It's the truth and it don't make a noise.

Whew!

2012-01-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

I just got off the phone after an hour-long interview with a representative from the English Language Fellowship Program. I'm hoping to teach English abroad through this program after I graduate from Teachers College, but it's a pretty long, thorough process before I find out if I'm actually going to get the fellowship.

They're supposed to get back to me in March to tell me if I've been "shortlisted" for any one project, and then if I get selected for that project, great! But if not, then it's back to the drawing board to hopefully get shortlisted for another project. So for now I guess I just wait. But it's nice to just wait sometimes (with fingers crossed)!

Just thought I'd post a quick update on my life for the people who are reading this blog from farther away. Now, back to assessment reading!

Back 2 School

2012-01-23T16:38:00.000-08:00

"Test analysis is another essential part of test administration. Just as the unexamined life may not be worth living, the unanalyzed test may not be worth administering."

--Favorite quote (so far) from my assessment class reading

If ya gotta read about how to write a test, ya gotta to be grateful for the rare bits of humor, am I right?

Beyond Vietnam

2012-01-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

Today I tried to do my own commemoration of MLK Jr. by listening to his "I Have a Dream" speech, and his "Beyond Vietnam" speech. Notice my choice of the verb tried. I actually did not have the stamina to get through all of this second speech (King's quite harsh (and fairly unpopular at the time) critique of the Vietnam War), even though it was interesting and eloquent (of course) and still relevant today. It also happens to be about an hour long, so I only made it through about half. Sigh.

Did anyone else do anything relevant to the holiday this weekend?

Since I'm still putting off actual work,

2012-01-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

I will now post some pictures from my trip to California that were not posted on Instagram. (I joined Instagram through Ari's phone, since I don't have a smartphone myself.)

These were some of the fun times:

We went to Little Tokyo and I bought some mochi balls covered in goo which were quite delicious (and which Ari didn't like as much as me; I suppose it's an acquired taste).

We celebrated the eighth night of Hanukkah by frying up homemade latkes and forcing Ari to sing Hanukkah songs for us in Hebrew.

After going to see a really fun Pink Martini show at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with my parents, we took blurry New Year's kisses at the Thirsty Crow in Silver Lake. (Hey, if you can't be a hipster in Brooklyn, you gotta find the hipsters somewhere.)

Leah was there too, back from a year-and-a-half abroad in France and Spain!

Last but certainly not least, we got to spend hours upon hours playing and cuddling with Cosmo.

It was a fun-filled nine days home, and I'm looking forward to seeing my parents again in May, at GRADUATION (if it comes to that).

Bizarre Pizza

2012-01-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

Ari and I finally had a chance to head over to the new pizza joint a few blocks south of our place on Classon, PeteZaaz. (Weird name, I know -- apparently one of the owners is called Pete.) I was intrigued by their "General Tso's Tofu" pizza, which actually has General Tso's tofu on it. I LOVE General Tso's tofu. No really. Ari can tell you that I get it approximately once a week at some Chinese takeout place or another.

Anyway, we ordered it:

And it was kind of ridiculous. Grated carrots, broccoli, cottage cheese, basil...and spicy tofu on top. We each had about two slices and then decided it was too much, and took it home. I'm pretty sure we'll finish it eventually, but it was a little too weird. I'm disappointed, because the restaurant itself is cute, with vintage pinball games on the wall, and antique light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Ah well. Pizza, you were worth a try.

Secrets of a Wannabe Brooklynite Living in 20-Degree Weather

2012-01-06T17:26:00.000-08:00

I have found the secret to surviving winter when the laundromat is 4 long blocks away: have a never-ending supply of underwear.

You can always wash it in the sink if you need a fresh pair! And you don't sweat nearly as much as in the summer, so you really don't need to watch your clothes very frequently!

Sorry if that was too personal, but I'm quite happy to have made such a valuable discovery.

Frohes Neues Jahr!

2012-01-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

So, here I am at the TC library, ostensibly writing my master's paper. But after working on it for the past 4.5 hours (and adding a whole page to it, no less), I have gotten distracted by Google Reader and realized that it's been a while since I updated. Time for a somewhat belated post about the new year (2012, in case you weren't sure)!

Here are my rather brief thoughts about 2012: A pretty great year for me personally, a pretty bad year for the world.

Me: Continued to live in NYC and live it UP (well, at least not work on grad school stuff all day every day), move in with Ari in Brooklyn, finish my first year at TC, and have a great summer going to the Adirondacks, the Hamptons, and back home to spend quality time with the 'rents and Cammy. I spent time with good friends who luckily moved out to the East the same time as me. AND I finally got to see Leah at Christmas after her return home from Espana and la France.

The World: Protests all over the Middle East (which seemed wonderful at the time, but apparently have not led to a lot of wonderful changes, but my fingers of course are still crossed), ending most disturbingly with Ghaddafi's death. Occupy Wall Street (which is also great, but...I'm just not sure how much it achieved) followed by peaceful students at my alma mater, UC Davis, getting pepper-sprayed by campus police. And then of course this whole presidential election coming up just scares me half to death. The nominees that are considered credible--I just don't get it.

That last part turned into something of a rant. But I can't help feeling somewhat distressed at the prospects for this coming November.

In other news, I survived a whole year being (mostly) vegan! Hooray! This year, I plan to continue being vegan as much as possible, but probably not as strictly as last year (exceptions may be made for cookies and cheese pizza when absolutely necessary).

Now, here's to a better year for the world in 2012. No ending, World, OK? Not yet! I know the Mayans predicted it and all, but I don't think they'd mind if you existed a little longer.

OK. Now I shall head home in the 20+ degree weather.

Movies and Books

2011-10-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

So now that I have finished reading Jane Eyre (I finished it in record time, for me--2 weeks! For 400+ pages!), I have commenced with viewing as many film versions of it as I can get my hands on.

Today, I watched the 1943 Joan Fontaine/Orson Welles version (I think the first version?) at Film Forum. Quite heavy handed and melodramatic, as one might expect from an early adaptation of the book. I mean, the book is quite melodramatic as well! But I LOVED the book. I did not love this adaptation. Joan Fontaine was too pretty and too old to play Jane. And Orson Welles was actually pretty good for a Rochester type. But I don't think the film made it clear why they'd be attracted to each other. But of course it's hard for a plot development such as people slowly falling in love to be portrayed in a film with the same clarity as the book.

Anyway, I'm kind of rambling. I shall now sign off. (I just wanted to post this to show that I haven't totally given up on blogging!)

P.S.-I also go to see Citizen Kane for the first time (it was part of a double feature with Jane Eyre), and enjoyed it more than I expected to. Not as boring as people said it would be (although not mind blowing, either).

It's really fall now

2011-10-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

I wore the first tights of the season today. Black tights with a navy skirt. Yes, my students probably all think I'm color blind now, but oh well. I don't have any navy tights (yet).

Happy fall weather! When it's not raining here (as it has been for the last 3 days), it's gorgeous!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

2011-09-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Should I ever need to attend a red-carpet event, I have found my dress:

Yes, Claire Danes may have beat me to the dress. And yes, I probably couldn't afford it anyway. But those are trivial issues compared to the awesomeness of this dress. As Jessica of Go Fug Yourself described it, it's "like a groovy mosaic at the bottom of the most amazing swimming pool."

Anna or Jane?

2011-09-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

So this week, I checked out two female-centric tomes:

Anna Karenina from the New York Public Library
Jane Eyre from the Brooklyn Public Library

Will I actually read either one? I'm not sure. I don't really know why I picked them out.

Since I probably will not have the stamina to read both of them back-to-back, does anyone have a recommendation about which one I should read first? I'm leaning towards Jane Eyre, since the beautiful (and talented) Michael Fassbender is in the new film about it....

That's why we only work when we need the money

2011-09-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

So this semester (my second to last), I am planning to take it easy. I am only taking one class (which is actually a practicum--I'm gonna be teaching in the Community English Program) which meets 8 hours a week, and two workshops, both of which meet 10-6pm for two weekends each. And I'm writing my master's paper (well, once I decide on a topic).

That sounds pretty good, right? Then I just have two more classes in the spring (one of which is supposed to be the devil--one class that gives you the workload of two), and I'll be DONE!

If everything goes as planned (which it never does, does it?), this year will be a breeze.

I kind of wish I could have done this schedule every semester since starting grad school. But then it would take me about 4 years, rather than two. But is that so terrible? New York City is pretty awesome. I'm in no hurry to leave.
-------

On a totally unrelated note: Ari and I went to see Godard's Band of Outsiders yesterday at Film Forum. It was so good! Apparently (I looked it up) this film is generally considered the most accessible of Godard's films. And it has some great iconic scenes: running through the Louvre, dancing to the jukebox in the cafe (which inspired the dance scene in Pulp Fiction), the "minute of silence" when there actually is a minute without any sound....

Go see it! Or if you've already seen it, tell me how much you liked it!

10 years

2011-09-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Today is the 10th anniversary of September 11th. All over the city there are memorials, exhibits, concerts and films happening. Yet I have to admit, I still don't feel a really strong emotional connection to the events that happened that day. I was living in California as a junior in high school when the Twin Towers fell, with no family in New York. I felt almost as if it were a tragedy that happened in another country.

Today, reading the essays and tributes of people who lost loved ones, it is impossible for me not to shed tears. However, I am somewhat frustrated by the distance I feel from my other countrymen who were more directly impacted by the events of September 11.

Despite these feelings, tonight I plan to go out tonight and view the Tribute in Light, which is two bright beams of light that will be shining where the Twin Towers used to stand. This will be my own way of remembering our country's loss.

No more Irene jokes, please

2011-08-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

Ah, so many things to post about, and I am too lazy to post about them all. Which is why this blog only really functions (can a blog "function"?) when I'm supremely bored (read: summer break with no Ari around).

Anyway, I will bullet-point some of the highlights from the last couple weeks.

Anja came to visit! Well, actually, she came to live here. In New York City. But before she moved into her place today, she crashed with me and Ari for a few days (+1 fun extra day due to HURRICANE WEATHER).

Due to HURRICANE WEATHER, we played a fair amount of Bananagrams, Scrabble, Yaniv (Israeli card game), and 500 (card game similar to Gin Rummy). We also enjoyed a very pleasant walk to Cobble Hill Cinemas to go see a good, underrated film, The Guard.

During said film, we sat in front of the Most Annoying Woman You Could Ever Sit in Front of During a Film. Well, OK, she actually could have been worse, I suppose, had she talked though the whole film. Instead, her phone rang literally 5 times (and she took quite a while to turn it off each time). She actually answered the phone the first time and talked to the person on the other end while the movie was playing. She got up and left the theater and came back multiple times.... It is because of people like that that I am a proud film snob! Thank goodness Film Forum's clientele is 90% people over 60, so most of them probably don't even have cell phones.

Ari's birthday party was on Saturday night (the night when the hurricane was supposed to hit). Thankfully because Anja was crashing with us, we had at least one guest. We really didn't expect any more; the subway system was shut down indefinitely, so no one who wasn't within a few blocks could come by. But then THREE of my coworkers came! Hooray! And brought their friends! So we actually had a pretty decent party, ending with Ari playing keyboard and us singing along to "Rock Me Like a Hurricane" by the end of the night.

Ari and I went on a nice lunch date today at the High Line, which has been open all summer, but which I haven't really had a chance to enjoy till today. Ari brought homemade hummus and Mexican salad and chocolate for us to enjoy while looking out at the views of traffic (no really, it's kind of fun looking at traffic when you're above it and somewhat removed from the noise).

OK, so my lazy summary turned into a somewhat longer, detailed post. I must still be somewhat bored.

School starts Sep. 7! Woohoo! That will probably take up some time. It has in the past.

Scrumtrellescent

2011-07-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

For those who may be curious about my recent CSA intake: this week was especially good!
Yesterday, we got:

Bok choy
Lettuce
Zucchinis
Cucumbers
Radishes
(White) Carrots
Corn!
Peaches

This scene looked a lot prettier on my kitchen table (the colors didn't really come through), but I did the uncreative (yet delicious) thing and put all the veggies in an awesome salad (adding a few grocery-bought veggies such as tomatoes and avocado). And I'm saving the corn for dinner tonight.

Leaving for California tomorrow! San Clemente Beach, here I come!!

Chairs stickers: Unveiled!

2011-07-28T20:10:00.001-07:00

Because I know you have been waiting with bated breath, I will now unveil the ripped-vinyl coverings I chose for the second chair:

For the seat, a Goethe-Institut sticker from my high school German club days. (Some of you may remember those days.)

And for the back of the backrest, more nostalgia from my undergraduate days--the college radio station from UC Davis. Sadly I was not cool enough to work there, but I had friends that did (and were)!

Fifties'd Out

2011-07-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today I unwittingly went with a 50's theme. First, for work today I wore a retro scarf in my hair, as I have admired all the cool kids doing:

A couple times the wind blew the scarf ends into my face and it seriously freaked me out both times -- I thought someone behind me was reaching for my face (with silky-soft hands).

Actually, if you want to know, this way of wearing the scarf (with the long parts hanging down in the back) is not exactly on-trend. The style seems to be to wear a shorter scarf, and leave the ends sticking out kind of like a bow, at the front of the head, and not the back (like this girl). Ah well.

Then, I finally used my Groupon for the Film Biz Prop Shop, which is this cool thrift store of props donated from movies that were filmed in the city. I bought a pair of 50's diner chairs. The funny thing is, I can't carry more than one at a time (damn you, Ari, for not being here!), so I had to make two trips (one yesterday, one today) carrying each chair on the subway. I kind of felt like I was doing some kind of performance art, what with carrying my own chair onto the subway and sitting on my own chair while waiting at the subway platform.

The chairs have a few rips in the vinyl, so I have covered one rip with this delightful vintage picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Still deciding what to cover the other rips with.

2011-07-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

So I watched Chasing Amy last night (romantic comedy), and rated it three stars on Netflix. Then, "based on my rating," Netflix recommended Silence of the Lambs (violent, disturbing, horror film).

HUH?

SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONNNEEEEEE

2011-07-26T13:32:00.001-07:00

It just dawned on me: since Ari's been gone at camp (1 1/2 weeks), I have been eating the archetypal bachelor's diet.

Sunday night: Takeout Chinese
Monday morning: Cereal
Monday afternoon: Leftover takeout Chinese
Monday night: MORE leftover takeout Chinese, followed by cereal for dessert
Tuesday morning: Cereal

Yes, since the weather's been over 90 degrees (and only our bedroom has decent a/c), I have been on something of a cereal kick. (I usually eat oatmeal in the morning, but it just makes me sweat even more than I already am.)

I have also discovered the joys of mixed vegetables + General Tso's bean curd = $9.00 and feeds me for three meals.

Yikes. This is starting to look pretty pathetic. My excuse is, I'm just getting by until I leave for CALIFORNIA on Saturday!

HP7P2 Spoilers! Sort of.

2011-07-23T09:26:00.001-07:00

I finally saw the last Harry Potter film yesterday. Despite the film's overblown "IT ALL ENDS" tagline, I have to say that it was kind of a big deal for me that the series was finally ending. And unfortunately, I don't think the final installment was particularly powerful. I felt that the final scenes (Snape's secret love of Harry's mother, the white void that Harry goes to after he dies) were fairly uninspired, and the choice to have all of the same actors play themselves 19 years later was kind of silly (Jenny and I couldn't stop laughing).

Maybe we just weren't into it as much as we should have been. But does this picture look like the picture of someone who wasn't into it?

Happy anniversary to me, and me alone.

2011-07-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today is Ari and my second anniversary. Hooray! Except...he's out in the countryside somewhere (I don't even know which state, embarrassingly enough) working as a camp counselor for the next two weeks, without even cell phone reception!

So I texted him "happy anniversary," but I don't think he'll get it for another week or so. Nevertheless, in some ways I'm kind of glad not to see him, since I went to the Adirondacks last weekend, which was a GREAT trip, but which also was responsible for giving me 12 mosquito bites. So right now, I'm intermittently scratching myself like a lunatic all over my body (shoulders, legs, neck, ankles), which perhaps is the not the most romantic way to behave on an anniversary.

Bridgehampton

2011-07-13T14:44:00.001-07:00

I got to spend last weekend in the Hamptons, courtesy of Ari's aunt, who has a summer house there. We were in Bridgehampton, to be precise. (There's also Southampton, Easthampton, and some others, hence the name "the Hamptons." I never knew that before coming there!)

It was basically a weekend in paradise. No really. The sun was shining with clear blue skies, we found some bikes in the basement and biked to the beach, swam in the pool, cooked dinner together and ate it out on the patio, and then biked some more to Sag Harbor the next day before taking the train home (a 2-hour trip from Brooklyn). The only minor mishaps were my getting knocked down by a monster wave and getting some painful scratches on my back, and then Ari taking a spill on the bike (it was too small for him) and him also getting some pretty nasty scrapes on his elbow and knees. Battle wounds!

The tide came in really high at the beach.

Sag Harbor

I think the best part of the weekend was how quiet it was. And the fact that I probably only looked at my watch twice.

CSA update!

2011-07-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

My friend Micki works at a CSA near Columbia, and thanks to her connections, four of us decided to go in on a share of fruit, veggies, and EGGS! (Yes, I actually went up to the farm and met the chickens and confirmed that they were happy and ACTUALLY free range, so I don't have qualms about breaking my veganity for these specific eggs.)

I've been getting the food for about five weeks now, and it's a pretty interesting haul. Although I have to confess that Ari, the cook of the household, gets much more excited about it than me.

For fruit, which has been mighty tasty, we have gotten:

blueberries (The best)
strawberries (small and super sweet)
rhubarb (Ari made rhubarb muffins out of the stalks. The muffins were essentially cinnamon muffins but with rhubarb bits. Very tasty)

For veggies, we have gotten:

radishes
1 whole beet (more to come, I believe)
carrots (only 3 carrots, actually, once we divided up the share)
epazote (interesting green; apparently it reduces gas after eating beans)
LOTS of varieties of lettuce
rue (which is apparently toxic in large quantities and can give you blisters...we decided not to eat it)
purslane (kind of tastes sour, but good in small quantities in salad)
mint
cilantro
chives
green onions

Ari loves to make salad dressings from scratch, so when we get a lot of greens, we generally just make a huge salad, which is kind of awesome. I usually feel very healthy afterward!

School's out for SUMMER!

2011-06-29T19:24:00.001-07:00

I finished my summer school classes! (One diversity term paper and ESL curriculum DONE.) To celebrate, today Ari and I went to see The Man Who Fell to Earth (the Bowie sci-fi film is playing at the local arthouse theater), and then I ordered a brownie sundae (vegan, of course), and THEN I bought some 4-inch platform shoes at DSW for $30. So I can be a giant.

Perhaps my "summer school is finito" celebration was a bit excessive.

I have a feeling this is a common summer school conundrum.

2011-06-18T21:22:00.001-07:00

Aagghh. Writing a paper on a Saturday night does not work if your neighbors decide to throw a patio party and blast reggaeton/rap/banda etc. music until after 1:30am (it's still going). And it's too hot to close a window.

Blerg.

Don't Judge

2011-06-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

So today, I asked my students to write about a "turning point" in their lives, and to imagine how their lives could have/would have/might have been different if that turning point had not happened (we're practicing conditional right now).

When I've done this topic in the past, I've noticed that it tends to bring up topics from the students' past that can be painful or depressing (how they had to leave their family behind when they came illegally to the U.S., for example). However, I wasn't really worried about students writing those types of stories today, as I naively assumed that because most of my students are quite rich, they generally must lead privileged, happy lives.

Wrong! One of my Japanese students today wrote a story about how she got kidnapped when she was 5 years old. And how she was held for ransom for three days, until her kidnappers gave her up (and were apparently arrested by the police). What am I supposed to say to that?

I guess it just makes me thankful, in a way, that I have as much time as I do (12 weeks, if the students stay for the whole session) to try to get to know these individuals and where they come from. It's a good wake up call now and then to realize that there is no way I will ever have them figured out (as much as I subconsciously assume so), and that is, ultimately, a good thing, I think. It's a reason I love teaching.

Talkin' Bout My Generation

2011-06-08T15:02:00.001-07:00

The cafe at Teachers College always hosts a local music group/singer on Wednesday evenings. Tonight (right now, as I'm posting this) they have a folk pair playing covers on acoustic guitar and harmonica-piano (What is that instrument actually called?).

And they just played "No One Else" by Weezer. YES! So great. I don't think I've ever heard anyone play that live (not even Weezer the one time I saw them). These kids are definitely from my generation.

Czech Yo'self

2011-06-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

You know NYC has a lot of summer movie series when it's even offering a series of free Czech movies.

I mean, call me ethnocentric, but how many famous Czech movies are there really?

Sans meubles, mais ici!

2011-06-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

I am officially a resident of Brooklyn! Or "the BK," as all the cool kids call it.
Ari and I moved in on Thursday night (a last minute rush decision, as it turned out I'd have to move by myself if I waited until Friday). We loaded up a hired minivan in Harlem at 10:30pm and got everything moved into our 4th-floor walk-up by 1am. Hooray!

We also have essentially no furniture. Thankfully our kitchen has a bar, so we basically just ate our meals standing around that. Until yesterday, that is, when we made a trip out to Ikea and bought some bars stools. ($20 each! What a steal!)

Now our next pressing order of business is getting a microwave. I complained to my coworkers today about our lack of a microwave, and they made fun of me for not being willing to heat everything up on the stove or in the oven. But I do not retract my opinion. The radiation from microwaves may be dangerous, but it's so much faster and easier to use, gosh darn it!

Anyway, this turning into a rambling, pointless post. My main point is: I have moved into my new place. I will post some pics as soon as it looks somewhat decent.

And if you want to send me a microwave as a housewarming gift, I will graciously accept it.

2011-05-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

The number of Raggedy Ann and Andy items at the local thrift store is really quite disturbing. (I didn't get a photo, but we found plastic 3D cutouts you could hang on the wall, original paintings, and various items of dishware.)

2011-05-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

I just watched Beyonce's performance for the Billboard Music Awards. Pretty awesome show--although did anyone else notice the similarities to the White Stripes' music video for Seven Nation Army? Triangles. Red, white and black color scheme. Elephant skulls!

What can I say? The White Stripes were iconic in a lot of ways. So iconic that perhaps echoes of their style have carried over to Beyonce.

Since it appears the world has not ended yet...let's go shopping!!

2011-05-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

I bought my first leopard print item of clothing today. What a milestone! AND...it was Crocs brand. Yes, I bought leopard-print Crocs shoes.

Before you gasp in horror and vow never to speak to me again, please check out the link for the shoes. They are actually cuter than the picture, and the best part is, the "Crocs" branding isn't anywhere noticeable on the shoe!

So yes. That was my the-world's-not-actually-ending-so-I'll-spend-money purchase. Good times.

Thoughts at 12:20am After Spending the Last Hour Scrambling to Sign Up For Summer School Courses

2011-05-20T21:19:00.001-07:00

I almost wish the world would end so that I wouldn't have to take summer school.

Meek's Cutoff

2011-05-16T13:36:00.001-07:00

Also, I saw this movie over the weekend:

Has anyone else seen it? I would like to know what others think (other than the reviewers on the film podcasts I listen to).

Some catching up

2011-05-16T13:20:00.001-07:00

Well, now that the cat is mostly out of the bag, I will allow it to completely escape: I am moving to Brooklyn!

OK, maybe that news wasn't as exciting as I built it up to be. No weddings, no babies. BUT I will be moving into an apartment with Ari in Prospect/Crown Heights on June 4, and I am really excited to have (virtually) my own apartment! That means I will be able to eat ANYTHING I WANT in the kitchen!

OK, I was actually able to eat everything when I lived at home in Monrovia, too. But then, you kind of take that kind of thing for granted at your parents' house.

Also, I have successfully completed my first year of grad school! Only one more year to go! To celebrate, I went to the best thrift store in all 5 boroughs (most thrift stores in the city are picked over and overpriced) and went on a shopping spree: $35 spent on 7 articles of clothing (2 skirts, a sweater, a shirt, 2 scarves, a dress). So satisfying.

And finally, a bit of annoying news: I think my iPod is dying a slow death. It keeps freezing in the middle of my podcasts. I looked up the problem online, and it looks like either the battery or the hard drive is failing. Both of which cannot really be replaced for a reasonable sum of money, so it looks like I may just have to get a new iPod when I get frustrated enough with this one. But we've been through so much together! Actually, not really. I've only had this one for about 4 years. I think iPods should last longer than that.

Also, I really don't have the money to buy a new one at the moment. The next big holiday is Christmas, so perhaps I'll just end up buying a nano or something to tide me over until I bite the BIG bullet and get an iPhone. (SOMEDAY! SOMEDAY I will have money again.)

OK, that was a rambling post. But I'm in high spirits because I have no classes until Thursday (when summer school starts). Hoooooraayyy for free time!

Mmm

2011-05-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Couscous, Trader Joe's hot sauce, and peas (from the freezer). This is the dinner I am eating right now. I need to go grocery shopping.

In other news, I am DONE with my final exams, as of 7pm this evening! Unfortunately, summer school begins on May 19. But until then...DONE.

Happy Mama Day

2011-05-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I do not have any cute pictures of my mom holding me as a baby; all of those remain in photo albums in the family room back in Monrovia.

So this picture, taken with my holga camera about 3 years ago, will have to suffice:

I LOVE YOU MOM!
Wish I were with you today.

No Artificial Colors or Flavors, Guaranteed!

2011-05-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

I may be 26 years old, but I am not above guilt-tripping my mom about not sending me candy for Easter.

And look what mine guilt-inducing effort hath brought:

Loose jelly beans!

I'm rich!! With three varieties of jelly beans. The post-Easter pickins are slim when you're vegan. But these sweets will do quite nicely. Thank you Mom!

2011-05-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

Typing Icelandic names into your reference list is a real b***h.

If only it were a real language--it'd be so much easier.

An example:

Rögnvaldsson, E. (1990). Íslensk orðhlutafræði: Kennslukver handa nemendum á háskólastigi.[Icelandic morphology: textbook for university students] (4^th ed). Reykjavík: Málvísindastofnun.

Disclaimer: I know it probably looks really cool that I'm citing Icelandic stuff in my term papers...but unfortunately I know a total of zero Icelandic words. This reference was simply cited within another reference I used about grammar rules.

What a mighty good man

2011-05-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was kind of a crappy day for me. Last full week of classes, and one of my professors (who meant well, I know) decided to add an extra class to cover extra material. Consequently I had 6 straight hours of syntax yesterday (not my favorite topic), with additional last-minute homework assigned, due in two days.

I then got home to find out that I would have to cancel my plans to go to a wedding, because I have an all-day mandatory orientation for summer school on Saturday.

Ari was lucky enough to speak to me during this discovery, and despite my excessively negative attitude, offered to come over tonight and cook me dinner.

Which he did. He brought all the ingredients over to my apartment, cooked it all by himself while I worked on a term paper, and then served it to me. Mashed potatoes with caramelized onions (a favorite dish of mine that he makes), veggie chorizo, and salad. With dessert afterwards and everything. I didn't take a picture, but I should have.

I tell ya. What a man.

I got school pride!

2011-04-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

My second-ever purchase* of a collegiate hoodie: Woo! (Even though it's backwards, since I took with my webcam.) Go TEACHERS COLLEGE!

*My first purchase was my undergraduate: UC DAVIS! GO AGS!!

Another reason why warm weather is great.

2011-04-09T17:22:00.001-07:00

Today I went out for my once-weekly jog (hopefully it will pick up after this semester finishes), and I heard what sounded like live jazz music across the street.

As I jogged past, I saw a guy sitting on the curb playing the trumpet. He was seated next to his minivan, which had the door open and was blasting jazz music. The guy was playing along to the music.

I assume he was just practicing in a way that wouldn't annoy the next door neighbors. And I'm glad he did! It added a nice kick to my day.

2011-03-31T21:50:00.001-07:00

I hailed my first cab tonight! As in, took a taxi all by myself.

After waiting 45 minutes for the M4 bus in 37-degree rainy weather (at 11:30pm), I decided it was high time I be a true New Yorker and take a cab home.

What a milestone.

Someone up there has to be laughing

2010-11-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

You know those moments where something is so exasperatingly comical, it seems like someone has to be controlling events to conspire against you?

Well, that just happened to me, but thankfully, it was a minor episode: trying to finalize my phonetics term paper.

I finished my paper! 7 pages of transcription, and 8 pages of analysis! Yay!
I print out all 15 pages, only to find that I forget to center the "References" title. I print out the last page again.
I notice that ALL the pages have page numbers in BOTH the upper right corner and bottom center. Not sure how that happened. Delete bottom page numbers.
I print out the entire essay again and staple it and discover I forgot to include the last page of the essay.
I take out the staple and staple it again, only to realize that my conclusion has center alignment (as opposed to right justified). It's the only section of the essay in center alignment. WHY? WHY?!
Whatever. If the professor doesn't like center-aligned conclusion paragraphs, I don't like him. OK, that's not true, but I just don't care anymore.

2010-11-16T20:37:00.001-08:00

In one day (today), I ate ALMOST a whole loaf of challah bread. I decided to allow myself to enjoy non-vegan food till January, so I bought the challah (with egg in it).

And now it's 11:37pm and my stomach is STUFFED with bread.
It could be worse.

It's time to set a date

2010-11-14T15:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while because I've been overwhelmed with starting my job (working two hours a day. I still can't handle it!) and a lot of term papers coming up in the near future.

Luckily, I spent 6 hours yesterday finishing up my biggest project: a transcription and phonetic analysis of a native Chinese speaker's English. It's actually really interesting to me, and I'm sad it must go the way of so many school projects: loved the topic, but wish I'd had more time to spend on it.

Also, my title of "setting a date" refers to my goal to become vegan. Yes, folks, it's high time I took that step. All the cool kids are doing it (literally--it seems to be a hipster thing, but also CAMMY has been vegan for years now). So I'm trying to set a date for when it will happen. I'm thinking New Year's. That way, I can still pig out on sweets on Christmas and post-Christmas, but once the new year starts, it's purely vegan delights for me! Of which there are many, many, many in New York City. Thank goodness.

OK, back to making final edits on the paper. Hope everyone had a bonne week-end. (And I am too lazy to look up if that French is correct.)

I forgot to mention

2010-11-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Since writing yesterday's post, I realized that a lot, and I mean a LOT of my friends have also done amazing things and taken huge life steps in the last few years.

These people have done things like move across the country, start medical school, start nursing school, start law school, start other graduate studies, move to freaking DC (I don't know how anyone can afford to live there; I think it's more expensive than New York, (although this theory is not based on any fact)), get married....

So in other words, I just wanted to give a little more love and recognition to the friends at home. Or far away from home, as the case may be.

How did this happen?

2010-11-03T20:05:00.001-07:00

It dawned on me today that I live, work, (love) and go to school in the heart of New York City.

I have achieved a goal, or dream, that I subconsciously didn't think would happen. And I'm kind of amazed that it actually did happen.

So, uh, the moral of the story is: Go out and achieve your dreams!*

*Even if it means you will have no money afterward.

Confession

2010-11-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make today: I didn't vote.

Argh! It was due to sheer laziness. I suddenly got motivated Sunday night to try to fax in my absentee ballot, but couldn't get my fax machine to work (and if you try to fax at the UPS store they generally charge $1 per page, and the ballot is 12 pages).

So I fail. And I think the Democrats might be sort of failing in this election as well. :(

In other news, I got punched really hard at karate last night (we don't usually do contact, but I got paired up with an aggressive black belt):

The bruise is a bit difficult to see in this picture, but believe me, it's there. I'm a little embarrassed about going into work with this thing, so I'll be wearing sweaters and long sleeves for the rest of the week!

A Sane Halloween (Despite Photo Evidence to the Contrary)

2010-10-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, I had a very sane Halloween. Well, OK, it actually just kind of coincidentally turned out that way.

Bussed down to DC on Friday, which took about 5 1/2 hours, due to traffic and accidents (it was supposed to be a 4-hour trip). Liz and her boyfriend Josh also drove down that night, and we had a massive slumber party in Michelle's living room. Then the next morning we got a not-so-early start (due to delicious homemade walnut waffles made by Josh), which was just fine. Took the fairly packed yellow line from Huntington all the way in to L'Enfant, where we joined the crowds heading to the rally.

Thankfully, the day was GORGEOUS and not too cold, and the crowds were not too crazy. We got a spot to stand pretty far back, but we could see a screen, and hear pretty clearly. I think most of us agreed reading people's signs was the highlight of the event, but I also enjoyed getting to see Cat Stevens and Ozzie Osbourne perform together (!).

Look! A tiny Washington Monument! Proof of where we were.

Michelle rides back on the packed metro

That night (after managing to pack ourselves into the Metro trains in separate trips), we all got dressed up at Michelle's place, and headed out by 10pm to Adam's Morgan, hitting up a bar/club called Madam's Organ (confusing I know). This was actually a bar that I'd seen many times during my 3 months living in DC, but never checked out (I think mainly because they always have a cover on the weekends). But with ARI to pay my way (yes!), the cover was no big deal. And the music inside was pretty good; a nice mix of Beastie Boys and...hip hop. That's all I can remember. But I do remember dancing to it quite enthusiastically.

The night ended up being pretty long because we didn't catch a train back until 2:45ish, and due to train delays and late-night schedules, we didn't actually get back home till after 4am. We all agreed we are way too old for those kinds of crazy hours. But I suppose Halloween is a pretty good exception to the rule. It was a fun night, and it was definitely worth the long Metro trips to be able to "make the scene" (as my scene-making dad always says) and enjoy the costumes.*

Now, on actual Halloween day, I am rather wiped out. Another 4-hour bus trip back, and an evening of catching up on emails (and avoiding actual school work). But I went to the market across the street an hour ago and saw lots of adorable little children out trick-or-treating, so I'm happy to see that some of us are taking full advantage of this holiday.

Happy Halloween!

*Oh, and I didn't take any pictures of costumes b/c I'm lame and didn't really dress up. I decided to be the girl from the Cake song about the short skirt and the long jacket. And Ari came up with the creative idea of dressing as a marathon runner who was "going the distance." No one knew who we were. Ah well.

2010-10-28T18:14:00.001-07:00

So I just spent three hours transcribing an interview with a Chinese speaker of English (phonetics project). And you know what? It's time for a blog post!

I think I felt somewhat overwhelmed/depressed during my first month or so at Teachers College (from hereon out referred to as TC), partly because it felt so weird to be back in class again, stressing about homework and exams again. And partly because I had WAY too much free time (my classes are mainly in the evening), so I was constantly thinking about what I should be doing to maximize my studying time, or my sightseeing time, or my job-searching time.

Thankfully, things have gotten better. I'm more comfortable with the school regime (I'm NOT 2 weeks ahead in the reading! No need to be that far ahead!). And I got a part-time job! (Substitute ESL teaching for now, but my boss said it's highly likely I'll get a permanent position in the next month or so.) And I have extra-curricular activities, such as karate. And going to happy hour (OK, so I actually ditched karate for happy hour yesterday, but it's the first time that has ever happened! And it won't happen again! For a while, at least. Why do I have this guilty conscience, as if my mother is always observing from afar?)

In other news, I will be moving out of student housing come December. I just can't stomach the $1700-per-month rent, even if I DO literally live across the street from TC. However, if everything works out, I will be living in a nice apartment about 20 minutes walking distance away from TC, where I will be sharing a bathroom and a kitchen with a nice lady who is part of the faculty at Columbia (ooh, aah). And I will be getting my own fairly big room, with a queen size bed and a massive collection of books to choose from! I will post pics if I end up moving in (fingers crossed).

One last thing: Ari and I (and pretty much everyone I know) are going to Washington, DC this weekend. It's the "Rally to Regain Sanity" or something like that. Hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I actually don't really have a strong desire to go to the rally; I just happen to have a free weekend (My midterm got pushed back a week! Yay!), so I figure, why not? And we have a place to crash (chez Michelle, one of the many awesome Davis people who coincidentally also moved out East). So here's to a fun Halloween/rally/quick vacation weekend!

This message from our Student Senate President today:

2010-10-01T11:32:00.001-07:00

"And finally this Friday, why do the new gender-neutral bathrooms at TC have signs about locking the door? One official justification is that somebody might enter the bathroom and either be, or cause an other supposed occupant to be, startled. This kind of unintended bigotry is worrisome. No one is remotely concerned about any similar such startling that is of frequent occurrence in the traditional-binomially-gendered bathrooms."

I found this so amusing, I had to share.
Academics. Such weird people.

School Starts (Sort of)!

2010-09-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted for a bit because I've been in that weird place where you don't really have anything to do, yet if you think about it hard, you feel like you have a million things to do. Anyone know what that's like?

I think it's part of the whole moving to a new place + starting a new school process. Paperwork, organization, buying of groceries, picking classes...you know. Kind of fun, kind of not fun.

So I had my first classes yesterday. But I'm probably not going to be in either of them. So I'm still kind of waiting around. "Literacy and Development" fulfills a "breadth" requirement (it's like a GE course), but it looks like a pretty intense class. You have to create a curriculum for a literacy center, among other things. Or volunteer 20 hours at a literacy center and then write a minimum of 40 pages about your experience.
While I do I think it would be really interesting to do those things; I just think I'd like to get used to being back in school first, and take it a little slower to start with.

The other class (Sociolinguistics and Education) is full, so I'm wait-listed. And I kind of doubt people will drop. Oh well.

My "real" classes start in earnest next week. And that was a very boring post. Sorry.

Hooray for a long weekend!

Rice rice baby

2010-09-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Roger Ebert is publishing a cookbook solely based on things you can make in a rice cooker. Be still my heart.

A pleasant Monday evening.

2010-08-30T21:05:00.001-07:00

PS: It's Ari's birthday tomorrow! And I have orientation most of the day.... :(

Map it out

2010-08-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update.

Life is pretty much the same since I last posted; I've been wandering around Manhattan whenever possible. (I spent literally 20 minutes at Barnes and Noble deciding which map was the best.) I decided on this one:

(It's not backwards in real life. And the thing that looks like a massive insect behind my head is actually a sprinkler.)

It looks like this inside:

Very useful, you see? Fairly compact, yet still shows streets AND subways AND bus routes. Excellent.

I then proceeded to use to shop at Old Navy. Yes, that's right folks, the shopping ban begins in just 3 days, so this is my last chance for the next 6 months! I found the ON flagship store on 34th street; TWO LEVELS of women's clothing. I refrained from actually buying anything though, since I believe everyone who reads this knows about the money woes of college.

Then watched the Emmys with some girls in my building. No really exciting wins; I just don't care about TV that much. Unless it's Mad Men, 30 Rock, or the Office. At least Mad Men won something; I just can't remember what now.

Also, my room is still quite bare. I noticed this especially when I went to another girls room, and she has it decked out. Huge carpet, six pillows, the whole shebang. Guess I just gotta keep workin' on it.
Next thing to make my room more livable: PLANTS!!

Ici, in NYC

2010-08-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

So I am officially moved into my dorm (more like an apartment, really) on 121st street, in the "Monrningside Heights" area of Manhattan. Doesn't that name sound nice? It is nice. The weather has been BEAUTIFUL ever since I moved in here (yesterday morning), and the people are friendly, and...yeah.

My room is great too! I will post pics of it soon. It still looks a little too bare and depressing for me to be motivated to take pictures yet. But I will as soon as I'm satisfied with its homeyness.

I had my first "meet and greet" style orientation tonight, where all the "singles" dorm people meet up for cheese and crackers. It wasn't too bad! I tend to get overwhelmed by large groups of people I don't know, but I met a few nice ladies (it's about 90% ladies at Columbia Teachers College), and quite a few of them (the first 4 I met) are from Southern California! Good? Bad? I'm trying not to worry too much about it. At least I have people to commiserate with about the weather when it goes to the dark side.

So the main issue I'm facing at the mo' is, food is SO EXPENSIVE. There are lots of adorable little "bodegas" around (that's what people seem to call them), but a quart of soy milk costs $3. A box of cereal is $6. Two heads of broccoli are $3. So...I guess once Target starts carrying produce (next month), maybe I'll just make the half-hour trek up there and pick up the stuff I need. No fun. But good exercise!

----------
On an unrelated note, I bought Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals at the bookstore. I NEVER buy books! But I didn't want to stare longingly into space while I ate my Chipotle burrito yesterday. Anyway, I started it, and it's (not surprisingly) pretty good. He has a very readable, logical style. He actually (jokingly?) advocates eating stray dogs in one section, and he makes it sound very reasonable.

Short clip from a nice evening.

2010-08-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

Btw, yes, we DID bring sushi to the latin music concert. (That's the food Ari has in front of him.)

The first week

2010-08-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

A few random shots from my first couple of days here.

The night I arrived: Ari made me chocolate pie! With homemade whipped cream. He knows what I like.

Refreshing fountain in Prospect Park

Cool wire bug sculptures on a random building.

The Williamsburg Bridge

Algebraic equations on the ground?

My first Sonic visit, en route to Ohio. Banana cream pie milkshake. I was not a fan of banana-flavored drinks until I tried this. AMAZING.

The Girlfriend Experience

2010-08-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

This post has nothing to do with Steven Soderbergh's film. But this weekend I experienced being a girlfriend, and what it's like when you're the girlfriend meeting LITERALLY 50 family members (of your boyfriend).

Flew into JFK on Weds night, and spent a day lazin' around on Thursday before making the 9 1/2 hour drive from Brooklyn to Youngstown, Ohio to meet Ari's parents and siblings and extended family for the first time. They were all super nice, thankfully, although Ari had warned me that his mother could be scary (she served in the Israeli army, after all), it was all hearsay. They were all very welcoming and sweet, and the whole family gets along ridiculously well (I wasn't sure families like that actually existed).

Anyway, there was a reunion/birthday party on Saturday night for approximately 50 relatives/friends, and I think I met them all. Platters of food; a birthday cake in the shape of a 3D castle, and 10 boxes of pizza. It was a fun night.

We packed up to leave on Sunday morning, and got 30 miles into Pennsylvania, only to discover at the first rest stop that our brakes weren't working! So 2 hours later we were towed back to Youngstown, spent an EXTRA night in Youngstown, waited for the car to get fixed, which took until 7pm. So we got back to Brooklyn at 2am this morning. Hooray!

Highlights of the weekend:

Handel's Ice Cream (a Youngstown institution)--we bought 5 different flavors (chocolate pecan, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, peach, black cherry)
Learning Rummikub (a family institution, apparently)
Finding a cool random Indian/Pakistani market on our scenic walk around the car repair shop
Walking around the lake (Newport Lake) that is literally less than a block from Ari's backyard. And the area is so lush and GREEN in summer! And humid. I felt like I was in Hawaii.

New York, New York

2010-08-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful town!

At least, when it's not as humid as it is right now.

Going for a walk in Prospect Park, and then latin music later.

Curse You, New Yorker

2010-08-17T18:06:00.001-07:00

BTW, I did NOT achieve my goal of catching up on all the issues of the New Yorker before leaving.

I got through about 10 of them, but I still have about 5 more. I am bringing them with me. And my dad gets to keep receiving them back here, in LA.

I will consider getting my own subscription, but it doesn't seem very logical. Perhaps TimeOut New York will be more my speed.

2010-08-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

Aargh. Sorry to leave that depressing previous post up for so long. I have not been wallowing in sadness these past few days, as one might assume.

In fact, I am almost done PACKING! Two massive suitcases and one roll-y carry-on. And a purse. Yeah, I'm moving, what can I do? There's really no way around sweatin' a lot during the trips to and from the airport. Especially since I'll be lugging the bags through NY, which apparently is still suffering from humid heat waves.

Oh well, Ari's picking me up at the airport at least, and I'm arriving at 10pm. So it shouldn't be too bad.

I am excited!!!! My enthusiasm about moving to NY has picked up again; I'm pretty sure I won't be able to sleep tonight (since I couldn't really sleep last night either; my excitement kicked in two days in advance).

2010-08-12T12:32:00.001-07:00

Just listened to a news story about the LRA, a group that recruits child soldiers in several countries of Africa. It seems the LRA is getting stronger, and the issue of child soldiers isn't at the top of the list for the US government, with so many other problems in the world.

Sometimes NPR just makes me cry.

It's good to be free

2010-08-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

I've been off work for 2 1/2 weeks now, and it's been pretty great. I loved my job (teaching ESL in La Verne), but I don't miss it yet.

The only problem with having this much time on my hands is that I start thinking about more activities I need to take up--mainly musical instruments, artistic outlets, and sports. Perhaps dulcimer, ceramics, and karate are in the cards? Not sure how much time I'll have once school gets started, but I hope to find at least one "extracurricular activity" to do.

Anyway, recent events:

Camping at Lake Cuyamaca over the weekend: Gorgeous and luxurious! I've never before eaten potato/avocado/tomato/bell pepper/squash scramble for breakfast while camping. And I reached a mountaintop by 8am on Sunday. This is what it looked like:

Free Monday concerts at Spaceland in Silver Lake! I can never check these things out on work nights. Leah and I saw 3 (unknown to us) bands: Vanaprasta, Tomorrow's Tulips (I think), and White Arrow. Vanaprasta was the best; the lead singer looked like Zach Galifianakis, and was quite energetic.

Met up with Anja in Downtown LA on Tuesday to get scrumptious "Smac & Cheese" and mint lemonade at Nickel Diner and then ridiculously indulgent waffles and ice cream at Syrup Desserts. I heartily recommend both spots.

please pay no attention to the random woman on her laptop in the background.

AFTER dinner and dessert with Anja, went with Leah to the Kogi truck in Altadena! Waited 1 1/2 hours (until midnight) to get a tofu burrito. So not worth it. Although it wasn't a terrible wait, since it's kind of a social event. Lots of folks chillin' on the street and sidewalk. But by the time I got my burrito, all I wanted was to go to sleep.

That is all. Going to see "Surfin' Safari" (a Beach Boys cover group) with the fam at the Coffee Gallery tonight.

One more week till I leave for New York!

The Bands I've Owned and Abandoned

2010-08-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

The NPR All Songs Considered Blog recently asked its readers which artists have put out the most music they own but never listen to. For example, some band you were obsessed with in the past, and whose CDs you continue to buy, but never actually play.

The far and away most popular response was (not so surprisingly) Dave Matthews Band. Boy am I glad I've NEVER been into him! Well all right, I did have a brief phase during the time that "free hugs" music video came out. But I can't even remember the song that went with it.

Anyway, the artist that I would have to confess to never listening to is Radiohead. I realized this upon reading someone else's comment: "Probably Radiohead. I love them, love their music, love seeing them live — and am almost never in the mood to listen to them."

This describes exactly how I feel. Although I've never actually seen them live, I hope to some day, because I've heard they're awesome. But I went through a Radiohead phase in college which lasted a couple years, and haven't really gone back since, despite continuing to buy their CDs. Radiohead's music creates such a strong, and often depressing mood; I'm often unable to tolerate it unless I'm willing to sit down and focus on a whole album.

Anyway, anyone else have an artist they feel this way about?

2010-08-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

Went to see In the Heights tonight with the fam, in honor of my parents' 31-year anniversary. (Thank goodness they still invite the kids.) I was a little worried before the show because I know the musical has a lot of hip hop, and I wasn't sure the folks would go for it. But thankfully, the production was really good! Great singers, catchy tunes (not too much rapping), and a sweet story. I recommend it.

And now I want to visit Washington Heights when I get to New York.

Best Purchase of the Weekend

2010-08-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

Bought this on vinyl for 40 cents at Armadillo Records. I think it will set the mood nicely in my dorm.

2010-08-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

Upon my impending move to New York, (and my current 3-week vacation), I will make another attempt at resurrecting this blog. Ideally, I'll post little anecdotes from my life in Manhattan/Harlem, so people who are interested can stay up-to-date.

But I'm not in New York yet! So I will post some other random thoughts/activities instead.

1. My goal before leaving is to finish all the issues of The New Yorker. My father and I somewhat thoughtlessly subscribed to it back in December, after I made my first trip out to visit Ari and kind of fell in love with the city all over again. Did you know that you get a new issue every week? Thus, it's a bit challenging to get through one when you're also working virtually full-time. Anyway, I've made it through about 5 issues in one week; I've got to speed up my game here.

2. My mother and I have created a "No New Clothing" pledge, which I've read about on some fashion blogs. The idea is not to buy any new clothing for a certain amount of time; in our case, six months. No new clothing or jewelry purchased, although shopping at Goodwill or Salvation Army is allowed. This is an excellent time for me to take up this challenge, since the starting date will be my first day of classes at Columbia.

3. Cooking again--I found some inspiring recipes on Andrea's blog that I've been meaning to make for a while. Vegetarian chili first! And after that some Thai curry (not from her blog, but just my own attempt).

4. Going to see terrible movies! Ok, not a goal, but it seems to be happening regardless. I saw Dinner for Schmucks last weekend with Michelle in Davis, and it was pretty much the worst comedy I've seen all year. Made the mistake of NOT consulting my trusty LA Times beforehand. And then today I'm probably going to see Sex & the City 2 with Leah. Although at least that will only be $2.

That's all I can think of at the mo. Alright, time to get back to my New Yorker. I must finish another one today!

2010-01-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

Haven't posted in a while, but Salinger's death today inspired me.

After hearing about this death, I'm sure almost everyone flashed back to their "Salinger" moment (if they have one); I personally remember middle school, when I worked as the computer lab T.A. for Mrs. Soja, and had way too much time on my hands. I finished Catcher in the Rye during one of those slow days, and then immediately started reading it again. I enjoyed it so much I didn't want to put it down. So I read it twice in a row, with a time span of about 2 minutes between readings.

I also have memories of reading Nine Stories in Mrs. Swanson's 11th grad English class, and acting out scenes from the stories. Such a weird, albeit creative, idea. Nevertheless I remember feeling greatly moved by those stories as well, particularly the last one, entitled "Teddy."

2009-12-04T00:05:00.000-08:00

Just watched the movie Adventureland and have developed a crush on the actor Martin Starr. Don't judge me.

2009-11-30T22:28:00.000-08:00

The Vietnamese lady I go to for manicures gave me a guava from her tree today.

It's little things like that that really make my day sometimes.

PB + CHO

2009-11-29T18:18:00.001-08:00

I have made my first thing since coming home!

And the thing looks like this:

Yes, it is a baked thing. Peanut butter cookies with mini Reese's peanut butter cups pressed in the center! I was inspired by the coffee shop near Cammy's house in Long Beach, which sells giant versions of these cookies, with a full-size peanut butter cup in the middle.

I made so many cookies (about 48) that I had to ask Dad to take some in to work tomorrow. My mom won't eat them, so I must save myself from myself!

Happy Early Turkey Day

2009-11-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

Off to Napa (via Berkeley to pick up my sis) tomorrow morning! As my dad's driving, we will be leaving somewhat promptly at 8am. I'm SO glad I can sleep in the car. If it were me, we wouldn't be leaving until 11am. But since Dad's driving--fine by me!

This will probably be our last time going to Napa for Thanksgiving (we went up there my freshman and sophomore years of college), and it's been a wonderful tradition. I'm not sure if there's any other region in California that has such consistently stellar food. And now, Leah and I can actually participate in the wine tasting!

What am I thankful for?

As always, my family comes up first on my list. Next would be friends. And I am always especially thankful that I still have Cammy, after all she's been through. And I'm thankful that I live in such a great country (despite its many issues), and that my family has never had to worry about putting enough food on the table.

Let's see.... I need something less banal to be thankful for. I am thankful that I have traveled to so many countries! Although I have many more on the list.

And with that, a good vacation to everyone.

2009-11-23T22:30:00.001-08:00

I am back again! How many times have I started a post with that sentence?

Anyway, unemployment inspires me to write. Or to write some short blog posts, at least.

I have been on an art fix! What does that mean, you ask? It means that I have been obsessed with finding and framing artwork. I think it's largely because my walls are so empty, after not having lived in my room (or added many personal touches) for about 6 years. Yeah, that's how long it's been since high school.

Anyway, I digress. Today I went to Michael's and Target and bought 5 picture frames (one frame holds 7 pictures), and filled them all up with art! Mainly postcards I've collected over the years, but picture comes from a calendar that I had in 7th grade, and one picture is a print that I ordered from Etsy. It's pretty great.

Now I just need to actually hang them on the wall without taking large chunks of plaster out as well. My parents wouldn't be too happy about thtat.

Another reason why I love teaching

2009-06-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

Student: Teacher, do you dye your hair?
Me: Yes.
Student: Oh. Is your hair actually black?
Me: No, it's dark brown.
Student: Oh. Are you American?

I love that foreign students expect all "real" Americans to have blond hair. I'm an American too, gosh darn it!!

I think we can all agree the advertising...could be improved.

2009-06-15T22:57:00.001-07:00

I alternate between hesitantly loving and strongly despising American Apparel--I try to shop there, but everything is either too baggy or WAY WAY WAY too tight/short.

Anyway, this latest offering from the AA catalogue doesn't really change my uncertainty on the company. It's at once horrifying and amazing.

Just a quick shout-out

2009-06-14T23:55:00.000-07:00

To all my friends, all over the world, whether they read this thing or not:

You are great. I'm lucky to have you.

I just had a great and busy weekend hanging with a good mix of people (and not hanging out with a few, sadly), and it reminded me how happy my friends make me.

THANK YOU! I hope I'm still in touch with all of you in 30 years.

"You look tired."

2009-06-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

Never a compliment, right?

I have been told this THREE TIMES in the last 2 months while at work. It has motivated me to buy thicker foundation and wear more makeup, since I figure that is one of the small joys of being a woman--you can generally cover it up if you look like crap.

But apparently it's not working, since one of my students commented again today that I look tired.

GAH!

That is all.

I take it back

2009-05-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

I believe I'm on record stating that an Eastern European accent is one of my least favorite accents.

I take it back. That opinion does not apply to this man:

That would be Eugene Hütz, charismatic lead singer of the Ukrainian gypsy/punk band Gogol Bordello (and actor in the movie Everything is Illuminated).

I love anything gypsy-ish (Klezmer music, clarinet, accordion, etc.), and after trying to get to a show the last 3 years, I finally got to a live show last week in Pomona. Hütz's stage presence, energy and enthusiasm is amazing. I also heard him interviewed on NPR, and he's got a really interesting story (he's a survivor of Chernobyl and had to emigrate to New York with his family in the early '90s).

So yeah. Check it out if you get a chance.

2009-05-20T21:36:00.001-07:00

I am watching ben folds perform right now!!! One of my life goals achieved. (this is from my cell phone.)

2009-05-16T17:50:00.001-07:00

Hooray! Going with Camille to see HAIR (the musical) tonight!

2009-05-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

Just watched Bonnie and Clyde.

It totally blew me away. No pun intended.

I was worried about the 2-hour running time, but the story completely drew me in.

Definitely a recommended film, if you haven't seen it.

Another radio reference

2009-04-28T23:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the second public radio reference in a row. But this is what I listen to now, thanks to my hour-plus commutes with only a radio.

Anyway, did anyone watch Ira Glass on the Colbert Report last week? I just watched it, and Glass's lovable awkwardness made me cringe and warmed my heart at the same time. Not many things do that.

If you want to check out the interview, it's here.

2009-04-23T18:04:00.001-07:00

I stole this from the All Songs Considered Blog.

I despise "Auto-Tuning." But I am amused by this video.

Chocolate Fish*

2009-04-21T23:04:00.001-07:00

My parents are back from Paris! And they brought me...chocolate fish?

Actually, they are quite adorable chocolate fish. Apparently one sees fish memorabilia everywhere in Paris during April, since a traditional French April Fool's trick is to put a fish on someone's back (not sure how they managed that). Today it's more common just to put a picture of a fish on someone's back as a trick.

Those French really are cards.

*I type "chocolate fish" and all I can think of is that inane Chocolate Rain song from YouTube.

So it gets your attention. Is that all?

2009-04-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

This always frustrates me.

The new Allure issue is touting a spread where they got "5 Celebrities to Bare it All" for a photo shoot in the magazine. They briefly interview the women regarding how they feel being naked, what their insecurities are, etc.

My problem is: these women are celebrities; their bodies are PERFECT. Or if not perfect, then airbrushed to perfection. Why do women's magazines do these kinds of nudity spreads so frequently?
The magazine tries to play it like it's some kind of female empowerment, but do any of us real people even know anyone that looks that good?!

I was only happy with this kind of "love your body by looking at naked women" thing once, when (the now sadly defunct) Jane Magazine did a spread on nudity, but used non-celebrities to pose naked; they just asked readers to volunteer. Cool, huh?

This ain't no World Cup

2009-04-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

Look how responsible, caring, and yes--pitiful--those Germans are.

2009-04-14T22:58:00.001-07:00

Look! I am officially a "lecturer" at Cal State Long Beach!

I mean, sure, I'm technically only "part time," and I only work at the extension; but the card looks cool!

Frohe Ostern!

2009-04-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

I decided to wish you a happy Easter in German because for some reason, Easter makes me think of Germany. Or at least, it reminds me of Germany more than the other holidays.

Maybe this is because one of my most memorable Easters was during my time in Goettingen, when I went with some other Americans to an "Easter Pageant" at the local Catholic church, only to discover that it was a service meant only for children, and we were the only non-parents there. We got to learn all about Jesus's resurrection through brightly colored pictures and catchy tunes. Good times.

Anyway, this Easter was a good one. I made Easter candies! Look:

Anyone reading the L.A. Times probably saw the recipe for these pastel mints on the front page of the Food section a few days ago. They were fairly easy to make, and I think they came out pretty well, although I have no idea how long it will take to eat all of them.

I brought over the best mints to Cammy's dad's house for Easter (my parents are in Paris, so I needed a surrogate family). We had a delicious feast of peanut noodles (made by Cammy), along with more traditional faire of scalloped potatoes, salad, and asparagus.

And now, I will leave you with a link to Hannah's hilarious Easter-related video, and wish you all a good night!

Inspiring Teacher Movie of the Day

2009-04-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

*Other than proving to me yet again what a great actor Sidney Poitier is, this film also made me realize that all those hipster kids you see dancing in bars in L.A. are just replicating the mod dances of the 60's. I suppose it's obvious, but I'd never made the connection before!

Cutie Pie Grossness

2009-04-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Zooey Deschanel irritates me. Why? Because she's too freakin' cute. She looks cute (dark brown hair, big blue eyes), she has a cute voice, she always plays cute characters in her movies, even her name's freakin' adorable. She's too precious. Thus, I must resist her.

Nevertheless, I found myself checking out Zooey's "band," She & Him, and it has a few catchy tracks. I just caved and downloaded one called "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"

I couldn't help myself, and now I feel like a hypocrite. But that's it! Only one song, and I'm done with this Deschanel! Unless she makes another movie with Will Ferrell, then I might make an exception....

A post! A post!

2009-04-06T22:58:00.000-07:00

I'm sure my many readers are thrilled beyond belief to see that I am posting!!

Honestly, I have been feeling inspired to blog lately; but then I come home and fall asleep.

I have good reason to fall asleep though (in my opinion), because I've been working 8-hour days teaching ESL in La Verne. A new teaching session starts tomorrow, where I'll downgrade to a 2-hour morning class, and then I'll be driving down to Cal State Long Beach to teach another 2-hour afternoon class.

I'm paying my teaching dues; all this work is pretty much just so I can hopefully get some good letters of rec and a little experience (NOT a lot of moolah). Luckily I really enjoy it. Thank goodness I didn't spend 4 years of undergrad getting a linguistics degree for nothing. (I really wasn't sure if I even wanted to go into teaching after college.)

Also, all this driving in a car with only a radio enables me get in my daily quota of NPR. I used to feel guilty about not being up on all the current events; now I feel like I know TOO MUCH. I mean really, do they have to talk for 30 minutes straight about home mortgage problems? Or bailout plans? Seemingly every hour? All the financial stuff gets on my nerves after a while, and I've started to tune it out, even without meaning to. But honestly,

who wouldn't rather hear an interesting story about the sex lives of sea creatures?

2009-03-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I got to experience one of the rare joys of living in LA: hanging out at Union Station for an hour on a Saturday night!

This experience was not planned, which is probably the only way it could have happened. I was meeting Cammy so that we could go to a vegan pizza place nearby, called Purgatory Pizza. Little did Cammy and I know how infrequently the Metro runs. Thus I was stuck there for a while waiting for her to show up.

But I'm glad it happened! I sat in the famous waiting area, feeling as if I were waiting for a train or a flight somewhere in Europe. (For some reason, it seems I never have to wait as long for transportation in the States.)

Then a homeless man sat across from me and started up a conversation about traveling in Europe. Go figure! Lately, it seems like traveling (and being vegetarian) are the only two things I ever talk about with people I've just met. It could be worse. But anyway, it was a pretty interesting conversation; the guy, "Todd," told me all about his adventures getting foot surgery in Paris and stopping at the Becks Brewery in Bremen. From what I could tell, his stories were too accurate not to be at least partly true.

Then I got up to use the bathroom and got hit on by a small Black man named "Lil Larry," who gave me his business card and told me to call him when I'm single.

After that, happily, Cammy showed up. And we got delicious pizza, in which I ordered a medium, real cheese pizza ALL FOR MYSELF and ate it ALL BY MYSELF. In one sitting.

A good Saturday night.

2009-03-04T22:53:00.000-08:00

I have picked up the guitar again (we'll see how long it lasts), and am already annoyed that I cannot play more than the chorus of Happiness is a Warm Gun.

Lucky for me, there is a never-ending supply of Belle & Sebastian songs I can learn. And I NEVER get tired of B & S.

Me loves the Hello Kitty

2009-03-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

I have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with Hello Kitty. I don't know why her disgustingly cute face continues to pull me in. Perhaps it's because she's Japanese. Perhaps it's because she has a sister, as do I. Although it's supposedly a twin sister. Their only difference is that Mimmy (the sister) has a yellow ear-bow.

OK, I have probably already told you way more than you wanted to know regarding the HK and her awesomeness.

Also, for the record, the pictured cupcake did not taste as good as it looks. Hard to believe, I know. The frosting was very artificially flavored. But I got a plastic Hello Kitty ring out of the deal!

Things to do while unemployed

2009-02-05T23:18:00.001-08:00

Why not alphabetize your CDs?

A break from cynicism

2009-02-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes

by Sheenagh Pugh

Sometimes things don't go, after all,

from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel

faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don't fail,

sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.

A people sometimes will step back from war;

elect an honest man; decide they care

enough, that they can't leave some stranger poor.

Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best efforts do not go

amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.

The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow

that seemed hard frozen: may it happen for you.

Awesome weekend

2009-02-03T01:05:00.000-08:00

Highlights of going to Davis this weekend (This is mainly for my own recollection):

-Making the 6-hr drive in the (rather small) car with Kaylan, her boyfriend, Toby (a dog) and Java (a cat).

-Playing Cranium a total of three times in 2 1/2 days, Scene it twice, and Catchphrase 3 times. YES! My friends like games too!!

-Finally meeting Ashley and Michelle (I've heard so much about them). Gathering together in the living room for Michelle's mini-concert.

-Going to 80's night at the club, dressed in 80's clothing, and not caring that no one else at the club was thematically dressed. Dancing the WHOLE NIGHT. And being impressed by Alicia's lack of self-consciousness.

-Kaylan making enchiladas for everyone.

-Shopping at the Co-op with Alicia. And spending $22 on a Hello Kitty water bottle. (OK, perhaps that price isn't exactly a highlight.)

-Taking Toby for a walk out on the greenbelt.

-Looking forward to doing it all again.

2009-01-30T14:43:00.001-08:00

I see nothing wrong with this. In fact, sounds like a reason to visit Switzerland on the way to Iceland.

And (ha ha!) it figures they'd be mainly be Germans.