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| Sailing in Sommers Sound. |
Monday, July 16, 2012
I'm Back, Back in the New York Groove....
...or back in the New York heat and humidity. What a welcome! Anyway, I'm refreshed and revitalized from one of the best vacations ever! No time to post now but here is a pic of my "Maine State of Mind." I'll be back with details later....
Friday, July 6, 2012
Vacation. Finally!
I don't know if it's the oppressive heat, the sodden humidity (yes, the double reference is intentional), or just the need for a reprieve, but I have not been this anxious about a week-long vacation in a long time. Obviously I love to travel...this IS a travel blog and all, but as we get older and have more obligations and economic restrictions, traveling isn't always as relaxing as it once was. And often it's only a semi-extended weekend (i.e. leaving at 4 on a Friday.) Oh how I long for the days where my mom planned it all, organized the paperwork, my dad booked all the hotels, cars, and planes, and I essentially showed up with my suitcase and experienced pretty much amazing and unique itineraries.
Granted, I learned from the best and now am pretty good at engineering some cool itineraries and organizing myself pretty easily. Thanks parents! And now I have a great travel buddy, the boy, and we are both STARVED for a real vacation and fortunately we have the same plans in mind: relax, eat, read, bike, explore, hike, sail, relax, sleep, swim, repeat. Oh, and apparently I just learned we'll be renting scooters. Oh boy. If you've ever seen the boy drive, you'd be worried too.
Twenty-four hours from now, we'll be flying north to the much milder and less humid climate of Maine. We couldn't be MORE excited. My bag has legitimately been packed since June 20th. And it couldn't be more timely as tomorrow is supposed to be over 100 degrees in NYC, the hottest day of the year so far. Have fun sweating profusely without me!
Granted, I learned from the best and now am pretty good at engineering some cool itineraries and organizing myself pretty easily. Thanks parents! And now I have a great travel buddy, the boy, and we are both STARVED for a real vacation and fortunately we have the same plans in mind: relax, eat, read, bike, explore, hike, sail, relax, sleep, swim, repeat. Oh, and apparently I just learned we'll be renting scooters. Oh boy. If you've ever seen the boy drive, you'd be worried too.
Twenty-four hours from now, we'll be flying north to the much milder and less humid climate of Maine. We couldn't be MORE excited. My bag has legitimately been packed since June 20th. And it couldn't be more timely as tomorrow is supposed to be over 100 degrees in NYC, the hottest day of the year so far. Have fun sweating profusely without me!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Grading Girls
The boy loves Franco. The girl (c'est moi) loves HBO's "Girls". And obviously boy loves girl and vice versa. And girl has made boy watch "Girls" with her, not totally reluctantly I might add.
So when boy's love collided with girl's love and Franco wrote about "Girls" in "A Dude's Take on Girls" in Huffington Post, I had to debate his grade. I suggest you pause and read his article now so the rest of my post makes sense. And if you haven't seen "Girls", I suggest you get on it ASAP or at least, if you are a girl, recall what it felt like to be 24 and it will make more sense.
You're back? Good! Now...here are my "Girls" and here are my thoughts.
Firstly, when we graduated from college, which is the age of these girls, my friend base (my close girlfriends) were all a LOT like me. I mean, of my roommates, 6 of us were blonde and 6 were brunette, and we all had pretty similar backgrounds. The cultural diversity of my friendships didn't evolve until my late 20's. And even then, it wasn't necessarily my tight circle, which this show represents. So, as far as cultural diversity goes, the relationship with Adam who seems somewhat disenfranchised, seems "outside the box" for these girls at that age...or at least it seems that way to my once 20-something self. Lena also coined a response to this very criticism.
Secondly, I don't think Aidan or Big were 'dorks' on SATC. Quite the opposite...one was a power house business man and one was a romantic man's man...Steve is another story. Big dork. But perfect for Miranda. I'm still smarting from the time in my 20's that an ex boyfriend's best friend said I reminded him of her...
Thirdly, I think it will always be hard for adults to retain perspective of being 20. I think the way the guys are portrayed on the show is also part of Lena's perspective of what 'guys' are to girls at that age and the lack of communication and the assumptions made and the total compromise of your integrity (i.e. when he sent her a pic of his wanker and then a follow-up text "that wasn't for you" and she tried to explain it away.) It resonates so loudly with me. But I was also a girl in my 20's living in LA where stuff like what these girls on "Girls" are facing, thinking, and experiencing happened to us. We had some weird experiences and did some dumb stuff, but that's what you did then! We thought we were so old and mature and knew so much, but we didn't. And we probably still don't, but hindsight is always 20/20. Someone as A) male and B) experienced in SO many ways and C) intellectual to the nth degree like Franco might be over-thinking it...and that's partly because he didn't experience being a girl in her 20's.
I agree on getting a job, whatever it may be, for Hannah. Some homeless guy on the L train last night was stumbling through asking for money. He was legitimately obese. If you can be obese in this city, you don't need my money. I mean....ridiculous.
What do you think?
So when boy's love collided with girl's love and Franco wrote about "Girls" in "A Dude's Take on Girls" in Huffington Post, I had to debate his grade. I suggest you pause and read his article now so the rest of my post makes sense. And if you haven't seen "Girls", I suggest you get on it ASAP or at least, if you are a girl, recall what it felt like to be 24 and it will make more sense.
You're back? Good! Now...here are my "Girls" and here are my thoughts.
 |
| Some of my "Girls" - pre-digital photo era. Excuse the scan quality. |
Firstly, when we graduated from college, which is the age of these girls, my friend base (my close girlfriends) were all a LOT like me. I mean, of my roommates, 6 of us were blonde and 6 were brunette, and we all had pretty similar backgrounds. The cultural diversity of my friendships didn't evolve until my late 20's. And even then, it wasn't necessarily my tight circle, which this show represents. So, as far as cultural diversity goes, the relationship with Adam who seems somewhat disenfranchised, seems "outside the box" for these girls at that age...or at least it seems that way to my once 20-something self. Lena also coined a response to this very criticism.
Secondly, I don't think Aidan or Big were 'dorks' on SATC. Quite the opposite...one was a power house business man and one was a romantic man's man...Steve is another story. Big dork. But perfect for Miranda. I'm still smarting from the time in my 20's that an ex boyfriend's best friend said I reminded him of her...
Thirdly, I think it will always be hard for adults to retain perspective of being 20. I think the way the guys are portrayed on the show is also part of Lena's perspective of what 'guys' are to girls at that age and the lack of communication and the assumptions made and the total compromise of your integrity (i.e. when he sent her a pic of his wanker and then a follow-up text "that wasn't for you" and she tried to explain it away.) It resonates so loudly with me. But I was also a girl in my 20's living in LA where stuff like what these girls on "Girls" are facing, thinking, and experiencing happened to us. We had some weird experiences and did some dumb stuff, but that's what you did then! We thought we were so old and mature and knew so much, but we didn't. And we probably still don't, but hindsight is always 20/20. Someone as A) male and B) experienced in SO many ways and C) intellectual to the nth degree like Franco might be over-thinking it...and that's partly because he didn't experience being a girl in her 20's.
I agree on getting a job, whatever it may be, for Hannah. Some homeless guy on the L train last night was stumbling through asking for money. He was legitimately obese. If you can be obese in this city, you don't need my money. I mean....ridiculous.
What do you think?
Monday, May 14, 2012
'a Gatsby Affair' ...it's Spring Party Time!
As many of you know, I'm the President of the junior board for a non-profit organization here in New York City, The Children's Aid Society. We are hosting our second annual spring fundraiser, 'a Gatsby Affair', on May 23rd from 6-9 PM at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center.
This year's party will feature an open bar, fantastic food from Tom Colicchio's 'wichcraft catering, an excellent tiered raffle, and amazing music and entertainment.
Our beneficiary is The Hope Leadership Academy. Every year, over 300 families in Manhattan and the Bronx benefit from
the Hope Leadership Academy. 95% of the families served are below the
Federal Poverty Line, 4% are low-income and 1% have a modest income.
Established to help low-income teens age 14-24, Hope trains youth to be
community educators, advocates and leaders, and gives them the skills
and self-confidence they need to make changes in their own lives, their
neighborhoods, and beyond.
On Friday, I had the chance to hang out at Hope and see the participants celebrating "Women's Day" at the center. They had invited women that were important in their lives to Hope to enjoy an evening of great food (served by all the boys/men) and have their nails painted, play karaoke, make friendship bracelets, and be regaled by the talented young people at Hope. One of those special young women will be performing at 'a Gatsby Affair.' I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I've now seen her perform twice and it gives me chills every time!
Come join us, see the special surprise, and celebrate this wonderful cause!
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