New Blog!

Hey guys, if there's anyone here still reading, please check out my new blog where I will be currently posting at indiajewell.blogspot.com ! Thanks ;)

It's Revolutionary! …or is it?

I'm back! And today's post is a little non-traditional. In the heat of all the activism going around lately, I thought I'd share my two cents.

But, in case you were wondering where I've been (why I haven't been writing), the answer isn't really that exciting. I've been really busy! I spent around three weeks in Munich working every day (giving tours), I even photographed two clubs. In July, we went to Lake Constance for five days (it rained four of those days). I also spent four days in a lodge close to the Italian border, at a good friend's party (it was actually pretty fun!). 

More importantly though, I made some massive progress with a song that is pretty much finished now. I love it! When I started it back in April, I had a clear vision of how it was supposed to sound. But it wound up being waaaay too 80's synth-pop. It reminded me of Jump by Van Halen! So we worked on it for months, trying to come up with a reasonably good sound and a hook that would work. Finally a week and a half ago, it came to me! And now the song is done, can you believe it?! It just needs some finishing touches. You would not believe how much work it can be making music. It can be so frustrating, especially when you know a certain part isn't working but don't know exactly how to fix it! But all I can say is, thank God we've got it done. I've also got a concept in my head for a music video. It's pretty sweet. I can't wait to release!

But really, the reason why I'm writing today is that I do have a couple of things to say. Maybe I'm wrong and you can hate me for my weirdo opinions if you want. But at the end of the day, they're just my opinions- and I have the firm belief that an opinion cannot be "right" or "wrong." Because it's just an opinion, a point of view. I think Lady Gaga is a good singer. Maybe you don't. Who's right here? No one. See what I mean?

Speaking of Lady Gaga though, she's actually one of the things that inspires this piece today. You see, a few days ago on Instagram, she posted a picture of herself performing (in costume as "Venus"). Her caption reads: "A true Venus is beautiful at any size. #BodyRevolution Don't allow Society to tell you what beauty is. back when they first made painting and sculptors of the goddess she was represented as a round and fertile woman. It was in style to be thicker because food was a sign of money. eat up children. Life is too short." 

While I agree with her statement completely, it left me thinking for days about this thing we call the "Body Revolution," also known as the "Body Peace Revolution." Which led me to think about a number of similar movements that have been going viral lately (feminism, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, etc). What stands behind the Body Revolution and declaring "peace" with your body? It seems to be a movement geared mostly by women. I've read and seen a lot of statements and pictures with women demanding for more "real women" and things like "real women look like..." and so on. Which to be honest, is starting to irritate me.

First of all, I am very pro-love. One of my deepest convictions is that if this world just had an ounce more love in it, the way we interact with each other and perceive the world would be very different. And being someone who has borne their "fair share" of burden from the hate machine, it's not a thing I would ever wish to spread (hate, that is).

So what I want to say is: I don't hate anyone for any given reason. However, there is a reason why this Body Peace thing is getting on my nerves. Yes, it has to be said- Women, accept and love yourselves! But wait... don't men need to hear that exact same message? What is a "real man?" Anyway, back to the issue at hand. While I don't believe shaming of any kind is acceptable (fat-shaming, "slut"-shaming, and so on), there is a point that needs to be made here. 

There is a reason why people are warning against (and less attracted to) obesity. Being obese is unhealthy. Humans are biologically programmed to seek out mates who will produce the healthiest and strongest offspring, because humans instinctively want to continue their genetic heritage. That's why beauty is such an issue. Beauty is generally associated with health and well-being. But then we get into a much deeper issue. What is beauty nowadays? How is it defined? Ugh, what a lecture that would be. It's true, beauty comes in all shapes, forms, and sizes. But my thing is with obese people who want obesity to be acceptable. No, it's unhealthy. Any doctor can tell you that. (On the other hand, some people do have specific medical conditions that make it very difficult not to be obese, such as an underactive thyroid. I am not referring to this though).

And what's the converse side of that? Being stick thin and 6 feet tall, which is not healthy either if you're starving yourself to attain it. Wake up people! "Body Peace" is not an excuse to be lazy and unhealthy. It's also not a ground to pick on naturally thin women either (as I was bullied throughout school for being "too skinny," "too small," "underdeveloped," and whatever else). But what about all the women who fall somewhere in between? While I believe that people in general just need to be more accepting and self-accepting, I am a big supporter of health. If you eat right, and exercise regularly, then I have to say, you'll probably be right about your ideal figure, (or get there, if you're just starting to do those things).

I just googled this picture, and I have to say- none of these women look like me. So am I not a "real woman" now because I don't have curves? Double standard, anyone? I think at the end, this phrase "real women" is the unfair part. A "real woman" is nothing more than a woman who simply exists. An empowered woman someone who is happy with herself and her character. Someone who also brings useful contribution to her environment and people around her.

And where do I fall? I have been told many times over how "lucky" am for my looks, and how "good-looking people have it easier anyway." Breaking news guys: no one has it easier than anyone else. In the words of Life of Brian, "life's a piece of shit, when you look at it!" It's in our nature as human beings to judge based on the appearance of things. It's a function in our brains used to store data effectively, recognize patterns, and even help protect ourselves. Somehow though, I don't know why, it's also in our nature to tend to not look beneath the surface. In high school, I got a lot of attention. But nowadays, many people will take one look at me and think that there is nothing beneath the surface. A really good friend of mine says it's the image I've pasted to my forehead. But I'm not sure where I stand on the issue. I don't feel like I have to prove anything to anyone (unlike what many people have said about me over the years). I write this blog because I love to write. I sing because it's just what I do. I rarely think twice about taking the actions I do, because I know what I want. I learned to speak a foreign language in one year! (okay, there was my little self-proving bit)

Take a step back and look at everyone you might have made a conclusion about, without taking the time to scratch beneath the surface. What about that guy in school with bad grades, who keeps to himself and wears hoodies with holes in them? Or that girl who was constantly talking? What about someone who was mean to you? Did you ever take the time to try to understand them?

Because someone who is "hating" you doesn't actually hate you. They hate themselves. It's a very deep issue, but it's the truth. If anyone lashes out at you in anger (and potential nastiness), it's because you have (in your being) shown them something they don't like about themselves. Like I said, it's a difficult issue to wrap one's head around- but it does make sense.

I'm tired of making an "issue" out of everything. The media is an insatiable beast that will put everything through it's mouth 'til it's beyond bland. I'm tired of hearing about things like these "equality issues," gun control, feminism. Because many of these "issues" actually destroy their good intentions. Feminism has turned into a real battle. I was even verbally attacked the other day because of a pair of shoes I own with rabbit fur. What is this world coming to?! So, you're into animal rights and all that but you're going to treat your fellow human being like dirt for his own personal choices?

This is my big point. It's not our place to judge one another. That's not what we are meant to coinhabit this earth for! Dig beneath the surface, leave behind hate and fear, and set yourself free. That's what our world needs- nothing less.

Have a wonderful, joyful weekend!

What I've been listening to lately: When A Fire Starts To Burn by Disclosure; Living Together by Circa Survive; Silverfish by Belly

A Night At The Opera

…because going to the opera, is like, a thing.

I'm back from another successful weekend in Munich- this was quite an experience! Friday night I went to the opera in Munich, because the prima donna of our generation, Anna Netrebko, made her debut as Lady Macbeth! I just had to hear her sing live, you see. It was such a fanfare at the Bayerische Staatsoper. People of all forms of high society made their way to the royal opera house in their ball gowns, glittering in diamonds and furs, air kisses here and there, and the theater really came to life. I mean, Munich is a pretty fancy city. So when people do go to the opera, the standard attire is pretty nice already. But this was another level of fancy. Never had I seen people so dressed up for the theater- just like in the olden, glamorous days of the divine divas of the opera, back when people really would dress up. And of course, everyone their in their sparkling gowns and finest attire had done all this because of Netrebko. The house was completely sold out and full of energy. People stood on the streets with signs saying, "need 1 ticket!" Everyone, everyone had come to see the famous leading lady. The scent of expensive perfumes filled the halls. All the while with baited breath, we waited for her to make her entrance. The lights grew dim and the delicate intro (it's not really much of an overture) for Verdi's Macbeth began. I sat in my usual spot under the stage, next to the orchestra- where you can't actually see much of the stage, but when the singers come closer to the front you can see a bit of them. Netrebko of course sang her very best as expected, she is very professional. I saw Macbeth last year with a completely different cast, but the mise en scène was exactly the same. At some point in the third act, a ladies chorus comes on the stage completely topless but wearing bubblegum pink wigs (think of a Katy Perry video), all the while pulling long plastic-bag like things out of their mouths that appeared to be jackets, which they then proceeded to put on. Yup. It's a very typical stage design for the Munich Opera, they tend to gear toward modern, highly artistic stages.

Saturday I gave possibly my best and most fun tour of all. Early in the morning I found out that today was Brewer's Day in Munich, meaning that all the brewing apprentices were graduating, there would be a huge parade, a festival, a lot of bavarian dancing (including coopers), and best of all, FREE BEER! And this only happens every two years. Okay, for me the free beer wasn't the most important because I don't drink much in general, and I can't consume alcohol while giving a tour. However- my group was already having a lot of fun it seemed, and we happened to make it to Viktualienmarkt (Munich's main market, where the festivities were taking place) at exactly the right time. So we were able to enjoy a very traditional bavarian show, complete with whip-cracking and knee-slapping dances, but also most of my tourists picked up a free beer! I was really happy for them. And a really nice guy let me have a sip of his ;)

Needless to say, we had a lot of fun and the group was able to have a very special experience, and truly able to see how cool Munich is!

In the meantime I've been plenty busy with going back and forth from Innsbruck to Munich, starting a garden on the balcony (tomatoes, lemon verbena, peppers, and basil, amongst others!), turning 19 (that's right!), sleeping on tops of mountains, and trying to figure out my life. I've written new songs and started new projects, I'm studying to start driver's training, and I want to go to England next month. And that's just a little sample. Other than that, I'm trying to eat a lot healthier (that's why I'm going to England and why we're starting the garden). I have extreme attention difficulties and want to vastly improve my nutrition (nutrition is everything!). Seriously, before you try hard-core medication for anything, consider a change of eating style based on fresh and raw foods (intricate salads are the best). You'll experience a spike in energy and mood when you're better fed! 

My favorite salad to make is with romaine lettuce, rocket salad (arugula), tomatoes, cucumbers, some bell peppers (whichever color is up to you!), shredded carrots, a little red onion, a teeny bit of fresh garlic, some crumbled feta, and to complete with some dried oregano, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar! Super healthy and fresh, this salad leaves me full and totally satisfied every time.

Anyway my point is, before I would try some kind of stimulant from the pharmaceutical industry (such as Adderall), I'm going to start eating mostly fresh things from the garden and farms, not so much pizza, bread, dairy, and meat (though the meat thing is a personal preference for me, I just am not a big meat-eater in general).

Long posts are what happens when I don't write for a month, obviously. How is everyone else out there doing? Have a lovely start of July!

Much much love

India

And the song in my head is: Dear Boy by The Format

Why Being a Tour Guide is Possibly One of the Coolest Jobs Ever!

Hey Guys! I hope everyone's having a great week. 

A week ago I hung out in Munich and worked for a couple days. Aside from working, I had a voice lesson (so great!), hung out with an old friend, and did a little (window-)shopping ;) 

I absolutely had so so so much fun though! That was definitely one of my favorite trips to Munich. First of all the weather was perfect (so ideal for giving tours in the city), and the tours were awesome! And I got to thinking, you know, this is one of the best jobs you could ever have (even if you're shy like me!). Here are some of my favorite reasons.

1. You can do this nearly everywhere in the world. People are always traveling, and if you're really lucky, you could be one of those guides who lives at home but gets to travel with the groups. Yes yes yes!

2. The people! Yes the people. I'm very shy and can be super introverted. But this job has really pushed me out of my comfort zone, in talking for almost three hours to groups of upwards of 60 people! And when you really give your best, it pays off. The people are happy, they're laughing, they wanna get lunch with you, etc. A couple from Siberia once gave me a magnet from their small russian hometown. So awesome!

3. When you give a great tour, people love it. And as result, you leave work with more energy than you started with. Hellooooo!

4. If you live in an interesting place where people come to visit, you can literally get paid to talk for a few hours about your favorite place. It's the most natural thing in the world! And if you want to live somewhere interesting, this is totally an option!

5. If you live in a place where tourists often come, but so far there are not really any tours, then you have a huge advantage on the tourism market in your location and could start your own company. Hello entrepreneurialism! And there are tours for nearly everything. Cheese, Beer, Chocolate, Fishing, Bungee Jumping, Bridges (yes there is a "swinging bridge tour" in Maui, Hawaii), etc.

6. Lots and lots and lots of free time. In my company, a guided tour of Munich lasts about 3 hours a day. Generally each guide would only work one shift per day, and not every day. And so you take 3 hours to work and hang out with awesome people from all over the world, and can totally get ice cream/go to the gym/hang out with the besties/bake that cake for Omi/whatever else afterward!

So I'm going back this weekend for even more! And now I must say, I look forward more and more to my trips to my european hometown. Why? Because I lived there for almost two years. I know where my favorite bars are. I know which restaurant is my favorite. I know where to find the least overcrowded but still cool beer garden. And best of all, I know the best places to find a hot deal on a pair of Manolo's (the best shoes known to man!).

This past weekend was also excellent. The weather was super beautiful. But I caught a cold, yay me! Being sick in gorgeous weather is also possibly one of the cruelest forms of torture ever. It's like one big massive hangover (minus the over 'alcoholized' feeling. but you still feel gross). The sun is too bright, the shade is too cold but the covers on the bed are too hot, you can't smell anything thanks to sinus congestion, you can't taste anything because you can't smell, and because your whole head is quite literally full of sickness crap, you can't think straight (or see very well) to save your life. Thankfully I'm mostly over it though, now that it's cold and raining outside. My life is like a trying-to-be-a-comedy-but-not-that-funny movie. But I still have fun though ;)

talk to you sooooooon (and get a job as a tour guide!)

Much Love

India

Music for the murky weather: Wait by M83

The One Thing That Changed Everything

Okay, I know for a while all I've written about is how wonderful life is here. But there is something that bothers me (here's my blog-rant). Central Europe is so traditional, that it makes it  conservative! I'm looking at you, Southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. You should have seen the way people looked at me in High School (in Munich) when my hair was slightly tinted powder pink. It looked awesome (and I felt awesome)! But I was the shock of the century, with all my non-Bavarian conservative a.f. ways. Then I went a few kilometers south to Italy where everyone loved my hair! Hello fashion capital- they know what's going on! 

Well most people know I had platinum blondest blonde hair for a while- starting in spring 2012 'til a few months ago. That was also a terror for my poor fellow Austrians. When I flew to America, all I got was compliments on my striking hair. Especially because I have such dark features, the contrast was pretty cool. Eventually, my closest friends told me "the rules 101" of living here in the country (which Innsbruck practically is). Be as natural as possible. That means- natural hair, no makeup (except mascara)- like Abercrombie-Uniform-Style. So I have to pretend to be an Abercrombie girl for as long as I live in Austria and am "un-famous." I was also told that once I'm successful and have made a name for myself, then I can do whatever I want. But for now, I have no name and no reputation, which means that people will make up my reputation for me based on what they see.

I'm sorry guys who say "natural beauty is the best." In High School in America, that's more what I was known for. But the amount of makeup I wore in America would be considered at least outlandish here. And "the natural look" is just not my style! I don't feel like I'm being myself or anywhere close to being true to myself when I wear dowdy plain jane clothes and a swipe of mascara. Sure, I'm confident enough to do it, but it's just not me. The India inside is loud, hot pink, full of glitter, glam and passion! I rinsed my hair powder pink because I'm an 18 year old just having fun! Okay, while I don't feel 18, I still very much feel my youth and I'm going to do youth-appropriate things now- I mean how silly will I look with pink hair at 35? See what I mean?

So I dyed my hair back to my natural color- dark blonde- and people's reactions toward me changed entirely. How insane is it, that we live in a society so heavily influenced by the appearance of things? Even though we know that most things are not what they seem!

Sometimes I feel so hemmed in. Like I have to live up to other people's standards. But it's my life! How can I please myself when I'm living to please and gain the approval of others? It just feels ridiculous and I'm really tired of it. I know this all sounds very much like a "first world problem," but I think there is no worse feeling in the world than being made to feel like you aren't okay the way you are. It's not fair to make anyone feel that way, no matter how they dress, speak, where they come from, whom they love, etc. I don't care what your society, religion, family, etc. tells you. Hatred/discrimination/intolerance is just not okay. Period.

All I pray for in the world is tolerance. That is the single message I tried to convey in my tours up in Munich. If we actually lived in a tolerant world, where we accepted one another because everyone has something amazing to bring to the table, we would live in one fantastic place!

Anyway, I landed my butt in "high society" here in Innsbruck. You would be amazed at all the rules of etiquette that exist that most people don't know about. So I am being groomed! For example, when a man and woman walk down the street together, the woman has to walk to the right of the man because a dog would go on his left. Excessive jewelry is vulgar- for a lady it should be simply pearls! And everyone is dying to watch how you act in public- it's like a royal court for the modern age. True, this is the life and world I always imagined for myself. When I was a little kid, I imagined that my family was royalty that had met some misfortune and that's why we lived in the ordinary. So my visions are coming true! But now that they're arriving (one by one), I am happy, but I wish I had known all of these petty "rules" sooner- then it would be easier to glide right through!

Wish me luck guys. I'm gonna have dark blonde hair for a while :P

India

Music today: Sympathique by Pink Martini

The Dance Must Go On

Spring has sprung and we are happy. Unfortunately I didn't finish learning Alejandro yet, but I made good progress and I'm excited to keep going. The weather in Innsbruck is so gorgeous. It's getting really hot and sticky and warm rainy. Everything springtime ought to be- and I am enchanted. And everything is on the up and up- there's a really good energy in the air! Things are changing for the fantastic. I can't wait to see what summer will bring. Plus I'm turning 19 in just over 4 weeks! It's my last year of being a teenager (thank goodness, haha). The main reason is most of my friends are at least 5-6 years older than me. I don't really feel 18 at all. And I never fit in with kids in my age group. It's just not my world at all. Whenever someone asks me how old I am, I always tell them to guess. The top guess is 22! The oldest I ever heard was 25, and that was really funny. 

Anyway, my week so far has been okay. On Tuesday I ran to the grocery store to get stuff to bake a cake, I was in a hurry so I took the skateboard. I haven't skateboarded in something like 3 or 4 years. And I fell. And I sprained my left foot. I really wonder how many times I've written in this blog that I fell down somewhere or dropped something. I really need to be more poised! Anyway, at first it only hurt a little and I figured nothing was wrong, so I kept skateboarding and walking. Then I went home, baked the cake (at this point I realized I couldn't walk anymore), and when I finished the pain really set in and I cried like I don't know what!

Then something amazing happened. Yesterday was also not possible to walk and it hurt, but today when I woke up nearly all the pain was gone and I can walk already (limping)! At this rate, I can dance again by next week! It's a miracle. I can't express how happy and amazed I am at how fast my foot is healing. The dance must go on!

Yesterday I went to the studio to fix some things, and I started the new recording of my latest song. I am really excited for this one. On Sunday night I watched the Sorcerer's Apprentice- I sat on the filming set with Nicolas Cage and Jon Turteltaub for this 5 years ago in New York. Suddenly after I finished the movie, a beat came to mind and words and melody and everything! True inspiration. This song is about how it really feels to be in love. I remembered the first time I did fall in love, which wasn't even a year ago. I didn't know if I was sick or there was something really wrong with me! And that's how they say it is, right? Well this song is about what it's like. I can't wait to record it and release it!!! (Will take a while, but it'll be worth it) ;)

Anyway, I'm busy singing away, writing, planning, imagining the future. Life is so unbelievable!

Love love love,

India :)

Music Tonight: Untouched by The Veronica's

Sturmfrei!

Sturmfrei is a cool word. There's no exact English word for this, but it's like when your parents go out of town and you're home alone. In my case, my favorite guy is out of town so I've got the apartment to myself for a few days. 

And boy, do I have a plan! Aside from a few pleasant surprises for when he comes home (I've committed to thoroughly cleaning the entire place for example), I've got a few ideas for how I will use the time for myself (I'm a little excited).

1. DANCING. The apartment has a gorgeous wooden floor that is absolutely perfect gettin' down. So I've decided to learn the choreography for Lady Gaga's Alejandro (one of my favorite songs, ever). I figured it's time to get used to choreographic dance, and why not learn from my favorite dancer? It's very tricky, but I always love a challenge. Maybe when I have it down I'll post a video ;) (hopefully this happens by Monday!)

2. Singing! Most of the time, we're at home working and either I don't have much time to sing, or it's too distracting. Well for the rest of the week, I'll keep working, but I will be singing very loudly as I do it. I listened to a Jack Canfield audio file the other day where he was saying how people know they're born for something. Like, how does a writer know he's born to write? Because he just cannot not write. How do I know I'm a singer? Because there does not exist a world for me where I don't sing! (My mom told me when I was very little and sat in the shopping cart at the grocery store, I used to sing while she shopped. So it's a very long-going thing for me I guess).

3. Minor music sessions. I had a musical epiphany yesterday in the form of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Music can really teach you a lot, and boy am I excited to go on a journey with these groups. It's easy to get lost in a deep sound or a moving video, and for me that has always expanded the musical part of my mind. Let's go!

It's almost Friday, so that's good news! Saturday I'll be back in the studio recording yet another two songs. It's getting bigger and better! Yesterday I had the most fun singing a new song written for me about a very funny subject... I'm just laughing and having a ball right now, I can't wait to let everyone listen to my work and hear feedback. I'm very proud of the stuff we're doing right now, and excited to release it. Dance with me tonight, and we will live forever! Who wants to come to the album release party (location immer noch undisclosed)? ;)

I'll be writing again soon. 
Have a sunny Thursday!

India

Music for the morning: Anybody by Bad Things (Shaun White plays in this band, I listened for the first time this morning- they're pretty cool!)