That bright little apartment

Sunday 28 April 2013Sunday 28 April 2013 kristyapartments in the city, New York, roommatesLeave a comment

When I first moved to New York, my friends and I shared a one-bedroom apartment with a pitbull named Penelope. It was very clearly her apartment and not ours. After a month of Penelope’s antics-–and having to feed her raw chicken three times a day-–we finally moved into our own apartment! It was far from perfect, but it really felt ours. Our bright little sitcom apartment. I could always count on coming home and laughing with my friends. Outside our door I spoke spanish with our neighbors, learned to use a laundromat, and bought groceries at a little store under the Williamsburg bridge. On the best days I walked to a pool the size of a lake and swam then headed home to throw little dinner parties.

So, while my current apartment far exceeds this little one in the categories of square-footage, amenities, convenience, and non-toxicity, I think the bright little apartment is worthy of a blog post.

What's that, tucked in the trees? Why, it's apartment number two! — What’s that, tucked in the trees? Why, it’s apartment number two!

The glorious morning light! — So many windows, so much light.

The light made even solo breakfasts exciting, and the vintage dishes–-a gift from Marika's grandmother–- are the most beautiful things I've ever eaten from. — The light made even solo breakfasts exciting.

This bookshelf? Anda found it on the curb! — This bookshelf? Anda found it on the curb.

Outside there were always unattended cars playing really good salsa and reggaeton.

The school down the block had the biggest blacktop!

And this was the view from one of our subway stops.

Hip-Hop News Alerts

Sunday 14 April 2013Saturday 20 April 2013 kristyfeminism, hip-hop, lil wayne, redistribution of wealth, soulja boy2 Comments

So the big news for socially-conscious hip-hop lovers this week is that Reebok dropped Rick Ross after he released a terrifyingly misogynistic song (and after thousands of people signed a petition, but you know, baby steps…). I’m glad that the petition was successful, but I’m sad that Ross isn’t a feminist. It’s like, ‘Does the patriarchy even care how much I love “Diced Pineapples”?’ Nope.

In way, way smaller hip-hop news, I really wanted to listen to that song that goes, ‘Hopped up out the bed, turned my swag on/Took a look in the mirror, said what’s up?/Yeah, I’m getting money/Ohhh!’

I asked Devin to put it on, and he searched for ‘Getting Money’ on Youtube, only that brought up like a million songs, and do you know why? Capitalism.

It’s hard to find ONE piece of art about getting money when the most important thing in our society is getting money (am I being hyperbolic here? I really can’t tell. Disclaimer: If getting money isn’t the single most important thing, it’s up there). But! In our Youtube-searching and pondering of capitalism, we did discover that one of the most famous ‘getting money’ songs in recent memory isn’t about getting money and keeping it for yourself. Consider these lyrics to ‘Got Money’ (2008) by the incomparable Lil Wayne:

If you got money

And you know it
Take it out your pocket and show it
Then throw it, like

This-a-way (fly)
That-a-way (fly)
This-a-way (fly)
That-a-way

Clearly, this is a modern anthem for the redistribution of wealth. And so, I hereby award, the first ever smoothliminal Award for Progressive Top 40 Music (which I just made up on the spot) to Lil Wayne for advocating just economic policies. Congratulations, Mr. Carter!

He feels so honored, you guys.

I am also appointing Devin as my honorary blog editor because this blog post was his idea (and this one, too!). Fun fact: earlier I caught him typing ‘Little Wayne’ and ‘Soldier Boy’ into the search bar. He’s come a long way from not knowing who Beyoncé was in 2009, but you know, baby steps…

A Day in the Life: Tuesday April 2nd 2013

Saturday 13 April 2013Sunday 14 April 2013 kristya day in the life, mundanity3 Comments

My friend Anja does this project where she photographs everything she does in one day at the the beginning of every month. It’s a simple project, taking pictures as you go about your everyday life, but there’s something really captivating about it for me. I look forward to seeing how much she packs into her days and always feel really peaceful after looking through her pictures. You can see Anja’s April day-in-the-life here.

This month I decided I’d try doing it for myself. My days aren’t nearly as full of life and adventure as Anja’s, but I’m sharing the photos regardless.

Here’s what any old Tuesday is like for me.

I wake up to this view from my bedroom every morning. It reminds me of ‘Hey Arnold!’

I walked out of my building and found this adorable scooter. I think one of my neighbors just got it.

Then, I went to my favorite coffee shop to have some tea and start reading the first book for my new book club.

I wore a dress my mom got me for Christmas (thanks, Mom!), so I thought I’d take a picture. Aside from serving great drinks, this place has the dreamiest lighting, even in the bathroom!

Despite the sun, it was very cold. I can’t wait to see what my new neighborhood will look like once the trees have leaves!

Whoosh! Time to get on the subway. Sometimes I marvel at how I get to see more people in twenty minutes than a lot of people see in a whole day, and sometimes I am just united in crankiness with my fellow commuters. ; ) This was a pretty fun commute because I listened to a gruff New Yorker give a Polish womyn advice about helping her daughter apply to college. They didn’t know each other, and right before getting off the train he told her, ‘But you never know what can happen. That’s the beauty of life.’ Also, I read that the stop where I switch trains, Hoyt-Schermerhorn, is where Michael Jackson filmed the video for ‘Bad’! Maybe soon I’ll stage a flashmob there. Who’s in?

My office building has a sign that says newsstand but no newsstand! I always feel a little wistful when I pass it even though I know it’s for the best. And yes, I am this dramatic about EVERYTHING.

Oh yeah, the elevator skips floors 2-25. Seriously, what is up with this building?

This is the view, so I guess it’s not a shabby building after all.

I worked until lunchtime, and then I made myself something to eat in the kitchen. This is what I get for eating strawberries when they are not in season. (It was tasty, though!)

After work I planned on heading straight to the gym, but my family needed help finding accommodations for their trip to Portland (for the wedding!). Sometimes wedding planning is fun, fun, fun, and other times it is just worthwhile. Two hours trying to find vacation houses and hotels is what I would politely call VERY worthwhile.

At least the sun hadn’t set before I made my way to the gym.

This mural is cool. And it is an unofficial marker for the beginning of the most francophone neighborhood in New York City. Okay so I don’t know if there’s another neighborhood that has more French people, but once I pass this mural, all I hear is French. And they even shut down the streets to celebrate Bastille Day, so it’s not just my imagination.

Super secret shot of my gym. I didn’t want anyone to think I was photographing them at their sweatiest, so I just took this. I got to the gym just in time for the last fitness class of the day, hooray! Going to the gym is a new thing for me, and so far (two months in), fitness classes are my favorite.

After the gym, I hit up the Trader Joe’s. This is what the produce section looks like at 9 PM. Haha. They weren’t out of rice noodles, thankfully, and that was all I really needed.

The quickest thing I could think to make was Pad Thai, which made me feel like a legit cook or something. ‘Oh, I’ll just whip up some pad thai.’ Ridiculous! The greens you see are from the CSA program that my roommate and I belong to. I didn’t have time to crush the peanuts because all I wanted to do was get to bed at a reasonable hour (11:30 PM).

Good night, pom-poms! Thanks for brightening up our home.

Mad Men Season 6 Predictions

Tuesday 9 April 2013Sunday 14 April 2013 kristyfeminism, gender, Mad Men, Race, TV5 Comments

**No spoilers, I promise.**

Friends, Romans, TV-Watchers…

I am presently languishing in a deep, deep discontent brought about by a lack of Mad Men. I missed the premiere——knowingly and with good reason. I didn’t just forget! I would never forget.

Coming back to New York in time to make it to one of my beloved watch parties (I love them so much, I have a history of showing up a week early) would have meant leaving Connecticut 5 hours early. Since Devin and I are only in the same city for approximately 36 hours a week, 5 hours makes a big difference.

But oh! If I only I could have my cake and keep it, too!

Now who knows when I’ll get to see season 6. Will I be behind next week? Will I never attend another Mad Men costume party again?!

Thankfully (or not), I get a little dose of Mad Men every morning at my subway stop where I get to wait by this ad.

I’ve spent a lot of time examining it and, just from this ad, I feel ready to make some predictions about this season.

Question: Who is that walking behind Don and the person he’s holding hands with?

Answer: It’s Megan. It’s totally Megan. And even if you don’t think it’s Megan, there’s no way the womyn holding Don’s hand is Megan. Megan would never wear that color, and in general, she favors bolder clothes. In fact, wouldn’t you say that gauzy blue thing is much more reminiscent of Betty’s style? In previous seasons, she often wears light blue.

I’m not suggesting that Don gets back together with Betty in season 6; but I think he will definitely cheat on Megan, probably with a womyn who is more content with being a traditional wife (i.e. being subordinate to her husband) than Megan is. In season 5, Don isn’t keen on Megan asserting her independence in any way, and he probably won’t deal with that issue by going to therapy and starting a male feminist support group (but wouldn’t that be a cool twist!).

In general, I think the show will keep marginalizing characters from historically underrepresented groups*, just like I said it did in seasons 1-4. And just like it did in season 5, even after starting on such a promising, if stereotypical, note.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to watch it. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I watch the show primarily for the set design and costuming. Hopefully, Mad Men will stay on point in that realm.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to hide from the internet to avoid any and all spoilers while I figure out how to watch the premiere.

*I use the term ‘historically underrepresented groups’ to mean non-White, non-straight, non-rich people.