Cheesecake Wheel and More

Right now I feel like tearing a leather shoe with my bare teeth.
College apps is driving me nuts. Portfolio progress is dragging like a snail stuck to bubble gum...I don't know if it will ever be enough. See the problem here is that even if I get in the school I want, I can only go if they give a good scholarship. Good scholarship means mind-blowing portfolio. Academics will help...but I don't know by how much. And there's already a lot that's exhausting my family. I know people keep telling me it doesn't matter which school I go to, but still. I have my dream schools. :T

Enough ranting, I just have to keep doing what I'm doing. It's just $$$ is such a pain. Then again it is for everyone. I painted a Corporate Mongrel on Photoshop CS4 about a week ago. It helped relieve the frustration.

Anyway I need a blog update. So far I've written about six countries in Animation Around the World: China, Russia, Canada, England, France, and the Netherlands. Phew, there's a lot more to cover. But for now, I'm going to take a BREAK and write about my random life! Yippee!!

Let's see, what have I done recently? I've read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, courtesy of my good friend who lend it to me:). The book was so powerful it could have knocked my tooth out if it had a pair of fists (Thank God it didn't). READ IT. Hosseini is also author of the Kite Runner. READ THAT TOO. They're both beautiful novels, soaked with life's riveting themes and poetic story-telling. I was also reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, but for some reason the book seems longer than it actually is. It's good though, I'm really curious to see how it ends.

This was a few weeks back, but I've finally had a cheese platter! Something I always wanted to do in life:) It was a dinner I split it with my two friends (teehee) and we tried six cheeses: mozerella, gouda, pepper jack, pecorima and provolone. They came with bread slices, salty olives, and tooth picks :). The photos could be good for oil painting, I've always wanted to paint cheese. I don't know why I have a fascination with cheese. It could be because of Wallace and Gromit, but it's also because it's something I don't normally eat. To me it was always a luxury food. It's really the idea of cheese that I love, not the actual cheese itself. I guess that's how I am with many things. Here's a picture of my in depth notes, courtesy of my friend Refrigerated Water :)

Yesterday two of my friends sang at It's a Grind! Bravo! You guys were lovely :) It was a sweet little event, where musicians and writers go up to the mike and sing/recite. This was completely random but I met a poet/lyricist there who wanted know if I could illustrate for him. I doubt anything will happen though...I don't know. That reminds me, I've always wanted to make a storybook of my own. I have to get around to that...eventually.
After that poetry slam we had a cookie monster cake ritual at our friend's house. That friend, by the way, turned 17 today, Happy Birthday Sweetie:) The lesson of that day: there is a stain remover that REALLY DOES remove stains! I forgot what the brand is...but that was a miracle! Oh yeah, I saw Meet the Robinsons. It was a good story, but there were too many lengthy scenes that made the whole movie sort of drag... maybe I'm just less impressed than I was back when I was attached to pacifiers haha. Nevertheless the film inspired me, as animated films usually do. KEEP MOVING FORWARD! Disney's motto! KEEP MOVING FORWARD!!! YEAH!!! Anyway the Robinsons sort of remind me of my own family, the way they all have their own specialties and quirks. Great now I really miss the rest of my family. I wish it wasn't so difficult to see them again. It's so hard for us to be together :(

I also met up with a friend from FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) :) I hadn't seen in such a long time! It was great to see her again! She brought mint tea leaves that grew in her backyard, which I thought was totally awesome! She came to dinner with her husband, who is AMAZING with deriving words. He drew a HUGE language map for me on my sketchbook, it's crazy stuff. He taught us that circle, wheel and curve all derive from the ancient word "kheur" and how vodka derives from the ancient word for water "khwoda". Vodka means "my precious little water" haha!
Speaking of FIT, if anyone is interested in their student work or is interested in Icelandic music, my friend showed me this music video that two FIT graduates worked on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJRiBDMfrTU. It's called "Wanderlust" by Bjork, an Icelandic band. I've been listening to a lot of Icelandic music recently haha. I really like Sigur Ros "Hoppapolli", which I think is played a lot in movie previews. It was definitely in the Slumdog Millionaire Preview. I'm also listening to a lot of Imogen Heap (image above) songs: Just For Now, Headlock, Must Be Dreaming, and Speeding Cars. They're soothing :)

Wheee! Coloring paragraphs made me feel better :) AHAHA

Okay I'm done. Bye!