New School Year & Fashion's Night Out!

Hey hey hey! And we are back with another school year!

Wow, I can't believe summer vacation went by so fast. It's unbelievable that today is the last day of August - wow! These three months didn't even seem productive at all! I certainly didn't do so much. I had a volunteer job at the hospital and took some courses and caught up with some of my good friends.

I was not as productive as I was last year, at all! Didn't go to a lot of new places but I've been around DUMBO/Brooklyn Heights-area. It's quite beautiful; don't underestimate anywhere that isn't in the city.

I am so excited - next Thursday, as most of you know, is Fashion's Night Out! Boy, am I stoked! For those of you who don't know what Fashion's Night Out is, it's a one-night event (usually a day or a few days before September 11th) around the country, more exclusively in New York, where stores and boutiques have special events such as celebrity appearances, free cocktails and snacks, parties, prize giveaways, special gifts with purchases and such! Last year, I was at Lord & Taylor, where celebrity photographer and America's Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker was the special celebrity and shoe designer Vince Camuto was the special designer, and it was crazy, I tell you. Girls were screaming over Nigel Barker (who could blame them?) and Vince Camuto seemed like a laid-back, nice guy. Well, the events at Lord & Taylor just got better this year with Beyonce's little sis Solange, Ivanka Trump and Vince Camuto! Also, the Macy's events seem pretty extraordinary, so I'll possibly be going to that one.

If anyone is interested, I will post some photos from the upcoming one-night special. I hope many of you ladies will get the chance to go next week because it'll make your night unforgettable! Until then...ciao!

It's June Already?

Hey guys! Hope everyone's having a laid-back break so far (at least for us college kids). School has ended 3 weeks ago for me, 4 weeks in 4 days, can you believe!

But so far, I haven't really done anything productive, except catching up with a few friends (whom I haven't seen in MONTHS) and basically just applying for jobs everywhere. I've probably filled out at least a hundred applications, I can only name 5 or so at the top of my head. It's stressful when you don't have as much experience.

Alternatively, I am taking summer courses. I'm actually getting ready to go to my first class right now, (but I won't tell you where). :P At least I'm trying to compensate my grades for better ones.

It has been really windy over the last few days, which is not something we always look forward to in the summer. I have a feeling the highest it'll go this summer is around mid or high 80s, like 2 summers ago. Fine by me!

Anyway, I'm about to leave to catch my bus for class in a few. I just hope it won't be as stressful!

For All You Mamas:

Happy Mother's Day! (Only if you're a mom.)

I can sadly say that due to my hectic finals week schedule, I cannot celebrate this Mother's Day formally with my mother. Luckily, she understands but I still feel horrible inside.

For those of you who have moms, love your mother with all your heart. You might hate your mother for her annoyance or whatever it is that of her annoys you but bottom line, she's still your mother who cares deeply about you.

A few days ago, one of my cousin Jason's best friends, whose mother passed away four months ago, drank a bit too much and was crying hysterically about wanting to see his mother, in the middle of the night, on my block. I was at first, a little irritated by the noise from outside at two in the morning, but when I heard what he was saying, I couldn't help but shed a few tears because I couldn't imagine my life without my own mother. He was standing on the road, and couldn't care less about getting hit by a car. My mother, whose room is right across from where he was crying, was woken up by his rage and started getting teary as well. I guess my mother is one of the very fortunate ones whose mothers are still well and alive at the age of 81. But here was a 25-year old guy with three younger brothers under his wing, a widowed father, and has a low-paying job at KFC, who doesn't mind that he doesn't have too much to provide for his own family; all he wants is his mother back.

Even though I feel bad for not being able to celebrate Mother's Day with my mother, I'm going to make it up to her for sure. I promised her I will treat her dinner or lunch at the restaurant of her choice, no matter how expensive because, well...she's my mother. And if your mother is still around, do something for her, even if you think getting her a store-bought card is nothing, it'll mean the world to her. My mother has stored every card I've ever given her, even the ugliest cards I made from grade school, from Valentine's Day, Christmas, and Mother's Day.

Royal Fairytale

It's official: Prince William's college sweetheart of nine years, Kate Middleton, is officially the Duchess of Cambridge!

In case some of you are wondering, she's not Princess Catherine as many think she is, given her marriage to Prince William. She is also not to be referred to as just 'Kate' now, but formally as Catherine. As most of you know, she's referred to as a 'commoner' and because she wasn't born as a royalty, she cannot have that title, but didn't she look just like a princess from one of the Disney films? In addition, she's also known as the Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus, and Her Royal Highness Princess William Arthur Philip Louis. So many different names for one person, right?

Speaking of the Royal Wedding, it was magical. I'd never imagine people from all over the world would go to London just to catch a glimpse of the wedding but there they are, millions of people have come to London to be one of the millions to witness the Royal Wedding live. There is an estimate of two billion people from around the world that were watching the wedding, some even waking up at 4 a.m. EST to catch it live on television! Catherine looked stunning in her bridal dress, designed by Sarah Burton of the late Alexander McQueen, made from French lace and English lace. The dress has inspired many brides-t0-be to choose a very similar-looking dress, for which the Duchess' dress will stand as an inspiration for a long time. Catherine walked graciously down the aisle among 1,900 guests with the likes of David & Victoria Beckham, Joss Stone, Elton John, and Rowan Atkinson and 40 foreign royals.
At 8:25 a.m. EST, the newly wedded royal couple stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and kissed not once, but twice!

Procrastination: Based on Attitude?

Most of you are probably too busy studying to read this at this point but procrastination is a big issue among students, especially when it comes to homeworks and exams. I'm pretty sure most of you have heard your friends whining on their Facebook statuses, saying how much they're putting off this and that, but we never tend to think about why we do it.

When we are overwhelmed by multi-tasking, especially during very important periods such as midterms and finals, we tend to do things that are important first, in a descending order. Everything comes off as stressful at first but slowly comes off as laid back as the least important tasks, the ones that we think are easy, are put off to last.

A high school senior from Roslyn High School takes the dodge to research why students procrastinate. Caroline Trezza of Roslyn Heights, Long Island surveyed 168 sophomores and juniors to find the cause of procrastination, to see the difference between motivation and self-confidence that affect their ability to complete assignments on time as part of her research for the Young Epidemiology Scholars contest, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, for which she won second-place with $35,000.

Trezza, who says she also puts things off herself at times, concluded that those who were confident tend to get things done faster. To avoid procrastination, students should be taught to make completing tasks a priority at a very young age so they could easily be more acclimated in getting things done faster.

In my opinion, I don’t think the factor of procrastination has much to do with whether a teen is confident or not. In my high school, there were many students who were confident, or appeared confident, but most have failed to complete assignments on time. Confident or not confident, it varies on each person’s motivation to learn how to make things a priority no matter how important things are. As someone who is caught up with many assignments, I try to align my tasks in a descending order of the most important to least and sometimes by the time I get to the last, I figure how easy it would be to get that task done and I hold off by taking a break. I think many students try to make their work a priority, no matter how confident or not confident they are.

Finals: Self-Exhaustion?

At this time of the year (or should I say semester?), college students are the busiest. Actually, at this time and in the middle of December. And you might ask why. For one, finals week is approaching fast and some of us are so behind lessons, we have to catch up (*coughs*). Yes, there's so much cramming during finals, we lose sleep and can't eat a decent meal. What's worse is that the weather in New York is heading towards the 80s soon and we're stuck [at home]. At least it's better than not being able to go out during 90 degree weather, right?

Here is some advice for those of us whose nervous systems are about to blow up:

1) Take a 10 minute break. It won't kill you. Grab an iced coffee, mocha, latte, whatever fulfills you. Did I mention that Baskin Robbins is doing a 31 cent scoop tomorrow night? That should be break-worthy.

2) Take a nap. Even a 30-minute nap is fine. Staying up for 48 hours straight is no good at all and can affect the brain, which is something we all don't want. Especially for a final. Besides, your eye-sight can become worse if you face the computer screen or book all day. Ladies, you don't want poofy eyes now, do you?

3) Take a nice bath. Don't think about the work. Forget all your problems during that time!

Go Eco-Friendy!

Everyone knows it’s cool to be environmentally friendly, or “eco-friendly” and “green” (whichever name you prefer to call ‘being good to the environment’) these days.

Sure, you ditch those plastic bags they throw all your groceries in at the supermarket and use your own reusable bag, separate paper and plastic from regular garbage, recycle bottles, reuse scrap paper, and even drive around with your hybrid car. But what’s better than going to a free concert, knowing that you’re actually saving the world by doing so?

Origins, a cosmetics brand, known for their organic and natural skin care products and makeup went over the top this month to promote environmentalism.

On March 21^st, Origins at the metro-New York locations were handing out goodie bags filled with containers made from recycled products and two free concert tickets to see Train at their “Origins Rocks Earth Month” at Webster Hall on April 20^th, in exchange for pledges to be greener.

Last Wednesday, Train rocked the house with a packed venue and gigs. To go further in being green, a tree was planted for each attendee. Pretty cool! Opening acts included singer and song-writer Nikki Jean and winners of “Origins Rocks Earth Month Green Artist Search” Treetop Flyers, hailing all the way from London. As soon as Train took the stage with a train-like entrance, the crowd went wild. They covered some of their hits from their past albums and from their recent album “Save Me, San Francisco”, such as the first hit off their self-titled and album, “Meet Virginia”, “Calling All Angels” and “Soul Sister”.

In the midst of the event, lead singer Patrick Monahan awed his fans by picking eight girls up to the stage, or as he calls them “Trainettes”, to have their 15 minutes of fame. Before the night ended, Monahan unexpectedly walked through the crowd, taking pictures and hugging fans while singing “Marry Me”. You can only imagine how every fangirl went gaga, right?

To close the concert, what better way is there to end the night than playing none other than their biggest hit “Drops of Jupiter”, which struck most with nostalgia? All in all, it’s probably one of those small concerts you will still remember in 10 years. Who wouldn’t the lead singer of a three-time Grammy Award winning band that soared through the crowd? I think we’re all intrigued!

But that wasn’t the only thing Origins did to promote environmentalism. This past Friday, people had the choice of choosing one of the two cleansers Origins gave when they traded in their empty bottles of skin care, in honor of Earth Day. Millions of cleanser-striving lovers awaited outside their local Origins counter to open like Black Friday for free

Hey! You There, Easter-Bunny!

Ahh...Easter is fast approaching, in just a little more than a week! For kids, it's all about egg hunting, cute bunny drawings and egg-shaped chocolate. Remember those times in grade school when we made and colored our own easter baskets and filled them up with plastic pink, yellow, blue, or green grass? Seems like only yesterday it happened.

Believe it or not, there is an Easter Parade! Actually, they call it the "Easter Bonnet Festival", but we all know it's simply an Easter Parade, right? While those pre-Easter activities at Central Park doesn't seem to be happening for the second year in a row, there are still other fun Easter activities around! After all, we live in a big city, so why does it seem like no egg hunting at Central Park is the end of the world?

For one, Central Park has been the epitome of egg hunting and Easter-related games and arts and crafts for a very long time now, so I can understand how disappointing it might be for some people who have been going to Central Park for their Easter activities for years. Too bad we have been sucked in a recession and New York State has laid off many park workers, hence spending a bit more for such activities would kill them.

Alternatively, Brooklyn Botanic Garden has always been a favorite among my family members, and is a great place to take your kids. If I remember correctly, they do offer Easter activities for children. Even so, nature is always beautiful to look at.

THE Freshman Experience

Well, well, well...here we are, just a few weeks left until we can finally say we've survived our freshman year in college (not high school). Some of us still haven't been adjusted to the college life yet, with the unexpected overwhelm of midterms, essays, and our biggest enemy yet, final exams. Here we have some freshman students who talk about their freshman year so far as it's coming to an end.

News Story

Anchor: Is it getting crowded in here? An incident at JFK tonight, where two planes collided into each other slightly, but left passengers and crews all shaken up.




Anchor: It is still unclear on why there were no signals when the arriving Delta flight was heading towards its gate and the departing Air France was heading for takeoff. Damage is only evident on Delta jet's tail.

Spring Break Activities: Brooklynites

Spring break is only a week away, or a few days for some. Whether you're in elementary, middle school, high school or college, spring break usually falls during this time of the year. And in addition to spring break, we're spoiled with beautiful weather, so why stay in when you can stay out?

Since this break is only one week (or a few days) for most of us, wouldn't it be too vague to fly back all the way to California or Texas when you can spend it in New York City?

Put your mind into the thought of Brooklyn. What do you visualize when you think of Brooklyn? Most native New Yorkers perceive Brooklyn as mostly dangerous, but it's just like any other borough in New York; there are good areas and there are also not-so-good areas.

For those who will be in the city for the break, here are some things you can do to make your time worthwhile.

1. Brooklyn Botanic Gardens - New York's most prestigious land of nature, as I'd like to call it. Walk your way through thousands of different flowers from around the world and culture-themed sites in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. This is the best time in the season to discover fully bloomed flowers that will only last for a short amount of time. While you're in the area, be sure to walk down to Prospect Park, the Central Park of Brooklyn, you won't even know you're in Brooklyn! Central who?

2. Williamsburg - This edgy neighborhood at the tip of Brooklyn, known as the land of hipsters, is more than meets the eye. Known for their live (and free!) concerts at night, clubs, bars, restaurants and shopping, it's hard to imagine what there isn't in Williamsburg. If you're one who loves art and clothing, be sure to check out the notorious Artists & Fleas, an indoor flea market with independent artists and designers. Guaranteed, you'll find something you'll love!

3. Brooklyn Bridge Waterfall - Many people don't know this, but there is a waterfall right under the Brooklyn Bridge! I know, I know, you'd think you'll only see that at Niagara Falls but you better believe it, New York City has not one, but quite a few!

4. Coney Island - Most people only think of two places when they hear Brooklyn: Brooklyn Bridge and Coney Island. Coney Island is one of the oldest beaches in New York, with a notable boardwalk and amusement park, formerly known as Astroland. The preeminent rides of the amusement park, now called Luna Park, are the Cyclone roller coaster and the Wonder Wheel ferris wheel. Although I do not recommend jumping in the water, the amusement park comprises the fun!

5. Brooklyn Heights - Brooklyn Heights, right on the perfect skyline view of Manhattan, is the ideal place to live in for comfort, proximity and on top of it all, a killer view! If you're not among the millions of daily commuters and enemies of the MTA, you'll be intrigued with the New York Transit Museum, which provides an oriental historical background of the transit system of New York.

Furia for Your Skin!

I thought it'd be fun to make a video on an imaginary product and after days of creatively thinking, I have came up with none other than the Furia Skin Cleanser.

Enjoy!

Flower Power

The Macy's Flower Show is so on! But not for long.

The 37th annual flower show at Macy's Herald Square was presented this past Sunday on March 27th. This year's theme is "Towers of Flowers", with five different displays on the main floor, including

the Tropical Garden, Antebellum Garden and Japanese Garden presented by Carnegie Hall on account of their Japan NYC Festival.

In addition to the flower displays, events are also being held during the presentation, including cooking demos by chefs with the likes of Rhys Lewis and the owners of Alice's Tea Cup, decorating demos, as well as floral seminars. The flower displays will run until April 10th and is open to all during their store hours.

Settling for World Peace

The events in Japan that happened almost two weeks ago still frighten me and I feel the need to address this, especially to those who are against us Americans of helping out.

I find that it's ridiculous how some people are still bringing up the attack on Pearl Harbor, which mind you, happened almost 70 years ago, when half of you were found nowhere in this world, as soon as you heard the news. It's outrageous how people debate on these things based on a political issue rather than the sake of humanity. Yes, Imperial Japan tried to take over the world 70 years ago, but if some of you have actually done your research, it wasn't just the United States; they've tried to take over Australia, China and Korea. But in the end, we did the most damage by destroying two of their cities, where they surrendered. Some of us act like we surrendered to Japan when we really didn't. During that period, the world was truly a mess when nations saw themselves as the superior and tried to take over as much nations as they could.

If we Americans think we had it bad, look at the time when Japan occupied themselves in China and tried to overthrow the Chinese government in the 1930s for many years versus one day in the U.S. I'm not saying it's not a big deal because many people were killed and it's horrific but if the Chinese are barely saying anything about the past and donating millions of dollars in light of this tragedy, why can't we not bring up the subject? First of all, it's not "karma" or "payback", it's called a natural disaster and we had a massive one as well, in 2005 and Japan sent a crew of workers to help clean up and stood by our side when thousands of people were homeless.

As an American, I am truly embarrassed by some of the thoughts shared mutually by some of my fellow Americans who are living in the past. For those who have every support of the US giving a helping hand overseas and donating, I applaud you! Please continue to donate for the disaster relief through the American Red Cross.

Settling for World Peace (TV)

We now bring you a report from Japan where 148 volunteers and 12 rescue dogs from Los Angeles and Virginia were sent overseas to the aftermath of the earthquake followed by a tsunami in the northeast coast of Japan where more than 2,000 homes were destroyed and 19,000 are missing or presumed dead.

Settling for World Peace (Radio)

There has been much debate on whether or not the Americans should help Japan given our history with them in the 1940s keep in mind that the US was not the only nation that was attacked by Japan back then and we did avenge back regardless of what we think 148 volunteers and 12 rescue dogs were sent to Japan a week ago to find the lost souls along with more than 90 nations.

Settling for World Peace (Article)

Almost 70 years ago, on December 7, 1941, an unexpected, cruel attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii shook the whole nation, in what would be one of the darkest days in the history of the United States.

70-years later, it seems that some (those who were alive that day and generations onward) are still not able to let go of the events of that day. Indeed, it has been 70 years and many people have already relinquished the catastrophe that struck us that day, but those who haven't, bear grudges even after the United States avenged Japan and forced them to surrender the war by dropping two of the most powerful atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Regardless of how we feel about the events that happened almost 70 years ago, the United States and Japan are allies. After the destructive Hurricane Katrina in the southern part of the U.S. destroyed more than 200,000 homes and took more than 1800 lives in 2005, Japan proved to the United States that the 'past is in the past' and contributed $200,000 in donations to the American Red Cross as well as supplies. Right now, Japan needs us.

In midst of the earthquake that was followed by a tsunami on the northeast coast of Japan that destroyed thousands of homes and left more than 20,000 people missing or dead 2 weeks ago on March 14th, more than 90 nations, including the United States, Sri Lanka, Canada, United Kingdom and many other nations that are neighbors, have come together to stand by the Japanese post-catastrophe. The United States, by far, has provided the most physical aid, with a crew of 148 people and 12 rescue dogs from Los Angeles and the Fairfax County of Virginia, as well as U.S. military support and has also funded $100,000.

China, despite their rough history with Japan during the 1930s, has contributed the most in funding to the tsunami and disaster relief in Japan, with $4.6 million. After the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China that killed more than 69,000 people, Japan was one of the many nations that aided China after one of the deadliest earthquakes that has struck them. Premier Wen Jiabao acknowledged Japan's efforts after the 2008 earthquake and in return, sent 15 volunteers and the large funding to support Japan.

Despite the many controversies that some have due to their nations' past with Japan, when another country is in trouble, we should forget any conflicts and problems we have had with them in the past, even for a second, and indulge the good samaritans and heroes in us, whether it's helping physically, economically, or even just a prayer will make a difference. But one thing that we should keep in mind is, no matter how much conflict or hate we have with a country or some countries, they may, surprisingly, just be our saviors in times of catastrophe. The law of humanity is that regardless of strife, we will always be there when they're in need.

Dancing With The Stars: Getting Cozy With The Stars!

With yet another season going underway, this coming season of Dancing With The Stars might just turn away from all the controversies, for once.

Two seasons ago, singer and The Pussycat Dolls' frontwoman, Nicole Scherzinger, was put in the hot water for making it to the finals and winning the Mirror Ball trophy, given her dancing background with PCD. Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek was also in the talks due to his choreographic skills in figure skating.

And last season might have been the most controversial season yet, when politician Sarah Palin's oldest daughter, Bristol Palin, who was famously announced her pregnancy during the 2008 presidential election, was the biggest talk of the show for overcoming every elimination, until the finale, given her flimsy dance skills. Many viewers were outraged when singer Brandy, who received high marks throughout the season, was eliminated over Palin, debating whether the season was based on a political matter.

However, this season, which premieres on Monday at 8 pm EST on ABC, might be avoiding such disputes with 11 new contestants with less dancing backgrounds, with the likes of wrestler Chris Jericho, rapper Romeo, model and tsunami survivor Petra Nemcova and television star Kirstie Alley, it might actually be a drama-free season afterall.

St. Patrick's Day

...And we're back!

How was everyone's break? I suppose not many of you were on break since my school's breaks are in contrast to many other school's breaks. It seems that many students are starting their spring break this week, while many others are still awaiting theirs in mid-April, nothing like a warm break.

As most of you know, when people think of the holidays in March, St. Patrick's Day is a widely-celebrated holiday in March (unless you celebrate Passover and the First Day of Spring) and when people think of St. Patrick's Day, they think about getting drunk but this is not the case back in Ireland.

In Ireland, families actually gather together for a meal, kind of like the Chinese for Chinese New Year, Koreans for Korean New Year and Greeks for Greek New Year. We all have this perspective that St. Patrick's Day is the day to carelessly get drunk, but it's a complete different scenario for the Irish.

The New York City annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will celebrate it's 250th parade on Thursday the 17th, as usual, from St. Patrick's Cathedral to 86th Street, with live bands and non-profit and profitable organizations parading until 4:00-5:00 pm.

March Spring Break: Winter Break Part II?

For some of us, spring break has already begun, more like Winter Break: Part Two. At least, for me.

Honestly speaking, there isn't much to do at this time of the year in New York City, unless you have no problem walking around city for leisure. Although it is 'spring' break for some of us, it is, if fact, still the winter season, until the 20th.

Flu season is kicking in soon and before we know it, the Macy's Flower Show will be ongoing and more flowers will be fully-bloomed at the infamous Brooklyn Botanic Garden, both very popular during the spring season but those are to be covered in the weeks ahead.

For those who feel like watching a romance flick, be sure to catch Beastly, starring Alex Pettyfer and former High School Musical-star Vanessa Hudgens, who has been off the big-screen for almost two years. Beastly is about a good-looking yet shallow popular teenager from New York City, who gets hit with a spell that gives him a fix on his face and he starts to notice those who are 'out of his league'.

Also, Matt Damon stars in yet another thriller, The Adjustment Bureau. Similar to his character, Jason Bourne in the Bourne films, Damon's character undergoes a change in fate when he wakes up and finds the love of his life missing, but the pair didn't exist at all. Talk about alienated!

Pride and Ambition

It's not an everyday-thing, where you come across someone with so much pride in their school.
Some just come in-and-out for the education, nothing more. But there's also those who have pride and dignity in their school because it feels like home, or rather is home, temporarily.

As as student who goes in-and-out of the school, because of the commuter I am, I don't find myself much at these events like most of the students who dorm or don't, do. Last semester, I have only attended three different activity events and no athletic events at all. Like most students in college do, attend college sports events, I haven't yet. And it's not because I don't want to, it's because the timing is never right.

To show what St. John's University means to me, I've put together a small video of the journey, as a commuter, of getting to school, how the road is long yet rewarding upon arrival.

The Halls of Passion

If any building at St. John's University is the most academically significant, it has to be Marillac Hall, respectively.

Thousands of students come in and out of the building everyday, with something new learned. Of all the buildings I've come across, I find that Marillac Hall is the busiest building. And I wonder if it's because there's a cafeteria there, or most of the lectures are actually held at this particular building?

When many people think of college halls, the ideal hall is "moderately-designed, sophisticated and busy". Busy is quite the word to describe Marillac Hall. If anything, it's not too sophisticated-looking or moderately-designed, it's beyond that.



Upon showing some of my friends pictures of Marillac Hall, their response?

"That's your school's hall? It looks like a high school hallway!"

Yes, my dear friends, that is one of the hallways of my school and mind you, the school campus is 57-years-old, compared to much newer-looking halls, such as Hunter College.

AuH20: Gold in the Water

"It's not about the money, money, money, we don't need your money, money, money, we just wanna make the world dance", the joyous lyrics from pop singer Jessie J's "Price Tag", featuring B.o.B.

The up-and-coming British pop sensation recently made a trip to one of my favorite vintage stores, AuH20, in the East Village. AuH20 is owned by Kate Goldwater (what do you know, AuH20 are scientific formulas of her last name!), a Milwaukee native, who graduated from NYU and opened her own shop in October 2006.

"Style, to me, should be what makes you feel comfortable. I've always said that style should not have a brand," Jessie says, "I don't think style's about how much money you wear on your back, or your shoes"

AuH20, is one of the best and affordable vintage shops in the city. No, I'm not talking about $30-worn-shirts. I'm talking about prices you can really afford. $5 rack of new and almost-new clothes, $10 for new and lightly-worn sweaters, who can't afford that?! Best of all, the customer service makes the shopping experience at AuH20 rather pleasant. Kate Goldwater gives a warm greeting, nice chats and a nice farewell. And what do you know, everything in the store is tax-exempt! It's like the tax-exempt period is still on!

The next time you're in the East Village, as a matter of fact, SoHo, be sure to make a visit to AuH20. You won't be disappointed!

Shaton Wilson

High achievers, big dreamers, there's plenty of them around, but most of them will most likely tell you they'll do any job just for the large amount of money they can make. It's hard to look forward to achieving our dream careers in this unstable economy where one field might collapse after another, but there are those who stay positive and still look forward to what they want to do later in life.
There are some who have a purpose, not because they want to make a large amount but because they a desire to do it.

I've been wandering around the city this week, and I've wandered around and found a student, who not only has big dreams, but also ambition.

In a recent sit-down interview with a fellow classmate at St. John's University, Shaton Wilson, a 26-year-old from Queens, tells me about his hopes and interests, with a little mix of humor. Shaton spent a few years at LaGuardia Community College, before making the transition to St. John's University and realizing what he wants to do for the rest of his life: advertising.

Here are some of the highlights of our interview:


So Shaton, tell me, what is your major?
My major? You wanna know MY major?

Yes, I wanna know your major.
Okay, are you sure?

Yes.
Okay, my major is advertising.

So are you into designing?
No, not really. I'm looking more to be a copywriter. A copywriter are the folks who add dialogue to the actual commercials.....any other form of mass communications.

Give me a line for Butterfingers.
Butterfingers. So..deliciously crispy and chocolatey. You'll think of Butterfingers.

Are you looking to work in a firm or are you looking to work for a company?
Specifically, I would like to begin my career as a full-time copywriter at a large firm, a large agency, maybe a global company that's really one of the first advertising firms in the country. Perhaps, later on, once I gain a little of variety, a little success, open up my own shop.

What kind of shop do you want to open?
An autobody, what do you think? No, advertising!

Britney: "Would You Hold It Against Me?"

After many weeks full of temptation from teasers of her new hit single, "Hold It Against Me", Britney Spears' latest hit, which premiered tonight, seems to be a nostalgic piece. That's right, nostalgic. In the video, she stands in the middle of hundreds of screens that play her old music videos, including "Lucky", "Baby One More Time" and "Sometimes", the songs that made her the superstar she is today.


For the past few weeks, 14 teasers of the video have been put up on Spears' YouTube page, including one that was uploaded earlier today. The first single off her upcoming album, "Femme Fatale", was first released on MTV, edited. Shortly after, the unedited version was uploaded on her YouTube page, which showed some scenes that weren't visible in the MTV version, such as Spears spraying her "Radiance by Britney Spears" perfume and going on Plentyoffish.com.

The music video is basically a "behind-the-scenes" kind of video, showing cameras that film Britney Spears looking/dancing at the cameras, and the equipment used for the video. There is also a fight scene between Britney and herself, which a body double was used for one. The video was directed by Swedish director Jonas Akerlund, who has directed music videos for other well-known pop icons such as Beyonce, Lenny Kravitz, Madonna and Lady Gaga.

This music video is no doubt, very different from all of her music videos: girl fight, behind-the-scenes, internet usage (and did I mention a Sony touch-screen monitor), some product shout-outs as well (MAKE UP FOREVER, SONY, Radiance). But what really sets it apart from her old music videos ("Baby One More Time", "...Oops, I Did It Again", "Britney", "In The Zone" days) is the lack of dancing on her part. Many might not notice since her backup dancers are covering for her (hence the word "backup"), but Britney use to trace every dance move for dance move with her dancers and these days it seems like she only does half of it, which is very disappointing. I think the one thing that has always stood out to me about Britney Spears was her choreography but for this video, and some that succeeded it, she has danced less and less.

Unedited version of "Hold It Against Me":

Valentine's Day: A Depressing Day For Singles?

For those of you who are already planning ahead this weekend for perfection on Valentine's Day, remember this: while there are many couples who are losing sleep to plan for this romantic holiday, there are also many singles who are not looking forward to seeing couples head-over-heels for each other on Valentine's day. This post is for all the singles out there.

In a recent study, there are more singles than couples in the UK. Perhaps this goes for the US as well? So if the couples are out enjoying their night, where do the rest of the population (the singles) go? The answer is simple: home. Well, for most of us.

For those who are single and looking for something to do with a friend, friends, companions or family, here's a list of some things to do and places to avoid:

Avoid:
-Anywhere upscale with upscale restaurants: men want to make their ladies feel like the world and nothing beats an expensive tab!
-Central Park: Couples on horse-drawn carriage rides? Check. A proposal on the bridges? Check! Definitely a place to avoid.
-5th Avenue (49th Street to 60th Street, respectively): Come on, men picking out last-minute inscribed gifts at Tiffany's for their ladies or women picking out Rolex watches? Super no-no area!
-Museums: Museums are well-known places for dates. This is where all the "in-common likes" start.
-Times Square: If you truly don't like being surrounded in an area of 200,000 tourists at a time, you will already have a reason not to be here. People will witch Broadways shows, did you forget?
-Anywhere by a river. That includes Gantry State Park (Yes, I'm talking about you, Riverview Restaurant!), Brooklyn Bridge (The River Cafe is probably overbooked by now)
-Empire State Building: You already should know people propose at the top!
-Lincoln Center: If it weren't for that fountain, there'd be no trouble!
-Midtown: Midtown is the home for expensive cuisine.

Yes!:
-St. Mark's Place. Looking for simple cultural food? St. Mark's is no fancy schmancy place, an area mostly for those who are looking for cheap thrills and bargains, such as thrift shopping and food under $10.
-Chinatown: I guarantee you, only tourists will be here to explore the Chinese culture in America. Try not to turn in Little Italy, unless you really are starving for pizza.
-SoHo: Stay on Broadway or Mercer Street, anywhere that has does not have restaurants. And try not walk all the way down to the South Village. There are plenty of pretty restaurants there!3
-Chelsea: May I suggest while you're around Madison Square Park, get some Shake Shack!
-Union Square: Lots of food shopping and shopping and shopping. And cheap food!
-Herald Square : Do you really think people go shopping on Valentine's day? Go to Koreatown while you're at it and stop by Karaoke Duet 35 if you're in the mood to end the day with losing your voice!

Maybe's/Maybe Not's:
-Grand Central: Romantic-getaways to Upstate? Then again, a lot of romantic stories have occured at Grand Central.

Give Me an Encore!

Wow, what a night! On Friday, I finally got the chance to see one of my favorite bands, Linkin Park, perform live at Madison Square Garden as part of their "A Thousand Suns World Tour". I was one of the fortunate people who were able to buy these sold-out tickets off of people who didn't want their tickets anymore, but unfortunately isolated from my friends who had VIP tickets and stood in the pit. For those who hardly know anything about Linkin Park, let me tell you something about them: They're one of the first rock bands I've ever listened to (if you consider Simple Plan and Good Charlotte rock bands, the 'Punk-era'), way before my teenage years and their music is a great mixture of metal, alternative and rap. Mike Shinoda, who is a one-man Swiss Army in the band, is a total inspiration. During Linkin Park's break from 2005-2006, Shinoda started working on his own music project, as most of you remember, Fort Minor. While the Fort Minor tour was on, they lost a lot of money because sales weren't great, and Shinoda had to pay everything out of his own pocket because all he wanted to do was to play his music. Sounds harsh, but true. People like him, who don't give up, inspire me.

As far as the concert went, it was amazing and truly one of the best experiences of my life. It was a bit awkward, solely singing and rocking out, but doesn't matter as long as you're in the moment. These guys did not take a break at all throughout the two hours of the concert. Chester Bennington was literally screaming his lungs out and I, myself lost my voice by the end of the night. I think just about everyone in the audience had fun because it was so loud, I couldn't even hear my own voice! It'll probably be a couple of more years until they come back and play in New York again, but anyone who were able to grab the tickets for this tour should be grateful because these are very hard to buy tickets and you will have a great time, guaranteed. They've been touring around the world for four months now and still have six months to go; much respect to these guys!

Mobs at Grand Central

Today was a pretty interesting day. For the first time in my life as a New Yorker, I saw something being filmed today. After a morning of shopping with my mother in SoHo, I took the six train to Grand Central Station to return some items at a nearby library, when I suddenly saw a whole bunch of television screens, cameras and on-set crew people who were trying to isolate travelers from the scene, at none other place but the Main Concourse. On the side were some of the background actors, all dressed in long beige-colored trenchcoats and black fedora hats. Apparently, they're filming an AT&T commercial. After a good five minutes, all the background actors were rounding up and a guy, solely dressed in a black t-shirt, stood out before them, preparing for action. Suddenly, the moment I've been waiting for, each time I thought about film sets, has finally come: director instructs actors over a speaker horn and finally said the words I've been dying to hear: "...and ACTION!". The guy in the black t-shirt starts dancing like crazy, as if he's at a freakshow. It was quite interesting, yet awkward because there was no music playing. As soon as I heard "Cut!", I left, and there it was: trailers, tents and equipment lined up on the sidewalks. A woman even had the nerve to walk by and take some food from one of the tents (in case you're wondering, she is not part of the crew, probably just a tourist with a group of friends who's not used to seeing these things), but ended up getting caught by one of the guys who hid inside a car in front of the tent. Interesting.

So, I've finally witnessed a scene being filmed for once in my life.
Am I going to try and apply as a background actor? No, although my friend, Frank, ALWAYS asks me when I'm going to apply since he knows I'm jobless.
Am I going to watch this commercial? Why wouldn't I if I watch television? Come on!

Time OUT, New York!

So you're probably wondering...what AM I doing up at this hour? It's a weekday, and I have school on weekdays, but nevermind that, because it's snowing out like never before!

Since this really is my first blog post...in almost 5 years, I guess I have nothing better to post other than how special this day is. I'm PRAYING I don't have school for the rest of the day. I mean, c'mon, it's like 2 feet of snow. How can anyone who commutes stomp foot by foot all the way to an almost-suburb area with no subway nearby? I know what you're thinking. I'm thinking that too. The bus is lousy. So is the MTA. New York City transportation is horrendous. If it were to be nominated for a Razzie, it'll win the biggest award.

So, question is, will I make it to anywhere I want to go tomorrow? I don't know.
Will I even be able to get out of my house? Maybe not.

In case you're wondering, here's a photo of what it looked like a few minutes ago. The sky probably puked up more on that tree. I wish I could say it's a White Christmas, but this is the reward a month later...