Friday Night TV and The Duchess

Hey, everyone!

It's late Friday night/early Saturday morning, and I'm feeling super tired, but also super happy because I can finally feel the sunshine!! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the sun? Not because I like to go to the beach and get really tan or anything like that. haha. But because everything just feels a little lighter in the sunshine. Like a weight has been lifted.
I came home from school today and literally just ate, watched TV, and went online. Just let myself unwind. Bio 202 lab is my last class on Fridays and it's actually really interesting. Today's lab was relatively straightforward but kinda long so my brain was begging to be on weekend mode towards the end. So I literally came home and watched three hours of television. I know that is not very academic behavior, but it was relaxing. They were actually good shows though. Nothing trashy. The first is Fashion Star (NBC), which is a reality show that focuses on finding the next great fashion designer. I find the fashion world to be fascinating because it's so fast-paced and competitive but really fun as well. The best part about is all the creativity that is constantly flowing back and forth between the designers, the models, and the fashion magazine editors. The show does a great job of showcasing the designer's side of the fashion world. It's amazing the kinds of clothes these contestants can create during such a limited amount of time. Also, the clothes they create have to be not only beautiful, but also commercial. You can create a gorgeous piece, but if no one is willing to buy it, it's going to be difficult to make living. So the show makes me think about a lot of things.
The second show I watched, Grimm (NBC), is a crime procedural drama with a fantasy twist. I think I've posted about it before. It's really a fantastic show. The writers take fairytales and give them this great modern twist. I love the storylines they come with and how they bring the lessons from the fairytales to life.
The third show is Blue Bloods, and it centers on a NYC family that includes police officers, the NYC police commissioner, and a lawyer. The show depicts how the family deals with all kinds of crime that goes on in the city while maintaining a great family connection. The show helped me understand the lives of police officers better because I got to see how their work affects their personal lives.
Overall, it was a good Friday night. haha.
Oh, I also wanted to mention the movie, The Duchess, which I happened to see over the weekend. It's a period film set in 1770s and 1780s England. It came out about five years ago, and I've been wanting to see it for awhile because I love period films. I love seeing the costumes, the different use of language, and the culture of that period. This movie is great because it's based on the life of the real-life Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Cavendish. Princess Diana was actually her great-great-grandniece. The film talks about the Duchess's miserable marriage to her husband, her status as a fashion icon, and her desire to break free from the constraints and traditions that are holding back. Sounds a bit like Diana's life, right? There are moments that are difficult to watch because it's frustrating to see how much women suffered back then because of their role as "second-class citizens". We have made a lot of progress, but there is still much to be done for women. Anyway, the film is really beautifully shot and will make you think, which is great.

This post makes it sound like I have a ton of time to watch TV and movies, but I really don't. haha. I just find random bits of time to watch stuff just so I don't go crazy from schoolwork. I think it's important to watch all kinds of stuff because there's so much you can learn from TV and movies. Not all of TV is "bad" for you. Schoolwork is always the first priority, but it's important to have downtime.

By the way, congrats to all the admitted students for the upcoming Macaulay class! This is a super exciting time. Just take it all in and make the best of the rest of senior year, and make sure you finish it right. College will be mind-opening and awesome but also frustrating and stressful, but you will grow immensely if you stay open-minded and be flexible. Good luck to you all! =)

Have an awesome weekend, everyone! =)

S.

This song has been one of my favorites for awhile. I like how there are so many questions within it.

Song of the Week

Do you know where your heart is?
Do you think you can find it?
Or did you trade it for something
Somewhere better just to have it?
Do you know where your love is?
Do you think that you lost it?
You felt it so strong, but
Nothing's turned out how you wanted

Well, bless my soul
You're a lonely soul
Cause you won't let go
Of anything you hold

Well, all I need
Is the air I breathe
And a place to rest
My head

Do you know what your fate is?
And are you trying to shake it?
You're doing your best and
Your best look
You're praying that you make it

Well, bless my soul
You're a lonely soul
Cause you won't let go
Of anything you hold

"Say (All I Need)" by OneRepublic

Spring Is Here!

Or at least on its way. Taking its sweet old time. But anyway, it is definitely getting warmer out, and you know what that means! Well, its could mean many things, but I’m going for the fact that it’s not totally miserable to go outside like, everyday.

Spring in New York City is the greatest. The weather is nice, the people are happy, it’s like you don’t want to stay inside at all. Sure your friends may have sprawling green campuses to tan on and take lawn pics on for Facebook, but hey, they’re jealous you have New York City, as cheesy as it sounds. (But it’s so true.) ((But also I'm from Long Island so my friends want to move into the city, so I don't know how city people feel.)) (((If you're from the city you probably know all this stuff already.))) ((((Fun Fact: When Long Islanders say city they usually mean Manhattan.))))

When it’s nice out you feel invincible. You feel like you could walk anywhere! I recommend for everyone to walk home from Hunter at least once. When it’s nice out and I have some time to kill or stress to relieve, my feet provide the perfect mode of transportation. Cheap too. 

Central Park is also a few avenues over from hunter, so if you have a break between classes I recommend a nice walk or getting some lunch with friends and chilling on the grass. Or on the copious amounts of benches kindly provided.

There are tons of other parks to choose from, such as Madison Square Park and Union Square, as well as several parks along the East River to hang in, all of which are pretty close to Brookdale. If you are feeling lazy but still want that vitamin D fix, you can always do work on the balcony of Hunter West, or at the picnic tables in the Brookdale courtyard.

Besides for walking and enjoying the greenery that the city has to offer, there are countless other options that allow you to soak up the nice weather. Eating outside at cute cafés, buying food and eating in the park, eating outside in general, hanging out, shopping, people watching, bike riding, dog watching, playing sports, instagraming, volunteering, running, feeding pigeons, tai chi, going to green markets, drawing scenery, reading, literally whatever makes you happy. There are also several sources online, as well as through word of mouth to find out about free and/or cheap awesome events happening in the city. 

Since today was absolutely gorgeous out, giving us all hope that winter is finally over, once I got back to the dorm I threw on a pair of running shorts and picked up a friend to go for a relaxing run along the East River. I must say, it is the perfect way to unwind after a long week.

In the spring there are so many awesome ways to spend your time and have fun, both alone and with friends, so sometimes you do have to remember that you’re at Macaulay mainly to study. But fun and relaxation are allowed too. 

Common side affects of spring in the city may include but are not limited to: A better mood, enjoying yourself and some motivation to exercise. 

Volunteering

For some reason, you may be thinking that mandatory volunteer work doesn't sound like much fun at all. Well, if you think that, then you're wrong. Of course there are community service opportunities that are not very fun, but you can make them fun if you get your friends involved with you. And then there are opportunities that are just plain fun, even if you're nervous about them at first. For instance, writing for the MacBlog actually gives us hours towards our community service quota. For those of you who, like me, are interested in writing and documenting through words, this is a really great opportunity. I jumped at the chance. However, this is not the only volunteer work that I do. I also volunteer with an organization called TimeBank, mostly with their branch in Chinatown because of being involved with Chinese Flagship. TimeBank is essentially a give-and-receive organization, which I really like because it means that when I go and help out with English class, I will then be able to turn around and attend, say, knitting class! Most of the people that I interact with there are older, and don't speak much Mandarin or English, but it's still pretty fun because I go with my friends and we get food after, and while we're there we make sure to actually participate and help.

Community service is definitely an important thing. You need 30 hours of community service by the beginning of your senior year in order to gain full access to your Macaulay Opportunities Fund. 30 hours may sound daunting now, but it's really not that much and you will most likely end up doing more if you start early. Doing community service and volunteer work, as cheesy as it sounds, makes you feel good about doing good, even if all you're doing is imparting a little knowledge to your fellow Macaulay peers.