Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Baby Steps

It's occurred to me today what a real shame it is that I didn't start a blog at the beginning of the summer. It could have been a really great documentation of my time at the literary scouting agency at which I am interning, or maybe of my generally endless witty banter (that is mindful, thank you!). But you can't turn back time, and to be honest, I would not relive this summer if I could.

Today, though, I can write about. And right at this moment Josh Mandelbaum is in the house!! (ehem, office...). He's the managing director of Words Without Borders. I have heard of this place a few times, especially this summer, but my life hasn't really been conducive to exploration as of late because my job's been pretty intense, so I haven't had the opportunity to look into this super fantastic online magazine for international literature.

Now that I've taken a minute to do so (and you have too - I mean, I didn't put that link there for my health, people), I am super excited about this guy, especially. To say the least, he's into translation. To say the most for me, I'm into translation! Look at all the similarities! But seriously, I'm trying to narrow my academic focus into a realm that is plausible for my future (sorry, singin' and dancin', but you're on the back burner at the moment), and I have recently stumbled across my love for the written word - in any language. I've always been a writer, and have - up until recent times - aspired to be a novelist. But I realized that I couldn't just stop there, or really I couldn't start there, and that I need to branch out. I've loved the French language in particular for years, but have only recently discovered that I foster the same passion and rambunctious appetite for other languages. I am picking up Arabic this fall ("picking up" - how delightfully casual! HA!), and currently studying Italian. Just last week I was disappointed that my dear university didn't offer Swedish (come oooon Columbia. I can learn Wolof but not Swedish!?) and started up, once again, planning my european internship excursion for next summer. I am inordinately jealous of people who grew up in a multilingual household (damn you, and all your by-chance awesomeness!!). I just LIKE this stuff, who knows why? I can't touch numbers, but I'll grope a few letters (David, I know you appreciate that comment).

Anyway, winding down: I'm now addicted to Words Without Borders. I can't get off their website. I am looking for some guidance, for a truly enlightening academic experience, so maybe I'm on to something. Maybe this is a start. Here I go, bumbling through one of my poorly-translated idiomatic phrase at a time, but forging on. Wish me luck!


** Note: upon closer inspection I have realized that Columbia does indeed have courses for teaching Swedish. Disappointment resolved!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Live Blog Experience!!

So I literally made this blog for the sole purpose of Naji, Becca and I live blogging our Summer Season Finale of Pretty Little Liars experience (all caps!!). Was this necessary? No. Will anyone read this? I sincerely hope not, because Naji is already humiliated that I posted about it on facebook... Did I spend $19.60 on cupcakes just for this event? ...maybe...

Anyway, thank you ABC family, for finally getting a show I can get hooked on. I haven't been this into ABC(DE)F since 7th Heaven. ...Jessica Biel is not a real actress...

Let the games begin!


Invitation from NauseaOPQ: HAY!!!
Morgan!: WE're HERE!
NauseaOPQ: OMG
NauseaOPQ: OMG
NauseaOPQ: OMG
Becca Lewis: DRAMA
Morgan!: GUYS. keep it together. Anyone want a cupcake?
Becca Lewis: obviously
Becca Lewis: always
Morgan!: make it or break it fuck you.
Morgan!: what a terrible show
NauseaOPQ: Who gives a shit about make it or break it
NauseaOPQ: SNAP
Becca Lewis: brother is a douche
NauseaOPQ: iknorite
NauseaOPQ: i hope we get to see toby
Morgan!: just like that awful cop!
Morgan!: and of course we start the episode with Hannah looking at herself
Morgan!: OH MY GOD
Becca Lewis: FASHION CRISIS
Morgan!: i have the shirt that spencer is wearing!!
Morgan!: BITCH. It's from Urban Outfitters
NauseaOPQ: stop stealing my ideas, becca
Becca Lewis: if by stealing you mean creating
NauseaOPQ: new girls??
Morgan!: Naomi (I moan) and Moan-a are friends
Morgan!: dumb.
NauseaOPQ: brava.
NauseaOPQ: LIARS
Becca Lewis: what a pretty little liar
Morgan!: what a bunch of liars, of which 3 are pretty
NauseaOPQ: got a lovket
Morgan!: let's just be frank, Aria is busted.
Becca Lewis: aria is just a clone of selena gomez
Morgan!: so currently, ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing a comercial break
NauseaOPQ: or is selena gomez a clone of aria
Becca Lewis: the room is silent in anticipation
Becca Lewis: thats a mindfuck
NauseaOPQ: INCEPTION
Morgan!: the commercial we are currently witnessing a robot-mini van commercial
Becca Lewis: SIMPLE IS BAD
Morgan!: "IT's WHAT I DO"
NauseaOPQ: again. fuck make it or break it
NauseaOPQ: Mom whore
Morgan!: mom is too skinny
Becca Lewis: ITS OL' SKIN-AND-BONES
Morgan!: ugh, money bags mona
NauseaOPQ: STUPID face, mona
Becca Lewis: don't we mean "a"?
NauseaOPQ: no
NauseaOPQ: I'm talking directly to her
Morgan!: this is a great example of a dangerously shallow relationship!
NauseaOPQ: like ours?
Becca Lewis: this is an accurate representation of high school relationships
Morgan!: almost as accurate as GLEE
NauseaOPQ: like ours?
Becca Lewis: yes to both
Morgan!: we're in college...?
Morgan!: and yes
Becca Lewis: GO HAVE SEX WITH A TEACHER
Morgan!: Hannah's mom needs to learn how to pinch her pennies
Morgan!: GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND STAY WITH TEACH!
Morgan!: men always act like being a single mom is so hard
Morgan!: guess what fuckers? it is!
Becca Lewis: so true
Morgan!: says the single mom...?
Morgan!: it is, though, interesting that the mom moved out and not dad
NauseaOPQ: unless his name is on the house
Becca Lewis: gender-reversal  complexities
Morgan!: legally the kids most likely would get pinned on mom
Morgan!: i love it!
Becca Lewis: this show is so complex
Morgan!: she's so evil! (Spencer's sister, Frankenstein)
Morgan!: IAN!
NauseaOPQ: "Why are you being nice to me?"
Morgan!: my favorite twist!
Morgan!: oh wait, who is Ian?
Morgan!: Ren is the brit
NauseaOPQ: ex of sister
NauseaOPQ: new guy
NauseaOPQ: introuduced at the memorial
Morgan!: Ian is the first guy who tried to sex up Spencer but was dating her sister!
Becca Lewis: i dont remember any of this
NauseaOPQ: I love spencer, but not right now
Morgan!: can't blame a girl for gettin some.
Becca Lewis: yeah this is sleazy
NauseaOPQ: says morgan
Morgan!: i mean..yeah what a whore!
Becca Lewis: she can do better
Morgan!: yeah, with that OUTFIT
Becca Lewis: UGLY BUTT
NauseaOPQ: "he's like... old"
Becca Lewis: whoops, i mean "OL' UGLY-BUTT"
Morgan!: his only turn off
Morgan!: oh god the obnoxious hot guy!
Morgan!: an actual representation of high shcool
Becca Lewis: "lay around"...thats what they call it these days
Morgan!: i.e. your english teacher fantasizing about you and then scowling in the hall
Becca Lewis: SUBTLE
NauseaOPQ: LOL
NauseaOPQ: just... LOL
Morgan!: i like Spencer's ruffle shirt
NauseaOPQ: PO PO
Morgan!: oh fuck the cops are back
NauseaOPQ: F.B.I!?!?
Morgan!: let's characterize the girls while we're on commercial break
NauseaOPQ: FAST FORWARD FAST FORWARD FAST FORWARD
Morgan!: Emily - ambiguously ethnic girl with ambiguously unethnic name
NauseaOPQ: Aria= BratZ doll... right
Becca Lewis: emily: asian? black? welsh?
Becca Lewis: YES so true
Morgan!: hannah: POOR.
Becca Lewis: and too much lip gloss
Morgan!: and similar -looking to A
Morgan!: drowning in it
Becca Lewis: yeah, A without the dimples
Becca Lewis: or at least theyre not attacking her face
Morgan!: Aria = into english and "sophistication"
Morgan!: oh god the black FBI lady is explaining! Ah, oh no oh no, she's got a sex tape!
Morgan!: They're at the kissing rock!
Becca Lewis: omg
Becca Lewis: as;ldkgh;alskhdg;
NauseaOPQ: SNAP SNAP SNAP
NauseaOPQ: go hannah
NauseaOPQ: clever comment. I like the writers
Becca Lewis: why does the FBI give a shit?
Becca Lewis: wise black lady
Morgan!: "SHE THOUGHT SHARING SECRETS KEPT US CLOSE"
Morgan!: "I know you wanna kiss me"
Morgan!: she sounds like a draw string doll
Becca Lewis: hahahah
NauseaOPQ: fuck fuck fuck battery....
Becca Lewis: RUN FOR IT
Morgan!: NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJI
Becca Lewis: GET THE CHORD
Becca Lewis: CORD***
NauseaOPQ: OLD LDAY
Morgan!: old lady/
Becca Lewis: ITS A
Morgan!: ?*
NauseaOPQ: I wish she had a russian accent
Becca Lewis: WADS O' CASH
Becca Lewis: me too
NauseaOPQ: and would say "In Russia, Money steals you."
Becca Lewis: hahahah
Morgan!: Dear everyone who isn't addicted to this show but for some reason is reading this: A is a mystery person with the same initials as a dead girl who is texting her old friends
Morgan!: this lady was SO cast-typed
NauseaOPQ: You take my butterscotch, I take your dollars
Becca Lewis: hahahah i lke how we assume anyone else will have read this far
Morgan!: is she Jewish?
Morgan!: she has mad money...
Becca Lewis: OH NO SHE DIDNT
Morgan!: daaaaamn
Morgan!: someone just asked hannah for the name of her liposuction doc!
Becca Lewis: AHHHHH TRUE OR FALSE
NauseaOPQ: FLASE. FLASE
Morgan!: those bitches ain't cute
Becca Lewis: beautiful dialogue
NauseaOPQ: You were a geek like a year ago!!!!
Becca Lewis: yeah what the hell
Morgan!: i can't find my salad...
Morgan!: and i need another beer
NauseaOPQ: reading poem...
NauseaOPQ: crying
Becca Lewis: shut up emo bitch
NauseaOPQ: emotional
NauseaOPQ: mad
Morgan!: AS A PERSON WHO WORKS IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
Morgan!: i can say with complete assuredness
Morgan!: that B-26 would not be put into a book and PUBLISHED by the time they met and broke up
Morgan!: because it took literally a month.
NauseaOPQ: mad jock enters
Becca Lewis: subtle
Morgan!: meaningful yet subtle line
NauseaOPQ: CUT TO COMMERCIAL
Morgan!: vampires do suck
Becca Lewis: im in the room alone while morgan and naji sort out a cream cheese situation
Morgan!: it's been resolved!
Morgan!: she's 16?!?!?!
Becca Lewis: awkwardddd
Morgan!: how old was she when IAN came into the picture?
Morgan!: 14?
Morgan!: daaaaamn
Becca Lewis: OH WEIRD
Becca Lewis: AND NOT LEGAL
Morgan!: where have i seen him before? Ew Aria's hat is NOT cute
Becca Lewis: a moment of ecstacy
NauseaOPQ: Why is home girl still at home. doesn't the older sister have a career?
Morgan!: fuh-realz
Morgan!: she was sixteen in 05
Morgan!: b/c that's when she had the same class as Spencer
Morgan!: NOT TOBY!
Becca Lewis: TOBY WENT MISSING
Becca Lewis: SLDKGH:SDKHG:
Morgan!: LESBO SCENE
Becca Lewis: omg the ring is eating her finger
NauseaOPQ: Louisa's back!!!!
NauseaOPQ: OMG
Morgan!: heavy breathing in your ear
Morgan!: like that guy from hey arnold!
NauseaOPQ: haha
Becca Lewis: WL:KEHGL:SKHDG:LDKGH:
NauseaOPQ: FATHER
Becca Lewis: :SLDKGHLSDKGH:LSDHG
Morgan!: HER DAD IS ASIAAAAAAAAANNNN
Morgan!: ASIAN
Becca Lewis: NOT AMBIGUOUS ANYMORE
NauseaOPQ: brava
Morgan!: so good!
NauseaOPQ: Zing
Morgan!: i love a good asian man with a hispanic woman, and "no more secrets"
Becca Lewis: blah blah boring scene
Morgan!: cause secrets dont keep you close!
Morgan!: DAMN DAD. lectures and you've only been home for four minutes
Becca Lewis: for realz
NauseaOPQ: but he's kind of hot
Becca Lewis: MOM KNOWS SHE LIKES GIRLS
Morgan!: OH JEEZ OH NO
Morgan!: his hair is too long for the army
Morgan!: naji is always trying to turn people against me...
Morgan!: and yes the TMZ comment was better than the twitter comment
Becca Lewis: and succeedig
NauseaOPQ: HEHEHE
Morgan!: GAH!
Morgan!: haha
Becca Lewis: succeeding*
Becca Lewis: WHAT
Becca Lewis: THE
Morgan!: TOBY CAVANAUUUUUUUUUGH!
Becca Lewis: FUCK
NauseaOPQ: <3
Becca Lewis: HE WENT MISSING SO HE COULD KILL EMILY
Becca Lewis: OMG COMMERCIAL DISAGREEMENTS
Morgan!: emily drove to the woods so she could get killed!
NauseaOPQ: TV14
NauseaOPQ: it's back
Becca Lewis: language and violence
Morgan!: his hair is longer
Morgan!: and styled...?
Morgan!: wait...who is jenna?
Morgan!: OH WAIT
Morgan!: blind girl
Morgan!: !!!
NauseaOPQ: yup
Becca Lewis: hahahah
Becca Lewis: i like talking vs aiming
NauseaOPQ: A fucking camp??
Becca Lewis: WHATTTTT
Morgan!: me tooo
NauseaOPQ: thanks becca
Becca Lewis: he is so fucking creepy
Morgan!: true but cheesy
Morgan!: SO creepy, but he's so so ridonkulus
NauseaOPQ: like cinderella
Becca Lewis: hes an ugly little liar
NauseaOPQ: HAHAHA
Morgan!: VERA BRADLEY!?
Morgan!: Gag hannah
NauseaOPQ: GO HANNAH
Becca Lewis: SERIOUSLY
Morgan!: drink away your pain!
Becca Lewis: 2 CAN PLAY AT THIS GAME
NauseaOPQ: RITE?
Morgan!: of course the service sucks and you'll be somewhere dangerous at night
Morgan!:
NauseaOPQ: SHUT UP SPENCER
Becca Lewis: shit just got OCD
Morgan!: hahahah
NauseaOPQ: TRUE LIFE: I have OCD
Morgan!: True Life: i count my footsteps
Morgan!: pitiful
Morgan!: what a low blow for humor...at the blow bar
Becca Lewis: hahah
NauseaOPQ: 56, 57,58, 59,50-10, 50-11
Becca Lewis: haahahh
NauseaOPQ: I'm stupid
NauseaOPQ: I GOT KIDS TO FEED
Morgan!: i got KID to feed
Becca Lewis: yeah gurl
Morgan!: and old lady to rob
NauseaOPQ: I like him in the dark
Morgan!: OH NO
NauseaOPQ: NO. emily
Morgan!: you can't run!
Becca Lewis: as;lgha;lsdkgha;
Becca Lewis: aslkhgals;;
Morgan!: i bet she didnt call the police
Becca Lewis: poor toby
Becca Lewis: poor toby
Morgan!: i bet she didnt but A did and now it's too late because he'll think that she did
Morgan!: I LOVE THIS SONG
Becca Lewis: shit is deep
NauseaOPQ: Remember when everybody Loved the OC
Becca Lewis: YES STORY OF MY HGH SCHOOL
Morgan!: gaaaah i hated the OC
NauseaOPQ: Miley fucking Cyrus
NauseaOPQ: Don'tg o
Morgan!: dont go to the wright place!
Morgan!: ahhh
Morgan!: is hannahd ruuuuunk yet? so crunk!
Morgan!: SIX MINUTES OF SUSPENSE
Morgan!: fuuuuuck
Morgan!: WHY!/
Morgan!: whywouldyoufightforanillegalrelationship!?
Becca Lewis: oh cry me  a river
Becca Lewis: yeah seriously
Morgan!: cry me a statutory rape charge
Morgan!: he's cuter in the dark
NauseaOPQ: Lolita shit
Morgan!: Death in Venice shit...
Becca Lewis: NO
Becca Lewis: NO
Becca Lewis: NO
Becca Lewis: EW
Becca Lewis: NO
NauseaOPQ: OMG
Morgan!: OH
Morgan!: EM
Morgan!: AND
Morgan!: G
NauseaOPQ: IAN?!?!?|
NauseaOPQ: don't get hurt1!!!!!!
NauseaOPQ: I 'm beginning to like you
Morgan!: So wait, hannah is spying on Aria kissing on Teach (Mr. Fitz), but she also saw A running away from the car, and now Emily and Spencer --who have been wandering randomly in the dark ) are coming to talk to her about it
Becca Lewis: rw;rjlndfjndz
Morgan!: but Hannah is about to get hit by a car.......!!!
NauseaOPQ: phew
NauseaOPQ: hahahahahahaha
Morgan!: HOW DID I CALL THAT?!
Morgan!: that hat is ugly in the dark
Morgan!: Spencer has her acting face on!
NauseaOPQ: I like primal cry Spencer
Morgan!: hahahah
Morgan!: that's my laptop!
Morgan!: get that teen girl porn off my laptop!
Morgan!: HOLY SMOKES.
Morgan!: Well
Morgan!: now it's time for Make it or fucking break it
Morgan!: ugh
Becca Lewis: whew
NauseaOPQ signed off at 9:06 PM.
NauseaOPQ is offline


Whoa. That just happened....