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i pierced my tounge 2 years ago and took it out 9 months later. it was fun for a while. REALLY fun to fidget with when i was thinking or whatever and it was fun to be different. but as i decided my image needed to do a little growing up i took it out..

in hindsight i should never have tried it because it DESTROYED MY TEETH. i used the plastic ends like they said and it still has ripped apart the enamel all around my mouth (not noticeable at first but the effects have been causing me problems long after i took it out). i’m 23 and need $2000 worth of reconstruction done in my mouth. don’t do it :)

I have been playing the organ off and on for 6 years. I took lessons formally in the beginning but, after a nearly 4 year break without playing, I have only recently begun attempting to pick it back up again. I am lucky enough to have found a church here in Orlando that let’s me practice to my heart’s content as well as play for English masses.

I only remember so much from my lessons in high school so I have been trying to coach myself further because I definitely have room to improve. Our new director of music for the diocese is an instructor and has mentioned interest in teaching me so I may take him up on the offer. ($60/hour is pretty steep though)

All in all, my main area of problem is with my feet. I have pretty decent coordination and i get the notes right most of the time espcially if I practice before-hand, but I know my technique is awful. I remember my former teacher always telling me “use the balls of your feet!” I’m pretty sure I’m not doing that.

I would recommend learning the organ to anyone interested. Along with choral and cantoral voices a superb sound can be achieved. The study of sacred music, also, opens up a world of reverence and majesty that is truly awe-gripping (and quite addictive).

So I started with good ‘ol Pimsleur (I’m sure everyone has heard of) to see if learning Spanish is something I can stay with. I moved to Florida 4 years ago and have, up until now, avoided all contact with the immense Spanish culture here. I’m not sure if I got tired of walking through clubs and malls with a confused “I am clueless” look on my face, or if I just woke up one day and said “it’s time,” but I have had a sudden jolt of energy to become fluent (for about the past 2 months now)

Since I have, for 2 months, been very controlled and consistant listening and repeating with Pimsleur, I have decided to take it to the next level. Making this decision gave me an even greater boost of energy. Using some of my college loan money, I have amassed my own personal library full of Rosetta Stone software, dictionaries, music, learn this and that books, and libros en espanol like Cinderella and Curious Jorge. Staring at the mountain I’ve created just gets me more excited about the tedious journey I am undertaking. It also encourages me to get a library card in the future so I can stop sneezing money into Barnes & Noble.

As of this writing I have developed a familiarity with the language, an understanding of gender/plural concepts, and a beginner’s level grasp of grammer structure and conjugation.

I am thrilled that so many people are also diving in to this life-enhancing study. There is truly another world out there where people don’t just have a different pronounciation for what we say in English, but different moods, thought-processes and emotional conveyance. It is so captivating just thinking about it.