ete sen

ok all of you.

im here safe! we are staying in a hotel actually. and when i mean hotel, i mean there was a HUGE cockroach and spider welcoming us into our room. yuuuuck.

yeah so our flights were interesting.slc to jfk was smooth. . . except my bags were too heavy and it cost $150 to let them fly, so i left out some jelly, and carried my pillow. whatever. but jfk to accra (uh- KRAW`) we got on. . .flew. . . sat. . .flew about 500 miles, 1.5 hours then turned around. fun i know. apparently something was wrong with the engine but they left that out till we were landed and greeted by ohh, 50 firetrucks, cops, airport security, etc etc. lights flashing and all. but we got here sunday afternoon. got through customs and to our new home in mampong. papa ellis runs the hotel. he is sooo funny and thinks that we are all going to marry him so he can have his 8 american wives. excited for me? i guess i can say i'm engaged. . . to some old man. anyways. that is a tip here. tell everyone your are either married or engaged, then no questions asked, they leave you alone. well, at least stop asking for money.

so after not sleeping last night, it's finally catching up with me. i'm tired and i don't know when i'm hungry. but i'm thirsty ALLLLLL the time. it's soooo hot and humid. my hair never dries. so i may be getting braided this weekend after all. we will see.

we haven't met the students yet. we just got permission to enter the schools about an hour ago today. so that means we go tomorrow, meet the headmistress, the faculty, then to be attacked by children! i'm so excited for that. sitting around playing cards gives me too much time to miss home. . . and well. you all. . . *cough cough* but MOM. the cookies in my bag were a real tear jerker. and brandt. ahh that first song. . . grrrrrrr. but last night, during some free time, a few of us started to memorize the articles of faith in asl. fun experience. i hope i can share a few when i get back in primary. awww. primary. OH OH! how was aubrey's baptism??? hope is was fabulous. i'm sure she did great on the piano too. such a cutie. i can't wait to meet the students though cause i'm missing my own. i just love teaching! so this will be different. from being soothed by teaching music lessons to teaching in silence. this will be weird for me.

but in the few days i've been here, my sign is already sooo much better. thanks mel for all the support. i do feel confident in my skill. but now. communication is getting easier. i'm excited to see where i will be even next week with a few days with the children.

well. i hope home is wonderful. this is going to be a long 2 months.

oh i forgot the best part. we have power and running water... well HAD. the power went out at the hotel on monday morning. and the water shut off this morning. but i never knew how much i would appreciate a cold shower and a skirt. *sigh* wonderful. hopefully they will start working again, before i smell TOO much worse.

well i love and miss you all already.

talk to you soon!

holli

sohi.holli@gmail.com

LA day .5

so. i'm in LA. with mirm. It is awesome.

let me take you through what we do.

So. we get to the airport (thanks for the ride mom) and THEN find out our plane was delayed a little over an hour. So, it just seemed natural to go grab cpk. Oh our CHEESE-piled pizzas were delicious. . . huh mirm*cough cough*

Well, after finding a way to spill pepperoni into a shoe, we decided to get back to terminal B to catch our flight to LAX.

Once safe in LAX (is that an oxymoron?), we called the hotel from my oh-so-reliable iPhone to catch a shuttle to our hotel, Four Points. So, if we didn't already grab a steal by booking our room for $68 a night, we definitely felt the repercussions of that by being put next to the ONE room in the WHOLE hotel that was under renovation by drills, sanding, throwing, bulldozers, cranes. . . well it was just loud, ok? so we had to get out. so, with our crazy adventure skills, Mirm and I went to catch the trolley. oh yeah. a trolley.

We went to manhattan beach. and got yummy dinner from wahoo fish tacos. delish. we wandered down to the pier and just took in the ocean, the waves, the sunset, the hot surfer dude, the homeless pigeon man, the hoodlums causing mayhem, you know. the usual. but it was a nice time of reflection. and it was about this point on my first day away, that i got homesick.

Finally. FINALS!

neeeeed. . . a. . . study. . .break. . . hmmm. red mango.

MY BRAIN!!!!

so. Mid-final update:

Finals Down: Guitar (cake), biodiversity (eeeek), Genomics. . . (100% you better believe it)

Finals to go: Cell Biology, Genetics

So with three days left, i'm strategizing about how i should take the last two. and apparently, i'm not taking one today because i want to blog instead. oh, and i'm too distracted planning my trip to LA, then to DC to meet up with my dad and brother and spend some time at my roomie's home home. yess. good end to this junior year of college.

SO there's LA/DC trip.

come home for a few weeks, get a piano recital goin, say bye to my students, get acc 200 out of the way online, pack, then leave May 15th for GHANA! oh how excited i am. Think i can get it all done in that time frame? ha. we will see.

But i honestly can't wait to disappear from the social networking scene. . . no maybe just the whole "social" scene in general. I can't believe how much i have let it influence me this year. There is drama everywhere, coming at me from every direction. With my iPhone giving me constant FB updates, to the whole texts ALL HOURS OF THE DAY, to boys showing up on my porch, Red mango outings that always seem to end dramatically, to trying to motivate people, while keeping myself motivated. YIKES! I thank the Lord for those listening ears in my life that listen to my college-aged stories and offer words of advice. I'm pretty sure i spew a few little details everywhere i go anyways. Yet, I'd be a complete mess if i wasn't able to talk about it all.

But once void of my internet connection, i'm so excited to teach the children in Ghana, in the JSS. Yes all. I'm going to teach in deaf schools. yes i sign (Mel said i could at least). no it's not through byu. yes, i feel like i'll be safe. and yes, i'm nervous. I've never been out of the country and here i go just diving head-first into no running water, and big big bugs. should be a great experience though. more to come.

Note to self: make your blog private! haha. after what's his face reads this. mkay. the end.

leave me alone=i'm lonely

oh. my. gosh.

school is crazy! i am only taking 15 credits but it's kicking my butt with teaching piano M/T/Sat and still keeping a shift or 2 here and there at famous.

i am LOVING teaching voice and piano. we had the cutest little mini-recital at south towne ranch last night. the sweet grandmas and grandpas, and especially Mr. Jones came to watch us and it was fun just to have a different audience to put a smile on their face. :D i think i'm up in the 20's with students now.

it's a little crazy trying to stay organized.

but it helps when you have a new MacBook PRO!!! woo woo woo!!!! my mommy loves me. and brandty helped get it for me. yippee.

so i'm saving my money. just so everyone knows and doesn't tempt me. k got that? except for the MJ this is it showing and a few other worthwhile movies to help me keep my sanity.

byu women's choir is crazy! we are performing in homecoming spectacular next week so i have rehearsal everyday to prepare for it. i'm going to go crazy.

well. till another 6 months when i decide to blog.

oh. and don't ever ever ever ever ever think about dating recently returned missionaries. it's a really bad idea. note to self for future reference. you made that mistake once. it still won't work.

k that's all self.

GoSh this thing itches. . .

January? JANUARY??? i am a blogger bum. but i decided i should jot a few things down so i can remember them later. not like anyone follows anyways. ;)

a lot has happened since january.

• i started teaching piano again. it's fun yet a huge challenge for me. i am still trying to find ways to motivate kids to practice without hating their parents for forcing them.
• i also dared to teach a little voice. . . not very good. and a bigger challenge. but it's fun. i've realized how many different trainings i've had and hope to share some of my knowledge.
• obama was inaugurated. . . was happy at the time. . . now, no comment.
  
• i started going to the byu deaf ward more. that was fun.
  
• i had worked a whole 17 hours at my job up till may. . . so not many new shoes.
  
• SO many good friends have left on missions- aw aren't farewells just so fun/hard?
  
• i made it through another winter semester (i HATE winter semester). Too depressing.
  
• I am going to be in a nationally televised choir concert that i recorded with the BYU women's choir in April.
  
• Wicked came to town. AHHHHH!
• I went to the rock church- so fun. but my advice: don't sit on the second row when the volume is loud and the guy is scream singing. OUCH.
  
• OH OH OH!!! and i'm going to MDA camp in 2 weeks. AH! so excited. Chris finally convinced me to fill out an application and i'm in! i'm stoked. i need to pack.
  
• then- i got a body bugg. and boy does it itch.

catchin up

oh my. seems so long since blogging. yet everyone is moving to facebook anyways (yuck).
but i've started a new semester here at the y. i am OFFICIALLY a JUNIOR!!! yay me!
i declared my major not too long ago- genetics and biotechnology. sounds cool- i know. but it's a little more plant orientated so i may have to change it after this semester, but we'll see.
i have 8 o'clock classes. i feel like i have returned to high school. GAG. and my music 190 teacher talks like he thinks he's zoolander- not even kidding.
but other then overloading myself with silly classes (yet hopefully testing out of one) not much is going on.
yet how bout them utes at the sugar bowl. it was a beautiful game.
well- till i find another gap in my schedule!
~holli~
GO UTES!

EEEEK

so it's been a while and (not) a lot has been going on here in my little life.

it's november! (ps. 25 days till my birthday. . . you better get shopping)
but school is slow. choir is so funny. work is slow. my roommates are fantastic. my car died. . .but is alive again.

it was really hard not being able to get my DIET CHERRY LIMEADES for a WHOLE week. but i managed. and am perfectly addicted to them once again. have you tried them?!?!?! you should if you haven't. best invention ever.

but sadly, i don't have much to talk about on here.
although. . .
OBAMA WON!!!!! WHOOOOOOT!

ok. he asked us not to be prideful in the win. . . BUT I HELPED MAKE HISTORY!!!

ok enough gloating.

BUT what's with the new additions to FACEBOOK???
i feel that i'm friends with my peers, old classmates or old friends from dance. i got my election updates, keep up with my boss, and keep my events scheduled neatly, and even get to maintain a mob.

on top of that: i'm friends with parents, grandparents, siblings, kids i babysat, their parents, the bishopric and someone's dog. ok maybe not the dog part but i am a fan of Mushu, from Mulan. close enough.

it's a fantastic craze but i feel like i have to be very mature in all my status updates and commenting. lol. so really, what i'm trying to say is, if i'm not, feel free do "de-friend" me and just keep up with my blog. i am on here much less and say a lot less that can be found offensive.

but on facebook i will keep up with my ute cheerin, byu smearin, obama followin, and my annoying commentin. (that kinda rhymed)

but don't worry MOM, on here, i'll keep nice just for you :)

ps. my wish list is coming!
pps. i really want this perfume. . .and these boots. . . and this coat. oh i'll post later.