Sunshine and Bagels -- The Little Miss Thinks

I'm happy to report I finished all the novels I borrowed from my first haul and I have a few notes I wanted to share about the books following my update on my 2nd Library Adventure :) I attempted to be more ambitious this time around and I chose books from a diverse selection of topics. Note to self: I definitely need to have a bag with me to carry my books around. My selections include: Super Freakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Insurance // Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner      * I really enjoyed Freakonomics and so I figured I should also check out the follow-up work. Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity // Joel Stein      * Joel Stein regularly contributes to Time magazine and his articles are usually the first ones I read when I receive a fresh edition, so I am excited to read a longer, in-depth piece by him. Barrio Boy  // Ernesto Galarza How Does It Feel To Be a Probl...

Since applying to SAT tutoring positions, I have been in need of some SAT preparation. Although my younger sister has since given away all of our test-prep supplies, my own need prompted a trip to our local library. I became a little greedy and overeager. It started with just one book, but I just kept grabbing more and more. Here's my haul! Unfortunately, it's not too clear of an image. In any case, the books that I am most excited to read include: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother / Amy Chua Freakonomics / Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down / Anne Fadiman Growing Up Muslim / Sumbul Ali-Karamali There are two more books I am hoping to read before the summer's end: Living To Tell About It : Young Black Men in America Speak Their Piece / Darrell Dawsey Tiger Babies Strike Back / Kim Wong Keltner Wish me luck on my reading adventures! :)

This week didn't start so great for me, but I'm not gonna let it hold me back.  Monday: The highlight of my week was going to a Marina and the Diamonds concert (more on that later) but unfortunately, while I was making my way up to my friend's house from the Berkeley BART station, I was phone snatched. Snatched. Out of my hands. He hid slightly behind a bush/tree and as I walked by, my phone in hand, he said, "Excuse me." I stopped for a second, looked at him, and BAM, his hands were on my hands, holding onto my phone, and he was attempting to climb into a car (whose door had been open and waiting). Instead of screaming for help or trying to hurt him (as some friends suggested after), my immediate reaction was to try to grab for it back. It had to be a mistake! No way was someone robbing me! And somewhere deep inside, the adrenaline was running and I had a single objective: Get the phone back. And it was when he was in the passenger's seat and I was hal...

Okay, so the issue should seem quite clear.... You are broke. You are unemployed.  You have a degree, which you loved, but it just doesn't seem compatible to your current job search. And yes, the clincher, you have moved back home -- maybe, because of the problems listed above... maybe, because of personal reasons or financial reasons -- whatever the reason, don't dwell on these facts and most certainly, don't give up. I'll say it again, don't give up. This blog post is written for all those folks who, like me, are going through a rough patch. My idea was to reach out and connect to an online community and form a space where we can support and encourage each other. Whether you're spending hours and hours of job searching and applying, or if you're just getting started, it's easy for things to get you down. I have had my share of days when I just didn't have the motivation to get up because quite frankly, I didn't feel as if it ...

Somehow, when I was a bright and eager fresh-faced first year, the thought of life after graduation seemed so much more glamorous and stress-free than my reality currently is. Somewhat delusional and naive, I believed that a college degree meant that I would finally, finally, find my path. I would know exactly the type of career I wanted to have, the kind of life I wanted to lead, the passion and talent I secretly had burning inside... that I would know me. As if, all my troubles and searches for self would magically end with the deliverance of a paper document. As if, all my troubles and searches for self could be magically resolved in a 4-year span, away from my hometown. As if, my degree was magic. A little wiser and a lot more jaded, I've emerged from college as a newly minted firm believer in the idea that you, who you want to be and where you want to go, what you aspire to do and accomplish, your goals and dreams, are constantly being changed and discovered. There...

Blogging and writing are definitely a secret past-time of mine, but among many of the challenges I have, finishing something <for example... my food, movies, blog posts, books... you name it> is up there on things i need to work on. I wrote this post sometime in early January and I had a problem with finishing it, so I didn't get to post it. But because of a kind comment on my blog, I was drawn back to it. So here goes: