Allisonwritings

Lollipops

allisonwriting — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:48:20 +0000

Don’t hate me for being an unreliable blogger. It’s a good thing, means I’m busy. And that I have been….I’ve moved! And it’s a good thing. Moving – though not in a really big far away kind of way…I moved 25 blocks south of my old apartment, to the East Village, across from Tompkins Square Park. Known for it’s riots in the 80′s, hoodlum bumming, and drug scoring – oh times have changed. All you’ll see now are skinny-jean-wearing dads watching their yogi wives doing stretches in the park before hitting up the farmers market on the southwest end of the Square where live music is being played by indie kids and dogs of all shapes and sizes coating the concrete paths and grassy terrain. It’s nice to look out my window and see this. Except for the group of men that meet across the street from my apartment at certain points of certain days then walk off together in certain directions is still a little fishy. Maybe they play mahjong together. Maybe go fishing on the East River.

Tompkins butts

So Phillipe and I migrated South. We packed up and shipped off in a yellow cab, belongings following suit in a large moving truck not far behind. It ain’t easy moving in New York City, and boy am I glad it’s over. I think Phillipe is too (that’s my cat).

The Ignorant Bliss and the Intuitive Tango

allisonwriting — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:24:56 +0000

Ignorance is bliss. We’ve all heard this so many times, yet ignorance is not particularly a quality people strive for in order to acheive said bliss. It’s more grouped with qualities that people don’t want, that people look down upon, or pity. Yet, it’s reminds me of times in my life when things seemed easy, when the livin’ was good. Was I just ignorant? Unaware of what was to come based on the decisions I was making? Naive to the consequences of my actions? Sure I was, and I still am “ignorant” to many life lessons and experiences, particularly the ones I have yet to come by in life. But, on the other end of ignorance is intuition, awareness, consciousness of one’s decisions and the manifestations that this brings. Englightenment. Understanding the meaning of what is inside you, how it relates to what is outside you, and what to do about the interactions between the two. It is a powerful quality to possess, and not necessarilly an easy one to address. To ignore it, though, would be like ignoring a ticking timebomb; supression can only last for so long before something explodes. That said, I can’t help but wonder if life would be better or easier without intuition, with ignorance. Bliss. Maybe the consequences of my actions would end up being far more grave, but maybe I would worry far less about the consquences of my actions, and would worry far more about enjoying the moment. At this point, anyone who’s read this would deduce that one must have a good balance of both, but having the intelligence to be aware of this, thus applying this to real life circumstances, makes it that much harder to choose. Does one listen to The Intuition, even if it was from a previous experience that may feel convoluted and out-dated now, or does one listen to The Present Moment, the one that could lead to The Mistake, or The Regret. All in all, the constantly forgotten but ever present reminder is that the future is unpredictable, and no matter what things will fall into place one way or another, painful, happy, or not. Sometimes I long for simplicity in my outlook on life. Unfortunately, I’ve been told that my intuition can be my own demise, seemingly leading me to believe that life would be more simple without it. Whether or not this is true, the balance of what is right and wrong, makes sense and doesn’t, is a dance that is not choreographed. I just hope to keep up step, and not make too many mistakes along the way…

Reflections in mid-july

allisonwriting — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:53:11 +0000

Well well well….look what we have here. My lovely little blog. I’ve abandoned you once again…but the beauty is, you are always here, and you will always take me back. It’s been a busy month, filled with non-blog writing. It’s been summery – sleepless, tan-lined, with big hair. There have been tears of loved losses, and laughter that helped me through it. I reflect, and I feel happy looking back. Now, halfway-ish through summer 2009, I couldn’t ask to be in a better place in life, still with a constant hunger to be and achieve more.

In a conversation with a few friends last night, we discussed how if one believes and does all things necessary to accomplish one’s goals, then one’s efforts will be matched, and goals met. This seems only applicable to those individuals who’ve actually experienced such luck in their life, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have the resources necessary to be placed in front of their goals in an advantageous way, initially. Effort is key, but so is timing, looks, smarts, chemistry and shoes. Okay fine, not shoes. But for those of us that have reached our goals, we must not get a big head, or get lost in the craziness of life…the great job, the awesome apartment, the bright lights big city. We must remember that circumstances, external to our own efforts, have helped us get to where we are, and must appreciate this. Yes, I take credit for accomplishing what I have in life through my blood, sweat and tears, but I wouldn’t have been able to find what I was looking for if it wasn’t for my parents living in New Jersey, giving me access to this amazing city, and providing the emotional and mental support in my professional and personal pursuits and interests. Some people don’t get that support, which is a hindrance in and of itself, aside from geographical proximity to whatever geographical lifestyle one wants. Perhaps I am new york city-centric, but I believe that anyone who loves their city would feel the same way. So what I’m really getting at, I love my city, I love my job, I love my apartment, my friends, these streets, the sounds, even the tourists, the subway, brooklyn, the bums, the music, everything. I am so grateful to have it all in my life, to be apart of this concrete jungle with my own little story among so many others with each their own little (or big) stories. I am a big fish in a little sea, a little fish in a big sea. Bombarding back and forth against other fishies, we are all in it together. What an awesome sea it is!

So I suppose that is my reflections on life over the past month. I heard you saying my name, my little blog, and today I finally listened. And boy does it feel good. Until next time.

The curry love recipe

allisonwriting — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:24:06 +0000

Yesterday I took an adventure with the goal of purchasing curry paste in mind. I was introduced to this ingredient through a friend, and have been on a mission to purchase it and cook with it ever since. Not the most obscure ingredient ever, but still obscure enough to need to venture beyond the corner grocery shop. Chinatown as my destination, with the narrow hilly streets and Chinese signs as my guide, I ended up at Bangkok Center Grocery. A little Chinese man with a few teeth missing yet the kindest smile offered me help as I stepped into the shop, recommending which curry pastes need coconut milk, which are spiciest, and which work best with bamboo shoots. A few minutes later, I was purchasing 6 different kinds of curry paste, 3 cans of coconut milk, and some lychee juice for the road.

Coconut Milk

Chugging my juice through the short crowded streets, I made my way through Chinatown and up to Little Italy. People were eating heeping plates spaghetti and meatballs and cheesy, melty lasagna outdoors on an 80 degree clammy day. Nothing could be less appropriate for the climate.

Lasagna (on a sweaty day)

I finally hopped the subway to Union Sq to go to Trader Joe’s for my final curry dish ingredients. Italian food would not be part of the equation, purely an interlude.

The final recipe is

2 peppers – one green, one red

1 container of tofu

Broccoli OR Butternut Squash (depending on what Trader Joe’s has or doesn’t have)

1 can of red curry paste

1/3 can of Coconut milk

What you mix the ingredients in

Incorporate all the ingredients in a deep pan, covered, and check back occassionally for your perfect cooking preference….I’d say 8 minutes. This will serve 1-3 people, depending on how much leftovers you want. Spicy and satisfying, healthy and hearty. Fun for all.

Well that is all for my international journey/obscure errand of the day. I think I will start to find more obscure errands to run. They tend to be more fulfilling than the ol’ run to the dry-cleaners. Less dirty laundry involved. What should I do next?

A woman and her shoe

allisonwriting — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:39:01 +0000

This weekend I will do something I’ve never done before. Many women have, but for the first time I will explore the side of my aesthetic self that some women are addicted to and others fear. More than that, I will let myself explore being watched, being captured on film, being directer by a photographer. I will do it stripped of an ego but empowered by confidence. I will be vulnerable and exposed. The purpose of this photoshoot is to explore women and their relationship to their shoes. Stripped of distractions, the image will present a relationship between sensuality, practicality and individuality. It doesn’t have to be so distinctly sexy. Hopefully the appeal will come through in more subliminal ways. I’m really excited to explore not only this said concept, but to also be the person representing this with hopeful success. I’ve never been a model. I’ve never known how to look entirely effortless in front of a camera. The challenge of looking graceful and classy while committing to the concept excites me. That I can be a mysterious seductress minus any connotation of vulgarality or permiscuity. That I can illustrate through one image the power a woman has. I can only hope I’ll fully represent the ideals of the few words I’ve shared here. Effortless execution in art is not always as easy, but all I can do is try – be confident, be classy, be sultry, be representative of the power of the relationship between woman and shoe.

Identity, ohh Identity.

allisonwriting — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:02:08 +0000

So I am really excited this morning because I just signed up for my second improv class, and this one has a performance! It’s funny how performing creates such different reactions for different people. It makes some people want to crawl into a cardboard box in the corner, and makes others want to be the shining star that they are. I think I moreso fall under the latter, especially in this kind of performance art. I love that there is no script, the interaction with others on stage (with no script), and that once it comes out of your mouth, it will be gone forever buried in the grave of improv performance history. There is no way to recreate it, as it’s all done on a whim. So I’m very excited, as I’m now committed to 8 more weeks of fun in improv class, and the final performance which is just going to be a hoot! Let’s hope.

What I will look like with my improv group...

My new job at MTV is also pretty awesome. It’s amazing how quickly life can change. For so long I was working in a corporate hedge fund trying to find my identity in something i couldnt fully identify with, now I am a self-proclaimed comic working at mtv in times square. Of course there are more identifiable things in life than just ones job, but man does it make a difference when you actually feel drawn and proud of the industry, interests, and goals of the job you spend 10 hours a day at. Not to say I wasn’t happy in my previous job, I was very much so connected to the people and experience I gained there, but it just feels so good to be in a better fit for myself.

So, I guess I’m feeling pretty good about things today. The thing with these posts are they are driven by my mood, and I often tend to write when I am particularly emotional whether in a positive or negative sense. Today, thankfully, is positive. And with that, I should probably get back to work…

leapfrog

allisonwriting — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:40:33 +0000

I just went from this

to this

really quickly. Life works in funny ways…

What’s on paper

allisonwriting — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:17:34 +0000

I have no excuses for my neglect, I’ll just start with that. I lot has happened since my last post, over a month ago? Well…now I am single, jobless, and with cat. 2009 has been an interesting year so far….I guess it is my time to knock everything down and build it back up again. Thus, I am one big transition. I am sitting in the present moment yet only to achieve the next. I am wading in a wave pool. I am floating on a lilly pad. It’s okay though, I feel really quite fundamentally happy. I’ve been stripped of things that I once used to describe myself and my identity, a job to associate with, and it feels good that all I have to identify with these days is, well myself. and Philipe, my 9 month old cat. He is napping on the couch right now. So here I am, among millions of other unemployed Americans, and while I’m a number among all of them, I love having this personal journey, and figuring out what is next. I’m excited by it. There are inevitably good things to come, and I can’t wait to discover more about myself once they enter my life. I truly believe that the times we struggle in life are the times we get to know ourselves best, and I have never felt so whole and secure in my pursuit of happiness and my current outlooks on life, although on paper it may not seem that way. So yea, I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflecting, perhaps I should have been writing about it, but that would mean I would be vulnerable to whomever read’s this perception of me, which is a scary thing. More has happened too, I went to Chicago, I have been eating matzah ball soup, and I am starting an improv class on Monday. I’m happy, and I’m not just saying it to convince myself or anyone else, I am truly, identifiably, genuinely happy. Stripped of things that had potential to make me unhappy. And I can’t wait to see what else life brings me and challenges me with…bring it on.

Me and Philipe

the fly butterfly

allisonwriting — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:17:47 +0000

I am in the midst of creating a painting of a butterfly. Sweet, feminine, yet mysterious and soft. Butterflies are one of those special things in life that always seem to lead up to a good day…a happy day. a bright and sunny saturday. I hope my rendition can perhaps take on a life of its own, a “blossoming” endeavor to say the least?

the tools used...

Just a quick visual of the products needed, it’s always important to appreciate where things come from.

I think I like it so far. needs more time.

A valentine-osophy for two

allisonwriting — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:04:16 +0000

No one would expect a valentine’s eve dinner to be particularly phisophical, yet, for some reason, my v-day dinner was just that. Teddy and I sat in a sea of lovebirds, red balloons, and waiters balancing Italian platters over our heads, yet our minds were stuck on the twisted fate, or chance, of the airline industries recent media-infested roller coaster blitz. First, there was the hudson river miracle landing. Barely even an injury, the pilot praised as an all-american hero, and the passengers given another chance at life. Fixated and fascinated, the media soaked this story up like a sponge, giving viewers a taste of what it’s like for an expected tragedy to end soo well. Two weeks after this astonishment, people held on to the hero, the miracle, the lives that were saved.

Then this miracle was harshly overpowered by the tragic news of a small commuter jet crashing into a suburban home in upstate New York. 49 lives lost on the flight, one life lost in the home. One passenger a widow from the 9/11 attacks. Everyone prominent people in their community. Today, the media questions the pilot’s actions…did he have control of the plane? Was the weather to blame? Could this have all ended differently? There are no conclusive answers yet.

What is the hardest for me to grasp, and what brings me back to my first sentence, is, how can something so unusually miraculous proceed something so unusually tragic? Are we being told anything by these two earily similar dramatic events happening within weeks of one another? Was this all just purely by chance, or did something bigger and higher have to do with these two events falling into history as they have? Certainly, there are no right answers, but if anything, the notion of questioning this can be powerful enough. What are we being told? What are we being shown?

One thing that can be agreed upon is that often the news surrounds negative events. So rarely do we have good news! The war…the recession…disease…tragedy…sadness…oy vey. So, we held onto our good news for dear life, we held onto our all american pilot who saved 50 lives with their 50 stories to tell! And boy, did we get a smack in the face when flight 3407 crashed into that small house in Buffalo. We got a serious reality check that these miracles only happen so often, and that tragedy can happen even more easily.

The most poignant point made during our shared tasting of a slice of tiramisu: the world is inherently disorderly, with a constant desire to make it orderly. All we can do is pick up the pieces that fall that are out of our control. While this is inherently pessimistic, it’s comforting to know that humans are able to adapt so easily, to communicate so well, to question and to challenge and to solve problems. Some problems are solveable and some problems are just too late to fix, but nothing is predictably good or predictably bad. All we can strive for is goodness in order, in this chaotic and unpredictable world.