Existential Reality, Existential Beauty

Summer Boredom

2010-06-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better than doing nothing for your summer. I almost forgot what it's like. I've worked every summer since I was 17. First it was the fattening abomination at Auntie Anne's, then it as the cliquey preppy retailer Abercrombie and Fitch and then it was the horrible bookseller, Borders. But this summer I'm just relaxing. That includes reading, watching my favorite movies, a reunion with my cello, and a cruise.

Not too shabby.

I recently had time to enter a photo contest. I entered in the categories of landscape and sense of place. I was dumb and paid 12 bucks a photo but I think I have a shot.

Let me know what you think.

Apartment living- college style

2010-06-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

New apartment, new beginning. Right? But this is apartment living college style, making the story even more interesting. Actually it's a house but since we're renting, I guess that makes it an apartment

After all the bullsh*t me and my roommate Tosca went through to get an apartment. We finally got one that was a steal.

But before I even get into the details of my humble abode, I would just like to take a moment to thank Annie. Annie was the sneaky landlord we were going to rent from for a small two bedroom apartment close to campus. Too bad she ended up overlapping leases and insulting my roommate's mom. Turned out it all happened for the better because now for the same price of Annie's pathetic place, we're getting bigger rooms, a proper kitchen, a den, a living room, a pantry, an extra roommate- Aja, and a backyard. Haha! The world rights itself again!

So here's a picture of my room, which is already cluttered as you can well see. The great thing about this place is that it comes with furniture. All I really needed is a bed and a desk. Otherwise I'd be using oversized tupperware for a dresser.

My view from my window. I got the air conditioner just in time for summer.

I love the ample closet space, but somehow I already managed to make it cluttered.

My bed, which is currently an air bed. I hope to upgrade to a mattress soon. Ah, sleeping on a mattress on the floor is the life.

Lost: the show of the decade is finally over.

2010-05-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

I'm still so sad that it's over. But sometimes the best things need to end. This was definitely one of the better dramas on television and now that it's over, it's going to be hard for any program to replace.

I'm not like most Lost watchers who watched from the very beginning. I caught up somewhere in the 4th season. Kristian got me into it. One episode in and I was snagged. The series never failed to surprise me or amaze me.

So sad it's over. Now what will I watch on Tuesdays?

Can television bring people together? Sure it can. Kristian and I would always call each other during the commercials and just recap what we saw or say, "Shit, that was crazy." We used to gather in the college dorms with our friends to watch the series as a group and whenever there was a secret revealed the whole room would gather in uproar. I guess television can both rot our brains and unite the masses.

I do hear a lot of talk about how the series ended. A lot of people are saying it was a disappointment.

Highly disagree.

The ending was great. Jack was the one chosen all along. He was meant to bring Desmond down to the light and remove the rock. Only then would he be able to kill the Man in Black. He was also the one who was supposed to fix it all by placing the rock back. That was his sole purpose and it had taken him six seasons to figure it out. Hurley finally had his moment of leadership, as he was next to choose to protect the island and Ben finally was placed in a position of usefulness. The flash sideways turns out to be a sort of purgatory in which there is no real time. It is then revealed by Jack's father, Christian, that the island is real and so is everything that happened, but they are all currently dead. He alludes, to the possibility that Hurley and Ben have been protecting the island for a long time and that everyone eventually died and was reunited in this one place. Though Jack might of died before some of them, they were all waiting for him.

It ends as it began, a closeup of Jacks eye and the dog that found him in the beginning, finds him again.

The only reason that I can imagine for people to be displeased with the end is that they haven't realized that this is more of a fantasy drama than anything else. There will be questions left unanswered and there will be things that don't coincide with reality. That's just how the story goes.

Well, I enjoyed the show thoroughly. I still can't help to be sad that it's over :(

What Now? A Peter Pan Mentality

2010-05-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend Kristian is going to join the Navy. It's almost definite now. After three years of undergraduate classes, he's decided that it's time for him to grow up and that college just wasn't doing it for him.

The thought of him leaving me for months on end to pursue a military career terrifies me. Not just because it's dangerous, but because for my own selfish reasons I've become to attached to him. And now the thought of continuing a good portion of our relationship without him is comparative to a crack addict having to go cold turkey.

I refuse. I simply refuse.

He hasn't cared about school for a while and to be honest, I can't imagine what he would do if he did finish his degree. He's right when he tells me he needs structure. I know he would be great if he did join the military. There would be a goal for him, a light at the end of the tunnel. Something he could be proud that he accomplished.

But do long distance relationships even work? What if he changes after the time he serves? Will he be able to see me? Will I be allowed to visit him? These are all the questions I ask myself.

And then I start to think, maybe I need to grow up too. I'm about to go to law school and compete with some of the brightest minds. I figure my bad habit of using "um" and "like" between every other word isn't going to get me very far. Neither will my bad posture, nor my somewhat lacking vocabulary.

But why do we have to grow up? Why can't he just stay the way he is? It's like this world is pulling us into this dark realm of adulthood that we're hardly ready for. Left and right people are getting married, having babies, graduating and joining military forces.

I really am like a child at times. How I remained innocent and carefree all these years is beyond me. But I guess we all have to grow up sometime. I just wish it didn't have to be so soon.

Let Summer Begin!!!!!

2010-05-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

The end of an era. After all my bitching, I'm actually going to miss my undergraduate years. Sometimes I wish I made more out of it, but in a class of over 2,600 it's hard to make a niche for yourself. Even though I'm not really going to go anywhere, ( I'm still going to be at St Johns, just in law school) it's going to be weird leaving the undergraduate atmosphere.

I almost didn't go to my graduation. It was only my mother's strong persuasive personality that convinced me to go. I really did think it was stupid, sitting for three hours amongst strangers that I hardly knew, pretending we were all friends that achieved a common goal. It sounds so silly but for a second it was actually worth being in the searing heat because for a moment, I felt extreme pride in my accomplishments and felt like I was a part of something.

And then it ended. And I was annoyed because it was taking me forever to get to my family since everyone was in my way. It didn't help that I was sticky and hot.

Such is life. At least it's over and I have one more memory to somewhat cherish. What I can most cherish now is the fact that summer has officially begun for me. For the first time in four years, I am not working this summer. I'm free! All my activities from now on are going to be paid by a wonderful thing I like to call credit and law school loans. I really hope to relax this summer so that when law school starts kicking my ass, I can feel like summer was worth it.

Yesterday, I started my summer not a day late and went out enjoyed Long Island for all it's worth. Did a little bar hopping and drove aimlessly among the towns I grew up in.

Ah, summer! You and I were always meant to be. <3

Does Karma Exist???

2010-05-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

I like to think so....

Less than 24 hours until I have to move out of the cage they like to call college dorming and I can't say I'll miss it. The random suitemates, the unsanitary living conditions, the bitchy ex-roommate (haha I still laugh when I think of how she got kicked out). None of it.

Ok, I lied. I'll miss my random suitemates even though they were messy as hell this year and didn't bother to pick up after a single thing they did. Still, this year I was patient and cleaned up after their mess when things got too unsanitary to bear. A sink full of dishes, sticky spots all over the floor, garbage scattered around, a bathroom cleaned only by me. But I have to say that they were good people. (minus my roommate) I would probably like them a lot more if I didn't have to live with them. Except Megan, we've become really good friends. Like someone joked, "sisters."

So after playing mother for a whole academic year...has my karma paid me back?

Well... my suitemates left me gifts, by accident and on purpose. Christine left me a brand new printer. Nice. She said she has one in her apartment and it would probably go to waste. So there I go, mother gets a printer. Maria was about to throw away a perfectly good Sterilite large rolling container. I saw it outside of our room and picked it up. Hey, I need storage space in my new tiny apartment. And the last three girls left are partying or out for tonight and tomorrow they have to move out by 10. Chances are that things will be left behind. And trust me, I'll be waiting...

We all need to be frugal law students and I'm starting now.

NYC Glamour- Overrated?

2010-05-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend my cousin flew in for the weekend. She's a flight attendant so she always gets to fly into cool places like New York and such. (So jealous) So me and my sister decided to take her to these "Posh" and "High-end lounges" We went to the Empire Hotel Lounge and 230 5th Ave Penthouse Lounge/Garden.

I, being young and newly experiencing NYC nightlife, was not impressed. The first place Empire Hotel Lounge, was great in that we got the royal treatment. We had just got on line, which would have been an hour wait, when we were invited to cut the line and pass the rope by this well-mannered gentleman.

How kind of you!

He then ordered us drinks and we spent some time with him. It wasn't a huge place but it was beautiful.

Unfortunately, the crowd wasn't all that to die for. Mainly, an older crowd of 30 and 40-something year olds came here. So as my newly found friend Jenny put it "We were the eye candy." The dancing was not on par with what I'm used to. I know it's a lounge, meaning you can lounge but that doesn't mean you should. I'm used to everyone dancing and good music. This was a chit chat lounge; no one really knew how to dance so they stood there trying to have a conversation over the loud bad music. I'm talking old music from two, three years ago. Safe music that you can't even dance to anymore. After a while it started getting crowded and it became a better mix of people. Just wish the music was more up to date. I would go there again, but maybe when I'm older.

I was even less impressed with the second place. Very snobby and obnoxious. By the time we got to 230 5th Ave., they weren't letting people in unless they were buying bottles. So my sister tries to use us to her advantage and tells one of the bouncers that she has four other beautiful ladies waiting to come in and if we didn't have to wait that would be great. He says, "Let me take a look at them." WTF?? And then he takes a look and says, "Ok, it'll be 125 for a bottle."

Haha, funny asshole.

So we go upstairs and the waitress tells us it's a 250 minimum bottle service for the seating. Wow. Your kidding me right?

We end up going back and forth with her and we end up saying we're gonna leave, but instead sneak towards the back where she can't see us anymore. (The waitress was the least bitchy of them all) I then go to the bartender and ask for a drink and also where the DJ is because I want to request a song. He says, "Last time I checked you don't request songs to the bartender."

Um, last time I checked your job is to shut up and serve people liquor. By the way, I was asking where the DJ is fucktard.

Ugh, I hate dumb rude people.

We finally got to the lower level and from there it was smooth sailing, and beautiful. Not so much the people, but the atmosphere. Sadly, they wouldn't play my song because they "don't play rap." Ugh. So you basically wait in a long line for bad attitudes and no rap.

I don't care what anyone says. We were beautiful that night.

From left to right: Sheena, Me, Jenny, Lovely, and Shane.

A good night overall (because of the people I was with, not because of service or atmosphere). Call me young and silly, but I'll take dirty college parties with cheap beer any day. At least there'll be eye candy and good music :)

Down the Hatch-NYC

2010-04-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

There is just something so quintessential about being 21. It's like the perfect age when your perfectly young and old at the same time. You can vote, drink, gamble but the obligations of age still haven't caught up.

Went out earlier this week, for a friend's birthday. The first four hours of this friend's birthday, to be exact. We went to this place in Greenwich Village called Down the Hatch. From the outside it was definitely the sketchest place ever. But once inside, it was just like the most perfect bar I'd ever been to. Like one of those bars that you love just because of the memories you made there. It's dirty and ugly and dark, but the moment's shared just make it the best place in the whole world. I would definitely go there again. Not to mention that every night is basically happy hour. lol.

The crowd isn't all that great. It was actually pretty empty, but had the best time anyway. Between the beer pong and the random other bar we went to and tequila shots, I think it was good night :)

Carnivals, Arts, and Planets

2010-04-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Perfect Friday = MOMA + Carnival + Planetary Observatory. Few Pics

St Johns University Spring Fling Carnival!!

I <3 this one.

I will never get tired of the MOMA. Everytime I go it's like it's the first time for me; you never run out of things to do. This time it was the Tim Burton Exhibit.

Megan Skelly and I ended up in Columbia University. They have a Planetary Observatory there and on certain nights it's open to the public. We got to see the craters on the moon, and Saturn, and Mars. Pretty cool stuff.

New Macbook!!

2010-04-22T07:13:00.000-07:00

Every time I look out my window I think serenity. Ever since my roommate pooped on our dorm floor and got herself kicked out, I sure have been enjoying the suite much more. (Evil Laugh) Now that everything's growing back, staring out my window isn't all that depressing.

To be honest, Queens isn't all that bad of a place to live. Just look out my window.

Apparently McAfee sent out this virus that shut down and attacked all PCs carrying the damn program. Including mine. So being the rational person I am, I dragged my boyfriend and trekked to the Mac Store in the city. Spent too much money but got this beauty in the end. I just have to say that Macbooks are really exciting. I spent all of last night just exploring the unique world that is Mac :)

First Post!!

2010-04-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's strange being in this world of blogging. There's a billion of us, so in a sense I feel as if none of us can stand out. I have to admit that sure are a lot of bloggers with babies on this site. A lot. Though that is in high demand, this site does NOT include babies, but rather a look at ordinary beauty.

Lately I've been feeling very distant from the world, like everyone is too busy to enjoy the little things. I guess that's what this blog is about. The little things.

So I took this picture of this candle because I can only wish you could smell this. If you can't read it it says "Midnight Pomegranate" Got it from Bath and Body Works. I love that store. It's like everytime I go they give me more coupons for the next time. I'd really empty my pockets for that place. Anyways, even as i write this gorgeous aroma is filling the air.

So this is my tip for everyone, enjoy candles. They're pretty and they smell delicious. And their cheap.