name: The Spire.
Wasn't quite as crowded as the other European cities I've visited (thumbs up).

This is what just about every street looked like. Pub after pub. Boutique after
boutique. Very good vibes here. Another great multi-cultural city. They also
drive and walk on the left hand side of the road and pavement. I struggled
with this. I also struggled with understanding their English. For example:
"Their muffins" might be pronounced as "Deer Moofeens." Good strong accents.
The peeps here were super friendly, super patriotic. Super pro-Guinness.

At Trinity College: The most prestigious school in Ireland. Here you can
see the Book of Kells. "A 9th century gospel manuscript."

Also wandered around their GORGEOUS library. Shelves of old texts placed
on beautiful shelves. They keep the Book of Kells at the end of the hallway.
(Photo snagged from Goooooogle.)

Cobblestone streets/sidewalks/pathways everywhere. Appropriate.

Mom found some chowhound suggestions for my trip. Gruel was one of the
top suggestions for "cheap eats." Favorite meal(s) of the trip! Home cooking.

First Gruel meal: Eggs benedict, salad, and taters. Second Gruel meal:
Bangers and Mash. AKA: Mashed potatoes, onion jam, and pork sausages.
Yummmmy. Very Irish. Very nice on cold and wet winter days.

Christ Church Cathedral.

St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Like I mentioned, Guinness OWNS the town.

Hey Mom. Remember that "medical kit" you put together for me almost
three years ago? Well it about saved my throat, nose, and life this weekend.
Mother knows best . . .

Meet George and Deb. Two pals from the hostel. They
invited me to see the Wax Museum with them. Let's get
this straight: a) I usually make fun of the people who pay
for these things, b) I really didn't have a burning desire to
see it, but c) it was fun, hilarious, and we had a good time.

Fav. About the size of an infant however . . .

Deb is from Canada and George is from England. They decided the "American"
Diner would be a good choice for dinner. Tried several times explaining that
their milkshake, burger, and fries were a bit on the sub-par end. Fun and
outgoing peeps, good conversations, good times.

"Buy a Claddagh ring." Check. Friendship, loyalty, love.

This Christmas sign basically says "Dublin" in Gaelic, their second language.
Loved how decked they were in Christmasness. Incredible city. Loved it.
Great final weekend excursion to end on.

Madrid: Clases de Piano

2010-12-09T12:59:00.002-07:00

I'm a definite believer in miracles. Or tender mercies to say the least. Upon arriving in Madrid, I knew that I would have ample amounts of free time. I also knew that touching up on the piano was something I really wanted to do. I'm currently working on a music minor at USU but even with that I never seem to have the time I need to perfect pieces and just enjoy playing whenever I like. I hoped to find a professor- someone who was qualified and actually could teach me a thing or two. But how on earth to find a piano, let alone a qualified teacher? Hmph. During my first week in the neighborhood my attention was caught by a flyer taped to a light post. Piano, teacher, classes, diploma. Basically all I could understand at the time. It was perfect. My host mom placed a call and before I knew it I had arranged weekly lessons and found a practice room. I couldn't believe my luck. I was thrilled. Coincidence? I think not.

My professor, Carmen Melero. Such a sweet lady and incredible musician.
I loved our lessons. I loved talking with her about odds and ends. She was
so accommodating to my schedule and speaks excellent English. For most
of our lessons we intensively studied George Gershwin's (one of my absolute
favorite composers) Rhapsody in Blue. For years now I've wanted to learn
the entire piece and put a lot of time into it. Today was our last lesson . . .
Sniff sniff. I will miss her!

Every day (Monday thru Friday) I bussed to "Tocar" and practiced anywhere
from one to three hours. This is Paloma. One of the sweetest ladies I have met.
She has always been super patient with my "Spanish" and greets me with a smile
every day. I will miss her so much as well. Something I HATE about travel:
saying goodbye to all of the people that have meant something to you. As you
can maybe see in the photo she is tiny! Probably 5-foot nothing. I love this lady.

Another benefit of practicing at Tocar: the pastelleria next door. An absolute
weakness. These two ladies are such the best. Always asking about my travels,
my family, life at home, and such. More peeps to add to the "will miss" list.

Panuela. Mi favorito de la pastelleria. Delicious. Ham, cheese, and tomato
all in a croissant type deal. Hope I explained well. This photo doesn't look
as good as it tastes. Promise.

The piano aspect of my time in Madrid was exactly what I needed. It has been relaxing, rewarding, and therapeutic. I cannot imagine having been here without this part of my experience. It was so great to have a place where I could outlet my emotions and work towards something. Many thanks to Mama and Papa for funding the whole experience. Loved it.

Madrid: This & That

2010-12-08T06:31:00.001-07:00

Templo de Debod. Apparently this Egyptian temple was built near the Nile
during the 4th century B.C. So when Spain helped Egypt save the "Abu
Simbel" (Egyptian archaeological site), they presented this to the country as a
gift. Dismantled, shipped to Valencia, reconstructed, and open to public in '71.

Plaza de Espana. Commotion.

Near Puerta del Sol. There was a Spanish holiday the past week(end). Which
holiday it was, I know not (upon asking the eldest host sister she responded,
"I'm not sure. Just a Spanish holiday. Maybe something religious."). To say
the least the whole city was a ZOO. Kind of fun but mostly not.

A little less-crowded part of Madrid.

Gorgeous.

Burstrackdelt monnola daitway dumschipol bulfatka.

Madrid: Moment of Truth

2010-12-06T19:05:00.004-07:00

Let's be honest here . . .

I'm ready to go home.
It's Christmas time.
Yep, I said it.

Madrid: Lately . . .

2010-12-05T17:56:00.001-07:00

Just soaking up the last little bit in Madrid. Checking off all the boxes, re-visiting
favorite places, re-tasting favorite taste-tes. (The Metropolis building off Gran Via.)

Calamari bocadillo. A must try for the area. Tasty.

Churros con chocolate. Delicious. So unhealthy. Absolutely loved this
restaurant. I asked the waiter for a small serving of the churros and this is
what he brought me. I laughed. And complained (jokingly). He basically
grunted, glanced at the plate, and helped himself. This made my day.

More sight seeing with Elyse! Museo Thyssen Bornemisza. Enormous.

Also saw the new Naria film that evening. It was . . . meh. Anticlimactic,
boring, far-fetched, predictable. 3D glasses were the definite winners there.

More visits to the ever-so-famous tapas district: La Latina.

Also the starting grounds for Europe's largest flea market: El Rastro.
You can find anything here. Anything.

Madrid: "December"

2010-12-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

I saw this photo of cache valley on a ksl.com album: "December 2010".
Thoughts: I love the snow. I love cache valley. I may or may not already
have purchased my season ski pass to the Beav. Getting a little stoked to
go home? I think yes. Love it here. But also love being with the fam and
at home during the holidays. No explanation(s) needed there.

This is Madrid. October weather in my mind. Beautiful leaves everywhere.
Temperatures in the mid 40's to mid 50's. And the people are acting like it's
a freeze over or something. Thoughts: Less snow means less missing home.
Less snow means more tolerance when an April/May blizzard comes around.

My street of residence (yesterday). Gorgeous. No weather warnings here.