The Facebook New Year's post

So I used to do these Facebook surveys because I was a super self-obsessed high schooler who thought they were introspective and cool and liked letting people know this fact. (I like to think I've gotten more subtle in my old age). I resurrected this tradition last year and thought I would do so again this year but no juxtaposition to the old answers, just the 2013 into 2014 transitional ones. 

1 - Did you kiss anyone?: 
Not in a meaningful way so effectively no. 

2 - Did you date anyone?For a fashion. 

3 - Are you going to kiss someone when the ball drops?Well I don't know what I'm doing New Year's Eve so I don't know yet. We'll see. 

4 - Did you lose any friends?I think so. The process of losing friends is so curiously painful that I try not to think about it too much and focus on the gains. 

5 - Did you gain any friends?Yes, wonderful people that I am very thankful to have in my life. 

6 - Did you do something new?I saw a whale and learned how to punch the crap out of some cushions. Oh and I left the bubble a few times too. 

7 - Had a boyfriend/girlfriend?For a bit. 

8 - Did you change?
Not by choice, but so it goes. 
9 - Are you happy with the year over all?Yeah, I think so. 

10 - Whats the best thing that happened to you?I think I found my footing at Wellesley a little bit more. It's a little pathetic that it took so long but better late than never.

11 - Did you fall in or out of love?You already know the answer to that. 

12 - Are you happy the year's almost over?Yes and no. I think next year will be wonderful but also stressful. And the same could be said for this year. So I don't really know. I think it's more of a "Let's continue on then, shall we" attitude rather than "Ugh I am so over this year!" attitude. 

13 - Are you going to change something about yourself next year?I am going to agree with my past selves and say that Change is not something you can really plan for yourself(that's why it's called change) but I do have plans to try and aspire to be my best self, as always. 

14 - Do you think 2008(2014) will be a better year then 2007(2013)?I mean, you can only go up, right?

20 - Did you go on a summer vacation?(Btw: I'm not entirely sure where the other numbers went)
Not exactly. I got to go to the beach a lot during the Fall though so that counts, right?
21 - Did you lie to your parents?No, I try very hard not to do that.

22 - Did you get into a fight?Oh boy.

23 - Did you leave the country?No but hopefully some day I'll get to go somewhere new. 

24 - Did you have a good birthday?A lovely birthday weekend. Lunch with my friends a couple days beforehand, Flower Sunday with my Little and eating madelines with friends on the actual day. I like this concept of several days of celebration. I think we should carry this on to next year too.

25 - Did anyone in your family get married?Not yet, but we're working on it

26 - Did you get any taller?No but I learned how to walk in heels better and that amounts to the same thing.

27 - Did you dye your hair?I didn't but I'm contemplating it for this year....because that's going to go down so well for interviews, right?

26 - Who did you talk on the phone with most?I don't really talk on the phone with anyone but I guess my parents?

29 - Did anyone sing to you?
Haha yeah they had to plan it out a little but it happened eventually.

30 - Did you sing to anyone?Naturally.

31 - Did anyone tell you they loved you?Lots of people did. And not necessarily through words.

32 - Did you ever go to the hospital?Err no but I did spend a little bit of time in Health Services. It was not fun. 

33 - What did you drink and eat the most?Tea probably. And maybe french fries? Or avocados?

35 - Did you change your profile over 10 times?Probably.

36 - Did you get a tattoo?Nope. Still not planning on it. 

37 - Did you vote?No but that was me just being lazy.

38 - Are you going to make New Years resolution?Yeah I have a few lined up. 


39 - Did you stick to your New Years resolution from last year?I don't remember what they were...

40 - Think you'll date someone in 2008(2014)?Well I guess we'll have to see about that. 

41. - Where will you be when the ball drops?I haven't thought that far in advance yet. 

42 - Do you think you will make new friends in 2008(2014)?I hope so.

43 - Are you hoping to meet someone special in 2008(2014)?No, leave me alone I'm a hermit.

44 - How do you feel, another year has passed you by?
Old? It's a little daunting because we're closing in on my graduation year and so it means that I have to start being a real person soon. But at the same time, things are on the up I think and I can't wait to keep spending time with the wonderful people who have waltzed into my life this year. So...

Of Princesses and Villains

It's no secret that I am a huge Disney fan and so one of my friends wanted to know who my favorite princess and villain were. Unfortunately in the last few years, my college education has taught me that a  majority of the princesses were rather useless bimbos and victims of the patriarchy which puts a damper on things a bit. However, I think there are some strong female characters to be had in these movies so let's examine them a bit.

Princesses: Tie-Tiana and Mulan
These are the two "princesses" that happen to annoy me the least. However, you may notice that they are not actually princesses. Tiana is the protagonist from the movie The Princess and the Frog and is a young chef trying to save up enough money to start her own restaurant in New Orleans. Mulan is the star of the self-titled film who enlists in the army during the draft in her father's stead.

Tiana I think is a really refreshing character from the rest of the 'princesses' because  it is made abundantly clear that she is from a humble background in the first five minutes of the film. She herself does not buy into the romance that her childhood friend so obviously does. Tiana has already learned that the world does not operate the way it does in fairytales(though for her, this is a bit ironic). Her family does not have a ton of money but they do love eachother fiercely and bond over food. The fact that Disney shows that there can be dreams outside of the castle and the Prince is valuable because it transfers nicely to real life. Furthermore, also in the first ten minutes of the film, we see that Tiana has been working hard for a long time to save up enough money to buy the building for her restaurant-and it's not glamorous in the least. She works two jobs and is dead on her feet but she is willing to sacrifice a lot for her dream. She does end up getting the Prince in the end, but he fell in love with her determination rather than her beauty. 

Mulan is one of Wellesley's favorite princesses I think. She gets the equivalent of the Chop and proves that she is every bit as strong and even a fair bit smarter than the guys. Mulan completely shatters the gender norms and just wins at everything. She also goes into a war for her father which shows a great love of family and courage because she could die if she were to be found out and she could also die on the battlefield. Also, she's a little awkward and clumsy in the beginning  which you have to admit is a little endearing. The one thing that I will say annoys me a little bit is her naivete in thinking that she will never get caught-what did she think was going to happen in the end? She could just ride into the sunset after the war was over? Though, she managed to keep up her disguise for several months which I can't imagine is an easy task so kudos for that. 

Villains: Mother Gothel

I don't know if she's necessarily the "best" villain but I think she's one of the scariest. She stole Rapunzel as a child from her parents for completely selfish reasons but she is so good at putting up the facade of being the over-protective mother and is even a little bit charming. Gothel is so good at manipulating Rapunzel emotionally and putting up the facade as though she cares for her well-being when really she can turn around and be absolutely ruthless. There's ambiguity in whether or not she does care about Rapunzel because she does agree to make a journey to get ingredient for her favorite food but I still think that's even a facade. Frankly, that ability for deception makes her a lot scarier than the other villains who use magic but are much more honest about being evil. Furthermore, she also undermined Rapunzel's confidence at numerous occasions over the course of the film. I think that everyone knows someone a little bit like Gothel in their lives and that realness makes her the most formidable villainess of them all.

On the Nuances of Peeling an Orange

December is finally here with means that it's that time of year again-time for clementines!

As we enter into this very exciting and festive time of year I would like to take a moment to draw everyone's attention to a very important issue that has been wearing on my mind for quite a while.

That is, of course, the subject of peeling said clementines.

Frankly, I don't see why anyone would forgo the pleasure that comes from peeling a complete and perfect twist of clementine skin. To do anything else is frankly just laziness, in my humble opinion. In fact, I distinctly remember having competitions with my father on who could produce the more beautiful twist since I was a young girl. However, I realize that not everyone had the same emphasis in their childhoods so I would like to address the following points.

Carnage, I tell you!

1) To not peel the skin in one continuous spiral is little more than blasphemy. The dexterity required to complete this task is something that everyone is capable of learning. To minimize the chances of breakage, however, try to keep the width of each spiral as consistent as possible.

2) You must circle the orange at least three times before terminating your spiral. That is to say, the width of your spirals must be less than or equal to one-third the diameter of the fruit. You finished your peel with only half a spiral? Please, you're not fooling anyone.

3) The easiest way to begin your spiral is to use your fingernail to create a small puncture in the posterior side of the fruit. Only amateurs use knives to initiate their spirals and buffoons use spoons.

While some advocate the use of the "Caterpillar" method of peeling, the spiral is a time honored method and frankly much more humane than attempting to make a watch or flower out of the fruit. The orange already died for your benefit, there is no need to be cruel.

Best wishes for a wonderful clementine season!

Eat, Pray, Love IRL

Prompt: Eat, Pray, Love is the story of a woman who pursues the things she thinks will bring her happiness. If you could find it in yourself, that bit of bravery to leave the comforts of your everyday life behind and pursue your own happiness, where would you go and what would you pursue?
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Eat: Paris, France
Anyone who knows me knows that I have basically wanted to go to Paris since the first time I watched Madeline as a kid. While I have no particular proclivity towards French entrees, French desserts are divine. I think I may actually die of happiness if I were allowed to eat my way through a patisserie(either that or diabetes). I suppose if I had to pursue something while there, it would be death by chocolate. I'm not sure how many chocolate truffles and eclairs I could go through in 4 months but if I'm sure it's a formidable figure. Also, I hear the cafe scene is hopping.

Pray: Kyoto, Japan
Anyone who knows me well knows that I have also wanted to go to Japan since I was in middle-school and saw my first dorama. From an art history student's perspective, the shrines and temples in Kyoto are stunning and it would finally give me a chance to put my Japanese speaking skills to the test. Kyoto is the old capital city so I'm sure there are also plenty of haunts that I don't even know about. I feel like it would be a great place to just stay and think awhile.

Love: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Ahh the City of Sin; Amsterdam is a relatively recent addition to my bucket list of places to go but I feel like there is plenty of romance to be had here(outside of the Red Light district, thank you) and not least of all because one of my recent favorite love stories featured the city heavily. Again, this is another place that I would love to go to for academic reasons(mainly so I can go to the Van Gogh museum) but from what I've seen it looks pretty magical to me.




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So there it is; short post today because I have a rather significant exam tomorrow morning but I felt bad that I had skipped yesterday so I will probably do two tomorrow. I might even have a "Punishment" prompt like the Vlogbrothers do when they violate certain rules of the vlogdom. Worth noting though: I wrote a similar post back when I had first started this blog and all three of these cities are on it which I suppose should be comforting in a way. I might do an updated bucket list in the future though because there definitely are some new additions!

I think one other thing to address though is how remarkable this would be if I got to do it in real life. First of all, I'm not even sure I would have the strength to leave behind my life right now because I feel like I've put so much effort into building it to be what is it, pathetic though that might sound. It would take a truly brave soul to just pick up and leave. Financial concerns aside, I hope that I do make it to these places soon they all have so much to offer.

That time I went to New York

Prompt: In honor of the 100th anniversary on February 1 of New York City's famed Grand Central Station, write an essay about a time in your life when you travelled—it could be daily travel, such as the commute to and from a job; seasonal travel, such as heading to a beach community every summer; or a vacation, such as a trip to a foreign country. Focus on what compelled you to go and the transition of leaving one place and arriving in another.

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The summer before my sophomore year of college I hopped on a bus at Boston's South station and headed to the City that Never Sleeps.

I feel like a trip to New York City is a certain rite of passage for all college students in the Northeast. This would be my second time ever going to the city but my first going by myself. I had told myself that before I graduated college, I needed to do this trip. In high school when I still wanted to work in fashion, I remember not being able to wait until I got my chance to go back to New York. It seemed so much more glamorous than Boston and one of my close friends had made it sound like magical every time she told me about her trips there. Not to mention Gossip Girl was filmed there as was Breakfast at Tiffany's; the city had a special kind of allure that can't be ignored.

So, I left my dorm at precisely 6:30AM to get on a train to South Station. From there, I boarded a bus that would take me into the heart of downtown Manhattan. Gatsby in hand, I watched the endless road that passed us by from my window seat. I wasn't quite sure of what things would be like but I was excited to find out. 

As I got off the bus, I remember feeling like it was the most adult thing I had done to date. After assuring my mother that I had indeed reached the city and not died in a ditch on the side of the road, I basically had the freedom to do...whatever I wanted to. That freedom was kind of glorious. 

I ended up meeting up with a friend later that day who introduced me to the Shake Shack and then I took my first ride on the New York subway as I headed to the Lower East Side to meet my roommate with whom I was staying the weekend. We ended up walking around for a bit before heading to K-Town for Korean BBQ and froyo. I spent most of my time in the city eating Asian things and shopping though I did manage to fulfill one my dreams of finally going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art(I think my art nerd is showing a little). I stayed in the city for about 2.5 days, so my faithful roomie took me on a whirlwind tour of the area. To be honest, it's a little bit of a blur but I know that in one day we hit 4 of the boroughs which was pretty cool. 

Actual pic from the trip

I've been separated from the experience by a bit of time so I have forgotten some of the particulars of the trip. However,  I think I can sum up my impressions of the city thusly:

1) Wow, everything is open so late! There are trains running past 1:30AM? I can buy myself a cake at 3AM if I wanted? What is this madness?

2) Everyone dresses so chic-ly here; I see no Harvard sweatshirts or Sperry Topsiders so I know I'm definitely not in Boston anymore. 

3) Even the men dress better than I do. What up with that? (though I was informed that was just a product of us being in K-town)

4)  How do people have money left over for food if we keep taking the train so often?

5) Why are there so many people around me right now? I would really prefer that there weren't.

I definitely had a lot of fun that weekend and even though I haven't gone back since then, I definitely could see myself visiting again in the future. In many ways, the New York was much more the prototypical American city than Boston is. All the buildings were taller and shinier, the people moved faster and dressed better and there were exponentially more different types of ethnic cooking. I think if I ever decided that I didn't want to be found, New York would be the perfect place to disappear for awhile.  However, I think I've gotten way too attached to Boston to really want to move there without the incentive of a job/school. But it's not your fault, New York-you put up a good fight but nothing compares to my hometown, the City of Champions. ;)

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Author's note: I am incredibly tired right now an am writing this because I told myself that I wasn't allowed to go to sleep unless I posted something....so it goes. 

What I am Thankful for

I am thankful for fuzzy socks because they make my day a little more delightfully fluffy. Also thank you for being ridiculously patterned and colored because as long as I wear boots no one even knows-it's my little secret, my fabulous little secret.

I am thankful for Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Peppermint White Mochas for ushering in the holiday season, my favorite time of year. I look forward to you every year.

I am thankful for tea: green tea for helping me focus and milk tea for comforting me during late nights, as well as making me feel a little bit superior over those who do not drink tea. Also I am thankful for tea so that I can have a few moments of respite in the middle of a stressful day.

I am thankful for coffee helping me get through my studies-no really. I don't think I would be able to do it without having a cup in the morning. Thank you for making me want to get up in the morning, every morning.

I am thankful for fairytales for always letting me to return to you, even after all these years. Thank you for reminding me that Love is the closest thing we have to magic, even when I now know that it's not Prince Charming that I'm waiting for but my partner in crime.

I am thankful for the opportunity to study at Wellesley College. Wellesley, you make me want to scream and tear my hair out and you have definitely made me cry on more than one occasion. But at the end of the day, I am so much a better person for having come to you. I am thankful for all the lessons I have learned inside and out of the classroom and I truly believe that they could not have been learned anywhere else. I can not wait for the day that I will come back to you as the proudest alumna there ever was.

I am thankful for the teachers who have truly touched my life. There haven't been as many as I thought there would be and it took me a while to find you but I am so glad I did. I am grateful that you took an interest in me not just as a student but as a person in general and live-r and lover of life. You found me at my most vulnerable and made me love learning again. It is a debt that I can never repay.

I am thankful for my friends, who have seen me in my darkest hours and are for some reason still here. Thank you for being strong for me when I didn't know how to do that for myself. Thank you for not giving up on me even when I wanted to give up on me. This year was barely bearable but without you, I would have just given up. I am thankful for having people by my side to push me to be my best self. I am thankful to have you at my side pushing me towards new experiences, while letting me know you will be there for me to fall back on. Thank you for pushing me to be my best self. Just...thank you.

And most of all, I am thankful for my family. Circumstances change and whether I liked it or not, we have been scattered all over the globe. Thank you for reminding me that it is not the place or time that is important; when I am with you, I am home.

Tiff's war on Writer's block

Hello Lovelies!

I've been having a problem for about a year or so and I think it's finally time to talk about it.

I don't know what to write about here.

There, I said it. It's actually really hard to come up with topics to write about and I usually start articles that a relevant in a moment but when I try to come back to them later they wouldn't make sense to talk about outside of the moment in which they were conceived. Also, to talk about subjects, one needs to research them thoroughly to present them in a clear fashion to an audience.

And what about talking about myself and my own personal experiences?

Well if you know me in real-life, you'll know that I am partial to my privacy, especially in this day and age when nothing feels like it's private anymore. Not to mention to share anything on a deeper level is exposing myself and making myself more vulnerable than is really prudent. Not to mention, what if I make a strong claim and then change my mind? That would be rather embarrassing for me wouldn't it?

And on top of all of that, these writings need to be interesting/appropriate to a wide audience of people? I think that just thinking about all of that has been a little paralyzing.

So, I'm starting going to the modified/written equivalent of what is a common practice on YouTube: just writing everyday.

A lot of content creators(i.e. Hank Green and Hannah Hart; Grace Helbig/Shay Carl do this on the regular) on YouTube take a month or so to just vlog. By forcing yourself to practice your craft every single day for a while and to put it up for others to see, you don't really have time to think too much about how it will be received.

I don't quite have a whole month to do this, since exams are almost upon us. However, here's the game plan: I have compiled non-fiction writing prompts and will be publishing a post every day for a week starting tonight. I originally started this blog when I was a staff writer for the Wellesley News so that I would have a place to practice writing so I guess in a weird way, I'm going back to the basics.

I'm not sure how these posts will turn out but I'm excited to share them with you anyways!

Here goes nothing,
T