Mixed Company of Yale

Snow Job this year was a HUGE SUCCESS. 

Now in our 30th year, Mixed Co celebrated the big THREE-OH with over 80 alums. We saw schticks from all the way with the founding Gumplings, and had an incredible Jam and weekend of hilarity.

Thank you ALL so much for coming out and supporting. We would never have been here without you.

We also made some AWESOME shirts over at ooShirts.com for SJXXX. 

Make your own shirt at ooShirts.com!

Mixed Co is now on Google+! Check us out by clicking here. 

After all our crazy exciting summers, the Gumplings of Mixed Company came from all parts of the globe to Franklin, Maine, to prepare for the upcoming Rush season with the fantastic Eliasberg family. We spent our days doing plenty of fun outdoorsy activities on the lake, in the mountains, and in the woods. 

Steph goofs off on the boat while Cruiser looks on worriedly. 

Steph, Sara, and Jake drove off on the ATV to go catch some frogs.

Frog racing is a common Maine pastime. 

Who says you can’t play with your food?

Steph, Sara, and Jake went sailing on the lake.

Of course we also rehearsed a lot in preparation for all our singing over Rush. 

Outside rehearsals were also common. 

Rush retreat was a fantastic way to end the summer. We started the summer together in Miami and it was great to come back and start the year off with Mixed Company. After an incredible Rush Retreat, we’re ready to find our fresh bagels. Where you at Tap Class 2011? 

The summer has gone by in a flash.  Interning at the European Parliament and traveling extensively on weekends, there was rarely a dull moment.  Ten weeks and ten countries later I am finally home. 

The adventure started with a “homecoming” of sorts in Geneva.  Having spent last summer interning at CERN, outside of Geneva, I felt like I was coming home to this Swiss wonderland of pristine infrastructure, pioneering high-energy physics, and 40 CHF salads.  The nostalgia was completed by the friends from last summer who welcomed me.  After a couple days visiting CERN and exploring the museums in Geneva I regretted not visiting last year, we headed to Sion, a picturesque city in the mountainous canon of Valais that was hosting a wine festival.  We spent the day exploring the vineyards, touring the castle, and tasting the regional wines. 

Lunch break in the vineyards of Sion

The next day I took the train to Brussels arriving in time to move into my apartment, enjoy the fries of Maison Antoine and taste my first Belgian beer before heading to bed early in order to be well-rested for my first day of work at the European Parliament.  

The next seven weeks of my internship flew by in a rush.  Most mornings I arrived at the Parliament early to take notes at one of the day’s committee meetings before heading back to my office to prepare briefing documents, translate a speech, or help with whatever else my boss threw my way.  Around 12:30 the interns would collect in the hallway before heading down to lunch in the cafeteria followed by a coffee in the Mickey Mouse Café.  As I learned European love long lunch and coffee breaks!  Returning to the office around 2:30, I would continue with whatever I was doing or head to another committee meeting.  Once the work was done and the committee meetings were concluded, I along with the other interns would head to one of the many receptions celebrating the opening of an art exhibit, a country’s culture, or an important anniversary.  Complete with champagne and some sweet regional delicacy, we would mingle among MEPs and other people way more important than us.   Finally arriving home around eight or nine, I would change, grab a quick dinner, and then head out to enjoy one of Brussels’ plentiful outdoor social gatherings at Chatelain, Flagey, or Place de Luxembourg.  

My office at the European Parliament

Following my first weekend in Brussels, which I took to explore the city with the other Yalies in the Bulldogs program, I started to travel outside Brussels on the weekends.  The first weekend I visited my former German host family in Nuremberg.  The following weekends I flew to Krakow to visit a friend from last summer, chunnelled to London to see the semifinals of Wimbledon, trained to Amsterdam to explore this paradoxical metropolis, traveled to Brittany to stroll the beaches of St. Malo and visit Mont Saint Michel, and flew to Barcelona to discover this student paradise with a reputation for attracting young people and never letting them leave! It was a whirlwind of travel that left me exhausted, but at the same time very happy.

My friend Chris and I in front of the walled city of St. Malo

 Men’s Semifinal at Wimbledon, Murray/Nadal

For better or for worse, the Parliament closed two weeks before the other Yalies finished their positions.  Although I continued my research for a Foreign Affairs Committee report on EU-BRIC relations independently, I had a flexible schedule to explore Belgium and travel to Turkey.  

Ghentfest was a particular highlight.  For ten days during the summer holidays at the end of July/early August the center of Ghent is transformed into a festival ground complete with stages and food vendors.  My favorite part was watching the traditional Flemish dances in which people of all ages participated. 

Turkey was an awesome new cultural experience.  Visiting a friend interning in Istanbul, I was able to see the best of this thriving city in just a few days.  Highlights include exploring the cave churches of Cappadocia and praying at the Blue Mosque. 

The Rose Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey

After returning from Turkey I had just a few days in Brussels to finish my project and get my affairs in order before my departure for Corsica.  After a final farewell diner with our Yale alumni host, I packed up my bags and got ready for my next adventure WWOOFing with a high school friend in Corsica.

A beach in Corsica

Corsica did not disappoint. It’s literally paradise on earth.  The weather was perfect:  60s at night, 80s during the day and clear blue skies.  Our WWOOFing hosts took us to a pristine turquoise water and white-sand beech on our second day.  During the day we picked tomatoes and pulled weeds on the organic farm.  At night, after a relaxing evening at the beach or at the pool we helped with service in the restaurant.  It was so cool to use my French to serve in a French restaurant!  It made me realize just how much my French had improved over the course of the summer.  Instead of sleeping in cabins or tents, we slept outside under the stars.

Me in my serving attire

The farm and restaurant

After a solid week working on the farm in Corsica I headed back to Paris to spend the night with a friend before making the big trek home to Chicago.  I spent my final night strolling the boulevards of Paris with my Parisian friend. 

My week at home was equally European, with my wonderful German host family visiting me in Chicago. 

My former German host family in Chicago

My second college European summer was just as wonderful as the first.  However, this year after bidding the old world farewell, I am more than ever excited for an amazing junior year at Yale and particularly an amazing year with Mixed Co!!!

Best,

Chris

Hello! 

Prayer is an original track on our album. I wrote it specifically for Maeve for our annual jam last year, but we ended up liking it so much that I decided to keep it for the album. 

First of all, here it is: http://www.mixedco.net/downloads/Prayer.mp3

I’ve been asked to write this preview for the blog, and I’m not really sure what to say. I guess you can say I wrote this sort of at the beginning of a healing process of sorts. It’s not a break-up song - and in fact, it’s not really about being broken-hearted despite the first line. I guess the song’s just about rising above things and people and the situations we find ourselves. 

The song does mean a lot to me, so I hope you like it. :) Below, I’ve attached the lyrics. 

Thanks to Mixed Co for sharing this with me & to Maeve for making it so beautiful! 

P.S. the four senior girls in Mixed Co (Yael, Chloe, Liz, and Me) are really enjoying our transition into Whim N’ Rhythm ( the senior women’s a cappella group). But we do miss Mixed Co so much and I can’t wait to sing with all of you at Woolsey! 

See you very soon!

Love,

Esther 

Prayer (2010) - Esther Hyun

In this life we live there’s no time to be the broken-hearted girl

we find the strength to take the best of all that’s thrown into our world

I’ll take what’s left for me to be

Too many faces break the stitches in the fabric of our past

they gave too little of their love, each leaves more broken than their last

what is there left for me to be? 

With every step I am getting so much closer on my own

here I stand alone

With every step I can feel the weight of a new emotion

now I stand alone

They found too many of the reasons to forget my existence

but all their answers can control the truths of the things that make sense

I took what’s left for me to be

They’ll tell you what you wanna hear

too much they blame it all on fear

i’ll take what’s left for me to be

this is a prayer to bless and forgive the names of the ones who broke me

and with this prayer, at last, i can lay your names deep down in my memory

i’ll take what’s left for me to be - free. 

Last Friday we posted Teenage Dream/Firework, sung by David. 

(1) He wishes he had a hot guy with a punching bag:

(2) He wishes he could shoot fireworks out of his boobs:

We’ve made fun of that video TOO many times. What is the little kid with cancer doing in the part of the hospital where women give birth? Whaaaat.

Anyway, this track was originally designed to be a duo with Yael for Snow Job 2011. A more equally distributed Teenage Dream/Firework mashup. Unfortunately, the way the songs are written it was too difficult to find a key that both songs could fit in that would keep them both in a comfortable key for both David and Yael, so it became Teenage Dream with a Firework foof. Esther got to work on it, with a little inspiration from this guy:

Too bad we didn’t take the choreo from him too!

Esther did a FANTASTIC job arranging the song for SATB, taking bits and pieces of ideas from the Bubs’ version but making it very much her own as well. And so we sang Teenage Dream over Winter Tour in Cali and at Snow Job 2011, with David on the Teenage Dream bits and Esther on the Firework foof.

And then, since recording an album allows for multiple takes, David tried his hand at the Firework foof. It’s a bit hard for a guy to perform ‘cause it hits high notes quickly and repeatedly, but with a couple takes he had it down! Throw in some extra for-the-album foofs, and you’ve got Teenage Dream: here.

This Friday we’ll be posting Prayer, a song written and arranged by Esther, sung beautifully by Maeve. Stay tuned!

It was my birthday yesterday (technically two days ago because it’s past 12 here)! Which means that it was a wonderful day. Direct cause and effect? My birthday —> the stock market went up. Yay me for making the world better!

I spent the day bonding with my mommy. It was very special. We went to my favorite lunch place, La Conversacion, after watching the Bold and the Beautiful and seeing Hope confront Steffi about stealing Katie’s husband. Which shows you how productive I’ve been all summer (But I actually did work. It just wasn’t exciting enough to write about).

Then we went to the Guitar Center where I got my BRAND NEW BEAUTIFUL UKULELE! I was just informed that Timmy got one this summer and feel a bit like a copy cat, but because I didn’t know this beforehand, my worries were soothed. 

I can already play songs and everything. Woo!

One of my good friends came over after that and brought me birthday Sprinkles!

Then my family and I went to Bazaar. It’s this awesome tapas restaurant that’s really innovative and delicious. They make delicious sangria. 

Besides my BRAND NEW BEAUTIFUL UKULELE, my parents got me a beautiful Stella McCartney bag and the Lego White House. Which I built today. It is awesome, obviously.

So it was a good day. The youngest of the gumplings is now 19! Woo!

Tonight, my best friend and I went to the Hollywood Bowl to hear Rodrigo y Gabriela. They’re an incredible guitar duo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUibjcu2L_s&feature=fvst

^^ watch dat. it’s epic.

There were fireworks, which may be my favorite invention of all time. They are sparkly and happy. 

It has been a very good couple days, filled with family, friends, presents, music, and love (isn’t it adorable how corny that was?).

I can’t believe summer is over in a week. It all went by so fast. As excited as I am to be getting back to school (and rush!), I’m going to miss the (non-humid) sunshine and everything home has to offer.

But only one more week til rush retreat! And a week and a half til Camp Yale!

Peace an’ Blessin’s

Sara :)

Retreat in a week! Meanwhile, check out our facebook page/blog for previews from 7/10 Split!