On Monday of my third week I was feeling good, and eager to hear if I could get some money now that my trial period was up. I didn't have much work to do during the day, so i sat around and waited for a chance to check in with D, the producer.
She didn't mention anything the whole day, and by the late afternoon I decided to ask her. I was a little unsure of how to broach the "i'm on the team and am i going to get compensated for this week" conversation, so I found a pause when the other video directors were out and got her attention.
"Are we going to be able to do a check-in today?" I asked.
"What do you mean?"
"About what you want from me here. I'm assuming we're going to move forward..."
I let the sentence hang. It was a weird moment. She said that she wanted to check in next Monday, which she had told me previously, and I'd misunderstood. Sorry, I said. I felt a little embarrassed.
At the end of the day she did speak with me though, and said they could pay me $400 per week for six weeks. Steady money, woohoo! I was a little worried about money so I was happy to take anything.
The next day I spoke with my property manager who gave me the low down on my tenant who'd been MIA since early October, and was two months past due on her rent. He ordered an official notice to quit, and then got an order of eviction, which threatens a court date unless she pays. She has two weeks to give an answer, or show up in court on December 4th. Then the judge will decide whether to evict. And apparently she can still work out a deal in court, and avoid eviction. What a long process.
Tuesday night I went with two video directors to film a birthday party in SoHo, for celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen. She's responsible for Rihanna's bangs, and charges tens of thousands for her work. The magazine was trying to score points with her by filming her party I guess. We showed up, set the camera up on the tripod and interviewed personalities as they came in. Many of them were radio people, but Free was there (y'all might remember the single 'Ladies Night' from way back with Missy, DaBrat, MC Lyte, or you might not) and Michelle Williams, the third member of Destiny's Child.
The party/shoot was fairly unexciting. I chatted with this dude who looked like Cedric the Entertainer in a velour blazer, who at the end of the night kept exclaiming, "you're Asian! You're Asian!" We got back to the office by 10:15, and I was glad to be done. I cut two short pieces from that evening with another director, you can view them here:
Afterwards I went to Gina's, to catch the very tail end of a potluck. We're trying to do one every week. I arrived close to 11pm, and ate eagerly. Jess was there, and we took a cab home. Gina's about a 25 minute walk from my place, but the weather was frigid.
The next week I cut together footage from a conference that the magazine hosts. On Wednesday night I went to a potluck with the same people, this time at another house in Cobble Hill. This was hosted by a married couple, in their late twenties, who lived in a walk-up (no elevator) on the fourth floor. They lived in a railroad style apartment, where all the rooms are right next to each other without a hallway, so it's like a long rectangle. The theme of the night was cranberries, and the food was delicious. I made cous cous with yams and cranberries, and jess made a salad with goat cheese. The hosting couple were Russian, and they served shots of vodka on a silver tray with small silver cups with ornate designs. I abstained from the heavy stuff. Dmitri seemed to love his vodka, and wanted to throw a party focused purely on the drink.
On Friday evening I saw an old friend from Diamond Bar. He joined the military and served a couple tours in Iraq, and is a staunch republican and fairly conservative. We've stayed in touch over the years and he called me to say he was in town. I met him near Penn Station, and we went to grab a bite of pizza. He talked about the political work he was doing (he had been the campaign manager for a man who was trying to run for a seat in the house of representatives) and now he works for a non-profit group that advocates for veterans. As we ate our pizza another patron in the restaurant got into a little bit of a yelling match with one of the workers. "How bout you never come back here?" the cook screamed. "I won't!" the man screamed back. Then he sat down and ate his pizza.
We grabbed a beer while he waited for his train and he spoke a bit about being in Iraq. He said a lot of different things, and by the end of it his hands were shaking a little. "I'm just talking out of my ass" he explained, embarrassed. I felt bad for him. I remember earlier he told me that veterans don't want to be seen as victims of an unjust war. He was proud of what he did. I had thought about enlisting in college, and the more I talk to people who've served, the more glad I am that I didn't. As he entered the gate to catch his train I gave him a hug goodbye, and he wished me a happy thanksgiving. I wished him a good one too.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Hours worked
My first paid week and I put in a lot of hours.
M: 9:30-7:00 - 9.5 hours
T: 9:30-10:00 - 12.5 hours
W: 9:30-9:30 - 12 hours
R: 10:00-6 - 8 hours
F: 9:30-7 - 9.5 hours
Total hours: 51.5
At $400 a week, that's a little under 8 dollars an hour. Phew. I am ready for the weekend.
M: 9:30-7:00 - 9.5 hours
T: 9:30-10:00 - 12.5 hours
W: 9:30-9:30 - 12 hours
R: 10:00-6 - 8 hours
F: 9:30-7 - 9.5 hours
Total hours: 51.5
At $400 a week, that's a little under 8 dollars an hour. Phew. I am ready for the weekend.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Interviewing
After completing my demo reel last week, I applied to a bunch of listings off of Craigslist for editing/video internships and got a few callbacks. One of them was from Essence magazine, another from a boutique marketing firm called iconceptmedia. I don't know if it's supposed to be one word or not.
I met with Essence on Monday. Essence magazine is part of Time Inc, and their main office is in midtown manhattan, at the southern border of Central Park. There are a few media offices on that street, including NBC studios in Rockefeller Center. The Time building is big, with a few different Time publications on each floor. Essence was on the fourth. To get in I had to show my ID at the ground floor desk, take the elevator up which opened to a closed off hall, and then call an extension on a red phone to get let into the office. I got a kick out of the whole process. The woman who originally contacted me let me in, and she turned out to be an assistant to the producer. I waited in the reception area for a while, which was fairly swanky. I felt a little self-conscious and out of my element.
I spoke with the producer, a woman in her thirties named Dorothy who was friendly. Essence.com has a TV channel and they have a lot of extra footage that needs to be cut. Then she explained the pay schedule, I'd be put on a 2 week unpaid trial period to see how I fit in with the crew, and after that I'd be paid ideally 350-400 per week to assist the team, for a period of 6 weeks or so. She also said they worked a lot of hours. I met the crew, three directors who all seemed younger than I was by a few years, but were apparently really talented. She asked me to come in later in the week to speak with the director of the online division and I said goodbye.
On Tuesday I met with the marketing company, which was renting some space in Laguardia college in Queens. It took me a while to get there on the train, and then walking through a college building to get to their space was confusing with all the kids walking around. I kept wondering if I was in the right spot. I found their office eventually, which was a couple of rooms. Two people worked in one, and the CEO was in another. He had no idea who I was (I was scheduled by an assistant who was nowhere to be found) and someone else was scheduled at the same time, which I thought was a little careless. That feeling carried over through the interview, as he pitched his company's vision: an online fashion network, featuring up and coming designers as well as the established, with lots of videos and original content, set to launch in November. He said a lot of business idioms like "build from the ground up" that I found distracting. I wasn't very confident in his ability to build an audience and monetize the site, and wasn't buying how original and different it was going to be. And I didn't believe it was as great an opportunity as he said it was.
He wasn't offering any money, asked if I could shoot for him with my own camera, edit at home on my system b/c they hadn't gotten proper equipment yet, and then recommended I get an income so I could keep doing work for him. I felt like it was exploitation, and the idea that talented people would put themselves out like this made me a little upset. It probably showed in my face because he kept implying I didn't seem interested enough. I wanted to talk about how sad it is that you can squeeze people for all their worth by dangling some abstract incentive in their future, but didn't think it a prudent move. I thanked him and went on my way. Jess later responded when I mentioned my anger, "this is how things are done in NY." Damn.
On Thursday I got a callback from a staffing agency, which had posted an ad for an executive assistant to a prominent producer. I thought it might be a good connection and I sent in my resume. I went in to see them at 2, and man it was a sad scene in that office. Lots of people who looked like sadder versions of me, sitting in their suits looking for work. Of course I thought I was too cool for that place. Being here has reminded me that I have an EGO, haha. Anyway, they made me fill out a whole bunch of forms; it felt like applying to a mix of Target and H&R Block. I was sent to a computer room to test my microsoft word and excel skills (apparently I'm a regular user) and typing speed (104 WPM and no mistakes!). I eventually spoke with the recruiter at 3:30. The whole process took an hour and a half! My big ego was offended.
Then she told me the assistantship gig was for FRANK MILLER, author of the Dark Knight Returns and Sin City and 300 and general graphic novel God Amongst Ants. My disposition made a 180. Hell yeah I'll get book flights for Frank Miller. They wanted someone who was interested in production, and said the previous assistant had moved on to work on one of his projects. It sounded great, and I said I was down, and she said she'd pass on my resume. I came out thinking what a city, where you can hook up with Frank Miller on Craigslist?!
I'm not too hopeful about that potential gig b/c I signed in with about 8 other people applying for that same job, and I think the listing had been posted several weeks ago, so they have lots of people to choose from. Who wouldn't want to work for Frank Miller's projects when graphic novel film adaptations are so hot right now?
I went back and spoke with the Essence director on Friday. This is one of the directors of the site, high on the food chain guy. He was very frank and decisive. I asked him about the site and future employment and his job experience and he was frank about everything. "You're in spring training" he said. "Trying out for the team." Afterwards I spoke with the producer again, and she reiterated how much work it was going to be. Election night is an overnight at the magazine. She made it sound like generally I was going to work through dinner. But she also said after 6 weeks my reel will have a lot of celebrities and that I'll always be able to get a job b/c of it.
I left feeling pretty good, if not overwhelmed. I'm typing this in bed right now, Jess asleep beside me–it's 4 a.m. I'm just excited I guess. I start my new gig with them on Monday.
I met with Essence on Monday. Essence magazine is part of Time Inc, and their main office is in midtown manhattan, at the southern border of Central Park. There are a few media offices on that street, including NBC studios in Rockefeller Center. The Time building is big, with a few different Time publications on each floor. Essence was on the fourth. To get in I had to show my ID at the ground floor desk, take the elevator up which opened to a closed off hall, and then call an extension on a red phone to get let into the office. I got a kick out of the whole process. The woman who originally contacted me let me in, and she turned out to be an assistant to the producer. I waited in the reception area for a while, which was fairly swanky. I felt a little self-conscious and out of my element.
I spoke with the producer, a woman in her thirties named Dorothy who was friendly. Essence.com has a TV channel and they have a lot of extra footage that needs to be cut. Then she explained the pay schedule, I'd be put on a 2 week unpaid trial period to see how I fit in with the crew, and after that I'd be paid ideally 350-400 per week to assist the team, for a period of 6 weeks or so. She also said they worked a lot of hours. I met the crew, three directors who all seemed younger than I was by a few years, but were apparently really talented. She asked me to come in later in the week to speak with the director of the online division and I said goodbye.
On Tuesday I met with the marketing company, which was renting some space in Laguardia college in Queens. It took me a while to get there on the train, and then walking through a college building to get to their space was confusing with all the kids walking around. I kept wondering if I was in the right spot. I found their office eventually, which was a couple of rooms. Two people worked in one, and the CEO was in another. He had no idea who I was (I was scheduled by an assistant who was nowhere to be found) and someone else was scheduled at the same time, which I thought was a little careless. That feeling carried over through the interview, as he pitched his company's vision: an online fashion network, featuring up and coming designers as well as the established, with lots of videos and original content, set to launch in November. He said a lot of business idioms like "build from the ground up" that I found distracting. I wasn't very confident in his ability to build an audience and monetize the site, and wasn't buying how original and different it was going to be. And I didn't believe it was as great an opportunity as he said it was.
He wasn't offering any money, asked if I could shoot for him with my own camera, edit at home on my system b/c they hadn't gotten proper equipment yet, and then recommended I get an income so I could keep doing work for him. I felt like it was exploitation, and the idea that talented people would put themselves out like this made me a little upset. It probably showed in my face because he kept implying I didn't seem interested enough. I wanted to talk about how sad it is that you can squeeze people for all their worth by dangling some abstract incentive in their future, but didn't think it a prudent move. I thanked him and went on my way. Jess later responded when I mentioned my anger, "this is how things are done in NY." Damn.
On Thursday I got a callback from a staffing agency, which had posted an ad for an executive assistant to a prominent producer. I thought it might be a good connection and I sent in my resume. I went in to see them at 2, and man it was a sad scene in that office. Lots of people who looked like sadder versions of me, sitting in their suits looking for work. Of course I thought I was too cool for that place. Being here has reminded me that I have an EGO, haha. Anyway, they made me fill out a whole bunch of forms; it felt like applying to a mix of Target and H&R Block. I was sent to a computer room to test my microsoft word and excel skills (apparently I'm a regular user) and typing speed (104 WPM and no mistakes!). I eventually spoke with the recruiter at 3:30. The whole process took an hour and a half! My big ego was offended.
Then she told me the assistantship gig was for FRANK MILLER, author of the Dark Knight Returns and Sin City and 300 and general graphic novel God Amongst Ants. My disposition made a 180. Hell yeah I'll get book flights for Frank Miller. They wanted someone who was interested in production, and said the previous assistant had moved on to work on one of his projects. It sounded great, and I said I was down, and she said she'd pass on my resume. I came out thinking what a city, where you can hook up with Frank Miller on Craigslist?!
I'm not too hopeful about that potential gig b/c I signed in with about 8 other people applying for that same job, and I think the listing had been posted several weeks ago, so they have lots of people to choose from. Who wouldn't want to work for Frank Miller's projects when graphic novel film adaptations are so hot right now?
I went back and spoke with the Essence director on Friday. This is one of the directors of the site, high on the food chain guy. He was very frank and decisive. I asked him about the site and future employment and his job experience and he was frank about everything. "You're in spring training" he said. "Trying out for the team." Afterwards I spoke with the producer again, and she reiterated how much work it was going to be. Election night is an overnight at the magazine. She made it sound like generally I was going to work through dinner. But she also said after 6 weeks my reel will have a lot of celebrities and that I'll always be able to get a job b/c of it.
I left feeling pretty good, if not overwhelmed. I'm typing this in bed right now, Jess asleep beside me–it's 4 a.m. I'm just excited I guess. I start my new gig with them on Monday.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Walking across the Manhattan Bridge
Today I decided to go into Chinatown to get my hair cut. I thought it'd be fun to walk instead of taking the train, crossing over the Manhattan Bridge to get into Manhattan. It took me about 15 minutes to get to the bridge, and then I took the pedestrian walkway, which looks like this:
It took about 10 minutes to cross the bridge. I was going at a pretty brisk pace, because I was meeting Jess after she got off work to sit before her class at 6:20. Here are some pictures from the view of the bridge:
Once I got into Manhattan you could see lots of graffiti on the rooftops:
I made it into Chinatown and got a haircut from an older woman. They are mostly Cantonese in Chinatown, but she spoke a bit of Mandarin and I did my best to talk to her. The haircut was only $8. Woohoo!
I started walking North to meet Jessica. On the way I picked up some dumplings. They sell pot stickers 5 for a dollar, which hits the spot. I got some vegetarian ones for jess too. While walking I heard someone yelling '10 dollar, 10 dollar! bike 10 dollar!' A man was trying to sell his bike on the street. I have thought about getting a bike, and 10 dollars was too good of a deal to pass up, so I stopped him and bought the bike. Take a look, can you believe I got it for so cheap?
I met with Jess later and she laughed at my on-road purchase. I gave her the dumplings and we talked a bit before she had to go to class. Then I biked over to the Franklin D Roosevelt highway where people jog and bike along the coast. I found an area with bars and things where people were working out, and I stopped in and did some pullups and pushups. Eventually, I biked back across the bridge home. A good trip!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
feeling significance
standing on the sidewalk outside my building and staring up at my newly empty second story apartment i feel it a bit, the feeling of significance. moving everything out my apartment was significant, driving my things down to brooklyn is significant. renting out my place is significant. tonight, in the quiet of my friends condo, when i am finally alone, i feel it a little more, this is significant. my life should be significant.
Moving continued
Everything's been moved out of my condo and as far as I know, my tenant has moved in. I spoke with her briefly on Friday night and left her a desk and my mattress, which I was unable to sell. The rest of the apartment was empty. I didn't have much time to look around and take in the change. I'm in a slight state of shock/disbelief that it's all done.
Late Friday night Jeffrey and I drove his sister's car down with all of my stuff in it. We left around midnight, and arrived close to four in the morning. Surprisingly, Jess was awake. I found her cleaning the bathroom. The apartment was very muggy and hot. We moved everything in, and talked for a few in that early morning hour while we showered. Jeff replaced my shower head with one he had bought me and we went to sleep. In the morning I woke up around 10. Jeff showered and we noticed that the sink was leaking. He mentioned that there was something wrong with the shower, that the pressure was erratic. It appeared he broke the shower's pipe when he replaced the old head. That meant we had to call someone to take down the tile and replace it. What a headache!
So this morning someone is supposed to be fixing it. Poor Jess has to use the bath and splash water on herself instead of showering. Yesterday after eating lunch with Jess I drove back to Northborough to visit my father. I made it in time to see my brother play with his band in a restaurant.
Late Friday night Jeffrey and I drove his sister's car down with all of my stuff in it. We left around midnight, and arrived close to four in the morning. Surprisingly, Jess was awake. I found her cleaning the bathroom. The apartment was very muggy and hot. We moved everything in, and talked for a few in that early morning hour while we showered. Jeff replaced my shower head with one he had bought me and we went to sleep. In the morning I woke up around 10. Jeff showered and we noticed that the sink was leaking. He mentioned that there was something wrong with the shower, that the pressure was erratic. It appeared he broke the shower's pipe when he replaced the old head. That meant we had to call someone to take down the tile and replace it. What a headache!
So this morning someone is supposed to be fixing it. Poor Jess has to use the bath and splash water on herself instead of showering. Yesterday after eating lunch with Jess I drove back to Northborough to visit my father. I made it in time to see my brother play with his band in a restaurant.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Moving
I"m often unmotivated to write, right when I have the time to do it. Usually it helps to do a little reading, and then I'm right again. It's like reading something good reminds me what I might do with writing.
Much has happened in the last week. I decided to move to New York, and have since put in my resignation at work, and rented out my apartment. Jess looked for apartments in New York, while I showed my own in Boston. I came down this weekend to help her look, and decided on a small two bedroom unit in an area both of us like. The rent is very reasonable, and we have our own yard and an extra room. The living room area is not as large as we'd like it to be (it's a living area combined with kitchen that looks just like a big kitchen), but I think it's a fair compromise. We wrote our checks and sat in the bedroom after they left, excited at the possibilities. I really enjoyed it.
I got a call later from my friend who's acting as my real estate/property manager. He told me he rented it out to a woman who works with autistic children in Newton. I have until Saturday to sell all my things and empty out the apartment. It's so soon! Right now it is a very full house in there, with lots of furniture and things.
Before my tenant moves in I have to:
Packing:
-my clothes into garbage bags and move them to a friend's place
-my computer and electronic equipment:
video and digital camera
audio mixer and microphone, and midi keyboard
Cancel:
Electricity
Cable
Alert:
Condo Management Company
City of Boston
Much has happened in the last week. I decided to move to New York, and have since put in my resignation at work, and rented out my apartment. Jess looked for apartments in New York, while I showed my own in Boston. I came down this weekend to help her look, and decided on a small two bedroom unit in an area both of us like. The rent is very reasonable, and we have our own yard and an extra room. The living room area is not as large as we'd like it to be (it's a living area combined with kitchen that looks just like a big kitchen), but I think it's a fair compromise. We wrote our checks and sat in the bedroom after they left, excited at the possibilities. I really enjoyed it.
I got a call later from my friend who's acting as my real estate/property manager. He told me he rented it out to a woman who works with autistic children in Newton. I have until Saturday to sell all my things and empty out the apartment. It's so soon! Right now it is a very full house in there, with lots of furniture and things.
Before my tenant moves in I have to:
Packing:
-my clothes into garbage bags and move them to a friend's place
-my computer and electronic equipment:
video and digital camera
audio mixer and microphone, and midi keyboard
Cancel:
Electricity
Cable
Alert:
Condo Management Company
City of Boston
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Weekend Retreat
This weekend my arts collective held a retreat at the home of one of its members. The purpose of the retreat was to bring up some energy behind the group so we can start putting together some great events again. Some of the things we've done in the past include a response show to Miss Saigon and a national Spoken Word Summit, a three day weekend where asian american poets and writers from across the country came to boston for workshops and community.
There were 9 of us there, and we began by writing down our introductions into the group and our favorite moments. I first met the group during the Miss Saigon response show, and one of my favorite events was a concert with an independent rock band. We wrote these down on nametag stickers and shared them with the rest of the group. After lunch, we made a giant timeline, with a sticker for every event we'd done. When we finished, we placed our own nametags with our personal choices on there, and mapped out our course through the organization with string. It was an interesting way of looking at the organization.
We came up with some goals for the future and ended the day with a BBQ and poker. I got home shortly after midnight, feeling tired but happy with the day's events.
***
Yesterday I played basketball after work, at a local park near my apartment. The sunlight seemed extraordinarily bright, and I felt a strain in my eyes. I continued to play and didn't think much of it. Soon the pain in my eyes drove its way back and I felt a tightening in my head. It was uncomfortable, but not unbearable. I filled up my water bottle and drank more, thinking it was just dehydration. After another game, it started hurting worse, and I called it a day. On the way home I stopped by the supermarket to pick up some meat, and it continued to get worse. As I walked back home the weight from my groceries felt very heavy, and my head was in immense pain. I bought a nutritious shake from another grocery store near my place and swallowed it down, thinking my body might be starved of healthy nutrients. When I got home, I prepared some rice and jumped in the shower. I poured my self several glasses of water.
After my shower the pain began to subside, and I prepared dinner. I made chicken breast stir-fried w/mix vegetables, and poured it along w/some black beans on to a large mound of brown rice. I ate and thankfully began to feel much better. I finished my meal with some ice cream, and lay down on the couch relieved.
I read about migraine today online and it looks like it's what I had yesterday. I'm not sure if you get them, but apparently they are more common for women than they are for men. Light sensitivity can be one of the causes/symptoms. And they can last up to 72 hours! Thankfully that was not the case for me. I don't ever want that to happen again.
There were 9 of us there, and we began by writing down our introductions into the group and our favorite moments. I first met the group during the Miss Saigon response show, and one of my favorite events was a concert with an independent rock band. We wrote these down on nametag stickers and shared them with the rest of the group. After lunch, we made a giant timeline, with a sticker for every event we'd done. When we finished, we placed our own nametags with our personal choices on there, and mapped out our course through the organization with string. It was an interesting way of looking at the organization.
We came up with some goals for the future and ended the day with a BBQ and poker. I got home shortly after midnight, feeling tired but happy with the day's events.
***
My First Migraine
Yesterday I played basketball after work, at a local park near my apartment. The sunlight seemed extraordinarily bright, and I felt a strain in my eyes. I continued to play and didn't think much of it. Soon the pain in my eyes drove its way back and I felt a tightening in my head. It was uncomfortable, but not unbearable. I filled up my water bottle and drank more, thinking it was just dehydration. After another game, it started hurting worse, and I called it a day. On the way home I stopped by the supermarket to pick up some meat, and it continued to get worse. As I walked back home the weight from my groceries felt very heavy, and my head was in immense pain. I bought a nutritious shake from another grocery store near my place and swallowed it down, thinking my body might be starved of healthy nutrients. When I got home, I prepared some rice and jumped in the shower. I poured my self several glasses of water.
After my shower the pain began to subside, and I prepared dinner. I made chicken breast stir-fried w/mix vegetables, and poured it along w/some black beans on to a large mound of brown rice. I ate and thankfully began to feel much better. I finished my meal with some ice cream, and lay down on the couch relieved.
I read about migraine today online and it looks like it's what I had yesterday. I'm not sure if you get them, but apparently they are more common for women than they are for men. Light sensitivity can be one of the causes/symptoms. And they can last up to 72 hours! Thankfully that was not the case for me. I don't ever want that to happen again.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
I woke up early yesterday morning, around 6am. The sun was barely past the horizon, and I took the opportunity to take a walk outside with my camera and snap some photos. I took the train to Boston University, and took some photos of the Martin Luther King memorial.
Then I went to the esplanade by the Charles river. It was a beautiful morning. People were rowing kayaks down the river, and joggers/bikers were on the esplanade getting their early exercise. I really liked being out there, and hoped to make it a regular thing, but this morning I didn't want to get out of bed when the alarm hit, and woke up much later around 8:45.
Boston along the river
I learn a little each time I take the camera out. I'm discovering how light will translate in the frame, and am thinking about making images more dynamic, so they seem to 'pop' off the page. I know this is helping my eye and will translate well to film. I've thought a little about filming and would like to do some video projects before the summer's end.
If you want to see the photos that I like, you can visit see them here: http://flickr.com/photos/11507905@N07/. I will try to update that regularly.
Then I went to the esplanade by the Charles river. It was a beautiful morning. People were rowing kayaks down the river, and joggers/bikers were on the esplanade getting their early exercise. I really liked being out there, and hoped to make it a regular thing, but this morning I didn't want to get out of bed when the alarm hit, and woke up much later around 8:45.
Boston along the river
I learn a little each time I take the camera out. I'm discovering how light will translate in the frame, and am thinking about making images more dynamic, so they seem to 'pop' off the page. I know this is helping my eye and will translate well to film. I've thought a little about filming and would like to do some video projects before the summer's end.
If you want to see the photos that I like, you can visit see them here: http://flickr.com/photos/11507905@N07/. I will try to update that regularly.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
7/18 Reading Event
I couldn't wait for the weekend to come. Friday was a slow day at work, and I sat around my desk until 1. When the office cleared out, I went to the gym, and decided to stay in Harvard Square until my book reading.
I live in Boston but work in Cambridge, on the other side of the Charles river. It's a 15 minute ride between the two, at least, from where I live and work. On Friday the arts collective I belong to was hosting a reading with a Chinese American author named Ed Lin. I was pretty excited to meet him and was planning on helping set up the event. The reading was taking place at a bookstore in Cambridge at 8pm. So at 5, I met up with Van, another woman from the group and we made our way to the bookstore.
(I can't recall if I've told you about the arts group before. You can read more about them here.)
We got there around 5:30 and started cleaning up the store. Because it's completely volunteer run, the store doesn't have a set schedule, and isn't often open. We occupy the space at least once a month though for events like this one, and often there is sweeping and cleaning that needs to be done.
Van surveys the state of the store.
Ed Lin arrived at the store pretty soon after, around 6:30. We talked to him for a bit while setting up. He was very easy to talk to and smiled a lot. I took some cash from the register and went to buy some refreshments and snacks for the event.
I stopped by Au Bon Pain and asked if they had any spare trays. My work has catered from them in the past and I know they usually have some lying around. A young woman there was kind and found me some to take free of charge. I then went to this small coop market and purchased some strawberries, grapes, carrots and nuts. Then I stopped by 7/11 for chips, soda, ice, and paper cups and plates. When I got back, some familiar faces were at the store, and I started laying out the food. There was a lot! I was worried that more people weren't going to come, but by 8pm a few new faces came into the store, and we had a fairly full house. Jeff came too, at my request.
Ed's reading was great. He read from his latest book, a novel about a cop in 1970s Chinatown. He stayed after to sign books and we sold a few. (The organization ordered 22 books, so we have a lot extra). By 10 pm everyone was out, and Van and I cleaned up the foods and locked up. There was lots of food left over. I went home w/Jeff and took a bag of chips, grapes, and carrots with me. Because it was still pretty early, we decided to go to Jeff's to hangout.
Jeff stopped by the grocery store to get some ground beef, and we made some dipping stuff to go with the bag of chips we had. We drank several shots of vodka and talked until 3 or 4 in the morning when we dozed off in the living room. I woke up again in the night and I couldn't fall asleep, so I watched a movie until morning. The sky began to lighten and I decided to grab my camera that I had left in Jeffrey's car. I was worried that with the heat and humidity it might get damaged. I walked out and was surprised to see people jogging across the street at so early an hour.
I also grabbed a book I'd been reading and went back into his condo. I went to the bedroom and laid on the bed and read, hoping it might help me sleep, but my mind was pretty sharp. Sometimes when I get past the normal time for sleeping, I just can't fall asleep, no matter what I try. I did push ups trying to tire myself out, and I put on an eye mask to try and block out the light, but every time I lay there with my eyes closed I don't feel the least bit tired. So I read the book on the bed until it was done.
Jeff woke up around 7:30 and found me still awake. I said good morning and got a glass of water. My head hurt from little sleep and the vodka I'd drank earlier. I took an advil and went back to the bed, and waited complacently for sleep to take me.
I live in Boston but work in Cambridge, on the other side of the Charles river. It's a 15 minute ride between the two, at least, from where I live and work. On Friday the arts collective I belong to was hosting a reading with a Chinese American author named Ed Lin. I was pretty excited to meet him and was planning on helping set up the event. The reading was taking place at a bookstore in Cambridge at 8pm. So at 5, I met up with Van, another woman from the group and we made our way to the bookstore.
(I can't recall if I've told you about the arts group before. You can read more about them here.)
We got there around 5:30 and started cleaning up the store. Because it's completely volunteer run, the store doesn't have a set schedule, and isn't often open. We occupy the space at least once a month though for events like this one, and often there is sweeping and cleaning that needs to be done.
Van surveys the state of the store.
Ed Lin arrived at the store pretty soon after, around 6:30. We talked to him for a bit while setting up. He was very easy to talk to and smiled a lot. I took some cash from the register and went to buy some refreshments and snacks for the event.
I stopped by Au Bon Pain and asked if they had any spare trays. My work has catered from them in the past and I know they usually have some lying around. A young woman there was kind and found me some to take free of charge. I then went to this small coop market and purchased some strawberries, grapes, carrots and nuts. Then I stopped by 7/11 for chips, soda, ice, and paper cups and plates. When I got back, some familiar faces were at the store, and I started laying out the food. There was a lot! I was worried that more people weren't going to come, but by 8pm a few new faces came into the store, and we had a fairly full house. Jeff came too, at my request.
Ed's reading was great. He read from his latest book, a novel about a cop in 1970s Chinatown. He stayed after to sign books and we sold a few. (The organization ordered 22 books, so we have a lot extra). By 10 pm everyone was out, and Van and I cleaned up the foods and locked up. There was lots of food left over. I went home w/Jeff and took a bag of chips, grapes, and carrots with me. Because it was still pretty early, we decided to go to Jeff's to hangout.
Jeff stopped by the grocery store to get some ground beef, and we made some dipping stuff to go with the bag of chips we had. We drank several shots of vodka and talked until 3 or 4 in the morning when we dozed off in the living room. I woke up again in the night and I couldn't fall asleep, so I watched a movie until morning. The sky began to lighten and I decided to grab my camera that I had left in Jeffrey's car. I was worried that with the heat and humidity it might get damaged. I walked out and was surprised to see people jogging across the street at so early an hour.
I also grabbed a book I'd been reading and went back into his condo. I went to the bedroom and laid on the bed and read, hoping it might help me sleep, but my mind was pretty sharp. Sometimes when I get past the normal time for sleeping, I just can't fall asleep, no matter what I try. I did push ups trying to tire myself out, and I put on an eye mask to try and block out the light, but every time I lay there with my eyes closed I don't feel the least bit tired. So I read the book on the bed until it was done.
Jeff woke up around 7:30 and found me still awake. I said good morning and got a glass of water. My head hurt from little sleep and the vodka I'd drank earlier. I took an advil and went back to the bed, and waited complacently for sleep to take me.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Weekend in New York
One of the perks of my job is that our hours shift in July and August, going from 40 to 34. Monday we come in at 11, and on Friday we close at 1pm. So this Friday, the first of the shortened Fridays, I made an early trip out to New York to visit Jess.
Jeff's girlfriend is in New York also, so we decided to go together. We met at the bus station to catch the 1:30 bus. There is a Chinese bus line called the Fung Wah that offers Boston to New York trips for $15 each way. Jeff and I were able to grab a seat together and it was a pleasant ride into the city.
We arrived in NYC around 6:00, but had some delays because the unloading area was blocked off. The bus circled around chinatown for another 15 mins before we were able to exit the bus. I said goodbye to Jeff and took a bus up to Stuytown, an apartment complex in manhattan with a nice park area. Her coworkers invited her there for a picnic and a surprise birthday celebration (Jess's birthday is this week). We stayed for an hour or so and then left for Brooklyn, to meet up with some other friends for a concert. The concert was outdoors in Prospect Park, featuring a band called "The Brazilian Girls". There are lots of events in New York during the summer held in the parks and public spaces, and many of them are free or very affordable.
There were lots of people at the concert, and we found Jess's friends crowded together on a small blanket. We stayed there until the sky got dark, listening to the music. We left before it was over and went to a bar with another friend, and spent the rest of the night chatting. I was very hungry at that point, and after we left the bar I looked for a place to get a cheap meal, but I didn't find anything that looked appetizing. It was after midnight by this point, and Jess and I took the train back to her apartment. When we got there I grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen and filled myself on those before falling asleep.
The next morning we woke up early and Jess made a hearty breakfast: eggs, toast, dumplings, and beans. While we ate, her roommate watched an educational French language videotape. Her roommate is traveling to France very soon for school and is trying to learn the language. I ate my food happily to the sound of french phrases being spoken in the background. Comment ca va? Ca va. Et vous?
We took a nap around noon and then got ready to head into Manhattan. Jeff and Binna had found a free outdoor swing dancing event in Battery Park that evening. We took the train into chinatown, where I wanted to grab some dumplings for a snack. There are several little dumpling shops in Chinatown that sell 5 dumplings for a dollar, and are pretty good. My cousin David actually introduced me to them several years ago. We got our dumplings, pork for myself and vegetable for Jess, and then made our way over to meet Jeff and Binna.
Battery Park is located on the west shore of Manhattan. It's a pretty nice area, with a mix of expensive living units and a large walk along the river. By the time we arrived the band had already gotten started. It was a 12-piece brass band from Harlem, and they played old big-band standards like "Fly Me to the Moon." We danced and it was great fun and quite a sight, with Manhattan high-rises on one side and the Hudson river on the other, and the sun setting behind the New Jersey skyline across the river to the west. Jess and I took a break from the dancing to stand next to the water, and I looked at the scene with appreciation and a bit of wonder. There were lots of children, couples, and people walking their dogs, and it was a very nice atmosphere.
The band closed its set at 8 just as it was getting dark. The four of us grabbed some coffee and walked around the shoreline. We saw a beautiful yacht, called the Perseus, docked along the water. We marveled at how elegant it was and had a footrace to try and figure out how long it was. Jeff thought it was 50 yards, I thought it was less. We knew that the fastest 100 yard dash run was under 10 seconds, and we decided to run the length of the boat and see how it long it took us. In sandals, it took me 10 seconds to run the length of it. We discovered the boat was closer to 50 yards (163 ft) after looking it up. I guess I'm not a very fast runner!
We continued walking and wound up at a memorial for the Irish Potato Famine. This was a period in the 1850s when a virus decimated Irish potato crops and millions of Irish starved. It was a very compelling sight. On one side it looks like a irish countryside, with grass and bush and a roofless stone cottage:
But when you walk around you see that it all sits on a building:
One the side of the building there are all these quotes related to hunger, and at night the quotes are illuminated in white. We walked around it quietly for a while, reading the different quotes and passages and taking it in.
It was about 10 at night, and we said goodbye to Jeff and Binna and made our way to the east side of the island to go to a party for one of Jess's friends. We grabbed a bite at a diner first, and I ordered a big basket of fish and chips. I was craving fried food then, but I regretted it yesterday when I played basketball. I felt heavier and slower than normal after the weekend of chips and fried food.
The party was on a rooftop. We got in around midnight, and it was such a sight up on that roof, with beautiful views of the skyline all around. There was a DJ who was playing music, which was intermittently turned off. Cops had come to keep the party quiet, and we could see them shining flash lights on us from another rooftop. We were still able to stay despite it. We met some of Jess's friend's there and had a good time dancing under the stars. It was a beautiful night, and although there was a breeze, we were all comfortable in shorts and light clothing.
The next day I packed all my clothes into my small backpack and Jess and I went to a small park near her apartment. We laid there under some trees and I fell asleep. It was great weather in New York, in the 80s and not too humid. It felt so much cooler than Boston. After a couple hours we made our way to Manhattan, where the bus I needed to take back to Boston was waiting.
I met Jeffrey at 7:30 hoping to catch an 8 p.m. bus. For the New York side of the bus line there is no station, you just wait on the sidewalk where it boards on a first-come, first-served basis. The line was very long and we had to wait until 9! It wasn't so bad because the girls were with us, and we talked to pass the time. I also bought some chicken from a Popeye's there and ate a makeshift dinner.
Finally it was time to board. We said goodbye to the girls and boarded, getting two seats near the front. Jeff and I played video games to pass the time, and got into Boston around 1 in the morning. His sister had left his car near the station, so we walked to it and he drove me home. I got in and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Thankfully I didn't have to go into work until 11 yesterday.
Jeff's girlfriend is in New York also, so we decided to go together. We met at the bus station to catch the 1:30 bus. There is a Chinese bus line called the Fung Wah that offers Boston to New York trips for $15 each way. Jeff and I were able to grab a seat together and it was a pleasant ride into the city.
We arrived in NYC around 6:00, but had some delays because the unloading area was blocked off. The bus circled around chinatown for another 15 mins before we were able to exit the bus. I said goodbye to Jeff and took a bus up to Stuytown, an apartment complex in manhattan with a nice park area. Her coworkers invited her there for a picnic and a surprise birthday celebration (Jess's birthday is this week). We stayed for an hour or so and then left for Brooklyn, to meet up with some other friends for a concert. The concert was outdoors in Prospect Park, featuring a band called "The Brazilian Girls". There are lots of events in New York during the summer held in the parks and public spaces, and many of them are free or very affordable.
There were lots of people at the concert, and we found Jess's friends crowded together on a small blanket. We stayed there until the sky got dark, listening to the music. We left before it was over and went to a bar with another friend, and spent the rest of the night chatting. I was very hungry at that point, and after we left the bar I looked for a place to get a cheap meal, but I didn't find anything that looked appetizing. It was after midnight by this point, and Jess and I took the train back to her apartment. When we got there I grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen and filled myself on those before falling asleep.
The next morning we woke up early and Jess made a hearty breakfast: eggs, toast, dumplings, and beans. While we ate, her roommate watched an educational French language videotape. Her roommate is traveling to France very soon for school and is trying to learn the language. I ate my food happily to the sound of french phrases being spoken in the background. Comment ca va? Ca va. Et vous?
We took a nap around noon and then got ready to head into Manhattan. Jeff and Binna had found a free outdoor swing dancing event in Battery Park that evening. We took the train into chinatown, where I wanted to grab some dumplings for a snack. There are several little dumpling shops in Chinatown that sell 5 dumplings for a dollar, and are pretty good. My cousin David actually introduced me to them several years ago. We got our dumplings, pork for myself and vegetable for Jess, and then made our way over to meet Jeff and Binna.
Battery Park is located on the west shore of Manhattan. It's a pretty nice area, with a mix of expensive living units and a large walk along the river. By the time we arrived the band had already gotten started. It was a 12-piece brass band from Harlem, and they played old big-band standards like "Fly Me to the Moon." We danced and it was great fun and quite a sight, with Manhattan high-rises on one side and the Hudson river on the other, and the sun setting behind the New Jersey skyline across the river to the west. Jess and I took a break from the dancing to stand next to the water, and I looked at the scene with appreciation and a bit of wonder. There were lots of children, couples, and people walking their dogs, and it was a very nice atmosphere.
The band closed its set at 8 just as it was getting dark. The four of us grabbed some coffee and walked around the shoreline. We saw a beautiful yacht, called the Perseus, docked along the water. We marveled at how elegant it was and had a footrace to try and figure out how long it was. Jeff thought it was 50 yards, I thought it was less. We knew that the fastest 100 yard dash run was under 10 seconds, and we decided to run the length of the boat and see how it long it took us. In sandals, it took me 10 seconds to run the length of it. We discovered the boat was closer to 50 yards (163 ft) after looking it up. I guess I'm not a very fast runner!
We continued walking and wound up at a memorial for the Irish Potato Famine. This was a period in the 1850s when a virus decimated Irish potato crops and millions of Irish starved. It was a very compelling sight. On one side it looks like a irish countryside, with grass and bush and a roofless stone cottage:
But when you walk around you see that it all sits on a building:
One the side of the building there are all these quotes related to hunger, and at night the quotes are illuminated in white. We walked around it quietly for a while, reading the different quotes and passages and taking it in.
It was about 10 at night, and we said goodbye to Jeff and Binna and made our way to the east side of the island to go to a party for one of Jess's friends. We grabbed a bite at a diner first, and I ordered a big basket of fish and chips. I was craving fried food then, but I regretted it yesterday when I played basketball. I felt heavier and slower than normal after the weekend of chips and fried food.
The party was on a rooftop. We got in around midnight, and it was such a sight up on that roof, with beautiful views of the skyline all around. There was a DJ who was playing music, which was intermittently turned off. Cops had come to keep the party quiet, and we could see them shining flash lights on us from another rooftop. We were still able to stay despite it. We met some of Jess's friend's there and had a good time dancing under the stars. It was a beautiful night, and although there was a breeze, we were all comfortable in shorts and light clothing.
The next day I packed all my clothes into my small backpack and Jess and I went to a small park near her apartment. We laid there under some trees and I fell asleep. It was great weather in New York, in the 80s and not too humid. It felt so much cooler than Boston. After a couple hours we made our way to Manhattan, where the bus I needed to take back to Boston was waiting.
I met Jeffrey at 7:30 hoping to catch an 8 p.m. bus. For the New York side of the bus line there is no station, you just wait on the sidewalk where it boards on a first-come, first-served basis. The line was very long and we had to wait until 9! It wasn't so bad because the girls were with us, and we talked to pass the time. I also bought some chicken from a Popeye's there and ate a makeshift dinner.
Finally it was time to board. We said goodbye to the girls and boarded, getting two seats near the front. Jeff and I played video games to pass the time, and got into Boston around 1 in the morning. His sister had left his car near the station, so we walked to it and he drove me home. I got in and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Thankfully I didn't have to go into work until 11 yesterday.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Martha's Vineyard July 4th Weekend
So this weekend 6 couples including myself and Jess made it out to Martha's Vineyard to spend the holiday at a friend's home. Martha's vineyard is an island off of Cape Cod, and you have to take a ferry to get there. It took almost two hours to get to the shore from Boston (it's South East of the city), and then the ferry ride was another hour and a half or so. The girls came up from New York on Thursday night, and we left Boston early Friday morning, arriving at the Cape shortly before noon.
Jeff and Binna on the ferry, and Jess and me.
The weather was fairly mild on the island. Boston's been suffering a muggy heat wave, and it was still muggy there, maybe in the high 80s, but tolerable. Some of our friends picked us up and took us back to the house, which was hidden behind large bush. On the way, we saw basketball star Grant Hill, who's married to one time successful R&B songstress Tamia. You probably don't know either of them, but it was pretty exciting.
Back at the house, we unloaded our things and ate lunch: burgers and hot dogs on the grill. People sat around and played video games, catch, and I dribbled the basketball (that's where you bounce it repeatedly). Eventually the boys decided to go to a park and play basketball, and several of the ladies came along to play tennis. Jess headed off to the beach with another woman and we met up with them after, to go digging for clams.
I wish I brought my camera but I didn't want to get it dirty, so unfortunately I don't have any photos of us clamming. We went to a shallow area off the beach, where the ground was very muddy and inconsistent. There were thousands of clams under our feet. We brought several buckets, and filled them all up with hard-shelled clams, and also some mussels. The mussels hang in the dirt underneath the grass at the edge of the water, and there were a lot of those to be had as well. I walked back to the car carrying a 40 pound bucket of clams!
Back at the house, we grilled a bunch of them for dinner and stayed in during the evening. Jeff set up karaoke, and while he did that, a few of us went to an upstairs bedroom to watch the fireworks through the window. Martha's Vineyard has a pretty nice fireworks show, and we could see most of it through the window. It was peaceful in the room, with all the lights turned off and our silhouetted heads quietly watching out the window.
We spent most of that night singing karaoke. It was pretty fun. Then we played some drinking games, but most people were tired from their early morning and the sports and clamming activities. I had a couple of beers and fell asleep in the living room. With the karaoke system still on, Jess put the microphone to my snoring for all to hear.
Saturday
Watching videos on the computer
The next morning was a quiet one. The skies were overcast and threatened rain, and most of us sat around, watching videos on youtube. Are you familiar with Youtube? It's a popular internet site with hundreds of thousands of videos that people around the world upload, and there are some pretty entertaining ones, like this:
After people got tired of watching, some of the group decided to go fishing. I stayed in with Jess, and napped and read a little. As the day moved to evening, some people from the fishing party returned, bearing a 30 inch striped bass they'd caught.
For dinner we ate prime rib and some of the fish. And again, everyone went to sleep pretty early, after watching some TV.
On Sunday, our last day, Jess and Binna left early with some friends to head back to New York. The rest of us planned on staying until 9pm. We spent the morning walking down the main street of Martha's Vineyard, which was very small. After, we went to the park again and I played some more basketball.
We finished what we could of the clams and fish for dinner, and spent the last hour cleaning up the house. Ms. Lau was a very gracious host, opening up her 4 bedroom home to 13 friends. Here she is with the family dog, C.J.
C.J. had plenty to eat this weekend.
We arrived at the ferry dock around 9, and set off back for the mainland. Jeff drove me home, and we pulled up to my apartment around 12:30. I stepped inside, brushed my teeth, and laid down the bed and fell asleep.
Jeff and Binna on the ferry, and Jess and me.
The weather was fairly mild on the island. Boston's been suffering a muggy heat wave, and it was still muggy there, maybe in the high 80s, but tolerable. Some of our friends picked us up and took us back to the house, which was hidden behind large bush. On the way, we saw basketball star Grant Hill, who's married to one time successful R&B songstress Tamia. You probably don't know either of them, but it was pretty exciting.
Back at the house, we unloaded our things and ate lunch: burgers and hot dogs on the grill. People sat around and played video games, catch, and I dribbled the basketball (that's where you bounce it repeatedly). Eventually the boys decided to go to a park and play basketball, and several of the ladies came along to play tennis. Jess headed off to the beach with another woman and we met up with them after, to go digging for clams.
I wish I brought my camera but I didn't want to get it dirty, so unfortunately I don't have any photos of us clamming. We went to a shallow area off the beach, where the ground was very muddy and inconsistent. There were thousands of clams under our feet. We brought several buckets, and filled them all up with hard-shelled clams, and also some mussels. The mussels hang in the dirt underneath the grass at the edge of the water, and there were a lot of those to be had as well. I walked back to the car carrying a 40 pound bucket of clams!
Back at the house, we grilled a bunch of them for dinner and stayed in during the evening. Jeff set up karaoke, and while he did that, a few of us went to an upstairs bedroom to watch the fireworks through the window. Martha's Vineyard has a pretty nice fireworks show, and we could see most of it through the window. It was peaceful in the room, with all the lights turned off and our silhouetted heads quietly watching out the window.
We spent most of that night singing karaoke. It was pretty fun. Then we played some drinking games, but most people were tired from their early morning and the sports and clamming activities. I had a couple of beers and fell asleep in the living room. With the karaoke system still on, Jess put the microphone to my snoring for all to hear.
Saturday
Watching videos on the computer
The next morning was a quiet one. The skies were overcast and threatened rain, and most of us sat around, watching videos on youtube. Are you familiar with Youtube? It's a popular internet site with hundreds of thousands of videos that people around the world upload, and there are some pretty entertaining ones, like this:
After people got tired of watching, some of the group decided to go fishing. I stayed in with Jess, and napped and read a little. As the day moved to evening, some people from the fishing party returned, bearing a 30 inch striped bass they'd caught.
For dinner we ate prime rib and some of the fish. And again, everyone went to sleep pretty early, after watching some TV.
On Sunday, our last day, Jess and Binna left early with some friends to head back to New York. The rest of us planned on staying until 9pm. We spent the morning walking down the main street of Martha's Vineyard, which was very small. After, we went to the park again and I played some more basketball.
We finished what we could of the clams and fish for dinner, and spent the last hour cleaning up the house. Ms. Lau was a very gracious host, opening up her 4 bedroom home to 13 friends. Here she is with the family dog, C.J.
C.J. had plenty to eat this weekend.
We arrived at the ferry dock around 9, and set off back for the mainland. Jeff drove me home, and we pulled up to my apartment around 12:30. I stepped inside, brushed my teeth, and laid down the bed and fell asleep.
Monday, June 2, 2008
My 27th Birthday
27, can you believe it! Man, that's a considerable amount of time, and I'm still feeling like I'm developing my understanding for things, like how to stay productive, how to stay on top of things. So much more to learn, but also a lot of good growth to acknowledge.
What I want - that's a little more defined now. In this age of options and unending info, my goal has been: sift through it; pick the most fulfilling one. I think any path can be fulfilling, specifically career-wise, but on the lifestyle tip too. But career alone, that's been hard to do. I have so many interests, and a knack for a lot of things.
Lifestyle wise, I've gone back and forth between spending time with the few close friends I have, and forgoing easy times in favor of working more passionately, even ruthlessly, to get to that next level. most of the time it's been the latter, but not always so comfortably. Still feeling like, is this me?
I think in the future, the aim will be some sort of reconciliation of poles. Approaching conflict not as problems, but the status quo. So far, that's been hard to reconcile. Like are you in or are you out? but applying that to all aspects of my nature. It's funny typing that out, like how can human nature be simply defined? But a lot of me still thinks it can. Definitely food for thought.
Edward Albee says "live life on the precipice." That's been ringing in my ears since I've heard it.
Today I woke up really early. Maybe 4am. Energized a little. 27! So things to think about:
On the meta tip:
My nature: find a way to harness and utilize (seemingly) non-positive/productive energy (i.e. boredom, disgust). Expend the energy, not distract it.
On the here and now:
Movie projects - put myself out there where I can
Web site?
Make the most of work time
What I want - that's a little more defined now. In this age of options and unending info, my goal has been: sift through it; pick the most fulfilling one. I think any path can be fulfilling, specifically career-wise, but on the lifestyle tip too. But career alone, that's been hard to do. I have so many interests, and a knack for a lot of things.
Lifestyle wise, I've gone back and forth between spending time with the few close friends I have, and forgoing easy times in favor of working more passionately, even ruthlessly, to get to that next level. most of the time it's been the latter, but not always so comfortably. Still feeling like, is this me?
I think in the future, the aim will be some sort of reconciliation of poles. Approaching conflict not as problems, but the status quo. So far, that's been hard to reconcile. Like are you in or are you out? but applying that to all aspects of my nature. It's funny typing that out, like how can human nature be simply defined? But a lot of me still thinks it can. Definitely food for thought.
Edward Albee says "live life on the precipice." That's been ringing in my ears since I've heard it.
Today I woke up really early. Maybe 4am. Energized a little. 27! So things to think about:
On the meta tip:
My nature: find a way to harness and utilize (seemingly) non-positive/productive energy (i.e. boredom, disgust). Expend the energy, not distract it.
On the here and now:
Movie projects - put myself out there where I can
Web site?
Make the most of work time
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