Happy first birthday to Mary's Mix Tape.
So much has happened over the past year, and not enough of it was written down. I keep a sticky note on my computer. On this sticky is where I write down my brilliant ideas for blogging - and I am sad to say that there are 7 things on that list that I have been neglecting for so long, that if I tried to compose something clever it would probably turn out very badly.
Example:
I have the words "a house with more than 23 windows" written down on this pastel yellow sticky, and although I can remember exactly when I saw this image and counted all the windows and thought that I just HAD to blog about it, I truly no longer have any clever thoughts to share. Just as I am writing about it now I will be deleting that topic - I can no longer recall what on earth I could have spent a few paragraphs blabbering about 23 windows for. It was a pretty house though.
Delete.
My second post last year was during the first real snow storm in the city. And I find it fatalistic that as I sit here writing exactly one year later, a sister storm, bringing the first real snow of this season is falling perfectly outside of my living room window. The sidewalks were covered in the salts today before it even began to snow. These are the salts that make the floors of the subways white. Just as it began to snow a simply perfect snowflake landed on my boyfriend's eyelash.
Perfect.
I have to admit that I do like the snow. But I am also excited to be escaping this freezing cold city for almost two weeks to dwell in the not so cold and much sunnier Los Angeles. Then when I come back and finish my third semester I can not feel so bitter when it is six degrees outside when I walk to school in the morning.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Time Goes Away
It has been way too long since I have gone out with my camera, so yesterday on my 20 block walk home from class I decided to take the scenic route and capture some of this beautiful city's holiday charm.
It is a special feeling living only four blocks away from these beautiful sights - and I hope that I never stop appreciating that for as long as I live in New York City.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
More Than Useless
This is my new day planner. I love this company - your first thought is that the books are recycled, but they aren't - this company uses post consumer products, so these journals and unique books don't even use the energy that it takes to recycle paper. I am even sending in my coil from my appointment book last year so my book will be made completely from previously used materials!
You can find out more info and see these amazing books at papergeist.com.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Safe in the City
I took a big step this year and put my name onto a lease for an apartment. Although, to be frank, I was somewhat apprehensive of this at first. Finding an apartment in The City was not an easy task. After a restless red-eye from LA to NYC we decided to go out the first day at about 11 am to start the hunt. We looked at about 8 places the first day and could only talk ourselves into considering one of them as a possible place of residence. We agreed to get up early and try again on Friday, and if nothing else turned up we would choose the place from the day before. Friday turned out to be another crazy day schlepping around New York running up and down countless flights of stairs.
It was starting to near the end of our second day - we only had two appointments left. We arrived at W 55th Street to meet Mike who was over 15 minutes late and as he shook our hand kindly said "I do not have a key to get into this building." You could imagine the frustration "what do you mean?? We love this area and want to see this place" I did not say those exact words, and started with "oh, that's okay." When really I was thinking "This trip was pointless and a waste of time."
Then out of nowhere Tom and Otis come into the picture. A current resident (and his cute dog) who has overheard the conversation and invited us into his apartment in the same building with the same layout as the one we are interested in. In my head "does this happen?" Answer: Yes. He was very friendly and we liked the inside of the place enough to agree to meet Mike back at the apartment building an hour and a half later - with the condition that he would be back with a set of keys and a bottle of wine for Tom.
When we arrived back at the infamous apartment building I was surprised to see Mike on time and waiting for us with keys in hand and ready to go. We walked up four more flights of stairs and right into a perfect little apartment. We knew right away that this was the one we wanted. We filled out the paperwork and were into our new place in a matter of days. Thanks Mike!
As we started meeting people in the building we came to find out that this actual building had been very recently the location of multiple robberies - one of which happened to our neighbor. "Uh... scary" - especially considering that CohenSmithChang (the agency through which we got our apartment) conveniently lost a set of our keys on the day we moved in. I started not feeling as safe as I had hoped I would in my first legitimate apartment.
The moving process was a little hectic. We had absolutely no furniture - so the hunt for that began immediately, and I quickly found a chair that I really liked. As Pasha and I were opening the front door to our building, with humongous chair in hand, three men approached us. "Do you need any help?" At first I did not want any random people coming into my new place because of the key situation and robbery mentioned earlier. I took another look and realized that these were just the type of people whose help we could use - Mormons. I don't remember the two brothers' names, but Elder East-Hope (who didn't look old enough to be an elder to me) seemed a very fitting name for a Latter-day-Saint who helps people move furniture. Next came Lou - the big guy from Queens who helped us move the 20 ton media cabinet we thought would be a nice addition to the living room. Big Lou really liked to talk. As I sat in the back of his burgundy van with no windows I learned a lot about old New York and all the old buildings and how much money the city makes from giving people tickets. Lou was a really funny guy - when I tried adding to conversation he would look extremely bored, but as soon as he could talk again he would get so excited. He was not shy to tell us that we had the second to worst piece of furniture that he had ever had to move in all of his days as a "Man with a Van".
After a week I finally got the guts to take the lock off the door (that's right me and a screw driver and a door) all by myself. I took every single piece (it was pretty heavy) to the "Lock and Key" guy down the street and he re-keyed it all for me in no time. I put it all back on the door and now can say I really have the most perfect apartment in New York City. It is simple, safe and comes with its very own StairMaster!
Now, the only thing I really still need is a couch.
It was starting to near the end of our second day - we only had two appointments left. We arrived at W 55th Street to meet Mike who was over 15 minutes late and as he shook our hand kindly said "I do not have a key to get into this building." You could imagine the frustration "what do you mean?? We love this area and want to see this place" I did not say those exact words, and started with "oh, that's okay." When really I was thinking "This trip was pointless and a waste of time."
Then out of nowhere Tom and Otis come into the picture. A current resident (and his cute dog) who has overheard the conversation and invited us into his apartment in the same building with the same layout as the one we are interested in. In my head "does this happen?" Answer: Yes. He was very friendly and we liked the inside of the place enough to agree to meet Mike back at the apartment building an hour and a half later - with the condition that he would be back with a set of keys and a bottle of wine for Tom.
When we arrived back at the infamous apartment building I was surprised to see Mike on time and waiting for us with keys in hand and ready to go. We walked up four more flights of stairs and right into a perfect little apartment. We knew right away that this was the one we wanted. We filled out the paperwork and were into our new place in a matter of days. Thanks Mike!
As we started meeting people in the building we came to find out that this actual building had been very recently the location of multiple robberies - one of which happened to our neighbor. "Uh... scary" - especially considering that CohenSmithChang (the agency through which we got our apartment) conveniently lost a set of our keys on the day we moved in. I started not feeling as safe as I had hoped I would in my first legitimate apartment.
The moving process was a little hectic. We had absolutely no furniture - so the hunt for that began immediately, and I quickly found a chair that I really liked. As Pasha and I were opening the front door to our building, with humongous chair in hand, three men approached us. "Do you need any help?" At first I did not want any random people coming into my new place because of the key situation and robbery mentioned earlier. I took another look and realized that these were just the type of people whose help we could use - Mormons. I don't remember the two brothers' names, but Elder East-Hope (who didn't look old enough to be an elder to me) seemed a very fitting name for a Latter-day-Saint who helps people move furniture. Next came Lou - the big guy from Queens who helped us move the 20 ton media cabinet we thought would be a nice addition to the living room. Big Lou really liked to talk. As I sat in the back of his burgundy van with no windows I learned a lot about old New York and all the old buildings and how much money the city makes from giving people tickets. Lou was a really funny guy - when I tried adding to conversation he would look extremely bored, but as soon as he could talk again he would get so excited. He was not shy to tell us that we had the second to worst piece of furniture that he had ever had to move in all of his days as a "Man with a Van".
After a week I finally got the guts to take the lock off the door (that's right me and a screw driver and a door) all by myself. I took every single piece (it was pretty heavy) to the "Lock and Key" guy down the street and he re-keyed it all for me in no time. I put it all back on the door and now can say I really have the most perfect apartment in New York City. It is simple, safe and comes with its very own StairMaster!
Now, the only thing I really still need is a couch.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Hands
Sometimes people (myself included) do not take enough time to appreciate the simple things. One of the goals that I set for my summer in LA was to go on a double date with my beau, my forever best friend and her new husband. With time running out and no double date having happened yet we decided to have a best friends marathon that would conclude in the long anticipated double date. For the date we wanted to do something fun, different and memorable. I know it is crazy - but despite the nearly three years we have been with both of our significant others we had yet to go on a double date. My boy came up with Ethiopian in the nearby Little Ethiopia and it was quickly agreed upon and decided that it was the perfect double date.
The date was great. We spent all of our time appreciating the company and laughing loud at the simplest of jokes. Sitting in our tiny chars in a circle around the huge basket where our food would soon be placed we were not thinking about controversial topics but just about being together and happy. When everyone's food came it was all on one plate which was set in the basket which we sat around - we all took a piece of injera (the yummy squishy bread) and, with only our hands, all communally ate off of the same plate. The corresponding couples also partook in the Ethiopian tradition of feeding food to someone who you love.
It seems so simple, but sometimes the little things that you do not think about when they are happening are the things that can make you feel the most whole - like laughing with friends that live across the country as if there is not even a mile in between your friendship.
The date was great. We spent all of our time appreciating the company and laughing loud at the simplest of jokes. Sitting in our tiny chars in a circle around the huge basket where our food would soon be placed we were not thinking about controversial topics but just about being together and happy. When everyone's food came it was all on one plate which was set in the basket which we sat around - we all took a piece of injera (the yummy squishy bread) and, with only our hands, all communally ate off of the same plate. The corresponding couples also partook in the Ethiopian tradition of feeding food to someone who you love.
It seems so simple, but sometimes the little things that you do not think about when they are happening are the things that can make you feel the most whole - like laughing with friends that live across the country as if there is not even a mile in between your friendship.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Ticket to Ride
I went to the Orange County Fair this summer and had quite a time taking pictures of the typical fair festivities. Since we went on discounted Thursdays we were there with the even more than creepy normal carnival going crowd.
At the end of the day my carnival experience was quite a good one. There is not a better day than riding kiddy rides with old friends, eating ridiculous amounts of fair food and then binging on some fatty desserts before a long ride home in the back of a tiny car with a huge stuffed dog named Poncho.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Sound of Silence
This past week I spent a lot of time with friends. And as is expected we talked a lot. We talked about everything from relationships to Shakira's new wolf video and religion to the amount of cheese on a stick you can eat to be considered lunch. But just as we spent a great deal of our time talking we also spent a lot of time in silence.
I think friendship is the most true and honest when you can be with someone else and not feel forced to say anything at all. To just sit there in silence and be comfortable without any worries or awkwardness is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. I encountered this multiple time with multiple people this week and am sincerely thankful for all of them. Whether it is sitting on a huge rock looking at the freezing cold lake and listening to waterfalls or just driving in the car together with nothing too important to say to ruin the quiet.
It is delightful to think about the friendship and times spent together without forcing conversation or wondering who will speak next. If silence comes the next time you are with people who you consider true friends, I encourage you to embrace it and feel an abundance of security in the absence of sound that can simply be thought of as a peaceful and cozy friendship.
I think friendship is the most true and honest when you can be with someone else and not feel forced to say anything at all. To just sit there in silence and be comfortable without any worries or awkwardness is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. I encountered this multiple time with multiple people this week and am sincerely thankful for all of them. Whether it is sitting on a huge rock looking at the freezing cold lake and listening to waterfalls or just driving in the car together with nothing too important to say to ruin the quiet.
It is delightful to think about the friendship and times spent together without forcing conversation or wondering who will speak next. If silence comes the next time you are with people who you consider true friends, I encourage you to embrace it and feel an abundance of security in the absence of sound that can simply be thought of as a peaceful and cozy friendship.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
You Drive Me Crazy
Los Angeles without a car. Don't try it.
I thought a summer in LA without a car would somehow just work itself out. I mean, I understand public transportation (thank you New York) and I love walking - so I figured if I really needed to be somewhere far from where I was that I could figure it out when the time came by bribing or begging my friends.
I am usually not one to fail when I set out to succeed. Now with a little more than a month until I leave this place to head back to The City, I have come to realize that on this assignment I have received a big - fat - below average - F.
Due to my lack of transportation I have failed to get a summer job (one of the initial reasons for returning to Los Angeles) and have not been able to attend any regular dance classes (therefore not being prepared to go back to school). My ideas of using a moped or a bike to get places were quickly discouraged by friends - so I aimed to find work in Westwood. Aparently the only people who work in Westwood are paralegals and people who rent out furniture (I know... creepy).
I always heard people say that Los Angeles is impossible to live in without a car, but since I spent over a year at UCLA without one and managed to survive quite well I thought they were all being a little over dramatic. I hate to say it, but I am now converted. If you are ever considering visiting Los Angeles for a few months and want to work at the same time - it is probably not going to happen unless you have a job set up ahead of time. It might be more likely if you are staying for a longer period of time.
I guess I should not be complaining. I really needed a good long rest. But I have to admit that I don't think I am doing much better sitting around with no job worrying about finances. I never thought I would say that I was so ready to get back to NY and get another job. Why would I want that stress either?
I wish there was a happy medium. Maybe I should move to Wyoming or something...
Friday, July 10, 2009
Carry This Picture
Art is everywhere. Last night was my first live art exhibit and I learned a lot. Someone special told me, "There are no small actors, only small parts," and I found that very inspiring. I hope that I can carry that advice with me into this voyage I am starting out on in the entertainment industry. But for now I want to share some of my favorite photographs that I have taken in the last few months.
A llama at a petting zoo in Central Park on Easter day (left)
Across the lake, from the West to the East, and its cold (right)
Somebody really uses this bike to get around in Bermuda (left) and they use real gas lamps to light the streets in Boston (below)
I think that every single person is an artist - you only have to believe in what you create.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Hide and Seek
I have finally relocated back to Los Angeles and now that I am settled have found myself in a strange living situation. Let me explain (ok, more like rant about) my first few weeks.
I arrived with an invitation to move into my subleased apartment merely days after the meeting the original tenants -
"You can move in as early as tomorrow if you would like."
and I think "of course... why would I wait to move in if I can just do it now."
I arrive the next afternoon with luggage in hand and ready to mark my new territory. I open the front door to a girl who was obviously not expecting me. I greet the said girl and ask if the other roommate is home. She does not answer and just yells, "JAMIE - some girl is here to move in." I take this as a cue to follow her into the room which she busted into and see that the half of the room that is meant to be mine is currently being occupied by a very unattractive girl who does not introduce herself. I then take the initiative: "Hi, my name is Mary and your other roommate said it would be fine if I moved in today." She responds with a long exasperated sigh and then grunts. "Uh well, I'm kinda busy and I'm not really ready for you to move in yet."
Ok.... so what am I supposed to do now?? Politely I ask, "when do you think you will have time to clear this space out for me so I can bring my stuff in?"
"Tonight... Maybe like 5." She turns away and starts blow drying her hair so she doesn't have to look or talk to me anymore.
I took that as my cue to leave and did just that. Not wanting to face these lovely beings two days in a row I took the next day off to give them some space and came back two days later. I then found a cleared off bed but no other space in the room for any of my belongings... Jamie proceeded to then be out of town for the entire weekend, so... not feeling comfortable about moving her belongings I lived out of my suitcase for that weekend and what turned into the next week and a half.
The other girl - the one who yelled all the time seemed to be some sort of crazy feminist, vegan, lesbian who was always mad and came home drunk every night. One morning, she woke me up at 5:45am screaming to her mother on the phone, "There are people sleeping everywhere MOM! I cant find my keys!" I think she slammed the door about 29 times before I decided to gt up and pee since she was convinced that no one else should sleep because of her issues. As I came out of the bathroom, still sleepy-eyed and drowsy, she came rushing at me with veins popping out of her neck asking (I mean yelling of course) if I had taken her keys. I am sure it was too early in the morning to hide the look on my face - the secret was out I think, she now knows I think she is a psycho. I shake my head no and she runs past me into my room and screams at Jamie who is still (somehow) asleep: "JAMIE! I lost my keys!!! Wake up, have you seen them??" Jamie laughs, rolls over and says something about how she had to use them to move her car the night before as she points to the keys right next to her on the desk. "THANKS" is all I hear as yelling-girl leaves and slams the door the final time that morning.
It has been about a week since those characters have been gone and the new roommates have moved in. Now I have a nice roommate also named Jamie - I know, super confusing. I am still finding traces of these crazy people and nothing that I find makes them more normal. I spent over 4 hours of my life cleaning a kitchen of disgusting proportions with a salmonella infested refrigerator and dishes in the cabinets with so much food on them that I wondered if they even washed their dishes.
They left some fun surprises too, like two completely empty boxes of dishwasher detergent, dirty socks in my closet, some huge bong shaped cups from some shady club, a blue polka-dotted bonnet, a goose with a removable head, Pokemon lights in the living room, and 5 million posters of Marylin Monroe. One of the favorite things I came across while cleaning out under my bed was the remote control to the DVD player which they told me did not exist when I was watching a movie a few days before they left.
They also left all of their pictures, valentines day cards and glow-stars around the apartment. We have thenceforth covered up most of their existence with other strange objects like potato chip bags, playing cards, and our own memorabilia.
I hope when one of the original girls gets back next month things aren't completely awkward... especially since she will be living in my room. But until then I will try to make the most of my findings keep you updated on the other ridiculous things I stumble upon in my new apartment!
I arrived with an invitation to move into my subleased apartment merely days after the meeting the original tenants -
"You can move in as early as tomorrow if you would like."
and I think "of course... why would I wait to move in if I can just do it now."
I arrive the next afternoon with luggage in hand and ready to mark my new territory. I open the front door to a girl who was obviously not expecting me. I greet the said girl and ask if the other roommate is home. She does not answer and just yells, "JAMIE - some girl is here to move in." I take this as a cue to follow her into the room which she busted into and see that the half of the room that is meant to be mine is currently being occupied by a very unattractive girl who does not introduce herself. I then take the initiative: "Hi, my name is Mary and your other roommate said it would be fine if I moved in today." She responds with a long exasperated sigh and then grunts. "Uh well, I'm kinda busy and I'm not really ready for you to move in yet."
Ok.... so what am I supposed to do now?? Politely I ask, "when do you think you will have time to clear this space out for me so I can bring my stuff in?"
"Tonight... Maybe like 5." She turns away and starts blow drying her hair so she doesn't have to look or talk to me anymore.
I took that as my cue to leave and did just that. Not wanting to face these lovely beings two days in a row I took the next day off to give them some space and came back two days later. I then found a cleared off bed but no other space in the room for any of my belongings... Jamie proceeded to then be out of town for the entire weekend, so... not feeling comfortable about moving her belongings I lived out of my suitcase for that weekend and what turned into the next week and a half.
The other girl - the one who yelled all the time seemed to be some sort of crazy feminist, vegan, lesbian who was always mad and came home drunk every night. One morning, she woke me up at 5:45am screaming to her mother on the phone, "There are people sleeping everywhere MOM! I cant find my keys!" I think she slammed the door about 29 times before I decided to gt up and pee since she was convinced that no one else should sleep because of her issues. As I came out of the bathroom, still sleepy-eyed and drowsy, she came rushing at me with veins popping out of her neck asking (I mean yelling of course) if I had taken her keys. I am sure it was too early in the morning to hide the look on my face - the secret was out I think, she now knows I think she is a psycho. I shake my head no and she runs past me into my room and screams at Jamie who is still (somehow) asleep: "JAMIE! I lost my keys!!! Wake up, have you seen them??" Jamie laughs, rolls over and says something about how she had to use them to move her car the night before as she points to the keys right next to her on the desk. "THANKS" is all I hear as yelling-girl leaves and slams the door the final time that morning.
It has been about a week since those characters have been gone and the new roommates have moved in. Now I have a nice roommate also named Jamie - I know, super confusing. I am still finding traces of these crazy people and nothing that I find makes them more normal. I spent over 4 hours of my life cleaning a kitchen of disgusting proportions with a salmonella infested refrigerator and dishes in the cabinets with so much food on them that I wondered if they even washed their dishes.
They left some fun surprises too, like two completely empty boxes of dishwasher detergent, dirty socks in my closet, some huge bong shaped cups from some shady club, a blue polka-dotted bonnet, a goose with a removable head, Pokemon lights in the living room, and 5 million posters of Marylin Monroe. One of the favorite things I came across while cleaning out under my bed was the remote control to the DVD player which they told me did not exist when I was watching a movie a few days before they left.
They also left all of their pictures, valentines day cards and glow-stars around the apartment. We have thenceforth covered up most of their existence with other strange objects like potato chip bags, playing cards, and our own memorabilia.
I hope when one of the original girls gets back next month things aren't completely awkward... especially since she will be living in my room. But until then I will try to make the most of my findings keep you updated on the other ridiculous things I stumble upon in my new apartment!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Old Deuteronomy
Yesterday was the second official week of the new TV show The Cougar!
In this epic chapter of reality television series we get to watch the lovely Stacey (the cougar) hopes to meet, date, and even fall in love with the new man (or I guess we should say BOY) of her dreams.
The first week we got to meet all of the guys who are all under the age of 29. My favorite is the military guy who called her "too old" to be a cougar at their first interaction. They all made their first impressions to try to be the first to accompany middle aged Stacey into the mansion first. Travis, the surfer dude somehow won... maybe it was because they have similar hair styles.
Last night was the celebration of Stacey's 40th birthday. I have to give it to her - she does not look 40. She looks like she could be the sister of these boys not the mother... oh wait, she has a daughter that is actually older than some of the people she is now dating. But wait - only one of the 15 people left know that she has 4 children! The suspense builds.
I am excited to see how this twice married, four time mother finds the boy of her dreams in the weeks to come. Next week the boys have to pick out a dress for our little debutante - I can't wait to see who wins! Best wishes Stacey!
In this epic chapter of reality television series we get to watch the lovely Stacey (the cougar) hopes to meet, date, and even fall in love with the new man (or I guess we should say BOY) of her dreams.
The first week we got to meet all of the guys who are all under the age of 29. My favorite is the military guy who called her "too old" to be a cougar at their first interaction. They all made their first impressions to try to be the first to accompany middle aged Stacey into the mansion first. Travis, the surfer dude somehow won... maybe it was because they have similar hair styles.
Last night was the celebration of Stacey's 40th birthday. I have to give it to her - she does not look 40. She looks like she could be the sister of these boys not the mother... oh wait, she has a daughter that is actually older than some of the people she is now dating. But wait - only one of the 15 people left know that she has 4 children! The suspense builds.
I am excited to see how this twice married, four time mother finds the boy of her dreams in the weeks to come. Next week the boys have to pick out a dress for our little debutante - I can't wait to see who wins! Best wishes Stacey!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I Am Missing
So I have obviously been MIA for quite a while now, and I would like to say that I just have not had anything to write about or nothing notable has been happening. That however is simply not the case. I have been crazy busy, not sleeping enough, and stretching muscles that I did not even know existed. And I am afraid that I do not even have time for an amazing life changing post now - since the consequence of reading one of my posts is usually life altering - I know. So I will keep it short and sweet.
Some Notes:
I have seen a man jabbing a pen into his ear on the subway.
It is possible to read more than three plays in one day, and it is not likely that any of them will not use profanity to make a point.
"Mi Pizzichi, mi stuzzichi, mi pungichi, me mastiche!"
Is what I am doing Kind, Constructive, and Honest?
"Sometimes, in a movie the heroes doing all this stuff that's dangerous but you know, because of the type of movie it is, that he's not going to get hurt."
Rosie Thomas: Listen to her music
Don't do something knowing you are going to fail. Do something with the intention to succeed.
"An Ounce of behavior is worth more than a pound of words" - Sandy Meizner
Some Notes:
I have seen a man jabbing a pen into his ear on the subway.
It is possible to read more than three plays in one day, and it is not likely that any of them will not use profanity to make a point.
"Mi Pizzichi, mi stuzzichi, mi pungichi, me mastiche!"
Is what I am doing Kind, Constructive, and Honest?
"Sometimes, in a movie the heroes doing all this stuff that's dangerous but you know, because of the type of movie it is, that he's not going to get hurt."
Rosie Thomas: Listen to her music
Don't do something knowing you are going to fail. Do something with the intention to succeed.
"An Ounce of behavior is worth more than a pound of words" - Sandy Meizner
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Hunger
In December I attended a fun and festive Christmas Party where we played a good old fashioned white elephant gift exchange. I brought something that I thought was really cool and that people would certainly want to steal - a FEED 100 bag. I ended up looking like a weirdo when I stole it from the girl who had picked it, thinking someone would surely steal it from me as well. I stole it pretty early in the game and was disappointed when no one stole it away from me. I ended up going home with the same present I brought to the party - talk about the worst giver ever. I felt lame for a full few days, but its not like it was on my mind all the time or anything. A few days before Christmas (while I was using my new bag that I got for Christmas from myself) I visited The Natural History Museum. The man checking bags to make sure no one brought knives or explosives into the Night at the Museum museum asked me what the 100 on my bag stood for. At that moment everything changed - I was the proud owner of a FEED 100 bag. I took a few minutes to explain the cause to him and he was so excited about it. Instead of a long winded explanation from me now, here is an actual excerpt from their website. Please visit it and buy your own bag - its a really good cause.
Feedprojects.org
The Problem:
Feedprojects.org
The Problem:
Hunger and malnutrition kill more people than AIDS, malaria, and TB combined.
The global food system is imbalanced and people are sick and dying due to lack of good quality nutrition.
Almost 400 million children around the world go to bed hungry every night. In fact, every five seconds a child dies because he or she is hungry.
There are still over 77 million children not attending school (60% of which are girls), 150 million children drop out of school before attaining a basic primary education, and 50 million hungry children are not receiving any form of food aid.
The Solution:
School feeding is one of the most effective solutions to stopping hunger and breaking the poverty cycle.
In 74 countries, the UN World Food Program (WFP) offers a nutrient-packed meal to children in school. This food gets kids to school, who might not attend otherwise, and gives them the energy to learn and empowers them to better their lives.
When boys and girls are given a free, nutritious meal in school, research has shown that attendance increases by 100% and performance improves greatly. Girls with just a few years of education have fewer children, have them later in life, and are better prepared to care for and educate them. For many children, a school lunch is the only meal they will receive all day. Learn More: www.wfp.org
Our Product Values:
All FEED products are made as eco-friendly and fairly as possible. Our bags are produced with high-quality,100% organic cotton and natural burlap. We work with only audited and certified fair labor facilities. It's important to us to visit the places our products are made AND the places our donations are going.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wild Thing
Now that I have graduated from UCLA and live elsewhere, I have started to miss the cute little wild creatures that called that beautiful campus their home. Although this cute little guy calls Central Park his home it makes me remember how much I liked seeing little fuzzy creatures everyday.
Maybe his name is Rupert.
It probably is...
Monday, January 26, 2009
This Photograph is Proof
As many of my friends know, I am currently trying to become good at taking photographs that might also be considered artsy. The picture above is obviously a failed attempt, but an attempt none-the-less and it comes with a short little story that some may find amusing. After one of the first snow falls in the city I decided to bust out my awesome new camera and try to take some cool fandangeled pictures. Central Park seemed a good place for cool snow pictures, but I have to admit I didn't get any that made me extremely proud. Sorry, on to the better part.A man suddenly ran by me in some very very short shorts (so short a girl shouldn't even wear them) with the longest socks you will ever see. They were like stockings a woman might wear with something short to show off how good her legs look. The thing was that the man was old, did not have attractive legs, and was definitely not a woman. He should not have been wearing those socks - case closed. There was a small group of tourists walking at a quicker pace from behind me and I heard them say "He is going to slash." My first thought was "Oh! No! He is going to try to kill all of us as once." And then I realized that this was impossible unless he had a bomb and there was absolutely no way he was carrying it unless it was really small. And then I thought even if he tries to kill us my boyfriend knows ma-hatz or some street fighting things and he will protect me. But by the time all of these thoughts raced through my head I realized that I was not going to die and the man had already run by. Crisis averted. Or so I thought.
I paused for a minute or so to take a picture of the bench above and then continued down the little path to 59th street. All of a sudden the short shorts runner sock guy was back - and now he was mad. He was approaching at a very fast pace telling me I was despicable, pitiful, and some other harsh words that I no longer remember. He was shaking his head and had the hugest frown I had ever seen. He was galloping towards me and my boyfriend waving a finger with rage. The tourists were now nowhere to be found. "Oh! He was waiting for them to leave before he tried to kill us". All of a sudden he pivoted and started walking angrily the other way and I finally caught the words that justified his madness, "You think it's funny to take my picture while I am taking a piss, you are pitiful! PITIFUL!" I think he also muttered something about being ashamed as he started running again and he kept turning around to make sure I was no longer capturing his soul with my camera.
As you can see, as you reference the picture above, he is not in it. I had no idea he was peeing on that wall on the right side of the bench. After I realized he was not going to kill me I still felt horrible and had the strange desire to run after him and explain that his wee-wee was not the focus of my picture. Poor guy.
Wait, I just realized that he was peeing in public on a wall in Central Park. Gross!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Crash and Burn
I was lucky enough to have a few friends from Los Angeles visit me over the Christmas break that is sadly coming to an end. These friends are generally quite calm and collected - not the typical ruckus causing party animals. On New Years Eve we collectively decided to let the ball in Times Square drop without our company as we visited a calm bar close to the Columbia campus. The plan was to celebrate the new year without being robbed, cold, or too drunk - all of which we successfully accomplished. But that cannot be the end of the story can it? Of course not.
Earlier that day we were walking to Rockefeller Center and stumbled across some traditional rowdy souvenir salesmen selling a new product called a party popper. Do not be fooled, this is not the commonly purchased supermarket popper where you pull the string and little shriveled papers come out the end. These two dollar masterpieces were huge and would smash the traditional party poppers that the rest of you know and love (see picture). I decided to stop and buy one (not something I usually do but I felt compelled for reasons I do not know) and one of my friends joined in the exciting purchase as well.
The subsequent events of the evening are relatively unsubstantial until we arrived at the scene of the crime. We appeared at the purposely unmentioned location at approximately 11:30 pm and ordered our drinks and our pizza with only about 10 minutes to enjoy them before the new year joined us. Being the responsible young ladies that we are we decided to ask about the use of the party poppers and silly string (sorry I neglected to mention that earlier) inside and were told that we should use the party poppers outside for the safety of the rest of the party-goers that evening. As our table was held we bravely walked out of the bar to pop off our poppers right after midnight. I did mine first - after which a bar wench (taking a smoking break) thought that the product was great. She encouraged us to shoot the remaining popper off inside. My trio argued and said that we were told not to by other bar-workers and were perfectly satisfied setting them off outside. Then in a very convincing tone the wench said, "I am the one who has to clean it up, not him, GO shoot it off INSIDE".
We felt like we had no choice in the matter and reluctantly went inside to do as we were told. It was only milliseconds from when my friend bravely shot her popper into the air when I heard the painful crash of the lamp right between the people sitting at the bar and the table on the other side. No one was harmed in the smashing of this sconce-chandelier type of ceiling hanging light fixture, but my friends and myself quickly proceeded to feel embarrassed and ashamed. All bar action and conversations stopped as people looked at us, probably checked us out cause we all looked super hott, and then started whispering. I am sure the whispers had less to do with the broken light and more to do with the fact that we were gorgeous. We then bravely agreed to stay at the bar for a few more hours end try to enjoy the new year.
How did the night end you might be wondering? We were not at all intoxicated, we were $50 poorer, the bar wench left without speaking to us or cleaning up the mess, and the drunk manager refused to accept our sincerest of apologizes. We collectively decided that the night was not at all a failure and agreed that we should not let one foul instance with a party popper discourage us from celebrating with them in the future. Next time however we will not be in a bar, around lights, around glass, around people who may be harmed, around alcohol, and especially around anyone who resembles a bar wench.
Earlier that day we were walking to Rockefeller Center and stumbled across some traditional rowdy souvenir salesmen selling a new product called a party popper. Do not be fooled, this is not the commonly purchased supermarket popper where you pull the string and little shriveled papers come out the end. These two dollar masterpieces were huge and would smash the traditional party poppers that the rest of you know and love (see picture). I decided to stop and buy one (not something I usually do but I felt compelled for reasons I do not know) and one of my friends joined in the exciting purchase as well.
The subsequent events of the evening are relatively unsubstantial until we arrived at the scene of the crime. We appeared at the purposely unmentioned location at approximately 11:30 pm and ordered our drinks and our pizza with only about 10 minutes to enjoy them before the new year joined us. Being the responsible young ladies that we are we decided to ask about the use of the party poppers and silly string (sorry I neglected to mention that earlier) inside and were told that we should use the party poppers outside for the safety of the rest of the party-goers that evening. As our table was held we bravely walked out of the bar to pop off our poppers right after midnight. I did mine first - after which a bar wench (taking a smoking break) thought that the product was great. She encouraged us to shoot the remaining popper off inside. My trio argued and said that we were told not to by other bar-workers and were perfectly satisfied setting them off outside. Then in a very convincing tone the wench said, "I am the one who has to clean it up, not him, GO shoot it off INSIDE".
We felt like we had no choice in the matter and reluctantly went inside to do as we were told. It was only milliseconds from when my friend bravely shot her popper into the air when I heard the painful crash of the lamp right between the people sitting at the bar and the table on the other side. No one was harmed in the smashing of this sconce-chandelier type of ceiling hanging light fixture, but my friends and myself quickly proceeded to feel embarrassed and ashamed. All bar action and conversations stopped as people looked at us, probably checked us out cause we all looked super hott, and then started whispering. I am sure the whispers had less to do with the broken light and more to do with the fact that we were gorgeous. We then bravely agreed to stay at the bar for a few more hours end try to enjoy the new year.
How did the night end you might be wondering? We were not at all intoxicated, we were $50 poorer, the bar wench left without speaking to us or cleaning up the mess, and the drunk manager refused to accept our sincerest of apologizes. We collectively decided that the night was not at all a failure and agreed that we should not let one foul instance with a party popper discourage us from celebrating with them in the future. Next time however we will not be in a bar, around lights, around glass, around people who may be harmed, around alcohol, and especially around anyone who resembles a bar wench.
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