Train Humor

Last night when I was on my way back to New Gross, I had this drunken fear of getting sick. I hate getting nauseous and always kick myself in the butt for drinking sometimes when this happens. The conductor was in good spirits last night, especially when dealing with other drunk idiots. It may have been possible that he kicked back a few beers or swigged a flask full of happy juice before gathering tickets.

I made sure to be courteous even though I didn't feel well. I enjoy it when people are really friendly so I try to make the same effort to be friendly back. I think I better get along with strangers than people I actually know.

He came by our car once again, joking around with the group sitting behind me. When a conductor gathers tickets, they sometimes hole-punch these little stubs of paper to remind themselves of where each person is going and that they paid. He came by with two this time and hole-punched the shit out of them and gave them both to me...

"You look like this (on left)...when you should be looking like this (on right)," he said smiling to me. He must have noticed my fear of puking and wanted to brighten my evening...er, early morning. I was so touched by this act of kind humor that I almost cried...but this may have been because I was slightly intoxicated. Luckily, I didn't get sick. Phew!

Foodie

Last night in a bout of drunk munchies, Margs and I got some chicken gyros (the closest thing to a kebab) in front of Grand Central before I got on the 1:15am train back to New Gross. Margs was visiting from DC and staying at her aunt's place uptown. It was a good reunion with her and our other study abroad pal DJ Pauly D.

We didn't have time to sit and eat because my train was leaving in 5 minutes so we said a quick goodbye (I hate quick goodbyes, they're too quick - wahh) and I jumped on the train and got a row of seats all to myself. I started going to town on my gyro...I was really hungry and didn't really eat much before hand.

I was getting quite full so I wrapped the mess back up in the foil it came in and put it in the brown paper bag the guy gave me. Mind you, this guy selling street grub had a way with the skillet: it was like Mediterranean artistry when he was making these gyros.

Rewinding about 45 minutes before drunken noms...

We went to a new watering hole to meet up with Toth who was in town as well. We were downtown anyways, so figured going to a different place would be cool. It was called Barramundi, a small hole in the wall but a cool interior. And they had this banging white sangria. I've always been a fan of white wine over red, so this drink was perfection. I think I found a new favorite beverage.

I made friends with two older guys (who each bought me a white sangria - Operation Freequila was in full effect)* who sounded like they were not from America. One was from Connecticut and the other was from Toronto. Okay, at least I was 1 for 2. I struck up conversation with some guy who was closing out his tab and left before he could remember to take his credit card! Ahhhh. I picked it up and looked at DJ Pauly D.
*While I was conversing with the one from Connecticut, the biffle nugget texted me from a foot away asking, "Is that your dad?" Whatever. I'm a college student and I'm single. If I want to save a few bucks on drinks, I'm going to use my boobs, charm, and wit to do so. 

"He left his credit card...should we get a round of drinks?" I asked.
The biffle nugget who came out with us as well clearly had no problem with my suggestion by the look on her face. But then a feeling of guilt came over me before I could ask what everyone wanted to drink. I gave DJ Pauly D the credit card so he could try to find the guy outside but the guy already left. I told him to try to find him on Facebook and message him about his missing card. Hopefully good karma will come out of this situation.

When we left Barramundi, we were walking around for a place to eat. I find this hole in the wall with a huge, bright PIZZA sign above it. But it was mad sketchy - apparently that's what Kayla said to me. We turned around, opted to find a cab instead. While walking through the semi-empty streets and taking ridiculous pictures, I slipped in the post-storm slush and fell...on my ass. Dirty snow on my bum. And this gross dirt stain on my hands. "I just fell on my butt...I just fell on my butt...I JUST FELL ON MY BUTT!" Oh well, it was funny.

Back in New Gross, I took a cab that I clearly didn't have enough money to pay for. It cost $6.75 without tip. I only had $3 and some change. I scoop out all the change I have and say I'm so sorry (in Spanish...for some reason I thought he was Spanish) as I give him the dollar bills and handful of change. "Is okay," he says calmly. I felt really really bad.

I woke up at 8am slightly hungover and in a daze. I sat up for a while and realized Ah! My gyro! I quickly get out of bed and look in the pile of shit I took off my body last night and find my purse underneath. I find the brown paper bag in my purse with the leftover mess wrapped up in foil. And sit on my floor in my underwear and band T-shirt (Danger Radio to be exact) and finish my gyro. It was a little cold but still hit the spot.

Gi was up so I go in her room and chat. I told her I ate my leftover street food and she proceeded to give the most disgusted look she could make.

"Wait a minute, you had a gyro in your purse?"
"Well I remembered I still had some left over in my purse so I ate it this morning."
Long pause...
"I can't believe you ate leftover street food that you had in your purse."
Of course she was being sarcastic...I think. I mean, at least she wasn't judging me.

I texted my other friend about how I was feeling hungover...
Tor: How u feeling
Me: Eh. I'm watching real housewives in bed and drinking water
Tor: Alright sounds good. I just woke up. Maybe try eating something
Me: I ate the rest of my kebab I had from last night. It was in my purse lol. I think I'll have some corn.
Tor: Seriously?
Me: Lol I'm a mess.
Tor: Gross.
Me: I know I'm trash.

When it comes to grossed out friends with my post-drinking eating habits, I'm 2 for 2.

(Motivational) Quote of the Day

"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should just dance."

- Unknown

One week down...

Props to myself for surviving the first week of the semester. Actually, no props to me. I would have still been alive regardless of how the week panned out. But I'm glad to say that it wasn't too bad.

So far, I enjoy my classes, and my internship (which I survived), and I'm getting back into the swing of things with crew - the first practice was last Tuesday and we started off the season with a 15k. I finished third among the girls, only ten seconds behind the girl with the fastest time. I thought it'd be tough without my best friend there to suffer with me. I already warned Tor, the other biffle who is a coxswain and doesn't have to worry about the strenuous activity like the rest of us do, that I will have those days where I'll say to her, "I don't know if I can do this." "But you're going to and you can," she said to me. "Oh, I know...I'm just warning you now that I will most likely say that to you when crew gets tough sometimes," I said back, especially with part-time work on campus, my internship, and classes.

My hands are in pain from erging. The blisters and tenderness of the skin on my fingers makes it tough sometimes to grip things like the steering wheel, the erg (duh), and long hard shafts...when we practice rowing in the tank ;) I'm single so I don't have to worry about holding anyone's hand, even though I wouldn't mind having a hand to hold here and there :\

But the week has ended. I'm going to the city tonight to see some long lost study abroad biddies. I've missed them so. Earlier today we had a relay race at practice: 12k. Each team of two had to complete 3k, 2k, 1k, interchanging with their partners. Afterwards, we were timed on a race through the parking garage. For my first relay of the season, we finished third. I know I'll improve overtime if I keep up with the workouts and stay in shape along with eating healthy and straying away from the binge drinking. Besides, I need to budget, so buying bottle after bottle of wine and handles of vodka won't really help me. On occasion it will be nice to have some fun. Drink Responsibly, you know?

Highlight (?)
I told my friend that I would register to do a 10-mile run with her in May in Philly. So maybe training for that will also help me with crew and maintaining good shape. I also told the same friend I'd register to do a 65-mile bike ride with her family. I'm just all about these long distance strenuous activities. Go me.

Talented felines

Probably one of the most sought-after animals on YouTube, well, at least for me. I can watch these animals for hours. Two great cat commercials I saw last night that made me lose it...for no reason in particular. Random cats...greatness.

There are no words...

Back to school...

When I was younger, I dreaded waking up at the ass crack of dawn to go to pre-school. My dad would come into my room and sing this song to get me out of bed and I absolutely hated it..."Juling's goin' to school this morning!!" He would sing it over and over until I whined and stumbled out of bed, with a tired, sourpuss look on my face. I can understand why he's in choir now for our local church back at home.

Anywho, I should've taken advantage of coloring and finger paint and nap time while I was still young. Because college classes are far worse. Not worse, just require more work than eating snack with your peers (who would rather eat their boogers)...I'm talking about my preschool days right there.

Today, I had my first day of classes for the spring semester. Not too bad: two Marketing classes, with some free time in between to catch up with pals and job-search at the library, and late practice with the team indoors. Fortunately, I knew a few people in each class. Don't you love it when you go into a class thinking you'll know not a single soul but end up having an acquaintance suffer in whatever class you're in together? It's great! I have a buddy in Retail Management (some throw in class I had to put in my schedule to fill in my credit quota) and I have a few biddies in Consumer Behavior (which I have with a somewhat Loony Tune professor - she hums as she passes out papers or when she gets the computer warmed up and she's very eco-friendly because I probably heard her say "environment" or "environmentally-friendly" more than 4 times in class today). Either way, she had me laughing.

Oh, and the Retail Management professor sounded like he was from Boston - he sounded like an older version of Matt Damon (unfortunately didn't look the part...er, paat). Talk about the Depaaated. He had us do a "Meet your Colleague" exercise - get acquainted with the person next you. You know, name, hometown, major, and...unusual fact about oneself OR career advice we would give to the following people: Snooki, The Situation, or Justin Bieber.

Overall, it was a pretty good day. We tended to some housekeeping items in each class. Tomorrow I start my internship. My first day. "You excited?" my peers have asked me for the past two weeks. "More nervous, than excited," I'd reply. And it's true. I don't wanna fuck up, especially not on the first day. Then it's back to campus for night class. Huff, I'm gonna need some luck tomorrow. That much closer to the weekend.

Something I want to take note of...

I was ill prepared for practice today: no hair tie and no bobby pins. I can't workout with my hair in my face. So my friend Tor improvised. She grabbed two paper clips to pin my bangs back and it worked wonders. And one of my coaches gave me a stretchy headband thing to use as a hair tie, which worked as well.

I came home and did a shitty parallel park job in front of my house, which I had to redo TWICE before coming inside.

I goofed off with one of my roomies. We were talking on the couch and she was telling me about her "BOOOOOOMB ASS" lunch she had today. Before that, I told her about the paper clips in my hair, and before that my other roomie came outside to show us her outfits she would wear to her internship.

"You look like you're ready to sell me something, and I'd definitely buy it!" I said about her outfit, meaning it looked great. "Are you wearing a tank top underneath your shirt?" I asked. "Yeah," she replied. "No, no tank top. Don't wear a tank top. Cleavage sells," I respond.

"You think people will notice if I wear this skirt twice?" she asked.
"Only if there's vomit on it," I said.
"Or if you piss yourself!" my other roomie says.

Her and I let out a loud cackle of laughter along with my quoting of some lines from Anchorman.

"SMELLS LIKE BIGFOOT'S DICK! UGH IT SMELLS LIKE A DIRTY DIAPER FILLED WITH INDIAN FOOD!" I said.

The moral of the story is this...there isn't one. But now I consider the 3 of us as follows:
Gi is the one with a BOOOOOMB ASS lunch.
I have paper clips in my hair.
And Babbo smells like Indian food.

We're quite a lively, vulgar, funny, out-there bunch. And I love every minute of it :)

(Inspirational) Quote of the Day

"I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful."

- Frederick Perls

Sleet day.

Today marks the first day of my last semester of college. Actually, it really doesn't. I don't have classes on Tuesdays because of my internship, which I'm starting on Thursday. And mind you, an internship that is generally casual in attire - meaning jeans and leggings - I'm all for.

There's a delay until 10am today. But I woke up to the rest of my street attempting to drive away to work or school or watering holes. Keyword: attempting. You can hear their tires balding on the slick pavement covered in slippery ice and powder. Great...so instead of sleeping in til 9am, I woke up at 8am to my neighbor attempting to leave their driveway. I hope they realize they're not doing their tires any good but accelerating in the saaaame spot in their driveway for well over twenty minutes.

After breakfast, I went out to clean my car off. Our driveway, which is on a hill was viciously slippery. Okay, I'm exaggerating but it was still not safe to nonchalantly prance on.

I texted Frump telling him the sleet reminded of a bon bon covered with a hard chocolate shell. "Sounds like some delicious weather," he said. What a clever duuuude! I kinda laughed as I was ripping the layers of ice off of my car. I looked like a barbarian...with UGGs on.

Let's hope this doesn't happen to anybody around here or anywhere. Then again, we must treat our tires like pets. One mustn't rub their tires on the pavement to the point they catch fire. Unless someone wants to reminisce boy scout days and attempt to make one. YOU'RE NOT GETTING A BADGE FOR "FRICTIONING" OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. Fucking clowns.

(Inspirational) Quote of the Day

"When we say things like 'people don't change', it drives scientists crazy. Because change is literally the only constant in all of science. Energy, matter, it's always changing...morphing, merging, growing, dying. It's the way people try not to change that's unnatural. The way we cling to what things were instead of letting them be what they are. The way we cling to old memories instead of forming new ones. The way we insist on believing despite every scientific indication that anything in this lifetime is permanent. Change is constant. How we experience change, that's up to us. It can feel like death or it can feel like a second chance at life. If we open our fingers, loosen our grips, go with it, it can feel like pure adrenaline. Like at any moment we can have another chance at life. Like at any moment we can be born all over again."

- Meredith Grey, Grey' s Anatomy

This had me laughing at the gym today...

And don't think you would never be stupid enough to not look up from your phone. Because even if you didn't fall into a fountain, you would probably bump into a pole, or a person, or fall off a cliff.

Photos of note.

Photos I should have posted long before...

At Target.
Evening.
Middle of December after finals.
A mother is getting her two sons some dinner at the Pizza Hut inside Target.
As you can see, one child proceeds to get the worker's attention by climbing onto the counter (he was probably requesting Stuff'd Crust as would I).
His brother is clad in over-sized glow stick necklaces he enjoyed wearing through his legs.
The mother clearly had a laissez-faire approach to parenting and probably wanted her son's artistic expression to flourish through his choice of fashions.

Christmas dinner at my Aunt's house.
About 430pm in the afternoon.
My dad had some snacks before passing out on the sofa in the living room.
He wanted to get comfortable and rearranged himself in what looks like a post-New Years hung over position.
However, he was simply sleeping. And was sober.

What's up with all the birds?

After coming back to New Gross a few weeks ago, I heard about all these mysterious mass animal deaths occurring all over the world. I understand that Doomsday is going to happen on December 12, 2012 (as stated by those who believe that the world will end) but is this some sort of preview? Who knows. I just feel bad for all those unexplainable deaths. It's uber creepy. Here's an article from The European Union Times: Birds and fish are now dying all around the world

But when I was home before coming back for New Years, I ran some errands with my mom and we saw some seagulls in the shopping center parking lot doing this:

These little shits were taking up some of the parking spots! They just stood there. We stopped and stared from the car windows. It wasn't until I opened my window an inch that they all started to fly near the open crack. Sorry, guys, no food fo' youuu!

Some more housekeeping items...

Along with my introduction to budgeting this semester, I have spent this past week at pre-season training. It  all started when I went to the gym to go running Monday morning. While my friend slept in (you know who you are) instead of meeting me at the gym, I ran 3 miles, elliptical, some weight machines, and wanted to finish with some abs. I proceeded to the core room and ran into one of my coaches.

Fuck, I thought then proceeded to chat with her. I knew about pre-season training this week but had to work at 10am that morning and the training sessions would be all week from 7am to 10am. I figured I'd go on Tuesday. I decided to join the rest of my team in the core room, where they were finishing up the first day of training with some core exercises. I walked in like a late, sweaty, straggler and did two core workouts with them before saying, "Okay, I have to shower. I have work at 10am."

Training wasn't too bad. It's good to be erging again and sweating heaps all over. This will hopefully add some variety to my mostly running regimen. Don't get me wrong, I am sore as hell and this stuff is realllyyyyy tough at times, but it's good to get back into it.

Yesterday, our head coach took those of us who came back to school early for pre-season training (about 13 of us I wanna say) cross country skiing. None of us have done it before but he said it was a great alternative to erging. We would use the same muscles we would normally use when rowing. I fell on my ass a few times and I was the one wayyyy far behind in the back while everyone trekked up front. I even got lapped by an old lady. Oh well, I wasn't too concerned about being with the rest of the pack. The winter park we went to was so scenic and the white snow everywhere was simply amazing and beautiful. I was able to do a lot of thinking on my own in between slips and falls in the snow.

I also worked this week, dealt with a snow storm, did a baby sitting stint, and scarfed down some epic good sushi (much needed by the way because I haven't had it in a longgg time), found a new place for drinks, and cried about my financial credit.

Oh, and saw Black Swan. Talk about weird. "Weird like confusing? Out there? Fucked up?" one of my guy friends asked me. "All of the above," I responded. Overall, it was good. I love Natalie Portman. I want to be her.

This was my fortune after I had sushi last night...hopefully it's true and will happen and be awesome and make me happy.

If you can't read it, it says: A good time to start something new :)

Okay, I'm back.

Now I know I haven't been back to this in a while and I do greatly apologize. It's not like my life has gotten mad busy like it will be this coming spring semester (which starts this coming Wednesday - Tuesday for everyone else but Wednesday for me because I have my internship on Tuesdays & Thursdays).

Yeah, I got an internship :)

Any who, I have been working on campus, working out at the gym, seeing some familiar faces, spending heaps of time in my empty apartment, filling in as a babysitter for one of my roommates, and realizing how broke I am. Yeah, I have like no money to my name.

I had a conversation, er, venting sesh with a good friend of mine and told her via BBM...

Friend: What are you doing today
Me: Not a clue. Almost done at practice. I'll call ya after.
Friend: Let's do something, go somewhere!
Me: Lol yea as long as its cheap. Two of my cards got declined last nite. I called my mom panicking about my financial credit. True Life, I can't afford my collegiate lifestyle
Friend: Oh man, okay maybe not a good idea. I can't either* idk who I think I am
Me: Lol we both think we're paris hilton
*afford her own lifestyle


So, as a start we both went grocery shopping and I did what my mom told me to do (for a while now): budget. Easier said than done, considering the groceries I buy are healthful and tend to last me two weeks. I'm not used to buying food like my mom - whatever is on sale and feeds the family (which now only consists of her and my father since I'm at school) for a whole month, maybe more. Why the hell does healthy food have to be more expensive. Like really? Spinach? You have to cost more than a box of sugary cereal? Ugh.

"Okay, I have $20 to spend on groceries. That's it." - I said this to my friend going into a the local Shop Rite near school. I usually go to a closer grocery store near my apartment but I figured the extra .3 miles was worth the money I'd be saving on food.

While waiting in line to buy my "welfare food" as I called it, I got sad.
"Ugh, this stuff is so not healthy." I say.
"What are you talking about? This stuff is great!" my friend assures me.

I got one of those Saver Cards - you know, those little cards on your key ring that you scan before you pay for groceries and you end up saving like five bucks or so.

"I don't know if these groceries are gonna be twenty dollars," I said to my friend worried.
"Do you only have twenty dollars on you?" my friend asked.
"No, I have $35 cash but I only wanna spend $20. Budgeting, you know."
"Ohh, okay. You're gonna be fiiiiine. That's not gonna be more than twenty dollars."

So after taking out the 12-pack of Ramen noodles ($1.99) and 12-pack of Thomas' English Muffins ($2.49 - yeah, a fucking 12-pack, great deal BUT there's was like weird mold that I saw), I ended up spending only a dollar and some sense over my goal, so not bad. I got A LOT of grub that I hope to last me unless I spiral out of control of stress fest of stuffing my face because I have nothing better to do than sulk about how my life sucks.

I bought Double Fiber bread, peanut butter and jelly, 3 cans of tuna, 3 cans of veggies, 3 boxes of whole wheat pasta, sauce, parmesan cheese, buttery spread, 2 containers of yogurt, a half gallon of skim milk, a yam (to make sweet potato fries with) and a pack of pretzel M&M's (I got my period recently). All for around 21 dollars! Normally, all of that would probably cost me roughly $27 at the place I usually go to. Although I saved money, I had to cut out some of things I usually buy: carrots, hummus, avocados, turkey, whole wheat wraps, sliced cheese, leafy greens, almonds, and the like. Those things, the more healthful items, would cost a lot more than the amount of fiber and whole wheat items I bought today. Huff :( maybe I'll have better regularity with these? Whole wheat overload. I do not wanna be fat wahhhhhhh

Animal junkie.

When I studied abroad I was known for sitting in the computer lab for a straight hour YouTubing (yes, I'm making the website an actual verb) animals. Preferably baby animals. I love them, they are so cute and precious and would make me laugh. I would just sit in there and smile and giggle to myself and my other friends who were doing actual work (i.e. research papers) would look over and get distracted by the cute creatures. I'm weird and I know that :) My nugget roommate posted these videos on my wall. I would also like to mention that I'm a self-proclaimed penguin. Well, not exactly buuuut I would like to think that if I was to be any animal it would be the penguin. They are funny, yet crabby as am I. Enjoy.

Today's diagnosis.

For close to two days now I've been catching up on one of my favorite shows from high school and that would be Grey's Anatomy. I guess with the busy life of college I stopped following the show, let alone having anytime to watch TV at all. The story lines, the romance, the sticky situations, the death and miracles, and memorable quotes and emotional speeches. Watching this show for more than two hours makes me wish I went into medicine. I know it would probably make me wanna pull my hair out and have premature bags under my eyes before the age of 40 but it would keep me busy.*
*when I was younger I wanted to be an anesthesiologist but my parents warned me of the possibilities of getting sued if I ever fucked up and gave a patient the wrong amount of anesthetic.

And this not being busy thing is making bug the fuck out.

I know I said I wanted to makes changes this year but it's a slow start. I have my ups and downs and am uber emotional and I guess I have my PMS to blame for that since the way I'm currently feeling is making me want to blog...or vent. Oh, and I've cried.

I'm sick and tired of being stuck in my house when not many of friends aren't back at school or they are away having great times or going on fun trips. But me, I'm stuck in my house, walking around the minimal space that there is and bugging out. I feel like a housewife and a chauffeur to my other roommates, cleaning the kitchen and vacuuming and doing my laundry while picking them up and dropping them off to and from the city where they go and do fun things. Well, not both but mostly one of them. But within the past two days I've picked one up and dropped the other off. Only to come back to an empty apartment with nothing to do because my other friends are not around.

When I was bitching to a friend about being bored out of my mind, she said that I'm gonna wish I was bored with nothing to do when I become really busy. And this time right now is just a sort of limbo before school starts. Even during these times when I do come back to school before it starts I hope to spend that time with my friends but they're not even around. Do they have lives more fulfilling than mine? Probably, but I really hope not!

I know that I'm going to have no time to be bored and catch up on old episodes of Grey's Anatomy and I'm probably going to cry from being so stressed out more than I cry now. But is it just me or does anyone else get exhausted from being alone or bored? Trust me, I do enjoy me time once in a while but for days at a time makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs or jump off of something really, really high.

I admit that I freak myself out and forget to breath and lash out and say things I don't mean and get emotional and lonely and all of those other feelings that no one wants to feel. I panic and get anxious all because my life is not how I want it to be.

Whenever I get into these moods, I always say I've fallen to my lowest point. But maybe I just think that because of how I'm feeling at the time. And I know the next day I'm going to feel better than I was the day before but everything would still be the same. Life is a roller coaster, especially for girls. We are emotional creatures we are, we are. Back to my marathon. McDreamy will make me feel better I hope :)

Quite a commercial.

Informative. Nonjudgmental. Unabashed.

Zef Vice

Last night I had some friends over. I was anticipating a new episode of True Life, that doc-style show on MTV that follows people based on whatever topic discussed. Last night's was I Have A Fetish, and followed a guy from Maryland with an odd foot fetish and a chick from Atlanta, GA who was a dominatrix*
*Mind you, this guy from Maryland was from Elkton, which is about 20-30 minutes away from my house in Delaware. I should look him up so he can suck on my toes. Eww foul. 

After the show was over, we sat around and watched this show that I'm becoming somewhat addicted to and I've only watched four episodes: The Vice Guide to Everything.

Described as an "online den of nefarious activity and enlightening information technology" (as stated on Google), Vice debuted on MTV earlier this year. I never paid attention to it, only seeing the commercials. It was originally a magazine from Montreal that was started sixteen years ago. I understood that the magazine used to be all about sex, drugs, and rock n' roll but has turned to traveling around the world as a way of reporting news stories. They got more into culture and politics, entertainment, fashion, the environment, among other oddities that one wouldn't necessarily know about a particular country or section of America, including the heroin epidemic & low-riding traditions found in New Mexico and a mock-up of Afghanistan in the middle of California that serves as a training ground for the military. Yes, actors dressed in burqas and talking in Pashto included. View the trailer here!

As I watched the show, the guys going into the different countries had BALLS. Not only were some reporting on peculiar practices in said countries, but they were also going behind "enemy lines" in order to get the inside scoop (i.e. North Korea, West Bank, Liberia, Libya, etc.).

Some of these places would have guards that would shoot them if a camera was seen. The documentarians often had to sneak hidden cameras in when interviewing mafia men, drug lords, or former militiamen who were oftentimes self-proclaimed cannibals.

I couldn't help but gawk for the whole thirty minutes minus commercial time. This show is nuts. But what's so great about it is that each news story they do, they show a second perspective on each topic. So it's not one-sided. These news stories make sense.

I watched as the guys went into a deserted North Korea, talked to a Russian mafia leader, hung out with a former rebel leader who turned into a Evangelical preacher in Libya (this dude used to eat people too), checked out the gun trade in Pakistan, learned how to pick up girls in Yemen, watched Mixed Martial Arts in Brazil (this was "Vale Tudo" as is "Anything Goes"), discuss Bass music in San Francisco, race stolen cars in the West Bank, and participate in a "crossing the border" re-enactment at a family-friendly amusement park in Mexico. Yeah, I kinda wish I was involved in this shit.

One of the places they also went was Johannesburg, South Africa to meet a group of misfits that are becoming popular on the music scene with their genre called "Zef." This group is Die Antwoord (pronounced 'dIe antVord'). I've heard of them from A/P/G who wore a Zef Side shirt to work orientation. For some reason I wanted to punch her in the face after I saw her with that shirt on. Anyways, the name of their group is Afrikaans for "The Answer", and members Ninja, Yo-Landi, and DJ Hi-Tek compile a unique sound of rap, some dubstep noises, and....zef?

Zef is a South African slang term for unique and modern South African style. A little bit of old and a little bit of new South Africa. High class, white trash? Possibly, but groovier. Here's their video for "Zef Side", which may help you get a better idea of this group and their sound and their personality?


There's something about Ninja's cool demeanor that makes this group so cool. They were first popular in their native South Africa then came booming onto the American music scene at Coachella and now have a sold out tour. Wow, who knew what an old PC computer can do (apparently, that's what DJ Hi-Tek uses) along with some Afrikaan rap about sex, drugs, and "whatever man, fuck."

Mimosas and countdown to OWN

Despite my plans being shit on yet again (I'm just not good at this whole planning thing sometimes, most of the time actually). Well, actually no. I just have frosted flake friends. No names, of course but let's just say I wouldn't have left Delaware, on my mother's birthday, to come back to New Gross and toast with bottles of Coor's Light in celebration of 2011. Initially, I was going to brave the city and bullshit around the town. But maybe next year.

Instead, I went to Jersey and spent it with Tor, her boyfriend, and cousins...and some gay men as well. Lots of them :)

Her cousin was house-sitting a pseudo-famous, ex-wife-to-a-former-celeb's house for the holidays. Gay friendly all around but not naming any names. It was in the wooded area of New York, close to Jersey. Although I knew the people I came to the party with, I had to put on my social pants and meet some new people and I didn't mind that. And I didn't mind trying chili-infused tequila either. It was awesome; mild in the back of the throat but subsides shortly after.

I met an array of characters: an extra from the Blind Side, an Abercrombie model (who was somewhat too pretty to introduce himself in the beginning like everyone else did), an untrained Cockapoo (combination of Cocker spaniel & Poodle) that drank out of wine glasses and ate all the left-over Christmas cookies, an eccentric Education grad amidst all of the Theater graduates (i.e. "WHERE'S THE PROSECCO?!" & "UGH, IT SMELLS DISGUSTING UP HERE!"), and some gay men. They are just spectacular! And make great breakfast the next morning for us hungover peeps. Well, I wasn't hungover at all luckily.

While waiting for one of the guys to make breakfast, we watched a countdown to Oprah's new network OWN. Apparently, it was taking the place of Discovery Health at noon on January 1st. And it was a reason to celebrate, at least to the guys at the house*
*They also had a countdown for Bette Midler's special on HBO the night before. Apparently both this special and Oprah's new network were news to me considering I had no idea about either until the countdowns ensued and the cocktails were made for those specific reasons. 

I never had a Mimosa before. They were great!

So far, this new year is treating me with generosity. Or at least not so many moments where I have to say to myself, "This would happen to me." Okay maybe one, but that's for another blog post. And I'm sure after saying "this new year is treating me with generosity" I'm going to find my rent check stolen out of the mailbox or see that my car has been towed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!