It's only life

Thanks MJ, for all the good times.

Friday was karaoke (American: 'care-ree-oh-kee'. Singaporean: 'kah-rah-oh-kay'. hahaha.) night in some (surprisingly not-so-ghetto) bar in Brooklyn to commemorate Michael Jackson's awesome contribution to the world of music.
Great songs + crazy friends + fun dancing = amazing night :)
Karaoke was so fun!! instead of little private rooms to yourself like in sgp, here it's like the ENTIRE bar listening to you screech your head off to your favorite song.

we screamed and danced along to every song (whether we knew it or not). i'm pretty sure everyone knew who we were by the end of the night. and then when we finally got the mike, we shrieked along to 'Summer nights' from Grease. And by we, i meant the girls. the guys just sat and laughed at us. haha.
The crowd was a good mix of soulful singers and horrible wannabes. some people just didn't know they were off beat/off tune/didn't even know the lyrics (even though they were flashed on the screen.) it was some highly entertaining stuff.




Our conclusion: Rachel and I somehow always manage to attract the most creeps in our group. I don't know if it's her or me, but when we're together... it's an interesting experience. But i've learned from past experience. No one's getting my number or anything else from me other than an i'm-sorry-i'm-not-interested smile :)

You know you love me, XOXO

Gossip Girl tour bright and early on saturday morning. way. too. early. But it was still fun, and we walked everywhere till our feet hurt. Saw a bunch of gay-looking people with name tags on their shirt... celebrating some kind of gay marathon, 'cause this week is Gay Pride Week. heh.



The Met (Metropolitan museum), where Blair and her bitchy group of friends gather on the steps for Pinkberry (yummy frozen yogurt).

Yes, I was on the very steps that Leighton Meester once sat. hahaha. she's cute. and apparently she can sing, too. She's featured in Cobra Starship's 'Good girls go bad' song, and her voice is surprisingly good.





At this quaint little neighborhood on the Upper East Side... visiting the 'school' where Serena and gang attend. It's actually a CHURCH! what irony. and it's teeny tiny and dirty. amazing how camera work can totally change your perspective, huh.



The New York Palace, the hotel where Serena (i think) lives. it was pretty cool.. opposite the largest catholic church in NYC.
We also went to Henri Bendel's on 5th Avenue.. it was gorgeous. filled with expensive little trinkets that i'll never purchase 'cause it's just not worth it.
Fifth Avenue is just... jaw-dropping. all those name brands along the same street. so much materialism floating in the air. Fendi, Bergdorf Goodman's, Louis Vuitton, Elizabeth Arden, even Playboy enterprises.

Day in the Sun

Went to Brighton beach... 45 mins on the subway and located in Little Russia! i didn't know there was a little russia here! when we saw all those cute little signs in russian and weird russian food we totally felt like we weren't in NYC anymore. it was weird.
Anw the beach was awesome. haven't seen so much sun in... months. now it finally, genuinely feels like summer.

Conversations

So.. I'm kinda sick of all these dirty conversations around me. And when i say around me, i mean other people talking and me feeling weird and not knowing what to say.
So i guess most of my friends here have lost their virginity a long time ago, and they like discussing... about that kinda stuff. So i worked up my courage and admitted i still have my V-card. And... i got a bit of a shocked reaction. they thought i was just like them.
i'm thinking, that cannot be good. why would they think that? do i act too much like them??

it was kind of a rude awakening. but anyway, i was talking to one of the girls, and she told me she accepted Christ earlier this year. she admitted she regretted giving herself away to guys, and since she became a Christian, she's abstained from sex.
And she told me how she admired me for staying strong and wanting to wait for the right person, and that if she could turn back time, she would do things differently.
It was really encouraging to hear that.. especially from a wild party girl like her. I guess it's ok to go out and drink and dance and all, but that's about it. No further than that. And i'm really glad i met this group of people. We really look out for each other and come to the rescue when someone's being approached by sketchy guys :)

Expensive meals

This weekend i spent a lot on food. sigh. went to this famous italian restaurant, Vento, in the Meatpacking District, which was so pretty. cobblestone paths and quaint little shops :)
Food was reallyyyy good. Prices... even better. haha.
Also went to Olive Garden (which they have in Indiana) in Times Square, and got the shock of our lives when we discovered the prices here are twice as much as that anywhere else. so we definitely ate our fill and took the rest home for another meal.

Tomorrow... work... noooooooo.....

I gotta feeling

So tired from going out the past few nights i fell asleep last night and didn't wake up today till 1pm. nice long 12 hour sleep.

Anyway here's the free stuff. holler if you want any. i know joce wants the benefit stuff.





from left to right: Yes to carrots hand moisturizing cream, Victoria's secret brown to earth eyeshadow, Victoria's secret goldblinger eyeshadow, Pixi lipstick, Sonia kashuk blue sapphire eyeliner, Sonia kashuk pale pink lip crayon, Sonia kashuk luscious pink lip crayon, Benetint lip balm, Sonia kashuk truffle lipstick, Benefit coral pink face powder, Sonia kashuk fairy shimmering loose mineral blush, Pixi nude shimmering eyeshadow.

My sister's keeper



Today i went and saw My Sister's Keeper, and sarah and i were bawling our eyes out the entire time. it was such a profound, intense and thought-provoking film, i loved it.
i think this was the first time i cried so much during a movie since... Titanic (yes, Titanic made me weep. every. single. time.) haha.
It just seemed so unfair, you know? How can a little girl be allowed to go through so much pain and suffering and then finally die of leukemia? what good is there in that?

And then having another little girl genetically modified and created just for her organs and blood and tissue to give to her sister (albeit against her own will)... it's just... alot to think about.
I mean, she's a person, too. how can someone create a whole other human being to manipulate and use for the benefit of a sick kid? I don't know how i feel about forcibly holding down and poking giant needles into fragile 5-year-olds just to save another kid. And the mom, played by Cameron Diaz... wow. i've never detested any character so much. it was crystal clear everything she did was only for the dying child; she'd do whatever it took, including cutting up the healthy child to save the dying one. and that's just wrong.

Although.. the movie's ending is totally different from the book! (i didn't read the book, i googled it) but i think i prefer the movie ending. it was a little happier.

Abigail Breslin is just about the cutest 13-year-old ever. and the most talented too.
And if you watch the movie (which you definitely should), watch out for a bald Thomas Dekker. so cute. haha. and bring tons of tissues too, you'll need it.

More trashy tv

Been watching 'Here come the newlyweds' (i know, i was desperate, since all my other fav TV shows are gone and will only return in the fall).
it's pretty interesting. these newlywed couples compete in competitions designed around how well they know each other and how they communicate, and in the end the last couple standing wins all the $$.
It's just fascinating to see how different couples communicate, and how each couple has different ways of showing their love and affection for one another.

Things happen for a reason

Remember when i had that interview with BlackBook for the advertising department then decided i'd rather do editorial?

THANK GOD i didn't accept BB's internship. i met this girl who did, and she totally hates it. turns out, they hired 13 interns, and since there's so many of them, each one only comes into work about 2 days a week, and they do absolutely nothing. nada. zero. zilch. they just sit around and stare into space, and accomplish nothing productive. at least that's the gist of what i heard.
Wow. so glad i'm at julib, even if it's smaller and lesser known. at least i get to write tons of stuff.

Random

Poor Farrah Fawcett. she just had to die on the same day as Michael Jackson, and now the whole world is grieving over him and no one remembers her. :(
People are really taking this whole MJ death thing hard. my friend was like sobbing 'cause he was her idol! i was like... okayyyy... why are you crying over some creepy guy who put bleach all over his body.... and i don't even know half his songs.
But i'll admit, he did revolutionize the music industry. even if he did invite little boys to do god-knows-what in his sketchy Never Never Land castle.

And can I just say that i'm in love with mascara now. it makes your eyelashes long and sweeping! although it is a little harder to put on and take off than eyeliner. but it's fun :)

Bouts of missing home always strike me randomly, usually when i see families together, having dinner, walking down the street, shopping together...
i'm like, awwww.. i wish my family could be here too!

When i saw transformers two nights ago, these little boys were waiting outside the theater after the movie, and their parents swooped in with their car to pick them up moments later... and i was like, awww... reminds me of when i'd bring my little bro and adorable little cousins to go to the movies, and they'd be bouncing off the walls and demanding popcorn and hot dogs.. and of course i'd give in to their requests 'cause they're just so cute (even though my mom's voice would inevitably ring in my ear: 'no hot dogs! it causes cancer!') :)

Exciting funnnnn

Almost famous

I got to be in a music video yesterday!!! my friend here works for a film production company, and they were producing a music video for this british pop band/singer. so since it was super low budget, they got all the interns (and their friends) to be extras in scenes. and of course i said yes when my friend asked. who wouldn't wanna be in a freakin music video??? even if it's some relatively new and unknown band?? who knows?? he might get crazy famous one day, and i'll get to be like, yeah.. i totally knew him way back in the day. haha.

So we got to the office at like 10pm, waited around until 11+pm. got to meet the singer himself, who was a really cool and chill dude. kinda cute but a little older. got to meet the other interns/extras, who were cool too. and they gave us free food, always a plus. so they finally told us what we were supposed to do, and they were actually recreating a club scene in their office! with strobe lights and music and all. and we were to dance and pretend like we were actually in a club full of hundreds of people, when there was only like 10 of us. haha. it was hilarious, and oh-so-fun. didn't really have to pretend to have fun. we were actually having fun dancing.

and the attention was focused on, ahem, a transvestite. and a super sexy + pretty one at that. she/he made all the other girls feel ashamed. so i guess the concept of the video was about the lead singer who falls for this tranny in a club, and then later finds out she's a guy. haha.

so anyway we had to keep dancing and moving in a small space in front of the camera to make it look like it was a happening party. got to dance with the artist, which was cool. and we heard his song like a million times, so we were all singing it by the end.

the director was hilarious too (he looked like doctor house, from the TV show 'House'). he was like, 'i want you guys to just have fun and dance, and there should be no penguin shit or anything like that.' (meaning no moving awkwardly in one position) the way he said it made me crack up. it was funny cuz i was there with one girl and two guys i knew, and this one guy who always comes out to clubs with us NEVER dances. like, i don't know why he comes and pays the cover charge if he's just gonna STAND THERE like a block of wood and watch other people dance! it's a little awkward. but even he managed to move, so it was cool :)

so yeah! that was my 5 seconds of fame. haha. celebratory drinks after at st. marks.

I love movies

I don't know why but i let my friend convince me to watch Night at the museum, which, as expected, was a huge flop. even the trailer looked lame. it was just too much stereotyping and cliched, over-used jokes. and the historical figures in the movie just looked dumb in their attempt to be funny.

And today i saw Transformers: Revenge of the fallen, which was only a tiny bit better than Night at the museum (only 'cause shia labeouf was in it. and foxy megan fox. haha).

Also alot of stereotyping, especially the lame-o hip hop autobots who were trying too hard to be black. And it was just alot of things getting blown up and cringe-worthy lines that could've been better written. I don't know, i feel like ever since i've started to study film in school, i've become way more critical about movies. which sucks. now i can't simply enjoy a film. i automatically criticize it in my head.
But anyway, Roger Ebert, a movie reviewer, was so funny when he said 'i don't know why people always try to shoot at robots like in Transformers. don't they know from every other science fiction movie that it just doesn't work???'

Seminar

Yesterday there was a seminar where this woman who won some awards in scriptwriting came and gave an inspirational talk. it was pretty cool, learning about the six degrees of separation and everything.
i'm only six people connections away from celebrities like brad pitt or angelina jolie! isn't that cool? so the moral of the story... network, network, network. you never know, someone might know someone, who knows someone, who can be the one to help you fulfill your dreams.
But... easier said than done! i feel weird like i'm trying to market myself or something.

Going out

Went shopping at Herald Square ystday. it was bustling with people everywhere. a little overwhelming.
Went to this quaint little authentic japanese restaurant today for supper. oh how i missed jap food. it was SO good. i let my american friends try my green tea and red bean mochi (they never had it before), and they were like gushing over it, as if it was the best thing since... macdonalds. haha.
uzi float cocktail + amaretto sour = very good drinks.

My dad :)

i just love this picture. it's adorable :)


The greatest dad ever. this guy's awesome. you should get to know him :)


Dad teaching me the waltz at church camp in malaysia.


Because my dad's just cool + hilarious like that.


A man with a heart of gold - that's how most people would describe my dad.
With his salt-and-pepper hair and almond-shaped dark brown eyes full of spirit, he exudes warmth and friendliness to all. His energy and passion for life is contagious; he makes the most of every second of every day, never failing to take a moment to appreciate the simple things in life.

For those who meet him for the first time, my dad comes across as good-natured, welcoming and easy to talk to. His ever-abundant supply of 'dad jokes' (lame but endearing quips that only my mom laughs at) enable people to see his down-to-earth side and feel at ease in his presence.
A loving, big-hearted and self-sacrificing father, he is often the glue that securely binds our family together. My dad has always been the solid rock we all can depend on, come rain or shine. He's showed us that as long as we have family, nothing is impossible.

I remember all those times growing up when dad would take my brothers and i out to go fishing or catch a movie or play at the game arcade... or when it'd just be the two of us spending quality time together... it was all very precious to me.
even if it was just a simple lunch at KFC after organ lessons or a family dinner at Swensen's (what used to be our favorite family restaurant).
What mattered was that he loved us unconditionally, and he expressed that deep affection in so many wonderful ways.

I especially liked when, after minutes of pleading and pouting from my brothers and i, he would smile tenderly and give in, buying us our heart's desire (toys, books, gadgets, etc.) even when he knew the excitement would die down after a few days and we'd move on to new toys. I like to think it made him happy to see us happy.

I always loved it when my dad would take turns with my mom to tuck me in at night, and we'd lay on my bed for a while, gazing at the radiant, luminescent stars stuck in random formations to my ceiling, conversing about everything under the sun. Or when we'd have sleepovers in my parents' room... or, as we grew older, we'd just hang out there and laugh about the most random things.

Family movie nights were another thing i looked forward to. Every tuesday, we'd all sit down to dinner, chat animatedly (except my brothers, who mumbled their way through) about our day, and then chuckle at phua chu kang and whatever comedy shows there were on channel 5.
We eventually grew out of the lame channel 5 shows, and graduated on to movie nights, especially when my dad injured his leg last year. i eagerly anticipated the evenings, when mom, dad and i would gather in front of the tv and be captivated by the movie i'd picked. Basking in the moments of delightful joy, peacefulness and quiet contentment, i knew it was times like these i would always look back on with fondness.

As i grew older, i began to understand, value and respect all the things my dad has done and given up for his family. Many a time he has mused about his dream of becoming a writer/film director/musician, but has never once complained about surrendering his passions to provide for my family. When i think of him, i think of a man molded by God and infused with His great strength, resilience, courage and compassion.
Generous with his time and money, he never turns down an opportunity to spread the love of God, often displaying Christ-likeness in his every action and word.
His relationship with my mom has been such a tremendous encouragement to me, for they have constantly battled through the fires and storms of life without leaving one another's side. Even as marriages in society crumble and fall apart, they take it upon themselves to bring restoration and set the example for many to follow. As far as my future husband is concerned, my dad definitely sets an impossibly high standard that is out of this world, for he is a loving father, amazing husband and awesome friend.

All in all, i mean it with all my heart when i say my dad is the best dad in the world.
He is a man of kindness, benevolence, sensitivity, selflessness and loyalty.
My dad is truly a man of God.

I love you, dad.

Happy (belated) father's day :)

Tiring day

Freebies



I just love free stuff. can't get enough of it. and today was the ultimate.
We got a box full of free products from Benefit, the awesome makeup brand i've always wanted to try but didn't wanna waste $$ on. isn't the packaging soooo adorable?? Love. It.
Needless to say, i grabbed it all (after my manager took her share) - lip gloss, lip balm/tint, bronzer. can't wait to use it! :)
(And random flip flops)

This is better than getting paid! haha.

Today at work

My manager was instant messaging me, and there was something wrong with my computer, and so she told me to ask Jesus for help.

I was like, huh??? is she asking me to pray?? is she being sarcastic?? what the --

And then i realized she meant jesus (as in heh-soos) rodriguez, our IT guy who is hispanic and happens to have the same name as my God. hahahaha. and then i just felt really dumb. good thing i didn't voice my thoughts out loud. that would've been pretty embarrassing.
i don't know why people name their children after a god-figure. it's just weird.

I got to write two more stories today. i'm beginning to get a little sick of writing. after a while, it just feels monotonous. and staring at the computer for hours on end cannot be good for my eyesight. i think next time i wanna work at a print magazine, and do cool stuff like direct photo shoots and design pages instead of just writing, writing, writing.

Shocking news

So i got home from work, hopped innocently into the elevator, got out at my floor, and received the shock of my life. there were all these posters (i never paid attention to them before) warning us of a burglary and a sexual offense that occurred IN THE DORM. and a HOMICIDE that occurred right outside. some guy got STABBED!!! my eyes were bulging out of their sockets. especially when i saw the homicide part. then i realized that one happened at another NYU dorm, not mine. and breathed a sigh of relief. but still... the other two happened here. i think. so... gotta be more careful.

And i didn't know honeydew can make you feel feverish. i've been feeling sick-ish for the last week, and then mom told me to stop eating honeydew everyday (it's free at the cafeteria). so i did. and now i feel as good as new! weird huh. i thought all fruits are good for you.

Annoying people

You know who is getting on my nerves? my roomie! i probably said this a thousand times before, but dang, that girl can talk.
i've never before in my entire life seen a person talk to her mom as much as my roomie does.

wake up, immediately call mom (doesn't matter if i'm still sleeping) and tell her what she's gonna wear, what she's gonna eat for breakfast...
come back from work, call mom again. tell her every single thing she did, what she's gonna eat for dinner...
she even asks her mom what to say to boys when they text her! it's like she can't do anything without first asking her mom's opinion!
buy clothes... take picture and send to mom for suggestions. if mom don't like, immediately return to the store.
And best of all, her mom encourages her to dress more skimpy and seductive so she can 'get the guys she wants.' omg. i really don't know what kind of mom is that.

initialy i thought she was a really sweet girl. but now, after unintentionally listening to all her conversations (she talks loud and my desk is right opposite hers) i've realized she's pretty superficial and man, can she bitch about people behind their backs. even her 'good friends.' so she probably talks about me also. but whatever. i'm talking about her too. haha.

Road trippin to Washington DC

Friday

Went to this place called Pacha and got in as VIP. friends with connections = awesomeness.

On the road

After 3 hours of sleep, my suitemate haley and i got up at 7.43am, when we were supposed to meet at the lobby at 7.45am to get on the bus to washington, DC. needless to say, we freaked out. she hadn't even packed, and she was still drunk from last night. so 20 hilarious minutes later, we made it to the bus. i'm pretty proud of us.

The drive there went by fast.. 4 hours and one pit-stop at union train station (for a free lunch) later, we were in DC!!

Touring like a tourist

First stop: all the touristy spots, i.e. monuments and memorials.
Went to see the outside of the White House, the Washington Monument, the Korean war memorial, the Vietnam war memorial (which i learned about in class this year!), the Lincoln Memorial (where that scene in Forrest Gump and many other movies were shot) and its reflecting pool...
We had the world's funniest tour guide. and by funny i mean weird. so eccentric. at first we thought she was drunk, but then we figured out she was just like that.
so she was hilarious at first, and then plain annoying by the end of the tour. but at least we didn't get the mean old man the other bus got. although i didn't understand half the things she said. i think she was talking to herself most of the time.


Vietnam war memorial. learned about the controversy behind it in class. all because of an asian female designer.


Stella and me resting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. it was a tiring climb up.


The Lincoln Memorial. that statue of him is huge!


Me and rachel at the WWII memorial. DC is just full of memorials and things like that.


they had all the names of the states at the WWII memorial, so i took one where i was born!


The reflecting pool and the Washington Monument.

Me: Hey what's that? (pointing to that tall thing)
My friends mumble some sort of 'i don't know' response.
Me (jokingly): You all are americans! how can you not know what this is!
They all claim they learned about it in 4th grade and forgot. And then after that everyone proceeds to tell me all the other random stuff about their country that they do know. like the capitals of each state. haha.


The Korean war memorial.

Me (confused): Hey how come all those soldiers are hunchbacks?
Sarah: ....
Me (lightbulb goes off): Ohhh... it's their backpacks under their coats!

I need to stop saying stupid things.


The view of the Lincoln memorial from the WWII memorial. they're all super close to each other.


Haley and me outside the White House. before the strict guard chased us away 'cause apparently obama wanted some to go out in the sun and so we had to clear.


the White House.


The Newseum - a museum solely dedicated to everything news.


Me: Hey what's that?
I forgot who (incredulous): uhh.. The Capitol. (duh)

So by the end of the tour, we were all cranky and tired and hot (this was our first sunny day in a long time), and dying to get to the hotel.
We stayed at the George Washington Inn, and it was way nicer than i expected! haley and i roomed together in this huge room, with a tv and a full length mirror and a nice bathroom. i know, all hotels are supposed to have that, but after living in the tiny little dorm room for so long, this is like decadent luxury.


Stella, me and jen outside our hotel in washington.

Night out

We slacked in the hotel for an hour, then headed to the waterfront for dinner! Went to this nice restaurant called Nick's Riverside Grill, and saw the beautiful sunset at the harbor. really wanted to get on one of those boat parties. they looked so fun! dinner took like 3 hours... getting our group's orders, serving our food, separating the bill a gazillion ways... omg. i was so ready to get out of the place and explore!

But it was fun. i met more new people. this really funny girl from russia. she's hilarious. and i actually had lobster ravioli, even though i don't like seafood. for some reason, that sounded really good to me at the moment. and then when the check came and it came up to 30bucks after tax and tips, it was so not worth it. oh well.

Went exploring around the harbor. Found this cute little sushi place/bar, walked around the quaint little town full of shops (that were, sadly, closed)... it was seriously the cutest town ever. ended up back at the patio of our restaurant for drinks.
and i have found my FAVORITE drink EVER. it's called Midori Sour, and it's seriously the best tasting alcohol in the entire world. haha. even better than a whiskey sour. (i love sour drinks)
i could drink it everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. haha. rachel and i went crazy over it after sarah recommended it to us :)


Me and rachel and our most favorite drink of the moment.


Our ever-expanding group of girls out at night.

Then we found this cool place called Modern with a rocking dance floor.

More touristy things

Brunch at 'Bread and Chocolate' --- nutella crepes = the most wonderful meal.
Although my group got lost on the way back, and ended up being half an hour late. i think our bus was mad. i'd be mad too, if i had to wait for someone for so long. but whatever. most of them we were good friends with anyway.

Went up the Washington Monument all the way to the top, and saw the view of DC from there. it was pretty cool. then we had to head back to NYC to avoid getting caught in the thunderstorm. apparently, it's supposed to rain here for this next week. sigh.
so we didn't get to see the museums :(

Fresh off the boat

.And i'm proud to be an asiannnnn.

So one day in the NYU elevator i heard this caucasian girl exclaim loudly, 'my roommate's fresh off the boat, and she's hilarious!'
(you know, fresh off the illegal boat from asia or some other continent) and then she proceeded to talk about her weird/funny her mannerisms and actions were. and i was like, wow. i've heard ABOUT the term so many times, but i've never actually heard anyone use it! it was weird. but i wasn't offended or anything.
it takes a lot to offend me. i've learned to be more open-minded around people here. even when they say chinatown is exactly like koreatown. haha.

But then again, it always annoys me how americans are practically worshipped and adored in asia, while asians are mocked at when they arrive in the US of A. ironic, huh. one-way relationship.

Although, everyone i've met here has reacted with shock when i told them i'm from singapore. they're like, 'omg, i would never have expected that! you don't have an accent at all!'
I guess i'm becoming... one of them.
took me 3 years, but now i've made it. haha.

.Gaming.

Yesterday a bunch of people went to Dave & Busters, this game arcade/bar.. and it was totally fun!! it's been such a long time since i've been to an arcade. we played new games like 'deal or no deal,' and won a ton of tickets.
Also got hit on by tons of creepy guys. one guy offered to give us his coupons so we could exchange them for gifts, and he ended up getting my friend's number and asking her out to lunch. he was a total weirdo. kept rapping to us like he was some cool dude, but he was just a white wannabe rapper.
but anyway we took his coupons and got teddy bears and shot glasses. haha.

Also, some of my friends totally flirted with this huge, old man who claimed to be from the mafia, and he bought them like 3 free drinks each. i refused. i'm not that desperate for a free drink to flirt with some sweaty elderly man, old enough to be my grandpa. ew.
Now if he were young and cute..... that would be a different story :)

.Good work day.

Today was definitely a good day. slacked around in the office (even my manager didn't have much to do 'cause it was thursday), and read stuff on wikipedia. haha.
it was really interesting! read up on Scientology, which was full of nonsense. i mean, it had some crap that was supposedly confidential but got leaked out to the public by a former scientology member, about this guy named xenu who came to earth from another planet and put people near volcanoes and blew them up. so now their souls are floating around earth, terrorizing humans. i was like... this totally makes for some awful science fiction story. but sure, you can believe in whatever you want to!

Also read about mormonism and jehovah's witnesses. funny how i 'supposedly' learned about them in my Historic christian belief class (where i got an A), but i still have no idea who they are/what they believe in. but now i know. and they have some weird beliefs too. especially the jehovah's witnesses, which i learned, they're called that cuz they're known for their door-to-door evangelizing. fascinating, huh.

And then i had a nice long chat with my manager about office politics. apparently the higher-ups like the people to think the office environment is laidback and all, but it's really not. and this one guy who seems chill actually watches everyone to make sure they're not skiiving off. i was like, ooohhh... better make sure i look more hardworking!

But yeah, i really like my manager. she's awesome. and we talked about starting a career in NYC, and how hard it is because there's tons of cutthroat competition. and she said i was in luck, because having an internship in NYC on my resume would look much better than someone else who had an internship in like, indiana or something. cuz companies in new york like to see that you've had experience here before. so yay! now i have connections here!!!!! :)

.My resume's filling up.

I seriously can't believe i wrote so many articles between this week and last week.
Here's all the links if you're interested. after a while, they kinda all sound similar. haha.

-Organic clove salon opens in Atlanta, Georgia
http://www.julib.com/atlanta/luckycharms061609AT_email.html

-DVF boutique opens in Miami, Florida
http://www.julib.com/miami/birdwithoutwings061109MI_email.html

-Caviar Kaspia opens in Miami, Florida
http://www.julib.com/miami/kaspiasea061609MI_email.html

-Rugosa opens in the Hamptons
http://www.julib.com/hamptons/pulltherugosa061009HA_email.html

-Cadot opens in Dallas, Texas
http://www.julib.com/dallas/spacecadot061109DA_email.html

-New online design store called Functionals, from the Netherlands
http://www.julib.com/sandiego/hollandssauce060909SD_email.html

-Side bar opens in San Diego, California
http://www.julib.com/sandiego/Bsides061109SD_email.html

.Thumbs up.

Went to see the movie 'Up'...

... in 3D! and it was everything they said, and more.
everyone should TOTALLY go see it, please. it's SUCH a great movie. once again, pixar never fails to deliver. although, it costed as much as three freakin movies in sgp. ridiculous. but worth it :)

Can't decide if i wanna go see the jonas brothers perform at the Today Show...
maybe not. don't think they're worth the wait and the waking up at 4am.

ROAD TRIP TO WASHINGTON, DC THIS WEEKEND!!!!
I'm so excited. i've never been there!!! and we're gonna stay in hotels for free and see all the free museums! :)

Sleeping with the lights on

.Lounging around.

Skyped with cartoon... it was a funny hour of exchanging crazy stories :)
Shopping... nothing much to buy here. you'd be amazed at the number of quaint little shops that display the 'closing down sale' sign. darned economy.
Stupid toilet. always clogged up. i'm so glad i won't be here much longer. don't know how much more of this disgusting living situation i can stand. no one cleans up around here. the kitchen looks like a rotten banana just exploded or something. smells too.

.Get inspired.

This guy, Ted Archer (never heard of him), came to speak at our weekly seminar today. apparently he ran a marathon across the sahara desert. twice. is he crazy or what. i really don't know where people get the determination/perseverance to do marathons. i can't even run 5 miles without feeling like i'm gonna die.

anw he wrote a book about it, so i guess that makes him famous. he seemed pretty cool. younger than i expected. and by his book's title, 'carved by god, cursed by the devil,' i thought he might be a christian or something, but no mention of god.

.Pelham 123.

Ok, so i finally caved and watched 'the taking of pelham 123' today. even though it was a whopping 12.50bucks. i couldn't stand it. i love movies too much :)
it was pretty good, too. even though it only took place in a few locations, it still kept me on my toes, and it was attention-grabbing and suspenseful.
john travolta + denzel washington = awesome duo.
and what i loved most about it was that it was set in New York City!! the train that was hijacked, pelham bay, i take it to work every morning! and it was just fun recognizing all these places and going, 'i've been there!' haha.

although.. it was kinda freaky thinking about... what if someone gets the stupid idea to hijack the subway one day. whoever is on that subway would be sooooo... unlucky.

Week 4!

Time flies.
I got chastised twice today. at least by people who care about me.
More free stuff at work! brown and pink flip flops from this brand i've never heard of called flops. exactly in my size :)
they had this organic olive oil body scrub too, but it smelled funky, so i put it in the reject pile.

Wrote 2 features on this cool new parisian restaurant opening in a boutique mall in miami, and an organic hair salon in atlanta.
Then sat around and read the news and tried not to fall asleep. promptly left work at 5, got caught in the rain, which soaked my jeans thoroughly. ugh.

watched the bachelorette with some girls in their apartment.. they had a tv. how nice. anw it was ridiculously long. 2 hours! felt like five eternities.
Talked to andrew again - for the longest time. i don't know how we can talk so long. there's just so much stuff to talk about. plus he's open-minded, which is more than i can say for many people.
So on his recommendation, i shall read/watch more high culture stuff, instead of all the cheesy romance novels and lame movies i've been indulging in.
have you heard of the book entitled 'the heartbreaking work of a staggering genius' by dave eggers (the guy who co-wrote the new movie in theaters 'away we go')?
apparently it's an awesome book. so i'm gonna try and get it cheap on amazon.

Finally blogger lets me put pics up

Me, sarah, jack, mike, kristin.. Friday night at st. mark's.


our freaking huge texas sized drinks. i finished 2nd fastest :)


weird faces. anw isn't sarah so pretty? she's my first native american friend :)


The girls i met this weekend... rachel, katie, sarah and stella. they're pretty much awesome.


at the Bronx zoo with the hugest, cutest camel ever.


we randomly found this hello kitty fountain (with water spraying out of its eyes), and decided to do.... what else? an asian pose.


liz after she got her ears pierced :)


at Little Italy with gelato in hand. yummmm.


liz tried to make the 'O' in 'benito' an 'A', but failed miserably.


weird folded paper in the museum that anyone, even a baby, could've done. maybe it's all in the way you fold it.


some guy came up to me in the museum and asked me what the painting was about. i was clueless, and cheated by peeking at the explanation on the side.
it's actually a policeman screaming. he's on the right.


BEP in concert! they look tiny, but they were actually pretty close to us. it's just those darned people with their cameras held high, blocking my shot.


Me, ingrid (my roomie), and her friend ashley at whole foods market for lunch.


More free stuff happily taken from the office :)

Slow sunday

.We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

Today we went to the Bronx Zoo! the subway took like, 45mins, and then we were in the Bronx... where J.Lo grew up. haha.
it looked kinda sketchy, even in daylight. saw a tranny and various other shady people, but didn't dare to comment on them, in case they whip out a gun and start randomly shooting us. haha.

It was a fun random group of people i went with. the zoo was soooo huge.. we only got to see like half of it in the 4 hours we were there. saw the tiger feeding, gorillas hugging, disgusting bugs, creepy worms, huge camels, cute sea lions, monkeys, etc. it was cool... but now i'm so tired from going out everyday.

Now that i've met all these awesome people... i don't wanna go to work anymore. i just wanna go out everyday... haha. i'm glad i met them though. my roomies were getting a little boring. they just go out with their own friends/boyfriend a lot, and they don't really do any of the planned activities, which are pretty cool.

Stupid blogger isn't letting me load any photos. UGH.

So. i found some christians! heh. they're crazy party people too. i actually found that all out today/yesterday. i don't think they're planning on going to church while here though. except one of them... who's a disciplined bible-study goer, a flirt and an insane partier. huh.

Crazy Saturday

.Consequences.

don't really remember much of what happened last night. kind of hungover today. bleh.

But somehow i made it out the dorm and met liz to go to Little Italy!! It was SUCH a quaint little area. we found it by the red, white and green decorations everywhere and italian signs down the street. tons of cute restaurants, souvenir shops, gelato places... that's about all. haha. the pizza was fabulous.. and the gelato reminded us of our greece and italy trip (which we both went on together). yum.

Then we just walked around spring street.. passed by tons of quaint, vintage shops that had SALES signs everywhere. but their stuff, even on sale, cost a few hundred. i hate it when shops mislead you like that. a few hundred bucks is NOT a sale.
but then we found street vendors, and this cute little flea market in some random building, so that was cool. tons of unique jewelry, hats, clothes, bags...

And i went with liz to get her ears pierced! can you believe she's never gotten her ears pierced!!! we've had a lot of 'firsts' together :)
so she was kinda nervous. but it totally didn't hurt. and now she's obsessed with her new earrings :)
Stopped by at Koreatown, which was just a street of korean restaurants and tiny shops, all in korean signs. her dad sent me home, and he was so nice, although he didn't speak english.

.Laugh it out.

Went to Caroline's comedy club in Times Square (where comedians like chris rock performed before) with my roomies and some guys. waited super long for dinner, which was awesome -- spicy buffalo chicken sandwich and way-too-rich chocolate cake.

Then came the openers of the night. 3 guys.. some of them from comedy central or whatever. they were RIDICULOUSLY hilarious. i was falling off laughing.
guy 3: so i love watching sports on tv, especially eating competitions. but i don't get how the skinny guys always win. like that japanese guy, who was way smaller than his fat competitor. and you'd think the fat guy will win, right? but no, the skinny guy always wins. it's like, fat people aren't even good at what they're supposed to be good at -- eating!

hahaha.

guy 2: so you know those homeless people in new york? i envy them sometimes. they go to bed at such a decent hour! it's like, 9, and they're fast asleep. they get a good, solid 8 hours! and they get a free wake up call in the morning, too. someone steps on them, they know it's time to get up. or they can 'snooze' for a while, let 8 more people step on them, then finally get up.

and other stuff. i don't really remember. but it was funny. although... it was extremely raunchy and inappropriate too. i cringed a lot. too many sexual jokes. i don't see how that's funny. the second guy was the cleanest, and i liked that.

Dave Attel, the feature comedian of the night, was alright. too dirty-minded for my liking. but he had some funny stuff.

Fabulous friday

.The Today Show.

Waking up at 4am is a lot harder than it sounds. especially when it's raining outside and you only got 3 hours of sleep.
But after standing in line for 2 hours, getting a free bagel and free chips from random vendors, and waiting for 2 more hours in the drizzling rain, the Black Eyed Peas finally took the stage!!! it was craziness. i went with 10 other people, but we eventually got separated, and i stuck with sarah, this awesome girl i just met. and we pushed our way to the front! or as front as we could get, behind annoying people with their annoying fan passes. about 20 feet away from the band :)

BEP are awesome live. that's all i can say. don't know who the other guys are (except will.i.am), and don't really care. everyone was pretty much there to see fergie, who rocked her brunette locks and fab outfit. and she had crazy long silver nails like the mutant in Xmen 2 who fought wolverine. they also had weird dancers in the back, dressed from head to toe (literally) in blue and white striped skintight costumes.
The concert was over after 3 songs. seems a little much to wait hours just for 3 songs... but hey, it was free.

and i made friends with yet another ah ma (my third one and counting). i guess i must have some ah ma magnetism or something. this one was chatty as well, and she kept complaining about people holding signs in front of us (she was also shorter than me). haha. we stood on the railing to get a better view together with sarah.
so now my legs are sore.

.MoMa.


random: Virgin megastore 80% sales = $10 for 2 DVDs and CDs = a very happy me :)

Got to know Sarah's group of friends today, they were all awesome people. katie, stella, laura and ivanna. went to MoMa with them -- the museum of modern art.
it was the weirdest museum ever. most of the stuff i saw there, i was like, i can totally do this. or better. this is what i did in like kindergarten.

Let it be

Black eyed peas in concert tomorrow at the Today Show in Rockefeller Center!!!
at 4am.
well at least i don't have to work :)

.Slacking at work.

With each passing day, i leave later and later for work. But by some miracle, i still reach the office early. i have no idea what's going on. but hey, i like it.
My boss wasn't there today when i arrived... so i slacked for 3 hours :)
Today was a pretty slacker day anyway. Just did archives and organizing. I guess Mondays and Wednesdays are the more hectic, need-to-get-this-done-now days.

So... i read more news! About this crazy man who burst into the holocaust museum and killed a guard. And the best places to live in the US (most of which i've never heard of). And healthy foods to eat to boost your immunity. And this US family whose family portrait somehow ended up in a Czech ad. I even rated outfits in Us Weekly's 'Who wore it better?' and did random quizzes. and talked to a bunch of people on fb. and checked my e-mail. before i finally ran out of things to do.
And then i got off at 5. nice and early :)

I think my writing's improving to their liking. 'cause when i first started, they'd edit it a little, particularly the intro and the ending. but this week's features survived the editing and made it all the way through. yayy.

.Like mother, like daughter.

I realized my thinking is more like my mom's than i realize. While grocery shopping, i mostly buy stuff that's organic or all-natural, even if they're a teeny bit more expensive than normal stuff. healthier you = happier you (in the long run, at least. right now it just burns a hole through my pocket).

Random: go to coldplay.com and you can download their free CD! because they love their fans so much. isn't that awesome? free, virus-less music.
Also, i wish it'll STOP RAINING. it doesn't even feel like summer, because it just rains here every single day.
rain = cold = dreary = sad me

Drowning under piles of work

.Work is my new buddy.

I know, right? You'd think summer would be filled with blissful moments of relaxation and joy, but no, i have to do so much stuff!!

Today was more hectic than usual. I got assigned three stories! Well, they didn't tell me what to write. i had to go do all the research and run it past them and then write them one after another
Although... sometimes i don't even remember what i wrote about. haha.

they send me the test emails near the end of each day so i can fact check and proof read, and i'd come across a feature, and i'd be like, whoaaa this sounds strangely familiar! have i seen this before? am i psychic or something?? and then the light bulb goes off in my head, and i realize i just wrote it an hour ago. haha.

i'm glad to be getting some sort of experience writing about fashion, dining, design, travel, nightlife, etc... but at the same time, it feels weird to be writing about something i've never even heard of or been to. and having other people trust that i've done my research on the place when i myself am just as clueless as they are.

So anyway, back to the drowning under piles of work part, i just realized today that to get credit for the internship, i need to fill out surveys bi-weekly, go to 3 seminars at least, and either keep a blog (yet another one!) or do an informational interview! sigh.

.Bad News.

Today, the boss, juli b herself, called everyone in for a staff meeting.
then she uttered those 5 petrifying words: Who wants a pizza lunch?
I know, seems harmless, right? But you could tell by her tense voice and everyone's wary reactions that something was wrong. So i was like, ooooh, juicy news! Do spill! (obviously since i'm an unpaid intern, what happens to the company doesn't really affect me).

But then she sent me to go get her some sparkling water from the creepy grocery store! sigh. i guess she didn't want me hearing about private and confidential company news. but i still got the gist of it when i came back, and apparently everyone's getting a pay cut and fridays off (i would've rejoiced, but i already get fridays off).
so.... i guess the economy affects everyone. after that, the mood in the office just splattered and went plop.
oh well. at least they still get to keep their jobs, which is more than i can say for other people.

And then after the meeting, everyone was like, um... is the pizza offer still up? need to save money. next thing you know, we'll all be using food stamps. haha.

Anyway, before all that sad stuff, juli was telling us all about how she went home last night and found a homeless woman asleep on her STAIRS with her clothing all spread out and hung on the railing! weirdness. so she called 911 and the woman was gone by this morning.
Apparently, the old woman knocked on her window and asked her maid, "do you mind if i sleep here?"

And of course the maid said, 'NO. what do you think I am, running a homeless shelter? should i just invite you up and offer you a glass of champagne, and while i'm at it, draw a bath for you?'

at least that's what everyone in the office thinks she should have said. in reality, she simply said 'no.' hahahaha.

.More random observations.

I guess everyone who works gets off at 5pm, since when i got off at 7pm, NO ONE was in the bus. it was SO weird. it was just me and like 5 other people, and normally it's like completely packed.
So this cute little ah ma sat next to me and started chatting animatedly with me.
i guess i just naturally attract cute little ah mas. (she wasn't really little, she was big enough that i had to scoot over to the inside seat cuz she couldn't squeeze past me, but... you know what i mean)
Anyway, we became fast friends, and she kept telling me about all the cool, free events that was going on nearby, and encouraged me to go. i was like, wow! what an adorably endearing and hip ah ma! she was incredibly sweet, too, and i thought she was a Christian or something, but then she gave me her card with her Sanskrit name on it -- she was a yoga instructor.

It's kinda fun talking to random strangers. even though supposedly people in NYU aren't very friendly, i've talked to a couple of people in the elevator and here and there, and they're really nice. met one girl who goes to indiana university, and she was the first person here who actually heard of Taylor! yayyy. haha.

.News Guru.

Again, since there's nothing much to do at work sometimes, i read the news. A lot. Like, really, a lot. Until now i have nothing more to read.

Now i know about...
-the 2 Korean journalists who are being detained by North Korea for supposedly intruding into their territory to report on the situation there. North Korea is probably using them to hold the upper hand in diplomatic negotiations with the US.

-Chrysler going bankrupt and taken over/merging with Fiat.

-Swine flu possibly going to level 6 in WHO's pandemic measurement. but that's only measured by quantity and rapidness of spread, not severity.

-The murder of this doctor, George Tiller, who owned an abortion clinic in Kansas and performed all kinds of abortions, even at late stages in pregnancy. Some crazed anti-abortion guy burst into Tiller's church, where he was serving as an usher, and shot him. Now pro-life people wanna buy his clinic and turn it into a baby care center, to rid the world of the atrocities they think he committed.

-They're beginning to find the remains of the planes and the bodies in the Air France crash days ago.

-Some Israeli woman bought a new mattress and accidentally threw out her old one with a $1 million in it, and is now going through landfills to get her $$ back.

-Miss california was fired. but who really cares.

-News and pictures of the Twilight cast are EVERYWHERE. it's getting a little annoying.

-In Texas, a police officer told this 72-year-old grandma to get out of the car. she did, and cursed at him. he threatened to taser her, she said, 'you're gonna taser a 72-year-old woman??!' repeatedly.
And he did. hahahaha. i'm sorry, it was just so funny. she was a feisty little old lady, but she sure did not deserve it! i mean, what did the officer think she was gonna do? beat him with her walking cane? run away? (and by 'run' i mean 'hobble')

Watch the video here:
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/national_world&id=6857531

And much more. i can't believe i read so much. i've never been so knowledgable about the news in my entire life. i guess this is a good thing. now i can carry intellectual conversations with other people :)

Lazing around

.Day of Documentaries.

So i've been watching documentaries by National Geographic on Hulu... it's been really fascinating! since i can't be bothered to read, i guess i'll gain knowledge and expand my worldwide by watching (more) TV! :)
I watched this interesting documentary called 'Inside Mecca,' which chronicles Muslims' pilgrimage to Mecca. And i was completely riveted for an hour. Just listening to all these devout Muslims speak highly of their faith and their 'god,' and seeing how thousands of them came together to worship their 'one god'... just made me feel so in awe. and also rather disheartened that so many people are being deceived.

it made me wonder... do we as Christians even have such strong faith as they do? they hold on to their faith like it's the air they breathe, and sometimes i look around me and see Christians who claim to love God, but don't really live out their faith in their actions and words.
And there was this scene where the people all gathered in tents the day before the big day, and there were tents for people all over the world! (even one for singapore, which... i was totally shocked. didn't think Muslims in singapore were that devout)

I also watched 'Cracking the Da Vinci Code,' but got bored after half an hour. I don't see what the point is. Why bother to get into such heated debates over works by artists like Leonardo da vinci? Was he there when Jesus walked the earth? No. Was he there when Jesus died? No. Was he even a Christian? I don't think so.
So why are we analyzing his works and using them to find out about history??? I DON'T KNOW. makes no sense. just read the Bible, people. or maybe, just have faith.

And then i watched 'Haze' --- it was about this poor freshman guy who died in 2004 of college fraternity hazing activities. omg. what made it so sad was that it was totally preventable. so the freshmen were made to drink tons till they got ridiculously drunk. but his stupid frat 'brothers' just left him on the floor for hours, thinking he'd be ok the next morning. wrong move. but i guess they lived to regret it.

Also spent goodness knows how long trying to edit mom and dad's new online matchmaking stuff... and watched 'Anastasia'!!! my second fav cartoon movie after beauty and the beast. i got curious and wikipedia-ed it, and found out it's based on a true story! on the last royal family of imperial Russia, before the Bolshevik secret police came and murdered them all in 1918. And there was tons of speculation whether the grand duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna survived or not. There was even an impostor, Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the duchess until she died and a DNA test confirmed she wasn't. now why didn't they think of that earlier? I just thought that was really interesting. haha.

then hurried over to Times Square to get a passport photo and find the notary service to certify my passport. so i guess we really are applying for Australian PR after all. it's kinda exciting. i wouldn't mind living in Aust :)

But yeah. i'm feeling better now. thanks for your prayers/concern!

A little under the weather

Feeling a bit sick-ish. Headaches the past few days, a little feverish yesterday, and nauseated the past few days.
So if you have a sec, keep me in your prayers. what with the swine flu rampage and all... i need to buy more hand sanitizer.

Other than that, i got to write another feature today! on a new restaurant opening up in the Hamptons. The Hamptons just sounds so cool.. where all the rich and famous hang out. It's just a few hours away from Manhattan i think. so near, yet so far.
And it was my boss' birthday... cupcakes and pink champagne to celebrate! We also got another box full of wondrous free samples from generous PR companies. So i grabbed some lip gloss, lipstick, hand moisturizer and makeup bag :)

Some of that stuff was weird. a facial cleanser made out of carrot juice and other natural stuff?? uhhh... sounds more like something to eat than put on your face.

Lazy Sundays

.Sleeping In.


My favorite activity in the world :)

Sooooo... annoying guy has been texting and calling me... and i've been saying maybe, maybe, maybe. and then i said yes, and then i changed my mind cuz my roomie convinced me he'd get more persistent if i give him a chance...
so i shut him down. and then... he tells me he went and rented me a guitar 'cause i told him once before i missed playing my guitar! i was like, ughhhhhhhh... now u make me feel bad for turning you down. but oh well. don't like means don't like.

.Times Square Church.

Made my way to Times Square, entered into the church about 10 mins late. Not my fault, the subway took a lifetime to arrive! So the church was packed full with people, both in the auditorium downstairs and upstairs.
And WOW, the interior was beautifuuulll. It was decorated in deep rich red curtains on the sides, with gold threads separating them. The ceiling was painted beautifully, with angels and clouds that reminded me a little of the Sistine Chapel. And there were gothic-like structures and statues that kinda felt more like a museum than a church.

But as i was led to a seat in the middle of the auditorium, and as the worship band sang their song, it felt like home. The stage was huge, with a full-sized gospel choir and everything. Worship was pretty much awesome and contemporary, african-american gospel style. Although... most of the congregation consisted of people with greying hair. But they were nice. The lady beside me shared her Bible with me (can't believe i even forgot to bring my Bible to church).

And i really liked what the pastor said about God letting all our bad stuff come out in the early stages so they don't destroy us at critical moments in our lives. And that kinda goes along with everything else i've been hearing lately... maybe that's what happening to me now... God is raking away all the weeds in me now. Better to let the rebellious streak out now than next time when life gets tougher.

.Watching TV.

Been watching 'The Bachelorette.' I know, I know, not the best show in the world. But I was desperate. nothing else to watch.
anw..... how lucky is jillian to have 30 hot, charming guys after her?!?!??! totally jealous. haha.
ok that's all.

A collection of random thoughts

.Interesting Conversations.

Shopping again in Soho. I think the shopkeepers recognize us by now. Listened in on an interesting conversation between my roomie and her friend -- about their experience losing their virginity. awkwardness. actually, most conversations my roomie has are pretty fascinating. in a weird way. talks alot about boys and wearing skin tight clothes and enticing them and hooking up for one-night stands.
Hello, welcome to the real world.

.Rich and Famous.
I just realized my boss is super duper rich. has an architect tycoon husband and a house in the glamorous Hamptons. kinda jealous. just a little. (she's gorgeous too)
Why do some people have it all and others have nothing at all?

.The Not-so-Big Apple.
Have you ever felt all alone in a crowd?
Today, i was walking to Barnes and Nobles to check it out, and suddenly i felt a teeny bit lonely. Everyone from my internship program has friends here from school or home or something, and all i have is... no one.

I guess i do know 2 friends here from Taylor, but it's not the same. I can't help wishing i had friends and family here to experience this with me. I'm going through this crazy rollercoaster journey doing my first internship in NYC, and.... as much as i describe it, i can't really share it with anyone.
But you know what? I'm not being arrogant or anything, but I kinda am really proud of myself for making it this far. Looking back, i really CANNOT believe i actually left home at the tender age of 19 to live on my own in some foreign land. (What were my parents thinking?!?! Probably that this would be an experience of a lifetime. And they were right. As usual.)

So i'm kinda amazed i survived. and i'm actually independent. and learning not to take things for granted, since i have to buy my own groceries, do my own laundry, clean my own room/bathroom, take care of my own health, pay my own credit card bills, etc.
I know it's small stuff, but still... i'm actually living on my own in a big city. Not sure if i like it that much. The hustle and bustle... the people going about their day, not giving a second glance to anyone... It really is the city that never sleeps. (Hearing ambulance/police sirens every 10 mins isn't very encouraging.)
If I do work here after I graduate, I think i'll start small, in a smaller city/suburb and work my way up. New York is really everything people say it is, and more, but I feel like it's a better vacation destination than a place to call home.


Gonna check out Times Square Church tomorrow.