I'm craving banana bread

This week, I'm proud I survived a nasty bout of influenza.

I did so little else that simply existing is all I can be proud of really...
(I did have an incredible epiphany and an entirely new experience this past weekend involving what I can only describe as a new level of consciousness involving my potential relationship with reality but I was heavily intoxicated and shant go into details here)

I was lying all pathetic-like and dying in bed for almost 7 whole days. I attempted school on friday but after a double morning free decided it was too taxing for my frail and withered body so came back to Manhattan and slept a bit more.

Before I fell victim to the pox however, Alan (for those of you uninformed, Alan was the alpha male in my Manhattan chapter) and I had a cultural extravaganza on the Saturday and Sunday before I was bed ridden. We saw "Really Really" by Paul Downs Colaizzo, starring Lauren Culpepper, David Hull, Evan Jonigkeit, Matt Lauria, Kobi Libii, Zosia Mamet (from the hit HBO show 'Girls', she plays the loveable Shoshanna), and Aleque Reid. Directed by David Cromer at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
I LOVED IT. I likened it to "Posh" by Laura Wade, all about a bunch of young educated bucks in uni/college who encounter a bit of real life and need to navigate their way through it, fuelled by the belief that they are invincible and liquor. I won't bore you with a review or anything but it's current and witty, relevant and poignant. I really enjoyed it and It made me think for ages after so I recommend you see it entirely. (Plus, we were in the front row and I was super close to Zosia Mamet and she's fab so weeee!)
We also saw Steppenwolf's production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?", directed by Pam MacKinnon and starring Tracy Letts, Amy Morton, Madison Dirks and Carrie Coon. Tracy Letts and Amy Morton were just sensational and I fell in love with the play itself. I get why its kinda a classic. If you have not read or seen this play, YOU MUST. Especially if you are a lit or theatre student. You'll get so involved in the possibilities presented to the point of just marvelling at Albee's writing. Plus, you'll understand what everybody is raving about.
The third and final cultural injection was "My Name is Asher Lev" by Aaron Posner (adapted from the novel by Chaim Potok) directed by Gordon Edelstein and starring Ari Brand, Mark Nelson, and Jenny Bacon. Now, I am unsure whether my sickeness had a part to play in my reaction to this piece but I definitely did not love it as much as the other two. The play is about a Hasidic Jewish boy who wants to be an artist but battles with his families beliefs and his unquenchable desire to draw and create. I like the concept but it spanned over about 20 years and the main character's frequent direct address was tiring. I don't mean to cause any offence but the theatre was full of wrinkly jewish men and women who giggled at all the Hebrew jokes that I didn't get. I'm glad we went but it pales in comparison to Really Really and Who's afraid', that may have just been more accessible to a young christian brit.

Virginia. 

I was taking a sunday stroll round Grenwich Village one snowy, sunny weekend and was whatsapping Ham and Ree as I sat and ate the most delicious egg and bacon sandwich by the Hudson. I sent them this pic, and they sent me the following back:

Proving where he is, is just as cool... From Hamish 

Aaaand 'sleepy chic' from Ree.
I miss them both terribly when they send me mad photos like this but it also reaffirms by faith in our collective existence.  

My remedy of choice (along with horrible flu meds that made me vomit. Stupid "delicate constitution")

 OHMY, I ALSO WENT TO A PENTATONIX CONCERT. On Thursday, I managed to rally myself and crawl out of bed to see these guys with a bunch of a cappella buddies. HUGE shouts to Emily and Carroll, who made it happen. The pictures I took were from the VIP section (no big freakin deal) AND WE GOT TO MEET THEM AFTERWARDS. It was the maddest thing, considering I'd only become equated with the band this year, I went completely silly when we went back stage. Mehh, I got caught up and loved it. If you don't know who they are, look them up because you'll be able to appreciate their talent. Being mainly a cover band an all.

THIS IS AVI THE BASE. HIS VOICE IS JUST INCREDIBLE

I also watched the Oscars with Nora. We made millions of mini muffins and didn't even come close to eating half of them. 

NEXT UP: WASHINGTON DC.

I forgot to upload this when it happened, but it was no pants day or something and it made me laugh.
Maybe I did upload it. But I'm going to do so again. 

We walked past a PUPPY SALE, 50% OFF ON A LARGE SELECTION OF PUPPIES AND YOUNG DOGS?! I died a little bit that day because my heart swelled up and a little bit broke off because it wouldn't fit inside my rib cage. 

First ride in a yellow cab. 5 months in. After seeing Fiddler on the Roof by the theatre company Applause.  BIG UP SAMANTHA.

FOUND A TWO DOLLAR BILL! WHAAAAAA

*not my photo* But it illustrates the small but intense dance party the seniors had in the student centre once 2nd semester began. 

lil momento of Dance Concert 2013

I also lie about my name in Starbucks. HowIGetMyKicks.

It snowed so I defiled the white canvas with my initials. Yes I know  it looks like a J.

Stupid buttface genius brother. 

Miss you guys. 

View from my new room. No big deal. 

OH HAI NEW JERSEY

OH HAI MANHATTAN 

Also got a hair cut. It no longer looks like that. 

Darling Frankie really is MA GURL. 

Jack and Eliza. The space. Watch it. 

This is the sledging hilarity that occurred this saturday. The goggles aren't mine but I feel like I am rocking the 'ski chic' look. 

We got milkshakes afterwards. SWISH. 

MANHATTAN

This week, I'm proud I put myself out there.

Not only did I move house from Brooklyn to Manhattan (eeeep), but I was in Dance Concert.
It's like this student run (virtually) and choreographed dance showcase thingy. I am no dancer and felt incredibly self conscious in the run up to the first performance but I saw the others practising and just revelling in the whole tradition and atmosphere of the night, I thought screw it. I can get over my body image issues for what, 12 minutes of my life?!
And it turned out to be incredible! The after party was at a studio in Dumbo, which was like a heaving, swaying mass of adolescence in a small, totally bare room.
I ALSO, auditioned for the musical- Bye Bye Birdie and am now Mrs Mae Peterson, darling Albert's momma. SWISH.

MOREOVER, I watched the Super Bowl for the first time. American football is incredibly boring and I didn't really get the thing about the adverts... $4 million for 30 seconds?! Is that right? Not sure, you should check that...but it will still be just a shocking. We also studied the incredibly (homo)erotic Calvin Klein advert in Art History the next day.

This can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yelvxwTRUY

FURTHERMORE, as well as being in Bye Bye Birdie, I'm in a friend of mine's Senior Thesis (Rocky Horror Picture Show) AND I've decided to embark on my own thesis. I got my grades back for the first semester and I have a nice range from A's to a D-. I guess it showed that I do well in the classes I give  a crap about. So I thought doing a senior thesis would fire me up. I don't have to drop a class because I have an inordinate amount of free periods and "homework" seems to never derail me ever so imadoit. The Senior Thesis idea is basically exactly like the Extended Project Qualification I did at Marlborough...except without the write up part (lol).  I thought about just handing in my old project buuuut that would be unfathomably dull. More on that later.


IN ADDITION, I got tickets to see Time Flies, but it got cancelled because of the blizzard... The last time I tried to go to a concert, hurricane Sandy hit. Should I be taking the hint?
Which reminds me, I was in my FIRST New York blizzard! What utter larks. After the horribly cold and intrusive blizzard, humans natural response was to turn it into something beautiful and sled on the remains the next day. Bliff.
And instead of going to Time Flies, we went to this thing to see Jack perform which was wicked. Watch this space.

PEACE X

UPCOMING EVENTS: Grammies are on tomorrow, I'm going to see The Laramie Project, Its presidents day weekend, PENTATONIX CONCERT ON THURSDAY, and I'm off to Washington some time later in the month.