2009

So, I think it's pretty obvious that the whole "top 10" thing that I tried was kind of a fail, but I've just been really busy since I got home. 

Anyway, on this snowy New Year's Eve morning, I think it's as good a time as ever to just reflect on the past year. (I won't get too personal..that's what my journal's for) 
But all in all, I think while the 90's was a time for growing up and having fun, the past ten years (the..00's?) were all about getting to know myself. This past year especially was intense, and even people in my family think I'm more mature now. So, I'm going to go into the new year, and even the new decade, as an optimist, since supposedly it's going to be "my year". 

Have a happy and healthy new year!
~Alex


(P.S. The picture was taken off the Postsecret site)

SONGS!

My favorite songs from the past 10 years....keep in mind that I was pretty young when the decade began =)


2000: "Lucky", Britney Spears

2001: "Pop", *NSYNC


2002: "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous", Good Charlotte


2003: "This is the Night", Clay Aiken


2004: "Breakaway", Kelly Clarkson


2005: "Dark Blue", Jack's Mannequin
           (Honorable Mention: "Nothing Better" by The Postal Service, even though it didn't come out that year)


2006: "Summer Love", Justin Timberlake
            (Honorable Mention: "Jenny, You're Barely Alive", by Rilo Kiley, which also came out earlier)


2007: "Let Love In", The Goo Goo Dolls


2008: "Anyone Else But You", The Moldy Peaches


2009: This one's tough, but I'm thinking "My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson and "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas were some of my favorites


Again, I probably forgot some, but looking back, I love how much my music tastes changed over the years (partly because of who I was close friends with)

~Alex

Something new...

Since it's getting closer to the end of the year, and decade, I figured I'd try to come up with some "best of" lists, and maybe even a few "worst of" lists for the last ten years. Here's the thing: I'm kind of pop-culturally-deprived, so I'm going to list my favorites and take it from there. So here are, in my opinion, THE DECADE'S BEST MOVIES!

Then: The Emperor's New Groove
Now: Remember the Titans

Then: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Now: The Princess Diaries

Then: Lilo and Stitch

Now: A Walk to Remember

Then: What A Girl Wants
Now: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Then: Mean Girls
Now: Mean Girls

Then: Rent
Now: Rent

Then: John Tucker Must Die
Now: The Pursuit of Happiness

From this point on, the "thens" and "nows" are going to be the same,since it was more recent)

Superbad, Juno, and
Across the Universe

Horton Hears a Who, 21,
Wall-E, and of course, High School Musical 3

I Love You, Man, Up,

and Zombieland

I'm sure I forgot some, but these were, in my opinion, the best movies of the decade.

~Alex 

December goals!

So, I only have one more of all my classes before finals start, but I somehow still have plenty to do before I get to go home...
~write an essay for Thursday
~put together a presentation for Thursday
~write an essay due next week
~not wait til the last minute to study for finals

But now, I'm just kind of getting antsy for tomorrow (my birthday) and this weekend (classes will be over so I can have some fun!) and winter break (which starts for me in exactly two weeks!)


By the way, I know I talked about the Kindle in one of my earlier posts...it's kind of funny to hear different peoples' perspectives on the gadget. One girl refuses to go anywhere without hers, but my English professor went on a rant about how they're destroying literature, insisting that we should all boycott. Just something interesting to think about, I guess.


~Alex

Obligatory "I Am Thankful For..." Post

Hey! 
As you could probably tell from my last post, I've just been sooo overwhelmed this month. But, since it's November 30th, I can pretty much safely say that almost all of my goals were accomplished (I still have 2 more papers to write today, and I did end up catching a nasty cold just in time for Thanksgiving break) But break was still lots of fun, even though I felt like I gained at least 8 pounds from all the delicious food!


So, here are a few random things I'm thankful for:
~family
~my boyfriend
~my best friends 
~health
~not being dragged to see New Moon over break OR the night it came out
~the fact that this semester's almost over-thank god! (but really, I can't believe it's almost December already!!!)


~Alex

november goals

• maintain my sanity
• write 35 pages worth of papers (that I know of) for all my classes
• somehow find a way to get enough sleep
• work more than just a few hours every week
• update the blog more often
• work on the magazine
• go to rehearsals every day, wide awake and with a big smile on my face
• convince as many people as possible to come see Reefer Madness
• stay healthy

To sum it up, I can't wait for the month to be over, or at least for it to be Thanksgiving break so I can be home and get to spend time with family, my boyfriend and all my friends.

~Alex

OHMIGOD

The PogoGathering on October 16 was SO much fun!!! My boyfriend and I hung out in Times Square, met some fun people like Will and Matt, played some video games in Toys 'R' Us, and got to meet DAN BROWN!!!! 


But I can't even explain here what a great experience the gathering was, so I think you should just see for yourself! Check it out!
                                        
In addition to this blog, I actually have a journal I've been keeping for years, for more personal stuff. As I was writing in it last night, I realized how innovative and practical it would be if someone were to invent a way to embed videos or audio clips, actually onto the paper. I'm not talking about those cheesy cards that announce greetings or play a few lines from themed songs when they're opened. I mean High Definition, clear, maybe even with touchscreen volume controls (but I'm getting ahead of myself here). And I have a feeling that kind of technology isn't that far in the future. Amazon already has its Kindle, and Sony has a Reader Digital Book, and of course Apple and Blackberry make everything more portable and convenient, but all those products take things that have been around forever, like books, and digitalizes them. I'd like to see a product that takes computerized images, such as audio and video clips, and finds a way to combine them with the ordinary, average black marble notebook.    
BUT that's just me throwing around ideas.


~Alex                                        

Rollercoaster

The past couple weeks have been pretty much an emotional roller coaster...so I decided not to bore you with all those unexciting whiny details.

I've also just been really busy with work/homework/Reefer Madness/Unbound(because I'm the Opinions Editor!) and haven't really had time to actually sit down and sort my thoughts into words for your viewing pleasure.

But now I can! Because it's about 1:30 in the morning and I can't sleep because I'm really excited for what I get to do later..my amazing boyfriend and I are going to an event called the PogoGathering, in the city, to meet up with some really cool Youtube-ers, like Dan Brown and hopefully Ray William Johnson. 

I'll update later and maybe even include some pictures!

~Alex

brrrrr!

Happy October! 
The flip flops and shorts are ready to be put away, and it's time to bring back the jackets and boots (if only I knew where mine were...) Within the past week, the temperature dropped about 20 degrees (as if we needed another reason to not want to walk to class) 


BUT there are a few pluses...Halloween's coming up! AND my birthday's in exactly two months..yayyy!

So, I finally got my hands on Meg Cabot's book, Queen of Babble Gets Hitched. I read the first two Queen of Babble books over the summer, but the library never had the last one..until I stopped by when I was home last weekend. And it was SO good. Meg Cabot has a way of making readers absolutely LOVE her characters-they just seem so human, with weaknesses and desires just like everyone else. But she takes us into the world of Lizzie Nichols, a young woman who always means well but just can't seem to keep her mouth shut. Up until the very end of the third book, her story kept me guessing, and really hoping that Lizzie would get the happily ever after that she wants more than anything. I definitely recommend it!


~Alex

LEGENDARY!

Things I'm loving at the moment:

• The season 5 premiere of How I Met Your Mother
  I won't give away any spoilers but it was an adorable way to kick off the season. Plus, I really missed all the characters since I finished watching season 4 over the summer. And, I'll admit, I got a little teary-eyed at the end, but that's probably just because of how sappy get sometimes
  
  
• The Lucky One, by Nicholas Sparks
  So far, I've loved everything I've read by him, and my amazing boyfriend found out it was the only one by him that I haven't read yet, so he got it for me for our year-and-a-half anniversary! And this novel definitely did not disappoint. The characters were tied together perfectly, and I couldn't put it down-even though I had a feeling that the novel had a typical Nicholas Sparks tear-jerker ending, the plot kept me guessing until the very end. It was definitely one of his feel-good books, even if it does promise a good cry in some parts. The entire time I read it, I couldn't help but think what a great movie it could be turned into!
  
  
• P.F. Chang's
  Yum. This was where we went to celebrate our anniversary, as well as other past milestones and occasions. Their food is always delicious (I recommend the lettuce wraps as an appetizer!) and they pretty much always have great service. It's pretty much the perfect place for anything from dates to family dinners (they even have a kid's menu and toys and everything!)
  
  
• The Wedding Singer!
  Especially the musical version! Songs are catchy, dances are energetic, scenes are totally cheesy and adorable. I can't wait to see it all come together!
  
  
• OMGPOP!
  This website has lots of free games that get pretty addicting. But the best part is that you can play against other people (This gets really fun if you're playing against competitive friends) My favorite game right now is Gemmers, but Draw My Thing and Ballracer are fun too!
  
  
• And...Middle School!
  Ok, I've never been in an actual middle school before because my elementary school was kindergarten through eighth grade. Monday, I finally started observing middle school students, and I can already tell it's going to be a great experience. Even if I, an English major, was placed in a computer classroom to observe once a week for the rest of the semester. But that's just a minor detail (or so I keep telling myself)

As you can probably tell, I'm in a really good mood right now. (Or there's a raging thunderstorm outside and I decided that the only way to feel better was to think pleasant thoughts, and sing about them in my head...just kidding.) I'm feeling pretty cheery, and maybe it has something to do with how I have no classes tomorrow, I get to catch up on the episode of Gossip Girl I missed, and I get to watch Glee! Plus, I just realized I've only been at school for a month now, and it feels like soo much longer!

~Alex

DUH

Here's some things I've seen (or, ok, maybe I did some myself, but I won't admit to which!) that I thought were pretty funny, and obviously not completely thought out at the time...

• Long hair and an open paint can do NOT go well together.
• Foam boards don't stand a chance against something big and moving, like..one of those gigantic metal Genies
• Humming "Video Killed the Radio Star" in public WILL receive some funny and/or awkward glances.
• If the student center doesn't have buffalo chicken wraps for lunch, they definitely won't have any for dinner
• And finally, if it looks like it's going to downpour ALL day, people should grab umbrellas instead of acting shocked and confused when the rain starts around 5pm

In other news, I started working on The Wedding Singer, the musical, at school yesterday!!! And I'm really excited for the show! (Even though I'm practically going to be living in the theatre building for the next few months) It should be a lot of fun =)


~Alex

(Pop) Cultural Well-roundedness!

SO, the other day, I watched the first (well, technically second, if you count the premiere from May) episode of Glee, and I LOVED it!!! The show almost makes me wish I had a glee club at my high school! The songs were adorable (even though I feel like they should've stuck with "Gold Digger" for the assembly.) For the most part, they fit in pretty nicely with each scene, and I actually like them even better than some of the originals, like Lea Michele's emotional performance of "Take a Bow". 


And the characters are great-they make you either love them or hate them immediately, and the show has the cliques down almost perfectly, from the cheerleaders and football players that rule the school, to the musical theatre kids who strive for the attention they deserve.


I'm a HUGE fan of High School Musical, so it's weird seeing basically the same theme in the form of a series, and with raunchier subplots. But I still can't help but feel like the characters are going to burst out into "Stick to the Status Quo" at any given moment. Not that I'm complaining. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next, and what songs they'll sing for the rest of the season. (Ok, I'll admit I checked out some spoilers, but who knows how reliable those are anyway.)


I also caught up on the season two premiere of 90210, after re-watching the season one finale,and I could not believe how much drama they were able to squeeze into just the first episode! All I can say is this: poor Annie! I actually feel sorry for her-everyone else either doesn't seem to trust her or just lives to make her life miserable. And she just keeps making it worse for herself with one bad decision after another, all of which seem to be witnessed or discovered by the wrong people, which means that there's definitely going to be some more Annie-Wilson-life-ruining coming up.Which totally stinks, and I really hope karma comes back and kicks these peoples' butts!


OH! Also this weekend, I was culturally educated by my awesome boyfriend, who introduced me to Empire Records, which I loved, and Blues Brothers, which I really wish I could've seen the ending to, because I liked where it was going. So now I'm proud to say that I'm more culturally knowledgeable, or at least exposed to things that aren't just chick flicks and Disney movies.


AND, I got to sit in on a radio show hosted by my awesome boyfriend and his housemates about upcoming movies and tv shows, where I provided a silent commentary, making faces every time they dissed the shows I've been excited for, because I could never actually talk on the radio without rambling too fast or stuttering or something.


ANYWAY, I'm really looking forward to the season two premiere of Gossip Girl tomorrow!


~Alex

Breath, Eyes, Memory

For my Global Women Writers class, I had to read Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat. I was actually surprised by how good it was-usually I trudge through school books as though they're some form of torture. And it isn't even the kind of book I would normally pick up on my own. I'm usually much more interested in the romantic comedy genre. But this was still surprisingly excellent.


It tells the story of a family of five women from Haiti, and their struggle not only to overcome the trauma that each faced from seemingly necessary cultural practices, but also to put aside their past and differences to reunite and embrace each other after all the hardships they each had to endure.  You might be thinking, "pshh, that sounds way too depressing!" But the way it's told really helps the reader connect with the narrator. Even if we can't directly relate with what these women went through, we can't help but sympathize with them, and hope that they get the happy ending they deserve. It's a story of love, sacrifice, forgiveness and trust, and I feel it awakens the inner feminist in, well, some of us, I guess. I definitely recommend it for anyone at least in high school or older. 


~Alex

Home Sweet Home

I survived my first weekend home! (a three day weekend-even better!) This is an impressive accomplishment, considering that last year, visits home were like the ultimate test of time management. I had to find a way to squeeze in family bonding time, sister bonding time and homework.


But this past weekend was fun! I got home late on Friday night, and on Saturday my family and I went to a picnic at my cousin's new house. I was very impressed! She and her hubby only moved in a few months ago, and everything was repainted and the house looked so nice! Plus the neighborhood was adorable, and their house was a block away from a beautiful lake. So, I am very proud of my cousin =)


And on Sunday, we had a barbecue with my mom's side, to celebrate SEVEN birthdays to cover everyone in August and September. Crazy, right? I love having a big family! The best part by far was playing keep away on the trampoline-there were 11 people between the ages of 8 and 18 tackling each other and jumping around. Between that and volleyball, I got enough physical activity to last me the week (or month, depending on how much homework I have/how lazy I get)


Monday...we shopped. We stopped at about seven different stores, and even though they all had what I needed on their website, NO ONE had the product in stock. I hate when that happens! But all in all, it was a good weekend, partially because I barely did any homework. Only thing I need to work on is packing-I've been living in a room with fans and air conditioning at school, so I had no idea it was still nice enough to wear shorts (oops!)


But now I'm back at school, with plenty of laundry and homework to catch up on. Shouldn't be too bad.  Especially since I'm around all my friends here again =)


~Alex

September, already!

I really wish I had started this blog at the beginning of the summer, because I read sooo many good books (including The Choice, The Guardian, True Believer, A Walk to Remember and At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks, the first two books of the Queen of Babble series by Meg Cabot, and even classics like The Great Gatsby)

But seriously, where has this summer gone? I feel like between my summer class, babysitting and my "big people job" at the office, I haven't really had that much free time. Not that I'm complaining..it's nice having some spare change in my pockets.


When I was younger, I used to dread September, simply because, back then, September = school. But those were back in the days where I had to wear a uniform all the time, and only had twenty minutes to eat lunch. (Glad I don't have to deal with that again for a while)


Now, I've already been back at school for a while, and finished a whole week's worth of classes. And I'm not going to lie..this semester looks like it's going to be great! I'm really liking this one class, Global Women Writers, and I'll definitely keep you posted on all the fun stuff I get to read in there. Also this semester: British Literature to the Restoration (not as exciting yet), Schools and Communities (where I get to start my field study observations!) and Contemporary Moral Issues (which will hopefully get more exciting once we actually finish all the basics and move on to the issues). Best part is, no science or math..ever again! This makes me a very happy English major =)


Other reasons to be excited for the fall:
~lots of great TV shows come back, including 90210 (9/8), Glee (9/9), Gossip Girl(9/14), and  How I Met Your Mother(9/21)

~for some unknown reason, the weather's been nicer since I've gotten to school than it has this past summer, when it just rained nonstop

~when the colors of the leaves change around campus, it's sooo pretty, especially by the lake

(I didn't take this picture, but I'll definitely take some once it gets more fall-ish)

~I get to wear skinny jeans again!
~I'm going to (hopefully!) make it to the indoor pool to at least try to stay in shape, with all the junk they feed us here




Good luck with all your back-to-the-fall-routine excitement!


~Alex

A few of my favorites...

It could go without saying that as much as I enjoy writing, I love reading even more.

And of course, I have my favorites:

Frindle, by Andrew Clements

This was my summer reading book when I was going into the third grade, and I should've known from how much I loved this book that I would be an English major. It's all about a fifth grader who has fun stirring things up to make life interesting. His latest scheme involves making up a new word, which may seem harmless until it spreads across thecountry, until the student has completely lost control and the word takes on a life of its own.

Someone Like You, by Sarah Dessen

So far, I love EVERYTHING I've read by her. Still waiting to get my hands on Lock and Key, and Along for the Ride, since the library never has them in stock =(

ANYWAY,
I loved Someone Like You because I could definitely relate with the narrator-I have always been the shy sidekick, with extremely outgoing best friends who rely on me to help them with everything from getting out of trouble to coping with life in general. I read this the summer before I started high school, and countless times after, and I was always way too caught up in the plot to put the book down each and every time!

The Gospel According to Larry, by Janet Tashjian

Because I went to a super-conservative Catholic school for a nice portion of my life, I found the title of this book really intriguing. It tells of Josh the boy genius, and his internet alter-ego, Larry, who gains a surprisingly large following because of his unique philosophical opinions. As Larry's popularity gets out of hand, Josh learns that he cannot hide behind his creation forever, and must find a way to put the craziness to an end without ruining himself.

I hope that you'll enjoy these as much as I did!

~Alex

Hi, there!

Since I was about three years old, I've been trying to find something that I think I'm good at. I started off with drawing, and had the high hopes of becoming an artist. That..didn't work.

I also attempted ballet, tap dancing, softball, soccer, jazz dancing, playing piano and clarinet, basketball, and theatre. I was always the awkward kid in the back, a few steps behind everyone else, or the klutz that had more fun picking dandelions and chasing moths than actually paying attention to whatever else I was supposed to be doing.

And then I started writing in my diary, and a whole world seemed to open up. The entire concept seemed fascinating-not only was I able to vent about everything going on in my own life, but I soon found that my diary provided an escape, as my imagination wandered and I created a fantasy world, complete with characters and their very own storylines and everything.

I had finally found my thing!

So, I decided, if I love writing so much, I should take it to the next level and share everything on my very own blog!!!

Enjoy!

~Alex