East meets ... East?

We've been looking at a lot of different music-cultures in my Musics of the World class. We just wrapped up a unit on Japanese music and are beginning a new section on Central/Southeastern European music. Finishing up my reading for class tonight, I was inspired to share a tidbit with you.
Several weeks ago we studied bits of Indonesian music, especially Javanese Gamelan music. One of the neat things I've learned in the course is that most cultures do not use the same tuning system that we use. To some of us, Jazz and blues might seem out there, but those musical styles are still based on "half-step" intervals in tuning. In most of the communities we've studied, they use completely different tuning systems, usually only similar to "Western" tuning in that they recognize the octave (nifty, eh?). A long-existing musical style in Java is music made by a Gamelan, a "band" of 10-15 members who play large metal xylophone-ish things (actually called metallophones), a violin-ish instrument, drums, and all shapes and sizes of gongs. Well, when I was listening to this music, I thought to myself: "this sounds oddly familiar." It took me a times listening to this music to identify the place I had heard this type of music before. Here's a nice example of a Javanese Gamelan performing:



Now, I'd like to introduce you to a Super Nintendo game called "Secret of Mana." Thomas and I played it on my computer for a while, and we both agree it's an excellent game (except when your sister accidentally erases your game--sorry!). Take 30 seconds to watch/listen to this clip of a battle in Secret of Mana.

Secret of Mana: Dark Lich


Can you hear it yet? Try listening again if you need to. Beneath the frenzied accompaniment and battle noises, you'll hear Gamelan metallophones! The metallophones are tuned completely different from Western tuning and give quite a different sound than we're used to. Video games usually use "western"-sounding music, even though so many are produced in the "east." Look how cultured you are.

I just got back from an Engineers without Borders meeting. A month ago, my friend Monatrice and I completed the first round of paperwork for a new international project in Haiti! We gave a presentation tonight about the project, which consists of some students traveling to factory in northern Haiti that produces nutrient-rich peanut butter (called Medika Mamba). This peanut butter is distributed to malnourished children, as well as people suffering from TB and HIV/AIDS. The peanut butter has a high success rate of curing the malnutrition, and costs much less than the typical treatment: hospitalization.
The factory is in need of a maintenance schedule to reduce repair costs. Last year, they spent $5,000 in repair costs, as well as an additional ~$30,000 to repair things after a fire severely damaged the building. They think the fire came from an improperly hooked-up propane refrigerator. Yuck.
Monatrice and I were elected as the Medika Mamba project leads, which means that we're in charge! Scary, eh? Actually, I think it will work out very well. We seem to work well together. I'm a little lacking in remembering to do things, and Monatrice is on top of that sort of stuff.
Meds and Food for Kids, the non-profit organization that produces Medika Mamba and treats ~2,000 kids a year for malnutrition, is a quality organization. It was only founded in 2004 but last year it received a $200,000 grant from the World Bank to expand its program. Pretty cool!



Ahh, also I went to an underclassmen formal last Saturday! A lot of people from my bible study were going, so Carissa and I decided to tag along. Aren't we lovely?

Two Worlds Collide! ECHO meets St.. Louis

Friday I ate lunch with the Hargraves! I stayed with the Hargraves while I was at ECHO this summer. I ended up spending a lot of time with them--helping Ellen cook (she's such a good cook, too!), talking computers with Bob, playing games, and talking about our lives. They are one of the reasons my trip to ECHO was so awesome.


They are in St. Louis this weekend, visiting their daughter and her son, who are going to seminary here in St. Louis. They live very close to campus--the Hargraves thought it was only a 4-mile drive. So, Friday at lunch time, we met on campus to have lunch! It was really nice to catch up with them, and it brought back memories of ECHO. A new round of interns has arrived at ECHO. Four of the interns went on a six-day hike on the Appalachian Trail recently. A couple that will be starting as interns in January were at the New Wilmington Mission Conference this summer! I wonder if I've met them...