PAS Post #10: Winding Down

Summer eventually comes to a halt, depending on where you live.

Here in the Pennsylvania area, it get’s chilly pretty quickly. School is quickly approaching and you are excited, nervous, and yet so sad that summer is coming to an end. There are some things that should said. Do not bring up old drunk conversations with boys/girls that you do not talk to anymore. Everything that happened in the summer stays in the summer. Also, make sure you tried to complete everything on your bucket list. Add anything you want to do for next summer. Never turn down. A good idea for the end of summer is an end of summer dinner with your friends at a nice restaurant. You can have closure on your summer and take your last yearly summer pictures with friends. Reflect on yourself. Think about what you have learned throughout the course of summer and what you wish you would have done differently. Learn from your mistakes. This is your chance to grow as a person. Besides relaxing, try to fit in any last minute things you want to do that you can only do in the summer or with good weather such as going to an amusement park or going camping in a tent. As they say “The summer gods are watching you-they know when you haven’t fulfilled your summer’s true potential.” Thank the ones around you for assisting you in having such an amazing summer. Be appreciative. Post throwback pics on instagram or twitter to share the memories and good times with friends.

Here’s a link to things that guys can do for girls that will sweep them off their feet:

http://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-fagan/2014/08/21-uncommon-romantic-gestures-that-would-make-any-girl-melt/

Here’s a few links to bucketlist’s if you want to look for a quick thing to do last minute:

http://teensummerbucketlist.weebly.com/

and my personal favorite

http://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/the-greatest-summer-bucket-list

Buy some fun summer clothes at:

http://www.lulus.com/categories/930_893/summer-fashion.html

http://www.garageclothing.com/ca/?_requestid=5195119

Some people experience S.A.D when another season comes around which is Seasonal Affective Disorder. To stop from feeling sad, gloomy, and depressed. Keep motivated. Keep up with fitness workouts, stay focused in school, and keep friendships active. We all get in slumps but you can take simple steps such as following a motivational blog and download apps. Always keep a positive attitude and don’t point out negative aspects of things. A list I found on lifehack.org goes through 8 things you can do to stay motivated.

  1. Start simple
  2. Keep good company
  3. Keep learning
  4. Stay Positive
  5. Stop thinking
  6. Know Yourself
  7. Track your progress
  8. Help others

Here is a link if you are interested in learning more:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/8-steps-to-continuous-self-motivation.html

A great season is coming to an end but that doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun! Be safe, stay classy, and stay busy. Everything will be fine and there will be many more summers in the future.

summer

RCL Post #10: Bumper Sticker

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At first when I saw this, I thought, oh this is just a typical republican vs. democratic bumper sticker. But as I read it, I felt super annoyed. First of all they incorporated the red for republican color and the logo of an elephant. Republican is bolded and larger than the rest which draws attention to it. As someone who isn’t yet concerned with politics let alone pays that much attention to it, I can somewhat connect to this sticker. I know some families in my home town that struggle.Whether it’s for various reasons such as not getting enough money, or even being a single parent. People do need help and the government should be able to offer it. We pay taxes. I find this extremely rude and offensive when “republicans” don’t know individuals stories. This claims basically that republicans are of course “better than everyone else” and are so rich AND STUCK UP that they can pay for everything. Who doesn’t love a republican they are SO PERFECT. Politics does raise a lot arguments between people. I assume that the audience is supposed to agree with this and say people on welfare are just lazy; but that’s not the case. This is a very offensive and poorly made bumper sticker and I hope people feel the same way I do.

RCL Post #9: Society

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As I was scrolling down tumblr, searching for the perfect picture, I came across this beauty.

Apparently, the sculpture itself is an actual sculpture, although I am not sure who made it, what it is called, or where it is in the world. If you just look at the sculpture without the phone, it looks like a beautiful woman just posing, maybe dancing, or something else. None the less it is simple and beautiful. Then, look at the overall picture with the phone. The first thing most people think of is probably “She is taking a selfie“. This itself says a lot about where the human race is headed. This also shows how materialistic we are becoming. It is putting a modern day, common icon and incorporating into an old piece of art. This is tough to look at, for I have come to realize that people have become way to phone orientated. Personally, I think that this argues how materialistic society has become. 

Although, I am one of those people that always has their phone in their hand, I do deeply believe that just because we have this technology doesn’t mean we have to use it all the time and revolve our life around it. It does have a sense of kairos because it is trying to get the audience to see how we are transforming and it’s pretty deep- it hits a spot in your head. We are slowly starting to not appreciate the arts anymore; artists put in so much work to their art and it truly speaks if you look deep enough (I know this because I am taking the Philosophy of Art & Beauty).

Think about it.

PAS Post #9: Hot Hairstyles and Haircuts

Everyone has different hair types and it makes you unique in your own way! But some people start to get in the habit of keeping their boring hair the same way. WHY NOT SWITCH IT UP FOR SUMMER; whether it is getting a new cut or just trying new hairstyles. Summer is a time for change, and it’s a time to be wild, so…

TRY THESE;

Guys:

Let’s start off really crazy. Zayn Malik, has beautiful hairstyles but one of my favorite is when he has it fluffed straight up. This look can be achieve by using gel. I recommend either AXE or REDKEN FOR MEN. Zayn, sometime incorporates some color in his hair. He had a blonde street right up the middle in the front of his hair. I, for one, think it is so cute! You have to be willing to take a risk on this one.

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House of Wax as a GREAT horror movie with a great plot, but I just couldn’t pay that much attention because Jared Padalecki is TOO HOT. He inspired the next hairstyle for men: Long and sleek. This of course requires a man to have longer hair, and most likely straight hair unless a guy straightens it themselves. The only thing about this is it could look absolutely gorgeous or really weird and creepy.

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I’m not at all saying ” ooh! you better switch up your hair just for summer because your hair is gross now” I’m just saying to get out of your comfort zone and try something different when you can! Have a little fun with it! Thank you!

XOXO

RCL Post #8: Best Man Speech

As I googled and youtubed for speeches to watch, I came across a best man in a wedding, which happened to be the grooms brother, giving a speech. I feel as if the speech should be analyzed for its entirety for it had different elements throughout and shifted quickly. In the beginning of the speech, the best man, Anthony gets up to present a short speech. He was immediately getting laughs out of the crowd and even from his older brother. His delivery seems to be very comfortable. Although he doesn’t look at his “note sheet” at all, he knows what he is saying and seems very relaxed. Anthony looked like he was having fun speaking throughout the whole video which is a fun way to present. His eye contact was constant, looking between the audience and his brother. Overall his speech was very organized, in thought and in content. He started off making jokes like: ” There comes a time in everyone’s life when they meet their true love, their soul mate, the person that is going to know and love them for the rest of their life. That moment came for George 25 years ago, when he met me.” He alternates between comedy and pathos. Towards the end, I think which is very important, he uses pathos by referring to a conversation they recently had. At 4:50, Anthony says that George said something he will never forget in his life. “I just wanna let you know that I’m always on your side. I am now and will always be your biggest fan.” Anthony starts to get emotional and this is where the wrap up of the speech happens. It’s a tearjerker and an amazing speech.

Points of interest:

Funny parts: 0:12-2:10

Serious but amazingly cute parts:4:15-6:20

PAS Post #8: Tips & Tricks!

Summer-sexy

Summer is a fun time to relax in the sun, but you can never be too careful. Glance over these tips and tricks and keep them in mind everyday. Stay healthy!

  • Relax!- Everyone deserves a break now and then, so sit back and whether its soaking in the sun, or laying in bed watching netflix, just relax.
  • Let your feet air as much as you can- The summer temperatures can reach some extremes. Your feet and palms are sensitive to heat. Just by letting your feet air out in front of a fan, or dipping them in cold water, your body will instantly cool.
  • Wear a hat! It is important to stay protected when outside in the sun. Although UV waves are bad for you, so is sunscreen! So wear a hat and cover up a little bit & they are super cute!
  • Stay on top of your skin. You are out in harsh conditioners. Chlorine and salt water can dry out your skin so much! Remember to moisturize to keep everything smooth and clear, not blotchy.
  • Same goes with your hair! This goes for guys and girls both! Hair should be worshiped, because it could fall out real quick.  Condition your hair and dry your hair immediately after. Maybe even change up a hairstyle in the spirit of summer!(: Also, keep your hair off your face. Maybe you will breakout less and its nice to not worry about hair dangling in your face.
  • Girls: Don’t wear to much makeup! It’s summer! You should be care free! Don’t worry about what other people think, because most times they don’t really care themselves.  Wear minimal makeup– you are beautiful! Give your face a break.
  • Girls again: keep your nails painted! It may not always be fun to keep up with your nails but AT LEAST paint your toenails. Choose a summer color that looks good with sandals! After putting a clear coat on top, you shouldn’t have to worry about it too much.
  • If you sunburn, treat immediately! The longer you are sun burnt the longer your skin will deteriorate and it will continue to burn! Use aloe vera lotion, or aloe vera cooling gel to fix the problem.
  • Lastly, get lots of vitamin C. Vitamin C is in fruits! According to beautyhigh.com it slows down cell damage and reduces the chances of wrinkles!

Thanks to beautyhigh.com and marieclaire.com I was able to form a list of things I think are important to keep in mind during the summer. Summer is a fun time, but you still need to remain healthy in all ways!

PAS Post #7: Basic Summer Clothing

You definitely need your basics in summer. Basics can go with anything, and aren’t that “recognizable” so no one would really know if you were repeating an outfit you just wore 2 days ago. With basics, you can also pair with other basics or other different types of clothing.

A WHITE TANK

white tank

A white tank top is as basic as you can get. You could wear a necklace with it, or if it gets chilly you could throw a cardigan over it. You could wear a white tank with light colored Capri’s or  dark washed shorts.

This brings us to the next must have!

DENIM SHORTS

denim

Okay, I think we can all agree that denim shorts are very common and must needed. I suggest going to American Eagle to select the perfect pair. The fabric is great and does not get worn down. Make sure you get the right size, nothing too tight, or too short. To me, midis are the best. Bermuda’s tend to be a little awkward, and you just want a basic length pair of shorts.

VNECKS

vneck

V-necks are bae. They are so easy to throw on real quick, yet look so nice. Honestly, walmart has a back of like 5 v-necks for 10$. It is so worth it. Although the V-neck on these is a little high and may be awkward, you can always look at Forever 21 for cheap v-necks that are colored and even patterned!

MAXI DRESSES

maxiu

Maxi dresses are just about as summery as you can get. They look good on everyone, every body type, and every height. They are comfortable, light, and are so cute! They cover just about everything. Big brand stores such as Boscovs, Bon-Ton, and Macy’s have amazing selections of all sorts of maxi dresses.

A SUN DRESS

sundress

On a hot summer day, where you plan to be by the pool, or just wanna go out to eat, a sun dress is the way to go. It is short, cute, and easy!  I suggest not picking any “weird patterns” go for the summery patterns and colors, like yellow, pink, and dresses with flowers! you can also throw on a jean jacket. Tip: make sure you have perfect shoes to go with it. I think sometimes flip flops are not the best choice to wear the sundresses. Gladiators or sandals are paired perfectly.

A MUSCLE TEE

muscle

These are the so comfortable to wear around the house, or out and about. Whether you go out and buy one or cut an athletic shirt. These are super sporty yet super stylish..

RCL Post #7: Paradigm Shift- Women’s fashion

flapper

hippie

modern

For my paradigm shift, I have finally chosen to analyze the evolution of women’s fashion between the early 1900’s and the 2000’s. You can tell what is happening in a culture around the time based on what was seen as “common clothes”. For example, the 1920’s marks the beginning of freedom for women; they were given the right to vote, and also became active in the workplace. To match these exciting new changes, women began changing fashion. “Flapper fashion” was described as wearing shorter hemlines, fancy embroidered stockings, and corsets. Also, people with a lower income were able to participate in this fashion because it was cheap to get the fabric and to make. Eventually… more time has gone by, which means different trends have altered into something new (which I plan to talk about in my essay and TED talk). The 1960’s and 1970’s signified the hippie era. Fresh, young, and new musicians and actors came to play during this time. Jimi Hendrix was a great example because he was always seen wearing feathers, tye-dye, fringes, and rainbows. Eventually this spread mainly because of the Music Festival.

As you can see, I plan to describe what was happening in the decade and then progress to what they wore during that time. Because of the amazing feedback in class, I have also decided to touch on what women felt at the time, and how that has to do with how they dressed. I might also be able to talk about how what “normal, everyday” people wear different clothes as compared to celebrities, and how celebrities wear a different type of fashion as compared to runway models.

I think that the audience will be intrigued by it because something just as small as clothing can reflect what someone felt at the time.  It should be explored because especially in modern times, there is always stuff being added on that should be looked at so later generations can understand too and we don’t lose track of fashion and culture.

RCL Post #6: The Courage to Tell a Hidden Story

 

At the young age of 19, Eman started her career as the first female photojournalist in Palestine. In her TED talk, she goes on to say that the males made sure she felt unwelcome. Because she was a female doing “a male’s job” she was frowned upon and some agencies would not train her because of her gender. In Palestine, women weren’t encouraged to get an education, there were also social restrictions at the time. Women were viewed as inferior to men. Eman payed close attention to how men acted towards women so she could speak out about it to her colleagues. Eman is proud of her work. She focuses on showing everyone things that are unseen. The joy after, the happy times, not just the fighting. She struggles with everyday life and she “became a witness with a choice, to either run away or stand still”

Eman is such an inspiring person to me. Even though at times people hated her, men hated her, and others didn’t necessarily like her, she did what she loved. There is still gender inequality throughout the world that is ridiculous. Men are no different from women. We should all get the same chances and opportunities, and the fact that Eman is doing just that is exhilarating.

Her power line at the end of the speech really captured my mind. “I became a witness with a choice, to either run away or stand still”.  Everyone goes through hard times, but you have a choice to either make a change or not do anything about it. To me, those are words to live by. We can look at Eman as a role model for her great accomplishments and learn from her experience to fight out against gender inequalities also.

PAS Post #6: My 1st Beach Trip

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It all feels like yesterday when I went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with my best friend Amy, and her parents. After 17 years of never being to the beach, on July 30th 2013, my life would change. It was the first time I would feel the sand squeeze between my toes and under my nails, witness people sitting comfortably under an umbrella drinking margaritas, and children squealing with laughter. It is something each person should experience at least once in their life.

Packing was hard enough for me. I had an ancient, ginormous Samsonite suitcase to fill up with colorful Victoria’s Secret bathing suits, cover ups, formal dinner clothes, and shoes. As you would expect a teenage girl to do, I over packed. Finally, we left for the Harrisburg airport on Tuesday, the 30th at 6AM. As we boarded at 7:15, I couldn’t help but notice how small and crammed this airplane was; nothing like the airplane in Jodi Foster’s Flightplan. As we situated, the pilot announced to “turn off all electronic devices until further notice”. Because I had an iPhone, I experienced problems with turning off my phone. The button was stuck, so I turned on airplane mode, no big deal right? Then the pilot came on the intercom again and said “Airplane Mode will not work, please turn all devices off.” My heart started racing, and I was having a panic attack. Would we crash just because I cannot turn my phone off? Amy is whispering in my ear “We are going to die because of you.” By this time I was crying and tried to calm myself down. The flight attendant told us they were having mechanical problems with the plane’s “computer system”. I was in complete shock. At 7:45 AM we finally took off the runway. As soon as we reached a certain altitude, the flight attendant said it was okay to turn devices on and use them on airplane mode. Relieved that we lived, but still stressed, I took the best 4 hour nap until we arrived in the notorious and extremely hot South Carolina.

It was noon by the time we checked out the rental car and reached the hotel. The Long Bay Resort was beautiful; 14 floors of rooms, all facing the never-ending shore. Inside our suite 1024, it was a very spacious and relaxing environment. The first thing I did was run to the back door, step out onto the balcony and breathe in the salty air. From our floor you could see the resort’s pool, the sand, and the ocean; I have waited for this moment for seventeen years. It felt like a dream come true.  After settling in, we went to eat at a local deli. I had a Chicken Cesar Wrap, it was way better than McDonald’s. Everywhere we went over the four day trip, had amazing food. Big restaurant’s like Chucks Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden, and 5 Star all had equally fulfilling food as compared to small, worn down shacks that were down the street from our hotel. Every morning, we got into the habit of waking up at 9 o’clock for breakfast, then around 10 we would shop for a few hours, come back to the hotel, and go to the beach for the remainder of the day. Our resort was on Ocean Blvd. and since it was so close to the busy city area, we would walk to breakfast, and the significantly large shopping malls.

The third day we went down to the beach early in the morning to catch stronger waves. Boogie Boarding is like an art form; it is so hard to master the technique to get a full ride into the shore and requires a lot of patience. After practicing my boarding skills for the first two days, I was totally ready for the big boy waves. Watching all the waves crashing, some gently and some with force is a beautiful sight. The salt from the ocean stung my eyes and my nose was constantly dripping. I would hang on my boogie board and let the ocean sing me a song and rock me to sleep. Then my relaxation was interrupted by Amy yelling “Char! Let’s get this one!” I turned my back to the wave, held the board out, and started to flutter kick. The wave carried me like a baby, and then suddenly pulled me under. Complete darkness surrounded me as I lost control of my board. An instant later, I was tumbling and summersaulting through small sharp shells and rocks on the shore. I could feel my thighs being sliced and back being scratched. All my weight was on my cheekbone for a moment and time slowed down. As the wave receded, I tried to get back up on my feet but was pulled under again with the next wave. I thought my cheek bone was broken and a shell pierced my eye because I could not see anything let alone open my eye. Salt, sand, and water swashed around in my mouth and I called for Amy’s help. “Amy come help me! I fell! Hurry!” Amy looked confused like I was talking to myself. “What?” she said. “Do I look okay? Am I bleeding? Can you see my eyes? I think my cheekbone is broken? We have to go inside!” I wimpered. She said I was bleeding a little on my cheekbone and to press the scratch with my towel, but that only stung more because my towel was filled with small granules of sand. When I got back into the room and I crawled to the shower then put some ice on my cheekbone. When we went to eat dinner that night, it hurt to chew like someone was pushing a fork into my eye and Amy’s parents were staring at me with wide eyes.

The next morning was our last day and my favorite day at the beach. I had strawberry pancakes for breakfast, and then we lay out on the beach listened to music and drank Starbucks’ Frappuccino’s. Alternating between boogie boarding, tanning, and jumping in the resort’s pool was a lot of fun. Before the trip my skin was the same shade as Emma Stone’s and after four days of allowing the sun’s powerful UV Rays to penetrate my skin with the help Coppertone’s tanning oil, my skin was the shade of Beyoncé’s.

I rested in my comfortable kind sized bed, the night before we left to fly back to Lebanon, and I kept hearing this loud person’s voice echoing from a few floors down. I could not understand what the man was saying so I just listened to music softly, trying to fall asleep. In the next five minutes, a loud voice booms right next to my door. I thought someone broke into our suite and I was sure that we were about to be held hostage. I took my head phones out and hear “Evacuate Immediately! You must evacuate immediately!” The voice sounded so real, but it was just a recording. Luckily, I had my suitcase packed, so I ran to wake Amy and her parents up and we left the room. Everyone on our floor, and the floors above were standing outside their rooms in their pajamas, discussing what was happening. I have a fear of dying in a hotel room from carbon monoxide, so I was hyped like I had three cups of coffee. Thirty minutes past midnight, the staff tells us it was a false alarm and we could go back into our rooms. Exhausted, I fell asleep quickly and within 3 hours, had to wake up and try to look presentable for the airport.

When we arrived back in Lebanon around lunch time on Saturday, August 3rd. I was happy as ever to be home and see my parents again, I missed the beach already. The atmospheres are so different. At the beach, I would wake up at 8 AM and it would be almost 90 degrees and sunny. Here in Lebanon, it was noon and chilly, probably 70 degrees with overcast. The colors were much more vibrant in Myrtle and I was used to people speaking with southern accents that I would randomly start talking with one.

There may not be an overall lesson to be learned from my beach trip, but I have learned a lot about myself as a person. Everyone needs to take time out for themselves, and relax. Myrtle Beach influenced my life in a positive way and has motivated me to get a good education and a career that I love, so when I have a family, we can travel to the south and make our own memories.

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