Midterms, Flu Season, Pier, Cupcakes, Thinkin About You, The Procrastination Song

I can speak for all of us when I say right now we are feeling the pressures of midterms. It's crazy that this month is almost over; Holiday season is beginning soon, then its winter break and then its spring semester...Focusing on the present, I can tell flu season is in effect. I've been noticing so many people sneezing around me and my sweet paranoia resulted in my own sickness as well. Going to work sick is not a joyful time. I recommend taking good care of yourself, getting enough sleep (yes even with the temptations of staying up all night to study) and drinking lots of water.  Then, you can embrace the beautiful weather on your breaks from class.(The picture on the left will be explained in the next paragraph).

Yesterday was my dad's birthday so we decided to go eat dinner at the pier. Being able to see the sunset while literally eating by the ocean was beyond words. So I took a picture (on the left) isn't it completely breath-taking? The best part was that while my family and I were waiting for our food, a man came into the restaurant and played classical guitar next to us. I am completely in love with Spanish style finger picking its very enriching and it makes me so content, that's one way to cheer me up just by that sound. 

He started playing a classical version of "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk, I'm not kidding! It was the most beautiful composition I've ever heard. My sister and I were the only guests who knew the song, other than the waiters who requested him to play it. I looked over at him and he smiled while he was playing I blushed. One of the waiters told me he was playing that by ear because he heard "Get Lucky" on his iPhone.

Anyways the pier is a few blocks away from school, which is pretty convenient if any you guys are stressed from midterms and need a nice walk to relax your mind. It's also quite inspiring for writers who have writer's block. I remember one time my friend, Billy and I got out of class early and decided to have lunch on the pier it was amazing. Also, if you go kayaking I recommend you don't kayak under the pier because its first not allowed and second its very dangerous. I've done it once with my sister and my friend Jack, we all survived. Haha.

So after dinner we brought my dad some cupcakes from Crushcakes Cafe! Originally, there was only one on Anacapa Street by downtown State Street, also near by school, but there's now one in Isla Vista.

 (http://www.crushcakes.com/menus.html) If you have a sweet tooth these cupcakes are sensational. I promise you. I had these for my 16th, 17th, and 18th birthdays. Although they are somewhat pricy they are so worth it! My favorite is the strawberry blush.

On a different note, I brought my ukulele to school. My friend has an amazing singing voice, she and I were practicing a song that we're going to cover its called "Thinking About You" by Frank Ocean.  It's a great song. Also I wrote a new song called "The Procrastination Song" its up on my soundcloud, but its not the best version of it. I need to record it again and make it perfect, I happened to be a perfectionist anyways...

-KIKI REYES

P.S:I covered some more Civil Wars.. https://soundcloud.com/kikisrey/tip-of-my-tongue-the-civil

Adjusting, Positive thinking, The Coquette by Hannah Foster, History Repeats itself

I confess I'm still trying to adjust to this heavy schedule and hectic workload. Its insane how people manage to take 18 units and work two jobs, when I over here with only 13 units and one job (Picture on the left: my dog visiting me at work I'm holding up a Steve Morris Defensive Driving School Card). Seriously, those people are gifted. I feel like my two years of community college are equivalent to two extra years of my high school senior year, specifically the excitement of events going on, but as well as the difficult courses I am enrolled in. I am not the person to give up and receive a bad grade on anything, so if a professor ever disagrees with my work I get really upset. Some people just let it go, but I take it to heart. I am a perfectionist I want people to like my work, so it gets a bit frustrating. Sometimes I have to remind myself to take it one step at a time and that everything is going to work out fine. And eventually it does.

So I stay positive for myself and for others; I mean I basically go to school on a beach! Don't people go to beaches to relax? SBCC is probably the most relaxing community college a person could go to right? Honestly, I love school the classes are so interesting that I don't find a single subject boring, I meet a new person every day, but the only thing is that it gets challenging very quickly. I'm sure everyone can relate to this. (This is literally the beach across from SBCC, and those two dots are my friends, Leah and Billy swimming).

Something I found interesting this week was a book I read in my American Literature class, The Coquette by Hannah Foster (On the Right picture of the novel).I know books and American Literature typical English Major haha. I liked this book so much I am trying to incorporate it into my short story for Creative Writing. I'm handling two subjects at once by one, studying for my midterm and two, writing my short story. Its genius, its like that idiomatic expression, "killing two birds with a stone"! Come to think of it, why did they associate the idea of completing two tasks at the same time to killing birds? That's kind of strange when you think about it. So basically the story is about a woman named Eliza Wharton, who in the beginning of the story looses her fiancé which results to her moving in with friends. Eliza writes to her best friend Lucy about her stay at the Richman's house and for advice on two admirers that begin fighting for her love. You could relate this conflict to many novels nowadays, but this is in my opinion, where that conflict originated. You have to read the rest to find out what happens.

I'll give you a preview of my short story:
                                               
                                              History Repeats Itself
                                                     by: Kiki Reyes

I.It was a stupid research paper our history professor assigned us that made me come back home to Hartford, Connecticut. I hadn't been home in almost a year and now I had to faced about hundred miles of driving, an estimated hour and half. Of course it started raining during my morning drive that's something I always despised about going home, but this time looking above at the uninviting dull skies and the curious empty roads made me feel more uneasy than usual. At that moment I decided  to shift my thoughts into focusing on the paper. The assignment was to get a better sense of our ancestors and when they migrated to the Americas. I began to think about the stories my grandparents would tell my younger brother, Daniel and I. They briefly mentioned the Hartford Circus Fire in the 1940s, apparently they were late to the circus that day. I remembered my grandma got teary so we had to change the subject. Even though we were on a different topic, I could see her grey eyes staring blanking, possibly re-following the flames annexing the circus tent echoing of swallowed tragic screams. It had nothing to do with my family's history at all, but that was the only story I could remember.

I hope you like it so far, its very suspenseful.

-KIKI REYES
 
 

Dancing, Bashh, Running, Hiking, Typical Weekend

When I was six years old I started dancing for my elementary school dance team; I did that until I was eleven. Within those years I was able to meet one of my favorite dance teachers who unfortunately, due to school budgets, only taught my team for a year. I ran into her a couple years later. I was about 13 when started taking ballet with her dance company (Fusion Dance Company) while taking guitar lessons. And like that Katy Perry song, "I chose guitar over ballet." My sister now dances for Fusion Dance Company with our dance teacher. I'm so proud of her she is such a talented dancer. I myself have considered on and off again to become a dancer again. I even sometimes take classes at her studio just for a nice work out, but I'm thinking right now isn't the time.

My sister had a dance performance this weekend for a showcase entitled, BASSH (poster on the left). I unfortunately wasn't able to go attend the show because it sold out so quickly. What I did attend was the cast party, which was different than your typical party. So basically everyone there was a dancer skilled in different types of dance (Jazz, Contemporary, Swing, Salsa). I literally walked in and everyone was swing dancing, it was like walking into a 1920s club. I really enjoyed it because the meaning of real dancing has been fading away this generation. Next thing you know the music and the mood changes and my dance teacher invites me to salsa on the dance floor. What an experience it was! I'm considering taking some salsa lessons now, well I did meet a salsa instructor.

I also went for a run with my friend on West beach, by school. It seem like the temperature was heating up on that run and we didn't drink enough water before; so lesson learned. Always drink two bottles of water before running! Fortunately, we stopped under a shady palm tree to stretch and relax. It turned out I am still quite flexible from my dancing days (To the right my handstand on a palm tree, excuse my sickle feet).

Again, I was able to run at my old jr. high to walk my dog and I ran into our graphic designer from our blogging site; She was walking her dog as well. Since my sister was here my family and I went hiking. We up tunnel trail to Inspiration Point (On the left: my older sister, Jasmine and I)This probably the hundredth time we've done this, okay I'm over exaggerating haha. We do hike a lot. A few summers ago I used to hike four times a week and run during the days I didn't hike. It was intense. Anyways, my family and I really love hiking because it all about becoming aware of your natural surroundings and keeping your mind off things. Since, I've been working out lately it wasn't challenging at all.   

Hopefully I'm not to sore tomorrow from all the exercise I've done. Its a great lifestyle you know? (on the right: That's where SBCC should be by the tiny cruise ship)
 
I hope you guys had a fabulous weekend, time to get back into focus. Let's make Monday a great day! That was meant to be enthusiastic :)

- KIKI REYES

PS. Random fact today 4 years ago Paramore released their Brand New Eyes Album...

Radioactive, Cover, Imagine Dragons, Friday

Here's a video of me covering a Imagine Dragons song.... "Radioactive"

I promise I'll post more videos of me playing guitar. :)

-KIKI REYES

Hope your having a fabulous Friday!

Procrastination, Evening Walks and Runs, Running Playlist, Songwriting

 
 So I've been trying so hard not to procrastinate.  I have a bunch of reading due on tomorrow and it seemed kind of  impossible to have it all done by then- its about 100 pages of reading I need to get done from different subjects (Creative Writing, American Lit, History 101, Sociology). Its a challenge I was willing to accept, and I managed to get half of that reading done. I also have an essay due by 9pm tomorrow morning, lucky I finished it earlier today (my Essay on the right... its a draft). I guess moving away from procrastination really makes you less stress. ...C'est La Vie!  

With my extra time, I was able to go on a walk and a run every evening this week. Its so relaxing. Especially with the fall weather is present now, not to hot not to cold, its perfection. I could feel the cold air brush gently through my skin like a whispers being told cautiously in ones ear. That's my poetic description of how amazing it was. I take my dog for a nice run at my old Jr.High and later in the evening I walk to the grocery store, than I get back to homework.
(On a Walk at my Jr High W/ Cookie on Left and a sunset on the right) 

Also good music= good run. My running play consists of a lot of alternative/Indie music such as:
1. "Reptilia" - The Strokes
2. "Perfect"- Flyleaf
3. "A Certain Romance"- Arctic Monkeys
4. "Radioactive" Imagine Dragons
5. "Stay the Night (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)" - Zedd
6. "Something Good Can Work"- Two Door Cinema Club
7. "Supersoaker"- Kings of Leon

Anyways my songwriting is taking off again. It seems to be during fall when I write my favorite songs. I recently wrote a song called "Still and Always," I was inspired about past events that occurred and as well as my friend's experiences. The best thing about writing a song is that it doesn't always have to be about a person, it could be a general thing or something that should of occurred. It can be pure imagination. Here is my song your interested in listening: https://soundcloud.com/kikisrey/still-and-always-original-kiki
those of you who aren't maybe my running playlist will interest you. :)

Monday is the start of a new week hopefully I wont embarrass myself too much tomorrow.

-KIKI REYES