Embraceable You

Mime idea swiped from Jemima, Queen of Mimes. Answers courtesy of my iTunes on shuffle.

Q: What does next year have in store for you?

"Toda Cor" - Titãs. Eu preciso de você agora, por favor meu bem não vai embora. Translated: I need you now, please my love don't leave.

Q: What does your love life look like next year?

"Limón y Sal" - Julieta Venegas. One of my favorite songs currently. Such a beautiful, sweet love song. Sólo tenerte cerca, siento que vuelvo a empezar, Yo te quiero con limón y sal, Yo te quiero tal y como estás, No hace falta cambiarte nada, Yo te quiero si vienes o si vas, Si subas o bajas o no estás, Seguro de lo que sientes. Translated: Just having you near me, I feel I can start again. I love you with lemon and salt, I love you exactly as you are, No need to change anything about you, I love you if you are coming or going, If you come up or go down or aren't here, Certain of what you feel.

Q: What do you say when life gets hard?

"I'm Sorry" - Bluegrass de la Vuelta. Especially if I'm the one making life hard.

Q: Song that reminds you of good times?

"Trickle" - Olive. First heard this artist in my Nia white belt training last February in Cape Town. That was one of the best weeks of my life.

Q: What do you think when you get up in the morning?

"Tanto Amar" - Chico Buarque. Another sweet love song. Nice to know this is the underlying sentiment when I open my eyes and see another person in my bed. If I had to pick the song I think it would be more along the lines of "I Hate my Fucking Alarm Clock" by 10 More Minutes.

Q: What song will you dance to at your wedding?

"La Paz de Tus Ojos" - La Oreja de Van Gogh. Whatever. The REAL answer to this question is "Touch in the Night" by Freshlyground.

Q: Song that reminds you of your first kiss?

"If Dreams Come True" - Ella Fitzgerald. Perfect answer if my first kiss hadn't been a traumatic, slobbery affair while watching "Jurassic Park" in an overly air-conditioned movie theater.

Q: Your favorite saying?

"Caravan" - John Santos and the Machete Ensemble. Hmmm. Latin jazz song from collection called Cuba Without Borders. Something to do with being a 21st Century Nomad, perhaps?

Q: Favorite place?

"Can't Cry Anymore" - Sheryl Crow. The calm when you've sobbed it all out and actually feel a bit better is always a favorite of mine.

Q: Most missed memory?

"Amore Che Vieni, Amore Che Vai" - Fabrizio de André. My grandma gave me this cd for my birthday and, I must say, it is amazing. Saudades of loves that come and go? Sure.

Q: What song describes your best friend?

"Bittersweet Symphony" - The Verve. There is something bittersweet about not having one lifelong best friend, rather a handful of amazing people that I share best-friend-type connections with yet only see about once every 7 years.

Q: What song describes your ex?

"Viva Pernambuco" - Antúlio Madureira. Excellent frevo music from a local Recife artist. Fitting only if this represents the hate I'm sure my ex feels for Brasil. Viva!

Q: Where would you go on a first date?

"Atimo em Pó" - Gilberto Gil. I admit I've never really listened closely to this song. But I'd go to a Gilberto Gil concert for a first date in a heartbeat.

Q: Drug of choice?

"Ideologia" - Cazuza. Excuse me while I get up on my soapbox. I'm in need of a high. Ideologia, eu preciso de uma pra viver...

Q: What song describes yourself?

"O Pulso" - Titãs with Arnaldo Antunes. This song lists every disease imaginable in the verses - typhoid fever, chicken pox, toxoplasmosis, malaria, hepatitis, mumps, depression, schizofrenia - then goes on to a simple chorus: o pulso ainda pulsa. The pulse still pulses. Despite it all, some do survive.

Q: What is the thing you like doing most?

"Black is Beautiful" - Elis Regina. Uh oh. She died of a cocaine overdose. Definitely not what I like best. Analyzing in another way, I suppose I love to see all the unique ways in which I'm gorgeous. Seriously. I am vain. I love clothes and jewelry and makeup. I often gaze into my own eyes in a mirror and think that I am beautiful. In my case it's Light Olive of Italian Descent Is Beautiful. Despite all the self-image problems. Go figure.

Q: What is the song that best describes the President?

"Don't Think of Me" - Dido. Won't that be nice one day when he's finally out of office and his dreadful decisions have ceased to make international headlines.

Q: Where will you be in 10 years?

"Buena" - Morphine. That's right. I'll be super buena, the very definition of hottness approaching 40. See? The vanity's still there.

Q: Your love life right now?

"Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World" - U2. A better definition of how I feel right now could not be found, I think. I am unbelievably happy and I know how lucky I am. I want everything to work out forever and the idea that life can go wrong makes me want to grab it all and hold on tight, no matter how impossible a feat this is.

Q: What is your state of mind at the moment?

"Real Wild Times" - Stoic Frame. Local band from New Mexico - yay state pride! I think this is spot on. I mean, I do live in Mozambique and am contemplating a move to Rio de Janeiro. Definitely some real wild times for the girl from Albuquerque.

Q: How will you die?

"Favourite Item" - Elvis Costello. Death by silver necklace??

Q: The song you'll put as a subject?

"Embraceable You" - Billie Holiday with Eddie Heywood.