The Pink Satin Road

21st Birthday

2011-07-16T14:29:00.000-04:00

You would think I would have spent it clubbing all night, and taking shots with my friends. Instead, I enjoyed a nice romantic dinner with my boyfriend. I'm not ready to put up photos of him quite yet, so these are just of me.

Nice Guy/Bad Guy

2011-04-10T16:19:00.002-04:00

"All females like guys who treat them like shit". I cannot tell you how many times I've heard this claim, mostly from "nice guys" who have been rejected by a woman to pursue another man who doesn't treat her as well. I'm not going to say that this is entirely untrue simply because I am a female, but I do not agree that all females swoon at the sight of a "bad guy". However, it seems that most do. I speak from experience. Not with myself, but that of my female peers. I've spent a lot of time in my days comforting girlfriends who are broken up over their "ain't shit" boyfriends or love interests. They pour their hearts out to me about how they're so hurt by his lies, cheating, lack of attention, basically anything that suggests that he does not respect her. And while I always ask to hear the full story to avoid sounding like what society has dubbed the bitter, single friend, my reaction always seems to remain the same: why does she tolerate this kind of behavior? In effort to find some kind of explanation that will satisfy this question, I've come up with 4 possible reasons on my own.

(1) She's insecure: She doesn't think that she is worth more or deserves someone better, and so this guy is the best she can do. She might find herself flawed in some way and is afraid that if she leaves him, she won't be able to find someone else who will accept her or want to be with her...

(2) She believes that she can change him: A lot of women would take pride in being the one who made the playa "change the game"; the one who's got him so whipped that he has retired that little black book. It is definitely an ego boost and some women are willing to tolerate a lot if they feel that they have the potential to do this; that the satisfaction that they will feel after he has changed will be worth all the pain she's going through now.

(3) They have a lot of history together: It is very difficult to let go of someone who they've shared a lot of memories with (either good or bad) and who they've grown so comfortable being with. Sometimes they've been with this person for so long that they simply cannot imagine themselves being with someone else despite the fact that this person treats them badly. This fellow has had some a huge impact on her life and they've spent so much time together that the man has literally become part of her identity.

(4) She enjoys his unpredictable nature: I was debating as to whether or not I should add this to the list, and I've decided that this could very well be a reason. Some women find nice guys predictable, and quickly get bored in the relationship. A "bad guy" on the other hand, is full of surprises. You never know what he's going to do next. This type of person keeps them on their feet, and keeps the relationship interesting, whether good or bad.

Remembering Haiti

2011-01-12T19:52:00.002-05:00

It's been a year since a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the nation of Haiti, resulting in the death of approximately 300,000 people. Despite foreign aid, recovery is still slow, and the country is dealing with a Cholera outbreak that has killed 3,600 people source. Let us continue to remember the tragedy-stricken nation in our prayers.

Beach Bum/Prestigious Attorney

2011-01-05T11:55:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I dream of a simple life, where I wake up every morning to the sound of birds singing, sunlight streaming through my window, and blue skies and waters. I spend my days being a being a beach bum and and making a living doing something that doesn't come with a lot of stress, I enjoy, and provides for me adequately. During the evening I bless my ears with some reggae music as I sit in my "secret place" in awe of a beautiful sunset.

Then, I imagine myself marching into court wearing an expensive tailored suit, briefcase in hand, demanding everyone's attention. I argue my case competently, undermining the credibility of the opposing attorney. Later, I have my secretary make travel reservations for me or myself & my family to Italy where I've decided to spend vacation. My life is often quite hectic, but I like it. It challenges me and drives me to full self-actualization.

Reflecting on these contradictory scenarios, I find myself wondering what will truly make me happy. I want a life that I am satisfied with; one that won't provoke regret.

Your Home, Your Peaceful Domain

2011-01-04T11:48:00.001-05:00

Home is where you look forward to unwinding after a long, hard day. When life outside of those four walls get hectic, you imagine yourself at peace in your home partaking in activity that you find calming, or doing nothing at all. It is the ideal environment for rejuvenation.

This becomes a challenge however, when you share your castle with others. Living with people whose lifestyle differs from your own can definitely interfere with the peace you seek at home. They might constantly stimulate your major pet peeves, making it hard for you to fully enjoy your sanctuary. Consequently, you might find your relationship with that person strained as you continuously bicker with them regarding their annoying habits. I suppose this is where compromise comes in. If you share your space with someone whose friendship, partnership, etc you truly care about, you must give & take in order to protect that relationship. Many couples, before getting married decide to move in together to "test the waters". Although my mother has always condemned cohabitation by unmarried couples, I can see why people decide to do this- unless the relationship is strong enough to survive household annoyances.

They say that you really don't know someone until you start living with them. I couldn't agree more.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T21:24:00.001-05:00

I'd like to wish everyone a blessed and happy new year! I must say, I'm looking forward to new changes this year. I won't say what these changes are just yet, but my blog should be even more interesting as the year progresses ;)

Flowers :)

2010-12-04T14:16:00.000-05:00

I had always secretly dreamed of receiving flowers from someone...more specifically, someone special. These were a very pleasant surprise. I like looking at them when I wake up in the mornings. They make me smile.

I Would Like To Apologize....

2010-12-04T13:50:00.000-05:00

to all my followers and visitors of my blog. Recently, someone contaminated my blog with a lot of hateful, rude, and false accusations directed at me. I hadn't been on my blog for a while and so I realize that these comments were up on here for more than a week, visible to anyone who visits this blog. Now that I've logged on today, I have deleted all of these comments. If you had seen them before I had a chance to delete them, I'd like to apologize for that. I have adjusted the settings of my blog so that comments will show up only when I approve them.

Thanks for still following ♥

How Smartphone Users See Each Other

2010-11-16T13:22:00.002-05:00

Source

The Restaurant Diaries: Seafood

2010-11-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

My Boss, Coworker and I had lunch together at this lovely Italian Restaurant. They recommended that I get the Clam & Linguini meal. I admit that at first I was hesitant to try it, but it was quite tasty. I'm just not sure that I will order it again, lol. Crab remains my favorite sea food to date.

...which you can see right here, lol. My best friend and I went to Charlie Brown's for lunch and I just had to order my trust Crab Cakes. Delicious! I love how it melts in your mouth. Sorry about the low quality pics; the camera on my Blackberry isn't the best.

How Much is TOO MUCH In Blogging?

2010-11-08T14:13:00.000-05:00

I believe that aside from being busy with school, another reason why I had abandoned my blog for a while is because I really just don't know what I feel comfortable positing anymore.If you've explored my blog, then you know that I post a little bit of everything; from fashion, to art, to my personal life. Posting about my personal life allows me to vent or rant in a way that I'm unable to with a friend. When I'm expressing how I feel to a friend, they might unintentionally base their perception of the situation off things that they already know about me. Also, I might leave a few things out because I'm worried about them thinking differently of me, or if it's not one of my best friends I'm talking to, I'd be worried that they'll go tell my business.

Blogging about personal things allows me to express how I feel without having to worry about these things. But I wonder-how much is too much? I admit that I now feel quite vulnerable with my business so easily available on the internet for anyone to see. No one who knows me in real life knows the address to my blog. No one. I just worry about someone who knows me personally stumbling upon it some day.

I now find myself wondering what to do with this blog. Should I continue posting a little bit of everything or cut off posts about my personal life completely? But then-I'd be robbing my followers who like reading the personal posts...

I'm Still Alive!!

2010-10-28T00:27:00.001-04:00

Hey Everyone! I know it has been Too Long since I last posted, and I miss blogging! School has taken over my life! Seriously, there's not a day when I can just relax and do nothing. I have a lot of responsibilities right now. However, midterms will be officially over next Monday, so I will have more time to update my blog. I'm looking forward to it because I have lots to share! ;) Thank you so much for continuing to follow..I really appreciate it! XOXO.

My College Got Scammed By Fake Nicki Minaj Promoter!

2010-09-22T20:00:00.003-04:00

So the MSU student body was told by the Student Government Association, as well as the Programming Board that Nicki Minaj would be performing at our Fall Fest 2010 on October 08th. Students were so excited and determined to get their tickets, that many of them camped out overnight outside where the tickets were sold today at 8:30am. Since we were told that we would be allowed to bring guests,there were also people who don't go to MSU camping out too. While on my way to class this morning, I saw the extremely long line and decided that AIN'T NO WAY i'm waiting in it and missing class to pay 20 bucks to see Nicki Minaj, though I think her verses are sick.

So I'm sitting in class tweeting about the line, when I saw the following tweets from Nicki Minaj:

Apparently, the school booked Nicki through a fake agency who stole approximately $35,000 of our money! We got S C A M M E D. Yet, even with knowledge of this news, people still stood in that line with hopes that Nicki's agency had not yet informed her about the concert and she is still scheduled to perform. Others on the other hand, demanded a refund. I feel bad for the people who waited hours in that line hoping to get a golden ticket *shakes head* The SGA has given Nicki's camp the name of the fake promoter and agency and she psoted it on her twitter, suggesting legal action.

WOW-my college became a hot topic on twitter and the internet in general in a matter of minutes. MTV even posted an article about this scam, as well as other music websites like billboard.com who's got us confused with Michigan State University >.< I hope they catch that asshole scam artist and throw him in jail! Stealing from struggling college students? Really? SHAME! And apparently, we are not the only University that got scammed.

New Shoes!

2010-08-24T23:56:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, I went shopping for some clothes and such for school. I got a lot of nice stuff, but this pair of shoes is my favorite purchase.

You Like?

Throwback: Oops (Oh My) - Tweet

2010-08-24T00:08:00.001-04:00

I was 12 years old when this song came out, and I used to be singing it like there's no tomorrow, not having a clue what she meant, lol.

Offensive Suitcase Stickers

2010-08-20T07:01:00.000-04:00

Imagine seeing the above suitcase while at an airport at first glance.You'd quickly take another look, shocked that someone would be brave and stupid enough to bring luggage filled with pounds of illegal drugs to an airport, one of the most security-heavy places. Of course, you'd realize quickly after that this must be a joke. The Cheeky created these suitcase stickers to liven up your travel experience and help you easily identify your luggage at Baggage Claim. How hilarious are these!

Via Like Cool

Letters to Men From My Past & Present

2010-08-10T15:10:00.003-04:00

1. "Baby this is tragic, cause we had it..we was magic". Any time I hear that line, memories of you flood my mind. Remember the random yet fun moments we had? Like the time we snuck into the ladies' restroom and started making out, aware that at any moment, someone could walk through the door. I didn't care about our surroundings. At that time, the floor beneath our feet might have as well been sand on the shore of a lovely beach, and the annoying sound of the water dripping from the faucet could have been the soothing sound of a breath-taking waterfall. That's how everything seemed when I was with you-like we were in paradise.You told me that I was turning you "soft" because you couldn't wait to get home from work so that you could call and hear my voice *laugh*.You would hold me in your arms like a baby; someone who you had to love and protect & dare not let go. I felt so secure in your embrace. I'd smell the fragrance of your familiar cologne as I nestled my head into your neck, and I'd know that I was home. So why did you take away my home and leave me out in the cold like that? I know that you wanted our emotional connection to be strengthened not only by friendship, but intimacy as well. But I wasn't ready for the complexities, feelings, emotions, and attitudes that this experience would provoke. I wasn't ready to be part of someone else.

2. One night as we enjoyed each other's company, you opened up to me. For once, you let go of that "tough guy" facade, and allowed me to journey through your mind. It was there that I discovered that you were struggling with an internal conflict, though you would not admit it. It seems that you are torn between making someone happy, and making yourself happy. You fear that if you choose the latter now, you will regret it later. But if you don't love her by now, you will never love her. You entertain the idea because that's what your friends and family expect from you. You held me tight and said "I'm going to take care of you, okay?" I didn't know what you meant by that, and I didn't ask. I figured you were so caught up in emotion; emotions that you had robbed yourself of feeling for so long. Nevertheless, if you choose to break free from your cage, I hope that you soar high and allow yourself to enjoy all that the skies have to offer. If you choose to remain caged, I hope that you still sing, and build a beautiful nest together.

3. I remember when you took my heart in your hands and kissed it. It was then that I realized that you are danger. Yet, I couldn't stay away. I ignored all the warning signs (including that you remind me of #2) and continued down the path of forbidden bliss. Once I entered this zone, it became evident that it'd be a tough way out. I've tried to go back to what is safe, but you've taught me so much about myself so far, that I wonder if I'm even the type who naturally plays it safe. You've made me feel things that I've never felt before. You've made me question beliefs that I've always been adamant about. And that scares me; that a man who I've known for such a short period of time has the power to make me look deep into myself and change, feel, be, things that I never thought I could. It leaves me to wonder what else you are capable of. I guess I'm afraid that this person who I've come to know all my life is not really me; that the more I discover about myself, the more I will change who I am, or perhaps, who I'm not.

4. I really don't know what more to say to you, except that you'll always be my boo, even when feelings fade completely.We made each other so happy, didn't we? *smile*. Our relationship was first built on friendship, then stronger feelings quickly resurfaced and became undeniable. We gave each other parts of ourselves that no one else had ever been able to achieve. Was that where we went wrong? You imagined how perfect it could all be, and then you pictured losing it all. You said that the responsibility of caring for my heart was too much to bare. Out of anger, I called you a coward & a liar (for saying that you would never hurt me). But now I understand, though I wish I didn't. Because knowing that you hurting me was motivated by good intentions only makes me realize how much of a caring soul you are.Maybe we are meant to be together, but not right now--and if we are, I'm just not sure that I'd be brave enough to give you a 3rd chance. Or perhaps we are not meant to be together at all. Whichever it is, I wish you well, like you did me.

5. How did I go from finding your name utterly repulsive to thinking "hey, he's alright"? You made me feel ways about myself that a woman never should, as you took everything I did for you for granted, causing me to question my worth. However, if it were not for my experience with you, I might not have grown emotionally and mentally into the strong & appreciative woman that I am today.You were content with the kind of relationship we had, I was not. Apparently, as long as you got what you wanted, you saw no need to put my feelings and wants into consideration. Finally, I decided that you just didn't deserve all I had to offer and I walked away. It was only then that you realized my worth and it's unfortunate for you that you hadn't sooner. You kept seeking reconciliation and forgiveness and though I forgave you, by then, I had already lost interest so finally, you gave up. So you can imagine my surprise when you called me a year later to wish me happy birthday. Considering that you are the most egotistical person that I know, I expected you to to delete my number after all the rejection. I guess your apologies were sincere and perhaps, you did care.

I got this idea from Shandra E

Something Lite

2010-08-09T11:38:00.002-04:00

Dear Blogger,

2010-08-09T11:38:00.000-04:00

As you may have already suspected, I'm cheating on you.

I'm cheating on you with twitter and my new interest, Tumblr.
I know that we've had great times together.
You were the first to come to mind when I wanted to share a good joke or ponder on an interesting subject.
Furthermore, you've always been there to offer comfort when I face any sort of dilemma.
I've been able to come to you at 2 in the morning to release my deepest thoughts.
I've just been too lazy to work on our relationship, I admit.
Sometimes you want me to talk too much, to always "tell you how I feel" with as much detail as possible.
Twitter and Tumblr asked for so little from me, while still making the time spent with them fun.
But as I lay in bed last night, struggling with the thoughts that plagued me, I realized how much I've missed you; how much I've taken you for granted.
I wanted to vent. I needed to rant. I needed to let it all out without being judged.
And I can only find that in you.
Please forgive me for not realizing your worth sooner.
I will not lie to you though; I would still like to keep seeing both Twitter & Tumblr.
The 3 of you all offer me something different from the next.
I ask that you be just a little patient with me. I will not abandon you again.

Love,

Niku.

My 20th Birthday

2010-07-15T15:46:00.003-04:00

Hello All,
I wanted to share memories of my fantastic 20th birthday night (July 8th) with my blog readers. For weeks, my best friend and I had been wondering what to do to make this night an enjoyable and memorable one. We wanted to visit some lounges + clubs in NYC but most only catered to the 21+ crowd. I've always felt that being 20 is the most awkward age because you're not old enough to enjoy the bars, but too old to do anything juvenile. Anyway, to make a long story short, we decided to go to this club in the city that was letting in 19+ for "Ladies Night".

My friend & I dressed up like, well like we were going to a club (I admit, my skirt was pretty short, especially at the back), and as soon as we stepped foot in the city we felt uncomfortable. Everyone was staring at us. Too many men were making passes at us. It was just unwelcomed attention and we felt out of place. After getting some food, we made our way to the club and that uncomfortable feeling was subdued by the sight of some females wearing scandalous outfits. We basically danced from 10:30pm-4:30am, and were SO pleased that the DJ played Caribbean music, which we enjoy dancing to best (the pic above shows me dancing before the club got packed). There are 3 floors in the building where different genres of music were played. I stupidly gave too many guys my number (6). I was on that "Single Girl Swagg" mentality and figured hey, i'm just doing me. There was one guy in particular who stood out from all the others though. Rather than coming behind me, forcing a dance, he tapped my shoulder instead, and talked to me right there on the dance floor. Then, I voluntarily gave him a dance & my number. It didn't hurt that he was sexy either. We spoke a couple times after that night, both via text and phone call. Haven't talked to him in a couple of days though. But it's not like I was expecting anything from a guy who I met at the club o.O

Anyway, I won't go into detail, but we met a lot of people on our way there and back. One of these included an ex con who was arrested for dealing drugs. He met us on the train and actually missed his stop just to accompany us on our journey home. It wasn't as scary as you're thinking, lol. We eventually made it home at 7:30am, bought breakfast, and knocked out in the bed, lol. All in all, I had a GREAT 20th birthday!

What's It Like To Own An Apple Product (Illustration)

2010-06-29T22:27:00.007-04:00

Hey You All,
Check out this funny illustration from The Ooatmealon the effect of Apple's fascinating products on our lives, haha.

I love how they call the product iPride, LOL how convenient. I figured I'd share this not only because it's funny, but also because unfortunately, some of you can probably relate. Who's already sold their sibling for the new iPhone? LOL.

Check out more of these illustrations here Some are hilarious and educational as well!

Interesting Artwork

2010-06-16T21:11:00.001-04:00

Forgive me, I don't remember the name of the artist nor do I remember the Tumblr page that I found them on. If you know the artist, kindly let me know. But anyway, I love these so much that despite the missing information, I just had to share!

PS- I know I haven't been updating as often as I should. I'm working on it :-/

Oil Spill Kills Off Hundreds of Wildlife

2010-06-07T20:03:00.002-04:00

I'm sure that most of you have heard of the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico which resulted in the death of hundreds of Wild Life. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore Wildlife, so this absolutely breaks my heart.

It has been reported that "413 oiled birds have been collected alive, and 594 dead birds have been picked up. Of all those birds, only 39 have been released back into the wild." In addition, the survival rate of birds drenched in oil is under 1 percent. This news would tug at the heart of any caring individual, not even an animal lover in particular. These animals way of life have been disrupted because of Human greed. Now, a German Biologist is suggesting that rather than trying to clean them off, they should be euthanized. I was outraged when I first read that article. The birds are dying from clogged breathing pores, affected heat regulation, digesting food covered with oil, inhaling the toxic chemicals, etc. Though I understand the reasoning i.e. putting them out of their misery, I just feel that the LEAST we can do is try to save them. They still stand a chance!

What about the people who depend on these animals for livelihood? This whole thing is just disastrous! My mother, who is currently pursuing her PHD in Environmental Science was approached to go down to the Gulf to help, but was unable to because of matters beyond her control. However, I thank God for all these caring Biologists and others who are doing their best to save these animals who most people view as doomed. I cringe at the thought of the estimated death total by August.

What Makes a Woman a "Slut"?

2010-05-16T12:50:00.008-04:00

I think that this word is open to a number of subjective definitions.

Promiscuous: characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association, esp. having sexual relations with a number of partners on a casual basis. - Dictionary.com

Slut: a woman with the morals of a man

A woman who sleeps with many men.

The difference between a slut and a whore is a whore wants something in return, a slut does it just because she likes it. - Urbandictionary.com

Surely, one cannot disagree that double standards exist between men and women in regards to perception of sexual behavior. In some of my favorite TV shows (Nip/Tuck, The Game, etc) the male characters have casual sex with a number of women frequently, because well, they "like it" and it makes them feel good. I imagine that some of the things that the producers discuss when writing these scenes go something like "He's a handsome bachelor, it's expected. This is the entertainment that the audience is looking for". But as soon as a woman who is not looking for a serious relationship dares so much as to pick up the phone to call Bobby who she met at the dinner party 2 weeks ago over for the sole purpose of satisfying her needs, her action is frowned upon. I too admit that I'm more likely to express distaste at a woman who is sleeping around rather than a man who is, because that's the way that society has programmed us to think.

But really, if it's a numbers game, is there a certain number of sexual partners that a woman must have in order for her to be perceived as a slut? Or maybe it's having unprotected sex? Or maybe it's sleeping with a guy who she's only known for a week? Or maybe it's someone who charges for the cooch? Or maybe it's participating in a one night stand? Or maybe....

Why are there so many derogatory names for women such as hoe, slut, chicken head, whore, jump-off, etc. But the only one that I know of for men is "man-whore".

A nun might perceive someone who is not married and have just lost her virginity to her boyfriend of two years as "slutty", whereas someone who is more open minded might deem her practically a saint. I'm a Christian and I do believing in waiting till marriage but let's face it, most people don't. I think that safety and respect for body is important. Then again, a woman who has slept with 4 different men in 2 weeks might tell you that she very well respects her body--which brings us back to the number's game.

Your Thoughts?

Haven't Shown My Face in a While...

2010-05-09T14:53:00.000-04:00

A Woman should be two things: Classy & Fabulous" - Coco Chanel.