Spring Break
Watashi Wa 'eagerly' hits home on international trip
Katie Thorn
Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: Diversions
Nearly one year ago, I was on a trip around the world. And nearly one year ago, Watashi Wa's new album, "Eager Seas," was the only source of music I had for that 10-day adventure.
Right when I thought jet lag was going to eat me alive, I plugged in "Eager Seas" and relaxed. Fourteen-hour plane rides became simple treks, and the screaming baby beside me suddenly disappeared. I was on my way to India, Africa and China.
This album makes me think. It reminds me of the horrific scenes and actions I saw, but also brings back the mind-boggling mysteries and unexpected events that went into each day.
Songs are, for once, meaningful again.
Released just days before my adventure, "Eager Seas" opens with a slower, yet captivating track and progresses into laid-back songs. Containing upbeat songs like "Free Ride" and "All of Me," this album doesn't disappoint.
Sponsored by a ministry company based out of Virginia, I was sent on the all-expenses paid trip to write journal entries, which would be read by thousands of people all over the nation.
While in India, "Father, Son" put me to sleep (and trust me - falling asleep in smoldering hot and humid India is hard to do, especially in a booming-loud neon-colored bus) and "Broken Man" stole my heart. As my favorite track on the album, I constantly pressed the "repeat" button on my CD player.
"I believe that everything that hurts has a way to make you see in ways you'd never seen," graces the chorus of "Broken Man." Never could I relate so much with just a simple line. And for a person who enjoys rhythms more than lyrics - well, this is big.
I remember traveling to my last destination in India distinctly. Scrambling to make a flight in an hour and a half, the group of 13 people I was in started a 45-minute trek to the airport, only to find out the bus had run out of oil, sending us into a whirl of confusion. To our luck, a generous taxi driver pulled over 20 minutes later, when we all packed into a seven-passenger van.
Yes, seven seats and 13 of us. Boy, talk about memories.
Though Watashi Wa was stashed behind one person's arm and another's leg, I laughed to myself. Priceless, we enjoyed every moment of the uncomfortable ride, for it was a bonding moment - a moment that reminded me of "Free Ride," which reads, "You've got a free ride, you got to take what you can now."
My trip wasn't traditional. We entered places that required special visas. I saw the "true" Africa, India and China - not the dubbed-down tourist countries. I saw the real thing.
After the trip, "Eager Seas" became a staple of my life. Every time I listen to it, even to this day, flashbacks flood my mind. I think about the pet monkeys in Africa and the busy cities in India. I look at China and remember the security procedures and troubles that came with bringing an energy drink in a suitcase. I remember clerks motioning to me in China that people pick-pocket continuously with tourists. I also remember the little Chinese kids staring at us because they had never seen white people in their lives.
My life drastically changed over a period of 10 days. To think - nearly a year ago, I was staying overnight in a high-security Chinese governmental building, eating dog.
I still keep "Eager Seas" by my side. It means much more than just a regular, everyday CD. This one keeps me on my toes and still has the power to make any annoying sound drown away, on or off an airplane.
---
Katie Thorn
diversions@dailybarometer.com
Right when I thought jet lag was going to eat me alive, I plugged in "Eager Seas" and relaxed. Fourteen-hour plane rides became simple treks, and the screaming baby beside me suddenly disappeared. I was on my way to India, Africa and China.
This album makes me think. It reminds me of the horrific scenes and actions I saw, but also brings back the mind-boggling mysteries and unexpected events that went into each day.
Songs are, for once, meaningful again.
Released just days before my adventure, "Eager Seas" opens with a slower, yet captivating track and progresses into laid-back songs. Containing upbeat songs like "Free Ride" and "All of Me," this album doesn't disappoint.
Sponsored by a ministry company based out of Virginia, I was sent on the all-expenses paid trip to write journal entries, which would be read by thousands of people all over the nation.
While in India, "Father, Son" put me to sleep (and trust me - falling asleep in smoldering hot and humid India is hard to do, especially in a booming-loud neon-colored bus) and "Broken Man" stole my heart. As my favorite track on the album, I constantly pressed the "repeat" button on my CD player.
"I believe that everything that hurts has a way to make you see in ways you'd never seen," graces the chorus of "Broken Man." Never could I relate so much with just a simple line. And for a person who enjoys rhythms more than lyrics - well, this is big.
I remember traveling to my last destination in India distinctly. Scrambling to make a flight in an hour and a half, the group of 13 people I was in started a 45-minute trek to the airport, only to find out the bus had run out of oil, sending us into a whirl of confusion. To our luck, a generous taxi driver pulled over 20 minutes later, when we all packed into a seven-passenger van.
Yes, seven seats and 13 of us. Boy, talk about memories.
Though Watashi Wa was stashed behind one person's arm and another's leg, I laughed to myself. Priceless, we enjoyed every moment of the uncomfortable ride, for it was a bonding moment - a moment that reminded me of "Free Ride," which reads, "You've got a free ride, you got to take what you can now."
My trip wasn't traditional. We entered places that required special visas. I saw the "true" Africa, India and China - not the dubbed-down tourist countries. I saw the real thing.
After the trip, "Eager Seas" became a staple of my life. Every time I listen to it, even to this day, flashbacks flood my mind. I think about the pet monkeys in Africa and the busy cities in India. I look at China and remember the security procedures and troubles that came with bringing an energy drink in a suitcase. I remember clerks motioning to me in China that people pick-pocket continuously with tourists. I also remember the little Chinese kids staring at us because they had never seen white people in their lives.
My life drastically changed over a period of 10 days. To think - nearly a year ago, I was staying overnight in a high-security Chinese governmental building, eating dog.
I still keep "Eager Seas" by my side. It means much more than just a regular, everyday CD. This one keeps me on my toes and still has the power to make any annoying sound drown away, on or off an airplane.
Katie Thorn
diversions@dailybarometer.com
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