Oh, and maybe a video of one of the songs off my playlist from earlier this week. McFly aren't technically a boy band, but isn't this song good?!? When you make a playlist you have to sort of go out of the genre a bit too, or it gets a bit boring. McFly serves that purpose perfectly ;-)
xoxo Nora
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The Heart Never Lies - McFly
In Wisconsin
Just a quick update... I'm in Wisconsin for a job interview tomorrow. I'll tell you more about it when I'm done, a bit stressed right now ;-)
Oh, and I didn't get a Fulbright :( No bigs, I wasn't really feeling it anymore anyways to be honest. Still, it sucks to get turned away from stuff you thought had potential. I can always try again in the future.
Now I need beauty sleep. While on site at this place I'm interviewing at I've actually got FOUR interviews and an assesment and an oral presentation thing. So basically six-ish hours of full-on stress. You better BELIEVE I'm hitting Starbucks and Old Navy on my way home. My vices...
xoxo Nora
Oh, and I didn't get a Fulbright :( No bigs, I wasn't really feeling it anymore anyways to be honest. Still, it sucks to get turned away from stuff you thought had potential. I can always try again in the future.
Now I need beauty sleep. While on site at this place I'm interviewing at I've actually got FOUR interviews and an assesment and an oral presentation thing. So basically six-ish hours of full-on stress. You better BELIEVE I'm hitting Starbucks and Old Navy on my way home. My vices...
xoxo Nora
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Oprah Mouse
I hate to admit this, but we have a mouse. Which SUCKS because our building was recently rennovated and is supposed to be like really nice. So we shouldn't have mice :(
But we do.
We had a big fight about what to call it because we didn't want guests to freak out that a mice was going to like crawl over their feet or something. One of my roommates still insists on calling it Bernie (Madoff) but I refuse, it's Oprah. So yeah, if you are ever over (lol) then if I shout Oprah, its because the mouse is out.
The problem with Oprah is that I'm afraid of it. Which is ridiculous because it's like three inches long and couldn't do shit to me. But nevertheless I FREAK whenever I have an Oprah sighting. Like last night, when BITCH TRIED TO CRAWL UNDER MY DOOR. I definitely barricaded myself in my room after that, stuffing a towel in the crack and everything. I'm going to like die because of this thing.
So yeah, MAC mouse guy, when you come AGAIN this weekend, please find Oprah and take care of it. Because I'm going to like suffocate or something.
K thanks. Nora.
But we do.
We had a big fight about what to call it because we didn't want guests to freak out that a mice was going to like crawl over their feet or something. One of my roommates still insists on calling it Bernie (Madoff) but I refuse, it's Oprah. So yeah, if you are ever over (lol) then if I shout Oprah, its because the mouse is out.
The problem with Oprah is that I'm afraid of it. Which is ridiculous because it's like three inches long and couldn't do shit to me. But nevertheless I FREAK whenever I have an Oprah sighting. Like last night, when BITCH TRIED TO CRAWL UNDER MY DOOR. I definitely barricaded myself in my room after that, stuffing a towel in the crack and everything. I'm going to like die because of this thing.
So yeah, MAC mouse guy, when you come AGAIN this weekend, please find Oprah and take care of it. Because I'm going to like suffocate or something.
K thanks. Nora.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
PLAYLIST #1 : 10 BEST BOY BAND BALLADS
1. Backstreet Boys -- Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely (Arguably the best bsb ballad, and by far my favorite. From one of the best boy band albums of all time... Millennium).
2. 5ive -- Closer to Me (One of the last 5ive singles, was a bit heartbreaking because it was pretty clear that they were breaking up not long after. I love how they integrate Jay's more rap-voice in, awesome).
3. Westlife -- Flying Without Wings (Classic boy band. Classic boy band song).
4. JLS -- Crazy For You (My new obsession, JLS are the only new boy band in ages... and this song definitely illustrates the change in times, with a definite R&B vibe, and even a little autotune).
5. Take That -- Rule The World (Take That are the definition of boy band. Try to argue with me on this one, you will lose. It's funny though, because I chose a song that is a recent Take That release, post-reunion, rather than an old school Take That number. It's because this song is ahhhmazin).
6. McFly -- The Heart Never Lies (Technically McFly aren't a boy band. But this song has boy band written all over it, and the band is made up of all boys... This is one of my favorite ballads of all time).
7. MDO -- Te Quise Olvidar (I went through a phase where I really loved music in Spanish even though I don't know any Spanish. During that time I discovered MDO, a Menudo spin-off. Total boy band, and this is their best hit).
8. Take That -- A Million Love Songs (Take That is so epic they deserve two songs on this list. This is classic Take That tune from the early days. Sooo good).
9. Boyz II Men -- I'll Make Love To You (Boyz II Men was the first boy band I ever liked. I was sort of obsessed with them when I was like 7 and I think my mother thought I was mental... this is one of their sexiest songs).
10. Jackson 5 -- I'll Be There (Yes, I am including Jackson 5... they are one of the best, most epic, boy bands of all time. This is their heart-wrencher, I love it).
BONUS. Shai -- If I Ever (You've probably never heard of Shai, and I'm sure most people wouldn't consider them a boy band. Still, listen to their acapella version of If I Ever and tell me that it doesn't complete this list. Because it does).
2. 5ive -- Closer to Me (One of the last 5ive singles, was a bit heartbreaking because it was pretty clear that they were breaking up not long after. I love how they integrate Jay's more rap-voice in, awesome).
3. Westlife -- Flying Without Wings (Classic boy band. Classic boy band song).
4. JLS -- Crazy For You (My new obsession, JLS are the only new boy band in ages... and this song definitely illustrates the change in times, with a definite R&B vibe, and even a little autotune).
5. Take That -- Rule The World (Take That are the definition of boy band. Try to argue with me on this one, you will lose. It's funny though, because I chose a song that is a recent Take That release, post-reunion, rather than an old school Take That number. It's because this song is ahhhmazin).
6. McFly -- The Heart Never Lies (Technically McFly aren't a boy band. But this song has boy band written all over it, and the band is made up of all boys... This is one of my favorite ballads of all time).
7. MDO -- Te Quise Olvidar (I went through a phase where I really loved music in Spanish even though I don't know any Spanish. During that time I discovered MDO, a Menudo spin-off. Total boy band, and this is their best hit).
8. Take That -- A Million Love Songs (Take That is so epic they deserve two songs on this list. This is classic Take That tune from the early days. Sooo good).
9. Boyz II Men -- I'll Make Love To You (Boyz II Men was the first boy band I ever liked. I was sort of obsessed with them when I was like 7 and I think my mother thought I was mental... this is one of their sexiest songs).
10. Jackson 5 -- I'll Be There (Yes, I am including Jackson 5... they are one of the best, most epic, boy bands of all time. This is their heart-wrencher, I love it).
BONUS. Shai -- If I Ever (You've probably never heard of Shai, and I'm sure most people wouldn't consider them a boy band. Still, listen to their acapella version of If I Ever and tell me that it doesn't complete this list. Because it does).
My Music Tastes...
I take pride in the fact that most people don't like the music I like. I mean sure, I do like a lot of normal run of the mill Top 40, but I have other tastes too... which I think is pretty badass.
For serious, raise your hand if you know N-Dubz. What about Dizzee Rascal? Tinchy Stryder? (And you don't count if you are a Brit, because of course you know who they are). Yeah, didn't think you knew any of them. You should though, they all do some pretty wicked UK hip-hop/rap/grime. Check them out.
Furthermore, I respect/love a good pop song. So sue me. I don't care if you think pop is overrated or sell-out music, because I think its the best genre of music. For real, I know about pop music that you only dreamed you knew about. Take That?!? OMG, love them.
So, be it resolved that every month I will be posting a playlist of ten awesome tracks that you might not know, or that maybe you do know but didn't think about that way. I'll try to do a theme with them too or something. It's my new project, and I'm more excited about it than any of my school work or other commitments. I've got about ten ideas for themes already... I'm think the first will be "Ten Awesome Boy Band Songs."
LOL.
xoxox Nora
For serious, raise your hand if you know N-Dubz. What about Dizzee Rascal? Tinchy Stryder? (And you don't count if you are a Brit, because of course you know who they are). Yeah, didn't think you knew any of them. You should though, they all do some pretty wicked UK hip-hop/rap/grime. Check them out.
Furthermore, I respect/love a good pop song. So sue me. I don't care if you think pop is overrated or sell-out music, because I think its the best genre of music. For real, I know about pop music that you only dreamed you knew about. Take That?!? OMG, love them.
So, be it resolved that every month I will be posting a playlist of ten awesome tracks that you might not know, or that maybe you do know but didn't think about that way. I'll try to do a theme with them too or something. It's my new project, and I'm more excited about it than any of my school work or other commitments. I've got about ten ideas for themes already... I'm think the first will be "Ten Awesome Boy Band Songs."
LOL.
xoxox Nora
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Example - Tik Tok (Ke$ha) - Live Lounge
This is an EPIC cover.
I mean, "Wake up in the morning feelin like Queen Lizzy..."? I nearly died when he said that... and the rest of the song is just as awesome. Plus it actually sounds good live, which is hard to say about the Ke$ha version--she isn't much of a stage performer...
So yeah, enjoy this gem!
xoxo Nora
Monday, January 25, 2010
I'm a bit of a disaster
Not in a bad way. Just, there is so much going on for me right now that I can't possibly keep up with myself. I've got my big job interview thing next Monday (so soon) and my first Model UN Conference (of four this year) at the end of next week. Which basically means I'm already running on all cylinders... but then you add a midterm or two in, commitments for the three other MUNs I'm doing and normal work/school and I want to SCREAM!
So yeah, I'm a bit of a disaster right now. I 'accidentally' slept through con law this morning (as well as last friday) and had to eat lunch while barcoding, which is a bit gross, since I didn't have time to eat lunch today. I had a midterm today which I should have ruled but didn't really grasp completely. And then meetings and blahhh...
To make it all better tonight? More homework, some curriculum planning for an event I'm doing on Friday, and maybe some background guide/thesis work...
OR, maybe I'll watch TV. And wear my 3D glasses from Avatar which I've punched the lenses out of to look cool. Yeah, that sounds way better.
xoxox Nora
So yeah, I'm a bit of a disaster right now. I 'accidentally' slept through con law this morning (as well as last friday) and had to eat lunch while barcoding, which is a bit gross, since I didn't have time to eat lunch today. I had a midterm today which I should have ruled but didn't really grasp completely. And then meetings and blahhh...
To make it all better tonight? More homework, some curriculum planning for an event I'm doing on Friday, and maybe some background guide/thesis work...
OR, maybe I'll watch TV. And wear my 3D glasses from Avatar which I've punched the lenses out of to look cool. Yeah, that sounds way better.
xoxox Nora
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed
Here is a tune to start the week off with. Its really great if you turn your music up as loud as you possibly can. Trust me.
Happy Fourth Week--that's what week in the quarter it is for me at least ;-)
xoxox Nora
Tinchy Stryder Ft. N -Dubz - Number 1
I was SHOCKED when I realized I hadn't posted this one yet. When I'm blasting good music on my loud speakers this song is a given... its epic. Definitely Tinchy's best song, and the best feature of Dappy from N-Dubz. I think it would have KILLED if it had been released stateside. Epic tune.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Avatar
I watched Avatar today at a matinee downtown. Honestly I left a bit disappointed. I mean this film has gotten a ridiculous amount of hype, its won big awards already, and made shit tons of money. So I thought my mind would be blown. It was not... I rank the new Star Trek much much higher.
I will admit that I have never seen a film like this before. It was out of control how crazy cool the special effects cinematography was... opening up a whole new type of film. Watching it in 3D definitely helped amplify the spectacle. The scenery was ahhhmazin. I want to live there.
My problem with the film is that it is 2 hours and 40 minutes long but I felt that the only exciting bits were condensed into maybe the last 30 minutes. Which left a good 2 hours and 10 minutes of extra stuff. When the film started it was paced really fast, within about ten minutes they were in their Avatar bodies, which made me expect that the rest of the film would be equally paced. But then it got bogged down in learning how to fly pterodactyls and becoming one with nature or whatever. Like, its cool yeah, but lets do this for 20 minutes and have 2 hours of fighting scenes ok? Not the other way round.
The fighting was awesome and could have been way cooler. I mean none of the made up animals breathed fire... something that should have been thought through a bit. Those bird things would have been way cooler if they were dragons, just saying.
The acting was fine, I didn't expect any breakout performances or anything. The guy who played the bad guy colonel was excellent, the rest were mediocre at best. The blue creatures were weird, but they didn't really make any sort of real impression on me.
Ultimately I would give the film a B- (which is still above average). It could have been cooler, but it was still pretty amazing.
I will admit that I have never seen a film like this before. It was out of control how crazy cool the special effects cinematography was... opening up a whole new type of film. Watching it in 3D definitely helped amplify the spectacle. The scenery was ahhhmazin. I want to live there.
My problem with the film is that it is 2 hours and 40 minutes long but I felt that the only exciting bits were condensed into maybe the last 30 minutes. Which left a good 2 hours and 10 minutes of extra stuff. When the film started it was paced really fast, within about ten minutes they were in their Avatar bodies, which made me expect that the rest of the film would be equally paced. But then it got bogged down in learning how to fly pterodactyls and becoming one with nature or whatever. Like, its cool yeah, but lets do this for 20 minutes and have 2 hours of fighting scenes ok? Not the other way round.
The fighting was awesome and could have been way cooler. I mean none of the made up animals breathed fire... something that should have been thought through a bit. Those bird things would have been way cooler if they were dragons, just saying.
The acting was fine, I didn't expect any breakout performances or anything. The guy who played the bad guy colonel was excellent, the rest were mediocre at best. The blue creatures were weird, but they didn't really make any sort of real impression on me.
Ultimately I would give the film a B- (which is still above average). It could have been cooler, but it was still pretty amazing.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
No, I haven't become that kid who starts a blog, let's it disolve into stupid posts and then abandons it. Promise.
I've just got a stomach bug, and thus have done nothing exciting to write about and didn't want my blog to become just a slew of youtube videos (because I could have let that happen... and still might ;-)
Things are going well other than the disease I apparently have. I think it is some sort of secret/magic swine... like OK I got the vaccine but maybe I didn't get protected from all of the symptoms? Like generally feeling shit? One of my roommates thinks its because I ate pad thai at Noodles, which I only argue against because I also ate it last week and didn't get the secret swine. So yeah, def a virus.
Classes are fine. My thesis is actually turning out to be sort of fun. I'm writing about the Security Council which is in itself straight up badass, but I was shitting myself about having to back my arguments up with some legit theory... because you know thats how my school rolls. No problems with the theory so far. Probably because I'm making it into a lit review instead of analyzing/adding original though. A+ for me avoiding to do anything too deep.
I've got my first midterm next Monday (yeah state school idiots, I'm ALREADY in midterms). So basically I'm going to have to learn the basic conceptions of macroeconomic thought over the weekend. Sounds amazing.
Also sorting out plans for my Con Law research paper. I'm leaning towards doing something incorporating international law because the UN Charter is like my boyf. And it would be easier for me to do something with international law because I don't want to do a terrible amount of extra research and I know people who are working on theses that have international law components. They can help me ya?
Ok, time to catch up on my TV from last night... because that is def more important than any of this stuff that I've been writing about. Real World!!!
xoxo Nora
I've just got a stomach bug, and thus have done nothing exciting to write about and didn't want my blog to become just a slew of youtube videos (because I could have let that happen... and still might ;-)
Things are going well other than the disease I apparently have. I think it is some sort of secret/magic swine... like OK I got the vaccine but maybe I didn't get protected from all of the symptoms? Like generally feeling shit? One of my roommates thinks its because I ate pad thai at Noodles, which I only argue against because I also ate it last week and didn't get the secret swine. So yeah, def a virus.
Classes are fine. My thesis is actually turning out to be sort of fun. I'm writing about the Security Council which is in itself straight up badass, but I was shitting myself about having to back my arguments up with some legit theory... because you know thats how my school rolls. No problems with the theory so far. Probably because I'm making it into a lit review instead of analyzing/adding original though. A+ for me avoiding to do anything too deep.
I've got my first midterm next Monday (yeah state school idiots, I'm ALREADY in midterms). So basically I'm going to have to learn the basic conceptions of macroeconomic thought over the weekend. Sounds amazing.
Also sorting out plans for my Con Law research paper. I'm leaning towards doing something incorporating international law because the UN Charter is like my boyf. And it would be easier for me to do something with international law because I don't want to do a terrible amount of extra research and I know people who are working on theses that have international law components. They can help me ya?
Ok, time to catch up on my TV from last night... because that is def more important than any of this stuff that I've been writing about. Real World!!!
xoxo Nora
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Erik Hassle - Hurtful
Great tune. Too bad his hair is vomit-inducing.
For real though, they've been playing this on Radio 1 a lot lately and I'm sort of getting obsessed with it. I think he is Swedish.
Florence And The Machine - Dog Days
This is my study song of the weekend. It's a bit different than what I normally listen to but I quite enjoy the chorus. It's got a nice feel good vibe to it. Granted I don't really understand what she is actually saying, I just like the beat!
Enjoy!
xoxox Nora
Costa Rica: UPDATE!
I'm only posting the next two links to brag. Because I'm going to Costa Rica in two months, wooo! But yeah, check out these two places, that we have OFFICIALLY booked rooms at. And then pretend you still want to be my friend, because I bet you don't!
When we go to Monteverde Cloud Forest we are staying here:
http://www.pensionsantaelena.com/index.html
AND, when we got to Montezuma:
http://www.amordemar.com/ (OMG THE HAMMOCKS BY THE BEACH, swooon).
So basically I'm dying with excitement for this trip!!
When we go to Monteverde Cloud Forest we are staying here:
http://www.pensionsantaelena.com/index.html
AND, when we got to Montezuma:
http://www.amordemar.com/ (OMG THE HAMMOCKS BY THE BEACH, swooon).
So basically I'm dying with excitement for this trip!!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Why I may be infatuated with Simon Cowell...
In the past few weeks or so I have developed an inexplicable infatuation with Simon Cowell (think, American Idol). I’ve thought a bit about why this is, and can only really come to the following conclusions:
1. He is rich.
2. He appreciates talent and hates non-talent.
3. He basically rules the music industry.
With those conclusions I believe that it is safe to say that I aspire to be a sort of Simon Cowell, though my career track will likely never take me in that direction (one can dream though right?).
As someone who likes to think of themselves as well-versed in Top 40 music (pop in particular) I can appreciate someone who understands how to navigate the industry. Unfortunately Top 40 music IS NOT all about good music, but can include a whole lot of bad music too (think Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers). While I personally seek to pick out the good in a whole lot of bad, I appreciate the fact that Simon Cowell knows how to pick out the marketable. Here are two examples:
Susan Boyle. There is no real reason that she should be famous. Yeah she’s sort of talented, but let’s be real she’s no Celine or Mariah. Yet she was one of the top selling artists of 2009. Because of Simon Cowell. The second that moment on Britain’s Got Talent happened Simon jumped on the opportunity that arose. He knew that a jillion middle aged women would totally fall for Susan Boyle, because they would sort of see themselves in her. And they did, and she sold a bajillion copies of her album. I mean, she doesn’t even have a marketable single on it! Craziness. I draw this akin to Titanic. Susan Boyle had the Titanic-factor. Not the X Factor, the Titanic-factor. Simon exploited the shit out of it. I salute him.
X Factor America. First of all let me just comment that I am SO stoked for X Factor America. If you don’t know anything about the X Factor UK just know that it is a way better version of a talent search (pop groups!) and that it will take over all of our lives. Promise. The thing that blows my mind about FOX being so willing to sign on to it is this: Simon OWNS it. Which means that HE has the creative license to do whatever the fuck he wants with it. He can pick the judges, he can pick the musical guests, and he gets to sign the winner to his label. So the bigger winner FOX, is not your network, but Mr. Cowell. Furthermore, I have a theory: Simon will use the X Factor to launch all of his UK signed acts that haven’t made it big in the US yet. So instead of performances by Rihanna and the Black Eyed Peas, think performances by Alexandra Burke, Joe McElderrey, Leona Lewis. AND, X Factor America won’t premier until mid/late 2011, which means he gets to play with 18 months of speculation. Simon wins.
So for all the people out there who hate Simon Cowell, or don’t understand why being an asshole has made him famous, think about this. He’s actually a genius. And I sort of love him. ;-)
1. He is rich.
2. He appreciates talent and hates non-talent.
3. He basically rules the music industry.
With those conclusions I believe that it is safe to say that I aspire to be a sort of Simon Cowell, though my career track will likely never take me in that direction (one can dream though right?).
As someone who likes to think of themselves as well-versed in Top 40 music (pop in particular) I can appreciate someone who understands how to navigate the industry. Unfortunately Top 40 music IS NOT all about good music, but can include a whole lot of bad music too (think Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers). While I personally seek to pick out the good in a whole lot of bad, I appreciate the fact that Simon Cowell knows how to pick out the marketable. Here are two examples:
Susan Boyle. There is no real reason that she should be famous. Yeah she’s sort of talented, but let’s be real she’s no Celine or Mariah. Yet she was one of the top selling artists of 2009. Because of Simon Cowell. The second that moment on Britain’s Got Talent happened Simon jumped on the opportunity that arose. He knew that a jillion middle aged women would totally fall for Susan Boyle, because they would sort of see themselves in her. And they did, and she sold a bajillion copies of her album. I mean, she doesn’t even have a marketable single on it! Craziness. I draw this akin to Titanic. Susan Boyle had the Titanic-factor. Not the X Factor, the Titanic-factor. Simon exploited the shit out of it. I salute him.
X Factor America. First of all let me just comment that I am SO stoked for X Factor America. If you don’t know anything about the X Factor UK just know that it is a way better version of a talent search (pop groups!) and that it will take over all of our lives. Promise. The thing that blows my mind about FOX being so willing to sign on to it is this: Simon OWNS it. Which means that HE has the creative license to do whatever the fuck he wants with it. He can pick the judges, he can pick the musical guests, and he gets to sign the winner to his label. So the bigger winner FOX, is not your network, but Mr. Cowell. Furthermore, I have a theory: Simon will use the X Factor to launch all of his UK signed acts that haven’t made it big in the US yet. So instead of performances by Rihanna and the Black Eyed Peas, think performances by Alexandra Burke, Joe McElderrey, Leona Lewis. AND, X Factor America won’t premier until mid/late 2011, which means he gets to play with 18 months of speculation. Simon wins.
So for all the people out there who hate Simon Cowell, or don’t understand why being an asshole has made him famous, think about this. He’s actually a genius. And I sort of love him. ;-)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Second Round!
So I had my first real phone interview for a real adult job! And it went well! Which is great because I've already had a few jobs contact me back and be like, uh no thanks. So its nice to know that I am sort of marketable!
I'm not going to say what the company is but the job sounds amazinggg and I sort of really want it. Which probably means, based on my life, that I won't get it but fingers crossed.
Anyways, I've been asked to go to the Corporate Headquarters of this company in the next few weeks for a visit and further interview. Super excited.
So for all of you out there looking for a job, keep trying and be open to new ideas because eventually something might proceed. I've sent out quite a few resumes and I'm planning on sending out more. Just stick with it and be yourself!
xoxox Nora
I'm not going to say what the company is but the job sounds amazinggg and I sort of really want it. Which probably means, based on my life, that I won't get it but fingers crossed.
Anyways, I've been asked to go to the Corporate Headquarters of this company in the next few weeks for a visit and further interview. Super excited.
So for all of you out there looking for a job, keep trying and be open to new ideas because eventually something might proceed. I've sent out quite a few resumes and I'm planning on sending out more. Just stick with it and be yourself!
xoxox Nora
One Shot - JLS
OMGGGGG!!!
I've been screaming like a little girl (a la the Backstreet Boys hysteria of when I was like 11). Is it totally weird that I LOVE these guys and that this video was basically the highlight of my day yesterday?
Seriously though, its a pretty epic tune and there is a really great swagger to this video. I also quite like it because it is pretty simple, not a lot of glitz and complicated stuff going on like some music videos these days. They only had one outfit the whole time!
So yeah, enjoy. I'm going to go watch it 100 more times!
xoxox Nora
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
22
I'm 22 now. My birthday was the 12th and it was alright. I had a packed up day so there was little time to celebrate, but I made it work. My Model UN club sort of surprised my with a song (while I was giving a speech during the simulation, a bit embarassing really) and with $100 worth of sheet cakes (which weren't technically for me, but let's be real). It was a great surprise.
I don't know what to expect for year 22. I mean I just wrote a New Years Resolution like 12 days ago, so its a bit hard to set different goals for year 22. So yeah, let's just hope that my 22nd year is amazing and that I have the opportunity to have a ton of amazing adventures (like my New Years resolution hopes).
Shout out to all of my friends who wished me happy bday. Love you guys.
xoxo Nora
I don't know what to expect for year 22. I mean I just wrote a New Years Resolution like 12 days ago, so its a bit hard to set different goals for year 22. So yeah, let's just hope that my 22nd year is amazing and that I have the opportunity to have a ton of amazing adventures (like my New Years resolution hopes).
Shout out to all of my friends who wished me happy bday. Love you guys.
xoxo Nora
How Legit Am I?
Hit this: http://www.unausa.org/unausamun/staff
Yeah that's right, I've got a bio on the United Nations Association website. Pretty legit? I think so.
Yeah that's right, I've got a bio on the United Nations Association website. Pretty legit? I think so.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Madcon - Beggin'
It's my BDay and I couldn't be bothered to do a legit blog post (will update tomorrow about the cake) but I thought I'd share a quality tune just because I can.
This is amazinggg. Great old school vibe while still incorporating more recent ideas. Loves it.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Current Obsession
So right now I'm pretty much obsessed with the Scott Mills show on BBC Radio 1. Like, to the point where it was just pointed out to me that I seem more concerned about catching up before I go to work (and listen live) tomorrow than I am about doing homework or writing my BA.
I first got into the Scott Mills show on accident. I was trying to find a song online and stumbled upon the Radio 1 website. I clicked listen live and started listening. This was somewhere around 10pm, which meant that Dev was on (as with the time change to the UK it was 4am over there). I really liked Dev's show (still do) and I listened to it for a few days in the evenings when I was doing work.
Then one day I was at work and my iPod battery died. I decided to do a bit of a listen live while on the computer. It was somewhere after 10am (4pm over there) so Scott Mills was on. Within about five minutes I was laughing hysterically and had to turn it off for fear of being yelled at. That didn't last long, and I started listening whenever I was at work.
Then I found the podcasts. I've now got about every show since Summer 2006 on my iPod and I've slowly been trying to catch up to the present. It's definitely an obsession.
I like Scott's show because he mixes a fair amount of off the wall humor/features with really good music. I could go on forever about why I generally prefer the UK Singles Chart to the US one (no crap rap or Nickelback!). Suffice it to say that Scott's show (and Dev's) provides much better entertainment!
Check it out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/
xoxox Nora
I first got into the Scott Mills show on accident. I was trying to find a song online and stumbled upon the Radio 1 website. I clicked listen live and started listening. This was somewhere around 10pm, which meant that Dev was on (as with the time change to the UK it was 4am over there). I really liked Dev's show (still do) and I listened to it for a few days in the evenings when I was doing work.
Then one day I was at work and my iPod battery died. I decided to do a bit of a listen live while on the computer. It was somewhere after 10am (4pm over there) so Scott Mills was on. Within about five minutes I was laughing hysterically and had to turn it off for fear of being yelled at. That didn't last long, and I started listening whenever I was at work.
Then I found the podcasts. I've now got about every show since Summer 2006 on my iPod and I've slowly been trying to catch up to the present. It's definitely an obsession.
I like Scott's show because he mixes a fair amount of off the wall humor/features with really good music. I could go on forever about why I generally prefer the UK Singles Chart to the US one (no crap rap or Nickelback!). Suffice it to say that Scott's show (and Dev's) provides much better entertainment!
Check it out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/
xoxox Nora
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Hmm Update
Just submitted my third job application. This is the one that is the most interesting to me in terms of a whole new experience/adventure. The job is abroad and in a field that I have very little experience in, but that could pose to be an exciting challenge.
In other news I have a phone interview on one of my other applications. So excited that things are rolling!!!
xoxo Nora
In other news I have a phone interview on one of my other applications. So excited that things are rolling!!!
xoxo Nora
Birthday Party!!
Last night was my joint Birthday Party with Mayon. Her bday was last Friday and mine is this coming Tuesday so it was sort of a given that we join up and do something because let's be honest we don't have many friends and the friends we do have are the same people.
We started the evening at Martin's apartment. We did this as a pre-game-ish event, because our friend Danny is underage and couldn't come out for the rest of the event. And it was just chill to meet up somewhere and hang before the actual event. I was afraid that the people that we invited, which to be fair, was a pretty random assortment of friends, roommates and MUN kids, would feel awkward and not really interact. Never fear, not a problem.
The big event for the evening was hanging out at Rock Bottom downtown. Rock Bottom is a cool brew pub that is sufficiently chill for a large group of nerdy kids. We all just sat around and talked a lot of shit, my specialty.
It was a great birthday party! I haven't had a real legit party with people invited and a plan and everything since I turned 17, so it was fun to do something to celebrate a bit. I'm not a fan of birthdays, but it was generally a good one so I guess I don't mind. And it's not actually my birthday yet so I can just chill for a few days and enjoy my younger age ;-)
xoxo Nora
We started the evening at Martin's apartment. We did this as a pre-game-ish event, because our friend Danny is underage and couldn't come out for the rest of the event. And it was just chill to meet up somewhere and hang before the actual event. I was afraid that the people that we invited, which to be fair, was a pretty random assortment of friends, roommates and MUN kids, would feel awkward and not really interact. Never fear, not a problem.
The big event for the evening was hanging out at Rock Bottom downtown. Rock Bottom is a cool brew pub that is sufficiently chill for a large group of nerdy kids. We all just sat around and talked a lot of shit, my specialty.
It was a great birthday party! I haven't had a real legit party with people invited and a plan and everything since I turned 17, so it was fun to do something to celebrate a bit. I'm not a fan of birthdays, but it was generally a good one so I guess I don't mind. And it's not actually my birthday yet so I can just chill for a few days and enjoy my younger age ;-)
xoxo Nora
Uninspiration.
Yesterday morning was Taking the Next Step. It's this huge production put on by my school to sort of encourage kids to start thinking about what they are going to do after graduation. In theory it's a really good idea, but in practice I was left unimpressed and uninspired.
The day starts with a keynote by an alum who is doing something crazy cool and important. We had a guy from the Peace Corps. He was interesting I guess, but he did the typical name-dropping thing that is lesson number one you learn at my school. Like seriously, its a requirement for graduation, be good at ridiculous name dropping.
The next couple of hours were marked by two sets of panel discussions. We were asked to pick one from each set and go listen to what they have to say. The first I sat in on was the NGOs and IR one. Which was all NGOs and no IR. I do IR in my studies so I was quite disappointed. There was also a huge medical leaning to the panel, which is something I'm not interested in, so general fail. I sat with my friend Danny and we tried to flick pens in circles and stuff. That was more fun.
The second panel was on Consulting. I've toyed with the idea of going into Consulting, and even applied for a consulting gig, but I'm still unsure if I wanted to do it. I wanted to be inspired by the panel, in either direction, but I just sort of heard what I assumed. It was more interesting than the first but still nothing crazy. An old MUN friend of mine was actual on the panel, so it was nice to see him. But yeah, still unsure about consulting.
Lunch was a roundtable with an alum with a cool job. I signed up for a roundtable with someone in "Government". BAD IDEA. Ended up with a woman who works in local government and ran for an aldermanic post. I worked with an Alderman and would NEVER, EVER work in that direction. So it was a total waste, the lady couldn't really help me with anything else :(
So yeah, generally I was uninspired by the event. Maybe other people were, but I guess I just didn't pick things that were right for me. And well, I'm a 4th year and the program was designed for 2nd and 3rd years... haha.
The day starts with a keynote by an alum who is doing something crazy cool and important. We had a guy from the Peace Corps. He was interesting I guess, but he did the typical name-dropping thing that is lesson number one you learn at my school. Like seriously, its a requirement for graduation, be good at ridiculous name dropping.
The next couple of hours were marked by two sets of panel discussions. We were asked to pick one from each set and go listen to what they have to say. The first I sat in on was the NGOs and IR one. Which was all NGOs and no IR. I do IR in my studies so I was quite disappointed. There was also a huge medical leaning to the panel, which is something I'm not interested in, so general fail. I sat with my friend Danny and we tried to flick pens in circles and stuff. That was more fun.
The second panel was on Consulting. I've toyed with the idea of going into Consulting, and even applied for a consulting gig, but I'm still unsure if I wanted to do it. I wanted to be inspired by the panel, in either direction, but I just sort of heard what I assumed. It was more interesting than the first but still nothing crazy. An old MUN friend of mine was actual on the panel, so it was nice to see him. But yeah, still unsure about consulting.
Lunch was a roundtable with an alum with a cool job. I signed up for a roundtable with someone in "Government". BAD IDEA. Ended up with a woman who works in local government and ran for an aldermanic post. I worked with an Alderman and would NEVER, EVER work in that direction. So it was a total waste, the lady couldn't really help me with anything else :(
So yeah, generally I was uninspired by the event. Maybe other people were, but I guess I just didn't pick things that were right for me. And well, I'm a 4th year and the program was designed for 2nd and 3rd years... haha.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Working With Chicago Public Schools
One of the things I do in my free time is work with the Chicago Public School District to bring Model United Nations to schools that can't afford it otherwise. I do this through my volunteer work with the United Nations Association, and this is my second year helping host the Global Classrooms: Chicago Conference. I really like working with CPS because it is one of the largest school districts in the country, and definitely one that does not have the money to afford strong MUN programs.
Today I met with the head of Global Studies for CPS to discuss ways to help teachers bring MUN to the classroom. Most CPS teachers have zero MUN experience, and thus have a really hard time teaching their students about it. CPS provides only a single MUN trainer for the entire school district, so there is very little attention given to each school. This means that most students are very unprepared when Conference rolls around, mostly because they just haven't really learned enough.
What I'm trying to do is help teachers better understand what Model UN is and how they can use it to supplement Global Studies curriculum. At the end of the month I will be giving a presentation for teachers planning on bringing their students to our Conference this spring, explaining some fun ways they can introduce MUN to their students. Among the different methods to be discussed, my favorite, the Fruits vs. Vegetbales debate will be simulated as an example for teacher.
In doing this work I hope that I can help teachers feel more comfortable helping their students with MUN and I hope I can give them a few tools to motivate their students to get further involved in the program.
Its really rewarding work, and my goal is to have the usual school that wins our Conference not win this year... not because they don't deserve it but because many other schools put in strong efforts too!
xoxox Nora
Today I met with the head of Global Studies for CPS to discuss ways to help teachers bring MUN to the classroom. Most CPS teachers have zero MUN experience, and thus have a really hard time teaching their students about it. CPS provides only a single MUN trainer for the entire school district, so there is very little attention given to each school. This means that most students are very unprepared when Conference rolls around, mostly because they just haven't really learned enough.
What I'm trying to do is help teachers better understand what Model UN is and how they can use it to supplement Global Studies curriculum. At the end of the month I will be giving a presentation for teachers planning on bringing their students to our Conference this spring, explaining some fun ways they can introduce MUN to their students. Among the different methods to be discussed, my favorite, the Fruits vs. Vegetbales debate will be simulated as an example for teacher.
In doing this work I hope that I can help teachers feel more comfortable helping their students with MUN and I hope I can give them a few tools to motivate their students to get further involved in the program.
Its really rewarding work, and my goal is to have the usual school that wins our Conference not win this year... not because they don't deserve it but because many other schools put in strong efforts too!
xoxox Nora
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
N-Dubz ft. Mr Hudson - Playing With Fire
Tonight is definitely an N-Dubz night.
I've posted one of their Live Lounge performances before, but this is them in action (with the amazing Mr. Hudson). Equal parts ridiculous, amazing, and incredibly catchy. And a bit awkward too, what with the fact that the blonde female and Dappy the one in the hat are actually cousins. But still, amazing tune, nothing like it in the US.
And oh yeah, that part where they are out in front of Tower Bridge in London? Totally stood right about there before.
Spring Break Planning
So some of my friends and I are going on a real Spring Break trip this year (ok, maybe not like naked and drunk in Cancun like but still, somewhere warm) and we've been trying to work out the big plan. The destination: Costa Rica!
There are three of us going and we are leaving a bit early in the morning on the Wednesday of finals week (lol, skipping our Econ final all three of us...). From there we sort of compiled a list of things we want to experience while we are down there. At present that list consists of: going to a volcano, zip-lining in the rain forest, jumping off a waterfall, and swimming in an ocean (preferably the Pacific). We then figured out where we could do these sorts of things and put together a bit of an itinerary. In doing this we found other adventures we could have too... like a jeep-boat-jeep adventure to get us from the volcano to the rainforest.
The point of this trip, at least for me, is threefold:
1. To motivate me to get everything I need to get done for graduation/MUN done. If my thesis isn't complete, I can't go. If I'm not fully prepped for any of my Spring Quarter MUN, I can't go. If I'm generally failing out of school, I can't go. And I really really want to go so hopefully I'll be able to make it work?
2. To hopefully keep me out of the Winter Quarter slump. We all hate it, I've mentioned this before. Winter Quarter is the absolute worst, and its even more terrible when you consider the fact that after its over we still have another full quarter until the summer holiday. Having this trip at the end of Winter Quarter will hopefully be a light at the end of the tunnel. A welcome one!
3. To fulfill my resolution to make 2010 the year of insane adventures. This year is all about pushing it to the limit, experiencing new things, and one of the best ways to do this is to travel to a locale that is completely new. And uh, yeah, I've never been to a tropical country before.
So here's to Costa Rica in March 2010!!!
xoxox Nora
There are three of us going and we are leaving a bit early in the morning on the Wednesday of finals week (lol, skipping our Econ final all three of us...). From there we sort of compiled a list of things we want to experience while we are down there. At present that list consists of: going to a volcano, zip-lining in the rain forest, jumping off a waterfall, and swimming in an ocean (preferably the Pacific). We then figured out where we could do these sorts of things and put together a bit of an itinerary. In doing this we found other adventures we could have too... like a jeep-boat-jeep adventure to get us from the volcano to the rainforest.
The point of this trip, at least for me, is threefold:
1. To motivate me to get everything I need to get done for graduation/MUN done. If my thesis isn't complete, I can't go. If I'm not fully prepped for any of my Spring Quarter MUN, I can't go. If I'm generally failing out of school, I can't go. And I really really want to go so hopefully I'll be able to make it work?
2. To hopefully keep me out of the Winter Quarter slump. We all hate it, I've mentioned this before. Winter Quarter is the absolute worst, and its even more terrible when you consider the fact that after its over we still have another full quarter until the summer holiday. Having this trip at the end of Winter Quarter will hopefully be a light at the end of the tunnel. A welcome one!
3. To fulfill my resolution to make 2010 the year of insane adventures. This year is all about pushing it to the limit, experiencing new things, and one of the best ways to do this is to travel to a locale that is completely new. And uh, yeah, I've never been to a tropical country before.
So here's to Costa Rica in March 2010!!!
xoxox Nora
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Saturdays - Ego
The Girl Group is not dead.
The Saturdays are incredibly talented and well, hot. I'm not going to lie and say I like all of their music, but this is definitely a really really good song. I've listened to it maybe four times today? Couple times on the iPod at work and once on the radio. I appreciate a good girl group (not as much as a boy band because I just like boy's voices better typically) so something like this is definitely OK by me. Enjoy some Saturdays.
xoxo Nora
Email Attachment Drama
Nothing exciting happened today. Well, I got really frusturated with an email attachment for far longer than I needed to, but other than that I basically did nothing.
I had one of my BA Seminars. There are now three of us in the class which is super awkward, especially because one of the other two people is my roommate. But my preceptor is pretty chill and it will be a lot more attention on me which I don't mind. Hopefully my BA won't BE A total disaster. Probably though.
I had a lot of MUN today. I finished writing a background guide for the UNA's Middle School MUN Conference in NYC. I'm not going to the thing but part of my commitment to the UNA to be a USG at the National Conference and get a free trip to NYC (yeah that's right) is to help with this sort of thing. I wrote about AIDS in Africa. Super original. But cool.
Tomorrow should be pretty typical. Gonna hopefully finish up the other background guides I've gotta do (that should be way chill and way easier) and then start thinking about homework/reading. Or not.
xoxox Nora
I had one of my BA Seminars. There are now three of us in the class which is super awkward, especially because one of the other two people is my roommate. But my preceptor is pretty chill and it will be a lot more attention on me which I don't mind. Hopefully my BA won't BE A total disaster. Probably though.
I had a lot of MUN today. I finished writing a background guide for the UNA's Middle School MUN Conference in NYC. I'm not going to the thing but part of my commitment to the UNA to be a USG at the National Conference and get a free trip to NYC (yeah that's right) is to help with this sort of thing. I wrote about AIDS in Africa. Super original. But cool.
Tomorrow should be pretty typical. Gonna hopefully finish up the other background guides I've gotta do (that should be way chill and way easier) and then start thinking about homework/reading. Or not.
xoxox Nora
Monday, January 4, 2010
And so begins winter quarter...
I'm pretty sure everyone at my school hates Winter Quarter. It's always hard, there is always way more going on then anyone wants, and the weather is shit. So basically its an eleven week shit storm of endless work. No wonder we all love it.
I've got two real classes and two fake classes this quarter. I'm taking Intro to Constitutional Law which I think will be quite good. Normally I only take political science classes that focus on international relations, but since I sort of need some American politics to graduate I signed up for this class. The first lecture was short and the professor is quite funny. We didn't talk about anything substantial so I can't pass a judgment on the class quite yet but I think I'll at least sort of like it.
I'm also taking Macroeconomics. My school is a bit of an econ powerhouse so I feel like an ass that I haven't taken advantage of it yet. The prof for this class reminds me of a teacher I had in high school who asked us if we rode the short bus. He sort of name drops a lot which is a bit obnoxious but he does it in a sort of ironic way. I've heard people either love him or hate him. I love him already. Only because I think he knows he is being ridiculous (like my HS teacher did) and just sort of messes with us. I could care less about Macro to be honest, but it might help me find a job if I have it... we'll see I guess.
My other two fake-ish classes are my BA seminars. I'm writing my thesis this quarter (on security council membership expansion and why it isn't happening) so I'm supposed to spend several hours a week having my hand held by grad students as I try to formulate an argument. I call these classes (plural because of my useless double major) fake because the grad students don't really know a lot about what I'm writing on. So mostly I just roll into class and try to be helpful but in my head curse the fact that I'm there. And I say some pretty snarky shit too. Oh well.
I'm also continuing my student job this quarter. It's really thrilling. Well, actually I quite like it but most people think it sounds terrible. I work in the library and I make sure all the books have barcodes. Sometimes I stand in the stacks and physically put barcodes on books but mostly I sit at a computer and enter barcodes into the system and make sure the book info is right. Wow that does sound thrilling. My department is generally really chill and my supervisor is super nice, so it makes up for a bit of monotony. And I can tell everyone I'm working with Google Books (that's why we're barcoding stuff, to send away later this year). So its pretty chill.
I've also got extra-curricular overload. I'm pretty involved in Model United Nations here and with an NGO that promotes the UN. Between the two I'm helping run four MUN conferences between now and mid-May. It's a lot of prep work, especially because I'm quite important at two of the conferences and have to like recruit and train staffers, but I like it so its ok. At one point I claimed that I wanted to be a teacher so I could run a MUN team at a high school and do MUN forever. Well ok, I still sort of want to do that.
But yeah, this quarter is going to be a lot of work. My thesis is going to make me want to cry probably, and the MUN overload is going to get a bit taxing (writing a guide for a conference at present, woo for extra-curricular research papers).
Hope you have a nice winter quarter/spring semester!
xoxox Nora
I've got two real classes and two fake classes this quarter. I'm taking Intro to Constitutional Law which I think will be quite good. Normally I only take political science classes that focus on international relations, but since I sort of need some American politics to graduate I signed up for this class. The first lecture was short and the professor is quite funny. We didn't talk about anything substantial so I can't pass a judgment on the class quite yet but I think I'll at least sort of like it.
I'm also taking Macroeconomics. My school is a bit of an econ powerhouse so I feel like an ass that I haven't taken advantage of it yet. The prof for this class reminds me of a teacher I had in high school who asked us if we rode the short bus. He sort of name drops a lot which is a bit obnoxious but he does it in a sort of ironic way. I've heard people either love him or hate him. I love him already. Only because I think he knows he is being ridiculous (like my HS teacher did) and just sort of messes with us. I could care less about Macro to be honest, but it might help me find a job if I have it... we'll see I guess.
My other two fake-ish classes are my BA seminars. I'm writing my thesis this quarter (on security council membership expansion and why it isn't happening) so I'm supposed to spend several hours a week having my hand held by grad students as I try to formulate an argument. I call these classes (plural because of my useless double major) fake because the grad students don't really know a lot about what I'm writing on. So mostly I just roll into class and try to be helpful but in my head curse the fact that I'm there. And I say some pretty snarky shit too. Oh well.
I'm also continuing my student job this quarter. It's really thrilling. Well, actually I quite like it but most people think it sounds terrible. I work in the library and I make sure all the books have barcodes. Sometimes I stand in the stacks and physically put barcodes on books but mostly I sit at a computer and enter barcodes into the system and make sure the book info is right. Wow that does sound thrilling. My department is generally really chill and my supervisor is super nice, so it makes up for a bit of monotony. And I can tell everyone I'm working with Google Books (that's why we're barcoding stuff, to send away later this year). So its pretty chill.
I've also got extra-curricular overload. I'm pretty involved in Model United Nations here and with an NGO that promotes the UN. Between the two I'm helping run four MUN conferences between now and mid-May. It's a lot of prep work, especially because I'm quite important at two of the conferences and have to like recruit and train staffers, but I like it so its ok. At one point I claimed that I wanted to be a teacher so I could run a MUN team at a high school and do MUN forever. Well ok, I still sort of want to do that.
But yeah, this quarter is going to be a lot of work. My thesis is going to make me want to cry probably, and the MUN overload is going to get a bit taxing (writing a guide for a conference at present, woo for extra-curricular research papers).
Hope you have a nice winter quarter/spring semester!
xoxox Nora
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Chris Brown - Crawl
I know we aren't supposed to like Chris Brown because of the Rihanna drama... I get it. But I can't help but LOVE this song. There are very few artists these days that can pull something like this off, which just goes to show how unbelievably talented Chris Brown is.
I also really like the fact that it has a relatively positive message. I don't know the actual story behind writing this song and selecting it as a single, but I feel like it is probably incredibly relevant to Chris Brown's life right now. That and I've noticed that Rihanna's newer singles aren't quite as positive. The whole ordeal clearly influenced both artists' music.
Anyways, enjoy. xoxo Nora
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Inbetweeners
Need a new TV show? This is a pretty good bet for a few laughs. It's about a kid, William, who starts at a new school and basically everyone just makes fun of him all the time and he has no friends. Then he sort of "makes" friends with a couple of boys and they do dumb shit. The actor who plays William has incredible comedic timing and the scripts are all pretty good. Check it out.
Chicago, All Things Go, All Things Go
I'm back in Chicago. Already. Every break just seems shorter and shorter... but oh well. The faster things go, the faster I'm done with school! Actually, I don't know if I want to wish the real world on myself like that just yet. We'll see how the new classes are.
My trip back was pretty uneventful. A few kids from UC were on my bus, as well as some kids from Columbia College (downtown art school). I talked to the Columbia College kids for awhile, never got their names, but whatever. They were first years and quite entertaining, quite naive about the world. I told them a bunch of bullshit about how smart I am (lol UofC!) and how I travel the world. They were particularly interested in London because they want to find cool thrift stores. I tried not to laugh at them, at least it made time go by sort of fast.
Upon arriving at my apartment I proceeded to put my itunes on and crank it as loud as possible on my computer speakers. My music tastes may not be very much appreciated by my roommates or neighbors so I'm taking advantage of an empty apartment right about now. I hit Hyde Park Produce to buy a few groceries (milk for coffee mostly) and then got home and realized I forgot about three things I needed. Such is life.
I've been unpacking for the last several hours now, and cleaning, and mostly dicking around on the internet. Most of my clothes are away now, and the 50 tortillas that may have been in my suitcase are now crammed into our over-full freezer.
Now I'm going to sit back and enjoy a little Prince and some Jackson 5.
xoxox Nora
My trip back was pretty uneventful. A few kids from UC were on my bus, as well as some kids from Columbia College (downtown art school). I talked to the Columbia College kids for awhile, never got their names, but whatever. They were first years and quite entertaining, quite naive about the world. I told them a bunch of bullshit about how smart I am (lol UofC!) and how I travel the world. They were particularly interested in London because they want to find cool thrift stores. I tried not to laugh at them, at least it made time go by sort of fast.
Upon arriving at my apartment I proceeded to put my itunes on and crank it as loud as possible on my computer speakers. My music tastes may not be very much appreciated by my roommates or neighbors so I'm taking advantage of an empty apartment right about now. I hit Hyde Park Produce to buy a few groceries (milk for coffee mostly) and then got home and realized I forgot about three things I needed. Such is life.
I've been unpacking for the last several hours now, and cleaning, and mostly dicking around on the internet. Most of my clothes are away now, and the 50 tortillas that may have been in my suitcase are now crammed into our over-full freezer.
Now I'm going to sit back and enjoy a little Prince and some Jackson 5.
xoxox Nora
Friday, January 1, 2010
Jay Sean - Down - 1Xtra LIVE
After writing about Taio and Tinchy at 1xtra live I went out and found my favorite 1xtra live performance... JAY SEAN!
I was talking to Matt about Jay Sean today and how he is a pretty ace artist and this is just further justification of that. How many artists these days can do this? He even covers the Lil Wayne part himself! One of my three hottest tracks of the year, and this is one of my favorite live performances of the year too!!
Tinchy Stryder ft. Taio Cruz - Take Me Back
I've played this song six times in a row. It's my favorite Taio Cruz track, though I think I like some other Tinchy stuff better (Number 1!). They performed this at Radio 1Xtra Live in November and it was out of control, I'll have to link it later.
I'm a big fan of Tinchy because he integrates a sort of dance-y electronic feel into most of his stuff. I'm not a fan of hip-hop that is dominated by bass and little else, this stuff is waaay better in my opinion.
So yeah enjoy some Tinchy tonight!
xoxox Nora
2010 - The Year of Adventures
I have two New Year's Resolutions for 2010.
1. Land on my feet after graduation.
2. Have as many adventures as I possibly can.
Number one is pretty self-explanatory... I want to graduate in June and have a job/life to look forward to. Number two is a bit more abstract... I want 2010 to be the year when I do as much cool/crazy shit as possible. I'm getting closer to that point in my life where I have to act like a responsible adult. I want this next year to be one to never forget so that when I do become a real adult I will be able to look back and remember this year as a good one. I don't know what I mean exactly by adventure... it could be a trip (like my upcoming trek to COSTA RICA in March or my UNAUSAMUN conference in NYC in May) or it could be trying something new, meeting new people, testing myself. I just want it to be fun and memorable.
To 2010 - The Year of Adventures!!!
xoxoxo Nora
1. Land on my feet after graduation.
2. Have as many adventures as I possibly can.
Number one is pretty self-explanatory... I want to graduate in June and have a job/life to look forward to. Number two is a bit more abstract... I want 2010 to be the year when I do as much cool/crazy shit as possible. I'm getting closer to that point in my life where I have to act like a responsible adult. I want this next year to be one to never forget so that when I do become a real adult I will be able to look back and remember this year as a good one. I don't know what I mean exactly by adventure... it could be a trip (like my upcoming trek to COSTA RICA in March or my UNAUSAMUN conference in NYC in May) or it could be trying something new, meeting new people, testing myself. I just want it to be fun and memorable.
To 2010 - The Year of Adventures!!!
xoxoxo Nora
NYE
I spent New Year's Eve with Dick Clark, as is typical of me. Last year, as you may have noticed in a previous post, I hung out by the Colosseum in Rome, and I knew there was no way in hell that I could top that here in Wisconsin. So I didn't try. And I may be sort of sick with some sort of cold/sinus mess so I wasn't really up for going out anyways...
My sister and I launched all of our leftover fireworks from the 4th of July at like 9pm last night. On the 4th my neighbors were having a big party and were super drunk and shooting fireworks at us, so we sort of gave up. Then the cops came and took all their fireworks so it was probably ok that we bailed early... We did them last night, and it was pretty fun. I think the cold affects them though because some weren't as impressive as I remember them being. But I'm a total pyro so it didn't really matter as long as I got to play with fire.
Later on in the evening I just sort of laid around and watched the Dick Clark special on ABC. They had a pretty terrible line-up in terms of performers (hint, I HATE the Black Eyed Peas). I got to watch the ball drop with Dick, and he only sort of messed up the counting (I'm sorry I shouldn't joke about his stroke). Then I had to kill another hour for the official Central Time turnover... watched Univision with my Mom because she didn't understand that Will.I.Am is not called William.
NYE was pretty tame, but I liked just hanging with my Mom so no bigs.
My sister and I launched all of our leftover fireworks from the 4th of July at like 9pm last night. On the 4th my neighbors were having a big party and were super drunk and shooting fireworks at us, so we sort of gave up. Then the cops came and took all their fireworks so it was probably ok that we bailed early... We did them last night, and it was pretty fun. I think the cold affects them though because some weren't as impressive as I remember them being. But I'm a total pyro so it didn't really matter as long as I got to play with fire.
Later on in the evening I just sort of laid around and watched the Dick Clark special on ABC. They had a pretty terrible line-up in terms of performers (hint, I HATE the Black Eyed Peas). I got to watch the ball drop with Dick, and he only sort of messed up the counting (I'm sorry I shouldn't joke about his stroke). Then I had to kill another hour for the official Central Time turnover... watched Univision with my Mom because she didn't understand that Will.I.Am is not called William.
NYE was pretty tame, but I liked just hanging with my Mom so no bigs.
On New Year's Eve I Did A Crazy Thing...
...I bought tickets to see JLS live in concert at the 02 Arena, in LONDON NEXT DECEMBER.
So basically I paid like $100 for two tickets to a concert in another country that is almost a year away. Which ok, is cool, but I have no idea what I'm going to be doing in December. Will I even have a job/be able to afford a trip to London? If I do have a job will I be able to take time off to fly to London for a pop concert? Will I even like JLS a year from now (ok, that is probably a yes)? So yeah, looking back on the purchase I'm thinking I've lost my mind a bit (ok a lot).
BUT, here is my justification. If 2010 is supposed to be a new and exciting year, WHY NOT buy these tickets? Who knows where I'll be? I'd rather have the tickets and be in the position where I have to resell them than be wanting to buy them but can't find any.
And, having these tickets means that I have a reason to have an adventure next winter. It sort of motivates me to be in a position where I can go to the show (because to be honest, I really really want to go). So who gives a shit that I bought tickets to a concert in another country that isn't for like a year?
After making this purchase I've resolved that 2010 is going to be the year for adventures...
xoxoxo Nora
So basically I paid like $100 for two tickets to a concert in another country that is almost a year away. Which ok, is cool, but I have no idea what I'm going to be doing in December. Will I even have a job/be able to afford a trip to London? If I do have a job will I be able to take time off to fly to London for a pop concert? Will I even like JLS a year from now (ok, that is probably a yes)? So yeah, looking back on the purchase I'm thinking I've lost my mind a bit (ok a lot).
BUT, here is my justification. If 2010 is supposed to be a new and exciting year, WHY NOT buy these tickets? Who knows where I'll be? I'd rather have the tickets and be in the position where I have to resell them than be wanting to buy them but can't find any.
And, having these tickets means that I have a reason to have an adventure next winter. It sort of motivates me to be in a position where I can go to the show (because to be honest, I really really want to go). So who gives a shit that I bought tickets to a concert in another country that isn't for like a year?
After making this purchase I've resolved that 2010 is going to be the year for adventures...
xoxoxo Nora
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