Archive for category: Random/Life

Wrapping-Up The Summer

I’ve had a pretty long summer this year since returning from London in mid-April, and yet, it still feels like it went by far too fast! I traveled quite a bit – Orlando, Toronto, New York City, Mexico – and did some exceptionally cool things, which you’ll see listed below.

In May, I drove up to New York to visit family and then stopped by the Big Apple for the NBC Up Fronts on behalf of Poptimal. Having never attended an Up Front before, it was an amazing experience. Everywhere I looked I was surrounded by incredible talent – Jason Isaacs, Will Arnett, Christina Aguilera, Joel McHale – the list could go on! I was lucky to sneak in a moment with Joel McHale, someone I’ve been a fan of since before Community, and he accused me of eating paint. I know, it makes no sense, but that’s the beauty of it!

Report from the NBC UpFront – Giving the Network a New “Voice”

In June, I thought I would be able to put my carry-on luggage back in storage for the first time since January. Turns out I was wrong. I ended up flying to Toronto, Canada to attend a set visit for two USA Network shows, Covert Affairs and Suits, once again for Poptimal. I met other wonderful TV bloggers like myself and reveled in being on an actual TV set!

Covert Affairs Set Visit: The Scoop on Season Two
Suits Set Visit: Welcoming a New Show with Open Arms

Oh, July. Where do I even start here? It was the end of an era for us Harry Potter fans, and I intended to celebrate in style. So I did. First, I headed up to New York City to meet with my other diehard Potter friends. I was asked by The Leaky Cauldron to cover the corresponding press events for “Deathly Hallows: Part 2.” See coverage here! Then on the day the film opened to the public on the 15th, I was at a midnight showing with my school friends who were with me when I saw Chamber of Secrets for the first time in 2002. A perfect ending!

August has been my relatively quiet month – but then I became an Entertainment staff writer for College magazine. The theme for August was “Throwback,” so I’ve had fun prancing through Memory Lane and coming up with the following blog posts and articles…

Throwback Summer Reading List

Child Stars of the ’90s: Where Are They Now?

One Hit Wonders of Yesteryear

Amongst all this, I also interned at the Washington Post Express twice a week, put together a Shutterfly album about my Study Abroad semester, and created a website for my little brother. He’s quite the pianist.

On the TV side, earlier in the summer I reviewed Doctor Who for Poptimal and just this month started on Jersey Shore. You can’t ask for more diversity in terms of shows I’m reviewing! The second half of Doctor Who‘s season picks back up on Saturday, finally!

I’m moving back to D.C. over the weekend and there’s the usual excitement and dread with classes starting again. After a wonderful summer, I can only hope fall will be just as fulfilling!

August 23, 2011 0 comments Read More

Updates – May 2011

A major update on the site tonight: the popular Handy Guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been updated to reflect my most recent visit! Not much has changed, so I believe it’s still pretty relevant. If you have any other questions about the park, feel free to ask me in the comments and I’ll try my best to answer it!

Other than that, I’ve done a bit of writing, interviewing and editing for Poptimal. Here are some of my latest articles:

Doctor Who Review: The Mystery Deepens (24 April 2011)

Doctor Who Review: Insert Corny Pirate Joke Here (9 May 2011)

NBC Upfront 2011: Giving the Network a New “Voice” (18 May 2011)

An Interview with Shark Tank’s Daymond John (19 May 2011)

Part 1: Poptimal’s Best/Worst of the 2010-11 Season (25 May 2011)

Next week I begin an internship with the Washington Post Express, but I’m still on the hunt for some paid work. Seems like my summer might finally be coming together, though! Oh, and did I mention I recently turned 21? Epic.

May 26, 2011 0 comments Read More

January London Theatre

Just from living in London for one month, I have already seen more theatre in a few short weeks than I have in my entire life! It’s fantastic, though. I’m completely in awe by how talented and skilled some of these actors are. So amazing to see them perform live. Below is a rundown of the shows I saw and my thoughts:

The 39 Steps – Criterion Theatre, 13th Jan

My first West End show, and it was a comedy consisting of four very versatile actors who portrayed hundreds of characters (this is not an exaggeration!). There were a lot of great effects, simple set changes, and hilarious costumes. Overall I would love to see this again!

Deathtrap – Noel Coward Theatre, 14th Jan

A play within a play – very confusing to explain but a real stage thriller. It was set in Connecticut which made it a bit strange to watch in London, but it was a great show all the same. It starred Simon Russell Beale, who is a huge British stage actor, and Jonathan Groff from Glee.

La Boheme – Soho Theatre, 19th Jan

A contemporary retelling of the story, still as an opera. The singing was superb but made it hard to follow along sometimes. It was split in 3 acts – the second act required the audience to move to the downstairs bar where the scene would be taking place. It was completely immersive! At one point a dodgy woman came up to us and asked if we wanted to buy cheap cigarettes. We shot her a strange look, declined her offer, and waited for the show to start – only that was part of the show! Not even a minute later, the dodgy woman began singing along with 50% of the bar. Crazy!

Midsummer – Tricycle Theatre, 26th Jan

A romantic comedy starring two actors only. It’s very heavy in narrative and flows a lot like someone’s stream of consciousness. There’s no intermission either and is nearly two hours long, but it is incredible! The actors have such high energy and use every bit of the set for props. It’s also a “play with songs” which basically means the actors will occasionally break out a guitar and start singing about what’s going on.

January 28, 2011 0 comments Read More

I’m in London!

On Wednesday the 5th, I arrived in London to begin a semester of studying abroad!

So far it’s been a mix of high and low experiences, as to be expected. I’m loving being back in a European city and learning to navigate the streets, trains, and buses. The downside is being in London means everything’s smaller….including my room. I have never been in such a small room! I honestly think it was meant to be a walking closet, but then they stuck in a bunkbed, some furniture, built a bathroom, and called it a day. It’s ridiculous how small the room is, especially when I compare it to the other students’ in my program whose rooms are normal and what you’d expect.

January 8, 2011 0 comments Read More

When Grandparents are Cooler Than You

You know what I find fascinating? And I say this in a genuine and endearing sort of way….. People over the age of 60 who use iPhones.

During one of my many flights this past summer (I honestly couldn’t tell you which one), there was a couple sitting next to me both rockin’ the iPhone. Then during a trip to the doctor’s office last week, an elderly woman sitting across from me was typing away furiously on her iPhone.

I’m not saying people of a certain age shouldn’t be allowed to own and operate an iPhone. On the contrary, as I sat in the waiting room digesting the fact that this grandmother had a cooler phone than me, it made sense why people over 60 would consider an iPhone.

For starters, it’s actually really easy to use. All you have to do is tap the screen to get what you want – the icons on the screen are large enough and also very colorful. When the keyboard comes up, same thing: large, easy to see letters. Anybody with hard eyesight would find the iPhone convenient to use. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone over 60 with a Blackberry because they don’t have all those features listed above.

So why did I find this so fascinating? I can only assume it’s because my own grandparents have never fully grasped modern technology, no matter how hard we try to teach them. So to see someone from their generation being so savvy with the iPhone, it was awesome.

August 17, 2010 0 comments Read More

A Handy Guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Books I’ve Read