Hello world!

I hope everyone has been enjoying summer! I am blogging from Brussels, Belgium right now and life is pretty good. As I mentioned a few blogs ago, I got accepted to a London study abroad program and I arrived in London at the beginning of July. I am in Brussels with some other students in my program for 3 days, checking out the European Commission, the Parlamentarium, and of course consuming as much chocolate and Belgium waffles as I can

But just to backtrack: I left New Paltz excited for summer but sad to say bye to some friends who graduated. I spent my month at home catching up with friends, helping out around the house, and working here and there. Upon leaving for London I was excited yet very nervous for the program. Thankfully I have been loving it and I wish I had more than 5 weeks to be here! I was able to visit Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Oxford, Bath, Stonehenge, Abbey Road, and countless other places. I even spent a weekend in Paris!! I have enjoyed both classes I took abroad, although the essay-writing was not fun. But when is writing 3 essays fun? Nevertheless, I am grateful to be abroad and now more than ever I encourage all you college students out there to do the same! Granted I am spending more money than I had originally planned, but I will work harder to make up for it this year. If you are seriously considering studying abroad start saving as early as possible! Also, be open to new experiences and immerse yourself in the culture- the lessons you learn abroad are valuable and you gain a much more global perspective just from the people you meet.

The Olympics are also taking place right now in London and the city has transformed. Just weeks ago I was a new and nervous tourists, but now I walk through the streets more confident and I see people from all over the world walking around in the same state I was when I first arrived. I have not seen any Olympic events, but I can still enjoy watching the games with new friends and just enjoy the atmosphere. I even saw the Torch before the Olympics as it made its way throughout the country!

I will keep this blog relatively short and say that it has been a pleasure to be an NPBlogger for the 2011-2012 school year. The ’12-’13 NPBloggers are ready to take over when classes start at the end of August and I know they will continue to share their stories and their love for the New Paltz community. As I enter my Senior year I will be sad to see the end of my time at New Paltz, but I am certain I have made friends for a lifetime here and have gained a quality education I can be proud of as I enter the real world. I hope I have helped some perspective students out there and I wish everyone who as read my blog nothing but happiness and success!

Go Hawks!

Peace

Hello readers, I am back to fill you in on my week!

So Jam Asia officially kicked off the beginning of our week with a “Night at the Museum” event on Monday night! And no, we did not watch the movie haha Featured were different activities and performances highlighting a majority of the Asian countries. For Korea we had the game Gongi (pronounced Kon-gi) which is like American jacks, but with colorful and sparkly little plastic balls. We also had Chinese yo-yos for people to try out. For the Philippines  one of our members brought her mom and some Traditional Filipino Dancers to perform- it was awesome! Amnesty International was also present to talk to people about their organization and to help write a letter to the Minister of Myanmar (more widely known as Burma) to call for the release of prisoners and to grant their people the freedoms of speech, peaceful assembly, and other human rights. There was also henna (from India), face painting, and so much more!

Tuesday was our food festival titled “Taste of Asia” which was a huge success- we had almost 300 people in attendance!! We had 8 different cuisines and fun was had by all. I was in charge of the sushi station, which was probably not the best idea because I don’t really like sushi haha. But I did my best to explain the different kinds to people and I definitely  know more about sushi now! My favorite dish was the ‘Popcorn Chicken’ for Taiwan.

Today was our Spring Festival, and despite a very low attendance, we had a bunch of Jam Asia members there having fun and decorating glass candle holders We also took part in Holi, which is a tradition in the Hindu religion signifying the coming of Spring. Basically we threw colorful powder at each other- the powder is dyed tapioca powder that is washable. Look at some pics!

Look at the powder- so vibrant!

Tosing powder in the air signals the beginning of the throwing- get ready!

Every woman/man from themselves!

As you can see no one held back haha

So it has been a crazy week so far, and it is going to get crazier. Friday is the main event!! Have you guessed what the theme is yet from my last post? I’ll give you another hint- there is a Nickelodeon show based on the theme of this years’s Cultural, Talent, and Fashion Show.

Until next time!

Hello readers!

So to say the least these next two weeks will be crazy busy and stressful- but the end product of all my madness shall be worth it, hopefully

As I’ve mentioned in the past, it is currently Rainbow Month at SUNY New Paltz! Four of the cultural clubs on campus each have the opportunity to host a week of events pertaining to their culture. Last week was Latino Week, and they hosted an event every night, ranging from their annual play, titled “Roots” this year, to a BBQ, to their Grand Final Fashion Show: Neon Legacy. I attended their play and their fashion show, which were both   entertaining. I even caught a tshirt they threw out into the audience during the fashion show!

Look at their stage, with the 2 Main Hosts introducing themselves:

Check out their Neon stage!! Perfect for the theme

This week it is Black Week. Last night they hosted “Black Jeopardy” with a grand prize of $200!! They will also conclude their week with a Fashion show this Friday, which should also be a good time.

Jam Asia will be next week, and I am trying to get my bathing suits all done in time. Check out this monokini I am making- it’s a work in progress but I’ll be sure to show you the end product!

Almost done! I will be sewing a gold strap around the middle to be tied at the back- this piece is inspired by "Air" Can you guess what the theme of our show is?

I will be sure to update you all on more Rainbow month madness, hope everyone else is less stressed than I am!

Peace

Hello hello!!

So ends the long weekend and it’s back to the grind stone. I had a pretty good weekend but I wish it was longer! I stayed in New Paltz for most of the weekend. Thursday I hung out with some friends in LeFevre Hall and Friday I went to the mall and ate at “Formosa” which is a Taiwanese food restaurant- delicious!! If you are ever in the Poughkeepsie area check it out. Then I rushed back to campus to see “Into the Woods.” Read Ashley and Tim’s blogs to see how they liked the show! Nine members of Epic-Glee were in the show so I made sure to show my support

On Saturday I worked on sewing bathing suits for my Jam Asia Fashion Scene- I can’t wait to post pics of the finished product! The theme is “Elements” and I am making 3 of the bathing suits from scratch. I looked up how-tos on youtube and so far it’s working out.

This week also signals the start of Rainbow Month woo!!! Latino week is first, followed by Black Week, Jam Asia’s week, and finally Caribash’s week. Latino week is hosting a different event every night- tomorrow is their talent show. I will be in rehearsal for glee, but it sounds like it will be a blast! I’m most excited for their fashion show, which will be this upcoming Sunday.

That’s all for now, but I’ll make sure to post some pics of my bathing suits soon- the weather is heating up!

Peace

Hello hello!

Sorry for my delay in posts, boy has it been a hectic 2 weeks!!

On Saturday Epic-Glee performed at the newly renovated Studley Theatre and it was a huge success!! I began the week with a cold and was worried I would not be able to sing. But thankfully I was able to get my voice back and sing my solo (check it out- Survivor).

Saturday morning I was up bright and early at 7am to get ready for Accepted Students Open House woo! A ton of accepted students and their families came for the occasion and got to take campus tours, check out our student services and clubs fair, and partake in various workshops designed toward different majors. I met some great high school seniors I hope to see in the fall From their I went straight to the theatre to prepare. During the show we gave away Epic-Glee tshirts and one of my best friend’s won the first shirt raffle i announced!! She was very excited. If you want to look at the other awesome numbers we performed check out our youtube channel: Epic-Glee.

That’s all for now, have a lovely week!!

Hello again!

Another week, another blog woo!

This week was about average, had my classes and activities and I got an 85% on my Exploring the Solar System test which I was happy about. The snow day on Wednesday was nice and I spent most of the day on my couch watching movies Classes after 1:30pm were cancelled, and NPAlert was sure to let everyone know right away. NPAlert is a system we have where when there is an emergency or a cancellation of some sort, all students are notified through text. The system also emails and calls us with an automated message. You’ll be sure to know what’s going on!

But now to the most important part of my blog tonight- I was accepted into a Summer Study Abroad in London, England!!!!! I will be attending Middlesex University, which is in Northern London. Applications were due March 1st, but because I submitted my application earlier, I heard back right on the 1st. I am beyond excited for this summer!!! The Middlesex Summer Program offers a lot of extra activities outside of classes; there will be a trip to Stonehenge and to other attractions in England. I am most excited for my trip to Paris, and for the shows I will get to see in the West End (the Theatre District in London). I opted for a 6 Credit plan as opposed to 3 Credits (I plan to take 2 classes). I hope to be able to take a course title “Dance on Film” because not only would I be able to dance, but also learn more about editing and the media aspect. But I still have some time before course selection.

New Paltz is the only SUNY with a Center for International Programs, which focuses solely on study abroad. With countless options for study abroad during the summer, fall, winter intersession, and spring semesters you are sure to find a program that fits your needs. Check out their site! Since I am so involved on campus I did not want to commit to a full semester away, but this 6 week summer program will be just enough. 15% of students at New Paltz Study Abroad; the national average is only 1%. A global perspective is beneficial for everyone, whatever your major may be. So I strongly urge everyone to study abroad!!

Any questions? Let me know, or if you have ever studied abroad tell me about it!

Now I will leave you with a video of these adorable twins, Justin and Jeremy, singing their version of “The Lazy Song” by Bruno Mar’s- too cute!!

Good night

As you can see from my title I am a bit bummed this week (we’ll more than a bit, but I’m doing what I can).

Monday night I sprained the front part of my foot near my big toe; I was dancing in glee and came down too hard from a stunt I do in one of our numbers. Tuesday I went to a doctor at FirstCare Walk-in Medical Center in Highland, which is just outside of New Paltz. Thankfully I was told my foot was not fractured, but was a sprain. The staff there was really nice and they have a great waiting room that is all water/ocean themed- the children’s play room has a ton of fake fish ornaments dangling from the ceiling!! I did not have to wait long to see the doctor. So if you are in the area I would recommend their walk-in center

I was given crutches and I have been on them since Tuesday; I am hoping to be off them completely after this weekend. I was supposed to dance in our annual dance show, “Dance Underground” this weekend, but I will not be performing unless I feel better by the last show or so. “Dance Underground” premiered last night (Thursday) and I was front and center to see it- it was AMAZING!! We truly do have awesome dancers in New Paltz, and there was even a guest performance by Energy Dance Company, a youth dance group based out of Kingston. Those kids can dance better than most people I have seen. I am attending the show again tonight and can’t wait to see it all again! The last two performances are Saturday and Sunday at 12pm.

Other than my foot fiasco nothing to exciting. The weather has been all over the place recently considering it was relatively hot yesterday and today it snowed and rained all day. But classes are going well so I am happy for that.

Now I am going to get ready for the show, fingers crossed I can be back on my feet and dancing soon!!

Hello out there!!

Hope everyone is having a super great Friday night, apologies on a late post.

Tonight I performed in “SACA Presents: Monsoon.” SACA stands for the South Asian Student Association and every year they host a dinner complete with entertainment and raffles. They are one of the many great cultural clubs on campus. I performed a fusion Bharatanatyam dance (a form of Indian dance- a mouthful I know haha) titled “Thaye Yashoda.” What’s distinct about this form of dance is the cloth fan attached to the inside of the pants, giving a very beautiful silhouette with some moves and poses. I do not have a video of my performance, but check out these classical Bharatanatyam dancers- stunning! Bharatanatyam Dance

It was a really fun night and I had a lot of great Indian food! Once April comes I will tell you all about Rainbow Month, which is when 4 of the cultural clubs on campus are each given a week to educate the campus community on their culture through fun and interactive events. But more about that later!

Next weekend I will perform “Thaye Yashoda” again in Dance Underground, the annual dance show on campus. I can’t wait to see the other awesome dances that will be performed! Our Dance Association on campus does a great job of bringing dance to the student body, with free weekly dance classes in everything from hip hop to tap. Even though we do not have a Dance major at New Paltz, there’s lots of dance teams and events to take part in!

Other than dancing I have been busy as usual with schoolwork and clubs. I’m gonna use this long weekend to recharge (we have Monday off!)- next week I’ll be back with lots of energy (hopefully haha).

Now I’ll sit back and relax, I hope you all enjoy the long weekend!

Peace