This is going to be a short one. I’ve always wanted an ear piercing higher up on my ear. I hemmed and hawwed for years where finally I just impulsively got it pierced at a random mall.
Anti climactic piercing
The sucker stings though I admit. There’s an overpriced saline solution that they upsell. (Yes I bought it lol).
Overpriced saline solution
So yeah, it was a good experience overall. They say I need to leave it for 6 months so that the hole doesn’t close up. I got a 3mm stud earring and I’m looking forward to getting a second.
What impulsive (but super permanent lol) things have you tried?
You may have been routed here from A Neux Chapter, or just stumbled here. Either way, glad you made it. This post is about how my husband, an Estonian citizen, showed me how to enjoy where I live for the first time. To actually look up, breathe, take in and slooooow down. It sounds silly, but the pace in New York City is not so vicious as everyone imagines. It’s worse.
Snap to a few years ago, accidental dating phase between my husband and I. See, he was my Japanese tutor initially ( yes, really. More on that later) and for one of our lessons we decided to try outdoors. We went to the Sheep Meadow section of Central Park
Beautiful scenic Sheep Meadow, so named for well, sheep.
I felt like I was in a snow globe. A beautiful dome of peace. The honking, city cacophony and general background was muted somehow. The sun shone and I looked, really looked around me. I saw people laughing, sun bathing, playing with their dogs and LIVING.
I almost wept.
I had not felt such inner quiet in so long. Regrettably, I had never stepped foot this far into to park. I did not understand the point of wasting time laying around. Surely its for people with the means to do so? Not for people hustling, moving from one part time job to the next in a string of 18 hour shifts that become so maddening Carbon Monoxide no longer seems as scary.
I digress. Mr.Trendyblackgirl, let’s call him Ursa (his real name means bear anyways lol) bemoaned the lack of nature in the city. He told me of how he missed towering trees, the sounds of animals and people getting along. To which I responded with:
So yeah, we made more trips there. As I slowly discovered parts of the city that I had been too “busy” to notice, Ursa empowered me to enjoy my surroundings.
This has been my latest binge obsession. I’ve always liked competitive reality TV, but coupled with my Chinese studies and it is even more fun!
So the show is about current celebrities and women who have “aged out” of the industry by committing the sin of being 30 or older. The name of the show itself is an idiom ride the wind and cleave the waves; advance rapidly – ไน้ฃ็ ดๆตชใ
These women are weathering the storm of the entertainment industry at the ages of 30 plus.
There are 30 contestants battling it out to become part of a girl group. The program began airing in June 2020, but I’ve only just begun watching in Aug 2020.
In my own way of plucking along and studying one of the most difficult languages on the planet, I get my listening practice in by watching these types of shows.
If you have something you are pursuing that is difficult, just keep going. I’ve been exposed to Chinese for 6 years, but have only seriously studies it for 2 years. My current short-term goal is to pass the HSK3 and continue on towards fluency.
Once Upon a time, there was an army. An army of street-smart girls who somehow have managed to purchase thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and music, even with no job. To get into this world is no easy feat. You have to take an exam based on every sliver of media ever made about the group in question. In this case, I am talking about BTS.
I am a TOTAL noob, BUT I have managed to attend their May concerts in NJ every May. My seat gets better every time and my appreciation for their music deepens. But there is ALOT to learn, just to have a basic grasp on the world of fangirling. There is an entire vernacular and “know-how” stuff that you’ve just GOTTA know. And I have been slogging through it, one day at a time.
Everything I know about KPOP is extremely outdated. A lot of my original favorites are no long famous, or worse– in jail! I have compiled a list of what I think I know about myself:
BTS , (Ultimate) Bias: Jungkook
Biaswrecker: Rap Monsta
CNBlue , Bias : Kang MinHyuk
BAP , Bias: Bang Yongguk
Favorite Artists –
Jungkook ( BTS)
T.O.P
Taeyang
So I have chosen to stan (worship lol / be a fan of) Jungkook, largely because his symbol in the group is a bunny and I LOVE bunnies. So it makes practical sense to buy his merch. My other reasons, as shameful as it is, is because I saw a music video called “DOPE” and I thought the cutest one was Jungkook in his police uniform. Too bad he was like 15! Man I felt dirty.
DROOOL – #Jailbait
So I remained ambivalent until I went to a concert in 2019. I CRIED during the Fake Love song, and screamed my head off anytime Jungkook came on stage. At the end, they gave us a teary farewell and my heart was moved.
Did I mention they can dance?
I also have this ignorant borderline racist thing going on where I keep mixing some of them up. I know, I know — unforgivable. But hey, it is what it is.
Sorry V, Jongkook, Suga, all y’all man TT_TT
So while I still consider myself a casual fan, I am really hype for this concert in May 2020 . I spent boat loads of money for two decent tickets.
I’m going in May! Decent seats too.
I learned from the last concert that you have to bring cash and come early to get your hands on any decent merch.
I have a pretty non-existent trove: a pen, some socks and lots of pink accessories. I am thinking of wearing white overalls, and a pink crop top for the outfit. Like a cute bunny. Did I mention I am almost 30? You’re never too old for Kpop ๐
I love seeing things in new ways. I am a born and raised New Yorker so I have a tendency to overlook whats around me. But today it took my breath away.
Last year, I watched Captain Marvel to celebrate International Women’s Day. This year, I was in a bit of a funk and almost stayed home.
My partner convinced me to get some air, and a give minute trip to the store became a full blow blown triathalon! We biked, took a ferry, walked, dodged traffic and just took in the city.
I was glowing! Sometimes New York City takes you by surprise. It fills you up and overwhelms you with the rhythm of life. Its beautiful. But it also makes me feel a bit jaded.
Back to the point, today ended up being an impromptu exploration of my senses, my city and myself. I learned new things about myself and revisited some not so savory aspects of who I am.
I’m proud of my growth and can continue this year with renewed vigor. I rarely post on my days off but I couldn’t let women’s day pass without a mention of how I take steps to become a more fully realized one.
Thanks for reading, I hope you are able to find things around you that inspire a second look at yourself.
I have a tinyyyyyyy room. I need to maximize all of my space. Check out my space in this post. So anyways, I like to buy things that help me optimize the walk-in closest that I call my room. These shoe organizers run $10-$15 a pop, which is pretty expensive given that I need about 20 of them lol. This video is me putting o of them together.
Aliexpress Shoe Holder
Initially, I was pretty upset. It didn’t slide smoothly like in the reviews and I began to miss my $60 ( I bought 6 of them). My boyfriend plopped a heavy chest on top of them and Et Voila ~ it suddenly worked. These things stack, so it needed something to anchor them. Now they glide smoothly no problem.
I live in NYC, rent is high, morale is low, but you make it work lol. I am renting a place because no millennial in their right mind would pay full rent for an apartment. My boyfriend and I are pretty handy with tools, so we DIY a lot of my room.
Its not super clear from the picture but I have a loft bed. My room is about 12X9 in total. We used the sides of a broken down IKEA bed and nailed them to the wall to create floating bookshelves.
It’s quaint, but I love my space. Marie Kondo has helped a lot with that, helping me to make sure 90% of my things spark joy!
It’s funny because when you live in a small space, if ANYTHING is out of place it will instantly look messy. Even a scrunchy on the floor will turn your room from cozy to catastrophic. Clever shelving and placement can make or break your space. Also I can’t say enough: UTILIZE VERTICAL SPACE. Build ALL the way up your walls for storage, use Command Strips if needed. If your lease allows, drill holes ( don’t forget to patch them up before you go to get your coveted security deposit back).
I like to read apartment therapy, and watch Japanese apartment walk-throughs on NHK World Japan.
I’m getting a(nother) kitten! And since its Valentine’s Day I was going to name her Val. But since my other cat’s name is Yang, I went for Valyin!
She looks so sweet
All Smiles
We brought her home on a chilly February night to meet her older sister Yang.
New siblings
They got along famously — for a whole 24 hours TT_TT. On Val’s second day she made the unforgivable mistake of eating from Yang’s food bowl when we weren’t looking. So she has been getting hissed at ๐ฆ
I’m innocent I tell ya!
She has a 2 hour cycle: Eat, play, sleep, repeat. Kittens are a ton of energy and wow I was not prepared.
Fur Momma and kitten — worn out. #Caturday
Playtime!
But I love her to pieces
She will have her first vet visit next week at Bond Vet clinic. Their prices are great! Will update sometime after that.
So I started this crazy thing where I go to the gym at 7am every two days before work starts and flail around for 45 minutes lol. I haven’t gone to the gym in about a year, and i have seriously lifted weights in three. I look fit, but I can feel my strength fading, and I’m not happy with that lol. I STARTED THIS POST IN 2016. It took me 4 years to finish it, because I have the shortest attention span, and you know, life happens.
And some pics of my highest deadlift in 2013, 2 plates or 225 pounds
Here I am February 2020, again I look good. But I don’t feel as strong as I would like.
Instagram baddie? Not really lol. I’m sucking in my stomach and I did way too many sit-ups for this. Which reminds me I will post a rant about my feelings regarding social media and this so called Face Tune app that has me going to the gym like crazy. It really annoys me that people can just pretend, then have the nerve to body shame people who actually work-out.
That’s neither here nor there though. Stay Trendy, Stay You —TBG
trendyblackgirl 