My kind college professors welcomed me and my classmates back from spring break with research papers, lengthy lab reports, and midterms. This past week I took a midterm Wednesday morning and after a leisurely lunch, as a virus bypassed my immune system, I began to study for midterm number two, scheduled for less than 24 hours later on Thursday morning. Needless to say I did manage to survive the week though it will be another couple of weeks before I find out if my GPA survived.
Friday evening through Saturday my body was converted into a war zone; I wasn't sure if the virus or my body would win. I did all I could to help out my immune system by sleeping 5 hours Friday night and spending Saturday on my bed watching season 3 of One Tree Hill on my parent's Netflix account while eating Twix, Twizzlers, and a Cookie's and Cream chocolate bar. Later on Saturday I forced myself to leave my bed; I had promised some friends I would go into the city to watch Anis Mogjani, a poet, perform at a local university.
At 5:20PM I gave my dear friend Olivia a ring to ask when she wanted to leave. "10 minutes," was the answer I received. 10 minutes would have been manageable if I hadn't been incubating in my own filth all day. She amended her initial statement and I was given 25 minutes to make myself presentable/socially acceptable. I hopped into the shower, skipped the hair wash (am considering going "natural" and switching to baking soda and vinegar), and cleansed the rest of myself. I threw on a pair of jeans, black flats, a white linen button down, and some gold earrings before grabbing my beat up old Coach bag stuffed with tissues and heading out the door.
After a savory dinner of pho and spring rolls at Le's we paid for our tickets and snagged seats in the second row in the lecture hall where the poetry slam was to take place. The student performances definitely warmed up the stage and the audience for Anis, with their poems on love and sex. But when he came out on stage, Anis Mogjani spoke about more than love more than sex, he spoke about childhood, patriotism, racism, and of course: the underdogs. Here's a link to a video of Anis performing perhaps his most well-known piece Shake the Dust.
One of the many things that I enjoyed about his performance was the clarity of the language of his poems. Yeah, I get that metaphors can make poems seem so creative, beautiful or funny but the meaning of poems can be tough to decipher especially when you have to rely on your ears to take in the words and you can't necessarily replay each line until it makes sense. I also really liked his voice and his sense of humor. It was a great performance and for those of you who were there "I'm glad I came."
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Monotonous Weather and Footwear
Hello friends!
While I enjoy retaining feeling in the less well insulated parts of my body (i.e. my ears, nose, and toes) when walking to class, this weather is making college seem even more unnatural than it already is. I feel as though I'm on another planet where the majority of the population is 17-24 year old women who are constantly doing homework and are achieving great things in every aspect of life while the daily high is a stable 40F.
I fear that this lack of variation in New England weather has created a sense of monotony that exceeds wearing my winter boots from December-March to wearing my Sperry mocs all year. It's bad, I know. I used to mix it up with my Asics faux wrestling shoes, Adidas classic grey tennis shoes, and Birks with wool socks but I left the first at home (somewhat intentionally, subconscious style change?), got rid of the second because they hurt my feat, and have pronated through the cork on the third.
Occasionally I'll wear my black flats or my black Uggs but I can only wear either of those with tights (sometimes I can get away with thing athletic socks), and I don't like to wear either to lab. Essentially, I'm wearing my Sperry's every day. I've come to the conclusion that I need another pair of day-to-day shoes. Perhaps a pair of oxfords? Ankle boots? Dansko clogs? I want this pair of shoes to look cute with straight leg or skinny jeans and a t-shirt but also look nice with tights and a feminine skirt.
I found these shoes at Nordstroms but I fear they'll be too narrow. But aren't they super cute? Oxfords with a buckle? I totally like them. I think they're like a softer/slightly more feminine oxford.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/dv-by-dolce-vita-micky-oxford/3191421?origin=category&resultback=2751
What are your favorite day-to-day shoes?
Peace.
While I enjoy retaining feeling in the less well insulated parts of my body (i.e. my ears, nose, and toes) when walking to class, this weather is making college seem even more unnatural than it already is. I feel as though I'm on another planet where the majority of the population is 17-24 year old women who are constantly doing homework and are achieving great things in every aspect of life while the daily high is a stable 40F.
I fear that this lack of variation in New England weather has created a sense of monotony that exceeds wearing my winter boots from December-March to wearing my Sperry mocs all year. It's bad, I know. I used to mix it up with my Asics faux wrestling shoes, Adidas classic grey tennis shoes, and Birks with wool socks but I left the first at home (somewhat intentionally, subconscious style change?), got rid of the second because they hurt my feat, and have pronated through the cork on the third.
Occasionally I'll wear my black flats or my black Uggs but I can only wear either of those with tights (sometimes I can get away with thing athletic socks), and I don't like to wear either to lab. Essentially, I'm wearing my Sperry's every day. I've come to the conclusion that I need another pair of day-to-day shoes. Perhaps a pair of oxfords? Ankle boots? Dansko clogs? I want this pair of shoes to look cute with straight leg or skinny jeans and a t-shirt but also look nice with tights and a feminine skirt.
I found these shoes at Nordstroms but I fear they'll be too narrow. But aren't they super cute? Oxfords with a buckle? I totally like them. I think they're like a softer/slightly more feminine oxford.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/dv-by-dolce-vita-micky-oxford/3191421?origin=category&resultback=2751
What are your favorite day-to-day shoes?
Peace.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
A Good Meal and Some Nice Dessert
Dear readers,
Last semester I learned something about Wellesley traditions from my father. According to his memory, back in the day Wellesley students would invite guests for a late afternoon Sunday meal followed by tea and piano playing in residence hall living rooms. My father was invited by a student for a few meals. While he didn't remember her name or why it didn't work out, he posited that they were ultimately looking for beaus from elite colleges while my father, well, "You know me, I was just looking for a good meal and some nice dessert."
Tonight I experienced the unpleasantness of being a neglected, and dare I say, unwelcome guest at a nearby college. While the social skills and manners of the students throwing the event were severely lacking, their budget for the meal obviously wasn't. The dinner was catered: thinly cut and flavorful brisket, seasoned mixed veggies, warm apple crumble, and a dessert table with rich chocolate cake and quality tea. While, to quote a RHO NY (Real Housewives of New York), "Money can't buy you class," it certainly can cater a good meal.
It is with a satisfied tummy that I bid you good night.
-L
Correction: February 11, 2012
Today when I was researching Jill Zarin from the RHO New York, I realized my catastrophic miscrediting of "Money can't buy you class" to a RHOA, it actually belongs to "the countess" from RHO NY.
Last semester I learned something about Wellesley traditions from my father. According to his memory, back in the day Wellesley students would invite guests for a late afternoon Sunday meal followed by tea and piano playing in residence hall living rooms. My father was invited by a student for a few meals. While he didn't remember her name or why it didn't work out, he posited that they were ultimately looking for beaus from elite colleges while my father, well, "You know me, I was just looking for a good meal and some nice dessert."
Tonight I experienced the unpleasantness of being a neglected, and dare I say, unwelcome guest at a nearby college. While the social skills and manners of the students throwing the event were severely lacking, their budget for the meal obviously wasn't. The dinner was catered: thinly cut and flavorful brisket, seasoned mixed veggies, warm apple crumble, and a dessert table with rich chocolate cake and quality tea. While, to quote a RHO NY (Real Housewives of New York), "Money can't buy you class," it certainly can cater a good meal.
It is with a satisfied tummy that I bid you good night.
-L
Correction: February 11, 2012
Today when I was researching Jill Zarin from the RHO New York, I realized my catastrophic miscrediting of "Money can't buy you class" to a RHOA, it actually belongs to "the countess" from RHO NY.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Cell Phone Etiquette
Often I need to go the library to study. I go there because I need a quiet place. Unfortunately any noise such as a sneeze, flip of a page, or student walking by seems to have the same effect as an air horn would at Pete's in Harvard Square. But over time I've come to accept people and their flaws that make them incapable of studying like corpses: motionless and silent. Generally I can concentrate on my work with these unavoidable sounds in the library.
I'm currently have trouble accepting people and their cell phones. That token noise of an iphone receiving a text or a facebook update really breaks my concentration. Sometimes I jump when the table vibrates from a buzzing phone. I'm not talking about the occasional text, like 1x an hour. I'm referring to the extended text conversions where the distractions occur at least 1x every 5 minutes. Before assuming that people were in the wrong with their distracting phones I first asked myself: Do I have any real basis for being more distracted by these cell phones than I am by page turning? Have I just had less time to habituate to these noises and vibrations? Or should people keep their phones on silent in study areas and place their vibrating phones in a pocket instead of the table?
And then I wondered if I should focus on why people don't switch their phones to vibrate or take them off a shared tables when they're having frequent interaction with others through their phones. I think some people genuinely are not distracted by their phones or the phones of others. But I also think that allowing everyone around you to be notified that you are in constant communication with someone not in the room may be a way of showing that you're popular or well loved or just super social.
Regardless of other's intentions for allowing their phone to behave in a way that is distracting to others in public areas that are meant to be quiet and for studying, I would prefer that people silence their phones and keep them off the table when they know they're going to be in communication with a lot of people.
What are your thoughts on phone etiquette in public settings?
-L
I'm currently have trouble accepting people and their cell phones. That token noise of an iphone receiving a text or a facebook update really breaks my concentration. Sometimes I jump when the table vibrates from a buzzing phone. I'm not talking about the occasional text, like 1x an hour. I'm referring to the extended text conversions where the distractions occur at least 1x every 5 minutes. Before assuming that people were in the wrong with their distracting phones I first asked myself: Do I have any real basis for being more distracted by these cell phones than I am by page turning? Have I just had less time to habituate to these noises and vibrations? Or should people keep their phones on silent in study areas and place their vibrating phones in a pocket instead of the table?
And then I wondered if I should focus on why people don't switch their phones to vibrate or take them off a shared tables when they're having frequent interaction with others through their phones. I think some people genuinely are not distracted by their phones or the phones of others. But I also think that allowing everyone around you to be notified that you are in constant communication with someone not in the room may be a way of showing that you're popular or well loved or just super social.
Regardless of other's intentions for allowing their phone to behave in a way that is distracting to others in public areas that are meant to be quiet and for studying, I would prefer that people silence their phones and keep them off the table when they know they're going to be in communication with a lot of people.
What are your thoughts on phone etiquette in public settings?
-L
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Price Chopper Sushi
After four midterms in a mere two weeks, I was rewarded with a four day weekend. I took the liberty of skipping campus and heading to Burlington, Vermont. My $8.50 roundtrip Megabus tickets were the best investment I've made this semester (other than the $15 I spent on Korean barbeque a few weeks ago).
I ate countless pieces of baklava, bagels with lox, Vermont cheddar, freshly picked apples, and hot, fresh, cider donuts. It was a very indulgent weekend. I also was given my first introduction to Price Chopper. I was quite impressed with their selection of lox and even more impressed by the variety and quality of their sushi. My only complaint was the wasabi and soy sauce that came with the sushi. It had a strange salty taste (and I LOVE savory) and the wasabi didn't mix well. Now, this may very well be attributed to the fact that I dropped a heavily dressed piece of salad in my saucer of soy sauce. That being said, given the chance to purchase sushi from Price Chopper again, I would definitely buy it.
In addition to eating I also pet furry dogs, drank hot Maple Milk (hot (soy)milk with maple syrup), watched a pumpkin regatta, biked double digit miles along Lake Champlain, went apple picking, and I even managed to do some reading for my bio class.
Unfortunately my marvelous weekend has not re-energized me nor given me great motivation to begin my first research article for biology. However professors expect that I turn in my homework on time, regardless of my level of motivation.
I'll leave you with a photo of the pumpkin boat, the cider donuts, and a fluffy, kind golden doodle.
I ate countless pieces of baklava, bagels with lox, Vermont cheddar, freshly picked apples, and hot, fresh, cider donuts. It was a very indulgent weekend. I also was given my first introduction to Price Chopper. I was quite impressed with their selection of lox and even more impressed by the variety and quality of their sushi. My only complaint was the wasabi and soy sauce that came with the sushi. It had a strange salty taste (and I LOVE savory) and the wasabi didn't mix well. Now, this may very well be attributed to the fact that I dropped a heavily dressed piece of salad in my saucer of soy sauce. That being said, given the chance to purchase sushi from Price Chopper again, I would definitely buy it.
In addition to eating I also pet furry dogs, drank hot Maple Milk (hot (soy)milk with maple syrup), watched a pumpkin regatta, biked double digit miles along Lake Champlain, went apple picking, and I even managed to do some reading for my bio class.
Unfortunately my marvelous weekend has not re-energized me nor given me great motivation to begin my first research article for biology. However professors expect that I turn in my homework on time, regardless of my level of motivation.
I'll leave you with a photo of the pumpkin boat, the cider donuts, and a fluffy, kind golden doodle.
Friday, July 8, 2011
A Quick Thought on The Parent Trap
Remember that scene in The Parent Trap where the Lindsey Lohans bond over the fact that they're the same person while eating Oreos and peanut butter? I will never forget it. Every time I watch that scene I want to grab my own jar of Skippy Creamy and dip a few Oreos in it.
Tonight while catching up on Royal Pains via Hulu, I had the grand idea to dip a Double Stuf Oreo into my unopened jar of Nutella: absolutely positively ridiculously delicious.
Too bad Nutella wasn't more popular when Disney remade The Parent Trap.
Tonight while catching up on Royal Pains via Hulu, I had the grand idea to dip a Double Stuf Oreo into my unopened jar of Nutella: absolutely positively ridiculously delicious.
Too bad Nutella wasn't more popular when Disney remade The Parent Trap.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Joy of Thrifting
Since my somewhat invasive dental surgery last week I've been slothing it up on a futon in my family room. The futon is conveniently placed 10 feet from my family's television which is conveniently connected to a Roku. Since the family room is conveniently next to the kitchen, I spent Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday eating my way through Grey's Anatomy, Drop Dead Diva, and Vicodin.
Needless to say I was very excited for my dental appointment on Tuesday morning; anything to get out of the house. The appointment was uneventful which, given my rocky dental history, was good news. I practiced anticipating when the doctor would stop drilling so I could inhale air free of tooth particles.
As my mom and I left the dental school I asked her if we could make a run to one of my favorite consignment shops in town. In the waiting room she complained that she had no summer clothes, and I was looking for an excuse to stay out longer. She had to return to work in a few hours so we needed to shop quickly.
When shopping, I firmly believe that you should try on anything that you like, unless it obviously won't fit. It minimize regrets; often I find an item I think is perfect, just too expensive, looks terrible on and I save myself days of mourning. Additionally it's smart shopping to make sure something fits before you buy it.
I spent a good forty-five minutes perusing the various racks in the store. I gave up on the dresses two thirds of the way through the rack. Although I wasn't looking for any particular item I wanted smart, cute, summer clothes and none of the dresses in my size made the cut.
The great part about Second Act is that the store is packed with merchandise. If you aren't digging the rack you're looking at, you can turn around and start afresh. When I turned away from the disappointing dresses I was faced with a rack of skirts. Skirts can be a lot of fun in the summer: easy, breezy, and feminine. I spotted a black pencil skirt that had a nice waist and a cute floral cotton pencil skirt. Per usual, I checked the label for size and designer. The item doesn't have to be name brand for me to love it, but I do take pride in finding treasures. Both were in my size, and the floral skirt was Lilly Pulitzer-- totally worthy of a treasure title.
I moved onto a rack where I had often found structured and solid pieces, and snagged a linen Ralph Lauren tailored shirt-- I'd been craving basically that exact shirt for 2 years. By the time I hit the fitting room I had added a denim tank top, and a pale pink short-sleeved fitted cotton Ralph Lauren shirt. When I put on the black pencil skirt I felt a breeze around my backside; it was split along almost the entire seam. However I really can't complain because everything else fit! I had $12 in store credit and bought it all, the end. Seriously, that's it.
Oh yeah, and my total was under $30.
Bragging time; I'm too lazy to try everything on again so I'll just show pictures of the individual garments.
Needless to say I was very excited for my dental appointment on Tuesday morning; anything to get out of the house. The appointment was uneventful which, given my rocky dental history, was good news. I practiced anticipating when the doctor would stop drilling so I could inhale air free of tooth particles.
As my mom and I left the dental school I asked her if we could make a run to one of my favorite consignment shops in town. In the waiting room she complained that she had no summer clothes, and I was looking for an excuse to stay out longer. She had to return to work in a few hours so we needed to shop quickly.
When shopping, I firmly believe that you should try on anything that you like, unless it obviously won't fit. It minimize regrets; often I find an item I think is perfect, just too expensive, looks terrible on and I save myself days of mourning. Additionally it's smart shopping to make sure something fits before you buy it.
I spent a good forty-five minutes perusing the various racks in the store. I gave up on the dresses two thirds of the way through the rack. Although I wasn't looking for any particular item I wanted smart, cute, summer clothes and none of the dresses in my size made the cut.
The great part about Second Act is that the store is packed with merchandise. If you aren't digging the rack you're looking at, you can turn around and start afresh. When I turned away from the disappointing dresses I was faced with a rack of skirts. Skirts can be a lot of fun in the summer: easy, breezy, and feminine. I spotted a black pencil skirt that had a nice waist and a cute floral cotton pencil skirt. Per usual, I checked the label for size and designer. The item doesn't have to be name brand for me to love it, but I do take pride in finding treasures. Both were in my size, and the floral skirt was Lilly Pulitzer-- totally worthy of a treasure title.
I moved onto a rack where I had often found structured and solid pieces, and snagged a linen Ralph Lauren tailored shirt-- I'd been craving basically that exact shirt for 2 years. By the time I hit the fitting room I had added a denim tank top, and a pale pink short-sleeved fitted cotton Ralph Lauren shirt. When I put on the black pencil skirt I felt a breeze around my backside; it was split along almost the entire seam. However I really can't complain because everything else fit! I had $12 in store credit and bought it all, the end. Seriously, that's it.
Oh yeah, and my total was under $30.
Bragging time; I'm too lazy to try everything on again so I'll just show pictures of the individual garments.
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