Twa Fey and Haitian SWIKs

2010 continued to be a rough start for me. Most recently, the hard drive in my relatively new iMac went down. After an hour or so on the phone with tech support last week, I was told to take my computer to an Apple store for repair. Living without a car in NYC, this means lugging a large 24” iMac on the subway or paying for a taxi. Hence, the delayed post. The iMac is still at the Apple store and nothing can be retrieved. The Apple Geniuses are installing a new hard drive. In reality, this and most of my personal problems or challenges are small and mere inconveniences. They, and even the heartbreak mentioned last week, can be overcome. In light of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, the trivialities of one’s daily life seem even less significant. I am reminded to be grateful. Losing everything on my computer is nothing compared to losing a home and family members. I feel compelled to do my part to raise awareness and funds for Haiti. SWIK Music provides the perfect outlet. Before writing this post, I knew little about Haitian musicians, other than the country’s most famous immigrant, Wyclef Jean of the hip-hop group, the Fugee’s. While I am only slightly more informed, I want to dedicate this post to the women of Haiti. The music and traditions of this island go much deeper than what I can cover here, but I hope that you’ll find something new and appreciate the widespread influence of Haitian music.

Makin’ It Happen in 2010

Times Square

SWIK Music took a much needed vacation. Over the past few weeks, 2010 settled in while I caught up on TV shows like Glee and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (via Hulu), began working out with a personal trainer, and spent far too much money on music. Overall, it was fun and relaxing. I spent a fabulous New Year’s Eve at a party Times Square. We watched all the madness in the streets from the warmth of a friend’s office, sipping champagne and dancing. It was a once in a lifetime experience, (definitely do NOT need to argue with cops at the street barricades for a party again). But what made the evening special was being around some of my closest friends as the over-priced disco ball dropped on 2010.

After a wonderful little “staycation,” as the kids call it, returning to work was brutal. Unfortunately, Monday Jan 4 arrived along with some sobering news about an ex who, apparently, I wasn’t entirely over. According to Facebook his relationship status is now “In A Relationship.” (Ok, I get it. We live in the 21st century. Everyone we’ve ever dated, unless you can’t remember their names, can be connected to you. Is this a good or a bad thing? I have no idea.) In addition to returning to work and seeing the relationship status update, I was terrified about the steps required for some major life changes in 2010. My friends and I have declared 2010 “the year of makin’ it happen,” in contrast to 2009 which was “the year of no regrets.” I’m eager to make things happen this year, but also scared - to the point of paralyzed - about taking the required first steps. As I paced around my (very tiny) apartment (one change will be a new home), Yaz’s classic 80’s dance song, “Situation” kept running through my head. Yet the album I spent most the week listening to was La Roux's self-titled debut album.