Summer Top 10 Moments.

(in chronological order)
1. Karaoke- ing.

2. Being with close friends and family at my graduation party.

3. Fitting 6 of us into the Log Flume.

4. Jazz Club in San Fran before drinking half the bottle of wine.

5. Cara's bbq party the last night I was in Sacramento.

6. Visiting Anita in Hoboken and Nova Reunion in NYC.

7. Drinking tea every evening with my family in Canada.

8. Spending the afternoon by the pool with mom and Adrienne before my GREs (minus the GREs part...)

9. Discovering Eveyln's outdoor bar and spending my last night there with my friends talking and listening to the band.

10. Claire's visit before I left for Guatemala.

# 18 of my 101 list

Didn't realize how much work it takes!

necesito patience

the shadow of your lashes
clashes with
mine
fine then
let us miss
the agony
of missed kisses
wished wishes
(kissed wishes
wished kisses
dished dishes)
let us kiss
and miss
the agony.
-reet sool

citylights

Pity the Nation
(After Khalil Gibran)
pity the nation whose people are sheep
and whose shepherds mislead them
pity the nation whose leaders are liars
whose sages are silenced
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves
pity the nation that raises not its voice
except to praise conquerers
and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world
by force and by torture
pity the nation that knows
no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own
pity the nation whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed
pity the nation oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms be washed away
-Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Serigo Leronardo Rubin Taquez

Today I officially became a God parent. My God child, Sergio, is apart of the God's Child Project in Antigua, Guatemala and I signed up to become a sponsor. He's 8 years old. Already he made me a card with a drawing. I asked my parents to help me out until I have a job. I am so excited and happy! He likes soccer and wants to build houses when he grows up. Already I went shopping for him. I took a long time trying to decide what size to buy him, but the project sent two pictures of him so I could estimate.
I'm really excited to meet him when I'm down in Antigua.
I'm leaving August 31st! (86 days!!!)

If anyone who reads this would like to made a donation or give me any items of clothing, etc that you do not want anymore, please let me know and I will bring the items to Guatemala with me!
Thanks!!

summer came like cinnamon...

looking forward to a productive and fun summer!

oh love,

an old poem...introducing it to life.

Still Life
We stand side by side
Like two pears sitting still for their portrait
On this day, alive with a warm October breeze
my sister and I stand bruised inside
We are two pears broken off a tree
Our youthful faces are only skin deep
for inside we feel dead
Although we are different from one another,
I am taller
she is thinner
I am her shadow
she is my light,
we come from the same roots
and share the same sorrow
as we take a seat while watching the men lower our grandfather into his grave.

my 101 list

FUN
1. Go skiing
2. Go camping
3. Go on a picnic
4. Go water skiing
5. Go apple picking
X6. Go wine tasting
7. Carve a pumpkin
X8. Go to karaoke with my friends
9. Go to at least 3 concerts
10. Go to a drive in movie theatre
11. Go skinny dipping!
X12. Go on a date
X13. Find a fun date for my senior dance
14. Find a quaint coffee shop to read/ work (wherever I live)
X15. Try a new type of food/ dish every 2 months
X16. Watch more foreign films
17. Watch more indie films
X18. Start my own bon fire
X19. See Juno
X20. See the Diving Bell and the Butterfly
21. See a Very Long Engagement

READING
22. Read “How to Breathe Underwater” by Julie Orringer
23. Read Brick Lane by Monica Ali
24. Read 3 Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

HOME LIFE/ FAMILY
X25. Clean out my desk
X26. Clean out my closet
X27. Get rid of my clutter at my apartment and room at home
X28. Keep my room clean for longer than a day
X29. Organize my books
X30. Make an conscious effort to always reduce/reuse/recycle what I can
31. Call Sitty once a week
32. Live on my own (or with roommates) after graduation

EDUCATION
X33. Listen to/ read the news at least 3 times a week
X34. Graduate from college
X35. Make a plan of graduate school/loans
X36. Substitute at the High School at least once
X37. Study for the GREs starting July 7th until the test date
X38. Take the GREs
X39. Apply to graduate school

WORK
X40. get a job

HEALTH
41. Start a work out routine
42. Work on my posture by sitting up straight
X43. Start to floss my teeth every day
X44. Get a new retainer
45. Stretch at least 3 times a week to become more flexible
X46. Take calcium supplements
X47. Take multivitamin
48. Swim twice a week in the summer
49. Go to a spa/ get a massage
X50. Get an adult doctor

COOKING
51. make kibbee
52. make luban (Lebanese yoguart)
53. make Lebanese cheese
54. make Lebanese bread
55. make hushwee
56. make grape leaves
X57. make fatire
58. make tabuli
59. make kousa
60. make baklava
61. make a book of favorite family recipes
62. make my own sushi
63. make fudge
64. make short bread cookies
65. make molasses cookies

TRAVEL
X66. Go to California
X67. Visit at least one country I’ve never been to
X68. Go to AC
69. Visit at least 5 of my university friends after graduation (4/5)
X70. Visit my sister in Boston
X71. Keep my car clean
X72. Check the air in my tires once a month
73. Go back to London

TO BUY
X74. Buy a pair of black dress pants
X75. Buy a suit
X76. Buy a step (for workouts)
X77. Buy a step work out DVD
X78. Buy a blender
79. Buy an external hard drive
X80. Buy a comfortable pair of black boots
81. Buy a key board

TO LEARN
X82. Learn Spanish
X83. Learn to knit
X84. Learn to care less of what people think of me

CREATIVITY
85. Organize my music
86. Keep up with my poetry writing
87. Keep up with my visual art journal
X88. Organize my books
X89. Organize my pictures
90. Put together an address book
X91. Keep a list of wines that I like after trying them at restaurants/friends
92. Play my alto sax at least once a month
X93. Play the piano at least once while at home on breaks
94. Continue my family tree project
X95. Keep a dream journal
96. Take ballet lessons

FINANCIAL
X97. Start a budget
X98. Cut down on my shopping expenses
X99. Begin to save a portion of the money I receive (put a percentage in savings account)
X100. Stop buying rounds of drinks on my debit card (unless it’s a special occasion)

AND LASTLY,
X101. Keep encouraging my friends to accomplish their 101s