From the LA Times....
You consult your astrologer for everything from craziness to confusion to love. Did you know she's a travel agent, too? Places have compatibility with sun signs, just like people do. Crazy, but true -- these places seem to intuitively match their sun signs!
[...]
Capricorn: Places rich in tradition and history allow you to connect to your roots. Your roots ground you to your earthy spiritual center, your wisdom touchstone. The Capricorn city of Ravenna, Italy is off the beaten path -- perfect for the solitary Goat. Fifth and 6th century churches with Byzantine mosaics are visual and spiritual feasts. It's small enough that you can walk everywhere. Local Cap City: Seattle.
[...]
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
woo hoo... it's finally summer!
Here's a pic I took of Union Square this afternoon.
Absolutely gorgeous day in the City, and even better, the office closed early for the holiday! The weather was near-perfect --- 80's and hardly any humidity. Keeping fingers crossed that it stays like this the whole weekend.
Have a good one, all!!!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
westside sunday: a walk and i-scream
Some pics from the AIDSwalk this weekend... We handed out 20,000 frozen treats to walkers, including college friends from the TEP Phi Chi Alumni Chapter. Over half of the treats were generously donated by Sach and Suzy's family business, Rajbhog Foods, available on FreshDirect.
Afterward, a group of us hung out in the Upper Westside taking full advantage of all-day Happy Hour prices and a neighborhood street fair.
Do good = good times.
SHORT VIDEOS: One of the kids shows off her skills!!! Check it out.
Afterward, a group of us hung out in the Upper Westside taking full advantage of all-day Happy Hour prices and a neighborhood street fair.
Do good = good times.
SHORT VIDEOS: One of the kids shows off her skills!!! Check it out.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
mark, marisa and john's amazing [nyc] race
A group of friends gathered on Saturday for some friendly competition (bragging rights and $250 in cash at stake to win a zany race)... The guests turned out to be the entertainment (and food delivery service, it seems). My team was only seven minutes behind the winners (which sucks 'cuz I brought in a ringer and could've used the dough during Sunday's shopping trip to the Woodbury Common outlets...). The last team showed up over half an hour after us. Sorry, Suzy-- no commission for you!!!
According to the bday peeps (our hosts): "It's the Amazing Race meets favorite NYC scenes from movies and TV shows!"
MARISA HANDS OVER EACH TEAM'S MISSION...
WHO YA GONNA CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS
GRAND CENTRAL STATION - LEX LUTHOR'S LAIR
ON THE TRAIN...
UPPER WEST SIDE - Fools Rush In (literally)
MSG - site of countless flicks, including that Matthew McConaughey-Kate Hudson classic, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (woo hoo!)
TRINITY CHURCH, WALL STREET - National Treasure
TEAM TWO - the winners
TEAM ONE - who should have won!
PARTY PICS - Mark & Marisa's
According to the bday peeps (our hosts): "It's the Amazing Race meets favorite NYC scenes from movies and TV shows!"
MARISA HANDS OVER EACH TEAM'S MISSION...
WHO YA GONNA CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS
GRAND CENTRAL STATION - LEX LUTHOR'S LAIR
ON THE TRAIN...
UPPER WEST SIDE - Fools Rush In (literally)
MSG - site of countless flicks, including that Matthew McConaughey-Kate Hudson classic, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (woo hoo!)
TRINITY CHURCH, WALL STREET - National Treasure
TEAM TWO - the winners
TEAM ONE - who should have won!
PARTY PICS - Mark & Marisa's
Thursday, May 10, 2007
understanding your 'real' problem
From ConnectIT (of all places!?!)
Everyone has heard the expressions, We bring it all on, ourselves and You are your own worst enemy!" Healthy-minded individuals - for the most part - acknowledge the wisdom in statements like these. So why then, do so many of us have difficulty [a problem] addressing and rectifying what is accepted and obvious? The answer may not be all that mysterious.
Problem solving, like other human behavioral activities, is an art and a science that is learned. The fact that some learn quicker or more naturally than others, is just a part of being human. Nevertheless, there are techniques and strategies people can learn to recognize and respond to life's ongoing challenges.
Think for a moment about the biggest problems you face today. Stop what you are doing and allow yourself a couple of minutes to fully concentrate on the obstructions in your life that are causing you stress. [Note: Stress is the natural outcome from unresolved problems.]
That completed, step back from your thoughts to reflect and ask yourself : When you thought about your problems, was your mind focused on "The Problem" the "Result of the Problem" [potential or otherwise] -- or was it focused on the "Solution for the Problem"?
At this point, it may be helpful to do this exercise again.
Not surprisingly, those untrained or mentally unequipped to deal with problem solving, find that they focus single-mindedly on -- are you ready for this? -- the "Result of the Problem" [potential or otherwise]. Simply put, they allow incredible life-debilitating stress into their mind and thoughts regarding what they believe could, should, might or will happen as a result of the problem. This way of thinking serves only to denigrate the healthy and stress free mental state they could be experiencing and life has to share.
Emphasis on the words "Potential or Otherwise" is another integral hallmark of the improper, albeit, natural way people invite stress to take hold of their life. Studies by psychologists around the world on human behavior confirm unequivocally, 90-95% of all that we worry about, never comes to fruition. It simply never materializes! All that stress and worry for situations that never exist.
Try and recall all the things you did, did not do or could not do for fear of outcomes from problems that never happened. Now look forward to determine what is likely to cause stress and hold you back in the near future -- which brings us to the fundamental pitfalls of concentrating only on the "Problem"
No one is sacrosanct [untouchable] from life's challenges both large and small. Even the most successful among us have them. Recognizing now that unwanted stress is frequently caused by nonexistent problems, one can quickly learn to minimize negative thoughts by qualifying whether a problem is, in fact, a problem.
A simple way to do this is to write the problem onto a piece of paper. This act, in itself, serves to minimize most problems simply by seeing it in print. The second step is to write:
a) The very Best possible outcome -- should the problem occur, and,
b) The very Worst possible outcome - should the problem occur.
Having done this, there are three "Stress-Diminishing" Laws, one can consider and also take comfort.
1) The problem always looks less intimidating when it is in print.
2) 90-95% of all problems never come to fruition. Never materialize! and,
3) Should the problem be real and actually occur, the outcome is "rarely" the Best outcome or Worst outcome you have identified on paper. It is always somewhere in the middle -- inevitably closer to the more favorable expectation. That discovery, serves again to minimize most problems, putting them into proper perspective while at the same time, minimizing the stress level associated with it .
This proven process also engenders more clear and enlightened thought, allowing one to better focus on appropriate solutions. Furthermore, it is the characteristic of the trained problem solver. They are quick to Qualify / Quantify a given challenge, and then if it is determined to be real, immediately turn their attention to the solution - bypassing the added stress of fruitless, negative speculation.
In simpler words, they employ a self-talk mantra that plays out something like this: "Clearly, the problem 'Is what it Is' -- So what am I going to do to fix it?"
The Bottom Line:
The secret to problem solving and stress relief lie in our ability to Recognize and Respond to REAL challenges - not wasting precious time and energy on manufactured, angst-ridden influences that may never arise. Those who learn to master this strategy, are reassured to realize that they have far less stress and fewer problems than they once speculated and worried so much about!
Everyone has heard the expressions, We bring it all on, ourselves and You are your own worst enemy!" Healthy-minded individuals - for the most part - acknowledge the wisdom in statements like these. So why then, do so many of us have difficulty [a problem] addressing and rectifying what is accepted and obvious? The answer may not be all that mysterious.
Problem solving, like other human behavioral activities, is an art and a science that is learned. The fact that some learn quicker or more naturally than others, is just a part of being human. Nevertheless, there are techniques and strategies people can learn to recognize and respond to life's ongoing challenges.
Think for a moment about the biggest problems you face today. Stop what you are doing and allow yourself a couple of minutes to fully concentrate on the obstructions in your life that are causing you stress. [Note: Stress is the natural outcome from unresolved problems.]
That completed, step back from your thoughts to reflect and ask yourself : When you thought about your problems, was your mind focused on "The Problem" the "Result of the Problem" [potential or otherwise] -- or was it focused on the "Solution for the Problem"?
At this point, it may be helpful to do this exercise again.
Not surprisingly, those untrained or mentally unequipped to deal with problem solving, find that they focus single-mindedly on -- are you ready for this? -- the "Result of the Problem" [potential or otherwise]. Simply put, they allow incredible life-debilitating stress into their mind and thoughts regarding what they believe could, should, might or will happen as a result of the problem. This way of thinking serves only to denigrate the healthy and stress free mental state they could be experiencing and life has to share.
Emphasis on the words "Potential or Otherwise" is another integral hallmark of the improper, albeit, natural way people invite stress to take hold of their life. Studies by psychologists around the world on human behavior confirm unequivocally, 90-95% of all that we worry about, never comes to fruition. It simply never materializes! All that stress and worry for situations that never exist.
Try and recall all the things you did, did not do or could not do for fear of outcomes from problems that never happened. Now look forward to determine what is likely to cause stress and hold you back in the near future -- which brings us to the fundamental pitfalls of concentrating only on the "Problem"
No one is sacrosanct [untouchable] from life's challenges both large and small. Even the most successful among us have them. Recognizing now that unwanted stress is frequently caused by nonexistent problems, one can quickly learn to minimize negative thoughts by qualifying whether a problem is, in fact, a problem.
A simple way to do this is to write the problem onto a piece of paper. This act, in itself, serves to minimize most problems simply by seeing it in print. The second step is to write:
a) The very Best possible outcome -- should the problem occur, and,
b) The very Worst possible outcome - should the problem occur.
Having done this, there are three "Stress-Diminishing" Laws, one can consider and also take comfort.
1) The problem always looks less intimidating when it is in print.
2) 90-95% of all problems never come to fruition. Never materialize! and,
3) Should the problem be real and actually occur, the outcome is "rarely" the Best outcome or Worst outcome you have identified on paper. It is always somewhere in the middle -- inevitably closer to the more favorable expectation. That discovery, serves again to minimize most problems, putting them into proper perspective while at the same time, minimizing the stress level associated with it .
This proven process also engenders more clear and enlightened thought, allowing one to better focus on appropriate solutions. Furthermore, it is the characteristic of the trained problem solver. They are quick to Qualify / Quantify a given challenge, and then if it is determined to be real, immediately turn their attention to the solution - bypassing the added stress of fruitless, negative speculation.
In simpler words, they employ a self-talk mantra that plays out something like this: "Clearly, the problem 'Is what it Is' -- So what am I going to do to fix it?"
The Bottom Line:
The secret to problem solving and stress relief lie in our ability to Recognize and Respond to REAL challenges - not wasting precious time and energy on manufactured, angst-ridden influences that may never arise. Those who learn to master this strategy, are reassured to realize that they have far less stress and fewer problems than they once speculated and worried so much about!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
asiatic
The month of May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
I was born in Los Angeles, my parents are of Filipino descent and growing up, I didn't really think much about what it meant to be an Asian Pacific American. My circle of friends back home and even more so here in New York is extremely diverse. My best friend is Croatian, her husband is Indian, my roommate's Irish, my other roommate's Dominican, and my friends back home are Korean, Polish, Italian, German, Cuban, Mexican, Colombian and Indonesian.
Over the past decade, I remember taking an Asian Studies course at Hunter College and being annoyed when the instructor referred to Asians as "the perfect minority". History books have referred to Filipinos during the days of Teddy Roosevelt as America's "little brown brother". A former employer hired me because she "never met a dumb Asian". I also got into a heated debate in an Upper East Side diner when a man who was sharing a meal with a Filipino lady assumed that I was a nursing student (my science and math grades sucked) and expressed shock at my decision to pursue a degree in Media Studies. I remember the time that I was a PR coordinator for a small boutique travel PR firm based out of the lead publicist's home, riding the elevator and a couple of kids asking if I was a new nanny. And of course, there's the highly annoying Geisha stereotype out there...
My company is conducting a program to promote Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, kicking it off with some commentary on the multicultural blog, so I'm looking forward to learning more about my culture, colleagues and issues. A co-worker of mine is very active in Project by Project and this guy I've known since college is a popular comedian that tackles stereotypes in his act. He even offers an "Asians in the Media" workshop after his shows when he tours college campuses.
I was born in Los Angeles, my parents are of Filipino descent and growing up, I didn't really think much about what it meant to be an Asian Pacific American. My circle of friends back home and even more so here in New York is extremely diverse. My best friend is Croatian, her husband is Indian, my roommate's Irish, my other roommate's Dominican, and my friends back home are Korean, Polish, Italian, German, Cuban, Mexican, Colombian and Indonesian.
Over the past decade, I remember taking an Asian Studies course at Hunter College and being annoyed when the instructor referred to Asians as "the perfect minority". History books have referred to Filipinos during the days of Teddy Roosevelt as America's "little brown brother". A former employer hired me because she "never met a dumb Asian". I also got into a heated debate in an Upper East Side diner when a man who was sharing a meal with a Filipino lady assumed that I was a nursing student (my science and math grades sucked) and expressed shock at my decision to pursue a degree in Media Studies. I remember the time that I was a PR coordinator for a small boutique travel PR firm based out of the lead publicist's home, riding the elevator and a couple of kids asking if I was a new nanny. And of course, there's the highly annoying Geisha stereotype out there...
My company is conducting a program to promote Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, kicking it off with some commentary on the multicultural blog, so I'm looking forward to learning more about my culture, colleagues and issues. A co-worker of mine is very active in Project by Project and this guy I've known since college is a popular comedian that tackles stereotypes in his act. He even offers an "Asians in the Media" workshop after his shows when he tours college campuses.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
cumpleanos de mayo
FELIZ CUMPLEANOS MIS AMIGOS Y MI MAMA!!!
May and October... For some reason or other, there's an onslaught of birthdays within my circle of friends and family in those particular months. And typically, they are among the busiest months socially here.
My mom's birthday was yesterday, Cinco de Mayo, and unfortunately, I was unable to make it to her birthday party/house blessing in Vegas. One of my oldest friends from back home, Debbie, celebrated hers this weekend somewhere in the OC. My DphiE sister Arlene had her birthday in the home of the happiest place on earth -- Orlando. Two of the frat crew - Darrell and Johnny - celebrated who-knows-where... Actually, to be fair, Johnny's got his bday thing going on next weekend -- a birthday scavenger to celebrate/share with friends Mark and Marisa (more to come on that next weekend).
For the second year in a row, Cinco de Mayo involved a baseball game. Last year I was a date - THE.LONGEST.GAME.EVER at Shea Stadium to catch the Mets vs. Braves. This year, Tommy Gunn got Yankee tix for Sach's birthday (even though, ahem, Sach is a Mets fan). Fred, however, was unable to make an appearance. All in all, it was a happy day for Yankee fans as they beat the Mariners, 8-1. Wang was thisclose to a perfect game!
The last celebration this weekend was for my audacious Dutch colleague and cross-media ad maven as he celebrated with a late night meal at Il Buco in the Village -- food is fantastic, ambiance is rustic and intimate, and the conversation was lively amongst a diverse group of his friends.
May and October... For some reason or other, there's an onslaught of birthdays within my circle of friends and family in those particular months. And typically, they are among the busiest months socially here.
My mom's birthday was yesterday, Cinco de Mayo, and unfortunately, I was unable to make it to her birthday party/house blessing in Vegas. One of my oldest friends from back home, Debbie, celebrated hers this weekend somewhere in the OC. My DphiE sister Arlene had her birthday in the home of the happiest place on earth -- Orlando. Two of the frat crew - Darrell and Johnny - celebrated who-knows-where... Actually, to be fair, Johnny's got his bday thing going on next weekend -- a birthday scavenger to celebrate/share with friends Mark and Marisa (more to come on that next weekend).
For the second year in a row, Cinco de Mayo involved a baseball game. Last year I was a date - THE.LONGEST.GAME.EVER at Shea Stadium to catch the Mets vs. Braves. This year, Tommy Gunn got Yankee tix for Sach's birthday (even though, ahem, Sach is a Mets fan). Fred, however, was unable to make an appearance. All in all, it was a happy day for Yankee fans as they beat the Mariners, 8-1. Wang was thisclose to a perfect game!
The last celebration this weekend was for my audacious Dutch colleague and cross-media ad maven as he celebrated with a late night meal at Il Buco in the Village -- food is fantastic, ambiance is rustic and intimate, and the conversation was lively amongst a diverse group of his friends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)