Tuesday, November 3, 2009

i wish there was something i was really good at

not grammar

Monday, August 3, 2009

around the world





This past Wednesday I was pleasantly surprised by what I received in the mail. Now, I almost never get any mail besides school or bank stuff. So, it was really nice to see that I got not one but two postcards from my friends in their travels!!

I received a postcard from my dear Vicky (hello! :p) from San Francisco. She writes that it's a fitting city for her and she thinks I'd like it, too. I agree.
Despite it being the second most expensive U.S. city (besides NYC of course), I became excited and really drawn to it when I had researched it a few months back. For a long while I was trying to plan a trip there to spend the 4th of July with Jon! But alas plans fell through; I waited too long and tickets to Cali shot up.
I will make my way over to the west coast one day - I agree with Vicky and think I can fit in there nicely.

The second card was from my Columbia classmate and fellow film major George (same guy who brought me with him to work in Madison and Philly!). George had texted me for my address before he left so I'm glad he followed up and sent me a card! He wrote that the photo depicts the village that is mother is from in Greece -- how... breathtaking! *_* Needless to say: jealousss.
My friend Briaden made a comment to me the other day that he's lived in cities with large bodies of water all his life - Cebu, Cali, Texas, Hawaii, and Chicago. As I've lived on the same street in Chicago since three, I've always been a three block, seven-minute walk to the beach and lake. I think I feel the same kinda comfort he feels with water. It's so expansive - kind of like the open road to me.


These postcards also reminded me of the travel I'm not doing! aha. I dreamed of a lot of traveling this summer but of course didn't go through with them for various practical reasons (but um my seven-city east coast road trip would have been amazing??? And let me again lament that I don't think I'll see a european flight for $400 again).

Hopefully soon I'll have my own postcards to be sending.


p.s. I like how all but one of my posts this summer have been me writing at like 3 AM (6 in there too).

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

kill - jimmy eat world

I am a sort of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Friday, July 24, 2009

chicago will be laid to waste

He laid emeralds in her eyes,
Oh but I'd already tried a bracelet made of gold
And a scarlet thread around her wrist.
And everything was wrong, so we sang sentimental songs.
Oh how seldom we belong but how elegant our kiss!

And we painted crooked lines
But we danced in perfect time to a love so much refined,
We know not what it is until like a dullen wine
we pour into a grief we've known before
But never quite like this, never quite like this.

All I know now is regret.
It follows like a silhouette along the cobblestone behind me,
But she has nothing much to say except to innocently ask,
Her voice delicate as glass,
"Do you see me when we pass?"
But I, I continue on my way.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

books

i really wish books were cheaper cause i'd certainly like to own a lot and read more.

murakami
hemingway
lolita
war and peace
slaughterhouse five
great expectations
catch 22
the bell jar

edit:
upon further research, i am finding quite a few through the wonderfully cheap(er) dover thrift editions, signet classics, and bantam classics! now i can get some down so it's a good way to work towards the books i want!

Friday, July 10, 2009

travels

it's 3:30 AM and i'm bored with nothing to do so maybe i should write about some random travels i've done this year!


February
Went to Madison, Wisconsin with my buddy George for two of his special studies I films, in which I had to act. -__- Anyway this was from early Thursday 2/12 (talking 5 AM pick up time) to late Saturday the 14th. I remember I felt bad not being with Jonathan on Valentine's Day (though we don't really care for/celebrate it) but I got George to get us back in Chicago by 10pm.
George's classmate Mitch Buss and Mitch's old friend who is a waiter named Ian came along too. George and Mitch drove and we were cramped in George's family's van that was packed all the way up to our backseat area with lighting equipment. I remember at one point at night George was driving and well he fell asleep for a second cause I watched as the car veered left and he certainly woke up when we drove over the sidewalk!
Madison is a cute city; their downtown is totally different. They have so many more unique shops and restaurants and it's not all MCDONALDS H&M GAP CHIPOTLE! We went in a few shops but I only got some gifts (including a Hello Kitty toaster, yes) at the Urban Outfitters. I was so ecstatic at their 5% tax rate ahah aha.
I remember there was this one night where Mitch, Ian, and I just walked around their town square waiting for George. We walked up to their capitol building, from which eight streets span out like rays. It started snowing lightly but we saw this dump truck dumping a bunch of snow on the ground and we were like wtf you crazy wisconsin ppl. Well we asked what was up and apparently they had some winter games thing that weekend where people got to ski or whatever all through the big streets and since there wasn't yet snow to do so, they were doing it themselves.
anywho UWisc kids have a really, really nice campus. i was quite jealous. it was the second real, big campus i've been on since MAASU 08 @ UKansas.
We found this body of water somewhere and I saw some canoes and thought that I'd like to try it out here. I remember being so amazed at the difference in Chicagoans and these people from Madison. First off George got permission to shoot in their historical society! And the people there- well, there was this old man who was there every day that we were there, and I noticed that we leave for a few hours, with his bag and stuff still open in the area. I was just amazed cus that shit woulda been snatched in Chicago.
Hmm I think that's all the random I have for Madison.

In early April (the 3rd-5th) ASO and I embarked on my second MAASU, this time to UMich in Ann Arbor, MI. It was only a four-hour drive; I can't even fathom how we did nine hours last year!
UMich had a big campus, too, although some areas looked pretty broke, gotta say. Just some areas looked like they hadn't been touched in a long time I guess. But like the building we were in, their new science and research building - very beautiful main floor!
On the Sunday that we left, we all had some grub and dessert at their most famous eatery. The little neighborhood that Bae brought us to (she used to go to UMich so she still remembered most things) called Kerrytown was pretty cute. We ran into this flea market but a lot of things were pretty pricey. We went into this little mini mall sorta building and found the coolest Korean-American fusion joint ever! I snapped a photo of the menu on my phone before being told photos weren't allowed. But they just had a lot of cool things like the "Seoul Dog" which was a hot dog with some spicy kimchi on it! Remo (major foodie) loveddd it; I didn't doubt that he wouldn't!

Oh so in early May I worked with George again and this time we went all the way to PHILADELPHIA! I remember I was just sooo apprehensive but excited when he tracked me down at ASO's A2 event just to ask me to come along. I knew he really needed someone to 1st AC for him, because he was asking me - he got me 1st'ing for the first time on a digital shoot back in April which wasn't so bad, but I had never 1st'ed on film before, so I was definitely nervous. "I don't know how to check the gate!", I told him. I reminded him plenty of my shortcomings but he still insisted and I knew he just really needed someone so I agreed.
Philly was a 12 hour drive (Kansas, what?) and we left at 1AM Thursday morning D: There were two cars- George and the director Chase in the same family van while Miles K. (actor, grip), Colin P. (cam sem classmate, actor, grip), Paul Kane (actor, grip) and I were in his mom's SUV. Miles drove first so I just went to bed in the back. I remember waking up around 2:30 AM because both cars got pulled over by a cop. Apparently the speed limit was 70 and George went 88 while Miles tried to keep up with him at 86. It sucks cus you speed cus you want to get there faster but then this stop was honestly like 45 minutes long, and plus you are down like $200 :/ I think Paul drove next and I drove from 7-10 AM. It is suchhhh a nice scenic drive towards the east coast! Nothing like Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and especially not the cornfields and barren lands down to Kansas. It is so greeeen everywhere with these HUGE rolling hills/mountains and trees planted all over! So gorgeous and I wanted to take pics but obvs couldn't as I was driving.

hmm I think this is it for now.



I wish I had that program with a pic of the U.S. where it colored in each state you've been to :D
I added a lot this year so from west to east I can say:
Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. 11/50 !