just over 2 weeks before departure to china! I feel as though I should remain a faithful poster before leaving you for a month, dear bloggy. who knows what kind of access i'll have in the outer areas!
i sit here at the public library it took me TWO HOURS to get to. ugh uhg uhg. it was such a nice day out (i.e. one of the first not SCORCHING OR DISGUSTINGLY HUMID) so i decided to challenge myself on a longer bike ride. i looked up simple directions (thank you google maps for adding the bike feature) and was comforted by the estimate trip length of 45 minutes (adding hills and my out of shape-ness, i gave it an extra 20 to arrive.) After a few bouts of exhaustion (laziness), I realized I had to drink water more regularly and take it easy. A 30 minute break under a tree at a playground to watch part of Star Wars (IV) was the final step as I pedaled out of twinbrook and in view of Rockville town center. Rihanna inspiring me to be the cool girl that just biked from Kensington (even though no one else knew), I arrived at the lovely town center a sweaty, heaving mess (UGH UGH UGH again). However, the rest of star wars awaited, as did the lovely amenities here at the Rockville library, and I feel confident that the next hours I am to spend here will be most enjoyable.
What I was to discover upon reviewing my itinerary was that the estimated 45 (120) minute trip covered a length of 7 miles, a distance that would have scared me awat from the bike ride that I am now so glad i took. It's just one of those days where I seize, you know?
On another hand, my dad offered me the friendly suggestion of reviewing my chinese all summer. A bright idea, considering it was the bane of my GPA this past year. I guess he only means well, and If i'm in a studious environment like the library, I may as well begin reviewing things. Starting with painstaking character review. Wish me luck, and I hope everyone around is enjoying the beautiful weather! (If not, watch Star Wars - i didn't enough as a kid and will most certainly make up for it now, especially with our massive new tv waiting in the basement.)
Monday, June 7, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
well well well...
it certainly has been a while, but there's not much to report! I'm going to China soon and i'm less excited about it than i thought i would be. part of me just wants to cancel the trip and stay home all summer and find a yob and continue doing what i'm doing. but i've already given up these opportunities once and i am in no position to do it again! gahh keep looking forward to it!
on the bright side i'm sleeping in my room again - yay!
dark side? it's still messy....
on the bright side i'm sleeping in my room again - yay!
dark side? it's still messy....
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
OH HAI IM HERE THANKS GUISE
i've been getting bored, and i guess some of you read this a bit. i've barely clarified my summer schedule! I'm here, home now.
1)I've been home since mid-May doing nothing in particular
2)On June 24th I will fly over to China for 4 weeks.
3)I'm scheduled back in the 301 on July 21st, and will be around for another month
4) before heading back to billyburg!
I hope everyone else is doing great and is lucky enough to have a job or internship or whatever lined up. Let me know if you're free! I'd love to catch up and do fun things on the side (still not a night owl, I sleep like an old person now). Love you all and thanks for reading!
1)I've been home since mid-May doing nothing in particular
2)On June 24th I will fly over to China for 4 weeks.
3)I'm scheduled back in the 301 on July 21st, and will be around for another month
4) before heading back to billyburg!
I hope everyone else is doing great and is lucky enough to have a job or internship or whatever lined up. Let me know if you're free! I'd love to catch up and do fun things on the side (still not a night owl, I sleep like an old person now). Love you all and thanks for reading!
Cristina
Sunday, May 30, 2010
rain is a good thing
especially on a sweltering day like today. i know it's not too bad yet, but i won't feel tip top in my shorts from last summer for another few weeks. also i've been incredibly gifted in the chest areaz this past year, so all my sundresses are out of the picture.
however heat and sunshine brings good things as well, like sundresses (spotted: adorbs lilly tank dress in dtbethesda) , and sunglasses (purchased: 2 pairs of wayfarers @ unique for $5, though i'm still eyening a splurge on clubmasters), and maybe even a nice pair of sandals (i've been wearing old navy flip flops since i could walk). all that and no money however. and trust me, no money = problems
time for popsicles round three. my mom and i are cooling down, and no doubt will we hunt down iron chef to enjoy over popsicles!
however heat and sunshine brings good things as well, like sundresses (spotted: adorbs lilly tank dress in dtbethesda) , and sunglasses (purchased: 2 pairs of wayfarers @ unique for $5, though i'm still eyening a splurge on clubmasters), and maybe even a nice pair of sandals (i've been wearing old navy flip flops since i could walk). all that and no money however. and trust me, no money = problems
time for popsicles round three. my mom and i are cooling down, and no doubt will we hunt down iron chef to enjoy over popsicles!
Cristina
nothing but a memory
so it's been a few days since i've written a legit post. i've gotten lazy. and tired. but i figured since i've been so homey these days, I'd take some time to talk about my childhood home, 2854 Connecticut Ave. #22 NW Washington DC, 20008. Ha! I don't lie when I say I'm from the city. I've lived there for more than half of my life (until i turn 22). Pretty much the greatest place you could ever raise a child. Living in the apartment was the best part of my childhood. This all may have been due to the fact that
a) the zoo was 1/2 a block across the street
b) my cousins lived right next door until i was like, 9 years old
c) school, my parent's work, the playground, the metro, the bus spot, were so incredibly convenient, all we needed was one car and a whole lot of relaxation.
I'll admit it's a difficult thing to raise a family in a one bedroom apartment. But my parents did everything they could to make it a home, and I still have vivid memories. Walking in, there was a foyer area, large enough to double as a playroom with its open space and fish tank, which housed my beloved fish Charlie, who survived almost five years of weight gain and receiving my admiration. From Sleepys to Crawfish to Snails, there was a little bit of everything in that tank at one point, and I can still hear the sounds of the filters gushing away when my memory recalls it. The first entrance to the left led to the bedroom. Surprisingly large, it contained the two closets from which I would emerge every mid-november, succesful in the hunt for the hidden halloween stashes. (These skills would lead to my childhood nickname of "La Rata", the little mouse that would find any snack or candy anywhere.
The bunk bed my sister and I shared for years was the staple. Like the little rooms we never had, Joyce and I made each bed our own private space, decorated with pictures or lamps or whatever crazy things we could think of personalizing it with. The old desks that remained with us until a few years ago held everything but papers and desks. The room was ever changing. From bunkbeds to separate twins, Miranda's got a pink paintjob and entered the computer age with that big old Hewlett Packard. I wonder where it is now...
The single bathroom to the left was a glorified hallway. Everything about it was old, from the tiles to the sink. But it's where I first learned to brush teeth by myself, where Joyce and I would sit and stare out at the waves of tourists climbing up to the zoo below. I can still recall one of the first times I eased myself sideways to better reach the faucet. We're also guilty of throwing scalding water out the window, when we were very anti-poison Ivy. We were crazy!
The kitchen in any peruvian home is essential homespace. I can still picture my mother standing by the sink or stove, always cooking up some great meal. The curtain leading in was the sole attempt to stop the sounds smells from escaping elsewhere. But there was no denying where the tripe was boiling over, or the stuffed potatoes frying on the pan. Fortunately, the view of the corner was greatest as I climbed onto my step stool and washed some dishes.
The living/dining room was where I avoided so many meals, and where I proudly presented my projects, homeworks and grades. The last great memory I had of it was following the 2002 World Cup, the last few weeks of living there. We were excited to peep out the window immediately after the Final and watch an impromptu parade of Brazilian Washingtonians flashing their flags, honking horns, and blasting their voices and their music with pride.
Similarly, I recall the nights when I, nervous for a Spanish grammar test, would wake up with anxiety and study with the street lights that poured in through the windows, reviewing the verbs that had popped up in my nightmare, and pausing to see the yuppies stumbling back to their apartments below.
April 25, 2000, the afternoon of the shootings at the National Zoo. My sister and I were selecting yogurt flavors at the fridge when we heard a pop pop coming from outside. I can still see the frightened, frantic faces of those who ran for their lives from the zoo. On the night of September 11, 2001, I couldn't sleep. The police were flashing and wailing endlessly down our street. Each light that reflected past my window was another frightened thought in my mind. Other accidents, encounters, arrivals and departures were all witnessed from the views of our 6 windows. We were fortunate enough to live right above the front entrance, and to also have the 2 windows on either side, as well. I look fondly on those windows, and what they showed me and taught me. (Subject of my college essay...)
Now, 'el apartamento' remains only a memory, a past part of our lives. I long to return and live there everytime I pass by, but all things must change, and I must learn to accept that even if I am lucky enough to return, it will be a completely different experience for me. The days of my childhood, growing up in my beloved Woodley Park, are way past me, and planting myself in the spot where my bed once sat will do nothing but let even more time pass me by.
a) the zoo was 1/2 a block across the street
b) my cousins lived right next door until i was like, 9 years old
c) school, my parent's work, the playground, the metro, the bus spot, were so incredibly convenient, all we needed was one car and a whole lot of relaxation.
Guess which one I am?!
I'll admit it's a difficult thing to raise a family in a one bedroom apartment. But my parents did everything they could to make it a home, and I still have vivid memories. Walking in, there was a foyer area, large enough to double as a playroom with its open space and fish tank, which housed my beloved fish Charlie, who survived almost five years of weight gain and receiving my admiration. From Sleepys to Crawfish to Snails, there was a little bit of everything in that tank at one point, and I can still hear the sounds of the filters gushing away when my memory recalls it. The first entrance to the left led to the bedroom. Surprisingly large, it contained the two closets from which I would emerge every mid-november, succesful in the hunt for the hidden halloween stashes. (These skills would lead to my childhood nickname of "La Rata", the little mouse that would find any snack or candy anywhere.
The bunk bed my sister and I shared for years was the staple. Like the little rooms we never had, Joyce and I made each bed our own private space, decorated with pictures or lamps or whatever crazy things we could think of personalizing it with. The old desks that remained with us until a few years ago held everything but papers and desks. The room was ever changing. From bunkbeds to separate twins, Miranda's got a pink paintjob and entered the computer age with that big old Hewlett Packard. I wonder where it is now...
The single bathroom to the left was a glorified hallway. Everything about it was old, from the tiles to the sink. But it's where I first learned to brush teeth by myself, where Joyce and I would sit and stare out at the waves of tourists climbing up to the zoo below. I can still recall one of the first times I eased myself sideways to better reach the faucet. We're also guilty of throwing scalding water out the window, when we were very anti-poison Ivy. We were crazy!
The kitchen in any peruvian home is essential homespace. I can still picture my mother standing by the sink or stove, always cooking up some great meal. The curtain leading in was the sole attempt to stop the sounds smells from escaping elsewhere. But there was no denying where the tripe was boiling over, or the stuffed potatoes frying on the pan. Fortunately, the view of the corner was greatest as I climbed onto my step stool and washed some dishes.
The living/dining room was where I avoided so many meals, and where I proudly presented my projects, homeworks and grades. The last great memory I had of it was following the 2002 World Cup, the last few weeks of living there. We were excited to peep out the window immediately after the Final and watch an impromptu parade of Brazilian Washingtonians flashing their flags, honking horns, and blasting their voices and their music with pride.
Similarly, I recall the nights when I, nervous for a Spanish grammar test, would wake up with anxiety and study with the street lights that poured in through the windows, reviewing the verbs that had popped up in my nightmare, and pausing to see the yuppies stumbling back to their apartments below.
April 25, 2000, the afternoon of the shootings at the National Zoo. My sister and I were selecting yogurt flavors at the fridge when we heard a pop pop coming from outside. I can still see the frightened, frantic faces of those who ran for their lives from the zoo. On the night of September 11, 2001, I couldn't sleep. The police were flashing and wailing endlessly down our street. Each light that reflected past my window was another frightened thought in my mind. Other accidents, encounters, arrivals and departures were all witnessed from the views of our 6 windows. We were fortunate enough to live right above the front entrance, and to also have the 2 windows on either side, as well. I look fondly on those windows, and what they showed me and taught me. (Subject of my college essay...)
A rare perspective of 2854 for me. We lived on the 2nd floor, right above the entrance.
Now, 'el apartamento' remains only a memory, a past part of our lives. I long to return and live there everytime I pass by, but all things must change, and I must learn to accept that even if I am lucky enough to return, it will be a completely different experience for me. The days of my childhood, growing up in my beloved Woodley Park, are way past me, and planting myself in the spot where my bed once sat will do nothing but let even more time pass me by.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
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