Hello! Welcome to my first ever blog! I am excited to share my story with everyone.
My name is Elena, and I am former musical theatre actor
turned director turned teacher and am now pursuing a Master of Library
Information and Sciences from Dominican University with an interest in archiving and metadata.
I must admit, I am not very technologically savvy, but I am willing to learn and grow. I do have social media accounts such as TikTok, Instagram, and Threads, but they were about my late dog, Romeo. He sadly passed away in March 2022 (a couple months shy of his 17th birthday). I still keep those accounts active though I do not post anymore.
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| Image Source: Personal Image |
In
addition to my pet social media accounts, I also have a meme account
dedicated to my favorite show "Ghosts" (BBC) on Instagram and Threads.
If you are not familiar with the show, I created a reference source
website to explain the history
behind each of the characters. Do not let the name of the show fool
you, though it is called "Ghosts," it is actually a clever comedy, and not scary!
Okay
so maybe I am a little technologically savvy, but not as much as I would
like to be. I am always interested in learning more about the field and
applying what I learn to my current needs and interests. However, before we can start any of that, I think it is best to give a breakdown of my professional background.
From Actor to Director to Teacher to Future Librarian
I have a BFA in Music Theatre and it was awesome! I got to perform in musicals, plays, television, film, and voice over. Then I graduated to directing and teaching. In fact, my next big adventure post performing was directing musicals and teaching English in China. I spent two years in Nanjing and two years in Chengdu.
Nanjing – Jiangsu Province
Nanjing, the former capital of China which roughly translates to “South Capital” whereas the current capital, Beijing, roughly translates to “North Capital.” See? Mandarin isn’t that difficult (just kidding it is.)
I really enjoyed living in Nanjing and it was a great way to be introduced to the Chinese culture and their cuisine. In fact, when I moved to Chengdu afterwards, I missed some dishes that could only be found in the Jiangsu province. For example, in Nanjing you could get spicy noodles ANYWHERE! And their street food was amazing! I especially liked the Jianbing which is a savory and spicy crepe that is usually available for breakfast. If you are interested in learning more, the link under the picture will take you to a fantastic recipe I found.
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| Image Source: Jianbing Recipe |
Chengdu – Sichuan Province
Chengdu is surrounded by beautiful mountains and occupied by the country’s national treasure: pandas. Guess what they are also known for? Yes, very spicy food. To say the food is spicy is an understatement, not only it is spicy, but the food makes your mouth numb. Though it sounds scary, it is delicious! I especially recommend hot pot if you decide to visit. Professional foodie tip: make sure to order some plum tea to cool yourself down during the meal. If you are interested in learning more about the dish, I found a wonderful recipe which is in the link under the picture.
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| Image Source: Sichuan Hot Pot Recipe |
So why a librarian?
The pandemic hit when I was going home for Christmas vacation in December 2019, so I could not go back to continue my teaching job in Chengdu. I realized this was a time to think about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was at the point where I outgrew my childhood dream of being an actor, and I felt like I wanted to embark on a different direction. Pursuing a library degree made sense to me… I like books and stories and everything a library stands for: preserving history and helping the community.
Why the name Librarian Who?
This is a nod to the classic BBC series, “Doctor Who.” They are the only one of its kind, which honestly feels like my path. Unlike the Doctor, however, I have no idea what I am doing, but I might as well have fun enjoying the ride. As the Doctor would famously say, “Allons-y!”
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