The Bollywood Dancing Poseur

I love Indian culture. I love the clothes, I love the food, and I LOVE the movies.

But I also love Indian dance.

It all started when I took an Indian folk dance class last Spring at BYU. I spent my mornings learning Bharatanatyam, Bhangra, and Bollywood. It is one of the best classes I've taken in my college career.

So when I heard that there was a Bollywood dance workshop at HKUST, I registered without hesitation and just couldn't wait for it to start.

When I showed up to class, the lady taking attendance told me there was a performance for this class on the 27th of March and if I could do the performance.

A performance? I didn't sign up for this. But I still really wanted to take the class and there were like 20 other kids in the class so I wouldn't be that noticeable at the performance (cause although I love Indian dance, how I think I dance and how I actually dance are two different things- especially due to my whiteness). So I said yes and didn't think much more about it.

Two weeks later, I got an email from the same lady telling me about extra practices for the performance. Ugh! Why is this such a time commitment? I thought. But I really enjoyed the class and I wasn't going to quit because of some dumb extra practices. So I wrote back saying that I could make it.

And then it was time for the first extra practice. And only four other girls showed up. I quickly learned that in reality, the performance was optional, but I was now too deep to get out of performing.

So on March 27th, I was on a stage in the Atrium, in front of my fellow classmates and friends, strutting my Indian stuff.

And here's the video for you to enjoy.

Just don't laugh too hard at my white dancing, okay?

A Slower Pace of Life

So my life has been pretty mundane recently. The first round of midterms are over; the second round starts next week. I'm saving up my funds for a week in Thailand.

And all this means is that I don't leave campus that often. Pretty much only on the weekends.

I do still have adventures, just a bit more nerdier ones. Like exploring the HKUST library and therefore finding better, quieter places to study than the Learning Commons (like the BYU Periodicals or the No Shhh Zone). Because I now have to study--the downside of a study abroad.

And I'm taking a Bollywood dance class--and performing next week. Don't know how I signed up for that one. But now the UST student body can watch my awesome white-girl moves. Yeahhhhhh.

My diet usually consists of a lot of peanut butter, saltine crackers, and instant noodles since I'm saving up to splurge on riding an elephant and petting a tiger in Thailand. And I found an actually good place to eat on campus-- the Turkish kebab stand. Yes, I'm pretty sure the tall skinny guy at the register hates my guts (for what reason I suspect I shall never know), but the food is oh so tasty and fills me up. Much better than both of the school's cafeterias.

But one of the best things about my more normal life is rediscovering the awesomeness of Whose Line is It Anyway. Watching a skit between taking Cornell notes for Consumer Behavior brings a smile to my face and the will to keep reading about low effort attitudes.

In fact, let me share one of their skits with you to brighten up your day!!

Love,

Sarah

School Begins

It's weird to think I am over halfway done with my college education. Time just flies by in college. But now it's time to get serious. Graduation is now looming in my future. And graduation means the real world: a job, marriage, kids, bills, investing. It's a whole lot of scary. Lots of decisions need to be made this year. Including that M-word: Mission.

This year is intimidating.

But I love BYU. There's no place like it. Sure, I do get tired of Provo. But I can't get enough of the learning environment on Temple Hill. There is so much peace here.

Today is not only the fourth day of school, but also the very first game day of the football season. It's going to be crazy. The high is around 90 degrees which will feel more like 100 on the blacktop. We have 45 minutes to eat and get into full colorguard costume. And then the game ends around midnight. Luckily, I have no classes tomorrow.

Details on my first game day will be up tomorrow. But until then, check out this new BYU music video.

GOOOOOOOOO COUGARS!!!!