Plans for the Future

I know I promised no more internal ramblings, but I just have too much to share lately! So for this post, I'm breaking the promise.

I've known for quite awhile that I want to be making some changes in my life. A lot of years of pent up wanderlust are contributing to this, of course, but I think I've identified a few things that I'm planning to do in the next five years (or so...we'll see how the planning goes). So in no particular order, here is my list:

#1: Become a licensed body piercer.
If you're thinking..."Uhh, WTF?" because of the fact that I don't seem like the type, you are somewhat correct but, I've been really interested in learning to do this for a couple of years. Portland has a school where you can get licensed and learn the trade and there's plenty of shops in which to do apprenticeships. If I save enough this year, I can start this as soon as summer of 2010.

#2: Attend the Makeup Designory (M.U.D.) in L.A.
I guess this is just another thing I've thought about doing for a few years. I've always loved doing stage makeup and wanted to learn more, so why not go to school for only six months and be fully trained? I can't think of any reason not to, so I'm planning to attend most likely in 2011. Only downside is that I really, really am not looking forward to residing in L.A. for six months.

#3: Be an Resident Assistant on a Russian Immersion floor @ PSU
So there's a new program starting on campus where students live together and are immersed in the Russian language. Well, I want to learn Russian simply because I hear so many people speaking it and it would be helpful to know, so I'm planning on taking Russian classes. With a lot of practice, I may apply to be an R.A. for one of the Russian Immersion floors.

#4: Study Abroad in Latin America/Become fluent in Spanish
I'm already so much closer to my goal of being fluent in Spanish, but it's going to take a full immersion in order to get to the point of fluency. I'm still looking for a relatively inexpensive program that I can attend where I can "live the language." Good news is that I think becoming fluent will not take more than a few months simply because just being around Spanish speakers at work makes my brain start thinking in the language.

#5: Travel to Greece
My mom is already making plans to take a trip in five years around the Greek isles and the place where my great-grandfather was born. I'm so excited that I get to go with her!

#6: Certificate in Fashion Design @ PCC
They have a program where you take evening and/or weekend classes that teach the skills you need to work in fashion design (sketching, sewing, patternmaking, business skills, etc.). it would be a good complement to classes in costuming through PSU, if I could ever get into them!

#7: Certificate in Music Technology @ OMTC
Again, weekend classes in audio/sound technology gets a certificate in music tech. Sounds pretty awesome to me!
____

So that's the list so far. Funny how nothing in there mentions, say, finishing my Bachelor's Degree. That may be worked into the plan at some point, but for now, I think most of my goals are to get out and experience life. Despite the face that most of these programs are some sort of schook, I don't want to be school all the time! I want to be making things and doing other things besides going to class everyday and worrying about program requirements. My attitude towards college has been very relaxed. I want to get good grades, but I'm not obsessing over them. I am making progress towards finishing both of my majors in Theater and Communications, but have no ending date in mind. In general, I am still a control freak with my super planning years into the future, as this list attests to, but I feel so much more zen about everything going on in my life and I can't wait to see where my experiences lead me!

Summer music pick #1

Now, please get over the strange name and possibly even stranger lyrics, but the band Natalie Portman's Shaved Head has just become one of many summer music finds. With electronica beats, outrageous lyrics, and trippy 80s-esque music videos, all I want to do is dance. Forget Lady Gaga with her generic dance themes, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head is definitely being placed on my summer music playlist(despite the ridiculousness of it all).
Here's a music video for the song 'Sophisticated Side Ponytail' so you can see what I'm talking about:

Visit their webpage on Myspace as well: www.myspace.com/natalieportmansshavedhead
They're on tour right now, so check out the tour dates to see if they're stopping by!
Also, let me know what you think: love it or hate it?

Better health, better food

I've read Fast Food Nation and I've seen Super Size Me, but that still hasn't changed most of my eating or nutritional habits. Why? Because it just seems easier most days to grab the closest packaged, processed item out of the fridge. However much I realize that what I eat is filled with preservatives and chemicals, I still haven't taken it upon myself to create lasting, positive changes in my diet. That all needs to change (and needs to happen soon). I realize, like many others, that I have huge risk factors for developing diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, obesity, and cancer. Maintaining my unhealthy eating habits will only allow these to develop faster and more aggressively. Although I am not even in my twenties yet, I realize that I am abusing my body with the food I eat and that I am risking my future health.

Part of the reason why I have decided to make changes in my everyday eating habits is because of a documentary called "Food, Inc." which shows just how out-of-wack today's food production industry is. Because of this as well as books like Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore's Dilemma and other documentaries such as Super Size Me, I am taking it upon myself to take drastic steps to improve my health by buying and eating only sustainable, organic foods for the next twelve weeks. It should be interesting to see if I notice any changes. After these twelve weeks, I may decide that I don't mind eating the processed food that I'm eating now, but my hope is that after twelve weeks (about 3 months) of eating nutrient-rich organics, I'll continue this healthier diet in my "normal" life.

Food, Inc. Preview Trailer



Eat Well Guide.org- Find organic, local foods

I'll try to post updates as I attempt to go nearly three months on local, sustainable food only. Wish me luck!

Sarah Palin resigns!?

Just this evening, Sarah Palin made an announcement saying that she is resigning her position as Governor of Alaska. The reason, you may ask? Her main reason is because she decided that she will not run for re-election after her current term is over. Somehow, from deciding not to run for re-election, she gained a valid reason to abandon her responsibilities entirely. She says in the video that having her lieutenant governor take over her role is best for maintaining the "positive" agenda that her administration has set out. Many news sources are citing the recent press bashing for influencing this decision because of disputes with David Letterman and a recent Vanity Fair article.

As many others are stating, her speech is rambling and confusing. Take this example where she says "I promised efficiencies and effectiveness. That's not how I'm wired to operate, under the same old politics as usual. I promised that four years ago and I meant it, that's not what's best for Alaska at this time." Wait a minute, did she just say that she is incapable of being an efficient and effective leader? According to this speech, that would be a yes. She is readily admitting that she is not delivering on her political campaign promises and that it is best for her state if she no longer remains as governor. Other reasons she states throughout the announcement also include that she feels she is wasting millions of Alaska's tax dollars and that she is a more effective leader when working outside of government.

Taking this statment as a whole, it seems to me that this Alaskan governor has finally realized that she is too inexperienced to lead her own state, let alone a nation. Many people are saying that this is a possible move to run for president in 2012, but the fact remains that with this statment, she proves that she isn't capable of following through on her commitments as a leader. I for one, would hate to see somebody lead an entire country after they willingly admit that they are creating more harm than positive change. She may now get a "lame duck" status where she can travel and finally gain more foreign (and domestic) policy experience, but I don't see her role as anything more than a Republican cheerleader in times to come.

Video Announcement from NYtimes.com:

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/07/03/multimedia/1194841338826/palin-announces-resignation.html

Vampire Obsession

Anybody who knows me, knows that despite the fact that I plead guilty to reading all four of the Twilight books, I've been avoiding seeing the movie about as much as I avoid stepping into an A&F store. Of course, like the Harry Potter novels, these books seem to have fueled a new fire of pop culture obsession. At this point in the hysteria, I am about as resistant to Twilight obsession as much as MRSA is to antibiotics, however, I'm finally seeing an upside to this newest cultural fad. Case in point are the examples on display through the NY Times slideshow "Dark Glamour." It seems that mainstream fashion is finally picking up on a so called "vampire" look that isn't taken to the extreme of overly dramatic goth style. I've long been a fan of the feminine-yet-dangerous styles found in other vampire movies such as Underworld and its sequels. Getting to see this same mix of romanticism and slick styling as seen in the pages of Italian Vogue is full of exciting possibilites that allow women such as myself a chance to explore the darker side of our personalities without seeming like a angsty teenager. Also check out the "Vampire style of fashion" on Pravada.ru.

It should be interesting to see where this vampire obsession leads. The Swedish movie "Let the Right One In" has so far been the most mature products of this trend, despite the youthfulness of the main character. I'm looking forward to seeing if the new show "Vampire Diaries" that is planning to air on CW gives the typically teen audience something a little bit more tasty to chew on than the over-sensationalized Twilight movies.

Site changes

I deleted all of my posts a few months ago because I felt that was I was writing was pointless, which it very much was. I have finally decided not to write about my internal thoughts anymore, and switch to a more topical focus. I figure that if I want to ramble on internal musings, I can write that somewhere more private. So according to this change, I'm going to be reconfiguring the whole look of this blog and make it more personalized. I'll also start choosing topics to blog on in the future. In general, my feeling is that I'll most likely be picking from current events, fashion, and spirituality, and other things that I experience and feel like commenting on. So for the few who follow this, give me some feedback on whether things on the blog get better or worse (i.e. more or less interesting).