"And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow." ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

Hello all!

It's been a dreary few days here in Syracuse...full of sickness, sleep deprivation, and today's added bonus of rain. Thanksgiving break couldn't have come at a better time - (only 6 days away!) I just wish I could skip the rest of my classes for the day to relax on my bed, drink a cup of steaming hot apple cider and listen to the wind howling at my window. Oh only to dream...

the view from my window. i'm in love.

Until next time,

Chris

Just a little something to brighten your day...

Lately it seems I can't hold back my excitement whenever I see an adorable little animal, so I thought I'd share my happiness with all of you. Here are two videos which basically brought me to tears, embarrassingly. Enjoy!

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/05/17/screw-journalismive-found-my-calling

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RkKvf12Bw0

gahh, so adorable! <3

a new understanding of college

Looking back at myself over this last year, and the previous years of my life I've come to realize I've changed a great deal. Like a stunted butterfly I strived to transform into something beautiful, some unknown idea of perfection and self-worth, since before I can even begin to remember. No matter what direction I chose to take, I always felt lost - waiting for something new to attract my attention and guide me down a new path. Since starting college I've realized that all of these ideas, whether or not they were mine, were lacking true worth. Just this moment, I've begun to discover true happiness, beauty, determination, independence and the list goes on and on. None of these elements of life can truly be defined by anyone but yourself. I don't know about you, but I find it hard to believe much of what other people say, which is probably why I decided I had a passion for journalism such a long time ago. Journalism gives you the chance to discover every possible truth for yourself (selfishly), and also for others who are feeling lost and need some sense of direction, some guiding light. 

College has opened my eyes to such a new world. So many things that I thought I knew about certain kinds of people, the way the world works and even myself, all seem to have been wrong. I've always prided myself on being open-minded, but I don't think I ever really was until now. I've met so many different kinds of people and I've learned more than ever not to judge a book by it's cover or even it's reviews. The only way you can come to appreciate the book, and in this case, life, is to go out there and take it all in. Do all that you've dreamed of doing and what you never thought you could see yourself trying. Explore far beyond your comfort zone. Meet people who you wouldn't ordinarily approach. With it all comes the opportunity to rediscover the world around you, and redefine who you are in the process. This is why I've come to love college so much - it's the perfect opportunity to rediscover, redefine and just explore all that there is to see in this world. 

So get out there and just do it,

College Life

Hey everyone, it's been quite a while!
Yesterday marked the official third week of college, and I can't believe it's only been that long! It feels as if I've been here in Syracuse for months, and the amazing people I've met seem to be friends I've known all my life. It's impossible to describe just how fantastic this experience has been for me. I've loved every single moment of it, even having to do homework and read countless pages of semi-dull material - all because of my hilarious and always-entertaining group of friends.
Just a slight recap of what's been going on here in Syracuse since I moved in on August 22nd. For the first three days I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity on campus.

We painted a Jewish Community Center, a recently foreclosed Habitat house and made/served lunch at a food pantry on the Near Westside, also known as the Salt District (an inspiring community which is currently under the process of rebuilding their image). During this experience I met so many amazing, kind-hearted people, most notably a woman named Mother Earth. This courageous and infinitely inspiring woman is the most loving person I've ever met in my entire life. Through countless heartbreaks and hardships, she continues to spread the message of "good" and "love" through the Syracuse community. Having met her and heard her story, I've been inspired to help those in not only the Near Westside community, but also in my own community - wherever that may be in the future. During my Habitat experience, I also met one of my closest friends, Hannah. She is always fun to be around, makes me laugh incessantly and is the perfect person to play a duet with on the ukulele.

Since Habitat, I've come to meet so many great people on my residence hall floor including Rosie "Ro Ro", Bryan "BChoo" and Lexi "Panda" - when we're all together, it's bound to be a good time. Also, my amazing roommate Stacie "Habeeb" is always around for a good laugh, a random Gilmore Girls moment, or just someone to talk to when you're getting stressed out. I feel infinitely blessed and lucky to have met such great people. I can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us.

Hope everyone is doing well, and enjoying life! Carpe diem!

Love,

Last day at home...

After months of stress, excitement and preparation this day has finally come. Tomorrow I will be on my way to my new home in Syracuse, and I couldn't be more psyched and anxious - I say that in the best way possible. It's just time. It's time for a new beginning, a fresh start. This summer was nothing short of amazing - spending so much time with my closest friends, and exploring the world in so many different ways. I loved every second of it - except for the humidity, of course. Good thing I'm going to basically the coldest area in the northeast, it will allow me to make great use of my excessive number of scarves.

Just looking at my life in boxes and bags is so surreal, in less than 14 hours I'll be moving out and living on my own. No parents, no limitations, no safety nets. It's so exhilarating and at the same time very nerve-wracking - having to do everything for myself with no help. I think I'm ready for the challenge, it will be a good test of strength - physically, emotionally and of course, intellectually. 


I'll be sure to post up a picture or two of my new home, but for now my stuff piled in the garage will just have to suffice. Until tomorrow! 

love,

Perseid meteor shower

If you're like me, you missed this miraculous event earlier this month. Even though I was actually prepared for the meteor shower, the cloudy sky wouldn't allow me to see it. So after searching the web, I've found a great time-lapse video of the event and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Moments like this make you truly believe in something bigger than yourself.


http://vimeo.com/14173983

A childhood memory with new insight

"Alone with myself
The trees bend to caress me
The shade hugs my heart."
- Candy Polgar

On a recent adventure into memories of my early childhood, I visited the local zoo in my area with a few friends. Since I was young I've always had a wild fascination with animals - yes, I'm that person who can't help but "ooh and aww" at anything that looks remotely beautiful or adorable. Unlike the few prior visits I made to the zoo, this trip was much more profound and meaningful to me. As a child, wandering in awe at the beautiful sights of the animals was all I could do, but now instead of seeing just the animals I've come to see and sympathize with their struggles to live within an artificially created habitat. Looking at these magnificent animals all I could think was I'm so sorry. I wanted to break them out of their cages and set them all free like a naive child in her first science class. It's so sad that in the process of our own human quest for knowledge and control, we've altered the lives of so many different species. Don't get me wrong, I love learning all that I can about different animals and I know it's difficult to do that without observing them - but why can't we do that in their natural habitats? It may be more wearisome, but how would we feel if we were made to live in cages or a very limited space in order to indirectly teach another species our way of living? Despite my objections to their captivity, in a sense, I loved seeing the animals - they were all so amazing to witness up close. In addition to the wonderful animals, I came across this very large grounded tree along one of the pathways in the zoo. Its great size and protruding roots were mesmerizing - so much so I had to take a picture, I hope you enjoy it; also here are a few more photographs from the trip.

Love,

Fruit Picking!

Just recently a few of my best friends and I took a trip to a local farm, seeing as it is currently blueberry and peach picking season (oh and corn, can't forget about the discounted corn...). Amidst crowds of families and children on field trips, there we were: four young women, soon to be college freshman...despite the lack of people our own age, the experience was truly amazing and so much fun. I just thought I'd share a few pictures from our day trip for your viewing pleasure.

Yours,

Just a few fine words from a very wise man...

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities.” - Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel

Late Renoir: Staggeringly Beautiful

It was a dreary Sunday morning, both gloomy and humid, when my friends and I decided to take a trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the late works of Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

A self-portrait, 1897

Since I was about 13, I've had a wild fascination with art history - more specifically, the Impressionist Era. Naturally, in my perusing of countless art books filled with what seemed a limitless number of paintings, I came to love the works of Monet, Manet and most of all Renoir. There's just something about the way he painted his landscapes and most of all his women, so voluptuous and stunningly beautiful, with certain looks that brought utter fascination. I couldn't help but stare at his women and children and wonder what is she/he thinking? how does she/he feel? what is her/his story? For some reason, I felt a closeness to his subjects - like I knew them personally. Many say it is because Renoir would choose to paint his subjects doing daily activities, such as brushing their hair or reading a book. He took commonplace actions and made them a work of art. The fleshy pinks and rosy hues of his subjects, made them appear to have the greatest happiness - the kind that you don't need to speak about, but instead just follows you like an aura wherever you go. 
As I moved through the gallery, listening to audio provided by the curators, I felt a certain sense of calm - of peace. To be surrounded by such beautiful works, to wonder deeply about the lives of his subjects, to imagine the time period and visualize myself in his simple yet delicious landscapes - made me want to travel back in time so so badly. I wanted to wear the simple dresses of the women he painted, and stroll through one of the beautiful villas he captured with his meticulous paint strokes.

Reclining Nude, 1903

Renoir's method of capturing the very pure essence of each woman he painted, with such innocence and beauty, was indescribably possessing - I couldn't look away, which made it hard to progress onto the next painting. I could have stayed in that gallery forever.


Before leaving the museum, I bought a CD entitled, Renoir, landscapes and music. I've been listening to it endlessly on repeat all day. The sweet sounds of the violin, flute and grand piano brought back all of the thoughts and emotions I experienced within the walls of the exhibit. I feel so lucky to have captured a piece of that calm happiness with this CD. I will cherish it's uplifting and inspiring melodies every time I give it a listen, and I know I won't be able to help smiling for Renoir and anything inspired by his work can only bring happiness to those who understand its true beauty.

"The work of art must seize upon you, wrap you up in itself and carry you away. It is the means by which the artist conveys his passion. It is the current which he puts forth, which sweeps you along in his passion." - Pierre Auguste Renoir

When you least expect it, the world has a way of surprising you.

Just this past week, I submitted an entry into a local scholarship fund for Syracuse freshman. I spent two days, thinking over what I might create, what I would say and battling with the very idea that no matter what I did my entry would never be good enough. At the very last minute, well actually 50 minutes late to be exact, I sent in my submission via e-mail. I figured what's the harm in creating something that I believe in so strongly - sustaining the environment and wildlife.
Just a few days ago, to my complete surprise, I received an e-mail in reply to my submission:

Dear Christina:

It is with great pleasure, on behalf of the Syracuse University Philadelphia Alumni Club (SUPAC), to advise you that your entry submitted to the SUPAC Scholarship Fund has been selected and you have won one of the four $500 Scholarships to the Syracuse University Bookstore! 

 

Congratulations!

The second I read this, I immediately bursted into tears, so stunned and in such disbelief. All I kept saying to my mom was, "Oh my god...but, but I never win anything! I can't believe it!" Since this past Friday, which was when I received the message, I've tried to take this whole situation as a sign. That maybe, just maybe I might be cut out for this - for a life pursing my writing. As my father told me tonight, completely out of the blue while we were sitting alone in our living room watching the news and arguing about politics (nothing new, since my father is a die-hard conservative and I am quite liberal), "I think you're gonna be someone great someday. You're meant to do something great, in whatever you decide to do. I know you'll be able to hold your own with the big sharks." He said it with such confidence, as if he knew something about the future that I did not. Like the scholarship, but more so, he made me believe I could do anything. Absolutely anything. He made it seem as if the sky were limitless and all I had to do was hop on a plane and explore it to my heart's content. 

People always tell you to believe in possibilities, but no matter how hard I've tried in the past to believe that people could me different, the world could be different, I could be different...I never truly believed it. There was an aching suspicion in the back of my mind always telling me, "You can't really believe that, can you? There's no proof, no inclination that should lead you to believe this exists or that something is true. Don't believe." But now that little voice is beginning to disappear. Of course it's not going to go away cold turkey, but gradually I've begun to hear it's screeching voice less and less. I'm beginning to feel a new sense of confidence - one so freeing, that it could make you believe anything is truly possible as long as you just believe (that sounds familiar...).

So my lesson for today:

"Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities." - Terry Josephson

Happy Belated Independence Day!

"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better." ~ Albert Camus

So Sunday was the 234th anniversary of this nation, and for me it was quite a memorable one. After a short train ride with a few good friends, we were off to explore Philadelphia - the City of Brotherly Love and my beloved first home. We saw both the good and the bad the city had to offer, but in all the night was a great celebration filled with new memories made under the stars on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway staring up at the beautiful fireworks over the Art Museum. The sight was truly magical and made me hope that one day I might return with someone I love so that we can both stare above us and marvel at the rare sparks setting the sky ablaze with their stunning hues and bright lights. I hope all of you enjoyed the holiday!

On the way to the Parkway...

Lounging on our blanket under the Malaysian flag

A picture will never do it justice, just beautiful.

love,

christina

"All human beings are also dream beings. Dreaming ties all mankind together." ~ Jack Kerouac

For weeks now I've begun immersing myself into the world of environmental science. I've watched countless specials on National Geographic and the Discovery Channel, most recently the 4 part series entitled 'How the Earth Changed History,' which is a very compelling account of not only the human impact on the earth and its' natural processes, but also a basic overview of earth's basic elements of water, fire, and sky. I've also been reading Oceans, and other magazine articles based on anything and everything from global climate change to oceanic pollution and how it's all affecting the world animal population. Learning more about the physical world around me, has inspired me to not only pursue a degree in Earth Sciences at Syracuse on top of my already dual major in anthropology and magazine journalism, but also to dedicate a good portion of this blog to speak about different eco-friendly and environmentally conscious topics. Hopefully as I begin to learn more about the environment and what we can do to improve its conditions, through this blog you'll also be able to become more conscious of your surroundings and learn how to treat the earth with kindness and what it needs to survive and thrive.

This is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or the Pacific Trash Vortex and it is, as you can see in this image, a highly concentrated area of plastics, chemical sludge, and other debris larger than the size of Texas that is floating in the Pacific Ocean. We've known about this highly polluted area for years now, and nothing has yet to be done to help the situation. While everyone's mind is concentrated on the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, our oceans have been suffering for such a long time now and it is up to our generation to fix the problem.

In addition to speaking more about the environment, I'm also going to start blogging about healthy and organic food. Recently, as I was researching alternative spring break trips at Syracuse I came across an opinion piece written by Angela Hu of The Daily Orange about WWOOF or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. This is an international organization of hosts and volunteers who come together in different locations across the globe to either as the host, teach how to sustain an organic farm and the need for such farms to be increased vastly in number, or as the volunteer, who travels to a host family's location in order to help work the farm and also learn about how to sustain organic crops. Here is the link to the article and also to WWOOF's website for more information: Article and WWOOF . 


I truly believe that it is possible to convince humankind that taking care of the planet is well worth our time, and I know now that I want to and need to dedicate my life to helping spread the word about living a healthy and happy eco-friendly life.


A few words that resonated with me...
"In America today you can murder land for private profit.  You can leave the corpse for all to see, and nobody calls the cops." ~ Paul Brooks, The Pursuit of Wilderness, 1971

We must be the cops,

chris

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. ~ Abraham Lincoln

This last week has been an amazing whirlwind of accomplishment, fun, and love. I couldn't be happier with how life has been going lately. This past Wednesday I finally graduated from high school! It's been a long roller coaster ride these last four years, and I am so excited to begin anew in Syracuse this fall! But before I get ahead of myself, this summer is going to be amazing - my closest friends and I have compiled a 'Summer Bucket List' which we plan to complete by the time summer rolls to a close. The details are still being worked out, but keep reading and you'll hear about our every adventure. 

Just a little taste of life..

Finally!

Do not take life too seriously.  You will never get out of it alive.  ~ Elbert Hubbard