arielarena | Entries tagged with family

Family is already driving me a little crazy at times but we had a nice evening hanging out at my apartment (because it is WAY better than the one they've rented). Bri was going to stay over but they left so late that he's opted to just stay with the 'rents. Tomorrow we're heading to Lake Maggiore. We were supposed to go to Lake Garda and visit my friend Fallen but it's going to rain heavily there, which is not so fun. Sadly, the family will miss out on the awesomeness that is giant lemons...oh, and a castle. Bri and I are hoping to convince Dad to hop over to Switzerland for dinner since it's so close. Seriously, it's like twenty minutes away from Maggiore.

Sunday we're going to hit up the antique market on my street (and I will get more photos for my steampunk obsessed friends because I am an enabler) and hopefully get to the science museum. Then Monday I say goodbye to my amazing apartment and Milano. I'm ready to leave Milan...the apartment, not so much. I love it to the point where I would take it with me if it were physically possible. To make up for this, I plan to steal the mini-Spiderman figure that hangs out in the bathroom (

ohniki knows what I'm talking about).

( In other unrelated news, I had a weird dream that I was heading home. )

Okay, so I have a shitton of photos to put on my computer and eventually post. In a bit, I will get them up on facebook. I haven't been good about facebook photo albums since South Africa...lots to catch up on.

Current Music: All Along the Watchtower- Jimi Hendrix

Had sudden urge to clean up LJ tags when I should probably be sleeping (it's 4:30 AM here). Tomorrow I ought to begin packing but I may just go for a walk instead. Having the entire apartment to myself might be kind of liberating but it's also strangely disconcerting. Not that I haven't been home alone before, I do it all the time...I'm just used to having roommates. Bright side, if I were so inclined, I could totally walk around the place nekkid. Sadly, I'm no exhibitionist. I'll settle for playing my music loudly and singing along without the fear that I'll be overheard. Except by the neighbors because these walls are quite thin. Let's not dwell on that tiny detail.

Oh, I didn't exactly mention the whole "I'm back in Milan" thing. The family arrives on the 25th and I've had a long talk with Dad about how he thinks Italy is crazy expensive (it is) and how he needs to still watch his weight while on vacation (hopefully not to the point where he makes me feel like a fatty for enjoying my goddamned pasta). I wonder what it's like living with him now that he's on this health kick. While I want him to be healthy, he'd better still be slightly squishy because I don't know if I can cope with a non-squishy dad. It would be like calling a muffin a cupcake when it is clearly a muffin (and vice-versa. Dear Scotland, When I ask for a cupcake, do not reply "a muffin?" because that just confuses my poor US born brain. Love, Adri). I don't care if that analogy doesn't make sense to you, it's almost 5 AM here so I don't have to make sense.

Currently unsure of what to do with myself. For the next few days I have absolutely no commitments. No school, no traveling, nada. I know that I should begin the whole packing/cleaning thing but that isn't something I plan to do all day-every day. Hoping to see some friends. Other than that...who knows? It's kind of liberating. Maybe I should go to the park, slowly burn because despite sunscreen I burn easily, like an Irishman.

And now it's time for...
RANDOM OBSERVATION I MADE WHILST TRAVELING:
Germany had the least smelly inhabitants. Paris stank like no other (the metro was hell) and Milan is somewhere between the two. I mean, Berlin is built on a freakin' swamp so obviously the city has its own scent but its people were pretty good when it came to actually using deodorant. Paris and Milan...not so much.

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: And Then You Kissed Me- The Cardigans

Took bus home. Went to Apple Store, got new battery. Mum made me go to the dentist.

Dinner. Drank our ice wine in order to use bottle for project.

Went to the club and "stole" three empty wine bottles (well, Mike and John let me have them). Ran into Bossman, who now has a goatee. Also saw Gwen and Beau, who commented that I look better since I've left the club. Haha! Hung out around the bar talking to Mike and Gwen for a bit before heading home.

Forgot to get corks and twist caps. Oops.

Currently in Toronto, Canada.

I didn't call anyone or message them 'cause I wasn't sure if we'd have time to be social. I still don't think I can actually go somewhere other than where we plan to go with the family but we will be checking out the Busker Festival that's going on somewhere in Toronto. Something with Queen in the name? Honestly, I've looked it up online and haven't found exactly what my parents were talking about. Anyway, if you are in the Toronto area and know where that is and are available, please go and we'll hopefully meet up and chill. :-) Being vague is awesome! If I find out the location, I'll definitely post it. Sorry for the lack of details, I just wasn't paying attention when it was mentioned at dinner.

ETA: We're going to the St. Lawrence Marketplace nowish.

Last night was awesome!! The whole family (plus Dov, who may as well be family) went to see Eddie Izzard at the Academy of Music. We had fabulous seats (unlike the seats Dad and I had for Sexie, which were crap...but also very last minute). Eddie was not in heals or a dress but a very nice coat with tails and some very flattering jeans. One of the girls yelled out that she missed the heals and he told her to go buy some. He can wear whatever he wants, damnit! And while still a card-carrying transvestite, he is currently undercover.

His act was mainly about religion and why he rejects the idea of God. If God exists, he's either not paying attention or is making all of these awful things happen and we may as well tell him to fuck off. There were some geography jokes that went over the audience's head. He only brought up 'The Riches' once, when going on about iTunes and stuff related to it, somehow tying that into Noah's Arc. It's kind of amazing the way that man can bring it back around so easily. Anyway, the show was amusing and made me laugh. His last bit was about coveting. Apparently we are all going to hell for wanting...bit weird considering that's how our economy survives (consumerism). Mum and I think his best act may be 'Dress to Kill' but it's possible that it is our favorite because it's the first one we saw (on the TV, that is). Once the show ended, Jeff, Bri and I were off to do one last thing...

The three of us headed over to Manayunk. My family is a family of nerds. Jeff, among other things, is a comic book nerd. Me, well, he tells me what happened in the comics and I remember it or wiki it and sometimes read comics but he's definitely the one we go to with Marvel questions. Bri and I remember watching the cartoons. Anyway, the three of us ran to the theatre because the movie was on at 10:30 PM (or previews started then) and we got there a minute before it started. What is the movie we were so eager to see? One I've already seen once and Jeff had seen twice. That's right: Iron Man! It is f-ing FANTASTIC!!! Bri hadn't seen it considering he just got back from being way for five months and traveling around Southeast Asia. We kept him away from home a little longer but it was so worth it. This is one of those movies were the more you watch it, the more you pick up on little things they put in there (like the rings, there are ten of 'em, you know. We've seen two). Oh, so good! Marvel, you have done a fabulous job with your first in-house movie. Keep it up.

Eventually we got back home and Jeff and I exchanged some files and then it was bed time. I've been having weird dreams. One where my teacher gave me incompletes despite seeing my final work and most recently, one where I was at work but not in the uniform, which was odd. I need to contact Graham about working at the cricket club again but I need to know if I have an internship first. This is going to be one busy summer.

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Rebel with the Ghost- Sons and Daughters

Nicole and I went to the Disney Store on 5th Avenue. It's so...cheesy. The guy who worked the cash register was awesome, though. He talked to us briefly about the Little Mermaid play on Broadway and how he heard that it was bad. We told him we were art students in Brooklyn (he is from Brooklyn, right near us actually--we know this because his name tag said he was from Brooklyn and Nicole asked where specifically) and how we went around the store going "like it, like it, composition is off, etc." He told us to go to the gallery section and give them a piece of our mind. Perhaps next time.

After bidding Nicole adieu, I met up with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin to see November. It's hilarious! I love Nathan Lane so much. And the guy who played Archie, who is pretty much everything ever yet I cannot remember his name. Either way, fantastic show!! Totally recommend it.

After the show we went to a hoity-toity French restaurant. The meal probably cost about half of my college tuition. Okay, not that much. But it was freakin' nice. Like four-five courses. My tummy is revolting against me now. It was very good at the time, though. This probably has to do with the fact that I tried lobster, which I have never had before, and my stomach isn't used to it. Or they poisoned me. You know, whichever.

It was snowing today. Snow is annoying.

Our trip actually started (and ended) in Johannesburg. We stayed there for one night at a casino hotel that was fabulous. We started the vacation with a beer bucket and buffet dinner. A few hours in and I was literally falling asleep at the table. Jeff and Bri went off to play the slots (and lost R25- which is about $3.00) for a bit and I went to bed. The next day we had an amazing breakfast and things were looking good. Then we got the airport...

( A Not-So-Good Start )
( The Fun Begins )
( Muizenberg )
( Penguins, Cape Point and Hangouts )
( Table Mountain, Caulk Bay and that scenic drive )
( Adventures with Mum )
( More, more, more )

We're back from SA now. The last week was kind of miserable weather-wise. Lots of rain, especially in Jo-burg. I lost any tan I may have gained in Cape Town once we got to the rainy bits. Another thing to make a poor end to my vacation, I misplaced my 2 GB photocard. It was full. I am lucky enough to have put the pictures on my father's laptop before it was lost so I still have the pictures but I'm so pissed at myself for losing a 2 GB card. At least I have the photos. And I think I may know where the card is. We had this driver/tour guide, Henry, for our Jo-burg part of the trip and I think it may be in his car still. He was awesome.

So right now I'm exhausted and not wanting to go into detail about the trip. I'm going to be uploading pictures onto facebook soon, too, and want to do storytime with photos. Overall, it was great. Mum and Dad intended this to be our last family trip to SA but after going we're now thinking we have to go back. I'm hoping for another trip in a few years.

Current Location: Home. Where it's cold.
Current Music: Bad Boyfriend- Garbage

Back at Pratt. I did pretty much no homework over break, which I knew would happen despite hoping I could accomplish shit. So now I'm chillin' on my bed (which is WAY more comfy than my bed at home, surprisingly) and not doing work. It's like a normal Sunday.

( Break Summary )

This break seemed to go by so quickly. It barely felt like a break, too. I was doing stuff constantly. Helping Mum out, helping Grandma out, entertaining people, seeing people, trying to do homework, etc. I need more time. And now I have three weeks left of this semester. Hopefully enough time to finish everything that needs to be done in time for Survey. Oh God. Survey. So not ready for this.

Current Location: Brooklyn
Current Music: The 1812- Bond

We have a convenience store downstairs in my dorm, the C-Store, and while it has very little selection you can get the basic necessities there-- milk, orange juice, hair stuff, condoms, mac and cheese, etc (what am I saying? No one buys condoms at the C-Store, they get them for free from Health Services! Or the 6th floor). So I ran out of orange juice and decided to go down and get more (sidenote: I forgot to get soda.). On the way down, this guy came into the elevator and turns to me. He asked me, "Are you Jewish?" I guess it's pretty obvious that yes, yes I am. So I replied yes and he said, "Happy Yom Kippur!" I kind of hate Yom Kippur. It doesn't make me feel spiritual, it make me feel hungry. And cranky. So I may or may not observe it tomorrow. I ask him if he's Jewish and he says yes. "We should start a club," I joke. He replies, "Yeah! The Jew crew." I ask him if he's going to observe and he says that he's going to synagogue tomorrow at 6 AM. I reply that I'm most definitely not going at 6 but I may still fast (or just forget to eat, which tends to happen with me when at school). We talk a little more and then he gets off the elevator while I continue on my way to the C-store.

This brings me to ask, do I look like the stereotypical Jew? I don't have the "Jew nose" according to friends (mine's aristocratic thankyouverymuch!) but I do have the curly brown hair and brown eyes. It's possible that he saw my Chamsa necklace and deduced that I was Jewish but considering it was kind of hidden by my shirt I'm guessing that's not it. Or if it is, I don't want to think about it. Still, it was kind of weird and somewhat awkward but mostly amusing. I guess I'm just Jewtastic.

Current Location: My Dorm. We have a picture of David Tennant on our door!!!
Current Music: Amazed- Poe

On Tuesday (sometime around then, anyway) my dad brought home an HDTV. It's huge. Well, huge by my standards. It also has to be propped up with some books to make it more stable since the stand doesn't fit on our entertainment center completely. But that's not the point.

We don't have cable but local stations broadcast on multiple frequencies with HDTV. So now we have 6 and 6-2, 10 and 10-2, etc. There are like twenty million frequencies for channel 48, which is the Jesus channel. I now have maybe six Jesus-centric channels. It's quite amusing. Maybe I can catch Kirk Cameron being adorable and talking about God someday. He's got very soulful eyes. They distract me momentarily so I watch his show for a little longer...then he opens his mouth and I realize he's being preachy so I keep flipping.

So just now I was watching our new TV (still am) on the music video channel called "The Tube". Right now it's playing 'Linger' by The Cranberries. Very artsy music video. But I want to talk about another video. A video that has ruined my view of the band. It's not because it's a bad video per se. I mean, it's not very good. It reminds me of the split screen assignment we had to do for 4D. Oh, side note- the lead signer for INXS is very pretty. I thought he was a chick. Oooo, London! Back to the main topic now. The movie itself is kind of dull and the multiple screens don't do much for it. But that's not why I'm writing this.

I'm not a huge Gin Blossoms fan. In fact, I only enjoy listening to like two of their songs and very rarely. But 'Hey Jealousy' came on and I was excited to finally see what their music video looked like. Then came the disappointment. Then came the realization that the lead singer is not attractive. This generalization that all men with good or pleasant voices are attractive is not true, obviously, but I was just hoping. Maybe it was his haircut that I didn't like. It was like a mullet minus the "business in the front". Yeah...not a good look. Not even in the early 90s. Now whenever I hear that song I'll see the bad video and hair. At least, I will for a while. Then I'll get over it. I mostly have by now, anyway. Wanna know why? Because Prince is freakin' awesome!!!!!!!!!!

Prince, I love you. I love that you have an adorable little kid in your music video. I love your kickassness. I love the tap dancers. You are just awesome!

Man, I love this channel. It's not like the crappy MTVu they show in our cafeteria at school. Unlike there, everytime I turn around Jared Leto is not behind me (which is creepy Caitlin, no matter how much you love him). Good times.

Speaking of school...maybe I should actually do my homework today. Blargle. I dun wanna.

Current Location: Den
Current Music: Musicology- Prince

I love my family. They may annoy me and piss me off sometimes but overall I love 'em. We had fun yesterday going to two shows and hanging out with more family and eating dinner. Good Food + Good Comany + Good Musical Theatre = Happy. If I hadn't been so tired I may have enjoyed it even more. But still it was pretty damn awesome.

( Weekend of Awesome )

Current Mood: eh
Current Music: One of These Days- Santana

I'm currently typing this up while lying down on my bed. Oh yeah, a girl can get used to this. Dad has also all but given me permission to DL stuff as he's now obsessed with torrents after an incident that involved him NOT seeing the premiere of Boston Legal and having Bri get it for him. He's in love. And I'm hoping to have all of Fight Club by tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm at home. It's Rosh Hashana. Luckily, I'm not expected to actually go to synagogue, just to help Mum with cooking and stuff. It's quite nice to be home. I missed my parents, though I won't admit it to them. It's like a mini-vacation. Plus, I get good food and lots of goodies to take back to the dorm. I just hope I'll be able to carry it all on the train.

Hopefully I'll get to see some friends tomorrow. Probably around dinner. Hint hint callme. I tried to email a bunch of you but for some reason it didn't work. So get in touch por favor.

Tomorrow= Celebrating Rosh Hashana, Eating and Shopping for supplies

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: On the bed in my room at home
Current Music: Smurf Theme Techno Remix

I'm leaving for California tomorrow! Yay! Excitement and whatnot. I'm actually really looking forward to this, even though I'll be stuck with the parents. I'm hoping that my cousin who is visiting there around the same time we are will hang out with me for some of it. Even if we don't know each other well I think it would be fun. So that's where I'm gonna be until the 21st or so. And then bartending classes begin and then camp. Oh yeah, I shall be a busy girl soon.

On another note, I just had the following conversation with my father. Backstory: I got a phone call from a friend, Jeff. Jeff is the guy I went to prom with (and had a fantastic time!) and he likes boys. This made the brothers very happy but that isn't really important. So this is what happened...and it's meant to be amusing, not offensive. So don't get your underroos in a twist.

Me: Oh, I got a call from the airforce today.
Dad: Just now?
Me: No, that was Jeff.
Dad: *blank stare*
Me: Prom Jeff.
Dad: Why's he calling? Is he turning hetero?
Me: *blink* No...he invited me to a party.
Dad: Oh, okay.

I love my daddy. He says funny things.

And now I bid the flist adieu for a few days. Not that I've been updating much lately, anyway. So I shall try to read all of the hundreds of posts that have been made once I get back. Try not to all become post-whores while I'm gone, k? *snuggles flist*

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Location: Home, East Coast
Current Music: Control- Poe

Been looking at Jon's IMDB page and found this thread about whether or not he's gay (you may need to be registered on imdb.com to see it). My cousins Antonia and Justine replied to it, saying that he was (after I had posted late at night about how it was no one's business...hence my lack of articulateNess) and have received a few negative responses to the wording of their response. I'm wondering right now if I should step in and back them up or keep laughing at the situation like I am right now. "Bum chum"??? Hahah!

Off to bed now. Early night.

Current Music: Song for a Young Queen- Chris Thile

( For Carter )

Mum's getting sick. Adri's getting tired of school. Almost everyone's going to Disney. My birthday is in six days. I don't think I'm having a party because I can't think of anything to do. Maybe I'll do it in a month like some people do.

On the note of birthdays, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have an awesome day!!! And eat lots of yummy cake!

I really need to work on my tie-dye skirt. But I dun wanna. Meh.

Current Mood: lethargic
Current Music: Romeo and Juliet- Dire Straits

I got home from DC sometime around 5 PM. I got to hang out with the brother (love ya, Jeffy!). We watched lots of "Stargate" and "Battlestar Galactica" because we are total dorks. Between our sci-fi fests, we went to see TEH PANDA!

Tai Shan, also known as Butterstick, is the CUTEST ickle panda ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even when he's sleeping. Which he was incidentally. Jeff woke me up at 7:30 AM (on a SATURDAY) because he said Butterstick was an early riser and he wanted to see him frolick. Of course, we arrived to see a crowd of people watching our dear Stick sleeping. On a tree. Which is a feat because he's a little fuzzball that was somehow balancing on a branch that did not look very stable. Every so often he'd shift his position and then fall asleep again. His mama, Mama Panda as I called her, was sleeping on a rock with her arm over her eyes (so cute!) in a position that said, "Go away you bastards! I'm trying to sleep!" Daddy Panda was in his enclosure nextdoor eating. He's a deadbeat dad, apparently. We also looked at fighting monkies and a prairie dog that Jeff threatened to eat. Weirdo.

Other parts of the trip were spent hanging out with family. My cousin Samantha took me shopping for prom dresses (not that I found one) and making me try on dresses I would otherwise have never tried. They actually looked really good...except not the perfect dress. She found a really cute top during our trip, though. And we saw some people protesting for Animal Rights outside of Neiman Marcus.

Tomorrow, if the weather is good, Mum and I are driving up to New York and going to a tea house called Alice's Tea Cup or something. It has an 'Alice in Wonderland' theme and should be awesome! And I'm driving. Which is scary. But it should be fun. Now I'm going to go to bed so I'm not exhausted. 'Night peoples.

Current Mood: content
Current Music: Minnesota 1945- Eddie From Ohio

Today is Mum and Dad's 27th Anniversary. To celebrate we went to the King of Prussia mall...actually, we didn't go there to celebrate but to get my iPod checked out. Colin is being replaced. My understanding is that this is a common problem and they can't fix it so they are replacing the people's iPods who come to get help...not that I mind, of course.

We ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. I've never been there before. Verreh nice. I ate cake! Good cake. Yay!

Then we went to check out Live 8. I looked for

molassesturtle but couldn't find her. Instead I found Roo and Brian. That was pretty awesome. I also saw Dot on at the train station. The concert itself was packed and nice. I'm sad to have missed Will Smith. Apparently he made quite a spectacle of himself. Funny man. Got there in time for the end of Def Leopard's set and before Sarah McLachlan, our real reason for going. She was very good. Josh Groban did a duet with her for "Angel" (which I wasn't too fond of. I think his voice overpowered hers too much and didn't really go with the style of song). All in all, interesting time.

Soon I'll be off to a movie night and Mummy and Daddy will have their dinner. Things are definitely looking up.

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: The Shape I Found You In- Girlyman