So, life's a bit "meh" at the moment. Work's fine. Living's fine. Relying on past paychecks & parental support is blergh. (Yes, this blog is filled with sophisticated words.) I have to pick my battles & use as little money as possible while still living in one of the most expensive cities in the country.
Back in DC, grocery shopping was easy. I got in my car, drove to Target or Safeway, and with coupons & discount cards, I saved at least 60% on my purchases which would last me a month. Here in NYC, I have no car & must rely on my sheer willpower on how far I want to walk/commute for grocery. I have a Morton Williams on the other side of the apartment complex, but I greatly dislike the fact that the Morton Williams doesn't accept Internet coupons. I don't get the Sunday paper so I can't clip coupons that way. I rely on Coupons.com or SmartSource.com and print them out when I find something I need. If I'm in the area of Union Square or Chelsea, I can probably stock up on fruit, veggies & meat at the Trader Joe's which are there but that's only once in a full moon. And you still can't use the coupons. For a quick fix, I head to CVS or Walgreens to get my coupons done while earning either ExtraCare bucks or Register rewards for future purchases. If I have all the time in the world, I can make the trek up 1st Avenue to the Target. Still need adjusting...
I use Groupon a lot. I still have three Groupons for DC that I need to use. I didn't have time the last time I was there, unfortunately. There was this one restaurant that if it comes up on the Now Deals, I would always get it. It's called Nando's Peri-Peri and right now, their own stateside restaurants are in the DC-MD-VA area, which makes me sad because I miss their chicken. Anyways, I think I found my newest go-to-Groupon restaurant in Guy & Gallard, especially when I'm at work since there's one catty-corner to us.
One Groupon purchase that I made when I first learned that I was moving to NYC was a spa treatment. $69 for a $175 treatment at Kim Laudati Skin Care. In DC, I stuck with one spa & that was the Aveda in Bethesda, so it's crazy, in my mind, to try someplace new. Especially in a new city with so many different choices. The lovely Mary Faber gave me the advice to check out Groupon which is what I did; while I use Groupon a lot, it was for food or goods not services. Anyways, my experience at Kim Laudati was quite difference than what I'm accustomed to, but it was a great service and my skin felt wonderful afterwards. I have crappy skin that needs to be pampered every once in a while or else it'll stage a coup.
Another thing that will definitely take a while to get used to is the whole paying-for-a-movie thing. Yes, paying for a movie. Since 2007, I did movie screenings in DC so I was paid to go to the movies. I am so out-of-the-loop that I honestly wasn't aware how much movies were, even in cities like DC and NYC. If you had asked me when I first moved here, I would say it was $10 for an adult. Apparently, it's not; it's more like $13 or $14 plus any other charges like IMAX or 3D. Luckily, there are places where you can sign up to be notified for free screening passes. There's Cinemit and 43KIX, which replaced buzzbo. But the major one is Gofobo, which sent me passes for "The Watch" and "Step Up Revolution." Unfortunately, the screening was on the same night (tonight... last night... Tuesday night). Since I was taking my aunt, I let her chose. Her criteria of going to things like movies or theatre is whether she's familiar someone or something in the show. Since she recognized Ben Stiller & Vince Vaughan, we ended up at "The Watch." Quite frankly, while funny at some parts, I think we might have had a better time at the other movie.
This is where I have my segue to talk about the tragedy of what happened in Aurora this past week. I love midnight showings. I've been to two Harry Potters, the Hunger Games, the Avengers & most recently, The Amazing Spider-Man. The energy is so different because major fans of the franchise or of movies, in general, go to midnight screenings. Since it's so late, there's a sense of euphoria that comes over people where the jokes are funnier & the action is more exciting. Come on, when Voldemort hugged Draco... there was no greater response than that of the midnight showing. It's where you make friends in the line that you stand at for hours beforehand. It's where you dress up and no one judges you. It's that little secret that you keep from everyone else the next day who'll watch the movie during reasonable hours. And that joy & excitement was taken away by a madman. My uttermost thoughts & prayers go to all those affected by the tragedy.
Many people opted not to go to the movies this weekend in fear of another attack. But I'm not one to be fearful so I went to the 10:25 am IMAX showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" on Monday at the Lincoln Square. And judging by the full house & the lines waiting for the next screenings, it's good to see others aren't fearful either. Because if fear takes over our lives, then we can't live. My grandaunt lives in Hawaii but after September 11th, she's afraid to get on a plane because of potential terrorist attacks; she's missed two of my graduations even though she really wanted to be there. Those whose lives were lost and those whose lives were spared but are not greatly unchanged... we need and should continue our lives as normal without fear of another madman. Certainly, don't be reckless; just don't fear the chance of something happening. Be cautious but don't expect the worst case scenarios. We're not immortal so live life because it's the only one we have.
Although my life's a bit bland at the moment, I'm grateful for everything that I do have. So, I guess it's not really "meh."
I'm heading back home to Florida on Friday and coming back on Tuesday. Fun in the sun? Or running through the rain? I guess we'll see.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Week 4: Sexypants & Screenings
Nothing too exciting this past week... or not? I guess you'll decide.
Internship is going fine. We're still doing media placements and logging them for our client. We have over 1,000 media placements and they're all to be done by this Thursday. We're halfway done right now so hopefully, we'll make the deadline.
Back in DC, I did screenings as well as Audience Reaction Reports which are basically trailer checks which gets the reaction of the audience during trailers. Self-explanatory? Well, while I can't really do screenings in New York, I can still do ARRs. So on Friday, I went to "Ice Age: Continental Drift" for the trailer of "Epic."
At first blush, it reminds me of "FernGully" and "Thumbelina." It doesn't come out until May 2013 so maybe when more of it is revealed then it would stand apart from those other movies... maybe? As for "Ice Age," which I sat through, it wasn't terrible. Then again, I'm a sucker for that entire series. I literally watched the previous three on FX the other night. So, so sad.
Saturday morning, I went back to DC to do some last-minute things including giving the keys to the realtor. Heh. Anyone looking for a nice two bed, two bath condo in NW DC?
On Saturday night, I went & saw "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" at Studio Theatre. After a few workshops here & there, the original production started its off-Broadway life at Public Theater with Benjamin Walker as the title character. It eventually went on a shorten run on Broadway, which is where I originally saw it during its previews. I wish that I had seen it at the Public or even later in its Broadway run, but alas, time machines haven't been available to the public. (Sidenote: it's almost one in the morning so some things will not make sense in the light of day.)
(Photo taken by: Scotty Beland)
Anyways, the Studio Theatre production had Heath Calvert as Andrew Jackson, which he understudied on Broadway. He was really good. The entire cast was good so if you're in DC, go check them out. And get your tickets ASAP. They sell out quickly. Also, it's general admission but the space is small so every seat is pretty good. They just extended until August 19th.
On Monday, I went to a screening of an upcoming digital series called "H Plus: The Digital Series." It's so good and such a mindtrip that you just wanna continue watching it. The episodes start premiering on YouTube on August 8th. There are about 40-something 2 to 5 minute episodes in the first "season" and 6-8 will be released each Wednesday for the first couple of weeks and then 2-3 episodes the following weeks.
It was convinced about 6 years ago and it's amazing that some of the "sci-fiction technology" that was put in has now look more of a possibility. Some things are already a reality... the iPhone and iPad... Google Glasses... it's kinda scary, if you think about it. Heh.
I really excited about it and I hope that y'all share about the series. Here's the link to the Facebook for more info: http://www.facebook.com/HplusTheDigitalSeries
Anywasy, it's time for bed. Nothing really exciting coming up this week but next week, I'm off to Florida for my dad's birthday. I actually haven't been home since February. Hmm...
Internship is going fine. We're still doing media placements and logging them for our client. We have over 1,000 media placements and they're all to be done by this Thursday. We're halfway done right now so hopefully, we'll make the deadline.
Back in DC, I did screenings as well as Audience Reaction Reports which are basically trailer checks which gets the reaction of the audience during trailers. Self-explanatory? Well, while I can't really do screenings in New York, I can still do ARRs. So on Friday, I went to "Ice Age: Continental Drift" for the trailer of "Epic."
At first blush, it reminds me of "FernGully" and "Thumbelina." It doesn't come out until May 2013 so maybe when more of it is revealed then it would stand apart from those other movies... maybe? As for "Ice Age," which I sat through, it wasn't terrible. Then again, I'm a sucker for that entire series. I literally watched the previous three on FX the other night. So, so sad.
Saturday morning, I went back to DC to do some last-minute things including giving the keys to the realtor. Heh. Anyone looking for a nice two bed, two bath condo in NW DC?
On Saturday night, I went & saw "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" at Studio Theatre. After a few workshops here & there, the original production started its off-Broadway life at Public Theater with Benjamin Walker as the title character. It eventually went on a shorten run on Broadway, which is where I originally saw it during its previews. I wish that I had seen it at the Public or even later in its Broadway run, but alas, time machines haven't been available to the public. (Sidenote: it's almost one in the morning so some things will not make sense in the light of day.)
(Photo taken by: Scotty Beland)
Anyways, the Studio Theatre production had Heath Calvert as Andrew Jackson, which he understudied on Broadway. He was really good. The entire cast was good so if you're in DC, go check them out. And get your tickets ASAP. They sell out quickly. Also, it's general admission but the space is small so every seat is pretty good. They just extended until August 19th.
On Monday, I went to a screening of an upcoming digital series called "H Plus: The Digital Series." It's so good and such a mindtrip that you just wanna continue watching it. The episodes start premiering on YouTube on August 8th. There are about 40-something 2 to 5 minute episodes in the first "season" and 6-8 will be released each Wednesday for the first couple of weeks and then 2-3 episodes the following weeks.
It was convinced about 6 years ago and it's amazing that some of the "sci-fiction technology" that was put in has now look more of a possibility. Some things are already a reality... the iPhone and iPad... Google Glasses... it's kinda scary, if you think about it. Heh.
I really excited about it and I hope that y'all share about the series. Here's the link to the Facebook for more info: http://www.facebook.com/HplusTheDigitalSeries
Anywasy, it's time for bed. Nothing really exciting coming up this week but next week, I'm off to Florida for my dad's birthday. I actually haven't been home since February. Hmm...
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Week 2 & 3: Fancy Pants
That didn't take long to be a week behind... However, I have a good excuse! Last Saturday, I went back to DC so that I could meet up with my parents who flew in on Wednesday so that we could drive up with more of my things.
Little did I know that a huge storm was going to come in on Friday and most of the DC Metro Area would be without power. When I arrived on Saturday, the entire first floor, including the lobby & elevators, were out. So, in order to reach my place, was to take the dark stairwell to the 8th floor. Luckily, the doorman didn't have anything to do so he escorted me with a flashlight up; he even carried my suitcase. My building is actually on two power grids and only one went out... it wasn't the grid that my apartment is in, so I had full power when I got there. Woo hoo!
I spent the weekend inside, taking in the central AC love which I miss so, so much. The garage still worked so I was able to go driving. Saw trees that fell on cars and houses. Stores & businesses closed due to lack of power. Street lights not working... quick rant: if a street light is out, treat the intersection as a four-way stop; don't just drive through! So annoying (and unsafe).
On Monday, I had two screenings in Tysons Corner- Katy Perry: A Part Of Me and The Amazing Spider-Man. So, so thankful to have been able to work these screenings. (A) I needed the money and (B) I really didn't want to pay to see the latter. Katy's movie... meh. However, I do applaud her work ethic even when faced with personal demons. *coughrussellcough* As for Spidey, it wasn't bad. I would never pay to see it in 3D because it doesn't add anything but I appreciate the better acting skills in comparison to the previous Spider-Man movies; the cast was exceptional. I felt that some parts were painfully slow, though.
As previously mentioned, parents came in on Wednesday. We drove to New York around 3pm and ended up uploading just as the fireworks start to go off. When I was younger, we would also go see the fireworks, which were on the Easst Side but since have moved to the West Side. Frowny face.
Thursday and Sunday were days of the music/film festival that I was working on at my internship. Thursday was inside at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema. I've done screening for a while so it was pretty easy even with multiple screens. Saturday was intense as we were outside at Times Square. Luckily, I was a floater and didn't have much to do so I just walked around between the two outdoor stages that we had and visited the various food trucks.
Sidenote: Food trucks are amazing. I know that people could think that they're sketchy but when I worked downtown in DC, I usually got my lunch at a food truck because of the variety. They may or may not be cheaper than an actual restaurant but I've never had a bad experience at one.
Sunday night I went back down to Rockwood to check out Johnny play. I usually get there a set or two early in order to grab a good seat. Most of the time those sets are hits and this time wasn't an exception. I caught the last couple of songs of Valerie June and she has such a unique voice. The next set was Matt Sucich who had a band backing him. I really enjoyed his set & definitely add him to my list for Rockwood acts that I'll try to catch.
Johnny had his good friend, Thad DeBrock, with him and had a really nice set.
Here's one of his songs called "Two Fists Full":
Last night I went back to Sunshine Cinema to see the extended version of "Margaret" which stars Anna Paquin, J. Smith-Cameron, Jean Reno, Jeannie Berlin, Matthew Broderick, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Damon, Kiernan Culkin & John Gallagher Jr. This movie was made ages ago but was finally released last year in a short cut... so this 3 hour cut is considered the "director's cut." It's a really interesting movie with raw, emotional performances. There was a Q&A afterwards with the director/writer Kenneth Lonergan and cast members Smith-Cameron, Berlin, Broderick, Ruffalo, Gallagher & Kevin Feer. Tony Kushner was the moderator.
And that's it for the past two weeks. Coming up this week... heading back to DC for a day. I need to sleep in an actual bed in central AC. LOL.
Little did I know that a huge storm was going to come in on Friday and most of the DC Metro Area would be without power. When I arrived on Saturday, the entire first floor, including the lobby & elevators, were out. So, in order to reach my place, was to take the dark stairwell to the 8th floor. Luckily, the doorman didn't have anything to do so he escorted me with a flashlight up; he even carried my suitcase. My building is actually on two power grids and only one went out... it wasn't the grid that my apartment is in, so I had full power when I got there. Woo hoo!
I spent the weekend inside, taking in the central AC love which I miss so, so much. The garage still worked so I was able to go driving. Saw trees that fell on cars and houses. Stores & businesses closed due to lack of power. Street lights not working... quick rant: if a street light is out, treat the intersection as a four-way stop; don't just drive through! So annoying (and unsafe).
On Monday, I had two screenings in Tysons Corner- Katy Perry: A Part Of Me and The Amazing Spider-Man. So, so thankful to have been able to work these screenings. (A) I needed the money and (B) I really didn't want to pay to see the latter. Katy's movie... meh. However, I do applaud her work ethic even when faced with personal demons. *coughrussellcough* As for Spidey, it wasn't bad. I would never pay to see it in 3D because it doesn't add anything but I appreciate the better acting skills in comparison to the previous Spider-Man movies; the cast was exceptional. I felt that some parts were painfully slow, though.
As previously mentioned, parents came in on Wednesday. We drove to New York around 3pm and ended up uploading just as the fireworks start to go off. When I was younger, we would also go see the fireworks, which were on the Easst Side but since have moved to the West Side. Frowny face.
Thursday and Sunday were days of the music/film festival that I was working on at my internship. Thursday was inside at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema. I've done screening for a while so it was pretty easy even with multiple screens. Saturday was intense as we were outside at Times Square. Luckily, I was a floater and didn't have much to do so I just walked around between the two outdoor stages that we had and visited the various food trucks.
Sidenote: Food trucks are amazing. I know that people could think that they're sketchy but when I worked downtown in DC, I usually got my lunch at a food truck because of the variety. They may or may not be cheaper than an actual restaurant but I've never had a bad experience at one.
Sunday night I went back down to Rockwood to check out Johnny play. I usually get there a set or two early in order to grab a good seat. Most of the time those sets are hits and this time wasn't an exception. I caught the last couple of songs of Valerie June and she has such a unique voice. The next set was Matt Sucich who had a band backing him. I really enjoyed his set & definitely add him to my list for Rockwood acts that I'll try to catch.
Johnny had his good friend, Thad DeBrock, with him and had a really nice set.
Here's one of his songs called "Two Fists Full":
Last night I went back to Sunshine Cinema to see the extended version of "Margaret" which stars Anna Paquin, J. Smith-Cameron, Jean Reno, Jeannie Berlin, Matthew Broderick, Mark Ruffalo, Matt Damon, Kiernan Culkin & John Gallagher Jr. This movie was made ages ago but was finally released last year in a short cut... so this 3 hour cut is considered the "director's cut." It's a really interesting movie with raw, emotional performances. There was a Q&A afterwards with the director/writer Kenneth Lonergan and cast members Smith-Cameron, Berlin, Broderick, Ruffalo, Gallagher & Kevin Feer. Tony Kushner was the moderator.
And that's it for the past two weeks. Coming up this week... heading back to DC for a day. I need to sleep in an actual bed in central AC. LOL.
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