Job Hunting

Scary, isn't it? I'm nearing that time... graduating quickly approaching... anxiety coming...

Anybody have great job search sites they would recommend?

WORD OF THE DAY #1

Holler.

Sugar & Gravy's Word of the Day shall be a new segment that I hope to actually remember to do from time to time.

TODAY'S WORD: circumlocution.
Mmmm doesn't it just sound good?

It means: a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; the use of more words than necessary to express an idea.

Loves it.

In other news, the GREAT FLOSSING CHALLENGE (is that what I called it?) is going well, I think. Since my dentist appt. (last Thurs.), I've flossed 5 times, and used my new soft picks or whatever 5 times. It's a start!!!

Glee is Presidential

So good!

This is totally indicative of how perfect "Glee" is. The world was obviously waiting for a show like this. Never mind the fact that Glee has taken advantage of social media outlets, too, like Facebook. I'm impressed!

I'm pumped for next season/the 2nd half of first season? I'm not even sure, just bring on another ep.

Sir Richard Dancin

This is why Virgin is a cool company.

oui

YES!

YES!

YES!

Fah-Shunn

I wanna go to Helsinki... mostly so I can try my best to get on Hel-Looks.

I wish I had a tonne of money to buy clothes! Honestly, I think I'd start at Value Village. I want to take all of my clothes out of my closet and drawers and see what I can donate, alter, bring back into my life, put away for another time, etc.

I'm gonna watch "The September Issue" again.

P.S. Some great songs from the soundtrack - "Nostrand" & "Swisha" by Ratatat, "Burn It All Down" by VHS or Beta, "At Sea" by Electrelane, "S to U" by Chessie, and "Around the Bend" by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour.

P.P.S. I've flossed once since my dentist appointment, and plan on doing it again this morning.

THE GREAT FLOSSING CHALLENGE

Went to the dentist today and it was incredibly painful! My gums are inflamed and nasty stuff is building up in there. My hygienist said I need to floss. Normally I would nod and lie and say I would. Today I nodded and said I would, but I wasn't lying.

I commit to flossing once daily from February 19th - onwards.

I will blog to let you know the progress.

NO.

Continuing on my Grace kick...

Are you kidding? Annie Leibovitz AND Ms. Coddington?

The Issue

I DL'ed the soundtrack from "The September Issue" and listened to it while strutting around Yorkville today. If you watch that movie enough times (I think I'm at 6, maybe) the songs and fashion become intertwined, so it's a lot of fun to stomp around to.

I wonder why I love the movie so much? Maybe because it inspires me... maybe because I really like the way it's presented...

Actually, it's because of Grace.

Shout Out to L Hostels!

I spoke about this before, but I wanted to dedicate a full post to it (which means I'll likely post again right after this).

L Hostel, New York City

I stayed at the L Hostel in Harlem in NYC for one night, and I absolutely LOVED it!!! The staff were incredible, it was clean, I felt really safe, and my room was just what my friend and I needed. It was $25 each for 1 night, and we had a private 2-person room with a bathroom that we shared with other people. The bathroom was clean and really quite nice! They had a free breakfast from 7-10am in the morning (bagels, coffee, etc.). AND - after we checked out, they allowed us to lock up our bags and laptops ($5) in a locker so that we didn't have to carry them around with us all day. It was also just a 7-minute walk (or less!) from 2 subway stations. Incredibly easy to get around the city from there.

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

I would stay there again in a second! - and I would recommend it to anyone & everyone!

Merci!

To all my readers (assuming there are a few):

N.Y.C.

Absolutely surreal. I've seen these places on TV and in the movies, but I never imagined being here, taking pictures in front of stores and signs and buildings, taking the subway, riding the cabs, etc., etc. Unreal. I love it!

Now, as I did in July '09 when I was traveling in the Middle East, I now present: 10 things I'm learning in N.Y.C.

(1) Homeless/jobless people are a lot more creative when trying to get change on the subway.
(2) I can't tell if the subway is more efficient or more complicated than the TTC... or both!
(3) Magnolia Bakery is worth the wait.
(4) Get some supportive shoes on, and just keep walking! There's so much to see!
(5) My friend B. is SO talented! So great to see him dance again! He's grown so much as an artist and it shows! Love him!
(6) L Hostel in Harlem is really impressive. Inexpensive, great service and staff, comfortable!!! (www.l-hostels.com)
(7) Strawberry Fields (John Lennon Memorial) in Central Park is a great spot. I thought of my hero as I took it all in.
(8) Times Square is overwhelming, but don't be fooled! The whole city isn't like that! There are peaceful and normal corners to visit.
(9) Cabs are cheap!
(10) Once again... home is where the heart is!

Also - growing up is awesome! My 16 year-old self would be so excited to know I'm navigating N.Y.C. (partly) on my own. Of course, it wouldn't have been the same today without B. and R. B. knows the city so well, obv, and R. is the best traveling partner a girl could ask for!

What a blast this has been!

Empire State of Bus

I am on the Megabus. TO to NYC. WiFi connection. Doesn't get much better than that.

I'm in Buffalo right now. Crossed the border without any issue. NYC in just over 5 hours.

LML.

"Celebrity"

I've had a lot of conversations these days about the way the world is now. Conversations about how when I say, "What's up?" to my friend, he replies, "NM", and that's totally fine with me. Conversations about whether or not Internet dating sites are representative of the deterioration of social behaviour in this century. My instinct is to always support the time we live in. We live in the age of iPhones and Twitter and text messaging, and it's a great age to be a part of! Information moves faster than ever. Technology is changing more rapidly than I can mentally process. However, there are lines being crossed that I question.

I just listened to the audio of John Mayer breaking down onstage.
He says, "I quit the media game. I'm out. I'm done. [...] I just want to play my guitar."

With a world so obsessed with the idea of celebrity and real people becoming fictionalized... that must be a lot of pressure for celebrities. There are a lot of celebrities who became celebrities because they were passionate about their art - whether it be acting, or playing the guitar. However, because of us, they've become wrapped up in something they never signed on for.

That being said, I suppose it is what they signed on for. We all know that if you become a household name, that carries a lot of weight. Weight you might not want to take on.

Is there a choice? Can John Mayer really quit? I don't think so, because I found out about this on Twitter and then E! Online. I don't think you can escape it. It's just the way of the world... whether good or bad, it sells!

There's also those people that don't care about "their art" (if they even have one), because what they want is the celebrity. You don't have to have an art to be a celebrity now (see: Speidi), because we don't care what you do, we just care about which bar you were at, whether or not you flashed anyone, cheated on your boyfriend, or got in a cat fight with another "celeb".

I'm not bashing it though. I buy into it, too! I just find it fascinating.

Truthfully, there's no other age I'd want to grow up in.

P&P

I love this quote. I feel like it is very me in a lot of ways.

"While, I can have my mornings to myself," said she, "it is enough. - I think it no sacrifice to join occasionally in evening engagements. Society has claims on us all; and I profess myself one of those who consider intervals of recreation and amusement as desirable for every body."
- Mary, in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Whimsicale

If you ever need a pick me up, watch this:
How cute is she? OMG, I want a daughter that looks just like her... and who speaks French... even though I don't...

Brill.

I have a feeling I'm gonna fall in love with these two people very quickly!

Old vs. New

I saw an ad on campus today for a summer sublet. I've got a place for the summer, so that's not what interested me. What did interest me was a statement on the poster that was along the lines of "Only 4 years old".

It reminded me of something I've thought about a few times over the past couple of years - old vs. new houses. There are a lot of people, I find, that are really obsessed with the idea of their house or apartment being new. New is associated with clean, safe, sanitary, and quality. Old, on the other hand, is associated with dirty, unsafe, unhealthy, and deterioration.

I'm not chirping the people who are into new places. I mean, I understand the draw, I really do. However, as someone who grew up in a beautiful home in residential Toronto that has been around for 50+ years, I just cannot relate. I think old houses equal character, personality, and sturdiness. With apartment complexes going up in weeks, I just don't understand how new places are safer. Sure, old places require a lot of work to maintain, but so does any place, I think! Plus, if they've hung around for so many years, who's to say they won't hang around for a lot longer?

Moral of the story? When I am in a position to buy a house, I'll be looking for something old.