Yule Ball report, musical memes
Dec. 4th, 2005 03:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tarigwaemirLowell House, on the Feast of St. John Damascus
Almost all the Houses hold winter and spring formals every year (for Lowell, they're known as the Yule Ball and the Bacchanalia, respectively), and in the interests of actually attending a formal before we graduate, the blockmates and I made plans to go to the Yule Ball last night. Nan and Daera bailed out at the last moment, but![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
schwimmerin and I went anyway. It was a lot of fun! I took lots of photos and uploaded them here, if you're curious.
Before the Housesorting lottery became random, each House used to have a particular character, e.g. Eliot housed the Gold Coast plutocracy, Kirkland took all the jocks, Adams was artsy. Lowell House is best known for its music and its traditionalism. (The latter is a bit ironic because we are currently the first House to have a same-sex couple as House Masters.) In any case, the Yule Ball definitely lives up to that reputation. The night began with the Yule dinner, which we all attended. The tables were lined with tablecloths and napkins, and they arranged them to resemble the Great Hall in Harry Potter. The food was served buffet-style from a table in the center of the hall, and there was the traditional Yule log cake, eggnog and cider. At six, the House Committee put the Yule log in the fireplace, to the accompaniment of "Deck the Hall" sung by the entire House (they passed out lyrics to all the tables). Diana, our House Master and a professor of the Study of Religion, made her usual speech about the origins of the Yule log tradition, then threw in a lot of Harry Potter references to Diagon Alley and the Sorting Hat. (Harvard's ambition to prove itself the real-life American version of Hogwarts gets a little ridiculous at times. But in its defense, Lowell's held a Yule Ball for far longer than Goblet of Fire has been out in print.)
After the dinner, we went back to get some work done and to change into our evening wear. I wore the same dress I wore to prom, which is a nice, modest black gown with a cowl neck. It's too long for me which is why I have to wear these awful three-inch heels whenever I wear it. I also attempted putting makeup on myself. >_< I thought I'd be impulsive and try out eyeliner for the first time in my life...which makes me look like some odd combination of pseudo-goth and sickly zombie. Okay, maybe I'm just not used to my face in makeup, but in any case, I should have known there was a reason why my mother never used eye makeup.
The actual Ball began with a reception in the Lowell House library, where they served both nonalcoholic and alcoholic punch, as well as the usual cheese and crackers. Jenny and I sat around alternately admiring and criticizing the evening gowns (okay, I admit, that is my main reason for wanting to attend a formal: the chance to look at pretty dresses, especially ones that I can or will never wear). Then to the dining hall, where there was about two hours of swing and waltz, then about two hours of DJ party music. The party music had way too much rap, but they also played some pretty decent techno remixes. We even danced to the non-rap songs, which only underscored how much I've mellowed since high school, since I used to stand by the no-dancing principle with a will of absolute iron. I suppose it's different when you're in a room full of strangers who don't pay attention to you; then it's more like just dancing in your room. On the other hand, if I were dancing in my room, I'd have a much better selection of music. -_-
General conclusion: definitely a worthwhile experience. But I don't think I'd ever bother doing it again. I mean, I enjoyed myself but not to the extent where I would spend money and time to repeat it, you know?
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
noble_scarlet tagged me for this seven songs meme a while back: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're any good, they must be songs you are presently enjoying. Post these instructions into your LiveJournal along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.
1. Telefon Tel Aviv - Farenheit Fair Enough: Not only this song, but the entire album. Plus most of their second album Map of What is Effortless. I adore Telefon Tel Aviv.
2. E.S. Posthumus - Isfahan: I like most of their Unearthed album, but this track is an especial favorite.
3. Nemesis - 베르사이유의 장미 (The Rose of Versailles): Yes, I'm still obsessed with Nemesis. Next time I go to noraebang, I plan on singing every Nemesis song in their database.
4. Otsuka Ai - Planetarium: Hana Yori Dango live-action drama theme song...oh, hush.
5. Booth - Everything: Don't ask me why but this song keeps getting stuck in my head. I don't even normally like this style of music.
6. Grayscale - Flow: Another new K-rock group! This song is the first I've heard of their new album, which I downloaded fromyongwon. Very laidback, almost trancelike. I like them almost better than Rocket Diary.
7. 서울전자음악단 (Seoul Electric Band) - 날아 (Fly): Another group discovered throughyongwon. Also laidback, but with more of an electronic sound.
Yes, I've been listening to a lot of Korean music this semester. >_< Well, actually, the past few weeks, I've just been playing Telefon Tel Aviv continuously on repeat. The accurate version of this meme would just be seven TTA songs, but I thought I'd try to make it more interesting.
Tagging:multilingualism, kenbu, serendip, kittu9, schwimmerin, delentyevox, aetherangelette
Also, game picked up frompetronia: Post your Pandora radio playlist not including songs by original input artist and songs you rated negatively; flist guesses original input artist.
Goldrush - All the Faces
Ima Robot - Scream
Porcupine Tree - Waiting
British Sea - Carrion
Blinker the Star - September Already
Teenage Fanclub - The Concept
David Bowie - I've Been Waiting For You
Lifehouse - Sick Cycle Carousel
Aeon Spoke - I've Seen Those Eyes
Weezer - Pardon Me
Wow, I hadn't heard most of these songs before. The original input should be relatively easy to guess, if you know anything about my favorite artists. It also helps that Pandora doesn't have any Korean songs in their database.
Yours &c.
Post-script: Catchschwimmerin's account of the Ball here, where she actually explains the House system at Harvard. Heh.
Almost all the Houses hold winter and spring formals every year (for Lowell, they're known as the Yule Ball and the Bacchanalia, respectively), and in the interests of actually attending a formal before we graduate, the blockmates and I made plans to go to the Yule Ball last night. Nan and Daera bailed out at the last moment, but
schwimmerin and I went anyway. It was a lot of fun! I took lots of photos and uploaded them here, if you're curious.Before the House
After the dinner, we went back to get some work done and to change into our evening wear. I wore the same dress I wore to prom, which is a nice, modest black gown with a cowl neck. It's too long for me which is why I have to wear these awful three-inch heels whenever I wear it. I also attempted putting makeup on myself. >_< I thought I'd be impulsive and try out eyeliner for the first time in my life...which makes me look like some odd combination of pseudo-goth and sickly zombie. Okay, maybe I'm just not used to my face in makeup, but in any case, I should have known there was a reason why my mother never used eye makeup.
The actual Ball began with a reception in the Lowell House library, where they served both nonalcoholic and alcoholic punch, as well as the usual cheese and crackers. Jenny and I sat around alternately admiring and criticizing the evening gowns (okay, I admit, that is my main reason for wanting to attend a formal: the chance to look at pretty dresses, especially ones that I can or will never wear). Then to the dining hall, where there was about two hours of swing and waltz, then about two hours of DJ party music. The party music had way too much rap, but they also played some pretty decent techno remixes. We even danced to the non-rap songs, which only underscored how much I've mellowed since high school, since I used to stand by the no-dancing principle with a will of absolute iron. I suppose it's different when you're in a room full of strangers who don't pay attention to you; then it's more like just dancing in your room. On the other hand, if I were dancing in my room, I'd have a much better selection of music. -_-
General conclusion: definitely a worthwhile experience. But I don't think I'd ever bother doing it again. I mean, I enjoyed myself but not to the extent where I would spend money and time to repeat it, you know?
noble_scarlet tagged me for this seven songs meme a while back: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're any good, they must be songs you are presently enjoying. Post these instructions into your LiveJournal along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.1. Telefon Tel Aviv - Farenheit Fair Enough: Not only this song, but the entire album. Plus most of their second album Map of What is Effortless. I adore Telefon Tel Aviv.
2. E.S. Posthumus - Isfahan: I like most of their Unearthed album, but this track is an especial favorite.
3. Nemesis - 베르사이유의 장미 (The Rose of Versailles): Yes, I'm still obsessed with Nemesis. Next time I go to noraebang, I plan on singing every Nemesis song in their database.
4. Otsuka Ai - Planetarium: Hana Yori Dango live-action drama theme song...oh, hush.
5. Booth - Everything: Don't ask me why but this song keeps getting stuck in my head. I don't even normally like this style of music.
6. Grayscale - Flow: Another new K-rock group! This song is the first I've heard of their new album, which I downloaded from
yongwon. Very laidback, almost trancelike. I like them almost better than Rocket Diary.7. 서울전자음악단 (Seoul Electric Band) - 날아 (Fly): Another group discovered through
yongwon. Also laidback, but with more of an electronic sound.Yes, I've been listening to a lot of Korean music this semester. >_< Well, actually, the past few weeks, I've just been playing Telefon Tel Aviv continuously on repeat. The accurate version of this meme would just be seven TTA songs, but I thought I'd try to make it more interesting.
Tagging:
multilingualism, kenbu, serendip, kittu9, schwimmerin, delentyevox, aetherangeletteAlso, game picked up from
petronia: Post your Pandora radio playlist not including songs by original input artist and songs you rated negatively; flist guesses original input artist.Goldrush - All the Faces
Ima Robot - Scream
Porcupine Tree - Waiting
British Sea - Carrion
Blinker the Star - September Already
Teenage Fanclub - The Concept
David Bowie - I've Been Waiting For You
Lifehouse - Sick Cycle Carousel
Aeon Spoke - I've Seen Those Eyes
Weezer - Pardon Me
Wow, I hadn't heard most of these songs before. The original input should be relatively easy to guess, if you know anything about my favorite artists. It also helps that Pandora doesn't have any Korean songs in their database.
Yours &c.
Post-script: Catch
schwimmerin's account of the Ball here, where she actually explains the House system at Harvard. Heh.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-04 09:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-05 03:56 am (UTC)(Hey, did you get the photos I sent?)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-05 04:00 am (UTC)I'm afraid I've been rather tardy in mailing mine out (just put them in the mailbox today actually...). Very sorry! I dragged my feet on getting the camera developed. >_<;; But hopefully you should get them soon.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-05 11:39 am (UTC)I really hope you didn't send the pictures to me yet, because I haven't gotten them and I'm leaving next Monday . . . and really sorry, but I'm going to hand you mine when I see you; never did find a reasonably-priced photo developer. You ARE coming home for Christmas, right?
(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-05 12:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-07 01:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-12-07 02:54 am (UTC)