life moves pretty fast

long time no see, blog. it's good to be back. WARNING: this post is going to be very long. sorry. not really.

for this particular post, i am reminded of this iconic quote:

life indeed does move pretty fast, mr. bueller. my life is moving pretty quickly too. i have so many things to talk about! 

first off: the getty. i absolutely loved the getty. it's such a magical place. it's so beautiful and isolated. i honestly wish i could live there. i didn't get to spend as much time in there as i wanted, but getting a taste of it was enough.

the picture i chose to write about for my paper (that i got over 100% on) was sunrise (marine) by claude monet. have i mentioned how much i love monet? 

impressionism RULES!!

while i was standing in front of sunrise and taking notes on it, a smiling woman came up to me and asked me if i was an art history major. i grinned and said "no, but i want to be." she replied, "well, you're in the right place!" then smiled and walked away. it was a moment of complete validation. i honestly can't describe how happy that made me.

in the same gallery sunrise resides was irises. god, there were so many people in there. there was a special guard next to the painting that told my dad off for taking a picture with flash on. she also told off a lady whose kid was getting too close to the painting. that's my ideal job.

i didn't realize how big irises was--it's pretty big. and so colorful and vibrant. for a painting from the 19th century, it's quite vivid. the actual painting was under glass, but you could totally see the impasto underneath. there were a ton of people clamoring for a picture in front of it, but standing there and looking at it made me feel at peace.

i also went to lacma with a friend, her friend, my friend's sister, and her mom. it was pretty casual and fun. i find that i don't enjoy a few hours at lacma as much as i enjoyed one hour at the getty. i did get to see some pretty cool stuff, though. i saw a couple of van goghs and etc. post-impressionists and expressionists, as well as a warhol, a pollock, a rothko, and a picasso circa his blue period. oh, and i also saw this gem:

cold shoulder by roy lichtenstein

i looooove lichtenstein. i don't give a damn if some people think he's a thief. i did a group presentation on him for that art history course i was talking about, so this was a treat.

next order of business: VEGAS.

our vegas trip was probably the chillest and most down-to-earth family trip i've ever taken. everything about it was low-key.

the 4 hour drive to was pretty uneventful. we got breakfast at mcdonalds about halfway through the trip. i got starbucks. same old, same old.

at about 10/11 am the city was already burning. the car thermometer was definitely past 100 degrees. so, my parents dropped my dog off at the daycare and we went to the venetian first because i had insisted on visiting my shop. but when we had gotten there, the shop i had wanted to visit was closed and replaced with another store :-( oh well. c'est la vie. at least i got to see the venetian again.

i've always wanted to ride the gondolas

afterwards, we were getting hungry, so at my mom's insistence, we went to this tiny little fish and chips place that we had gone to before that was in new york, new york. we also got ben & jerry's. it was a highly enjoyable experience, mostly because food is my life. actually, talking about this makes me really hungry....

after that, we walked (EXCRUCIATING--the heat was ridiculous) over to the grand canyon experience where i bought a crewneck and a snowglobe. tourist lyfe. we also went to the coke store where i bought a couple of men's shirts to complete my "put together but not too put together/i care about how i look but i don't care too much" aesthetic. my parents and i also took a picture with the coca-cola polar bear. it was so cute that my parents caved and bought the picture.

we then picked up our dog and went home after our little adventure. the rented house we were staying it was pretty large and very clean and mercifully air-conditioned. our dinner was wendy's because my parents got too lazy to go to dinner.

the next day was pretty much a lazy day. i spent all day in my air conditioned room, napped, and watched netflix. my parents were outside sunbathing.

near late-afternoon, though, we went out. after returning and exchanging an ill-fitting shirt at the coke store, we went to the bellagio to eat at their glorious buffet. it was amazing. before i start waxing poetic about food, though, i gawked at fiori di como by dale chihuly (again) in the lobby. i learned about chihuly in my art history course.

oooh...ahh....

the buffet was insane. it wasn't as expansive as the one we had gone to in the mirage a few years back, but the quality of the food was certainly better. at $33.99 per person we better had been getting good food, and we were. i gorged myself on various foods that i don't want to describe lest me dying of hunger.

on the third day, we drove home. didn't i tell you it was chill? we didn't even see a show or anything. although, next summer, my mom wants to come again. she says we'll save up in advance so we can watch cirque du soleil. hopefully, we'll see o at the bellagio this time.

aaaand exhale. i hadn't realized how detailed my description of the vegas trip was....moving on.....

there honestly hasn't been much else. my art history class is going along smoothly. the final is tomorrow (actually, today, as i'm writing this at almost 1 am), but i'm not worried.

last sunday, my mom forced me to go to church with her at 7 am. it was brutal. but she paid me back by way of souplantation and visiting bowers museum in santa ana since it was a free day. 

my summer is filled with museums...just how i like it. my life feels like this now: 

(i promise this post wasn't supposed to be about ferris bueller's day off. i promise.)

anyway, bowers was pretty small, but cool. they had a lot of non-western art, much of which was from antiquity. not my cup of tea, but i could still enjoy it. 

for some other news, school is right around the corner. by right around the corner, i mean a month away, but that's pretty much the same as it being next week, considering how fast my summer is going. my mom is picking up my registration packet in the morning. i have mentoring training on the 18th, freshman orientation (which i am required to go to as a mentor) is on the 26th, and registration itself is on the 19th. what a life.

i've started in on my summer assignments. i haven't gotten too far but, to be honest, there isn't really that much. 

also, my parents say that we're for sure moving in november when our lease ends. good lord.

and that's pretty much it, i say as you, the reader, sighs and yells "thank god!" to the heavens. 

just kidding. kind of.

coming soon: san francisco (in exactly a week!!! that post is going to be MASSIVE), seaworld, and back to school shopping. ay.

see you around,
angela

waiting games

if i were to describe my entire life right at this moment with a single video, it would be this one: 

yep, you guessed it! this post is (mostly) about antici....

...

.....

........

PATION!

on sunday, i'm going to the getty museum in la with my parents for a writing assignment i have to do for my art history class. i'm really really really really excited to visit it. i love museums with the burning intensity of a thousand suns. and it's free and has a banging gift shop, which are two other things that i love dearly.

i'm going to see my first van gogh..... [SWEATS]

next saturday, i'm off to las vegas. my family and i are departing at 4 in the morning (!!!!!!) because they want to beat the heat. the last time i was in vegas, when we arrived in the city at about 1 or 2 in the morning, it was over 90 degrees fahrenheit outside. that's roughly 5 hours of driving in the nevada desert in the summer and pretty much some downright crazy shit.

i'm mostly excited to get the chance to walk around the strip again, see the sights and do some shopping! a fun little store i've visited consistently almost all of the times i've been to the city is david and goliath in the venetian (hands down my favorite hotel in the strip--it's a shame i've never actually stayed there). the store specializes in funny little t-shirts that aren't always appropriate, mature, or politically correct.

i've had my eye on this one for a while

i'm also excited to visit seaworld on a not yet determined date in august. i haven't been to seaworld in literally years. yes, i understand that seaworld is in a perpetual grey area in terms of ethics, but i'm still pumped because i love the sea and i love underwater life, even though most of it scares the shit out of me.

of course, i'm also waiting for san francisco in august. it seems like i'm waiting a lifetime.....

the last time i was in san francisco was during a trip i had taken with my huge extended family (in addition to vegas [my first time] and disneyland). i had just arrived in the the u.s. with my mom and i was 8 years old. naturally, i barely remember anything and i was asleep half the time. NOT THIS TIME, ME. my eyes will be wide open and ready to take in my future home.

my parents have a bunch of stuff lined up as for activities (including alcatraz [i've never been] and chinatown) but i am particularly excited to visit--you guessed it--a museum. 

it's called the legion of honor and it is absolutely gorgeous. i mean, here's a picture of the entrance: 

STUNNING

i had originally planned to go to the san francisco museum of modern art, but i found out that it is currently undergoing renovations. so, i looked around for more museums in the city and found this gem. it houses, among many other works, a cast of rodin's the thinker and multiple works from monet, degas, cézanne and other prominent impressionists and post-impressionists whose bodies of work i am particularly interested in. 

another bay area destination that specifically pertains to my interests is amoeba records in san francisco/berkeley (i'll be visiting both cities, albeit the latter very briefly). i've always wanted to visit amoeba records, whether in la, sf, or berkeley.

here's the berkeley branch. i can smell the discount vinyls from here

speaking of berkeley, i am ridiculously nervous/sweaty/excited/gassy about touring uc berkeley. i mean, this is the university that managed to capture my heart and knock nyu from it's no. 1 spot on my top college picks. i pretty much planned this entire trip and convinced my parents to go to san francisco this summer just so i could tour berkeley.

go golden bears????

as you can imagine, i have some pretty steep expectations for this tour. and some pocket money for a sweater from the student store. 

reppin'

honestly, i can't even say that much about uc berkeley, other than the fact that i am excited beyond words to visit what will most likely be my future college. it's just so surreal. i've been waiting for this for virtually my entire life.

i'm trying to think of other things that i'm waiting for. i'm waiting for the right opportunity to ask my mom if i can withdraw the money to buy the penny board i want. i'm waiting to gain the will to start my summer assignments for next school year. i'm waiting for myself to get off my ass and learn how to drive already. i'm waiting for the training day for the freshman mentoring program that i'm involved in. i'm waiting for packet pick up and registration for junior year (god, school. CAN'T YOU JUST LET ME LIVE???? I JUST ESCAPED YOU AND NOW YOU'RE PULLING ME BACK IN!!!!!!!!)

also, for the only part of this post that isn't about waiting, i just wanted to mention that i've been watching top gear a lot. like, a lot a lot. it's pretty much all i watch. i'm pretty sure my inner monologue is now being recited by a voice that sounds suspiciously like jeremy clarkson.

i love top gear so much mainly because it has the ability to be hilarious and relatable even though i previously haven't given a rat's furry ass about cars. here's a great clip on the hilariously ridiculous reliant robin:

wow, this post turned very long very quickly. best cut it off here. over and out.

lazy days

heyo. i haven't done anything monumentally astounding in the 4 days since my last post but there's been some very good news that's come my way.

drumroll, please.....

i'm going to las vegas with my family in a couple of weeks!!!!

it's only for 3 days and 2 nights and we don't have enough money to see any shows but i'm still very excited. vegas is one of my favorite places on earth and i'm just so glad to be in the city again. instead of staying in the strip (which is undoubtedly pricey) my parents have rented a 3-bedroom house just off the strip which is cool since this is supposed to be a lowkey, relaxed trip. 

i can't believe i'm actually doing stuff this summer, though. i haven't been on a proper vacation since god knows when. but i'm going to both las vegas and san francisco in the next couple of months, which is exciting, to say the least. 

as for me right now, i'm (re)watching house of cards. god help me, i love this show so much. i love this show more than sharks love blood. maybe because i can connect to frank and claire's mindset so much. like macbeth but without all the silliness of guilt and all that. (remember when frank was house majority whip? simpler times.) spoilers ahead!

also, i've decided that i'm hell bent on learning how to ride a penny board. this is the one that i want. and i'm pretty sure my mom is on board with my idea. she hasn't said an outright no, at least, so i take it as a yes. 

ain't she a beaut?

see ya'll on the flip side. (that's a thing we Crazy Youngsters say nowadays, right???)

summer bummer

shit. i have so much to say.

but first, an apology. i haven't been here for a few days and it's pretty much because i've been busy/lazy. a bunch of stuff has actually happened.

first of all, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. man. it was so chill, though. my last two finals were easy. then there was a fairly large sophomore bonfire at newport beach and i got the privilege to hang out with people whose companies i enjoy who also aren't my usual circle of friends. look at me, being social n' shit. 

then, FIRST DAY OF SUMMER. it would have been relaxing, but i had class at the community college and then volunteering at the fine arts center after. womp womp. it was still fun, though!

two sessions of the art history course i'm taking at the community college have passed. it's really easy so far because it's just a bunch of reading and basic vocab...we haven't even started learning about any movements yet. more on that as it develops.

volunteering has been a bit of work, but enjoyable all the same. i think i'm close to getting over my inherent awkwardness around small children (i never know what to say to them). turns out they're pretty easy to deal with. they probably think i'm like a 30 year old or something. i'm reminded of this one bit john mulaney performs (0:00-0:53).

i volunteer twice a week (so far) and the teacher for both the classes i volunteer for is the same guy. he's a solemn, heavyset scotsman. he has the kids draw simple animals, landscapes, and portraits. it's pretty damn cute. also, taking the bus has become easier and easier. i'm learning how to stabilize my center of balance while being in something that moves suddenly, jerkily, and violently. real world skills, people!

today, i went to class and was half bored half interested for 2 hours and 40 minutes. i also made this thing that's due on thursday:

the next picasso, amirite?!?!?!

well, i think that's it for now. hasta luego,
angela

two down, three to go

hey there, internet. i'm t-minus 14 minutes away from my epic 5+ hour chemistry cram session. just wanted to check in before things got too crazy.

i'm about a third of the way done with finals! congratulate me! i didn't break down and cry during my final debate for WHAP! (to be fair, i always think i'm going to do awfully on those types of things, but i always end up excelling...the power of the reverse self-fulfilling prophecy + an obsessive and exhaustive amount of preparation) i don't think i totally failed my math final! yay!!!

but tomorrow i have yearbook and then....chemistry
cue this music:

and then this music:

(do you know how long it took me to find those songs?)

it seems as if it's time for me to depart. i wanted to linger in the sweet company of the internet for a bit....

see you on the other side!

angela

here...we...go

'sup, internet. i'm still trying to figure out this whole thing out. wow, i sound like a grandpa that just figured out how to open up internet explorer rather than a Seasoned Internet Veteran (neopets started it all).

well, i'm sitting here writing this at 1:24 am instead of studying for the math final i have tomorrow. whatever. i'm seizing life by the cajones here.

i was inspired by the summer 2k14 to-do list i just made (more info on that shit later) and ezra koenig's classic pre-vampire-weekend-fame blog internet vibes that he started back when he was a lowly grad student at columbia. talk about some goals.

anywho, i thought i'd just outline some summer resolutions (that can be fulfilled via the magic of the internet, of course):

• make blog diary
• make aesthetic/art blog
• update band blog
• film/music reviews
• learn how to make graphics, icons
• ETC. COOL STUFF PROBABLY [cue explosions n'shit]

but really, who the hell knows what this'll turn into? maybe in the iconic ezra fashion, this blog will be unearthed by my dedicated fans once i'm a famous college professor/historian/curator/art critic/art dealer. (that's you, dedicated fan. just kidding. not really tho)

p.s., just so ya'll know, this post was written with perfect formatting and caps and all that but i decided to make everything in lowercase so that it'd look cooler. i'm just that bitch.

signing off,

angela

cute picture of me