Taipei, Taiwan

International travel has left me BAMBOOZLED. (I wasn't aware of the present time or day until trying to write this post)
But for all the hassle of connecting flights and security checks, I finally got to settle in Taipei, Taiwan, or at least for a day. Tomorrow morning, I leave for the Philippines.

We flew on Malaysia Airlines from LAX (L.A. International Airport), which was pretty sweet for 14 hours of airtime. All kinds of Asian people, lady attendants dressed in Asian dresses (shocker), meals, leg space, and sweet monitors embedded into the seat in front of you, complete with games, recent movies, and music. All included in the ticket fare!

Taipei's airport was basically deserted when we got there. The advertisements were brightly colored, featuing cute cartoons, as one might expect an Asian country to have. There are signs about H1N1 virus and hand sanitizer everywhere - quarantine is no joke either, they had heat sensing cameras! COOL!

Fast forward 2 hours later, and we took a double decker bus to the hotel.

Mighty Fine Albums

WHAT MAKES AN ALBUM SO SPECIAL?
Vinyl, CD, or digital download, an album provides a true insight on an artist's creativity and hard work. Instead of listening to a 3 minute song on the radio, you are forced to bask in several songs from the same artist, track after track after track. Do these songs fit together? Does it bore you for a bit then finally pick up? Are you let down with the new musical direction? Or are you frantically skipping to the song you heard on the radio?

If you're lucky, you'll stumble upon a couple of mighty fine albums yourself. The albums listed below have not only heightened my respect for the artists themselves, but are solid gold from start to finish.

Take a break from our search-download-play state of mind, and just listen.

In no particular order...

Electronic-Pop
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF
by Imogen Heap

DISCOVERY
by Daft Punk

ANGEL MILK
by Telepopmusik

FAME
by Lady Gaga

LIKE VINES
by The Hush Sound

BAD
by Michael Jackson

THRILLER
by Michael Jackson

R&B, Soul - Hip-Hop
DIARY OF ALICIA KEYS
by Alicia Keys

THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL
by Lauryn Hill

MAMA'S GUN
by Erykah Badu

GET LIFTED
by John Legend

CORINNE BAILEY RAE
by Corinne Bailey Rae

GRADUATION
by Kanye West

Alternative - Acoustic
PARACHUTES
by Coldplay

OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SEA
by Oren Lavie

THE REMINDER
by Feist

INBETWEEN DREAMS
by Jack Johnson

MUTEMATH
by Mutemath


What are your favorite albums?

Measurements

I usually like to make my posts USEFUL to someone out there, but this drawing made me laugh. I'd say it's pretty accurate besides the too strong shoulde rs and pronounced hips. And the fact that I'm wearing heels, when the height recorded is me without shoes. Me and my mom were taking our measurements for our dresses in my grandparent's 50th anniversary.

I'm also going to play fashion blogger for a sec. Apparently, everyone thought my outfit was cute today. I felt like a comfy grandma.

BTW: these pictures are taken by my cellphone, LG Chocolate Touch (which I should write a review about) in low-light settings WITH minor touch-ups.

Where did you get your shoes?
My mom's Sporto Boots from the 90's. Found them in the garage.

you look like christmas.
comfy red sweater from thrift store, black turtleneck under summer dress.

calvin klein tights from TjMaxx, my oh my they are COMFY!

I still think the guys at lookbook.nu are the real fashionistas! I only put together outfits every once in a while.

One last thought: Gr, it's FINALLY getting colder. That means no more pretty leaves and opportunities to wear leggings. =[

super quick ! Opinion/Review: New Moon

QUICK VERDICT: Diehard fan or pressured to go, the impressive visual experience, believable acting, and of course, the complicated romance, makes New Moon worth your $9.

WHO YOU'LL SIT NEXT TO: General fans (the obsessed ones have already seen it), dates, girls, groups of teenagers, moms, boys dragged along, girls

PLOT: Bella doesn't want to age. Edward makes a clean break from Bella and leaves her devastated. Bella becomes a social recluse, has nightmares, and sees apparitions of Edward every time she does something dangerous. Bella befriends ridiculously buff, werewolf Jacob. The definition of Jacob and Bella's friendship constantly gets blurred. When Bella gets word that Edward will kill himself, she jets off to save him...and I really don't want to reveal the conclusion.

SPARE ME: Bella's pathetic depression, cheesy humor, Bella's depression (it's that annoying)

Vibes: American University

I'm a HORRIBLE blogger. There were so many things I could have ranted about, such as my first (and last) homecoming dance, my first trip to NYC, my school struggles, the pretty sights I've been seeing this fall (I swear I've seen the prettiest foliage this year...I love fall!!), the annoying college process. The list goes on and on and on...

But tonight, I will post about the vibes I got from my visit to American University, a private university in D.C., and also the only private school I'm applying to (price IS important).

Enjoy and read analytically!


Why AU? Awesome communications and study abroad program, location (beautiful suburban D.C.), size (medium sized)
I'm interested in... SOC- school of communications
Yikes ! AU estimates that the price for a full time undergrad for 1 year is about $40,000 + (tuition+room/meal+other expenses)
BUT their financial aid dept. has a good rep and they make sure their students don't run into any administrative problems (we're talking faculty and student advisors that are easily accessible)
They're so D.C... The overwhelming majority of students here are enthusiastic about politics, extremely driven, and competitive. They are also white...and rich.

Alas, another rainy day (perhaps this is a sign???). Yet the rain didn't detract from the beauty of the campus at all. Even driving there was a sight to see, as we drove by Embassy Row and the residential area of upper class D.C. Upon entering the actual campus, I was attracted to the abundance of beautiful trees and very elegant buildings. My tour guide, Nadia, described AU as the best of the worlds, and I agree. It's a college nestled in residential D.C., and a shuttle and metro ride away to the more city like D.C.

Most kids dressed casually and some girls donned colorful rain boots ( I need to get myself a pair). To sound stereotypical and shallow, the students looked like the politically oriented, studious, intellectual people they probably are. There are many more girls than guys, and there is a strong gay community. I feel a teeny bit out of place because politics confuses me (well, not the actual process itself, but the issues, which takes tons of research to truly understand). I feel like a complete slacker compared to them. In the info session alone, I was intimidated. This one senior from D.C. said his school required the completion of 1 internship - he had 5. A junior from New Hampshire volunteered on various political campaigns. Even the parents were asking questions like they were journalists on a mission. Will I rise to the challenge or blend in the background next to these ambitious students?

Why so serious?

I was surprised to see that not many people were wearing AU apparel, but the tour guide was very excited about their basketball team (they have no football team). Again, sports don't really mean much to me, but I do appreciate good school spirit. I think I'd have fun watching a basketball game here, but I do wonder how spirited AU actually is.

A view of AU's pool. Access to their nice gym is free, but it ought to be for their sticker price.

some students (mostly female) in one of the cafeterias

Dorm life here is comparable to College Park and UMBC (i.e. community bathrooms), but they have a really nice closet system/arrangement of furniture going on here.


If College Park and American were the same price, I think I'd still go to College Park. American is wonderful, but it seems...older, too refined for the state of mind I'm in right now. Maybe when I'm older.

UMBC Campus Visit

This is the second campus I've visited (first one was College Park), so I'll do a quick run down of first impressions and some comparison to College Park, since they are both part of the University of Maryland system. Think about what YOU want in a college, then form an educated opinion!

Why UMBC? Price (public state school), location (near Baltimore inner harbor), size (medium sized)
I'm interested in...media & communications ( an extremely new major to UMBC's curriculum!)
It's kind of different...there are no rolling green hills, Greek life isn't huge, and sports aren't huge (homecoming = soccer, they made it to the "Final Four" of chess last year)
BUT you are guaranteed a quality education and many support resources!

This is probably a horrible way to start off this post, but we couldn't take pics outside because it was raining all day. But as mentioned, this is not your typical green, quad based campus. I'd call it "industrious" and the buildings are very business like. Walking through the campus was refreshing because of all the diversity (both College Park and Baltimore push this aspect SO much). Most kids were casually dressed, and a lot of yellow UMBC hoodies brightened the otherwise very dreary day. This is going to sound so shaky, but it seemed like all the nerdyish kids seemed completely comfortable at UMBC. I could imagine finding a good group of friends here.

Walking's not much of a problem, seeing as most of the academic classes are conveniently placed in "Academic Row." The smaller classes have seats like traditional high schools, and the lecture halls are pretty nice (not as nearly as big as College Park). The overall atmosphere was chill (maybe because it was a rainy day??) and you really feel like as if you're in a semi-knit community.

Now on to the very few pictures my dad took...
This is the entrance to the gym. The gym facilities were not very impressive...in fact they were pretty dinky. The basketball court reminds me of North Point's gym, except bigger. If you're into physical activity, there are plenty of things to do, but the facilities aren't top notch at all.



Now on to dorm life! In my opinion, these dorms are better than College Park. The rooms are more spacious and no community bathrooms! If you're in a double room, you share a bathroom with the room next to you. Each room comes with a wardrobe since there is no closet, a microfridge, 2 twin beds, and a sink. Each floor is co-ed and has your standard commons type room.


Awh, man I forgot the name of this library. It has a coffee shop, a computer lab, areas for free tutoring/assistance, and of course books! They just added a digital photo database too. In terms of having access to materials, you're bound to find something revelent. But the library budget got cut recently (as well as College Park). Well actually, it seems like everyone's budgets are getting slashed these days.


The last stop was The Commons, a place for students to eat, play, and chill.

Beyond the campus you can take the MTA bus to the Inner Harbor or drive yourself wherever (freshmen can have cars in a satellite parking area).

Final shot:
UMBC didn't have that "wow" factor like College Park had. BUT I'm quite the introvert - the laidback atmosphere of the campus would really suit me. The size of the campus, its classes, and all the effort this school puts into making sure their students are on the right track are big plusses for me. Their Media & Communications track may be new , but I'm completely excited about the course load. They might not have the most prestigious journalism program or brand new facilities (like the Knight Building at College Park), but I don't think I'd mind going here. For now, I'm still pushing for that classic experience - feeling overwhelmed, football games, & school spirit .

My only irk is that their newspaper, The Retriever, sounds like it's written by rookies, almost like high school!

National Book Festival in D.C.

I've never seen so many literature geeks gather in one place at the same time. Myself included! I'm talking huge lines for big names such as James Patterson, John Grisham, Judy Blume, etc. Awh, man do I miss literature. Most of my reading material now are non-fiction, via magazine or the internet. I'm waiting for the digital age of literature...I soooo want a Kindle (or w/e version they have of it in the future) when I'm older.

The day started at about 7 a.m., meeting at Mcdonald's in good ol Chuck County. We were a couple hours early to the event - they were still setting up by the time we got there. So we took pictures!

and walked around.

Nicholas Sparks was only signing his latest novel, so I got a good spot here/suckers behind me (ended up being 4 total long lines!)

my view from sitting down/ look how enthusiastic she is!

Judy sigining my book =]

Then I went back to my friends faithfully waiting for Sparks to come. It was finally our turn, with no latest copy of his book, and took a quick pic. He was quite confused. We were quite angry. (my friend has the pic...)

After, we got out of that place, and chilled (literally, it was chilly and rainy) in D.C. Walked to Chinatown, jaywalked, ended up eating at Las Tapas, and for the most part, window shopped at H&M and Urban Outfitters. I got some good naps on the metro and the final car ride home. What an interesting day!

FOR THE FUTURE:

• screw book signing, next year I'm listening to the authors read and stocking my bag with free stuff.
• Tapas restaurants serve itty-bitty portions. (it's fun to share) So stock up! Unless you are in D.C., and each bite sized dish costs a whole meal.

There Are No Sidewalks in Charles County

I never thought I'd be posting an essay(well it wasn't officially assigned as an essay, but I felt compelled to...) as a blog post, but I really liked this assignment. I think anyone who has spent years in a suburban town or Charles County can really appreciate it.

Assignment:
Write about your town and experiences here in Charles County from a Realist's point of view. Include details about setting, the people, the values, and the day-to-day life. Do not forget to include those elements that are particularly important to realists.

There Are No Sidewalks in Charles County

My second cousin’s fiancée told me that when I’m an adult, but not ready for a family, I should live in the city. We were walking through D.C. that night, celebrating my cousin’s birthday. I took in the pedestrian friendly city, parallel parking spaces, lamp posts, tall town houses, and restaurants awaiting late night arrivals. “I could get used to this,” I thought, walking several blocks to a local bakery, “I wouldn’t mind walking.” But then I felt my learners’ permit in my pocket, remembering there are no sidewalks in Charles County.

Well, there are sidewalks – they’re just hidden, deep in the complex neighborhoods, where families live. Where most parents commute to the city, boarding the quiet commuter buses full of strangers before the sun rises. Where there are children, who rise a few hours later, waiting for a big yellow bus filled with friendly chatter. After school is over, available parents drop their kids off to soccer practice, Girl Scouts, youth orchestra, or the many activities this bustling community offers. You could grow up in this town, cycling through all the grade systems, moving up to better housing, passing by all the big box retailers. I did.


Retail is slow during the day, a few stragglers here and there. But on the weekends, 228 is filled with teenagers heading towards their part time jobs, people with grocery lists in mind, and shoppers trying to make the 1 p.m. sale at Macy’s. The mall was built on a swamp, as the Waldorf Marketplace took the place of trees. I remember, because I’ve lived here all my life. I remember when traffic wasn’t so congested, when Circuit City was still in business, and the mall was nothing pretty to look at. But Waldorf continues to reconfigure its’ image, appealing to its ever growing population of suburbians.

Some may complain about the lack of culture, but this is no place for an art gallery or an indie music scene. You can, however, befriend another family and foster a relationship for years, or watch it fade away. You can have an adventure in a neighbor’s backyard, you can relax on your front porch or backyard deck.

The weight of my life is tied down in this urban sprawl, owning the precious memories I have. I don’t resent it, though. I imagine I’ll move out of this town when I leave for college, get a job, and live my life in the city. I’ll get tired of walking everywhere, a ring will be placed on my left hand, and I’ll opt to move some place “slower” – a place with all of my needs, but all of my wants outside its borders.

The streets of Charles County may be quiet by 10, but the repeated life cycles move faster than the D.C. metro rails.

Is this what college is like?

Taking notes, studying (mainly by yourself), test?!
BLOWSSSSSSSS.
anyways, this pic. was taken by my dad, who is still infatuated with his Nikon D90, making models out of me, my bro, and my mom.
I think it pretty much represents me right now, studying while being distracted by music and social networking sites.by the way, the song I'm listening to is called Siempre Me Quedara by Bebe.
She is from Spain, and appears to be quite popular in the pop region. The song I mentioned is one of her more stripped down songs, featuring her raspy voice, minimal percussion, and guitar strings to die for! If you have time, listen to her album Pafuera Telaranas - it's pretty solid.

As an aspiring journalist, it's unfortunate that I have minimal opportunities to practice any journalism skills. My school doesn't even have a newspaper. Though, I am trying my hardest to document Key Club through upkeep of the website and photos/video. I even made a video after the first meeting!

Sorry for the minimal posting, a combo. of procrastinating and zero inspiration on my part.
Though I am going to play tennis with my friend Yuri this weekend (we both suck, so that should be interesting) and I'm touring University of Maryland - College Park next friday! I'm so excited!

My Sincerest Apology

I'M DROWNING IN HOMEWORK.

First Day of Senior Year

I realize this is a day late, but I was busy the other night.
I still feel it serves its purpose.
Excuse crappy editing and audio...

Fan of Panera Bread?

Atmosphere can change a lot about how we perceive a place.

When I step into Panera Bread, I feel more sophisticated, taking in the organic color scheme and "FRESH" plastered everywhere. The vision of wholesome bread makes me feel proud to eat somewhere much more upper class than say, McDonald's.

Even the menu gets me excited with names like "Chicken Bacon Dijon" and "Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice". When I finally sit down, I happily scan my meal and take a bite into my hot, crispy Panini. After taking my last bite and last slurp of my soup, I am satisfied, and go about my day.

However, the next time I eat at Panera Bread, I might not feel so satisfied. I might even feel as sheepishly guilty as I do when I devour a BigMac. McDonald's has to make their nutritional values so obvious they stick it onto the packaging. Panera Bread customers buy into that "intimate" feel and don't think twice about the nutritional values (which are comparable, sometimes worse, than any other fast food chain). I'm not a health nut, but it's interesting how a simple environment can drastically change somebody's feelings and opinions about a place. I assume that companies relentlessly abuse this.


Smokehouse Turkey Panini In the end, are we all just pawns of mega corporations?

my 16 year old self

reflection

You know what I like about staying at home? You can be totally selfish and have some dedicated "me" time. You can watch the Woodstock 40th anniversary recap on the History Channel and make all the annoying comments you want to. You can listen to the Silversun Pickups with no objections. And sometimes, you learn things about yourself.

This is how I want to remember my sixteen year old self:
selfish, timid, fascinated, lazy, dorky, book worm, plain, daydreamer, confused, frustrated, warm, faithful, realistic, closet fashionista...excited for life!

HOW DO YOU want to remember your 16 year old self? How much have you changed since then?




To my small, small group of readers, I love you all! I'm glad I can put a smile on your face.

Quite the Tank Top

On my back to school wishlist (which, judging by the past few years, never get to accomplish), I want this tank top from Forever 21.

Pretty schnazzy, I'd say.

On another note, I'm in driving school this and next week. Learning a lot of interesting things, watching lame videos, and trying to make the road a safer place. Most drivers are so obnoxious, really....

Underwater Pictures

My Olympus Stylus 1050 SW doesn't take the greatest quality of pictures, has slow shutter speed, and an auto ISO that drives me crazy, but it IS 10 ft. waterproof (and shockproof and cold weather resistant). Needless to say, me and my friends had loads of fun taking underwater shots in the pool!

SENIOR STATUS

How lame, this is the second entry of the day =D
But I just got my senior picture proofs in the mail, which is -kinda- epic, considering I haven't bought school pictures since the 8th grade.
I'm still convinced that Lifetouch, in any way, shape, or form, is a complete rip-off. But at least for the senior photo session (I just got basic head shots), they seemed to show more professionalism.

flashback PRE-K

my top picks...

standard yearbook photo

lovely plastic rose

cap & gown 2010

and alas, my favorite. there's something timeless about black & white.

And here's where I impart my wisdom
The higher the sitting fee (which usually involves way more poses and outfit changes) the more expensive your actual photo package will cost. Because, of course if you paid to take all those poses, you're not going to get just 2 poses printed. Looking back, I should have just gotten the most basic of the packages, instead of including the cap and gown.

Be frugal, my friends!

COLLEGE preparations

The path to higher education has always been a goal of mine.
It seems about right, it seems stable.
Find a college, get accepted, acquire some respectable degree, get a job.
But HELL, it's not even November, and I'm already stressing out.
Endless search engines, taking in the many numbers thrown at you, campus tours (which, unfortunately, I've taken none yet)...just so many factors to consider.

SO, to keep my sanity and thwart summer boredom, I've organized the chaos of what is, the College Application process.

"Photoshoot" w. Julia & Sarah

1 amateur photographer
2 best friends w/ no modeling experience
1 great experience!

Though I can't say the photos are magazine worthy, I've learned a lot from this fun session.
1. Planning and having everyone understand the theme is a must.
2. You have to pay attention to everything in the frame. One branch, one leaf, or a busy background can instantly detract from the picture.
3. Having bright sunlight shine directly in your subject's face will equal FAILURE.
4. Location is key.
5. Manage your time wisely and don't get sidetracked by heart-warming movies, such us UP.
6. Don't say your negative/confused thoughts outloud...it can dishearten your model.
7. Walk all around your location and try to visualize shots/poses.
8. Take breaks every now and then, esp. if it's hot and humid outside.
9. Laugh at failed attempts with your models.
10. Look over all photos and pick out absolute favorites.

Below are my top picks from the photo shoot:

Happy 95 years, I.N.C.

Well, the actual anniversary was yesterday, but I was too knocked out to write a post.
Long live Iglesia Ni Cristo.
pics later.

6 Flags - EDIT

To ease the awkwardness between have fun with my classmate friend Tommy, and my dear friend Michelle, me and my brother went to 6 flags with them. We went to arguably the most ghetto 6 flags in America (no joke!). But the weather was bearable & the lines were short (except the Bat Wing)

and here....was the highlight of the day.



Also, I finally finished my tote bag. It's a just a navy canvas tote I bought with a rice bag cover sewed on the cover w/ a red&white striped strap.





pockets for a pen/pencil & my cell phone



I can wear it cross-shoulder or one-shoulder.

Recycled Fashion Trends

For my grandparents GOLDEN anniversary, I am putting together a slideshow so everyone can reminisce on the "progress" of the Ramos family. 1 married couple, 7 kids, & 15-16 grandkids (it seems like they pop out babies every year - I tend to forget). WHOO!

Anyways, back to the title.
While browsing through many old photos, I can't help but notice the clothes that they are wearing. The silhouettes, the colors, the accessories, the shoes - it all fascinates me. Mainly because the fashion industry continues to recycle old trends! However, I am excited. High-waisted bottoms, feminine dresses, and conservative tops are the epitome of "classic" ladies. Pulling off sexy without having clothes clinging to your skin is always alluring.

I'm going to have to go thrift store shopping soon.





my auntie reina in the 90's I guess

my ate anna and her friend. their floral dresses are to die for!

my mom (left) and auntie reina look very comfortable in their slightly slouchy jeans and simple t-shirts.


Death to whoever deems bell bottoms cool. But I do like everyone's belts.

my mom's shirt would fit in with the current zipper trend. I never did like those ridiculous perms.

nice 'stache, uncle larry. my auntie winny looks so dainty in that dress.

just for laughs =D