I know I've been completely ignoring this blog, but that's mainly because I've been trying to write some publishable pieces. After spending a month in Paris at a creative writing workshop, I started to believe that I can really make a writing career happen and have been striving to do so ever since. This is the first thing I wrote that is actually on a site that I didn't create or moderate. Hope to have many more in the future, in more famous places as well.
http://realcityny.com/bookstores-on-the-brink/
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Lost
I spent this weekend on my couch trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. All I ended up doing was watching a lot of TV. I feel completely lost and confused and have no idea what I want. I want security without being tied down and creativity without a pay-cut. Help. Anyone. John Lennon, sir, now would be a good time to appear in a dream...
Monday, May 2, 2011
One Man Died, Hate Still Lives...
Nearly ten years ago "freedom itself has been attacked by a masked coward." (This is the first time I have quoted George Bush) At the time, I was 14, just days before my 15th birthday, the same day I had my first kiss. I was on the other side of the world and watched on TV as two buildings collapsed and the world changed, reshaping a generation and the NYC skyline.
As I was driving home tonight, I heard an announcement saying the man behind those attacks was dead. While watching the crowds outside the White House and Ground Zero, it occurred to me that the death of one man is bringing together people of different backgrounds to celebrate, but the death of thousands of friends, neighbors and family members simply turned people against each other. The days and years following 9/11 saw a lot of racism against Muslims and South Asians, even though, as the president pointed out today, bin Laden was not an Islamic leader, he was a mass murderer. I can only hope that this unity among people in times of celebration will also bleed into turbulent times. Dumbledore said, "We are only as strong as we are united," and only through mutual respect, compassion and love can we build a world in which we are all safe. Hate gets us nowhere, and thought one man, a symbol of hate, is gone, hatred is not. Ignorance and fear and those who take advantage of it are not gone. I sincerely hope that if and when we see hard times again, we will stand united and not blame innocent people, who are equally hurt, out of fear.
Lately, we have been seeing several gatherings: people gathering to protest unfair governments, people gathering to celebrate the marriage of their future sovereign, and tonight, to celebrate the death of someone who's hands were covered in innocent blood. I hope this unity lasts and grows into a much deeper respect for each other, despite our differences. I also hope we tomorrow will be a national holiday, but that might be a little TOO hopeful.
As I was driving home tonight, I heard an announcement saying the man behind those attacks was dead. While watching the crowds outside the White House and Ground Zero, it occurred to me that the death of one man is bringing together people of different backgrounds to celebrate, but the death of thousands of friends, neighbors and family members simply turned people against each other. The days and years following 9/11 saw a lot of racism against Muslims and South Asians, even though, as the president pointed out today, bin Laden was not an Islamic leader, he was a mass murderer. I can only hope that this unity among people in times of celebration will also bleed into turbulent times. Dumbledore said, "We are only as strong as we are united," and only through mutual respect, compassion and love can we build a world in which we are all safe. Hate gets us nowhere, and thought one man, a symbol of hate, is gone, hatred is not. Ignorance and fear and those who take advantage of it are not gone. I sincerely hope that if and when we see hard times again, we will stand united and not blame innocent people, who are equally hurt, out of fear.
Lately, we have been seeing several gatherings: people gathering to protest unfair governments, people gathering to celebrate the marriage of their future sovereign, and tonight, to celebrate the death of someone who's hands were covered in innocent blood. I hope this unity lasts and grows into a much deeper respect for each other, despite our differences. I also hope we tomorrow will be a national holiday, but that might be a little TOO hopeful.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Princes, Ballgowns, and Reality
Like all little girls, I grew up watching Disney movies where the pretty girl meets a handsome prince and they live happily ever after, and like any other innocent little girl, I believed these things really happened. Yesterday, a prince married a pretty girl in the hopes of living happily ever after and over two billion people watched them do this. (Yes, I too watched the highlights, and cried.)Why? Why is a love story so much more interesting when a prince is involved? Is it all Disney's fault?
I always thought that people fell in love and spent the rest of their lives together and nothing ever came between them; life has taught me otherwise. Different things like bodies of water and fear of commitment seem to plague relationships. How come Disney never mentioned these? They just stopped at the pretty dresses and handsome princes. I demand that I get what I was promised: happily ever after. A handsome prince wouldn't hurt either, only because unlimited funds I don't need to earn sounds really wonderful given my current life involves endless hours spent either at work or doing homework and the mountain of student loan debt.
This post is just a rant. My thoughts are way too scattered right now for me to be coherent, but I felt like writing just to express them.
I always thought that people fell in love and spent the rest of their lives together and nothing ever came between them; life has taught me otherwise. Different things like bodies of water and fear of commitment seem to plague relationships. How come Disney never mentioned these? They just stopped at the pretty dresses and handsome princes. I demand that I get what I was promised: happily ever after. A handsome prince wouldn't hurt either, only because unlimited funds I don't need to earn sounds really wonderful given my current life involves endless hours spent either at work or doing homework and the mountain of student loan debt.
This post is just a rant. My thoughts are way too scattered right now for me to be coherent, but I felt like writing just to express them.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Courtesy Is Contagious...Or Not
People say New Yorkers are mean and cold and unfriendly. As much as I would like to say, "No we're not, we're just as nice as the rest of you," I can't. The announcements on the subway have to tell us to be courteous and remind us that the elderly and disabled need a seat more than us able-bodied, sleepy, cranky individuals who are late for work because we overslept. Of course, I'm one of those cranky individuals every morning, extra cranky on the days that a crying baby ruins my extra 20 minutes of sleep on the train.
When I was in DC a few summers ago, a random person on the street actually asked us if we wanted her to take a picture for us. We New Yorkers were shocked to say the least. I work in tourist-infested midtown, and the only feeling I have for them is annoyance. Do you really need to stand in the middle of the street to take a picture JUST as I'm about to walk by? More importantly, you're on 34th street, HOW can you not see the Empire State Building? (I cannot count the number of times someone asked me to point them in the direction of the Empire State Building) I guess all this just proves that we are a rather unfriendly lot. Can you blame us? We're very busy and we live in a very expensive city which means we MUST stay busy if we want to pay rent and get everything done. But that should be no excuse to forget our manners. The English don't forget propriety, and we can definitely learn a few things from them.
I am ranting about all this because I got a taste of the New York rudeness today. My neighbor was locked out of her apartment and her child was inside. She was telling him to unlock and open the door, but being that he is 2 or 3, he didn't understand what was happening. All this was happening as I was waiting for the elevator, so as a good neighbor I asked her if she was locked out and my following question would have been, "Can I do anything to help?" I thought she might need to make a phone call or something. What I got in return for my neighborly niceness was a few rough words screamed at me. A simple "Yes" would've sufficed. I guess I learned my lesson: when in NY, do as the New Yorkers do. Don't love thy neighbor. Courtesy is definitely not contagious. The disembodied MTA voice lied to us.
When I was in DC a few summers ago, a random person on the street actually asked us if we wanted her to take a picture for us. We New Yorkers were shocked to say the least. I work in tourist-infested midtown, and the only feeling I have for them is annoyance. Do you really need to stand in the middle of the street to take a picture JUST as I'm about to walk by? More importantly, you're on 34th street, HOW can you not see the Empire State Building? (I cannot count the number of times someone asked me to point them in the direction of the Empire State Building) I guess all this just proves that we are a rather unfriendly lot. Can you blame us? We're very busy and we live in a very expensive city which means we MUST stay busy if we want to pay rent and get everything done. But that should be no excuse to forget our manners. The English don't forget propriety, and we can definitely learn a few things from them.
I am ranting about all this because I got a taste of the New York rudeness today. My neighbor was locked out of her apartment and her child was inside. She was telling him to unlock and open the door, but being that he is 2 or 3, he didn't understand what was happening. All this was happening as I was waiting for the elevator, so as a good neighbor I asked her if she was locked out and my following question would have been, "Can I do anything to help?" I thought she might need to make a phone call or something. What I got in return for my neighborly niceness was a few rough words screamed at me. A simple "Yes" would've sufficed. I guess I learned my lesson: when in NY, do as the New Yorkers do. Don't love thy neighbor. Courtesy is definitely not contagious. The disembodied MTA voice lied to us.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Come and Get Me Too
Yesterday, I spent the day at the beach. As uninviting as the north-eastern Atlantic is, something about a day at the beach with good company is something that must be done every summer, in my opinion. I didn't go in the water; spent most of my time frolicking on the beach, burying and getting buried in the sand, flying a kite, and playing some version of volleyball. It was definitely the most fun I've had at the beach in a while. After the sun had set and night the evening darkened, looking out into the horizon, we could see ships sailing by, most likely cruise ships. As I stared out into the sea, I began to wonder about the people on those ships, and the ships themselves.
That ship is traveling all over the world, on a journey right then as I attempted to hit a volleyball which caused my non-athletic arm to swell. Yet, there I was, on this shore, not even attempting to leave. The lines to a Frank Sinatra song came to mind at that moment. "Somewhere, beyond the seas, somewhere waiting for me. My lover stands on golden sands, and watches the ships that go sailing." In my mind, a lover need not be a person, but just something to love, and there is definitely not a dearth of something new to love with in this world. I recently had a conversation with someone very close to me about moving out of New York City and as much as I love this city, I would love to live somewhere else for some time if situations permit. After all, NY survived for hundreds of years before I came along, and it will survive without me too, and I can always come back whenever I feel like watching a Broadway show and having falafels at 4am. At that moment, those ships called out to me, "Come away with me Pratty. Let's go find things to fall in love with." Before I could answer that call, I had to protect my head from the volleyball coming towards it.
That ship is traveling all over the world, on a journey right then as I attempted to hit a volleyball which caused my non-athletic arm to swell. Yet, there I was, on this shore, not even attempting to leave. The lines to a Frank Sinatra song came to mind at that moment. "Somewhere, beyond the seas, somewhere waiting for me. My lover stands on golden sands, and watches the ships that go sailing." In my mind, a lover need not be a person, but just something to love, and there is definitely not a dearth of something new to love with in this world. I recently had a conversation with someone very close to me about moving out of New York City and as much as I love this city, I would love to live somewhere else for some time if situations permit. After all, NY survived for hundreds of years before I came along, and it will survive without me too, and I can always come back whenever I feel like watching a Broadway show and having falafels at 4am. At that moment, those ships called out to me, "Come away with me Pratty. Let's go find things to fall in love with." Before I could answer that call, I had to protect my head from the volleyball coming towards it.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Last 4 Years
As another FIFA World Cup passes us by and memories of Zidane's head-butt move aside in our minds to make room for David Villa's smiles and Iker Casillas's tears (and great saves), I have to ask my self (apart from "Am I REALLY four years older?") what I've done these past four years and what that has taught me. Obviously, my life has changed a lot since then. Just the other day, I realized that on the day of the last world cup final, I was supposed to go out to celebrate a close friend's birthday. Now, I am not even friends with that person anymore.
I guess the biggest achievement would be that I've graduated from college and starting working full time, i.e. I've become a somewhat responsible adult. As much as I like my job, I understand now how it feels to just want a nice long vacation. So I guess what I would really like to do is send a few lessons to my 19-year-old self from four years ago, in hopes that some other 19-year-old will somehow come across these words and be enlightened, or at least wonder over the words of someone four years older.
1. Don't hurt others for personal gain. Don't lie, don't cheat. Be honest and straight forward. Gaining something by hurting another person will not bring happiness. I've heard that my whole life, but didn't fully grasp the lesson until faced with the decision. Of course, I made the wrong one, and to this day, I feel bad about it.
2. Do your homework. It's annoying and you could be doing something much more fun, but slacking will not get you anywhere. "God is in the details." I'm not religious, but I do realize that the big picture consists of many details; if the details are bad, the big picture will be bad. Homework, and any other small and annoying "must-do" is like the details.
3. Some people are simply not worth your time, and no matter how hard you try, some people will never consider you worth their time. As infinite as time is, it is also precious. Don't waste it.
4. An IBM ThinkPad lasts forever. I got mine in 2005 and it's still working.
At the risk of sounding old, I'm going to stop with the advice here. Also, I honestly cannot remember ALL the things I've learned in the last four years these just happen to stand out. As for my goals for the next four, I'm still trying to figure those out. Having broken my new year's resolution to not over-think by January 2nd, I've been pondering what I want from my life in the next few years. One thing that stands out is seeing Christiano Ronaldo swap jerseys with David Villa in Brazil with my close friends next to me enjoying the view as well.
Congratulations Spain!
I guess the biggest achievement would be that I've graduated from college and starting working full time, i.e. I've become a somewhat responsible adult. As much as I like my job, I understand now how it feels to just want a nice long vacation. So I guess what I would really like to do is send a few lessons to my 19-year-old self from four years ago, in hopes that some other 19-year-old will somehow come across these words and be enlightened, or at least wonder over the words of someone four years older.
1. Don't hurt others for personal gain. Don't lie, don't cheat. Be honest and straight forward. Gaining something by hurting another person will not bring happiness. I've heard that my whole life, but didn't fully grasp the lesson until faced with the decision. Of course, I made the wrong one, and to this day, I feel bad about it.
2. Do your homework. It's annoying and you could be doing something much more fun, but slacking will not get you anywhere. "God is in the details." I'm not religious, but I do realize that the big picture consists of many details; if the details are bad, the big picture will be bad. Homework, and any other small and annoying "must-do" is like the details.
3. Some people are simply not worth your time, and no matter how hard you try, some people will never consider you worth their time. As infinite as time is, it is also precious. Don't waste it.
4. An IBM ThinkPad lasts forever. I got mine in 2005 and it's still working.
At the risk of sounding old, I'm going to stop with the advice here. Also, I honestly cannot remember ALL the things I've learned in the last four years these just happen to stand out. As for my goals for the next four, I'm still trying to figure those out. Having broken my new year's resolution to not over-think by January 2nd, I've been pondering what I want from my life in the next few years. One thing that stands out is seeing Christiano Ronaldo swap jerseys with David Villa in Brazil with my close friends next to me enjoying the view as well.
Congratulations Spain!
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