Thursday sure creeped up on me, so I’m sitting at my desk with 50 minutes to spare before my Travel Thursday post is over. I guess I’ll summarize the trip I’ll be posting about. Last August, I went to Europe. I call it my second Eurotrip because I actually also traveled to Europe during the summer of 2011. Unfortunately, I transferred my photos from that trip on an external harddrive…that I dropped…thus I can’t access them. I’ll have to get it recovered somehow, because that was quite a memorable trip….I’m not sure if I’ll ever go to another World Youth Day after all.
So for my second Eurotrip, I traveled to Barcelona, then Ibiza, then Rome, then tour as part of a cultural class that crept through Tuscany and ended in Florence. I stayed in Florence for 3 weeks to study the Renaissance music of Florence, then headed back home. I was supposed to go to Amsterdam, but that didn’t work out, but I’m still planning to go there in the future! This summer, I’ll be taking summer classes instead, so I won’t be studying abroad. I hope I can squeeze in a trip before the fall semester starts, but for now, I’ll just reminisce on the good ol’ days. Here’s a preview:
WELL, it’s been 6 months since I last updated…oops. I spend too much time online, so I figured that if I’m gonna be on the Internet, I might as well be slightly productive with the time. This post doesn’t contribute much to my resume, but I think I’ll enjoy looking through it a few years from now. I’m going to try to post 5 music videos each week by artists that you don’t usually hear on the radio. Let’s hope I can commit to this! Expect posts on my travel experiences on Thursdays as well.
I think 5 is a well-rounded number…3 seems too small, and 10 can be overwhelming when it comes to a list. Lists with 10 items usually attract a lot of readers, but a) I’m not concerned about that and b) in this case (showing content that surpasses 2 minutes each in duration), it’s a bit too much. Anyways, this is the first time I’m doing this but I think I’ve made 5 decent categories to determine which videos I pick. I only thought about ’em in 10 minutes, so please share if you think another category would be better.
Well, that was a lot. Here we go:
5. Honorable Mention: Toro Y Moi – Say That
Disclaimer: Yeah, honorable mentions are usually incorporated as the “1 for good luck” item aka I-couldn’t-choose-things-within-their-limit, but in this case, it has its own legitimate spot.
We start the list with a calming video to a groovy beat. I think Chazwick’s dancing is so adorable, haha. Note his tree-hug at 2:28, so cute. He also puts on a good live show.
4. Music > Music Video: AlunaGeorge – Attracting Flies
I haven’t heard about this duo until this year, and I’m digging a lot of their music. I’m not so crazy about this video though. I think they took their lyrics “Let away fairy tales…” a bit too far with their concept. It’s kind of all over the place. You’d think that there’d be some kind of plot since all of these stories such as Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel are referenced, but not really. However, the song is catchy.
3. Video > Music: Boys Noize – Ich R U
Now don’t me wrong, I do like this song. I’ve actually been listening to a lot of electro now that I think about it… This video pretty much elevates the song, though. I’m really impressed with their transformation of ordinary objects with keyboard buttons. There are cool stop-motion snippets throughout the video, especially at the very beginning and in the middle (with the computer monitor). I’m still wondering what it was like for the actor to be covered up in hundreds of keys.
2. Guilty Pleasure: Iggy Azalea – Work
OK this video is a little raunchy. But Iggy Azalea looks gorgeous in this video (like a tastefully trashy Barbie), and now I appreciate her more because of “Work.” I’m LIVING for her Dolce & Gabana two-piece and Adidas pants. If you like her white bikini, it’s by Minimale Animale.
1. I wish I was in this: Beach House – Wishes
This video is flaw-free, bizarre extravagance. Ray Wise plays some hit singer that has this elaborate show as he croons to Victoria Legrand’s haunting voice. There are cheerleaders, martial artists, fireworks, spirit fingers, even a horse! It truly is a strange spectacle. I don’t really follow up on sports, but if they had a halftime show like this, expect to find me there. The Superbowl should take some pointers.
I hope you enjoyed these videos! There will be a new batch for the second entry of mv picks!
I’m not very good at periodically posting, but I was motivated to at least say something after a month because Macaulay freshmen might be visiting my page…well, hello there! I hope you enjoy my e-portfolio. It’s something you ought to utilize at this day and age. Who knows, maybe you’ll win something cool, like an iPad 2 (that sounds familiar)! But seriously, it’s a great way to showcase your works, which may include various forms of media.
On another note, I am looking forward to the evolution of my e-portfolio. I’ll admit, that it currently isn’t at its best regarding the content, but hey, I just started my sophomore year! Which is pretty crazy, I must admit…there is no fooling around with 19 credits.
Here are some areas I plan on elaborating on
being a music major (I just started the Music Ed. track)
Zumba® ! (I am now a licensed instructor)
composition (There are new mass settings for the Roman Catholic church, and I plan writing some)
various events I get to be a part of as a Macaulay Honors student
my summer (I’m feeling a bit nostalgic)
my World Youth Day pilgrimage experience (each day will probably be an entry)
Plus, there’s other miscellaneous topics to talk about, such as the Two Door Cinema Club concert I attended last Thursday, and the Fleet Foxes concert I will go to later this month. I really could go on forever, problem is, there’s just no time!!!!!
So I hope to write more soon, but for now, here’s a picture from the pilgrimage.
My, oh my, I really do need to apologize for neglecting my site for so long. Much has happened during the summer, so look out for many entries on these particular things. I’ll try to be a better blogger from this point on, in regards to punctuality and content.
On the July 3 episode of SundayArts, six Macaulay Honors College freshman went behind the scenes of John Adams’ modern opera, Nixon in China, at the Met Opera. I was one of them.
Needless to say, it was a thrilling experience, learning about the various aspects involved to making such a production, and watching it form pretty much from the ground up. I met remarkable people, such as Peter Sellars (who is quite effervescent), John Adams, and Peter Gelb (Peter Gelb!!!!!), and much more. There is much to remember, from watching the snow fall on Lincoln Center as the snow was plowed through the square on the first visit, to watching the dress rehearsal with staff from Channel Thirteen and Macaulay Honors (Dean Kirschner was present). I’ll miss going down the velvet stairs, walking though the tunnel, entering the employee entrance, to enter the halls that lay behind and underneath the stage. I wish that someday I can revisit that route soon, and if I do, what a spectacular opportunity it shall be! Cheers!
I apologize for the extremely late nature of this post, but I was stressed out with finals, and didn’t have time to post this until now. Thank God it’s summertime! I am not taking any summer courses, so that means I have more time to blog 🙂 .
Well, the video pretty much explains it all, but I won the People’s Choice Award for this year’s Eportfolio Expo, and thus I am the proud owner of a lovely iPad 2.
Thanks for liking and supporting my website! Constructive criticisms, comments, and suggestions are always welcome.
PS – If you don’t want the kids to run around, let them play with an iPad. Totally works.
On Monday, I was asked by Macaulay Vlog creator, David Kane, to vlog once again as a substitute for Beth Weinstein. After rambling to myself for ten minutes or so, I realized that less is more and re-recorded the story of how I ended up at Macaulay.
In retrospect, I wouldn’t use an easygoing reggae song… I mean, I like Althea & Donna, but it made the video seem more lethargic. And I have to work on showing my forehead more.
PS – the Eportfolio contest ends in 19 hours! If you haven’t voted already, today is your last chance to do so! ( http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/showcase/peoples-choice-2011/ )
Yesterday I attended Macaulay’s first Eportfolio Expo, where we discussed each person’s eportfolio on what we liked and what can be done to enhance them. A cozy group was present, where we made introductions and ate cupcakes, but soon after the question of blog versus eportfolio as asked. Although my site is in blog form, I still believe that it is an eportfolio, for I do have content to showcase as well that is originated by me. As you can explore on the site, I have photography, videos, and reflections that I am proud to share. However, I still want to explore my interests of the world to further show my personality and character beyond my compositions. Thankfully, there were quite a number of individuals that shared the same sentiments. I believe having my eportfolio in a blog format fosters social interaction and is best for what I have to offer, considering that I want to chronicle my path as a student of the Macaulay Honors College.
I am glad that I attended the expo, for I was able to see the strengths of each submitted site more clearly because we all discussed and viewed each site together. I also appreciated the diversity from all of our blogs even more, for we all have something certain to display, and we did in a manner that would reflect who we are as people. The competition was very close, but Maisha Lopa’s eportfolio was deemed the winner by the judges. The expo was well executed, but for future reference, I would prefer having the judging done on the day of the expo instead of making it pre-determined, so that certain questionable aspects of each eportfolio would be clarified. Having three prizes to offer would be nice as well, even if the runner-up prizes are not as expensive as an iPad2.
However, the contest is not over. There will be one more winner, determined by April 26 at 11:59 pm. Please check all of the sites here and if you believe that mine is best, vote for me for the People’s Choice of 2011 and please spread the word!
A special thanks to my friends, Corina, Olivia, Rebecca, and Susan for going to the expo with me to show support! We had a delicious dinner from Shake Shack afterwards.
On top of that, thank you for reading and viewing this entry, and for voting!
If I had to determine my absolute guilty pleasure, secretly eating my mother’s milk chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bars would be a close second. However, RuPaul’s Drag Race reigns on top. As a mixture of the dangerously addicting reality TV shows like America’s Next Top Model, Project Runway, and the Real World, RPDR takes all of the magnetizing traits of these shows into one grand spectacle. At this point in time, the top three queens are in the running to become America’s Drag Superstar. With only two more episodes to go, I am a little devastated that I’ll have to anticipate next season.
This season has provided for unprecedented moments in the show. Even beyond the screen, viewer involvement has escalated in comparison to the previous seasons with the aid of social networking sites. Chad Sell, who is a fan of the show, has produced quite the collection of RPDR contestant illustrations of the season, which has been streaming through these mediums. I love how his distinctive style shines through each work, and that the personalities of the drag queens are visibly seen. I’m definitely going to order a print for my room, but it will be difficult figuring out which one to order. I might wait for the prints my fellow filipino, Manila Luzon, to be available.
Manila Luzon shows her filipino pride
Be sure to check out the rest of his work here! Work, Heather!
I really should check the weather report more often, because the beautiful weather on Monday turned into a wet Tuesday. Of course, I was not prepared (am I ever?) with a cotton polka-dotted jacket that did not have a hood. At least I had my floral doc martens (as seen here. ) Well, I’m only complaining because I had to travel from school to the Macaulay Building….but in the end I had a ton of fun! I met up with David Kane from City College and vlogged with him guerrilla style (for the Macaulay Vlog) about the upcoming spring break, since Tuesday is his assigned day.
I must confess, I haven’t toyed around with my Nikon D40 in a while. It’s unfortunate because I started blog dedicated to my photography, but haven’t updated it since last summer. You can check it out here. Well, my recent ownership of an iPhone 3 also is to blame, more specifically, the Instagram application. With the various effects, my mobile photos become more artistic with the hipster touch. Here’s a taste of what I’ve taken.
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