Scones, Meatballs, and Weill Cornell

Hi, everyone!

It's a beautiful Saturday morning, and I'm feeling pretty good because I got to sleep in late. YES. Small victories in life.

Monday's endocrinology exam went well. Let's see what happens. I'm really loving this class though. I love learning all of the pathways and seeing how hormones control so many aspects of our physical lives.

That same day, I went to Bel Ami for the first time. I've passed by this French bakery so many times over the years and have never walked in because I always assumed it was too pricey and just too fancy for me. haha. But I was with someone, and he suggested that we stop by for some sweets. I'm so glad that we did! I got their apricot and walnut scone, and it was awesome! And it was $3, which is not too terrible. haha. They do have a $10 credit card minimum though so make sure that you have cash if you're only there for coffee and sweets.

We ended up going back to Bel Ami on Wednesday, and I got a brioche this time. It was great with some coffee from the Halal cart. We also went to The Meatball Shop that day. It was my first time being back since the summer before college started (back in 2011) so it was cool to be there as a 22- year-old. It made me think about how much of me had changed and what had stayed the same. The meatballs come in all sorts of varieties, and there is a vegetarian option, which I've heard great things about but have yet to try. haha. Definitely check it out. And the service was awesome! Our waiter was super polite and attentive. We went to the one on the Upper East Side, but I had a good experience in the Stanton Street location as well (the one I went to when I was 18).

On Tuesday, I went to an event about bioethics where one of the speakers was one of my former MHC seminar professors. It was funny because as soon as I walked into the room, he was like "Slavena?" haha. It was cool to catch up with him and tell him about what's going on with me as I graduate. I had him for seminar 3, and it ended up being one of the coolest classes that I took because it introduced me to philosophy and in particular, environmental philosophy, which is something that I had never been exposed to before.

I had to write 2 cover letters this past week for a couple of jobs that I'm applying for so I ended up going to see my MHC advisor so that she could look over them. She liked what I wrote so I just sent in the applications yesterday. I'm going to apply for some other things too and hopefully, I get something great to do next year. :)

Yesterday, I went to a tour of Weill Cornell Medical College, and there were a couple of former MHC students there. They told us about their experiences in med school, and why they chose Weill Cornell. I'm so glad I went because every one of these events motivates me to continue this journey.

S.

For this last semester, I've decided that I'll share one cool/interesting/thought-provoking thing that I happen to run across during the week:

Bruce Jenner's courage

Getting Through These Last Busy Weeks: Summer Plans!

As the weather warms up and due dates approach left and right, it can sometimes be a little overwhelming. For the next few weeks, I have essays and projects due almost every other day and then, of course, there are finals. Everyone deals with their stress a little bit differently, but the one thing that really helps me is knowing what I'm going to be doing in the summer and being able to look forward to it. I have a busy set of months until next school year, but busy doesn't have to be bad.

I was accepted into a summer program in Shanghai that I will be attending from the very end of June, basically July, to the end of August. I ended up applying for this program on my own, completely independently of help from Macaulay, Hunter, or Flagship, but even though that in itself was quite nerve wracking - I am so glad that I did. I can talk about the program and my experience applying for it on my own more in depth soon, but really I just wanted to say that it is really good to have something to look forward to. And it doesn't have to be a big thing. Besides this program, I'm also really excited to be able to watch my younger brother graduate from high school. That's going to be bizarre, but so so great. And I'm really excited just for warm weather! I went to Miami for Spring Break and got a taste of more consistently hot weather - I cannot wait.

So, if you are feeling a little bogged down in the stress of the end of a semester: just think of the things that you will get to do this summer. Even if you will be working or taking classes, make plans to do something special - just so that you can say "right, I need to sit tight now, and then I will get to do such and such." And, just remember that you can do this and everyone is rooting for you.

Florence Study Abroad Part VII: Milan and the Road Home

So here's the end of my Florence study abroad posts. It's feels so crazy that it was only 4 months ago that I went to Italy. And this summer I'll be going to France! So you'll be seeing lots more study abroad posts from me.

The final weekend in Italy, after I took my final, I took the train back to Milan and spent some time there before flying out early the next day. I only spent a day in Milan, but I covered some of the more famous sites.

 This is the original Duomo. The church was built over 500 years and had hundreds of different architects and designers. It took so long to build this church that it went through the period of Gothicism and into the period of neo-Gothicism. It's a beautiful monstrosity of a building. I climbed to the top which was terrifying as the roof is slanted.

This sign was hilarious and amazing. I think it was trying to warn us about the slanted roof of Duomo.

I was really proud of myself for recognizing this scene on the side of Duomo. This is the annunciation (I only saw about 400 other versions of this scene in paintings and churches).

 This car was just beautiful. (P.S. the police cars in Milan were all Lamborghinis; I don't know how they can afford that)

 The original Prada store in Galleria Vittorio. Kinda geeked out when I saw this as I'm still a bit of a fashion nerd.

 The inside of Galleria Vittorio; it's an outside, open-air mall next to Il Duomo

 Sforza Castle

The view of the Alps from the plane ride home. This is the view I had when I came to Italy and it was  an amazing reminder of how much had happened in three weeks and how beautiful this country truly is. Arrivederci Italia!

Florence Study Abroad Part VI: Class Visits

Of course I can't forget about the actual class I was taking while in Italy. I took a class on the Italian Renaissance, which covered art, history, literature, and architecture. I was lucky enough to study this subject right in the cradle of the Renaissance, with priceless historical artwork everywhere. Part of my class included trips to three different churches and museums.

First was Santa Croce.

This was a Franciscan church, which is why it's so plain compared to the intricate pattern of Santa Maria del Fiore. Some pretty famous people are buried in this church, including Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini, and Michelangelo. We took a tour of some Giotto frescoes on the inside of the church. There was some water damage to the church during the flood of the Arno in 1966, so a lot of the artworks have been damaged.

 Michelangelo's tomb

Our second class trip was to the Uffizi Gallery. The Uffizi was originally the offices under the Medici family (uffizi means offices). It houses some of the most amazing artwork in the world, including the Tribuna, an octagonal room where there is art covering nearly every surface. This used to be where the most prized art and antiquities of the Medici family were displayed. You can't go in this room, but you can look at it from the outside. 

 Annunciation by Simone Martini

 The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli

 Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci

Our last class trip was to the Galleria dell'Accademia. The only truly important artwork at the Accademia was Michelangelo's David and his unfinished Prisoners. 

One of Michelangelo's Prisoners

Michelangelo believed that sculptures were imprisoned in marble and that he as the artist was charged with helping them escape and manifest in true form. These unfinished sculptures really embody his artistic method and his goal of perfection in all his work. But they don't even come close to the perfection of David.

There truly is no way to describe how beautiful this sculpture is. I just stood and stared at it for a good while. And then I took this picture:

Because I'm super lame and needed to do a tourist thing. (Yeah, I know I'm not doing it right, but it's hard when 3,000 other people also want to take this picture!)

And that's just a taste of some of the priceless artworks I got to see in person! My class trips were a great way to view a lot of art and to see the amazing quantity of first-class art in the city of Florence.

75 degree weather, Dean's Dinner, and a Blazer?

Hi, everyone!

Here's a Saturday post for you guys because I was so exhausted yesterday. It was a busy wonderful week back to school, but I didn't get to rest much so all of the tiredness came in yesterday. And I was extra tired because I walked 20 blocks to Whole Foods in shoes that are not meant for long walks (haha) to get some moisturizer, which I ended up not getting because I couldn't find a good one. Oh gosh.

And earlier that day I went to the CUNY Job Fair. The website said to dress well and not come in casual clothes so I came in the same electric blue dress that I wore to Senior Night back in February. I had a beige jacket over it just for the morning chill. I got to the fair, and I noticed that everyone else was wearing black and white. haha. When I got in line, a woman came up to me and asked if I had a blazer. I told her that I didn't, and she went to speak to someone before coming back to me. She ended up telling me to keep my jacket on while at the fair in order to meet the requirement of business attire.

But I did love that I stood out. Nobody else wore such a bold color with a lace overlay. haha

Now to get myself a blazer for the future...

Wednesday was absolutely gorgeous just like today. I love 70's weather. The sun is just perfect and maybe there's a slight breeze and the sky is blue. Ahh. Just beautiful.

On Wednesday, I went to a health professional school admissions panel where representatives from multiple schools gave us info about the admissions process and answered questions. I think that going to these kind of events is super important because you get to hear straight from the people that might be looking at your application.

On Tuesday, I went to Dean Kirschner's apartment for a dinner that she hosted for seniors. I'm so glad I went. It was about 10 of us (she's hosting two more nights), and we were able to have a casual conversation about what we love about Macaulay and what we can do to make it even better. She also had great food for us: sushi, chicken, noodles, and some dessert as well.

I have my second endocrinology exam bright and early on Monday morning. Wish me luck!

My mom and I made a yummy pasta dish today, and it was a recipe that I came up with!

Let's hope this sunniness continues...

S.

For this last semester, I've decided that I'll share one cool/interesting/thought-provoking thing that I happen to run across during the week:

Sanskrit words

Florence Study Abroad Part V: Side Trips and Adventures

Hey guys! Here's some pictures of some of the side trips and adventures I went on in and around Florence. Let me just start with some beautiful pictures of the main attractions in Florence: the Arno River and Ponte Vecchio.

The view of the Arno River from Ponte Vecchio

The view of Ponte Vecchio at sunset from the Uffizi Gallery (not even edited)

I also climbed both the Duomo and the bell tower. I was terrified and pretty much couldn't feel my legs the whole time, as I'm really scared of heights. My legs and feet also hurt a lot afterwards, as I climbed nearly 1,000 steps between the two towers, in impractical shoes I may add. But I got some pretty beautiful pictures of Florence out of it! We started climbing in the evening, and night fell as we reached the top.

 The view of Duomo and Florence from the bell tower.

The view of Florence from Duomo (it doesn't look like it, but Duomo is actually taller than the bell tower).

So I struggled a bit with the food in Italy after just a couple of weeks (so many carbs). I was lucky to find this Italian restaurant owned by a British man that actually made salads and chicken and not just pasta or pizza. I ate here four times in the last week I was in Florence. The place is called Acqua al 2 and they even have locations in America! Below are some pictures of the meal I had there every time I went (plus amazing and cheap wine, of course).

 Oh, how I missed salad until this moment...

 Best balsamic chicken on Earth (probably the deprivation of chicken talking there)

 This dessert sampler made me see the face of God: I have never liked cheesecake until I had this strawberry one (top right), and I don't think I'll ever like it again.

The outside of this restaurant is so beautiful and charming, almost like you're in a fairytale. They have about 5,000 stickers on their door from famous food guides and travel guides. Well-deserved, I might add. The food is delicious. They play really cool, lounge-like music inside that makes you feel like you're in a cool nightclub, and they have all these plates with signatures and notes from famous people and actors to the owner, whom I met every time I went. Apparently this is in the theater district of Florence, which you would never know since it is nothing like Times Square or Broadway.

I also visited Boboli Gardens, the private gardens of the royal family next to Palazzo Pitti.

The famous tree tunnels, where the trees grew together to form a tunnel of shade.  Immensely beautiful.

Speaking of delicious food and wine, the last week I was in Italy, my group decided to book a tour of a winery in Chianti country. And yes, this is where true Chianti wine comes from. The wine is certified by a board to be "true" Chianti if a certain percentage of the grapes they use in the wine come from this region and are grown in a specific type of soil and fermented for a certain amount of time, etc. They put a black rooster on the bottle to certify it. This experience had to be my favorite part of the trip, not only because of the wine, but because of the food.

 This is that amazingly beautiful postcard picture you buy of an Italian vineyard (p.s. this was the view out of the bathroom...)

 Meet, cheese, and bread pairings for the wine. They had this amazing bread with the most delicious olive oil on Earth (top left). That thing in the middle was homemade sweet and spicy sauce that the proprietor made for us!

 My favorite of the four wines we tasted

 Greve, the closest town to the vineyard. Quaint and pretty at night.

Probably the best picture I'll ever have.

Hummingbirds, Cheesecake, and La Esquina

Hi, everyone!

In my last post, I told you all that I would let you know if I managed to have a better spring break than usual. Well, I kind of did. There were some really good days and a couple of not-so-good ones. Sigh.

I'll start with the not-so-good stuff. I got a cavity filled on Tuesday. Not fun. And yesterday was just totally sucky and difficult, but I'm alright. Such is life.

What was the good stuff? Plenty, thankfully.

My mom and I went shopping several times. The first time was on Sunday when we headed to Kings Plaza Mall. Unfortunately, most of it was closed (except Sears) that day because of Easter so we had to go home. haha. Oh gosh.

We were more successful during our second try on Wednesday. Yay! And we did a bit of shopping today as well. I love shopping with my mom because it's one of the best times to just be together. We can laugh, talk about life, people watch (haha), and do whatever else we like. It's great.

I spent most of Monday downtown exploring and enjoying the nice weather with someone. We grabbed Mexican food at La Esquina. I had a chicken torta and a quesadilla with huitlacoche (it's a must-try, so good) and then enjoyed some cheesecake at Eileen's Special Cheesecake. Yummy. I love all-day walking adventures. That's how you really get to know the city.

We found this beautiful mural. 

I've been watching Season 1 of Masters of Sex. Someone I know was watching it over the summer so I thought I would give it a try. I'm so glad that I did because there's nothing quite like it on TV at the moment. It tells the story of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, two pioneers in the field of sexology. But be careful, it has nudity (you can probably tell by the description haha) so if that makes you uncomfortable, stick to Mad Men. (It's not as explicit :p)

Today I started watching Broad City. It's like Girls but with more comedy and with two Jewish women as the main characters.

I'm still waiting for lovely spring to fully grace us....

S.

For this last semester, I've decided that I'll share one cool/interesting/thought-provoking thing that I happen to run across during the week:

An Open Letter to My High School Self

Spring Break, Yearbook Photos, and Med Students

Hi, everyone!

It's officially spring break! OMG. My last one ever in undergrad. Ahh.

I've never actually enjoyed my spring break. haha. Seriously. There's always been some major test to study for and/or some lab report to write. I would sprinkle in a couple of fun days here and there, but for the most part, my spring breaks weren't too different from the rest of the semester.

I've vowed to make this one different. I have no test right after break, which means I have a ton more time to chill out and just not be stressed about getting a 90+ on a physics exam. (Ahem...cue last spring break. :p)

In my next post, I'll let you guys know how my endeavor to have a more relaxed spring break goes.

On Monday, I went to a Japanese restaurant that had an awesome bento box for only $8.95. Fabulous. And they have a really cool interior vibe. Check it out here.

I also went to Astoria to grab a pastry and coffee. I had a cold earlier this week and being out and about on Monday actually helped me breathe better. For some reason, it was hard to breathe while indoors. Probably because it's hard to discreetly blow your nose in a classroom of 30 people without sounding funny. haha. Oh gosh. Being sick is not fun.

Astoria is awesome by the way! There are so many great places to eat there. Don't be afraid to venture out there during a break from classes. It's not far from Hunter at all.

And the other boroughs too. If you happen to have a particularly long break and don't have anything to work on, grab someone (or go on your own) and head to another borough. This is perfect for spring break days too. Outer boroughs have great food for relatively low prices.

By Wednesday, I was feeling loads better, which was great because I had to take my yearbook photo the next day. I got my hair blown out for the photo that afternoon and then headed to H&M before my evening bio class. While on Fifth Avenue, this well-dressed guy screamed out "Hey, darling! Can I ask you about your hair?" haha. I get my hair straightened for a couple of days, and now, I'm getting recruited for modeling. Only in New York. :p

I met with the photographer on Monday, and he was super nice. I should be getting the shots in the mail in 2 weeks. Hopefully, they came out good. :)

And omg, wasn't Thursday gorgeous?? We need more days like that. Soft sunshine and a delicious breeze. So wonderful.

Today, I went to a medical student panel at Macaulay. All of these students went to CUNY and are now in med school. They were well-informed and super friendly. They fill us with hope because they were once just like us, unsure of where they would end up, and they eventually got to where they wanted to be. It makes me excited for all that's to come.

I've also been doing yoga on a more regular basis lately. Let's hope I keep it up. I feel so good after working out. It's the best.

S.

For this last semester, I've decided that I'll share one cool/interesting/thought-provoking thing that I happen to run across during the week:

College admissions insanity.