Lemon Lime

It´s kind of a tradition for me to write something on New Years Eve. I like to reflect on everything that´s happened in the last year. I was worried though, that I might not be able to do it this year. I am currently in the middle of the jungle, on the Caribbean side of the country, enjoying some breakfast. I think it´s amazing how far technology has come. I mean, I´m on a computer transmiting a message that could potentially reach millions of people! Haha, well that´s probably not going to happen but you know what I mean. 10 years ago, I don´t think I could´ve even made a signal fire here. Anyways, I´m kinda stressed for time so I´ll try to make this as deep and meaningful as quickly as possible.

2010 was a year of growth for me, even more that 2008 when I graduated from high school and moved here. I learned more about who I was, what I wanted to do with my life, what I wanted to project. It was really a year that was all about me, and I loved it. I became more interested in different things, picked up some new hobbies, created opinions about things I had no idea about before, all in all, I learned a lot. There was the constant struggle of missing home and wanting to be with my friends, but two of them came to visit this year, and when I was alone again, I tried to make the best out of my situation. To sum it up, 2010 ranks pretty high on the charts.

For the past few years I have avoided making New Years resolutions. I thought they were a waste of time and no one ever accomplished them anyway. But with the exception of this year, all the years where I haven´t made a resolution have sucked. So after a few meaningful experiences this year I have finally decided to make one. Here it is: get healthy. I don´t mean just physically which is something that I have been struggling with for years, but mentally, emotionally, everything. I just want to have a piece of mind where I can face any situation without any stress. I want to be able to treat my body right, to feel energized and alive, I want to not lose my temper.....I don´t really know how to describe it. I guess I just want to by synergized with my surroundings, with that unseeing force that connects us all. I know it sounds meditative and new age, maybe even loony, but at the end of the day, I just want to be at peace.

So there you go. I wish you the best night tonight and the best 2011. Hopefully, it´s not our last New Years celebration, if you know what I mean :)

Song of the day: New York, New York- Frank Sinatra

Until next time
Sary

Christ, it's cold!

Quite a few things have happened since I last wrote so I will try to remember them all. Just a side-note first: there's this great guy who I'm subscribed to on Youtube and he always starts off his videos with describing the weather, and since the weather here is always the subject of my scrutiny, I think I'll start doing that from now on too.

So with that said, we've been bracing a cold front for the past week here. December is summer here, but lately it's been feeling as cold as Big Bear. It's just this constant gush of freezing wind, and I've been hiding out inside the house all week. I actually haven't been wanting to go out, which is weird because usually I'll find any excuse to leave the house. Hopefully it clears up tomorrow because I'm going to the Caribbean for New Year's and I want the weather to be Caribbean-esque.

Last week I also had a sort of late revelation. I was talking casually with my family about moving back home and what I'm going to do in terms of work, school, those types of things. My uncle was insistent that I should've been an architect. (He says this because of my community service credits where I had to design a school library which came out really well). I agree and say, "I know, I never knew how much I liked architecture until I had to do that project." Because of this conversation I spend the better half of the following week wanting to pursue a career in architecture and kicking myself in the butt for studying business administration instead of architecture when I got here. At this point, I'm feeling a strong sense of confusion. I'm really interested in being an architect, but will that put film and movie-making in jeopardy? Still I'm very curious so I start doing some research. Turns out, it takes 5 years to get your bachelors and a couple more years for a masters (which is obligatory). Almost immediately I forget about being an architect. Part of me is relieved but the other is really disappointed. I'm relieved because the decision is pretty much already made for me and I won't have to choose between architecture and film, I mean, there's no way I can go to school for seven years now. The other half is disappointed because I didn't realize this before; maybe if I was straight out of high school I might have had a chance to pursue this. I'm mostly disappointed because I wish I could have both. You know, everyone has been telling me that I'm young, I've got my whole life ahead of me, I can do whatever I want, but it's just not true. Sometimes you can't be everything you want to be and you have to choose between what you love the most. I guess I'm saddened by the fact that I will never know what it's like to be an architect, and that I slowly have to start letting that dream go.

I'm not a pessimist and I'm not a quitter. If anything, I'm the most optimistic person you'll ever meet so it's ironic now that I'm siding with reality and seeing things for what they are. I LOVE a challenge and who knows, maybe one day down the line, an opportunity might open up. Maybe I'll make a movie about architects one day. There. Problem solved.

Another thing that's happened since I last wrote is that I finally finished "Jitterbug Perfume". I read about 100 pages in the last sitting, I just couldn't put it down. I don't really know how to describe the book or describe how it made me feel afterwards. The only thing I can say is that it kind of reminded me of how I felt this first time I saw "American Beauty" which is not a bad thing at all. I remember watching the credits roll and sitting in the darkness of my room, staring at the T.V., trying to take in everything I had just seen and what it meant. That's kind of what happened when I finished the book. I just sat for the longest time and thought about my life. The book basically covers themes like love, immortality, religion, sex, death....pretty much everything you can think of in the most hilarious and creative ways. I mean I literally re-read paragraphs time and time again and thought to myself, "How did he DO that?!" Tom Robbins is a genius, I've come to realize. Anyway, he talks about a lot of things in an extravagant way, but what I got at the end of it was seize every moment and every opportunity, and you will achieve eternal life. Well, it's a little more complicated than that but that's the condensed version. It impacted me so deeply that for the first time in years, I want to make a New Years resolution. I haven't exactly articulated it yet, but I have the general idea. I'll let you know in a few days.

I almost forgot about Christmas! My favorite day of the entire year. It was definitely a lot more low-key this year, just my family, my grandparents and my uncle. I'm convinced that Costa Rica just doesn't have the chops to live up to the holiday spirit. I mean, people get really into it, but it's just not the same as back home. Still, it was nice to be with family. I think I could be in Egypt or Vietnam and my Christmas spirit still wouldn't be discouraged.

Other than that, I've been dwelling in my freedom once again, drawing, making music, reading (The Time Traveler's Wife), and BAKING. I made an apple pie for Christmas and a key lime pie last night. They were both delicious. I swear that cookbook we have is on par with "The Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child. It's officially a hobby of mine now and I love it. I've realized that it helps me out when I'm stressed. Most of my other hobbies I do for recreation, just for fun, but baking really chills me out. It's great.

So, I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Only one more left and then it's back to facing the bitter reality that we'll have to wait another year to get into the holiday spirit. In any case, I hope life has treated you well. By the way, I can't believe I wrote this much! This might be one of my longest entries. To end things, I'll leave you with this beautiful piece I just discovered about two hours ago.

Song of the day: A Song for You- Leon Russell

Until next time

Sary

All I Want for Christmas

Since we probably won't actually celebrate Christmas this year, I asked for my presents today. This is what I got.

Oh and this guy :)

I can't really say what I did to deserve this, although I did step up and got almost all A's in college this year. But I'd like to take this moment to acknowledge the fact that I am a very lucky person and am grateful for every single thing I have in my life. I know these gifts are just things, something materialistic, but it's not even about them. It's about the fact that I have parents who moved to the U.S. in 1987 and worked at horrible places for years until finally being able to work at a place they actually liked and were able to save up enough money to build a foundation for themselves and for their daughters. It's that hard work that allowed them to buy me things like this 23 years later; they have the means now to be able to buy their daughter something that will make her happy, and I know a lot of families can't say that.

Apart from that, I've always had love, nourishment and support from my family. That in and of itself is something a lot of people only dream of. So trust me, I know that I am an extremely lucky person. I do feel guilty a lot of the times for the things I have, for the life I've lived, but some higher power up there knows that I am grateful, and I think that's all I can do to prove I'm worthy. I think we as people can only be grateful and not take things for granted to prove that we are worthy of the things we have, that and giving back as much as possible, which is something I definitely have to work on. I hate New Years resolutions, but that sounds like a good one to set for next year. Anyways, I hope you, reading this, are grateful for the things you have in your life, big or small, important or insignificant. If not, just be grateful that you are alive and that you exist.

Happy Holidays!

Song of the day: Jingle Bells- Frank Sinatra

Until next time

Sary

Double Rainbow

Today's weather was crazy. The winds always pick up in December, it's kind of like the Santa Ana's but freezing cold. So I'm guessing they brought some strange clouds with them or something because it was bright and sunny today, clear skies above and out of nowhere it started drizzling, but I mean drizzling while there were no clouds above. The water was just appearing out of thin air. But that light drizzle remained constant for the entire day. The translation of what we call it here would be "kitten hair"....so if you can just imagine that in the form of rain haha. I guess you wouldn't even consider a drizzle, but more of a mist, kind of like the mist sprayers in Disneyland that they put in the lines, except even lighter than that. Anyways, it was weird, but super nice weather, in fact, my favorite. The good thing is that it'll be sunny like this for the next few months but all this summer weather doesn't really make it seem like Christmas. Oh well, I'd rather have this than constant rain to be honest.

I'm sort of hesitant to say this because I know I sound like a broken record player but I started exercising again today. But this time it's different. I swear I'll keep it up. My goal is to lose a few before New Years, but it isn't a temporary thing. I am determined, DETERMINED to be consistent with this. I am so sick of feeling this way. I won't elaborate on what the entails but just know that I hate it. It's time to step up once again. I miss feeling good about myself and not guilty. I always feel amazing when I exercise and make healthy choices and I haven't felt that way in a while. Now that I'm on break, it's the perfect time to start. So I'll keep you posted on that.

My dad is coming tomorrow and I'm super excited....okay, I'm super excited about the iPhone he's bringing me but I'm excited about seeing him too! Since he's going to be home we'll be doing a lot of traveling while he's here: visiting family, going to the beach, the mountains, and we'll definitely be going out to eat a lot more. I can't wait!

Anywho, I hope you're in the Christmas spirit whoever you are and that all is well in your part of the world. Happy holidays!

Song of the day: Skin Job- Primitive Radio Gods

Until next time,

Sary

Winding Down

I've been wanting to write so badly for the past few weeks, but I literally just have not had any free time at all. Next week is officially the last week of school but I finished on Thursday, so I'll probably just go next week to pick up my grades. This quarter was the fastest and the hardest, I mean, it was the one that went by the fastest and the craziest. I've never worked so hard as this past quarter. I have my community service to thank for that. I ended up doing 156 hours and a 90 page report. The day I had to turn it in, everything that could've possibly gone wrong did. Let's just say it took me 3 hours to print two pages and burn a CD and I had to drive to completely opposite ends of the city in order to do it. Looking back on it, it's definitely one of those situations where you have to laugh at how ridiculous your situation is, but I was about ready to kill someone that day.

So now that I am finally free, I have about a month to myself. No school, no projects, no deadlines, I can do whatever I want. I always love breaks because I can just focus on reading and drawing and my music, things that I love to do but can't really do when I'm in school. I still have to finish "Jitterbug Perfume" and make a portrait for my mom, so I'm looking forward to that.

I feel like the next few weeks are the calm before the storm. I told myself that after New Years, I would start planning for when I move back to California. I really have to sit down and just think and think and think. The rest of my life will depend on the decisions I make in the next few months, on how well prepared I am. Needless to say, I'm scared out of my mind. But it really is time to step up and take responsibility for myself. Not that I haven't been, but I can't keep relying on my parents to make all my decisions for me. Their decisions are what brought me here in the first place. But I'm almost 21 now and it's time to grow up. So I guess in the future when I look back, I'll remember this as the last few weeks where I was peaceful and content without a care in the world, not the chaotic world of huge decisions to be made and pressure to make the right choice that I know awaits me. I'm scared, yes. But I think I would be more scared if I left everything up to someone else. The fact is I'm taking control of my life now, and that's a really invigorating thought.

So I randomly started watching Felicity a few weeks ago. You remember Felicity right? Haha, it was that great show on the WB with Keri Russell and Scott Speedman. I really have no idea why I started watching it, but I loved the first episode, so I decided to watch the second, and then the third and so on and so on. Well, I finished the entire series last night. I really can't begin to describe how much I love that show. I guess the biggest reason is this: I can relate to almost everything that happened on that show. I mean, being scared to go to college, not knowing what to major in, having your parents disagree with the choices you've made, being scared about the future, making friends, losing friends, etc. Not to mention that Felicity is basically me in a prettier body. There were times where I felt that they had taken my life and just put it on screen. This show came out when I was 8 and I had no interest in it whatsoever (why would I, really?). Now 12 years later I find it helping me through some important times in my life. Funny how things like that work out. Look, I know it's just a stupid T.V. show, but when something major is happening in your life you'll look anywhere just to get some support, some advice whatever. And that show gives me hope that there have been other people and that there are presently other people going through the same, tough situation I'm going through right now. I guess the reason why I love it so much is simply because it's comforting to me.

In other news, I'm making gingerbread cookies next week and an apple pie for Christmas dinner. I'm trying to find a gingerbread recipe without molasses because it's pretty hard to find here, so I'll let you know how that turns out.

So there's my update. I'm very content right now, especially since the weather finally cleared up and it's blue skies from here to March. That plus some great new music finds and the Christmas spirit makes me a pretty happy camper.

Song of the day: La Cienega Just Smiled- Ryan Adams

Until next time,

Sary

New Passion

Cooking!

I guess it all started back in May when my mom left for two weeks and I was left home alone to fend for myself and my culinary uselessness. In other words, I was forced to sit down and think about what I was going to cook for myself every night! So I spent many hours on FoodNetwork.com going over recipes of all sorts: low fat, minimal ingredients, low cooking time, weeknight dinners, etc. The first time I ever made myself spaghetti with Pomodoro sauce...let's just say it was definitely a proud moment. But eventually my mom came home and my new found love for the culinary arts lay dormant for the next few months.

Then randomly about two months ago, my mom kept bugging me to make this apple cobbler from one of our many cookbooks in the house- she told me it was super easy and it looked really good, to which I responded half-jokingly, "Well, why don't you do it then?" to which she responded, "I'm too tired and it'll be good for you to learn anyway". So I gave it a shot. What resulted was a bitter apple sauce mush type thing with a soggy topping. But I knew exactly what I had done wrong. So the next week I tested my theory and fixed any errors I had done the week before. What resulted was a tart, juicy apple filling with the most delicious, crunchy topping I had ever tasted. After that I was sold.

A short time later I tried a three berry cobbler I had seen Paula Deen making on her show that looked orgasmic. I made it a few days later and I'm glad to say it came out perfectly. Cooking (or baking rather) has become an addictive new hobby that I'm so anxious to explore now. I don't know what it is, I love tweaking recipes and adding my own twist, the act of making something out of nothing (again we go back to my obsession with creation). And I've learned so much already! What flavors go well with others, the base ingredients for any part of a meal, etc. I'm not an aficionado by any means and I know I just started, but I'm definitely eager to explore this.

I remember feeling this way when I really started getting into cinema. I started looking at movies in a completely different way, in terms of shot, lighting, composition, imagery and so on. And now that I'm getting into cooking, I find myself watching the Food Network constantly, not just to torture myself with how good everything looks, but to actually pick up tips and actually try the meals they're making. That's the best comparison I have so that you'll sort of understand...

...in any case, Thanksgiving is next week so you can imagine my excitement. I would make the entire dinner if I could, but I'm nowhere near that good and I don't have any time whatsoever, so I'm going to attempt to make one of my favorite desserts ever: pumpkin pie. I can't believe how easy it is, but there are lots of variations of the recipe so I'll have to choose one that's good. Still I can't wait because if I get it right, then I can make it any time I want to! Another great part about cooking is all the compliments. It is a definite ego boost :)

Anyhow, I'll let you know how that goes. For now I'll leave you with an amazing song. Goodbye and goodnight!

Song of the day: Exogenesis: Symphony Part III- Muse

Until next time,

Sary

Liberty Leading the People

Wow. Well, quite a lot to talk about my first time back in a month or so. First, I want to say how flattered I am that I actually have some followers. I know, I KNOW. It's only 2, but the fact that anyone would take the time out to read my verbose, non-sensical ramblings is really something. Hopefully I can gain a bigger audience, that is if I keep updating this regularly.

So, my time in Costa Rica is almost up; less than a year and I'll be back home. There are going to be a lot of changes in the coming months and I have a feeling that there will be a snowball effect coming my way very soon. Once things start happening, it will be constant change and chaos for the next few years. I can honestly say I can't see any time to settle down within the next 4 years or so. It is scary, (very scary) but I am so excited. After being so stationary and inhibited I am so ready and willing to face anything, to go out into the world and start being the person I want to become.

Since the last time I wrote, I've read some amazing books, discovered new, wonderful music, have been making some great art and all of this has helped me keep my mind really busy but in a good way, not just mindless busywork. Maybe that's what's made the time go by so fast. I mean, it's almost Christmas. Anyone that knows me knows that I LIVE for the month of December. Actually my greatest joy in life comes from Thanksgiving Day all the way up to New Years. I could write an entire essay of what that time of year means to me and how it affects me.

I feel so scatterbrained right now I can't even put all my thoughts into coherent sentences...maybe it's because I just watched Inception again...actually that IS why. After witnessing all that creation I felt inspired to come and create (to the best of my ability) here. I don't know what it is but lately I've had the biggest urge and need to create, to LEARN, my God! I've been wanting to learn everything about everything: art, music, novels, religion, but most important of all, about myself. This is one of the few defining moments I'll ever have in my life and it's happening now. I can decide, I can determine my life any way I want to as of now. I'll look back and my happiness in the future will have depended on this time. So, I want to know as much about me right now as I can. I want to meditate, I want to reflect, I want to deconstruct myself, I want to travel, I want to go somewhere and just be completely alone and in silence, in essence I want to know myself as much as I can now, so as to determine what I'll want in the future. And I know- people change, circumstances change, life changes, etc. and there's no way to plan out your life moment by moment. But that won't stop me from trying to create the perfect blueprint.

I hope all of this makes sense. I have no idea where this sudden outburst of realization and enlightenment came from but it literally came out of nowhere. And plus, I haven't written in a long time and I needed to get all this out anyway. Unless I am possessed by another wave of insanity, the regular updates will come soon, most likely on the weekend. Then I'll write about music, films, novels stuff that doesn't require too many neurons. It's great to be back!

Song of the day: Same Changes- The Weepies

Until next time,

Sary

I suck

I haven't written in more than a month (which is a shame because I've had some really cool things to write about) and it's my blogger's 4 year anniversary this month which I always forget about!

To be honest, I just haven't been in the right frame of mind recently but I promise to start writing again when I'm up to it, which will be soon.

Song of the day: Happiness- Abra Moore

Until next time,

Sary

P.S. Happy Halloween!

Movie of the Week: Julie & Julia

If you want to ravel in the delicious indulgence of cooking and eating food then I highly recommend you watch this movie. It centers around the lives of Julia Child and Julie Powell, both living in different time periods but experiencing the same difficulties, happiness, and obstacles in their lives. While Julia Child is struggling to graduate from the Cordon Bleu and write and publish her book, Julie Powell is trying to cope with the fact that she hates her job and all her friends seem to be leading the successful lives they always dreamed of; she decides to cook her way through Julia's cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by making at least one dish from the book every day for one year and writing a blog about it, after which she starts to gather a dedicated fan base.

The story is beautifully overlapped as each woman's life parallels the other, all while maintaining a wonderful sense of humor, even in their most desperate times. I forgot to mention (how could I have?!) that it stars Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, reuniting once again after "Doubt". Meryl is brilliant as always, embodying the essence of Julia which is the most important thing, not to mention her voice and mannerisms which are dead on. Amy did a very good job portraying Julie, but then again, I feel like she wasn't really character driven surprisingly, given that she is the main character. Still, Amy did great. I should also mention that having Chris Messina and his sexy self on screen for a lot of the movie as eye-candy is NOT bad at all.

After watching this film, I immediately wanted to go buy a copy of Julia's book which is such a testament to the film in that it really entices the audience into caring and empathizing with the characters; I had never really shown too much interest in cooking, let alone French cooking, let alone Julia Child's recipes. The movie really succeeds in getting you excited about food, and also disciplining yourself and setting goals, no matter how grandiose or insignificant they may seem.

Song of the Day: Ask- The Smiths

Until next time

Sary

Artist of the Week: The Boxer Rebellion

These guys have been on repeat for several days now. They're one of many bands that are a part of the indie/alternative scene. Catchy electric guitar accompaniment is present in every song and their songs get stuck in your head for days, which trust me, is a good thing.

They have a new song on the "Going the Distance" soundtrack which is UNBELIEVABLE. Here it is so you can check it out.

Song of the Day: If You Run- The Boxer Rebellion

Until next time

Sary

Album of the Week: Teenage Dream

I remember back in 2008 when I really started getting into Katy Perry that I couldn't wait for another album to come out. Low and behold, 2 years later, we have "Teenage Dream". There are only about 5 tracks that are worth listening to for me, and it's not really up to par with "One of the Boys" in terms of content. But the few songs that are good on the album really make up for the rest of it. "California Gurls" was the first single and was an instant hit. It's super catchy, a great dance song, and features Snoop Dog who you can't really go wrong with. The best song off the album is "Teenage Dream". Like so many other songs, it takes me instantly back to California, driving at night with the windows down, and it just reminds me of being with my friends back in high school for some reason.

The album itself is really all over the place, with catchy, mainstream pop songs like the previous two, R&B and Hip Hop beats and synthesizers and melancholic ballads with just a piano. Some might consider this a good thing, as it demonstrates Perry's musical arsenal but to me, there was no real theme or definitive sound to the album. But, I did pick it for Album of the Week for a reason.

It's a good effort for her sophomore album, and although it wasn't as good as "One of the Boys", like I said, it does have a few songs that make up for the rest of it that you'll be singing and dancing to for days on end.

Song of the day: Teenage Dream- Katy Perry

Until next time

Sary

Movie of the Week: Inception

I saw this movie about 2 or 3 weeks ago and it completely exceeded every expectation I had. It was an amazing movie, admittedly not the best in the world, but it gets the highest honors in my book for being the most original, imaginative movie I've ever seen. The special effects weren't over the top which is pretty incredible considering the subject matter, but they give the movie just the right amount of surreality without overdoing it. The score by Hans Zimmer is impeccable as always and really takes on a life of its own, especially the last song in the movie which is beyond words. Solid and believable performances by most, amazing performances by DiCaprio, Page, and Cotillard. It was pretty much expected by Leo and Marion, who are two of my favorite actors, but Ellen outdid herself proving that Juno and the Academy Award nomination were not just a fluke.

There were funny coincidences about the film too, ones that would only be noticeable to an Academy Awards buff like me: Both Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page were nominated for best actress the same year, to which Marion won for "La Vie en Rose". That film is a biopic about the famous french singer, Edith Piaf; one of her most famous songs is "Je ne regrette rien", a song which is a very prominent and important factor in the film "Inception". Marion and Ellen are now in that very same film together...haha, I don't know, I just thought it was a funny little factoid.

Bottom line: Go see this movie. I'll be the first to admit, it really starts to pick up about 25 minutes in, and I didn't understand a lot of what was happening until the very end, but it is so worth it. If you want to take a peek into Christopher Nolan's imagination (which is beyond words) you should definitely check this out. I promise you, you'll be blown away by its originality.

Song of the day: Time- Hans Zimmer

Until next time

Sary

Zen

The past few weeks have been ones of deep reflection and renovation of mind, body, and soul. The quarter finally ended a week ago, so I have about 2 weeks of time to myself. Being on vacation never felt so good. I have, for the most part, nothing to worry about and it's great having this huge weight lifted off of my shoulders.

I have been doing a lot of soul-searching once again, trying to figure out what I'm going to do once I get back to California, downloading some awesome music, reading, drawing again and have ventured into the world of meditation. Each day I take about 15 minutes to meditate and it's really invigorating. There are so many different aspects of meditation from different cultures and I have to admit it's a bit overwhelming: chakra, zen, nirvana, enlightenment, chi, auras, what have you. I'm trying out different ones right now and seeing which ones I like best.

In any case, I have realized it's so important to clear your mind every day, even if it is for a few minutes and just let go of every thought and worry in your mind (even though I have no troubles right now). I don't know how to describe it, but I feel more in control after meditation. It takes away any feeling of uselessness I might have. On the literary front, I have finished 1984 and have started reading The Hobbit. I forgot what an incredible imagination Tolkien has. I'm really going to enjoy reading it again.

So for the next few weeks, my goal is going to be to take care of my three essentials every day: mind, body and soul. Meditation takes care of the mind and soul I guess, I'm getting up early every morning to take a 20 minute walk (It'll probably get longer as the days progress), and reading and drawing take care of anything else. What I want to accomplish more than anything is to spend as little time on the T.V. and computer as possible. So far it's working out, but I had to write an entry seeing as how I haven't written in almost two weeks. And I know I owe you some events of the week... I'll do one for the next three days. For now, I'll leave you with a song I fell in love with last night.

Song of the day: If You Run- The Boxer Rebellion

Until next time,

Sary

Band of the Week: Best Coast

Not even the Beach Boys sounded this "California" or this "West Coast". If you want to be transported immediately to PCH, this is your band. Almost all of their songs have that hipster/indie feel with a generous amount of surfer pop thrown in; I know, hipster and pop are such a juxtaposition, but they make it work. Apart from their sound which is so addicting, they are great lyricists as well, and most girls can relate to atleast one of their songs. "Boyfriend" for example talks about a girl who wants this guy to be her boyfriend, but she can't tell him how she feels because he already has a girlfriend. The lyrics are so simple, but so effective:

"I wish he was my boyfriend

I wish he was my boyfriend

I'd love him to the very end but instead he's just a friend

I wish he was my boyfriend"

Usually when girls get all bitchy about not being able to be with a guy, underneath all the envy and bitterness, all we really want to say is quite simply, "I just wish he was my boyfriend!" Trust me, if you listen to the song, you'll know exactly where she is coming from.

All I can say is, if you want to know what the West Coast is all about in terms of attitude and music, you have to check this band out. They are everything that The Donnas should've done! I might add that there is one guy in the group, Bobb Bruno. Good for him!

Song of the day: Our Deal- Best Coast

Until next time,

Sary

Artist of the Week: Tim Buckley

When I first found out that Tim was Jeff's father, my brain freaking exploded. At the time, I only had one of his songs but immediately after finding out, I started digging deeper into his music. The reason why he's artist of the week is because I've downloaded about 5 more songs from him this week and they have all been on repeat ever since, so he's been present a lot in my life for the last 7 days.

Tim is considered a folk god in his secluded fan base. Not many people know about him (like father, like son) and every time I listen to him I ask myself, "Why the hell not?!" It could be the fact that his songs are not really mainstream, or that he chose not to be over-exposed when he was alive. Either way, you're in a different world when you're listening to one of his songs. Whenever I hear "Happy Time" I always envision myself driving down PCH with the windows down. It's definitely a great song for a soundtrack. But my favorite has got to be "Song to the Siren". I heard This Mortal Coil's cover of it first a while back, but had no idea that Tim had written it so many years ago. When I found out, I immediately went looking for the original, and was almost brought to tears. It is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. And what's better, it's super easy to play on the guitar, once again proving my theory that the best songs are the simplest.

I can't help but compare Tim to his son (and Jeff said many times that he hated that) but it is pretty uncanny:

• Both were musicians
• Both were not hugely popular
• Both became more famous after their deaths
• Both died young

The list goes on and on really. But in terms of just Tim, he really was a folk legend, taken too soon and with so much more beautiful music to write.

Song of the day: Morning Glory- Tim Buckley

Until next time,

Sary

Movie of the Week: Manhattan Murder Mystery

So I came across this movie late one night and never got to finish it. It was so funny and intriguing I had to download it. The movie is about Larry (Woody Allen) and Carol Lipton (Diane Keaton) who one night happen to go to their next-door neighbors' house, whom they've never met before, for drinks. The next day they come home to realize the neighbor's wife has died of a heart attack, the only problem is that the husband seems a little too perky and apathetic about the fact that his wife just died. Always one to jump to conclusions, Carol immediately starts to play around with her suspicion that her neighbor killed his wife. Encouraged by her also imaginative friend Ted, Carol begins to snoop around the neighbor's apartment, pulling at straws really, and begins to realize that there might be more truth to her theory than she realized. The movie further develops as Carol and Ted begin to run around New York City, trying to find answers, only to find that every place they go deals them more questions.

What makes this movie so entertaining, apart from the murder mystery dynamic, is the comedic timing between Allen and Keaton. Allen's character has no desire whatsoever to pursue Carol's crack-pot ideas, and so his unwillingness and sarcasm lends to some very funny interactions between the two. In classic Woody Allen fashion, the movie has a very conversational atmosphere, which makes it seems like the actors aren't acting at all, which is an element I love in movies. The audience thinks throughout the entire movie that everything is just a misunderstanding, that Larry and Carol will finally confront the neighbor and that he will divulge that Helen was just his niece, that his wife had a twin, etc. (this will all make more sense when you watch the movie), but it is quite a pleasant surprise when the audience realizes that Carol's theories weren't so far-fetched after all. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes a good mystery and a good laugh to distract us from the garbage that Hollywood today calls "a comedy film", but also to witness a great reunion between Woody Allen and Diane Keaton since "Annie Hall".

Song of the day: "Sing Sing Sing"- Benny Goodman and his Orchestra

Until next time,

Sary

we get a little crazy

Crazy, crazy times. I've been consumed by school recently and haven't had the chance to do a EOW (event of the week). Tomorrow I will make up for lost times and do two! Or maybe one tomorrow and one Friday. Either way, you will get a double dosage this week. I apologize!

Song of the day: Livin' on the Edge- Aerosmith

Until next time,

Sary

Bad timing!

So I started to write my "Movie of the Week" entry a few minutes ago and realized I just couldn't do it for two reasons: my mind is completely somewhere else and I need to get a head start on studying for my test tomorrow....probably the reason why my mind is completely somewhere else haha. I know, I know, I had all weekend to do this and to study but as usual procrastination got the best of me. I'll write it on Thursday I promise! On another note, I am so excited because my mom came home last night and brought me a lot of cool stuff, not to mention, almost an entirely new wardrobe! I'll be candid right now- most of what I asked her for came from inspiration from Liv Tyler....GOSH everything she wears is just too ridiculously cute. Here's my inspired look for today:

Comfortable and simple, don't want to go overboard on the first day :)

Song of the day: Closer- Kings of Leon

Until next time,

Sary

setback

I've been discouraged in the last few days but I'm going to get back on track today. I had every intention of waiting until Monday, but I have to suck it and just go for it, enough with the bullshit. The next few days will be pretty hectic, but expect another "of the week" thing this weekend. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Song of the day: Hey That's No Way to Say Goodbye- Lemonheads ft. Liv Tyler

Until next time,

Sary

Artist of the Week: Freddie Mercury

I've been in love with this man for quite some time now (yes, I know he was gay). I think we've all known about or at least heard of Queen since we were kids, it's hard to remember a time when I didn't. But it wasn't until I was about 17 when I really started getting into their music. More than anything, I was just completely taken by Freddie's voice. In my opinion, the best singer of any band in the 20th century, and I know that's a huge statement, but I really can't see anyone even measuring up to his talent. I think one of the best examples of his range is in "Who Wants to Live Forever", towards the middle of the song he just belts that line "and we can loooove forever!" haha I think it's an E5 but I'm not sure. In any case, an amazing singer with a range of like, 6 octaves I think.

To me however, there is something that surpasses even his voice: his ability as a performer. I'll make a bold statement again: the best performer of the 20th century. I think that statement might rattle people a bit more haha. "But Sarynelli, what about Michael Jackson?!" I'll be the first to tell you that Michael Jackson was the most talented and influential artist in the last 100 years. The songs that he wrote were indescribable, and granted he touched millions of people's lives. And on stage, he was a force to be reckoned with. But when Freddie got on stage, something magical happened. What I notice the most and what I love the most is the passion with which he sings. In every single performance you know he is giving it his all, like it were the last performance of his life. That, and the ability to connect with the audience; not only that, but encourage them and get them riled up! There was just so much energy bursting from him every time he got on stage. One of the best examples was when Queen did Live Aid, I think it must have been '85 or '86. It looked like there were 100,000 people there and he never showed one sign of being nervous. I think he thrived on it actually. The more people, the better the show.

In any case, when I see a concert or a band or artist performing, it takes a lot to captivate me. The difference between a good and an amazing performance is that a good performance keeps you entertained for however long a song is; an amazing performance leaves you awestruck and thinking "What the hell just happened there?". Not only that, but you keep thinking about it way after the song is over. Freddie is one of the few performers who does that to me every time. With his fist-pumping energy and his show stopping high notes, to me, there will never be another performer like Freddie Mercury.

Song of the day: Save Me- Queen

Until next time

Sary

We are the champions...

my frieeendss!!

So I was going to do Artist of the Week today but with the orgy of a celebration that I've been taking part in today because of the World Cup, I had to share my thoughts on the subject.

SPAIN. WON.

WE. WON.

Words cannot express how happy I am right now. It's been a longtime coming, but we finally did it. I've been with them since the beginning...since before the beginning actually. I think they're the first team ever to win the Euro Cup and the World Cup consecutively. In any case, no one deserved it more than they did. And I swear I'm not making this up and I'm not trying to get all superstitious, but since the World Cup started I had this feeling, I just knew they were going to win. And it was just my fool's hope because they were my favorite team to win, I genuinely felt like they were going to make it to the end; there was just never a doubt in my mind. Even when they went up against Germany in the semi-finals, I wasn't worried. Something told me they would make it.

And I'll be frank with you right now: I fucking DESERVED that win. Because every single team I've supported in every other sport this year has lost. Colts? Lost. Ducks? Lost. Celtics? MISERABLE loss. Costa Rica didn't even qualify for the World Cup and we lost against USA in possibly the most heart-wrenching game I've ever witnessed. Needless to say, this has not been a good year in sports for me haha. But you know, if it meant that I would be rejoicing today for my favorite soccer team and for the biggest sporting event in the world, it was all worth it. Victory never felt sweeter.

And might I add just before I go, that my future husband, the amazing Cesc Fabregas assisted the winning goal? :D Yeah, he's that good.

Song of the day: Metropol 47- Mark Kozelek

Until next time,

Sary

on my own

Quite a lot has happened. First of all, Superman Returns just came on T.V. haha! Apart from that, I'm trying out this new diet (let's hope it works), Spain is going to the World Cup final, Andrew got an ear infection, and I downloaded a bunch of recipes to try out now that I'm home alone and have to fend for myself. This weekend should be great and I want to try and finish my drawing, I haven't worked on it for a while. Anyways, expect another " of the week" thing this weekend!

Song of the day: From the Morning- Nick Drake

Until next time,

Sary

Breaking and entering

I think someone is trying to break into my house right now...not good.

I'm watching a little birdie take a bath from my window! My window is right next to the roof of our terrace and there's a little dent in two of the shingles where water collects, so he's just splashing around. So cute.

So it's 9 a.m. and I have school at 2:15. I have quite a lot of stuff to do during the week and right now I'm just trying to get organized and assign days to do them. But it's a beautiful morning (well it was, now it's getting cloudy) and I thought I'd write a little.

My mom is bringing me back so much stuff from California, I'm so excited! Clothes, books, movies, the essentials really. On another note, and I know I've mentioned this before, but I was reading some of my first posts on my blog and god, I was so annoying hahah. The funny thing is that I thought I was totally normal! I've never thought I was really cool as a teenager even when I was a teenager, but at least I thought I was normal. It turns out I wasn't even that haha. Some of the stuff I write about is just like, "Really? REALLY?"

Some of the posts were really nice though, days I had completely forgotten about and instances that I thought were part of other days that were really part of the same day. Ugh, memories, memories. Anywho, I must download some music soon. I haven't downloaded anything in about a week. I should probably go do that now that I have some time to kill before I get ready.

Whoever you are, have a wonderful day!

Song of the day: Tenderness- General Public

Until next time

Sary

Album of the Week: Only by the Night

Ok so this is the first weekly event thingy on my blog, and I've decided to go with Album of the Week so let's get to it!

Alright, I've known about this band for about 3 years now. I first heard them at school while setting up the cameras for a production and they had some music playing in the background to keep us entertained while we worked. I remember liking them immediately and asking someone who the band was. Their response: Kings of Leon.

Fast forward to about a year and a half later, "Only by the Night" is a best-selling album on iTunes and on the Billboard Top 100. It's one of those phenomenons where a band comes out of nowhere and then overnight everyone is talking about them. I've had some songs from this album for a while now but in the past two weeks I've been sort of obsessed with Kings of Leon (I have no idea why) and decided to download the remaining songs that I didn't have from the album. Let's just say that it has been on repeat for about a week now.

I don't know what it is about this album in particular, and a lot of die-hard KOL fans would agree that it is too mainstream and prefer "Because of the Times" but there is something about the songs on this album that is so catchy (and yes, dare I say it "mainstream") and yet so freaking original, and that's a rare find. There were times when I found myself saying "Woah, woah, what the hell was that?" and rewinding the song because I was so taken back by a riff or a chord or just felt something weird. I don't know if you've ever experienced that when you hear a really good song for the first time.

One of the many things that I love about Kings of Leon is their prominent bass line in almost every song. The bass and bass players are most of the time so passive in bands, you can barely tell they're playing. Every once in a while you find a genius (like Flea from the Chili Peppers) but like I said, most of the time the bass just blends into the background. The Kings of Leon bassist, Jared Followill, is an amazing bassist and I'm not sure how their writing process goes but I'm sure he writes his own bass line. Something that really strikes me is that the bass has such a strong influence in almost all of their songs, a lot of times even more than the guitar, and "Only by the Night" takes full advantage of that. "17" and "Manhattan" in particular have amazing bass lines and I often found myself playing air bass instead of air guitar.

The album of course has the songs that most of us know from their constant air-time on the radio: "Sex on Fire", "Use Somebody", and "Notion". They are great to sing along to and are the most mainstream of all the songs because they were, of course, the three singles off the album. But two of my favorite songs off the album that are seriously underrated are "Cold Desert" and "Revelry". They are two songs that are the more chilled-out from the group (surprise, surprise) and have amazing hooks. I don't know, for me, song should always take you somewhere, whether it's somewhere you've already been, somewhere you want to go, somewhere where you have no idea where you are. Those two songs take me somewhere, and it's a really good place. The funny thing is that, for all its magic and mastery, "Cold Desert" uses 4 main chords throughout the whole song, and "Revelry" uses about 3 throughout. Some of the greatest songs ever written are the easiest and simplest to play history has shown us, and "Only by the Night", a groundbreaking album in my opinion, stays in the chord of E for most of its duration. I think that's saying something all on its own.

All in all, "Only by the Night" is something spectacular, I don't care how mainstream you think it is. Songs are supposed to make us feel; what that feeling is is up to you. This album is not just something that appeals to the masses, but leaves you with a feeling of awe and even admiration. An album that millions like is one thing. An album that millions like and feel a strong connection to is another. That's what this album is for me, and I can't wait for their fifth to see what else they throw our way.

Song of the day: Revelry- Kings of Leon

Until next time

Sary

rainy days and mondays

So I'm alone in the house for the next 3 weeks! It's great during the day, but at night I have to admit that it's kinda scary. Paranoia definitely sinks in. But I don't know, it will be weird just being alone in the house all day. Upside is I can do whatever I want, downside is I have to cook everything haha. We'll see how it goes. I'll do the event of the week thing tomorrow for sure, I have to decide whether it's going to be album, artist or movie. I should probably pick the thing that has been the most prevalent in the last week. Hmm....

Song of the day: Blue Eyes- Cary Brothers

Until next time

Sary

re-vamp!

Ok so after some brainstorming, I have decided what I'm going to do on the blog. One day out of every week I'll have an album, movie, or artist of the week. The first two are pretty self-explanatory but the last one can really apply to anyone: actor, musician, painter, etc. Most of all, people that really influence me.

It'll be random every week, just whatever I feel like talking about really. So that's that! I'm so excited. I'll do the first one some time this weekend and the goal is to do one of these per week and at least one regular entry like I've always done. And I'm going to try my hardest to really stick to it! And song of the day will stay the same of course :)

Song of the day: Frontier City- Kings of Leon

Until next time

Sary

I got a notion...

...that this is my 200th post!

Gosh, I honestly never thought I would make it here when I started this blog 4(!) years ago. I'm proud of myself for keeping it this long. I kind of feel bad because I feel like I should do something special for this post, but what could I do really? Maybe I'll just make it really long and insightful and talk about some things that I've been thinking of in the past few days.

First off, I'm really digging the new template design on Blogger. One of the downsides of Blogger I always thought was that you couldn't really customize your page a whole lot. But now you can do so much with it! I love it. Today I went out with my mom because it's her birthday tomorrow so we all went out for lunch. It was nice having everyone together. And I have to say, I was pretty pleased with my wardrobe selection today. Must start dressing like this more often.

Anyways, today for some reason I wish more than anything that I could be in L.A. I don't know why, maybe it's because I was being a creeper on JustJared and looking at all the places where famous people hang out. I think my plan once I move back is to make friends with a bunch of people in L.A. who have connections to celebrities. Haha, I know it's kind of leechy but hey, you gotta get your foot in the door right? I don't know, I think it would just be really cool to be part of that scene and get some insight to what it's really like. I mean, at the end of the day, we all wish we were friends with someone famous...don't lie.

So can I be really honest right now? I think my blog is so boring. Like, really? Who cares? Haha, honestly though I've been thinking about that a lot lately, like, why would someone come to my blog? And once they found it, why would they stay? Seriously, all I talk about is random little things I did throughout the day, and if it's not that, then it's me complaining about one thing or another. So I've been thinking what I can do to jazz it up a bit, like, maybe start writing some fiction? Hahaha I have no idea. Maybe I could assign certain events to a certain day of the week, like, every Thursday I would talk about my movie recommendation and Fridays I would talk about new music recommendations? You know, something like that. Just to get some consistency in here. Because honestly, I don't write enough and it would make the blog a little more interesting. Hmmm....well I don't know, I'll play around with some ideas and decide by next week. Until then I'll leave you with a nice song....

Song of the day: My Shadow- Keane

Until next time

Sary

morning becomes electric

I wanted to write something really quick before I start drawing. Lately I've been day-dreaming so much, mostly about places I want to live in the future. I want to live in New York more than anything, but I really have no idea how, most of all when, because it would definitely push back my plans for film even more. I've been checking out other major cities as well, mostly in Canada. Vancouver or Montreal would be sick to live in also. From what I've seen, they're amazing. We'll see. I'm leaving next year and the sooner I start planning, the better.

Also:

How much do you love her? And what she's wearing?

Song of the day: Grace Cathedral Park- Red House Painters

Until next time

Sary

cheelin

The last few days have been really relaxing apart from school, and considering that the next 4 days will be hectic I'm enjoying it as much as I can. I have to say, sticking to this certain regimen has been motivating. I think we all know that good feeling when we say we're going to stick to something and follow it step by step, with no cheating in between. Let's just say I haven't had ANY sugar in the past 3 days :)

Considering my infatuation with Liv Tyler right now, I started checking out some of her movies. I had seen a lot of them already, but the one that sort of impacts you the most is Stealing Beauty. Not the best film in the world, it is really boring at times and it's hard to imagine that people really live that way, but her performance is amazing. It's so real and honest and subtle, and one of the last scenes is really impacting. Apart from that, it has a really great soundtrack for the most part, classic 90's haha. So I've been downloading a bunch of songs from the soundtrack today and from similar artists just basking in this downpour of artistic revelation.

I don't know. It was just a really quiet morning today and it looks like it's gonna rain soon so I'll probably open the window and read a book. That will be one of the things I greatly miss when I move. Listening to some mellow music and reading a book with the windows open while it's raining...ugh so nice. In other news I want to completely revamp my wardrobe and have been getting some great inspiration...I think I'll post that in the next entry. As for now, I'll enjoy the rest of my quiet day until I have to stress out for the entire weekend starting tomorrow.

Song of the day: Rhymes of an Hour- Mazzy Star

Until next time

Sary

back on the wagon!

So many things have happened.

• Allie came to visit for two weeks
• Went zip-lining
• Saw Aerosmith live!
• Developed a new girl crush on Liv Tyler
• Downloaded some bitchin' music (Spacehog anyone?)
• Got drunk for the first time
• Got a new scar

Etc., etc. I've had some time to reflect in the couple of days and I honestly feel disgusted with myself. I don't know why, it's a combination of things, physical mostly. I'm just a slob right now. And school has been on the back burner as of late which is not good. So starting tomorrow, the metamorphosis will be begin and this will honestly be the last time I look and feel like this. I'm so sick of feeling this way all the time. Changes, changes! Change is good, it's great. It's time for it to happen now.

Song of the day: Crazy- Aerosmith

Until next time

Sary

seriously?

ughhhh. SO frustrated right now....I've met about 3 new guys in the last two weeks, all of whom I have liked instantly and then I meet their beautiful girlfriends. It's like drowning in the ocean, trying to surface for air and as soon as you get up, another wave crashes down on top of you.

i'm pissed. and my internet connection is soooo messed up.

Song of the day: Move on up- Curtis Mayfield

Until next time

Sary

Humidity sucks

Let's see if I can roll this out in 15 minutes!

So recently, I've been trying to make my room more interesting. Apart from the James Dean and Coldplay posters, it's really freaking bland. So I decided to finally hook up the turntable to the sound system to no avail, because the receiver doesn't have a phono input which makes the sound really shitty so I have to get a pre-amp which is about 50 bucks back home which means it's about 100 here OR I could get another receiver which is another hassle and I don't know anyone I can trade with. So there's that. But the good news is there was yet another Coldplay poster that came with the vinyl version of X&Y so I have to put that up soon and I figured I could start hanging all the drawings I've been doing. The plan was to hang them all up at the end, but 5/9 of the way there, so I don't see the harm in starting now.

Apart from that, school started last week and I've been trying to keep up with my reading. I finished To Kill a Mockingbird almost two weeks ago and I have yet to start 1984 so I really need to get on that. I've decided that being super organized is the only way to live haha. I feel so much....calmer? I don't know. But having my room and school work organized just takes a lot off my shoulders for some reason and it makes me feel in complete control which is never bad.

Not much else has happened really. I can't wait to get a job so I can start making my own money. Next month, I SWEAR.

Song of the day: We Will Become Silhouttes- Death Cab for Cutie

Until next time

Sary

Boo Rad

My 2 days of being 20 so far have been great. I haven't gone anywhere, I've been stuck in the house, but I'm in such a great peace of mind. Nothing has upset me at all. And in the last two days I've come to realize that the things that upset us are done so by our own will. We have the decision every day to choose to let things upset us or not. It's something I've heard and known for quite some time now, but never put it into practice. But it's something that I want to keep exercising for a long time.

So about two weeks ago I started reading Catcher in the Rye. Why you ask? Well I had been wanting to for quite a while because I realized that being stuck in the house so much, all I do is watch TV and go on the internet for hours on end. I could feel myself start to get dumber and dumber each day by not expanding my mind. I used to love reading as a kid, but I guess somehow my obsession with movies and television took over my mind. Not to mention, the obligation of having to read and analyze books in school just took the fun out of it. So for a very long time, I rejected books, I loathed them, I thought reading was such a pain. Then a while back, I realized that I had to start reading again. And we have a bunch of books in the house, but the only ones that would really interest me were the ones I had from high school. So I started with Catcher in the Rye and I finished it in two days.

I then decided that I would read every book I had read in high school...or not read. The truth is, most of the books I read in high school, I read half-way and sparknoted the rest. So it will probably be like I'm reading all of them for the first time. I'm reading To Kill a Mockingbird right now, I'm half-way through. In any case, I feel the same way I did when I was kid in terms of reading. I love it. I kind of wish now that I was in English class so I could school everybody when it came to analyzing. Looking back I could've done so much better in school if I hadn't been so goddamn lazy. Anywho, it's bad to have regrets in life.

I forgot how much I missed writing here. I haven't written lately probably because I've had nothing to write about, but with this newfound wisdom I'll be writing a lot more. It really is therapeutic for me. :)

Song of the day: World Spins Madly On- The Weepies

Until next time

Sary

the big 2-0

Today is my birthday. I'm 20 years old. I'm no longer a teenager. Today has been a whirlwind of emotions. Nostalgia because I have to say goodbye to my teenage years. Excitement because I am ready to take on my 20's. Gratitude because the outpour of love I have received today from my friends and family has been amazing. I don't know what it is, but right now I'm in such a moment of clarity....like I know exactly how I want to spend my 20's and not waste all the time I did in my teenage years by being depressed and pessimistic and mean. I want to live life to the fullest for the next ten years and just be happy all the time, try and look on the bright side of things. I am so thankful for everything in my life right now.

It's funny, but every year, writing in my blogger, looking back on the past year I reflect on how much I've changed since my last birthday. But this year, I feel like I'm still the same person from last year, just with a different set of goals, with a different outlook on life. Things will change starting now. I can't wait to see what the next 10 years will be like....then I'll be 30....jesus......

Song of the day: A Melody, the Memory- Mae

Until next time

Sary

ouchhh

Thought I'd squeeze in an entry before I go study for my math test tomorrow. Spring break was really fun, which is great because last year was kinda meh. I literally spent every day of the week with my entire family which I loved. Having only one sister and coming from a small immediate family, I always love when I get to hang out with the extended family because there's so many! 25 of us went up to the volcano the other day. So much fun....even though the volcano was fogged up haha.

And recently I've been watching The Wonder Years. Seriously? One of the best american sitcoms EVER. I remember watching it when I was 6, 7, 8 years old or something and loving it, it really defined my childhood to an extent. But watching it now, I realized I could never really appreciate it for what it was, what it meant to a generation. I mean, back then all I was really hoping for was for Kevin and Winnie to kiss hahaha. But now it just means so much more to me, considering everything I've been through in the past 2 years. I don't know, watching it has just caused a lot of self-reflection recently.

I'm going to start spinning this week. I'm sick of this shit. I need to lose a lot of weight. And I'm going to do it. I can't not.

I've been downloading a lot of good music lately, after a pretty nasty dry spell. Oldies of course. School starts again tomorrow. Let the stress fest begin again! And I have a test. A math test. Which I should probably go study for right now before I watch Up in the Air :)

Oh, on another note, I ripped my toenail off today.a;sdlfkas;dlf. I almost fainted, at the sight of my own blood. Probably the most gruesome thing that has happened to my body. Great way to end my vacation!

I promise to start writing more, things have just been pretty hectic. For now I'll leave you with this:

Song of the day: Here Comes the Sun- Richie Havens

Until next time

Sary

i think

I want to go back to the late 90's. I think everyone has a period in their life that they consider the best, the one they cherish the most. Surprisingly, the time from when I was about 8-10 years old is where some of my most precious memories are, the place that I miss the most...I think I've been trying to get back there ever since. But since we don't have time machines yet, I'll satisfy myself with music and shows from that era, hence me watching Dawson's Creek for the past week and listening to Sarah McLachlan and Edwin McCain.

I don't care what anyone says, the 90's were the greatest fucking decade ever.

Song of the day: I'll Be- Edwin McCain

Until next time

Sary

confusion

ughhh fuck me.

Just when I thought I had everything figured out, I'm more confused than ever....I have no idea what I want to do with my life....well I kind of do, but it's gonna be freaking hard.

Crazy times

I've had a weird past couple of days.

Yesterday:

I awoke to my mom telling me to get ready because we had to go to a funeral. REWIND. "What?!" It turns out my dad's best friend mom died. I never met her but I really love my dad's friend, I've known him since I was a few months old. I was a little hesitant to go at first, but I wanted to go to support him. I had never been to a funeral so I had no idea what to expect. Was I going to see my first dead body? Anyways, another friend came to pick us up at noon and off we went to the service.

He seemed a little worried in the car and I asked what was wrong. He told us that he had just driven over the bridge to get to our house and saw a girl peering over the edge. His mom was in the car with him and said, " Hey look, she's probably gonna jump!" They both laughed and didn't think anything of it. As we were driving back down the bridge, we saw police cars and firetrucks on the side of the road. We were all thinking the same thing and hoping that it wasn't true. Sure enough, the girl jumped off and killed herself. I never saw her, but just the fact that he had seen her minutes before and now she was dead....he told us later he had thought about pulling over to talk to her, but he never did.

So it turns out we got to the service late, and ended up not going to the burial because it was too far away which I was happy about because I wasn't sure I could handle it. But seeing all those people there at the church made me think about what would happen when one of my family members died. The only person I've really known who has died is my grandma, but I wasn't as close with her as my other grandma, my paternal grandma. That was almost 6 years ago now. My mom and I were talking about what would happen when she and my grandpa died. I don't even want to think about that day. The entire extended family will just be destroyed and I will be inconsolable to say the least.

All in all, yesterday was a big day of reflection for me, something I wasn't expecting at all when I woke up. So it was kind of a crazy day.

Then today the entire world stopped because of the earthquake in Chile and the tsunami in Hawaii. Watching it all unfold on the news made it look like a movie. I was really scared, not because we were in danger, but seeing all those other people whose homes had been destroyed in Chile and the people just waiting for the tsunami to come in Hawaii....it was just something straight out of a movie. Watching it made me realize that one day, some huge natural disaster will happen and there'll be nothing we can do about it, just like today. Except today, a lot of people got extremely lucky.

So I don't know, yesterday and today just made me realize how freaking fragile our lives are, that they could go at any minute. And I've always known that I suppose, but the last two days just made it more tangible, more real. Weird feelings, weird vibes around me all day. Hopefully I can just take everything in and not let it affect me so much, but it really has opened my eyes.

Anyways, almost 2 more months till I turn 20. Whoooopeeeee.....

Song of the day: Waterfalls- TLC

Until next time

Sary

plus side

The only good thing about this heat wave is that I get to sleep with the fan on :) I don't know why I love that so much. I guess it's because it reminds me of hot summer nights back home, going to Chris's house, watching The Goonies, then coming home with all the windows down in the car and not feeling cold at all, then getting into bed and sleeping with the windows open and the fan on....haha I know it doesn't sound exciting but it's little things like that that just make me the happiest person in the world.

I really need to post the list of small things that make me happy...next time.

My goal for this week is STILL to write my resumé and start sending it out...haven't done that yet but I will!

For now I'll leave you with a new music discovery....well not really new, but...you know.

Song of the day: Fader- The Temper Trap

Until next time

Sary

Unwrap you like peppermints

Good evening!

I have absolutely nothing to do but I'm in such a calm state of mind, I figured right now would be perfect to write. Today was super hot all day, but as soon as the sun set it got sooo nice. It reminded me of summer nights back home when it felt good to roll the window down in the car at night and sleep with the windows open. Ahh, just thinking about it puts me in a good mood. That's definitely at the top of my "Simple Pleasures of Life" list. I should write all of them down in the next entry!

So I finally got my I.D. and my driver's license which means I am officially a Costa Rican citizen. I was honestly more excited about the driver's license haha. I can finally freaking drive now. I started exercising again after about 3 months. Starting up again is always hard because you feel out of shape but you just gotta get back in the rhythm again. But I'm not going to the gym, screw that. I haaate going to the gym, although the one thing I will really miss is that cute guy that I always saw haha. He probably has a girlfriend though with my luck. Instead of the gym, I'm just running around my neighborhood which is really good to run in. I'm going to try to run at least 3 or 4 times a week....no 4. Let's say 4.

I started messing around with photoshop again and it's so much fun! I got really, really good at one point about 6 months ago but stopped for some reason, so I'm re-learning all the cool tricks I learned before. I also started drawing again, I'm working on Freddie Mercury right now. It's definitely one of the harder ones I've had to do.

Running, drawing, using Photoshop, whatever, it all keeps my mind busy which is what I really need. I need to feel like I'm not wasting my time in the house all day and I need to feel productive as well. I think mentally, I'm pretty stable right now, as far as not losing my mind to boredom goes. My next step is to get set financially- I NEED A JOB. Goal next week is to write my resumé and just start sending it everywhere. I need my own money so I can stop asking my parents and hopefully pay for the car so we won't have to sell it. You have no idea how sad it's made me this past week. It's like the one thing that really made me happy here is being taken away after only 4 months. Anyways, I'm hoping that works out.

I've found it's really easier to not feel like I'm just wasting oxygen by setting goals for myself every week. They don't have to be huge, just something like "type out my resumé" or "Study for the test a week earlier". Little things like that. It really makes me feel like I accomplished something regardless of how big or small it is. Anywho, my eyes are getting tired. I've spent all weekend doing this huge project for math, I should finish it by tomorrow....well I kinda have to, it's due on Monday haha. Have a good night whoever you are, wherever you are.

Song of the day: Who Needs Shelter- Jason Mraz

Until next time

Sary

Later, Bruce

"Random thoughts, Valentine's day 2010. Today is a day invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap."

And on that note, my parents told me today that they're selling the Volkswagen.

Best Valentine's day EVER.

Floating in Space

Ugh, I've been meaning to write for the longest time, but I've been going to bed at like 3 a.m. everyday.

Not much to write about except that the car has been in the shop for like two weeks and it's going to cost more than $400 to fix it....fuck my life. It honestly doesn't bother me, I'm paying for half of it anyway, but the part that I can't stand is my parents bitching about it and saying I told you so.

I seriously need a job. Like now. I'm going to make my resumé this weekend....if I have time haha. I'm going up to the mountain house this weekend, FINALLY! I've been waiting for like 2 months now. It's going to be so nice to just go up and get away from everything for a while, even though I have a crapload of homework to do while I'm up there.

Valentine's day is on Sunday.....yet another year goes by and I'm alone. It's ridiculous how much I want to be with someone for once....ugh JEEEEEZE.

AAAANYWAYS.

I'm listening to "Screaming Infidelities" right now and it totally reminds me of middle school haha. OH, I've been catching up on Ghost Hunters recently, watching all the episodes I've missed since summer of '08 haha. It's so good, I love that show. I seriously have to catch up on Smallville too :/

I was reading some old notes I got in high school from Allie and Casey and they're sooo funny, but they make me soooo nostalgic....looking back life seemed so much simpler, but at the time it felt like the hardest thing in the world....if I knew then what I know now haha.....

I honestly do wish I could go back though. Maybe I'd tell myself what not to do in the future. It would've saved me some serious heartache. Anyways, pretty senseless post, but I wanted to get one in. I'll write again on Sunday, I promise.

Song of the day: New Perspective- Panic! at the Disco

Until next time

Sary