Tuesday, August 31, 2010

My Last AMERIKUN Weekend

MY LAST WEEKEND IN AMERICA WAS FUCKING FABULOUS! Adam dubbed it "date weekend" and tried to fit in all these fun things for us to do.  It was also full of surprises. Some were small, like the mix CD he made me (so good).  And others were big.  Really BIG.

So on Friday he took me to Dorney Park to ride roller coasters.  Our favorite was Steel Force.  Then for our last ride before we left we decided to go on the congo rapids thing.  DUDE.  I was expecting log flume levels of wetness and instead I was fullly dumped on by a series of dirty water falls.  And I was the ONLY person under those water falls.  Adam just laughed and chatted up the adorable black kid who was sitting next to him.   Hmphh.   Later that night we had a beer taste test and watched Office Space. We tried (in order of preference) watermelon beer, blueberry beer, and pumpkin beer. The watermelon beer (Hell or High Watermelon) was sooooo good and the blueberry beer (Sea Dog) smelled like pie!  Pumpkin was eh, but I think it was just the brand that we got. 

On Saturday we kind of just hung around but then he was all, "Hey we actually have to be in the city around 3pm and you should wear something kind of dressy." I was very confused, especially because we had no real concrete plans to go to Philly. But we drove in and then he surprises me double! The first being he got a hotel room for the night at the fancy city hall Marriott! And the second being dinner at the fancy and delicious French restaurant PARC by Rittenhouse. I was sooooooooo surprised and delighted. That was awesome. And he wouldn't let me pay for anything. I really hope he didn't spend a small fortune. After dinner we hung out in the hotel room for a few hours drinking more fancy beers and then our emo friend Baurer picked us up and drove us to that hipster bar/dance hall called the Barbary. I was super nervous my ID would be rejected but it was even easier to get in this time than the first time and there was a special event called Hands and Knees that played really good music so we danced a lot and nearly puked from the heat which emanated off the sweaty dancing bodies of 10,000 hipsters.

The next day we went to the Philly zoo and fell in love w/ the naked mole rats and giraffes but once again nearly died of heat stroke.  Then we went back to his house in the burbs and ate Chinese food and watched movies until we fell asleep. 

IT WAS THE BEST WEEKEND EVER.

School Dreams

No new school year would be complete without the pre-school jitters and a plethora of anxiety dreams.  My first anxiety dream was last night, the night before the night I leave for London, and it started off semi-standard but then turned EXTREME!  And I don't mean, "oh my it was so EXTREMELY anxiety ridden."  I mean X Games EXTREME with crazy sports and physical challenges.

The dream starts off like it usually does. It's the first day of class and I cannot figure out my schedule nor where my classes are.  I forgot to print out my roster and therefore have no idea which classes I have that day or how to find them.  So I run around asking friends, "Hey, do you happen to know what my schedule is?" or "Hey, where is the Tech Center again?" or "Hey, what's the website that tells you your schedule thingy?"  I was a real mess.  I just couldn't figure anything out. I ran back and forth down various hallways for MINUTES trying to find the computer lab or a guidance counselor or ANYTHING that could help me.  Meanwhile, my class had already started and some friends from middle school set up a shoe shop in the middle of Temple's Campus.  Even though I was late for class, I still checked out the shoes.

This is when it gets EXTREME!  Various celebrities and boys from my high school start showing up.  I have no idea what they are doing there so I ask them "HEY!  WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"  Joseph Gordan-Levitt then proceeds to tell me that they are there to learn and that they are on the way to the same class as me.  Then I look up and see a crude paper sign that says the tech center has been moved to the basement floor of Temple's campus (I guess in my dream, all of Temple University is one building) and then below that is the word 'tits' and then Chace Crawford starts touching my tits. 

???????

So I start heading to the basement and I look down and get vertigo because there are actually one million steps and when I finally reach the bottom, there is water everywhere.  So I have to get into a raft and then I paddle and paddle, trying to find the tech center, and then the waters get rough and I realize I am white water rafting and it is super dangerous and then WHAM! another raft runs right into me!  But I make it to shore and all the way back up the steps and back to the shoe shop, which is now full of cats, and I pet the cats and then I say,"GODDAMN, I AIN'T DOING THIS SHIT ANYMORE.  I'LL JUST GO TO CLASS TOMORROW." 

And then I woke up.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Nailz done, the hairz done, everything did

I have a little tradition with myself that every time I start the new school year I like to have something different going on about my appearance.  I don't know why, I guess its just that little bit of Madonna in me that enjoys reinventing herself.  But it's hard to change EVERYTHING about your appearance.  I mean, I don't go and get plastic surgery every school year and show up with a new nose or chin.  I also don't change my clothing style to be preppy one year and punk the next (that's so middle school).  So usually I end up changing my hair.  It's easy and not permanent and just plain fun!  So I've started the new school year with anything from blond streaks to a purple tint to a choppy bob to bangs etc.  This year I decided to dye my hair red...ish.  Well I didn't dye it, I went to a salon to had it dyed professionally for the first time ever.  I would have done it myself with one of those $10 box kits but my mom insisted that I "get it done right."  It doesn't look much different from when I usually henna my hair, though it is a bit more permanent and brighter! Sometimes I think it looks like Kirsten Dunst's hair when she pays MJ in Spiderman.  It should fade a little bit with time, but for my new academic year in a new country, meeting new people, I think it's perfect.  Also, now my hair isn't multi-colored from the left over henna, bleach, and freshly grown roots.  HOORAY!

Monday, August 23, 2010

FUTURE SHORTS

http://www.futureshorts.com/ 

Organising monthly festival screenings showcasing the best of short films in 90 cities across 19 countries on all 5 continents;  with an online audience of over 1 million connected followers,  Future Shorts is a global community: The World's Largest Short Film Festival.

THIS IS WHERE I AM INTERNING IN LONDON THIS FALL!  I'm so excited!  I don't yet know what kind of work it will be.  From the looks of it, probably more like pre-production/post-production work (i.e. editing, organizing, making phone calls etc.) 


I hope it's a bit more clerical work because I've already tried on a bunch of work casual outfits that I really need an excuse to wear.

PUNK ROCK!

A few weeks ago Caroline and I spent the day together and decided, on a whim, to do a little craft project.  So we bought $10 packs of a Fruit of the Loom tee shirts, some fabric dye (wine and navy colored), and some gold/silver studs of various sizes.  We then went into her backyard and went crazy with fabric dye.  It was really fun.  We tried various techniques like dip dying and tie dye.  We also cut up the shirts into various designs.  Some shirts turned out well, and others REALLY didn't.  But in the end I had a lot of leftover studs.  So I found an old shirt in my dresser that I always loved, but never really wore out because it was so casual and kind of silly (TinTin is a part of my childhood), and I studded the shit out of it.  Now I can go out and join a biker gang or go to crust punk parties in da hood!  Hooray!

Constructive Criticism

Okay so I'm about to vent about something here that is really bothering me.  Today at dinner I ate A LOT of steak.  But I was hungry and had skipped lunch and we had made steak and I was craving it and it just tasted really good.  So at dinner my stepdad says, "Can I just say something?  I don't want you to take it the wrong way.  I just want to offer you some constructive criticism....I think you need to lose some weight around your waist."

I was actually a little shocked about that statement.  Really?  I mean I played it off like it was no big deal but that comment really really bothered me.  But no one has ever flat out told me I needed to lose weight.  On the contrary, people often tell me that I'm very little (albeit not skinny).  So we changed the subject.  BUT then when I stood up to clear plates, my step-dad points at my stomach and says to my mom, "do you see what I mean?"  And my mom nods her head yes.  THANKS A LOT MOM!  The one thing about my mom though that I have noticed over the years is that she tends to take the side of whatever man is in her life at that time.  When she was dating David Buck (relationship was from 2000-2004), she agreed with him that Bush was doing an okay job as President and that it was okay to go hunting for sport (something she denies she ever said).  Now that she is with my step-dad she agrees with him on all things politics etc. and she rarely ever disagrees.  Great, mom.

My stepdad is a health freak though, so I guess he would notice something like that.  My mom is also always telling me I should eat healthier but then she goes and buys me chocolate cakes and Nutella when I don't ask her too!  If it's there, I'm going to eat it!  If all we had in the house was fruit/yogurt/nuts I would eat that instead!  When I told her that though she said, "I just want you to be happy!"  Well thanks mom!  I want to be happy too and telling your daughter that she's fat is not the way to make me happy!

In this one case though, my mom defended me and said that I haven't been as active this summer and that when you go on the pill you automatically gain 5lbs. so it should be no big deal.  She also joked around that I might be pregnant and that she isn't ready to be a grandma yet.  HA. HA. HA.  THAT'S SO FUNNY.  But I'm sorry, that was just a really weird and rude thing for my step-dad to say.  I don't feel like I've gained weight.  In fact, I just weighed myself and I weigh just about the same as I have for the last few months.  Yesterday, I even looked at myself in the mirror while trying on bathing suits and even felt good about the way my body looked.  Now I'm doubting myself and I'm really angry.

I mean really?!  You wonder why so many girls my age have eating disorders?!  It's because of comments like that.  And that comment didn't even make me want to stop eating my delicious steak, it just made me want to stick it to my step-dad even more.  So I ate another piece.  Fuck you.  Today I was even watching this really crazy show called Dana: The 8 Year Old Anorexic and I kept wondering "how does anyone develop such a hatred for food?"  Well I guess NOW I KNOW.  Except, I have the exact opposite of anorexia.  I love food.  I love anything that tastes good and I don't want to waste good food that is there.  And sometimes when I'm with friends, I'll eat even more.  BUT I SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO JUSTIFY IT!?  My weight shouldn't be an issue unless I'm morbidly obese. 

I'm just extremely extremely angry by that comment.  It came out of nowhere and I don't agree with it.  But at the same time I feel like I'm under all this pressure now.  I feel slightly better after locking myself in the bathroom and secretly crying for a few minutes (damn you BC and your emotional side effects!) but I am still not over that comment.  I don't think I will be for a while.  I hope that by the time I come back from London I've gained 300lbs. just to piss them all off.  Fuck off family.  I'll see you in December.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

CLOTHES!!!!

So in preparation for London, I have been getting some new clothes. I actually don't really think I NEED any new clothes since I have so many, but I suspect my mom has a tiny shopping addiction and so she goes out and buys me things without me realizing or will insist on me getting things whenever I go out. I'm not complaining though!

Here are some of my recent purchases/gifts:

White leather, equestrian riding style granny boots. Oh dear god I am in love with these. A purchase made at the Asheville Urban Outfitters as a present from my grandpa who admired them just as much as I did. I have been looking for boots like these for ages and almost bought a pair in Nashville during our roadtrip. I'm glad I have these in white though.

An authentic Pendleton 100% virgin wool button up. Although a bit itchy, it will definitely keep me warm during that English winter. Plus, I love the colors.

This here 'Mormon' shirt that my mom found at the Asheville Goodwill. I was originally skeptical, but I had to buy it after I realized how versatile it was. I can wear it in it's original Mormon glory when I inevitably meet the Queen of England for high tea or I can fold the collar down for a more modern look and wear it out at night.

This is one of my mom's gifts. It's a Patty Kensy windbreaker that she got on sale at Lord & Taylor. Not usually my style but I actually really like it. Probably wont keep me very warm but will definitely be a nice thing to have when that summer weather starts to transition to fall.
This here is a Banana Republic sheer blouse. It's missing a button, but that is easily fixable. Also included in the mix is a $1 gold belt from Goodwill.This is a legitimate kilt. My mom and I fell in love with it at first sight. It's totally vintage too and on the label in the back someone wrote, what I think is, their name (Mac Beth...awfully similar to Macbeth the Shakespeare character no?) My theory is that this kilt was used as a costume for a production of Macbeth, who is supposed to be Scottish. So cool. Unfortunately, the thing is TINY! Although it says it is a size 6. Children's 6? I dunno. But I do know that the thing only cost me $3.75 and my mom is positive that we can get it fit at the tailor's. I hope so.





2 and 1/2 weeks!


I officially have 2 and a half weeks until London and I am already starting to feel that crunch time. There are so many things I have to do still. The number one thing I have to do is pack, pack, pack! Which is a very difficult thing for me to do, not only because I have so many clothes that I need to choose from (and choose carefully for that tricky London weather) BUT I have my clothes scattered around 3 different households: My mom's in NJ, my grandmother's in Harlem, and my dad's in Washington Heights. It really stresses me out to think about all of this.

Then on top of that, I have to fit in a bunch of quality time with the various people I love in my life. This weekend I had to go to North Carolina to visit grandparents. This week I am splitting my time between my dad/step-mom and saying goodbye to friends in Baltimore. Then the next week I will have to split my time between my mom/dad/Adam. I wish I could break myself into multiple pieces so I could be everywhere at once and make everyone happy.

I also have to notify my bank of my travel plans, purchase a UK cellphone, and figure out if anyone loves me enough to drive me to the airport or if I have to take a cab there by myself. I also need to organize my finances and create a monthly budget for myself. OH BOY. (And I need to figure out something to do for Quinn's bday, since it's the day after I leave!)

This summer started really slowly and has ended really quickly. Everything is happening so fast and I don't think I have enough time to do everything I need to do! I hope I don't stress myself out.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

GOODNESS DAY!

3 reasons why this day is good!

1. PROPOSITION 8 WAS OVERTURNED! This does not affect me personally but it is something I greatly believe in and I am very happy about that.

2. Happy 49th birthday Obama!

3. My dad surprised me with homemade dessert. Brownies and homemade whipped cream. SO GOOD!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Tooth and Nail

So, I went to the dentist today for a follow up after my wisdom tooth procedure and because I've been having a rather bad toothache. And you know what I find out? I have 3 CAVITIES! This is seriously embarrassing stuff for me. I went 18 years without a single cavity and then all of a sudden BAMN! 3 cavities in 2008 and now 3 more cavities in 2010, all around the same tooth area. GROSS!

I guess my sweet tooth is to blame. Actually, the way I even found out I had a cavity is a pretty gruesome story. After spending 3 weeks in South East Asia, I returned to the US with one thought on my mind...GUM! It was very difficult to find gum in Vietnam. So I bought a pack of Orbit once we left the baggage claim and I started chomping when all of a sudden I felt/heard a loud CRACK! I spit my gum into my hand to discover a chunk of my top right side molar had been lodged in my Orbit. EWE!!! It didn't hurt at all, but it surprised the the hell out of me. Then when I met with my dentist he practically hit me for not taking care of the cavity sooner. I swear, I hadn't felt any discomfort or sensitivity at all. I had no idea I had a cavity of that magnitude, let alone 3! I felt very dissapointed in my self. And now I have 3 more.

I don't know if the pain I feel in my jaw is still wisdom tooth related or cavity related, but I'm not getting those suckers filled for about 2 weeks :/ I still have some of my pain meds from the surgery though, so I guess I'll live. But it's very annoying.

On a different note, I have a bit of an addiction. Not to my pain meds, but to nail polish. I LOVE nail polish. I always wear polish on my toes and only sometimes on my nails, but that doesn't stop me from collecting every desirable color I come across and from learning new techniqes. Last year I mastered the french tip and leopard print pattern. This summer I am teaching myself how to paint roses, shapes, and gradients. Gradients are particularly fun. Here is an example of one of my gradients:
I'm also very excited for fall manicures. I find that dark colors and matte textures are my preference for colder weather. So I plan on bringing my dark green, cappucinno brown, black, and gray nail polishes to London with me (in addition to the necessary staples of red and pink). I am also LUSTING after this new nail polish by OPI called suede which is just the coolest texture ever. Yes, I am a freak for loving nail polish as much as I do but I love to paint and draw and this is just a way to wear your paintings and drawings on you during the day!

Cooking with Keiran







So mama bear is still sick with a fever, which means I am still head chef in this house. Today I decided to make spaghetti with tomato sauce. Now as a normal and rather lazy college student, when I make spaghetti and tomato sauce I usually just plop a spoonful of Classico on top of my pasta and call in a night. But I've decided to be more adventurous with my cooking these last few days and have been making everything by scratch. (WARNING: makes a lot of tomato sauce.) Here is my recipe for the tomato sauce:

Ingredients
-olive oil
-1 small can of tomato paste

-1 large can of crushed tomatoes
-1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes
-1 white onion
-1 spoonful of balsamic vinegar
-1 spoonful of brown sugar
-salt

-pepper
-basil
-creme freche (optional)

Instructions (before all other things, put on some music. I, personally, chose a mixture of Best Coast and Florence & the Machine.)
1. finely chop the whole onion

2. sautee onion in olive oil in a medium/large sauce pan until it gets golden brown

3. add the cans of crushed tomatoes/whole peeled tomatoes/tomato paste and let simmer for a few minutes

4. add a spoonful of balsamic vinegar and stir

5. add a spoonful of brown sugar and stir

6. add your basil, salt, p
epper and any other herbs you may want, let simmer
7. (optional) if you like your sauce to be on the creamy side, add a few spoonfuls of creme freche to the pot so
that the mixture turns slightly pink
8. taste and make sure it's delicious
9. ENJOY!!!!!



Monday, August 2, 2010

CRUMBLES

My mom went to Panama City on a business trip and came back kind of sick so today I played the role of mom. This meant, cleaning and cooking and even baking. Something that my mom NEVER EVER does. I was mostly inspired by the show Pushing Daisies where the main character is a pie maker. So I really wanted to bake a pie, but I found a rather simple but delicious sounding recipe for a "Forest Berry Crumble". So in add ition to making the turkey sloppy joes w/ sweet potato fries for dinner, I got my hands covered in butter and sugar to bake a crumble!