Archive for May, 2008

This is passion.

{ May 16, 2008 @ 11:59 pm } · { Uncategorized }
{ Tags: , , } · { Leave a Comment }

There’s something I envy about some musicians, and it’s performances like this where you can feel the music running through their veins & the passion flowing out of their hands & mouths. This is real.

It’s almost a 10 minute long video, but I highly recommend watching the whole thing. It’s well worth the time. Plus, it’s one of my favorite songs by my favorite artist (Damien Rice’s “I remember”). Definitely one of the most beautiful performances I’ve seen since the Sigur Ros concert I attended at the Tower Theater in 2005, even if i wasn’t actually present for the performance you see in this video. Enjoy.

Damien Rice- I remember

Babies everywhere.

{ May 13, 2008 @ 10:57 am } · { Uncategorized }
{ Tags: , , , , } · { Leave a Comment }

This is the start of a beautiful life.

Niece/Goddaughter, Alivia “Livi” Marie Kurczewski was born May 12, 2008. Six pounds and seven ounces, measuring nineteen inches long. Daughter to Brynn Aleda Kurczewski & Tahree Dontai Robinson.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nephew, Alexander “Alex” Scott Delese was born May 3, 2008. Seven pounds, seven ounces, measuring twenty and a half inches. Son of Staci and Jeff Delese.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Cousin’s son) Benjamin “Benny” Joseph Reyes was born April 25, 2008. Ten pounds and eight ounces, measuring twenty-two inches long. Son to Janice and Brandon Reyes.

Despite being stressed about finals & leaving this incredible city, nothing seems to get me down now. I get to go home tomorrow to see my absolutely gorgeous niece/goddaughter, Livi. And on Friday she’ll have a play-date with Benny. Not to mention, I also get to be with my family once again before I leave for the deep south–Alabama.

It’s only gets better from here.

The Beginning of the End.

{ May 5, 2008 @ 2:08 pm } · { Uncategorized }
{ Tags: , } · { Comments (1) }

And the knot in my stomach begins to form into the size of a grapefruit. The thought of leaving this place has induced nausea on more than one occasion & I am less than thrilled to begin packing my belongings for my parents’ visit tomorrow afternoon.

Friends from Grantham & home ask me about Philadelphia and how my experience in the city has treated me, and this is where the stammering and incoherent phrases begin. I can’t sufficiently describe what I’ve been through in this place in order for those listening to successfully understand. Most of the time I receive courtesy smiles of “Oh, that’s nice” and confused stares of “And why do you like the city?”, and frustration builds up because of my lack of skills to describe this experience in a meaningful way. All I know is it has changed my soul for the better.

Is it the food from Penang and Café Estelle that has me mourning my loss? Or is it the scenery that I view on my long bike rides like the one below? I don’t know that I can pinpoint exactly one contributing factor that makes me sad to leave this place, but I do believe more than anything , it’s the people. The people of MCPC, the people of North Philadelphia, and the environment in which I’ve surrounded myself. It has all intertwined and formed an incredible patchwork that I can take with me to Grantham for my final year, knowing that I’ll be back soon.

Tree behind art museum.

As our talented friend Matt Lettieri wrote:

Bye Bye Dr. P & N.Ry

Such a pity, center city, riding the orange line.

Those good old times with pancakes at midnight

Saying why is it that all the fish die? Why is it that all the fish die?

So, with eight days to go, I’ll enjoy my final moments with some of the most influential & beautiful people I’ve met at Messiah. (Many thanks to the Petersons, N. Ryan Wilson, Kate Nicely, and some of the most wonderful friends I’ve made at Messiah for making this experience unforgettable.)