Ow

23 February 2010 [Tuesdays have always been my least favorite day...today was ok! I also rarely spell it right. I think it should be 'Teusday' like 'neutron' and 'neurology.' But it's not.]

Well, sir, hello again. Sorry its been awhile. I've been busy and such like as. Tonight I am sitting here, in pain, watching a show I've never seen before, Psych, after a show that I watch religiously, White Collar. Both are on USA, which represents America, which is GREAT! Go America! (: Why am I in pain, you may ask? Well, as a matter of fact, I just finished taking a yoga class at Sonic Yoga (51st and 9th Ave) for an hour with my roomie, and then I went to cardio kickboxing at my gym here in Queens (Synergy Fitness at Broadway and like Crescent?)--which happened to be THE most intense one I've taken to date, then I thought it would be a good idea to top it all off with the cherry of yogilates, also at Synergy. Oh good grief, my body is writhing in pain. Im practically on the floor right now. An inventory of what hurts, not that anyone cares, but because it will make me feel better: NeckCalvesInner thighsSHOULDERS/armsQuadsHamsBack.
I think that's it. Foof, glad I got that off my chest. (:

Anyway, so this week has been pretty good! I went on Craigslist a couple of days ago and got three or four responses for jobs...I fashioned myself a whole new resume and everything, since my only other resume is all theatre-, music-, and dance-based. I haven't had that many non-theatrical jobs before, so I decided to write my job experience and what I've learned from each job. Skills and interesting qualities that I've taken from each job that could help me in future jobs. Seems to have been pretty popular with the employers! I even had one person tell me 'Great resume.' (: Score for me! I got an interview with a tutoring place called Champion Learning Center. It was supposed to be today, but I got lost in the Lower East Side and had to reschedule. :/ Ah well, it was rainy today anyway. I love the city in the rain though. It's so interesting to me...everyone is so preoccupied with themselves and so enclosed inside of their own little umbrella cocoons. I sometimes find myself staring at a particularly spectacular piece of architecture or an amazing view and people walk right past it! I also love the pavement in NYC...at night, look at it. It sparkles! It shines and twinkles and the light just bounces around all over it. There's probably some really scientific explanation about rock particles and mica or something, but I like to think it represents the gem that the city is. I really love it.

On the same subject, I went to find the New York Public Library last week and ended up exploring that area of the city. For reference, it's on 49th and 5th I do believe. Anyway, ohemgee, if you ever get to, visit. I walked all the way down United Nations Way and saw the embassies of places like Moldova and walked to 1st Avenue, [cause I was lost and going the wrong way, but who cares cause when you're lost in the city you're not really lost.] where I could look across the water [which I later discovered was the river-thingy separating Queens from Manhattan]...it was so pretty. I took pictures like a tourist. It was a fun 'me' day. I also saw a delightful Michael Jackson tribute dance quartet perform outside the Library. Helpful note: if you want a library pass, bring ID and something with a NY address on it, ie a bill, letter, etc. I missed that. Well, golly.

I just love the city so much...I'm learning the subway system like a pro...today I wedged myself in a PACKED 6 Uptown train to get to class ontime. You would not believe the lengths people go to to make the train...literally. I didn't have to hold onto anything to be held straight upright, I was that tightly secured by others' bodies. It was a little ridic-a-lous.

More good news! I'm starting to make more friends. (: I felt like such a typical student the other day. Lemme just tell you...my Public Speaking partner and I hit it off really well, so we're totes friends now, and we decided to go down to the lounge between practicing our speeches and classtime. While down there I saw a gal who is in a lot of my classes and we just started talking! It was awesome! Turns out she's a Harry Potter/Daniel Radcliffe/acting fanatic too! What're the odds? [rhetorical question, this is def an arts school, haha!] Anywayzz. I also last weekend, took the bus back to VA to visit for the long President's Day Weekend [?]. I took gotobus.com's bus. It was alright...not much to say on it. Took about 7ish hours. Cheap, only $60 round trip, which is significantly cheaper than airfare. Uhh...let's see. My best friend, in VA, is in love. (: That makes me happy. We had a lovely get-together at our apartment the other night with my roomie's friends from college--also the college I transferred from. It was like a college reunion! Haha. She's auditioning for Peter Pan tomorrow! Break a leg, doll! Oh, wow, I just tried to move. Bad idea. Well...tomorrow I have to be up doing homework. Wish me luck as I try to get out of my loft bed tomorrow...on second thought, perhaps I should just keep my homework up there, so I won't have to move til tomorrow evening when I HAVE to get up for class...now there's a novel idea! :P I hope you are all having a lovely week, and continue to do so.


PS--Awesome church service last Sunday. I sing in the praise team at Astoria Community Church, and we finally got a drummer. It was AMAZING! Check us out!
Peace, love, and whatever else you believe is good!

Retrot... It's A Word Because I Wrote It

February 10, 2010

SO tralala, I’m sitting in the library. I just did a whoooole project and I’m feeling very productive. Today has been a good day. Adventurous too. I got up at 7:09— 9 minutes later than I was supposed to. And that’s a big deal on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in case you didn’t know, since I have a class at 8:30, meaning I have to leave at 7:30, and I refuse to wake up at 6:anything. So I really only had 21 minutes to get ready. I did it! And I don’t look half bad, if I do say so m’self. I like my makeup today. Then I got to class and it was funny. I even got to get a bagel in the lounge and eat it BEFORE class. Then, in Environmental Science, I got my quiz back from last time—BAM 10 out of 10. I’m amazing. So…then afterwards, I retrot? (past tense of retreat-GO!) to the lounge to do homework and watch Maury and Jerry Springer—also a Tuesday/Thursday ritual. Surprisingly, I’ve noticed a few regulars and we’re all getting along swimmingly. Also, CUTE BOY ALERT. He may or may not have been gay, but that’s not the point. I saw him and he talked to me. We laughed over the girl’s phonetic spelling of her name: Key Key. It was magical. After that, I tore myself away before I could get engrossed in Steve Wilkos and went to the Lower East Side to try to find the owners and return the key they gave me to get into my apartment when I locked myself out yesterday. It was GLORIOUS outside…sunny and not too cold. I listened to the radio and sat on the bus for 20 extra minutes because a wheelchair person had to get on. But it was ok! I got there, wandered around the wrong building for about ten minutes, called, found the right building, wandered around the wrong floor, found the right floor and finally found the apartment. :) THen I gave him the keys, told that cute little man to rest up, and left. I saw a dog with the teeniest booties ever. Then I asked a Rite Aid man to direct me to the nearest Subway and he said, “What number are you looking for?” and I thought he was stupid until I realized he meant train station and I meant food. We had a good chuckle. Then I ate at Subway and it was delicious. Then I came back and got directly to work on a project for Dance Culture on “the Shakespeare of ballet,” JEAN GEORGES NOVERRE. I even added a fancy border on my word document—yeah, I’m SO technologically savvy. And now Im biding my time until 5:50 when I get to visit Public Speaking. Joy. But I did my homework so RAHH, I’ll know what I’m doing. And I’m kinda happy cause both projects that I have to do this semester were assigned to me in the second week of classes, so it’s out of the way! Tradida, it’s a lovely day. Have you had a lovely day? Thank God for it…He loves you. :) Also, SNOW TONIGHT! Ostensibly, anyway…




February 11, 2010
Yesterday was, in fact, a blizzard. I watched Pride and Prejudice with my roommate, and was inspired to make a snowman with a Mr. Darcy flavor. So I went on my roof and made Mr. George. He turned out to be less like Mr. Darcy and more like a 1920s banker with a bowler hat and a mustache. But I liked him anyway. :) I also am declaring my major--as a double major in Art History and Studio Art. Rah!

A Star Is Born!

This winter break was a very special for me. I was encouraged by friends to audition for the Musical Theatre Association's presentation of My Son Pinocchio.
I went to the auditions in early December and was casted! This meant that I had to stay in NYC for the month of January and go to rehearsals everyday. It was my first ever theatre performance and one I will never forget!

First Days

February 4, 2010

So…happy birthday to my mom today, in case anybody was wondering! =)
In fact, today marks day number 4 at Marymount Manhattan College. I am a transfer student from Virginia and I’ve been involved with Marymount basically since I graduated high school…although I chose a college closer to home, for a multitude of reasons, I finally returned to where I really wanted to be, ready and rarin’ ta go on Monday, the first of February.
I had nothing to do until 4, which was a strange (but not unwelcome) break from my typical university schedule. I am so not a morning person. I have been trying to establish a ‘bedtime,’ a desperate attempt to regulate my sleep schedule, and I’d been failing terrifically since, well, about the same time as I’d vowed to determine one for myself. Which was a week. So, I set my alarm to wake up at 11, for no other reason than to prove to myself that I could. Turns out I couldn’t. =) So I woke up at 1 instead. It was a valiant effort though, I think. Anyway, so I thoughtfully picked out my artsy-ist outfit and hopped the subway an hour early. Of course, somehow, this one random time, I got every train as soon as I stepped onto the platform so I was half hour early to my 4:20 class. So, I checked my email, wandered the school, checked out my new home of sorts. Around 4:05 I walk past my room, to ensure that I actually know where it is, and conveniently find a cute, comfy little bench-type thing right outside the door. A class was still in session, or I would have been the nerd who arrives 15 minutes early to class. I have no friends yet. =) I’m new. So I waited…and waited…til around 4:17 when I was like, really? What are they doing in there? I re-check my schedule…again. Whoops, class started at 4. Awesome.
So, I walk in, trying not to look flustered and trying not to show the hatred I felt toward my idiocy, 17 minutes late to my first class, a dance culture class. The German professor didn’t look too happy and I didn’t feel too good about my future in that class.
I admit it, I spent the next hourish doing everything possible to suck up to him…I mean, I didn’t want those seventeen minutes to determine the rest of my college career! Fortunately for me, I was well-versed in the history of theatre, and with it, theatrical dance, so I think he likes me now. =)
Then, I had New Testament. I consider myself a big fan of Jesus. I am a devout follower of Christ and enjoy learning as much as I can about my ever-growing faith. So, I enrolled in the class- it fulfilled a requirement and I could stand to learn some things about the history of my Savior. I’m still not sure if I’m going to like it…it’s taught, obviously, in a very secular manner. Strictly as literature. I’m an open person, so I think I can handle it, but it will definitely be different for me, at the very least. But I’m learning to open myself up here at college…it’s a whole new ballgame in New York City than any other place I’ve been—and I’ve been a few places (my dad’s in the military). So…more developments on that class to come.
I think I went home Monday night…back to my roommate who just graduated from the school that I transferred from in Virginia, and who worked with me when we danced at Busch Gardens together this summer. I probably didn’t make bedtime that night either…I was dreading getting up at 7 for my 8:30 Environmental Science class…number one, I hate science, and number two, I hate mornings. It was bound to be bad. I should have given myself an hour, if not only to wake up, but I refused to get up at any earlier time than 7am. So, I had only a half hour before I had to go. I ran late, as usual, and rushed my bootie all the way from my apartment in Astoria to East 71st. I got there with 15 minutes to spare. I really wanted to introduce myself to everyone that was already in the class, but…well, I have no good explanation. I just didn’t. Perhaps I still wasn’t awake. Anyway, the class ended up being bearable and I think I’ll actually learn a lot. The professor is funny in a doesn’t-know-he’s-funny-and-talks-in-a-monotone type way. I appreciate understated humor. =) After that class, I had a good…um…eight hours til my next class, Public Speaking- a requirement. So, I visited the Nugent Lounge, chilled on the couch, struck up friendly conversation over Maury and Jerry Springer and Steve Wilkos with a couple of nice gals. Then, I went and dropped off some job applications at H&M and Aldo that I’d filled out. In H&M, I saw…GASP…Epperson! From last season’s Project Runway! That is the only show I’ve ever watched religiously. He was standing a good two feet away. I continued to nonchalant-ly ‘shop around’ while simultaneously sending a quick text to my old roommate in Virginia; attached was a horrendously sketch picture of the mannequins in H&M with Epperson in the lower left rifling through a clothes rack. Eventually I came back (oh yes, I left, walked a few blocks gathering courage, and returned for proof) and talked to him. He’s very nice! I got a picture, a Facebook invitation, and bragging rights for First Celebrity Sighting from my Virginia crew in NYC. =) Then I hung out with my best friend at the mall at Columbus Circle, after transferring seventy-two times on the subway and finally arriving. We saw the touch screen wine bar (aka the BAR itself was touch screen) and tried on some designer sunglasses at … some designer sunglass place. Then…
Public Speaking was fun-I like the professor, I don’t mind the class. I think I might actually make friends in there. I love classes where they force you to interact with each other. It’s so much easier. So…yeah, that’s gonna be fun. I like to publicly speak, and I have opinions on important issues, so I should be fine.
This is a long beginning entry. I’m sorry if you read it all, it wasn’t very exciting at all, but I figured I’d give you a taste of what first days can be like! Yay, Marymount! I’m very excited to start this semester. Being on my own in New York City has so much potential…I’ve been more adventurous than I ever have been, and I’m lovin’ it. =)

We're Back!

Hey there readers, the spring semester has gotten underway, and with the new term comes new entries and even a new blogger! Allow me to introduce Kayley, one of our new transfer students!

Name: Kayley Fullerton

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Gloucester, VA

High School: Gloucester High School

Transferred from: Christopher Newport University

Major: Studio Art

Minor: Art History

Favorite things about NYC: There's always something to do, somewhere to visit. Its the capital of the world! You can order Greek food at 3AM!

Why I transferred to MMC: I wanted to use the city as a campus. There is so much opportunity and possibility. Why limit it to a traditional college campus? I want to learn it all!