like a monkey with it’s miniature cymbals

Friday morning was my big “wear corporate gear” day. It also made me realize that it’s the little things that matter when it comes to my love for New York. Friday morning at the School of Comm.’s internship fair I met these great people from DScribed Strategic Communication and Design . Both young and fun. Just their website alone makes them attention worthy. I drove to Mineola to try to catch the 12:03 train and had a living nightmare about no parking, an unreadable debit card, and three inch heels. I caught a later train, got in around 1:33, hailed my own cab for the first time, walked into Rubenstein Associates, Inc. and razzle dazzled HR rep Megan Wheeler. I felt I did well.
Went to Union Square to wait for Sara to get out Edelman Digital . I was looking at beautiful flowers and thinking about their existence in an otherwise gray environment when I heard Daft Punk floating through the air. Two dancers, one of which was evidently a yogi, were performing. Basically they spent about 20 minutes warming up to dance for five minutes, do a creepy spider crawling thing, and jump over eight children.

Went to Strand, bought books. Go figure.
Sara and I met Steph and Tiel at Aperture for the gallery opening for Luigi Ghirri’s “It’s Beautiful Here Isn’t It…”
( November 8, 2008– January 29, 2009) to have Julia aid us in drinking surprisingly potent wine.
Sara, Steph, and I then took the JMZ to Myrtle Ave for the smokiest loft party I have ever been to. Keep in mind – I am still wearing corporate wear (trust me, I regret it now). Met a cute Jarvis Cocker look alike from Oklahoma. Hopefully he wasn’t put off by my placing a business card in his pocket.
Passed out on the JMZ to Jamaica around 2 am.
Drove the girls home, slept well.
Saturday wouldn’t stop raining on my parade.

Worked all day today at the LICM’s “Friends Around the World” event. Pamela was dancing with Shake It!. Her camera died, so I tried taking pictures with my cell phone. Obviously not stellar.

Have been listening to Hot Chip’s “Over & Over”…..over and over again.

everything comes with time

Today was another Wednesday where I was too tired to shower. I overcompensated by thinking “what would a french anime character wear?” I even wore leggings, which despite the fact it is a popular article worn by many LI girls, when worn correctly I think they might overshadow the existence of the obvious bags under my blue peepers.

This morning I had to attend a PR Majors meeting during CH. Supposedly it was mandatory, which is why about 75 of the 200 odd majors showed up. Simply put, more Cosco oatmeal raisin cookies and Strawberry Flavored H2O for me. The majority of the meeting was about how the requirements for the major changed AGAIN and how the Holy Trinity of PR (Prof. Geyer, Berman, and Frisina) deserve pats on the back for having our courses renamed to “PR” instead of “JRNL”. It matters, indeed. As PR majors, we should also be proud to say we are from Hofstra. I already feel proud that despite my ridiculous accent (NY/DE/Midwest/Proper English Pronunciation), “Hofstra University” rolls so easily off my tongue.

Some PR students also talked about their summer internships, including my friend Dani from PRSSA who introduced the concept of social networking to the travel agency she was interning at and my friend Sara Knee, who I regard in my heart as a Hofstra PR super rebel. She is starting this Friday at Edelman Digital, a sect of Edelman Group (one of the top three PR agencies in the world and one of my first loves). Sara owned the meeting. While the PR courses at Hofstra were not “doing it for her”, she went out on her own to intern at a digital media agency. What I lack in tech-savyness she more than makes up for with her adorable yet badass demeanor. Sara and I enjoy ranting about how in a way we are PR outcasts who both agree that Perez is NOT our homeboy. With her standing up front, talking about her success, gave a glimmer in hope that for PR rebels like her and myself, we will be okay.

I also talked to Frisina afterward (she is writing my letter of rec for my study abroad in Venice next January) about how Sara and I rant together since we both relate to feeling like PR outcasts. Frisina gave a knowing look and a whispered it was because we are two of “the smart ones”. Frisina, thank you for making my schedule with me during Freshmen Orientation ’06 – I would probably still be a Journalism major and plague the Chronicle Office. Disclaimer – there is no offense whatsoever in that statement; I have written pieces for the Hofstra Chronicle that are currently in my portfolio. I really am not worthy.

Other news – Catholicism made the front page of NY Times.
Yet again, another instance of reassurance. Evidently, there are such things as progressive Catholics.
My favorite part of the article: “I think that one of the teachings of God is to take care of the less fortunate,” said Susan Tighe, an insurance lawyer who identified herself as “a folk Catholic, from the guitar-strumming social-justice side” of the church.
It’s true. Of anything I took away from expensive private Catholic education (the reason I sometimes had to bring peanut butter fold overs to school for lunch), is that it is more important to be an ethical and moral person who is open and caring to others than following ancient religious doctrines (often misinterpreted by those “Crazy catholics”).

Also – I have been reading this book for the past month. At the point I’m at, the protagonist Leigh-Cheri has made her attic bedroom into a prison cell since her boo, Bernard, is in real prison for blowing stuff up with home made bombs. For shame. Not only is it smartly written, quotes such as these make me want to cuddle with it every night. This is Leigh-Cherie in “prison”:
“‘When we’re incomplete, we’re always searching for somebody to complete us. When, after a few years or a few months of a relationship, we find that we’re still unfulfilled, we blame our partners and take up with somebody more promising. This can go on…until we admit that while a partner can add sweet dimensions to our lives, we, each of us, are responsible for our own fulfillment. Nobody else can provide it for us, and to believe otherwise is to delude ourselves dangerously and to program for eventual failure every relationship we enter. Hey, that’s pretty good. If I had pencil and paper, I’d write that down.’ Alas, she had no pencil, while the roll of paper that sat by the chamber pot was destined for a different end.

the cross is a present from Nicaragua from my sister Tree and is a shoutout to Catholicism. The cymbal banging monkey is for kicks.

perez is not my homeboy

i didn’t think this would happen
but in response to a week’s worth of information overload about how technology is constantly changing and how we need to keep up with it…somehow I, a somewhat non-technological, incapable traditionalist, have made a blog.

because when I think of blogs, I think of Perez Hilton…I hope to not go down that road…

Steve Rubel from Edelman Group spoke at Hofstra University last Wednesday to inform PR and Journalism majors alike about new media and how basically it is an unstoppable force we cannot control, but can utilize for our own benefit.

it scares me to imagine a future where people are more isolated than they already are and real personal contact is limited. I was reassured when Rubel stated that in order to reach consumers, business organizations must create relationships with their consumers. A collaboration between customers and businesses will generate the most success overall.

But still, I have always preferred interacting with people one on one and researching information independently. However, I realized that I must be more humble and come to the understanding that you have to keep up with what is already happening. My personal quest to bring about a society that values art, literature, music, and culture is not going to be successful until I adopt the habits and skills as my fellow consumers and peers. Which includes learning to appreciate blogs and those who read them.

On a personal level, my brain is fried. I spent about three hours in Calkins studio painting while listening to the new Devotchka album (thanks maggie), then I had to find the motivation to make this silly thing while waiting for my infinite amount of clothing to be washed. I’m going to attempt the crazy idea to sleep for three hours – the supposedly perfect amount in order to not be a zombie the next day. Which means if I sleep for three hours now…I’ll be up before the sun still.

Tomorrow morning is more painting, reading Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais before class, and attempting once again to actually read the paper on a Monday.