Dear members of my Education class group,

Freedom
Originally uploaded by Em.A~

Dear members of my Education class group,

You all are so fucking irresponsible. You are supposed to be teachers-in-training, but you aren't even disciplined enough to do ten minutes' worth of measly research on the educational system in England? I hand-fed you instructions on what to research and what to send me, and I sent out a million e-mail reminders and tried to make shit easy for you. I know that maybe the million e-mails was too much, but is it really my fault in the end, when none of you even had the balls to stand up and take responsibility for this project, for the constant e-mailing that it required? I'm looking at the syllabus and this is one of the main components going into our grade.


I sincerely hope that that ambiguous line in the syllabus about "class members grading each other" means that our group gets to grade each of its members, because I'm going to give all of you very honest grades that reflect your amount of effort in this ridiculous dance of not e-mailing me back/being late for meetings/refusing to offer suggestions/utter laziness.

I can understand that, because we are future teachers, we are all busy. We are busier than anyone else could ever comprehend. I am not even a future teacher and I'm busy. But none of you are busier than me, and none of you should have ever gotten it into your head that my assuming the responsibility meant that I had to do all the work myself.

I'm sure I'm overreacting. In fact, I'm about 90% sure that this project is going to go down really well and be pretty well-received, because of our combined efforts. I am just extremely bitter and extremely pissed that I had to be the one constantly worrying about all our asses in this course that no one cares about, despite it being one of the most relevant and useful classes we will ever take. I don't judge any of you for not thinking it's valuable as a class, but I really wish you could see that everything you do has value, and everything you do affects other people.

In fact, that is what this class is about: EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION, bitches. Education is a social monster, life is a social monster, and you are all failing at it because all you're concerned with is managing your own lives instead of trying to interact with the people who have stumbled into it and are thus A PART OF IT, however minuscule and worthless, according to you.

Sincerely,
Bitter, Self-Designated Group Leader

Oh, the scattered contents of a college kid's brain

lapalomafuelaquesecruzó
Originally uploaded by suprises

Lately I have been essentially consumed with two very different thoughts, and they alternate. One is a general sense of awe and overwhelmption (sure, why not) about the essence of life and how the main themes in my academic life are all colliding and exciting and blah blah blah. It's getting a little too pretentious even for me, I can tell you, so I can't imagine how annoyed the rest of the world is with me.

The other thought is a general, fretful feeling about how loud my CPU fan is on my laptop. :( I have this computer, a Vaio VGN SZ270P, to be exact. I even bought a can of pressurized air so that I could be all macho-nerdy and unscrew the back of my laptop and blow that canned air through the provided straw into my stupid fan. Anyway, I decided that when this computer completely dies, I would like the latest Macbook as a replacement. I'm sure there'll be a newer, more expensive version out by that time, but my point is that the Apple kingdom is really winning me over.

Anyway, I also wanted to share a lovely link with you fine people. It is called SelfAbsorbed.me and has provided me with many minutes of entertaining reading about real life written funnier. Also one of the writers apparently went to NYU, because I found the site by Googling the 11-person suite at the dorm I want to live at next year. Read the article in question here.

Shark Tank

On a pleasant misty morning,
Originally uploaded by *~\[ Yuga ☼ Sunshine ]/~*

While walking to an NYU dorm in the West Village last night, I was making my way down Morton Street when a bluish light from overhead in one of the apartments stopped me. I peered up at the third-floor loft with its huge windows and I could vaguely make out a large cube shape full of water. The blue light was bathing the inhabitants of this cube - nothing less than actual, live SHARKS. They were little ones, kind of like this...

JK. More like this. But still, I was amazed that people were rich enough and pompous enough to get sharks for their apartment. I was about to just walk on by, shaking my head, but I realized that I just wanted to stand there and look at the sharks a little longer.

In life, I don't think we do that enough. We don't stop to take things in. It's been said many times many ways (much like "Merry Christmas," bad joke) but still, people see something crazy as they live out their lives and simply furrow their brow while they walk on by. Sharks, I definitely cannot just walk on by those.

Googlin' Gramercy

Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.
Originally uploaded by Em.A~

So I notice a lot of you are coming here from Googling something along the lines of "Gramercy Green NYU housing pictures show me show me show me." I do not mind so much. In fact, I enjoy seeing that people come here looking for Gramercy but stay a little while longer, presumably to read my rambling would-be existential thoughts. I just think it's funny that my blog is the third link on the Google lists when I only have one post about the search terms in question, and the post isn't even that informative.

Here is what I will say about Gramercy:

- It is luxury. Marble countertops, touch-screen microwaves, dishwashers, enormous fridges, talking elevators, seven or so lounges (2 with TVs) throughout the building, upscale subcellar gym and study lounges, a game room, and a great community.
- It is expensive. At almost $13,000 per school year, we are all paying out the ass for this, and you still have to sign non-NYU people in for a max of 3 consecutive nights.
- It is in a great location. Duane Reade is on our ground floor, we're across the street from Starbucks (doesn't take dining dollars unfortunately), blocks away from Chipotle (#1 priority), the Flatiron building, Madison Square Park, the Blender Theater, the Epiphany branch of the NY Public Library, thrift shops galore, and lots of old people. (Don't worry, Baruch, School of Visual Arts or whatever, and plenty of bars are also nearby. You can solve that equation.) It normally takes fast walkers 20 minutes to get to the NYU campus downtown, and 25 for me cause I never learned to walk good.

- I am leaving it for off-campus housing next year, which terrifies me and really makes me not want to talk about it on this blog, which I like to think I save for thoughts of prettiness and intellectualism. What I like to think and what is actually true, of course, are a bit like gold and silver: very good but also quite different. That was a simile.

I'm done.

I Am Angel Deverell...

So yesterday I went to see Angel, and it was kind of good that I didn't make it into a date of any kind, but I liked it. The over-the-top satirical romance was a little aggravating at times, but what I really enjoyed about the movie were the assorted moments where color, music and mood rushed together to create beautiful, comfortably almost-nostalgic images for my romantic appreciation. I'm not sure how to better describe them, but they took me back to more innocent days of idealized love that I'd created in my head, in settings built solely for the depiction of that dream. I suppose I really need an escape, lately, and Angel was good for that.

Now, however, I am back to procrastinating work and waking up guilty and stressed about my mess of a life.

Early Christmas Spirit

This weekend, I successfully got myself in over my head with Christmas mood preparyness. My friend C and I ate her homemade (vegan!) apple-peach pie, soy chocolate ice cream, warm apple cider with a hint of cinnamon, and delighted in the Christmas joy that is Love Actually. Can I just say that that movie brings out the romantic in me? It does. Not only because Karl is immeasurably beautiful, but because the stories are all around pretty romantic and sweet. Except the ones that are heartbreaking. But you know.

I have been singing "All I Want For Christmas Is You" like a broken record, and it is finally getting pretty cold outside, so guess what guys! CHRISTMAS IS COMING!! But don't tell that to my pessimistic friend from Human Development class, who insists that this crazy thing called Thanksgiving has to come first. WHATEVER, Thanksgiving. I mock you and your birds and your corn and your thanks. Christmas will not be defeated.

This weekend, a friend from home is coming to visit, and I am planning to drag her out to Brooklyn so we can see Angel, an allegedly riotously sappy, romantic movie. There is snow in the poster photo, and that makes me happy. I just wish I had someone romantical to go with me to see it on a date. Yes a date. I have never dated in my life. But that would be a cute date and I would get us lost in deep dark Brooklyn but we would find a cozy little cafe with hardwood floors and crimson couches and smile at each other a lot, and kisses would probably be involved.

NYU: Walking the Walk

So aside from feeling guilty that a) I haven't done any homework yet this long weekend (we have today and tomorrow off for "fall break" - HA) and b) I just spent a total of about $267 on a new coat and boots for myself (I actually feel kind of wretched and nervous, but I need these things! I essentially deconstructed my old coat because the cheap snaps fell off and I tried to re-sew them numerous times to utter failure), I would say I've had a pretty good weekend.

I went with C and her friend M to Prospect Park yesterday. It's in Brooklyn, for those who don't know. We had a lovely picnic, which resulted in the glorious gift of my having guacamole which now desperately needs some chips to go with it. We saw cute children on boats, many many wedding crews taking pictures, and the beginnings of fall colors. We also visited the zoo at the park and had a lot of fun randomly talking about and cooing over the animals.

After that we went on a tour of the Tenement Museum, which was very interesting! I'm not usually a history person, but I can take it in short bits like this; the tour was about an hour long. We learned that sometimes in the garment workers' working areas it would get to be 120 degrees! I thought that was unbelievable; I'm amazed anyone survived those conditions.

Right near the Tenement Museum is a vegan/gluten-free etc. bakery called Babycakes, where I got this crazy, cute cookie sandwich thing. It's a teeny tiny bit expensive, but pretty impressive for not using animal byproducts!

It's been a good couple of days. Now it's time to creep ashamedly back to reality on all fours, head bowed and ready to work. I'm getting kind of worried that I don't take my work seriously anymore. I think I overcompensated with enthusiasm at the beginning of the year.

NYU: Study Abroad Apps and Political Woes

So much to do and such a little memory to remember it all with! A lot of my friends have been asking me lately, "When do you find out about study abroad in Paris for next semester? Yay for you and yay for study abroad!" And, wisely, I have answered them with, "Oh, that deadline hasn't come up yet." Because I knew that there were at least two deadlines. BUT. I just checked tonight and found that I missed the first one and that the second of the two recommended deadlines (i.e. everything after #2 means "you may regret your propensity for procrastination for the rest of your life") is in about two weeks.

So I finally began putting into action the epic plan I have had since May of weaseling my way into friendship with my Translation professor from last semester. I sent her an e-mail asking to bother her at her office hours, and I really hope she responds, because I need her to sign forms for me confirming my proficiency at French. (This is so that I can do the more immersion-geared program.) Don't worry, I'm not going to make her sign the form the first time I see her for this year. I will save that for weasely meeting no. 2. I have it all worked out. I just hope it... you know, works out.

***

In other news, I watched the presidential debate tonight and was very intimidated by the knowledge of my peer college-goers on all the issues being debated. I didn't really understand a lot of the debate, because they kept talking over it, which is understandable, but I have decided to educate myself by reading up online. Sadly, I am so averse to politics that I have found a multitude of things to do online in the past hour rather than read about the candidates' stances. I'm probably a bad person. What did you think about the debate?

NYU: Remembering

Last night, when A and I got back from dinner and grocery shopping (and, unintentionally, waiting for the bus for a half hour), there was a sheet of paper on our entryway floor. We overlooked it at first, but later when I was turning off the hall light, I noticed it and saw that it had a lot of text on it. All those words signified either big trouble or big news to me. When I picked it up to read it, I found that it really meant both.

A boy from our building was struck by a car and killed the other night, walking along the road after partying in Brooklyn. It was shocking to read this horrible news, because he was only a sophomore. I didn't know him, but it brought up a lot of thoughts about similar incidents. I'm not very emotional about people I don't personally know, but I did experience a brief but intense wave of what I guess was anger when I read about this boy's unfortunate passing. How completely unnecessary and unfair it is, and how sudden.

NYU is known for its high suicide rate. I was not aware of this gruesome fact until I came here, but it is definitely part of our school culture, as awful as that is. The school even rigged all dorm windows to open a mere three inches when suicides spiked a few years ago. Last Fall, there were about four suicides within the first month, if I remember correctly. The details were obviously and wisely concealed, but everyone speculated that it was the classic reactions of freshmen unaccustomed to the one-small-face-in-a-huge-crowd atmosphere of NYU. It is hard to make yourself seen or heard here. And it is hard to grow into yourself when the community is so spread out - NYU stretches from the Financial District up to Gramercy and Murray Hill now, and it can be hard to find friends in this housing situation, not to mention in the multiple schools of NYU. But there is no sense in generalizing these insignificant facts to the lives and deaths of such unique students.

NYU tries a lot of things to bring this enormous community together and offer year-round emotional support for those who need it, but there are a lot of variables they simply can't control. This latest death has really accentuated such limitations - the accident occurred in a totally different borough, and it was not connected with NYU or academics at all.

I just hope the boy from Gramercy Green was able to do the things he wanted and enjoyed in the short time he lived on this earth, and that maybe this unfortunate event will inspire others to make the most of their experiences, not just at NYU but in life.

Thanks to Wikimedia for the image.

NYU: Music Movie and Musings

Tonight I went to see a free pre-screening of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Lots of free screenings lately, I know. I love my school. But anyway, I went to see it with A, C, and J. If we made a band, our acronym could be JACA. Or CAJA. Caha! Haha.

The movie was really good, but it was funny to realize that the movie's typical teenage portrayal of romance and true love was what I once believed to be absolute and invariable. I thought that was how it happened to everyone and how it would happen to me. Meet across a room, go on some crazy adventure in one night, have a connection/sex, then be in love forever once the credits rolled and life went on.

I like to think I am more emotionally and psychologically experienced now, and that my relationships with people are so comfortably mature that I can brush off the expectancy of that teenagery little stereotype. But it is nice to imagine having that sort of cute and fun love with someone. Michael Cera is adorable, after all. As some of our fellow moviegoers were talking about though, he does get typecast something awful.

***

In actual New York and NYU news, I had a Harvey Dent sort of day yesterday. Let me explain, even though I already know you know I mean two-faced.

Long story short, the first half of my day was great - research topics in my language change seminar, cute baby video in Human Development, fun awkward times in German, blah blah blah nobody cares. But after work I had my first session for a French-English translation class. I'm taking it for this translation certificate. IT SUCKS. We are starting off with legal translation, and I don't even know legal terminology in English!! I am so worried about this class that I am seriously considering dropping it, which I've never EVER done before, or taking the online version, taught by a (hopefully) better teacher.

I won't go into it much more, but at least now there is bloggular evidence that I do dislike some things about my life right now... lame I know

NYU: Environments

Today I've had an awful migraine. It affected me even at work, because the after-school elementary crowd decided to play "run around and scream and fall down and be totally insane," which is a game I would never ever recommend to anyone. Unless maybe you are homeless and you do that kind of thing to be an awesome spectacle for city folk.

In spite of my headache, I actually had a really great day. I love my Tuesday-Thursday classes, and I am so pleased with the choices I've made during my college career thus far. Blah blah blah I am the most annoying person you have ever met! Anyway, I also saw a free pre-screening of Burn After Reading, with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich et al. It was amazing; the Coen brothers are my new favorite (late on the bandwagon, I know), and my friends A, J and I laughed a whole lot. Brad Pitt is so adorable in it.

Today I also thought a bit about my mindset this year, comparing it to last year's. I definitely think that my living situation has a lot to do with my level of happiness. Last year, I was depressed about my view and my suitemate (my roommate S, on the other hand, was the best). I didn't like the neighborhood, because the main Canal Street area of Chinatown is absolutely horrid.

This year, I love so much more about where I am. I have a great apartment, with a wonderful roommate; I know some awesome people on my floor; the floor is planning a lot of great activities; and the neighborhood is much more peaceful but also culturally rich. Did I ever mention I had Sri Lankan food when my mom was here? Another painfully huge highlight of the area is the Blender Theater at Gramercy (photo via that link), which is literally two blocks away. In November, my favorite band ever, Jack's Mannequin, is playing there, and I am looking forward to the ticket sales opening!! (When the presale sold out, I thought it was the regular sale and I was really sad.)

Things are slowly but surely getting back into the swing of the Fall semester, and I'm really looking forward to it. This is not the last of the great news for this year!

NYU: Gramercy Green

4/15/2009 NOTICE
Pictures fixed. ALSO - If you clicked here from Google, please be aware that this blog has now moved to 13yrsofclutter.blogspot.com and that before the housing lottery begins, I will be posting a semi-complete floorplan there with details about room types from my own knowledge. Keep your eyes peeled!!

Here they are, the long-awaited photos of my apartment-style dorm at Gramercy Green. I am in room 1101, which is a 2-person studio on the inner, south-facing side of Gramercy, which is shaped like a U. Click the photos for bigger versions.

	Here is our door. Entrez, si vous l'osez! My mom made that tulip welcome sign for A when she was bored.
	Our entryway is kind of bare still. I want to get some affordable framed paintings or photos from the street fair next time it rolls around to our street.
	Our kitchen is positively glorious for living in student housing. (The building was previously going to be luxury condos, so we lucked out. :P) At least in my opinion. The only problem is that all the smoke detectors in the building are extremely sensitive and they are located right past the archway near the stove haha. We've had about 9 fire drills now, because people have burnt eggs and such (and then "resolve" it by opening their front doors, successfully spreading the smoke to the main sensors).
	Our small dining area and the view from our large windows. I confess, I've spied many a neighbor from here. NYU students have no shame haha. Jk. Maybe.
	Backtracking a bit, toward the kitchen again and turning left, we have the bathroom. I love so many things about it; for example, the separate light in the shower area is pretty sweet.
	More of the bathroom. Weird tiling, eh? Our ceiling in here is weirdly tall. But the resulting enormous cabinets are a nice plus.
	This is my side of the room (left of the windows). It's pretty messy and currently rather sparsely decorated, because I'm stingy. But I decided this is not clutter since I know the exact location of all my belongings at school. :P
	Uhhh that's not my super messy desk area... :O
	A's side! I did ask her for permission to post this and the part of the door earlier. I'm not a horrible roommate, I swear.
	The lights I fashioned to be a pretty heart over the archway. My mom suggested this when she was here, so our neighbors could see the masterpiece haha.
	Closet. Kinda ugly.
	Our view. We face kind of southwest and it's much better than last year! So much ♥ ♥ ♥

P.S. I changed the layout of the blog, because I was getting tired of the dots. I think this looks more professional. It's still not my own design, it's Blogger's, but what do you think? Like/no like?

New York: IOU

I wanted my second post from New York to have pictures of my apartment-style dorm (the photo on the left is Madison Square Park and the MetLife tower, not my dorm!), but I haven't gotten around to taking the photos, and I have also been kind of busy. I had three interviews for internships, two of which were crappy, and the third of which I scored but then lost because of my hectic schedule. I'm kind of upset about that, because they were offering $15/hr. But it would have made my life hell to have that job and my other job (I was planning to work both), plus classes, music and the AAWA (I'm on the E-board :3).

So this is just a quick post to tide you over until I can prepare a feast of fabulous photos for your face. In fact, here's an interesting New York related article for you to read in the meantime: Secrets of a Hipster Hooker. Warning for content, language and sex talk. I thought it was really interesting, but of course I would never consider living that life for myself. The article is via iCiNG, which I'm really starting to love.

The girl who writes iCiNG, Gala, is from New Zealand and she spent some time in New York. Her enthusiasm for this place really makes me appreciate it more. I honestly think she has helped me change my attitude from the typical NYU state of mind - "Oh I'm going to a super rich school in New York and I'm so awesome I should never smile or be useful" - to my own pleasant state of mind - "I really like where I am, and I enjoy all these people being around me in this fantastic setting."

Thanks to IGoUGo for the photo. :)

New York: Settling In

As I sit here listening to the goodbye mix my friend L made me, I can't help missing my friends from back home in California. There are so many things here that I want to be able to share with them in person. For example, I know they would love the fact that I passed a restaurant called Teriyaki Boy this morning on my way to help the new freshmen move in. In fact, I wish any of my friends were here - CA or NYU - so I could be out exploring! Most people at NYU are moving in this week. It's nice having my mom here, but she is "elderly" (apparently this is the PC term?? she's not elderly though) and tires easily. However, I am very proud of her because she has made a lot of progress with her health and fitness since last time she was here, and we have done a lot of walking so far!

Today we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the Turner exhibit. My mother remembered studying him in her college art history courses, and I recalled the name from the Rufus Wainwright song "The Art Teacher" (lyrics), which I love. So we saw it, and it was fascinating! My favorite was Fisherman at Sea. The moonlight caught my attention right away, and I love the movement of the waves under it. All of his paintings are captivating.

My roommate A is moving in tomorrow! But I have three internship interviews throughout the day, so who knows when I'll get to meet her. I spoke to her on the phone the other night, and it turns out she grinds her teeth at night like me! How awesome are we. Oh God.

Gramercy Green

Oh man!!!!!! I just got an e-mail saying that my room change request to be in this dorm of insane perfection for next year went through! I'm on the 11th floor and I'm so excited. Expect dorm room posts soon (it's relevant I swear!)...

You don't understand the adrenaline and the screaming that is happening right now... at 9:30 a.m.

Edit: Sorry I don't think I conveyed my excitement adequately in this post...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YYYYYYYESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS O. M. G. O. M. G. O.M.G. O.M.G. OMG OMG OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG GRAMERCYYYYYYYYYY HALLELUJAH PRAISE JOHN SEXTON? HOUSING GODS THY WILLS BE DONE IN THE NAME OF THE IRISH YEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS THIS IS GETTING BLASPHEMOUS BUT I HAVE GOOD HOUSINGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!