30 December 2009

Obligatory New Year Post

Not to make it sound so depressing but I can't stand the whole top ten list, countdown of the moments, etc. that plagues the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve. I don't like New Year's resolutions. As someone who's spent most of my life on an academic schedule, the new year is usually September, when a school year begins.

But I understand the appeal of New Year's. The feeling that once the clock strikes 12, you can reinvent yourself. Change the way you act and become that better version of yourself you envision. It's tempting.

There are some things I am looking forward to in 2010. I want to treat myself better. I hope to find clarity. I really want to save more. But I realize that setting up unrealistic goals will just make me feel like a failure if I don't reach them. And I don't think setting a goal on New Year's is the best time anyway since you're still coming down off that holiday high. I can tell you one goal that I hope to achieve. Ringing in the New Year with friends, a cute outfit and wearing my green wig. Totally attainable.

28 December 2009

Things That Make Me Happy

I'm a simple person for the most part and I try to take pleasure in life's simple offerings. Here's a few things that are currently making me happy.

This video:


For some reason I start to tear up at the "Somebody to Love" section.

My godsister:

Just about the cutest thing ever. And she's planned a whole evening of us playing with her toys. She cracks me up.






My iPod Touch:

My mom spent way too much on me for Christmas but if I had to, I could give everything back but this iPod. I've been on the web and downloading apps non-stop. It's my absolute new favorite thing.

26 December 2009

I ♥ New York (But I Hate Spending Money)

I am a huge fan of the Shopaholic novels. I completely agree with Rebecca Bloomwood when she talks about the feeling you get "when your fingers first grasp those shiny, new bags"; I can totally relate. But unlike Becky Bloomwood, I do not have lovely parents to bail me out or a financier for a boyfriend.

So it's hard to come to NY. First off, there's all these fab shops that you cannot find on the West Coast (TopShop and Uniqlo). Secondly, there's no tax on clothes (thank Jesus). And third, it's Christmastime which means sales galore. Then you add in the discoveries. I went to Bloomingdale's and found a great line from the UK, All-Saints Spitalfields, which has a little outpost in the department store and is filled with these intricately detailed dresses and tops. Plus, if you order online they have free shipping to the US!

Alas, I am on a budget (and a weight limit on the plane) and it's incredibly frustrating. So I'm trying to stick to the basics. Things I need (work appropriate pants and shoes) with one or two things for myself to make me happy (silver peeptoes from TopShop). To be honest, given what I've spent, I've made out like a bandit with the amount of things I've purchased but it's hard to look at some things and know they're still out of my grasp. If I can make it through February hopefully I'll get to do some shopping when I come to the East Coast again in May.

17 December 2009

It's Up to You ...

Here it is 2 a.m. and I can't go to sleep until I'm done packing. Tomorrow evening, I head straight from work to a 6:30 flight out of SFO. I've worked really hard since September and I'm about to go on a well-deserved Christmas vacation.

Everyone always says there's nothing like New York at Christmastime and they're right. Last year, I spent the holidays in Oakland and it wasn't miserable but it wasn't home.

To be honest, it's not even the best idea for me to go home for as long as I'm going to be there. I've got major events coming up and lots to prep but at this point, I'd much rather be working long-distance. There's something about NY that recharges my batteries. No matter how hectic it is, I always return with an energy and vitality that I didn't have before leaving.

Basically, I kill myself before leaving. I'm tired and cranky and out of it by the time I board the plane but when I get off, I'm ready to face the city that never sleeps. After all, that's where I learned how to live without it.

01 December 2009

Til Death Do Us Part

I think it's been pretty well established that although I enjoy California, in my heart, I'll always be a New Yorker. In particular, there is one thing about California that really gets my goat, Prop 8.

Proposition 8 managed to tear down a law that allowed for gay marriage in the state of California under the guise of "protecting traditional marriage". Now there's a lot of things wrong with that concept. First off, "traditional marriage" was originally no more than an opportunity for a man to "acquire" a wife. Traditional marriage also allowed for the sanctioned abuse of women. Such allowances have changed as our society has changed. The concept of marriage is fluid.

My personal belief is that no one can lament their lack of civil rights if they only use their gains to oppress others. Therefore, I cannot demand civil rights as a woman or a Black person if I am not willing to give those same rights to others.

My current hero is a man who's decided that if we are truly going to "protect traditional marriage" we should ban divorce in the state of California. I think the genius of this concept is its simplicity. Why wouldn't you ban divorce to protect marriage? Although a lot of people view this as a joke, I would love to see people hop on his train if for no other reason than to prove a point. Homophobic hustlers are hiding behind this protection angle to avoid saying the truth; they hate gay people and they don't want them to have the same rights afforded to "normal" people. Until we expose this for what it really is, they will continue to gather people who feel comfortable hiding behind a falsehood. So I say, ban divorce. Marriage is too important not to be protected.