Nanowrimo

It's that time of year! For those of you who don't know, November is National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as Nanowrimo! During November, those participating in Nanowrimo attempt to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month. This is roughly 1,667 words a day and no easy task.

I've known about Nanowrimo for a few years now, but this will be my first year actually taking part. I've always put it off in the past, saying that I don't need the time pressure or I'm too busy or I don't have any inspiration to write or any other bullshit excuse you can think of. I've decided firmly and absolutely to take part this year. I have so many ideas floating in my head for what I want to write, but I never actually get around to writing them. Nanowrimo will force me, if nothing else, to get words down on the paper. I'll worry about whether or not any of the shit my fingers typed makes sense in December.

There's tons of information about Nanowrimo out there, but where I first heard of it was youtube, so I'm going to link you to a few videos that I found helpful/informative/inspiring/entertaining. I hope they'll inspire you to participate this year as well :)

• I've mentioned Kristina Horner before, talking about how much she inspires me with the sheer amount of stuff she has accomplished in her life so far. One of those things is the Nanowrimo Song, which is cute and goes through the basic stages of Nanowrimo Feels. Don't let the depressed and crazy stage scare you away, I'm sure it happens to all writers whether they're writing under such pressing time constraints or not.
• Kristina has put up pretty regular videos about Nanowrimo with advice, which can be found here and also here and most recently here
• Acclaimed author, John Green, and the puffier half of the Vlogbrothers has also done a video about Nanowrimo which you can find here
• Then there is another one of my youtube celebrity crushes, the illustrious lioness hayleyghoover who has her own video about the 5 Reasons to do Nanowrimo

You should go check all of those out, maybe they'll help you the way they've helped me--golly I hope so. People don't say golly enough, you know?

As I said before, this will be my first time doing Nanowrimo. I don't have high hopes (cause if you set your expectations low you always end up with either a pleasant surprise or an expected disappointment, neither of which is as soul-crushing as if you had actually aimed for the stars...wait a second, this was supposed to sound like a good idea...) but I am hoping to at least get a good chunk of my hopeful novel out of the way this November. So far I've got exactly 3500 words. I'm chuggin' along like a turtle, slow and steady baby--like your mom in bed last night.

If you'd like to participate in Nanowrimo, click the link I posted at the top and get started because it's November 2nd and you're already RUNNING OUT OF TIME!

happy writing

...So I'm in Italy

I mentioned briefly in the last post that I've been in Italy. I was hoping I could just leave it at that and just go right back to normal, but my conscience won't let me. I've abandoned this blog and I must answer for it. So, here are the answers! Brace yourself, there's a lot of ground to cover here.

1. How Do You Like Italy?

Italy is great! Well, now it is. We didn't get on so much when I first arrived, but I've ironed out the kinks since then. My plane arrived in Florence and all was just dandy until I realized my luggage didn't make it. Then after checking in and getting my keys I got lost trying to find my apartment. I know a little bit of Italian so I was able to ask for directions without too much trouble, but it was hot and I'd been traveling for a day and a half--not a happy camper. I trudged along the tricky cobbled streets of Florence with my I-can't-believe-they-let-me-take-this-on-the-plane-it's-so-large carry on. After a nap and a shower I felt much better.

The food in Italy is, of course, amazing. My roommates and I (lovely girls) ate out a lot in the first week before we realized how much money we were burning through. Now we're limiting ourselves to dinner out about every other week, sometimes more frequently. Dinner have been nice, but what I've really been enjoying are the lunches. There are lots of cheap places to grab paninis or pizzas nearby and everything is delicious. One of my favorite places is I'Panaio in the local market. They sell a large assortment of pastries as well as lunch foods and the staff is super friendly.

I haven't experienced too much of a culture shock yet, even though I've been here 7 weeks already. The only thing that bugs me is how slow the Italians walk down the street. I enjoy a reasonably brisk pace, so when a man darts out in front of me and proceeds to toddle along I get a little titchy.

2. Have You Traveled?

Plenty of places! I'm practically a world traveller! Okay, so I haven't been all around yet, but I still have time! So far I have been to Florence (obviously), Viareggio, Verona, Siena, Cinque Terre, Montepulciano, Montalcino, and Rome. So far my favorite has been Cinque Terre, which I went to on a trip with Bus2Alps. The hike was difficult (we did the hike to the fifth city) because it was uphill for the first 20 minutes, but the views were well worth it. Plus we got to chill on the beach with mojitos afterwards.

3. Where's The Best Place To Get Gelato?

Oh boy. OHHHHH BOY. I know gelato. I haven't gone out to eat yet, but I've sampled almost every gelateria within walking distance. My roommates and I even went gelateria hopping for dinner one night. We walked from gelateria to gelateria, getting one flavor at each for a total of five gelaterias and the best 10 euro ever spent.

My favorite so far has been B Ice. It's a family run place and has the best apple-cinnamon gelato I have ever tasted. Sure it's the only apple-cinnamon gelato I've ever tasted, but it's dang good. Melt in your mouth fuck me sally good. The only problem is that B Ice is a good 20 minute walk from the touristy portion of town, well worth it but not exactly good for a spontaneous trip if you're on a time schedule.

Another great place that is closer to town is Venchi. They've been in the chocolate business since 1878 and makes some really great, rich chocolate gelato. They're fancy, but not nearly as expensive as you would think. A generous small I think cost no more than 2.50 euro. It's also right by the duomo so it's easy to pop in.

4. What Classes Are You Taking?

I am taking Philosophy 101, Age of Heroes: the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid, 14th Century Italian Literature, Advanced Italian Language, and Food of Itlay. In case it isn't obvious, Food of Italy is my favorite. We cook every class, which not only saves me money from buying lunch once a week, but also means I get to pig out on authentic Italian food practically all the time now that I have the recipes. Yummmm

5. How Did Midterms Go?

Why thank you for asking. I just had my last two midterms today and I think they went reasonably well. I'm not used to having to handwrite my exams, usually my english professors just ask for typed papers to be handed in on the exam dates, so my writing hand is cramping from lack of exercise. First world problems.

6. So...Why Haven't You Posted In Over A Month?

Funny story. You see, my laptop was stolen by these Italian Mafia gang members. They were huge and had slicked back hair and cigars dangling precariously from their snarling mouths. Oh, Why did they want my laptop? Ummm...Revenge. I'm pretty sure it was for revenge. You see, when I arrived I witnessed this murder--really gruesome thing. It was a double murder, actually, and I was the only witness! Blood everywhere. I thought they didn't see me but it turns out they did and they came after me for revenge. Except they didn't kill me because I ran away. Really quickly. And then moved so they couldn't find me again. I'm actually in the witness protection program right now--shhhhh!! 

7. No, But Really?

Okay. I'd like to say that my internet was down or that my laptop crashed but that's not true. It's been working perfectly fine. I've just been a combination of busy, exhausted, and lazy that doesn't bode well for blogging.

In my spare time since I've been here I've read a few books (Dreamcatcher by Stephen King and Shadowland by Peter Straub) but I've mainly been catching up on tv shows. As lame as that sounds. I've been watching:

• Downton Abbey Season Two
• Sekaiichi Hatsukoi
• Once Upon a Time Season Two
• Modern Family

Now I've just started BBC's Merlin (first episode last night) and I have a feeling this is going to be another one that I'll obsessively fangirl over like Sherlock and Downton. Oh, Britain, why are you so awesome? It probably wasn't a good idea to start Merlin now since I'm leaving for Paris and Barcelona in a few days.

You jealous? Yeah, you are.

The Reading List of My Life

Let's ignore the fact that I haven't posted in months, shall we? I'm in Italy.

I watched this video by Zefrank on Youtube not two seconds ago. He basically gives a rundown of all the books that meant something to him in his life. Just the ones that stood out. I felt an immediate calling to make some kind of written reading list of my own, partly so that I can remember all the good books I've read in my life, but mostly because I don't understand the message of most of Zefrank's videos and I was happy I seemed to get this one.

I've always assumed that I love to read now because my mother read so much to me when I was a child. I have stacks of picture books at home, each with a loving message from my mother written on the inside cover in her first-grade-teacher print. My favorites were Dr. Seuss and one book about a girl who's dolls come to life in her closet, the name of which I can't remember for the life of me. There was a little blonde doll in a pink and white dress that was to me the prettiest.

At some point I reached the age where I could read on my own. I don't remember when this happened although I assume it was around first grade. I've been able to read for as far back as my memory goes. I read the entire Magic Treehouse series crouched in the back of my mother's classroom while she graded tests and rearranged desks. I read Junie B. Jones, Little House on the Prairie, Amelia Bedelia, and the American Girl Doll books and the Boxcar Children--Oh the Boxcar Children! For the longest time I was convinced that the greatest joy in life would be to live alone in an abandoned boxcar with my siblings. I conveniently forgot the fact that my brothers and I could never get along.

Then I grew up a little bit and evolved into longer chapter books. I tackled the Chronicles of Narnia much to young to appreciate The Magician's Nephew (which is much better now that I've read it again, though still not my favorite). The rest of elementary school is a bit of a blur for me. I spent a lot of time in the library--so much so that she often gave me stuffed animals as presents. But for all the time I spent reading I remember very few of my elementary school books. One of my all time favorites was My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George followed closely by Harriet The Spy, both of which inspired me to do things my parents disapproved of. Namely running away to live in a hollowed tree and spying on my neighbors. Then there was Bridge to Terebithia and The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which I still reread every year. I remember Fever by Laurie Halse Anderson, and that is mainly because I never returned it.  I stole it from the librarian who was so kind to me.

In fifth grade came THE BOOK for me. The book to end all books. It was The Land by Mildred D. Taylor. It touched me in a way I couldn't describe, making me cry with every reread. It got to the point where I had been rereading The Land over and over again for months. I forced myself to put it down and pick up the companion piece, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, but I found it lacking. To this day I have not read The Land again, because I know I'd never be able to put it down.

Middle school came with so many books. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Inkheart, Eragon, Disappearance by Jude Watson, the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman. A Great and Terrible Beauty and sequels by Libba Bray. One of my favorites was the Amulet of Samarkand and it's sequels by Jonathan Stroud; the smart-mouthed demon Bartimeous tickled my funny bone almost to extinction. Then in eighth grade came the whopper: Harry Potter. After that there was an ever-present stack of Harry Potter books next to my seat at the dining room table so that I could read whenever I was hungry (except for dinner because that was family time). That is why there are spaghetti sauce stains all over my copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

In high school I read a lot, and it probably won't surprise you to know I didn't have many friends. I read everything I could by James Fenimore Cooper, Jane Austen, Pat Conroy, and Bill Bryson. I adored Nathaniel Philbricks' In the Heart of the Sea, which was the first nonfiction book that every touched my soul followed shortly after by Cicero by Anthony Everett. My heart still lies with fiction but these two books were miracles. I read simple books like The Nanny Diaries and absurdly presumptuous books like Atlas Shrugged. There were the books I read for school that I enjoyed like On Writing by Stephen King, Life of Pi, Candide, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Frankenstein. Then there were those I hated like Shakespeare's Julius Caesar which I read four times and Mrs. Dalloway, the atrocious Wuthering Heights and The House on Mango Street.

For pleasure I read Dan Brown, Philippa Gregory, Jodi Picoult and other authors that I adored at the time that I cringe at now. Although I still enjoy Dan Brown. I read On, Off by Colleen McCullough and for some reason I trudged through Moby Dick. Senior year I developed and obsession with Agatha Christie--Poirot, not Ms. Marple--and bought every single one of her mysteries I could get my hands on. Then came college.

I didn't have as much time to read in college. I would like to say it's because I got a social life, but really it's because I got a laptop and discovered the joys of Netflix. Still I've read some. In class I've read Wordsworth and Frost and Coleridge but they might as well be in French because poetry means diddly squat to me. The stand outs that I've read on my own are Laura Lippman's Hardly Knew Her which gave me permission to write creepy short stores if that's what I wanted to do. Hannah Tinti's The Good Thief motivated me to read again. A motivation I lost shortly after when I tried to read Dear American Airlines. But then I discovered Neil Gaiman and fell in love all over again. I read Neverwhere first and was entranced. Then came The Graveyard Book and American Gods and then Anansi Boys. These were followed by The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series and the ache when I found out there were supposed to be ten books before the author died. I've read Beloved by Toni Morrison and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. I've poured over Dante's Vita Nuova with disdain and his Divine Comedy with awe.

And right now? What am I reading? I just finished Shadowland by Peter Straub which had great reviews on Goodreads but wound up not impressing me nearly as much as Dreamcatcher by Stephen King did which I read right before. My first piece of fiction by King and it talked about aliens coming out of people's asses. Go figure. And now I am about to start Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas.

What are you reading? What have you read? What do you hope to read?

Chihayafuru

I haven't mentioned this before, because I am aware that I already seem like such a dork that I probably shouldn't push the envelope, but I like anime. Granted, I'm no diehard fan, but my freshman year of college was spent watching quite a number of anime. Ouran High School Host Club, Fruits Basket, Itazura na Kiss, Junjou Romantica, Inuyasha, Kimi ni Todoke, Zero no Tsukaima, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Loveless, Shugo Chara, Gakuen Alice, Card Captor Sakura, Skip Beat, Clannad, Vampire Knight, La Corda D'oro, Kaichou Wa Maid Sama, Full Moon wo Sagashite, and Full Metal Panic. That's a lot of anime to watch in a year at college.

In case you couldn't tell by that list, I'm kind of into the girly animes. I know they have a technical name (shoujou, maybe?) but I just call them girly. Even Inuyasha was too battle-y for me and I ended up fast-forwarding through the fighting parts and mainly just watching anything with Kouga in it. I would classify Chihayafuru as a girly anime, so if that's not your thing then steer clear.

Without giving away any spoilers, Chiahayafuru is the story of three childhood friends who grew up and grew apart, and are now trying to find their way. What brought them together was a card game called karuta, and that is what will hopefully reunite them. The protagonist and character who is mainly pushing for the reunion is Chiahaya, whose love for karuta has remained even while her friends have moved on to other hobbies.

NOW There Are Spoilers

Okay, there are several things I really liked about Chihayafuru. First of all, I never imagined that watching a show about a card game could be so intense! The creators do a really good job of making sure you understand how the game is played so you can follow along in suspense rather than be confused about the rules. They really got me invested in who was going to win and what mistakes Chihaya was making and how she could improve and omygodpleaseletherwin

The players' movement is a big part of what makes the show so suspenseful. The objective of karuta is to listen to the first part of a poem being read, and to touch the second part on the board in front of you before your opponent does. That is obviously a very simplified version, but you get the gist. The players move with sharp, sweeping motions that utilize their whole bodies, which helps to make karuta much more interesting than if they were playing, say, rummy, which would get old around episode 2.

The show made me want to learn how to play karuta, which is saying something. Of course, I won't. I have no time to play, no money to buy cards, and no friends to play with. That is discounting the biggest obstacle: I wouldn't understand the japanese poems.

Another aspect of Chihayafuru that I really enjoyed was the art. I am unable to watch an anime, no matter how good the plot may be, if I don't like it visually. It just doesn't work for me. Chiahayfuru was beautiful. The characters were very detailed--I especially noticed that Chihaya is drawn with lips. Isn't that kind of unusual for an anime? Maybe not but it felt unusual. Or maybe unique would be a better word. Taichi was my favorite character visually because, well...you know. I got the inappropriate feelings towards an animated character. Just look at him!

Who wouldn't get squiggles in their stomach after looking at that?

The characters were another thing I really enjoyed about the plot. They were all likable, but had flaws that were realistic and are each dealing with their own personal struggles within the major karuta-reauniting conflict. Chihaya is too oblivious to anything other than karuta (including Taichi's feelings, damn her) and has to deal with the unfair amount of attention which is placed on her sister. Taichi is pressured by his family to be perfect, a little spoiled and used to getting things his own way, and has to deal with his feelings for Arata both as a rival for Chihaya's love and as a friend. Arata's grandfather tragically passed away while Arata was playing a karuta tournament, plunging him into depression and guilt. And that's only the main characters! All in all, I would say that they are very well-developed.

My only real complaint would be that there is a lot of recap in the show before you move on to the new plot devices. Which is fine, you can always use a refresher on how the characters are doing in their matches, but it does get a little annoying sometimes. Just sayin'.

But what I like most about Chihayafuru is that there is going to be a season two! 

Hey, that just rhymed! 

Don't judge me.

Link Recs and LoK

I thought today I'd just share a few funny/enjoyable things I've found on the internet that you might like too. Spread the love.

1) How Not To Clean A Window. This is basically a bunch of pictures showing people defying death in order to get their windows cleaned. It's hilarious and a little scary, which is the best kind of hilarity. The sad part is that I looked at some of the photos and thought, "Hey, that's not so bad! I would do that!" I tell ya, I'm a Darwin Award waiting to happen.

2) I believe John Green from the Vlogbrothers on Youtube mentioned this in a video of his, but I think it's worth sharing that there is an island called Luzon which is an island, in a lake, on an island, in a lake, on an island. This is where I'm escaping to in the event of the zombie apocalypse if you want to join me. Space is limited.

3) Do you like famous paintings? Do you like cats? Then you'll love Famous Paintings Improved By Cats! Seriously, go check this out. Now. I probably shouldn't have laughed as hard as I did at it, but I can't regret it. It was the best 5 hours of my life.

4) This is a youtube video that I find lovely. It's kind of a fan-made music video to the song Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons with Ron Weasley. It is really well done and I feel like the song fits Ron very well. If you're at all a fan of Harry Potter or Youtube, it's worth a look.

5) One of the places to visit on my bucket list is the Gum Wall in Seattle, WA. Follow the link to the Wikipedia page about it and be amazed. The wall fascinates me in a way that partly makes me want to vomit but mostly makes my insides go mushy at the creativity of our species. As well as the sense of community it takes for everybody to band together in sticking their gum on a random wall and for nobody to come out and scrape it off.

6) Babies Tasting Lemons For The First Time. Am I a bad person for laughing at this? Then you're probably a bad person too. Go check it out.

7) OH MY GOD this just about made my life when I saw it. Disney Face Swap. Basically, some genius Disney fan swapped the characters faces. Hilarity ensued. Another thing that probably shouldn't' have entertained me as much as it did.

8) Youtubers Lucke Conrad, Alex Goot (Goot, really?), and Tiffany Alvord did a cover to Chris Brown's song Next To You. I'll admit to never having heard the original (I'm a fan of Chris Brown's face, not his music) but the cover is amazing. I bought it on itunes and it's a member of my Writing Papers playlist, which basically consists of about 10 songs that I listen to on repeat while I write papers. If you didn't get that from the title.

9) Here are some beautiful Disney wallpapers by alicexz that take my breath away. The one of Rapunzel with the gold and the purple is the background on my computer. It used to be a picture of my friends and I, but they got booted out for Da-Punzz.

10) Last but not least, 50 Unexplainable Black And White Photos. It's what it sounds like, but trust me, it's good.

In unrelated but very exciting news, an article came out announcing that Legend of Korra has been picked up for more episodes! YES!!!!!! From what I understand, Season 1 will be book one (which we just saw) and book two (which will come out in 2013). That is all they were originally planning for. Now they have added a Season 2 which will contain books three and four for an extra 26 episodes!

I'm really excited to see what the creators do with all this extra time. I've heard around that they pretty much already have book two finalized as far as plot and everything goes, which disappoints me a little because I enjoyed Avatar so much more because it was more spread out and...thorough, I guess. I wish they had known about the extra season earlier so that they could have incorporated that extra time into their plot lines.

But hey, I'm talking like this and the freaking thing isn't even close to being out yet. For all I know, they guessed that Nickelodeon would pick it up for another season and planned ahead. Who knows.

I'm just really curious to see what happens next. Korra's got her bending back, including air, Republic City is saved, she can give other people's bending back, she and Mako are in love, the baby is all right...what's next?!?!

I'm not so good at the patience.

Top 10 Disney Heroines

I've been promising this for a while now, but here it is the Top Ten Disney Heroines List! Just as a warning, I mentioned earlier that I recently watched Brave, which has a new heroine (Merida). After giving it a lot of thought, I decided not to include Merida in my list because she is a Disney/PIXAR character instead of strictly Disney. But if you were curious, she probably would have come in at number 5. I've done two top 10 lists before, so feel free to check those out. But for now, I present to you, my biased list of the Top 10 Disney Heroines!


10) Cinderella

"So this is love."

Movie: Cinderella
Age: 17
Challenges: Cinderella's challenge is mostly her step-mother, who is cruel to her and tries to prevent her from finding true love. Cinderella doesn't let that stop her though!
Personality: What really stands out about Cinderella is how patient and kind she is. Other than that her personality kind of falls to the wayside.
Beauty: Cinderella is classically beautiful with sweet, roman features. She's got the blonde hair and the blue eyes, nothing too exciting.
Role Model: Cinderella is a role model in that she is optimistic and believes in her dreams--even if her dreams are superficial. She has the patience of a saint with her step-family and is kind to everyone she meets. She even forgives her step-family! So I would say that Cinderella is a fine role model, even if she does want to marry the guy who can't remember what her face looks like so he is going to marry whatever girl can fit her foot into a glass slipper.
Superlatives: Most Classically Beautiful, Kindest


9) Ariel

"Flounder, don't be such a guppy"

Movie: The Little Mermaid
Age: 16
Challenges: Ariel's challenges are a bit silly compared to other heroines. She is in love with a human, but can't be with him because she is a mermaid and her father doesn't approve. After she fixes that problem by running away, her new problem is that she has to make Eric fall in love with her--without her voice! She's not exactly curing cancer in this movie.
Personality: Ariel is stubborn and rebellious, disobeying her father and running away from home. She doesn't take well to authority. She is also curious and adventurous, always up to explore.
Beauty: Most of my male friends tell me that Ariel is the hottest Disney Heroine. I can see why--she's practically naked for a majority of the movie and she's got all that perfect hair going on. Ariel is beautiful, there's no denying it, although I wish she would cover up a bit more. The immodesty!
Role Model: NO! I hate to say it, but Ariel is not a good role model. Sure she pursues her dreams, but her dream is a completely selfish one that takes her away from her friends and family and makes them worry. Does she care? Nope. Ariel's entire being is focused on getting her man. Is that a healthy message to send? Nope. She literally gives up her voice so that she can be with a guy. Am I the only one that seems significant to? On top of all that, Ariel is saved--she does no saving. Prince Eric rescues her at the end of the movie and it is her dad who finally lets her become a real human. There's no female empowerment in Ariel.
Superlatives: Best Singing Voice

8) Jasmine

"Then maybe I don't want to be a princess anymore!"

Movie: Aladdin

Age: 15

Challenges: Jasmine's challenges are that she is never allowed to leave the palace and desperately wants to explore the world, and that she is being forced to marry a man she doesn't love. Oh--and she gets trapped in an hourglass. I would say that's a challenge too.

Personality: She is headstrong and willful with a fierce independent streak. When she isn't happy with what her future holds, Jasmine takes her fate into her own hands and escapes the palace. But she is also self-sacrificing, as she gives up her new freedom to save Aladdin from the guards. 

Beauty: Jasmine is very beautiful, her most notable feature being that teeny-tiny waistline!

Role Model: When Rapunzel runs away from home, she does so with every intention of returning and has a specific goal in mind--to see the lights. Jasmine, however, plans to run away forever after having a big fight with her father. This doesn't make her the best Disney Heroine Role Model, but even the worst Disney Role Model is better than a Kardashian any day!

Superlatives: Better Role Model Than A Kardashian

7) Jane

"I was saved! I was saved by a flying wild man in a loincloth."

Movie: Tarzan

Age: 21-24 ish

Challenges: The main challenge Jane faces throughout the film is whether or not she can give up her life back in England to stay in the jungle with Tarzan. A classic example of your head battling your heart. In the end her heart wins out, which isn't exactly practical, but she looks happy.

Personality: Jane is an academic. She comes to the jungle to learn about the gorillas living there with her scientist father. But she is also sensitive and artistic, as can be seen by her sketch book. She's got a strong desire to learn and to help others, especially Tarzan in this case.

Beauty: There is nothing wrong with Jane's looks, but she isn't as stunning (or is it striking?) as some of the other Disney heroines. This is mainly due to the fact that she spends the movie in that god-awful yellow dress. Seriously, I know it's probably historically accurate and stuff, but that thing is hideous. There's a reason you don't see any Jane's on halloween.

Role Model: Jane is a role model because she is an intelligent young woman who chooses love over a life of comfort.

Superlatives: Most Intelligent

6) Pocahontas

"Clouds...Strange Clouds."

Movie: Pocahontas
Age: 20ish
Challenges: Pocahontas probably faces the most intense challenges of all the Disney Heroines. She not only has to face the well-known un-wanted marriage plot device, as well as the dead mother, and the strong desire to be free, but she has to battle racism as well. In the end, she has to go against her own father and tribe to do what is right--and she doesn't get the guy! Talk about challenges.
Personality: Pocahontas is strong, but not serious. In fact, she doesn't want to marry Kocoum because he is too serious. She is playful and adventurous, but noble and brave as well. She is a little too free-spirited though, sometimes ignoring her friends and family's feelings to pursue her own agenda without talking with them first.
Beauty: Pocahontas is smokin'. She wears a very scandalous dress and has all that long, flowing black hair that gets tangled up in her face all the time. Damn uncomfortable if you ask me. Personally, I prefer more girly heroines, but there is no denying that she is pretty in an earthy sort of way.
Role Model: Pocahontas is an excellent role model because she stands up for what is right at the risk of her own life. AND she doesn't rely on her man, actually ending the movie without a husband. Girl be flyin' solo.
Superlatives: Overcomes Great Challenges

5) Esmeralda

"Justice!"

Movie: The Hunchback of Notre Dawn

Age: 22ish

Challenges: Esmeralda's challenges involve the discrimination against her people, similar to Pocahontas I suppose but less intense. 

Personality: Esmeralda is fiery and independent. She's a girl who can take care of herself (girl can hold her own against Phoebus) and knows it. She's also very aware of her...sexuality, which is unusual for a Disney heroine who are mostly seen as innocent. But I get the feeling that Esmeralda's been around the block a few times, if you know what I mean. She is strong-willed and unafraid to stand up for what she believes in and to help Quasimodo when he is being ridiculed.

Beauty: Bitch be sexy and she knows it.

Role Model: To be honest, I never paid much attention to Esmeralda. It always kind of irked me, even as a child, that she ended up with the handsome blonde instead of giving Quasimodo his happy ending. But as I was making this list I started to think more and more about her and found out that she's actually pretty awesome. She's independent and strong, she can fight, she knows magic allusions and shit, she stands up for what she believes in, and she doesn't judge Quasimodo based on his looks. She is, however, one step up from a stripper in the beginning, so that's points off the role model score.

Superlatives: Most Under-appreciated, Craftiest

4) Tiana

"There is no way I am kissing a frog and 

eating a bug in the same day."

Movie: The Princess and the Frog
Age: 19
Challenges: Tiana absolutely faces challenges! She is looked down upon for wanting to open a restaurant as a woman, and then is turned into a frog. However, Tiana doesn't let the discrimination or what the townspeople have to say discourage her, instead working even harder to achieve her goals. She has two jobs for pete's sake!
Personality: Tiana is hard working and determined with the perfect amount of sass. However, she also is distant from others, making it hard for her to connect with people emotionally, and can be seen as a bit callous. But she learns by the end of the movie that friends and fun are just as important as hard work.
Beauty: Tiana is very beautiful. She has the disadvantage of spending the majority of the movie as a frog and having only a few precious seconds in her beautiful dresses, but even as a frog her eyes sparkle!
Role Model: I would say that Tiana is an excellent role model. She teaches girls all about hard work--but also that it's okay to have fun.
Superlatives: Most Hard-Working


3) Rapunzel

"Have some humanity! Haven't you ever had a dream?"

Movie: Tangled
Age: 18
Challenges: Rapunzel's challenge is similar to Jasmine's in that that she has never been allowed to leave her tower. Her story is about growing up and breaking free, about discovering who you are.
Personality: Rapunzel is a bit naive, but it works for her. She's a happy-go-lucky young woman who's not afraid to follow her dreams. Rapunzel is very talented. She cooks, sews, plays chess, makes candles, dances, paints, loves to read and exercise, plays guitar, and swings around on her hair like an acrobat. Rapunzel is open, honest, a bit too trusting, and hilarious. If I had to be a princess, I'd pick her.
Beauty: Rapunzel is beautiful, in a I've-Still-Got-A-Little-Of-My-Baby-Fat kind of way. Her dramatic haircut at the end matches her personality very well, I think, and is still beautiful if not traditionally beautiful.
Role Model: I would say that Rapunzel is a decent role model, although I'm sure girls around the world are now considering running away from home because they're convinced they've been kidnapped from their royal parents. Rapunzel is the opposite of lazy, and the way she goes after her dreams is a good message.
Superlatives: Most Talented, Best Hair


2) Belle

"Gaston, you are positively primeval."

Movie: Beauty and the Beast
Age: 17
Challenges: Belle faces several challenges, such as the way the town thinks she strange and odd because she loves to read and doesn't swoon over Gaston. She also has to live with a "monstrous beast"which is...challenging. These may not seem like the most exciting challenges a Disney heroine can face, but I think that is mostly because of how well Belle handles them. She doesn't let the town's gossip get her down, holds her own against Gaston, and gets to know and love the Beast.
Personality: Belle is intelligent and kind. She doesn't focus on outward appearances, instead caring more about--get this--inner beauty. She is brave and has a good sense of what is the right thing to do, as can be seen in the wolf-fight scene where, instead of escaping after Beast rescues her, Belle helps him back to the castle and tends to his injuries. Her bravery and love can also be seen when she stays in the Beast's castle in her father's place.
Beauty: Belle means beauty--and she lives up to her name. Belle is a beautiful young lady. Her brown hair and brown eyes may not be as unusually beautiful as Rapunzel's golden locks or Ariel's wild red hair, but nobody could call her ugly.
Role Model: I would say that Belle is an excellent role model! She doesn't judge based on appearances, and she likes to read!
Superlatives: Best Role Model


1) Mulan

"Just because I look like a man doesn't mean

I have to smell like one."

Movie: Mulan
Challenges: Mulan definitely faces adversity--and overcomes it! She is a woman in a time and country where women are under-valued. She has to train for war, facing physical adversity. And she's got the huns riding her ass! But Mulan manages to face her challenges with bravery and heart, earning her #1 spot.
Age: 16
Personality: IMO, Mulan is one of the most under-appreciated Disney heroines. She kicks ass, and hardly gets any recognition for it. Mulan's heart courage motivate her to risk her life in order to protect her father by going to war in his place. Going to war shows courage in and of itself, but Mulan is also brave on the battlefield. Instead of shying away from hard work and staying in the background, Mulan rushes to the front of the fight. Mulan also displays quick thinking in the avalanche scene in which she is able to knock out the entire hun army with one rocket. She isn't without flaws, however. For instance, Mulan's rebellion, while showing advanced thought for her time period, is also foolhardy. She is lazy at the beginning of the film, not taking the time to do her chores properly or to study for the matchmaking. She even cheats! But I think her hard work in training more than makes up for her initial laziness.
Beauty: While Mulan doesn't have the advantage of wearing a beautiful dress or having long, flowing hair throughout the film like some heroines do, her beauty still shines through--both with and without her make-up!
Role Model: Mulan shows brilliant strength of character. While she loves Shang, she doesn't rely on him utterly--she is her own person. In fact, she saves him. Imagine that!
Superlatives: Most Kick-Ass, Most Changed at the End of the Film, Most Independent


Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed my list and please tell me what you're top ten Disney Heroines are! Here's some Disney-Princess related goodness to leave you with:

• An artist named Amy Mebberson has some adorable artwork called the Pocket Princesses. 
• And here is a song by the lovely youtuber Carrie from itswaypastmybedtime titled Why Can't I Be A Disney Princess? It speaks to my heart in a way that a song about Disney princesses probably shouldn't.

Brave

I'm so happy that I got to see Brave this weekend! I usually am nannying and babysitting so I get to have an excuse to see all the new Disney movies (the four-year-old was so confused about why I was balling in Toy Story 3) but since I'm in Virginia with grown ups for the summer I was worried I would have no one to go with. Fortunately, I went to visit a friend of mine who goes to the Naval Academy this weekend and roped him into seeing it with me. He was a pretty good sport about it.

Be Warned, there are SPOILERS!!

Brave tells the story of Merida, a Scottish princess who isn't ready for the marriage and strict rules that being a princess entails. She would rather roam free on adventures and settle down when she finds true love. This creates a rift between Merida and her mother, the queen. Fueled by anger, Merida searches for a way to change her mother (interestingly she doesn't even consider changing herself) so that she can live the life she wants. Merida follows the Will-O'-the-Wisps (blue floating light fairy things) to an old witch who gives her a cake that will change Merida's mother and thus her fate. Merida gives her mother the cake only to find that rather than making her change her mind about marriage, it turns the queen into a bear! Merida and her mother have two days to reverse the spell by "mending the bond" before the queen will be a bear forever!

First of all, let me just say that I didn't get any of that from the trailer. From the trailers I thought Merida was going to have to fight off a huge bear to prove her bravery or something. There wasn't even a hint of the whole mom-turns-into-an-animal plot. That isn't to say I didn't like it, but it did take me by surprise.

What I enjoyed most about Brave is how different it is from what Disney and Pixar normally do. There is no romance to speak of. Merida has no prince or true love's kiss. While the idea of a princess wanting to break free isn't new *cough*Jasmine*cough* the fact that there is no marriage or kiss or hero to speak of is definitely unique. The part of me that loves Happily-Ever-Afters was sad that Merida didn't get her prince, but having a heroine who is strong and brave enough not to need a prince is a happily ever after in its own way. 

Another difference was the distinct lack of animal-sidekick in Brave. Sure, the horse (Angus--brilliant name) was present, but he wasn't nearly as influential a character as, say, Maximus in Tangled. Brave is also Pixar's first female protagonist and their first fairy-tale, which I thought was interesting.

This movie was HILARIOUS! I cracked up throughout the whole thing, but especially right when the queen is turned into a bear. Normally human-in-animal-body comedy doesn't work for me, but for some reason watching the bear mime these prissy, feminine actions really tickled my funny bone. The triplets were also great--three little red-headed devils who can get away with anything.

As for the music, the only thing I can really say is that I don't remember it. True to a Pixar film, this isn't a musical-style movie, so all the music just kind of stayed in the background for me. My friend who saw it with me assured me the music was kick-ass though. I'll have to pay better attention next time I see it--and yes, there will be a next time.

The animation was, of course, lovely. Pixar and Disney are like a Super Team--they make magic. Incredible magic. I fell in love with Merida's hair. I watched the Tangled commentary on the DVD (because, you know, I'm a dork who has no life) where they mentioned that hair was one of the hardest things to animate. You can see why this would be a challenge for Tangled. I feel like in Brave Disney and Pixar were taking everything they'd learned about hair and showing it off--in a good way. Merida's hair was lifelike and vibrant as hell and simply beautiful.

Overall, if you haven't seen Brave yet, go kidnap a four-year-old and watch it RIGHT NOW!

RIP Sadie Lou

I just had a surreal moment. My turtle, Sadie Lou, passed away suddenly this afternoon. I know, I'm pretty choked up about it too. Admittedly I didn't clean her tank/feed her as often as I should have, but I still didn't expect her to die.

But that wasn't what was surreal.

The moment happened as my aunt and I were burying Sadie in the backyard. It just hit me that this was a mark that I was leaving in Virginia. It was something tangible that said I'd lived, breathed, grieved, experienced here in Virginia. Her grave is like a morbid "Trudy Wuz Here" graffitied onto the earth.

I guess this affected me so much because normally any kind of monumental moment like this would either be happening at home with my family or at school with my friends. Instead her death passed quietly in the mountains of Virginia with an aunt I'm just starting to get to know. From now on, no matter where I go or what I do there is a piece of me buried here. And that's just weird, right?

Where else am I going to leave marks? Who am I going to leave them with? Will I ever be able to keep a turtle alive?

Oh, life's unanswerable questions.

The Legend of Korra

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was watching The Legend of Korra, the much-anticipated sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender. I wrote a post about Avatar where I pretty much talked about how amazing it was and that you should go watch it. I stand by this opinion with Legend of Korra. It is fantastic for a children's show--something that can be entertaining and accessible to all ages. I will admit that I wasn't as whole-heartedly thrilled with LoK as I was with Avatar, but I enjoyed it.

The main premiss of Legend of Korra is to follow the next avatar, Korra, and her adventures in the future. It seems to be set in Republic City around a 1920's-esque time period, with cars newly emerging and jazz etc. What this means is that we get to know a whole new cast. The only really familiar face we see is Katara, the only surviving member of the gaang. I actually preferred this to continuing with the characters we know. I feel like Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, and Zuko's story was done and that any more story dealing with them would have felt cheap.

That's not to say we leave the old crowd behind entirely. Korra ends up living with Tenzin, one of Aang and Katara's sons, to learn airbending. From their house she can see a huge statue of Aang looming over Republic City. We also get to see a statue of Toph, and meet her daughter Lin Bei-Fong. Lin is the police chief of Republic City, enforcing laws by using metal-bending--a nice connection to her mother.

The producers actually put a lot of little things in LoK that you can just tell are purely for the fans to feel nostalgic of ATLA--and I'm grateful for them.

I came across this picture on Pinterest the other day and it just about made me cry. I feel like Katara must have a very conflicted but strong relationship with Korra. On the one had, Korra is the reincarnation of the love of her life. But on the other, she is a constant reminder that Aang is really dead and gone. I feel like these two images are too similar for the artists not to have done it intentionally. They're beautiful.

Another cool moment was in the finale, after General Iroh II jumps out of a plane and manages to hang onto a rope attached to the statue of Aang's glider. Iroh says something along the lines of, "Thanks for looking out for me, Aang." This is such a tear-jerking moment because, while it's the General who says it, he is voiced by Dante Basco, the actor who voiced Zuko in ATLA. Sooo goooddd.

Avatar and Legend of Korra are different though. LoK is considerably darker than ATLA. The villain is Amon, a mysterious, masked man who somehow can take people's bending away. Only the avatar is supposed to be able to take people's bending away, which makes Amon truly scary. He uses this power to pursue his dream of creating a bending-free world. His Equalist movement is supported by lightning-fast chi-blockers, reminiscent of Tai Lee in ATLA. I found it really interesting that Amon and the Equalists used technology to fight against the benders, kind of like a metaphor for traditional old values being beaten out by technology.

My only real problem with LoK is how rushed it felt. I'm not just talking about the finale (which was much too fast-paced IMO) but the season as a whole. From what I understand, LoK was initially supposed to be a 12-episode mini-series, meaning that the creators had to set up character development, plot, conflict, and resolution all in 12 episodes. This is made even more challenging by the fact that, apart from the finale, the episodes are only 30 minutes long including commercials. Considering that, the producers did a fine job, but now that we know there will be a second season, I would have liked for things to have slowed down and been fleshed out more.

For instance: the romance. Anyone who watches this show can tell you that romance is a major part of the plot line. This makes sense because the characters are in their late teens so are obviously...romantically inclined *coughcough* horny little bastards. But there's just so much romance for 12 episodes! I think what mainly frustrated me was that it appears all the conflict, both romantic and otherwise, has been resolved with the end of the season. Normally producers like to leave you with a little something to push you into watching season two, but we don't get that in LoK. All the characters are left in a pretty good place (I'm trying to do this with minimal spoilers, y'all, but it's hard as fuck) more in line with a series finale than a season finale. It disoriented me, I guess you could say.

I think that how rushed the season was definitely impacted the character development. Without going into details, we learn a lot about Amon very quickly without really having time to process it before the season is over. Other than Amon the characters are reasonably well-developed even though I still want more. But I don't think I'll ever stop wanting more.

Overall I had a lot of fun watching the first season of Legend of Korra and will definitely watch the second. I hope the second is a little more spread out, and I pray that there will be a third season. I feel like they could do a third season because the fandom is so loyal and friggin' amazing that they would watch it forever.

SPEAKING of the fandom, I have some recs for you of awesome people doing awesome things in the ATLA/LoK realms.

First, I believe I've mentioned her before for her Harry Potter fanart, but Viria13 is a lovely artist who also has a few ATLA/LoK drawings. They are amazing and you should go check them out!

I've mentioned the youtuber sawyer7mage before too, but he's worth mentioning again. He reviewed every episode of LoK nicely. I agree with pretty much everything he says and I strangely want to rub my nose up against his. Don't judge me.

You should also check out the myriad of fan-made youtube videos that are out there for LoK. Below is one of my favorites by RoseKnightingale. it combines the  series ATLA and LoK and throws in some Anastasia music to boot. Watch it please! You can check out WooperRevival134 as well. His videos are hilarious!!

Well, that's it for me! I hope you'll give Legend of Korra a shot if you haven't done so already!

What Have I Been Doing?

So, I've been in Virginia for a month now and I wanted to give a little update on what I've been doing. I started this whole blog with the intention and promise to Do Something--capital letters and all. I'm not sure how much progress I've made Doing Something in the manner I meant it when I made myself that promise. My main goal was to not waste so much time. Instead of re-watching my favorite videos on Youtube or stalking pregnant acquaintances I would be doing something more productive. I'd be learning a new skill or hobby, volunteering, reading, and ideally writing.

I'm an expert procrastinator, so I knew this would be a challenge--and it has. I still spend a lot of time on Youtube and I haven't read a book since my internship started. To be honest, I come home at the end of the day, help make dinner, and basically just collapse on my bed watching Youtube videos. And while part of me is like "It's okay, you've had a long day. Relax, don't worry about doing something right now. Have you watched that new Vlogbrothers video yet?" the other part of me is disappointed in myself.

That's not to say I've been completely lazy, and that's what I'd like to focus on today. Call it a self-given pep talk, if you will. I need some motivation right about now.

1) Internship: As I mentioned before, I've been interning with FEMA for the summer. So far the job is...well, pretty boring to be honest. I don't feel like I'm earning my keep because nobody ever has anything for me to do. Most of my day is spent secretly playing bejeweled on my ipod and hoping someone comes by with something (anything) for me to do. The problem is that the people I'm working with deal with a lot of classified material, and I have zero clearance. So I literally can't help out with much. But hey, if they're paying me to sit in my own office with my own bathroom and drink tea all day that's fine with me. Even if it is extremely boring.

There was one fun aspect of my internship this week. I got to go on a site visit! Basically, some of the roofs needed to be replaced throughout the facility. I got to go around with the contractors working on the roofs and inspect them. This means that I was climbing up and down ladders and traipsing across scorching hot roofs all morning with a bunch of old men in work boots. These were the good kind of old men. The kind that call you ma'am and say things like, "Don't be afraid of that ladder; you don't weigh enough to do anything to it," I just smiled sheepishly at that and tried not to think of the 4 sprinkle donuts I'd eaten that morning.

Other than that the internship has taught me about tea. I've always wanted to be a tea drinker. I can't stand the smell or taste of coffee, but I felt like I needed to be able to order something besides a smoothie or a cookies-n-cream milkshake at a coffee shop, and now I can order tea. My aunt is a tea fanatic and has a whole cupboard of different kinds of tea at work. I've been trying a new one each day to find out what kinds I like. So far chamomile, green tea, and blueberry-flavored green tea are my favorites. I know this doesn't sound like Doing Something, but I think it counts as expanding my horizons. Right?

2) Family Stuff: I've been spending a lot of time with my extended family since I came to VA. I hardly ever get to see them all, so I've really appreciated this opportunity. I spent a weekend with my aunt and uncle and their two little girls in Arlington, which was lovely. The girls are brats thought (don't tell them I said that!). I went to two separate Father's Day dinners with a father that wasn't my own. One was at the Peking Gourmet Inn where we all pigged out on delicious duck. I'd only been there once before and I was younger so it was lovely to go back and be able to really experience the new food. Also, they had Jasmine tea, which was wonderful.

The second Father's Day dinner was at my uncle's parents' house. They are from Switzerland and have the most incredible house there with an amazing view of the Matterhorn. They also have a ping-pong table in their basement, where my cousin Erich and I played before dinner.

The most exciting family event I've participated in was a bridal shower. The bride was already married by the time we through this shower (apparently I come from a whole family of procrastinators) and she wasn't even present. Instead we all filmed the shower and my uncle is going to edit the film and send it down to her. It was my first bridal shower ever, I didn't know the bride, and she wasn't even there. It was unusual, to say the least. 

What was so fun about the bridal shower was that it was thrown in a house just three doors down from where my Great Granny raised her thirteen children. That's right, 13 kids. And you should see this house! So small--and no air-conditioning! I don't know how she did it. We took a walk down to her old house and she told us stories and those of her children that were present reminisced. Being so far away from my family I don't get to hear many of these stories, so it was an experience I'm really grateful for.

3) Sandwiches: I helped make 1,780 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches today. I had to wear gloves and a hairnet and everything. A bicycle tour is coming through this middle-of-nowhere town in VA. It is a very scenic town, but I'm still surprised so many people are coming. Anyway, my uncle happens to be the mayor of this very small town and so is in charge of providing a snack of all these cyclists. My aunt, uncle, and I and about 10 other volunteers spent our Friday night making sandwiches, cutting up fruit, and probably wishing we lived somewhere else--but then again, maybe not. There was a great sense of community there. Or that could have just been peanut butter. Tomorrow is the day of the ride where we actually pass out the sandwiches. I have to wake up extra early for a Saturday. Wish me luck.

4) Italy: I bought my plane ticket to Italy. I'm officially broke, but hopefully I'll get paid soon. Buying the ticket kind of solidified how real this is in my mind. It's happening. I'm really going to Florence--for a whole semester no less. Crazy. My mind can't even process this right now.

Well, that's all I've been doing for now. My plan is to start writing for realz on Sunday--did I mention how good I am at procrastination.

My Bucket List

My Bucket List

*As of 6-11-12 so more shit can definitely be added onto it

1) Play a really good prank on someone

2) Run a 10k

3) Go zip-lining

4) Read "Le Petit Prince" and understand it

5) Watch all the Harry Potter films in a row without stopping

6) Meet (*cough*marry*cough*) Charlie McDonnell

7) Knit a blanket

8) Learn to crochet

9) Hike the whole Appalachian Trail

10) Build an igloo out of snow for my children to play in

11) Grow a vegetable garden and eat what I grow

12) Go to...
-Italy
-Paris
-The Great Wall of China
-The gum wall in Seattle
-Disneyland
-Japan
-Antartica
-Yellowstone Park
-King's Cross Station
-India
-The Outback
-London
-Belgium
-Greece
-New Zealand

13) Sing kareoke in a bar where people can hear me

14) Hike El Camino De Santiago again without any taxis or hotels

15) Marry someone I love

16) Go skinny-dipping

17) Finish a book, even if it never gets published

18) Have someone recognize me on the street for something I've done

19) Voice a character in a Disney movie

20) Learn to ice skate backwards

21) Memorize the song "Nations of the World" from the Animaniacs

22) Graduate cum laude

23) See the lights in Alaska

24) Feel proficient enough to confidently put "speaks Italian" on Facebook

25) Don't let Facebook run my life

26) Teach a puppy tricks

27) Appear on a game show

28) Never say "I hate you"

29) Give a mouse a cookie

30) Get my palm read

31) Stop biting my nails

32) Ride on the back of a motorcycle (but not on the highway)

33) Meet Darren Criss in Harry Potter World

34) Eat food that I am scared to try

Guy Who Can't Take A Hint

I pretty much fail at male-female interactions. For some reason, none of the boys I find cute or funny or smart ever seem to like me, whereas the creepers are all up on this. But I'm not here to rant about my lack-of-a-dating-life as a whole, but rather about one individual guy. The Asian.

Our neighbors were having an end of the year party before exams last semester, so we went over. We'd been to a few parties there before and recognized a lot of the faces so it was a pretty relaxed environment. But there were still a couple of people I didn't know, such as The Asian.

I didn't think anything of him. Honestly. I wasn't attracted to him, but he seemed friendly enough and joined into our conversations, but I didn't pay him any mind except to note that he was the only Asian at the party. 

(As an aside here I think I should mention that for some reason Asian unnerve me. And I mean that in the least racist way possible. I don't think Asians are weird or that they are beneath me--I love them! I want to go to Japan more than I want to go to Ireland! But they still unnerve me. If I wanted to be analytical, I would say it had something to do with my Catholic school education until 8th grade, which meant that I never met an Asian until high school. But I don't want to be analytical.)

Anyway, I hardly even noticed The Asian. He was so under my radar, in fact, that "The Asian" isn't a psuedonym. I really can't remember his name. But I that doesn't mean he didn't notice me, cause he did. Quite a lot.

He spent the whole night trying to strike up a one-on-one conversation with me, which I politely deflected hoping he'd take the hint. He didn't, but I chocked that up to alcohol and moved on. Then he made me his "date" in Kings (Paste Spiel About The Dangers Of Underage Drinking Here). Okay, whatever. Then he started going on and on about how much I was drinking and how I was drinking him under the table. 

Just to clarify, I don't drink that much. I hardly ever go to parties; I only went to 6 parties my whole sophomore year--they're just not my thing. Especially because I don't like beer or shots. I pretty much only do mixed drinks, so I'm a kind of high-maintenance drinker. I usually have 3-4 mixed drinks a night and I've never woke up hungover from it. So I'm not exactly Ms. Alcoholic, but I'm not a lightweight either. 

The punch at this party was weak. I mean, really weak. So instead of having 3-4 drinks I had more like 5-6. The Asian kept talking about how I must drink all the time and that I'm probably a partier and that I'm drinking him under the table and that I can really hold my own and what's my gpa?

Are you kidding me? Not only is it a bummer to have this guy constantly telling me I'm practically an alcoholic, but he wants to talk about my GPA? At a party? Where I'm trying to relax before exam week and the last thing I want on my mind is my fucking GPA? And seriously, it's not my fault that he's such a lightweight he's drunk after 3 cups of the weakest party juice I've ever tasted. What a pansy.

But whatever. It gets late, my roomies and I stumble next door to go to bed. I've changed into my pajamas and am brushing my teeth when someone knocks on the door. Whitney goes to answer it and then comes back holding in laughter (really hard when you're drunk, btw) and says that The Asian and our friend Phil are at the door and they want to talk to me. Julia immediately falls to the floor laughing while I try and spit my toothpaste in the sink instead of letting it dribble down my shirt. I don't succeed.

So I go to the door in my snowflake-pajama bottoms and humongous t-shirt. The boys say hello, and then Phil asks if The Asian can have my number.

Whatthefuck.

He can't even ask me himself? He has to get his friend to ask? There is an audience? A combination of booze-impaired judgement and Phil's presence has me giving him my number. Then it gets awkward. Phil comes forward and gives me a hug goodnight and then I shut the door, punch Whitney for not saying I was already asleep, and go to bed. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized The Asian probably wanted a hug too and that I basically just slammed the door in their faces, but whatever. I figured that was the end of it. He was so drunk it wasn't likely he would text me anyway, right?

WRONG

Two nights later at four o'clock in the morning he texts: heyeyyy

I don't respond, and the next morning he texts again and apologizes. I text back "it's fine"

Now, let's have an exercise, shall we? Come on, it'll be fun. I'm going to put below the basics of how our conversation went down, and I want you to tell me how many times this guy was dropped on his head as a baby.

The Asian: Hey, sorry I texted you so late last night lol how're you? 

Me: It's fine

The Asian: Ok haha how are you? you didn't come over for breakfast after the party, were you

hungover?

Me: No

The Asian: haha wow I'm impressed you can really hold your own lol I'm not gonna lie Phil pretty much had to babysit me the next morning lol

Me: NO RESPONSE

THE NEXT DAY

The Asian: Hey! How are you? lol lol

Me: fine

REPEAT FOR SEVERAL DAYS

The Asian: Hey haha we should grab lunch or something hahaha

Me: I'm actually pretty busy with exams coming up

The Asian: Haha okay okay I totally understand that is stressful what about after exams are finished lol we could eat 

Me: Thank you, but I'm leaving on Wednesday right after my last exam

The Asian: Aww bummer lol I guess the plan from here would be to stay in touch over the summer and hang out next semester. lol I hope you have a great summer and I'll talk to you soon!!!

Me: Thank you, have a good summer too.

I know that I come off as slightly bitchy in these text message convos, but with exams and my internship messing up and planning for studying abroad next semester I didn't have time to deal with tip-toeing around his feelings.

Now, I don't know about y'all, but what I took away from that was that I was not interested. I was very curt in my replies, didn't continue the conversation if there was a way out, and politely excused myself from his date offer. I expected him to save his pride and drop it, never to hear from him again.

Summer starts and I get a new phone. Rather than going to Verizon to get my contacts transferred, I like to do it manually because it gives me a chance to delete all the unimportant/old numbers that I never use anymore. His was one of the ones to go.

I get a text "hey" from a number with a Clemson area code. I ignore it, because I figure if they really want to talk to me they'll text me again and then I'll worry about asking who they are and putting them in my new phone. Two days later they text again saying "hey there :)" I respond with "Hello, I recently got a new phone, who is this?" Guess who it is.

I didn't respond again after that and finally expected him to drop it. I'm starting to think I expect to much of him. Here's how it went down. These texts are word-for-word with the exception of his name.

The Asian: Hey

TWO DAYS LATER

The Asian: Hey there :)

Me: Hello. I recently got a new phone, who is this?

The Asian: Oh ha its no prob im sorry. Its Jake, Asian guy ha

TWO DAYS LATER

The Asian: This is Trudy right?

TWO DAYS LATER

The Asian: Hey

The Asian: Hey there

FOUR DAYS LATER

The Asian: Hey

If he texts me again I'm just going to have to be brutally straight with him, cause this is ridiculous. You think I'm being obvious, right? I'm not leading him on--or at least I haven't since that initial giving him my number thing. Any advice on how to say a straight "I'm not interested" without sounding like a complete bitch?

But on the other hand, who cares? I'm going to Italy next semester. It's not like Im gonna see him again, right? Right? Please say I'm right.

Obligatory and Exhausted Post

Quick Update:

• The internship is going...okay. It is kind of boring so far, and all of the interesting information is Top Secret so I'm not learning anything juicy. But I'm being paid. I'm being paid. Repeating that to myself makes the 10 hour days go faster.
• There is a man at work who is quickly becoming my self-appointed mentor/work father. That or he's flirting with me--I'll keep you posted. Either way I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm an idiot. He talks to me like I'm three. I do not appreciate it. I'm being paid. I'm being paid.
• I've gotten no less than three separate tours of the facility in the past three days.
• I have finished Sherlock and Downton Abbey (more on both to come) and am now watching Heroes.
• I have to drive myself to work tomorrow for the first time--wish me luck. This would make a lot more sense if you knew how terrifying driving is for me. 
• See you Friday, because I am totally getting back on a schedule now. Trust me.