Love the way you live

a card that says "You love the way you live"

“You love the way you live.

I think, that our usual behavior can be traced in everything we do. Our everyday routine and willingness to do things can reflect how we approach specific assignments. The same is true when it comes to loving and caring about somebody: we tend to love as genuine as we do other things.

Of course, caring about a person we love can’t be completely compared with doing that end-of-a-week laundry, yet it has something important in common: passion to get something done or achieve a result. If we approach doing laundry without a drop of passion, we won’t ever be satisfied with a fact that our clothes is clean and fresh again. Love to another person within this scenario shares the same path: lack of satissfaction. We will never be completely satissfied unless we appreciate a presence of that very special person and go beyond possible to make them happy.

It is not a secret that everything has its up and downs moments, and sometimes we are fed up enough. We see escape as the only solution. But love isn’t here for those who give up easily. Love wants us to be persistant and work hard.

If we approach duties without a passion on a daily basis, we create a habit of carelessness. I think, it is hard to become a caring person all of a sudden if our routine behaviour is different.

A solution, of course, exists. We should approach everything with a great passion and enjoy a process. Once it becomes a habit, it becomes a part of us and can be traced in everything we do, including love and care.”

Name: R. Verhnyak
Age: 24
Major: Mechanical Engineering

Hudson Yard Station

 

Have you guys seen the new Hudson Yard Station as yet? If not its a must see. They really did an excellent job on this one I must say. This 7 line extension at 34th Hudson Yard, is New York’s first new station in 25 years.

I know this may not sound like a big deal, but it makes the commute on the far West Side of midtown Manhattan much easier since there was never any direct commute before. For example Jacob Javits Center, the High Line and Hudson River Park are all now easily accessible.

What should you expect when you do visit? Ahhh! I wouldn’t spoil the fun, go take a look and let me know what you guys think. But in the mean time, here’s a preview.


glass ceiling entrance to the subway“Every morning is a chance of a new day.”  Hudson Yard Station Manhattan, NY 1:56pm

-Marjorie Hinckley

escalators enclosed in glass “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” Hudson Yard Station Manhattan, NY 12:23am

-Nelson Mandela

a subway staircase “Success is not just a measure of how big you can dream, it is also a measure of how much can you do.” Hudson Yard Station Manhattan, NY 2:48pm

a future-istic subway tunnel “A journey of a thousands miles must begin with a single step.” Hudson Yard Station Manhattan, NY 3:06pm

street sculpture/art“Life is like a mirror: It’ll smile at you if you smile at it.” Hudson Yard Station Manhattan, NY 2:22pm

National Coffee Day is Tomorrow

a drawing of a cup of coffee, and the words "National Coffee Day September 29"

Image by: HD Pics

Tomorrow marks the official day dedicated to America’s favorite beverage, coffee. September 29th is National Coffee Day. Light roast, medium roast, dark roast, blond roast whether robust or light-bodied; all are being celebrated on this day. Coffee is such a patriarch of our daily routine that it deserves to be celebrated especially if it will lower the costs of our daily cup of joe.

Coffee has made such great strides in the past decade by being used in many new innovations. Coffee flour is a great new ingredient that is yet to go mainstream in the culinary world; it is a sustainable way of using the entire coffee berry. When coffee is made only the bean is used and the outer berry is usually discarded but with the coffee flour, the rest of the berry is used. As I aspire to be a pastry chef, it is amazing to see the progress that coffee has made as it impacts the culinary world, which cannot only be used for professional chefs but for home bakers as well who can benefit from using this innovative ingredient in their baked goods.

I remember the first time I drank coffee, it was in the middle of winter so it gave me this sense of warmth and it tasted amazing, the slight taste of bitterness with a natural sweet flavor. It was incredibly rich, I was never the huge coffee drinker that needed a cup of coffee everyday nor did I rely on its caffeine to get me through the day. But I will say that coffee is unlike any other beverage I ever had, I was never allowed to drink coffee until my mid-teenage years as my mother did not allow the consumption of caffeine in any sort especially coffee.

This day allows for many freebies and discounts from many iconic coffee-selling shops located in New York. So do not hesitate to take advantage of these one day only opportunities to get your coffee fix on national coffee day. Below are just a few of the offers:

iced coffee

Image by: 5minutesformom

Seattle’s Best Coffee is offering a two dollars off coupon for any of their smooth coffee varieties at participating locations after you like them on Facebook then you can click the coupon tab to download.

Krispy Kreme is celebrating by giving customers a free small coffee and glazed donut as well as selling 12 oz. mocha, latte or iced coffee — including a Pumpkin Spice Latte — all for $1 at participating locations.

a ceramic mug of Dunkin Donuts coffee

Image by: Eric Bonkhz

Every Dunkin’ Donuts location across the country is offering a free medium hot or iced Dark Roast coffee to each of their guests, with a limit of one free coffee per customer all day long even their new pumpkin macchiatos, which were released on September 28th. Guests will also be able to get discounted coffee products both online and in stores Dunkin’ Donuts’ 16-ounce packaged coffees which are only selling for $5.99 (limit of two per guest). In stores, guests can purchase the Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup packs for an especially low price of $7.99 for a 14-count box (limit of two per guest).

 

Keep the conversation going, comment below, where do you like to buy your coffee? What is the best coffee you ever had and why? What is your usual coffee order? (Be sure to include brand, roast, etc., if you like). Or simply share your first experience of drinking coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Broke College Student

the mid-section of a man holding out his empty jeans pockets

Many college students complain about money. Well, their lack of money to be exact. A job is what students desperately want, but have a hard time finding.

But did you know CUNY offers numerous job opportunities? Listed below are some that are being offered for those interested.

The CUNY 311 Project is a collaboration between the NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunication, and the City University of New York. It provides qualified CUNY students with the opportunity to work as part time Call Center Representatives, within New York City’s Customer Service Center, for $10.98 an hour. 311 provides New Yorkers with one easy to remember number to access all City agencies and services. Workers will be required to answer incoming calls in a professional and courteous manner. They must also be available 18 hours per week for three 6 hour shifts, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and be at least a second year freshman.

The Poll-Worker Initiative recruits and trains hundreds of students to serve as poll workers with the Board of Elections. They are looking for students who can work as Inspectors or Interpreters on Election Day. After a four hour training session for potential workers, a compensation of $200.00 per day for working in the primary election and the general election is awarded.

CUNY Service Corps is another excellent opportunity.  Service placements last 24 weeks, for over two semesters, and you are placed in positions of your interest. Participants work 12 hours per week, are paid $12 an hour, and in some instances earn college credit.

Any of these opportunities pique your interest? Then head on over to the Cuny website and learn more about them, and apply.

Rush Hour Commute

Probably everyone who drive or have to commute by car to their destination, knows the burden of commuting during rush hours in New York City.

Commuting either early in the morning or late in the afternoon, is not always an easy task. Being stock in NYC traffic is one of the craziest experience a New Yorkers can have . New Yorkers are known to be rude so imagine how unpleasent it gets when another driver is honking or even worst cursing at you for whatever reasons. It really can get very heated during rush hour traffic especially when you are late and not in your best mood. But nonetheless it is one of things New Yorkers have to live with it in a daily basis.


cars in the streetManhattan – New York

 

cars on a bridgeBrooklyn Bridge – New York

 

cars on a riverside highwayManhattan – New York

 

cars on a bridge at nightBrooklyn Bridge – Brooklyn

Anything You Want OR Need … for FREE!!

What is something you want to do or have? Did you know you can get it free, especially when you are motivated and put in the research for it. For example, Have you ever walked into a food court of the mall and was offered cinnabon’s sugar donuts, or asian cuisine on a stick? Not only can you get free food but you can request samples from those mall restaurants. At the end of your “food court smorgasbord” you may have a fulfilling snack. Well, that is similar to just about anything you can think of.

colored letters that spell "FREE"

Here’s How:

  1. Events & Activities: You can get free tickets to movies, preescreenings, fashion shows, fundraisers, community events, and celebrities events on sites like EventBrite. And of course many events have goodie bags of freebies. Try looking in Timeout NYC, searching for free concerts in the parks and beaches, download “local” themed apps on your phone, visit Meetup.com hobbies and networking events. Get on tv by searching casting companies like OnSetProductions.
  2. Knowledge Training / Experience: Ask those you know for advice. You can ask companies to volunteer or go on VolunteerMatch. Of course Youtube helps, but there are also sites that allow you to bartering services. Look in the news papers where most jobs offer free training on the condition that you work with them for a time period. I love the DIYnetwork and places, like HomeDepot, that offer free classes.
  3. Food / Clothes: Besides growing a garden and sewing your own clothes, there are organizations and churches that provide free food and clothing. You can even inquire on 311 (for those in NY) for help or on your governments’ website
  4. Shelter Companies like Habitat for Humanity help you own a home as long as you volunteer some labor, but there are other non profits and private funded organizations that provide shelters, rooms, help with mortgage, rent assistance, and utilities (i.e.: heap. There are even grants for new home owners are being energy efficient.
  5. Money Who doesn’t love free money! Apply for government grants, signup with crowdfunding websites, ask those you know, and/or apply for scholarships.
  6. Childcare – Most schools are free, even some pre kindergarten are with programs like Head Start. Some schools and jobs have daycares, just ask. If not contact you local government assistance providers.
  7. Insurance: Contact non-profits, private organization or your government website.
  8. Entertainment Services: There are companies like Vive Entertainment Enterprises LLC or non profits like BRIC Arts Media. You can also find people by looking up hashtags, posting and messaging on sites like Model Mayhem, craigslist, Instagram, and Facebook.
  9. Business Help: Organizations like SBDC at New York City College of Technology, Small Business Association, NYC Business Solutions, NELP (lawyers), and government websites will help small business and entrepreneurs. Go on sites like idealist.org or businessmentor.org to find volunteers and help. The best thing to do is network.
  10. Freebies & Goodies For cosmetics, accessories, cleaning products, and the random, there are nonprofits or organizations that are the middle man like Freecycle. Some places provide free toiletries, others sites give away based on their sponsors.  Hey you might get free stuff for being a loyal customer, like a sephora. where you can also get free samples of cosmetics when ever you want and bigger samples with purchases. There are even sites like Beautystat, and you tubers who have contest and giveaways for their subscribers.

If your need or want isn’t listed here, some of the same sites may still help you. If not, googling the service you need and adding the word free at the end, by putting up post on social media and inquiring with those you know.

Now that you know how to find free necessities and wants, try it for yourself. Get your freebies and tell me all about it.

DISCLAIMER: I am not being paid to share this data or information. Everything is my opinion and I do not take responsibility for what you may encounter during your search.


QUESTIONS TO THE READERS: How do you get freebies? | Have you tried any of the methods? Did it work? | Has anyone got a free iPad or electronic by participating in offers? | Was this information helpful?

My Top 10 Favorite Foods

Every foodie has their favorite places to eat and foods to eat. I’ve already covered where I like to eat in this blog post. Now, I would like to share with you my 10 favorite foods that I love to eat the most. Enjoy!

eggs Benedict with fries and salad1. I’ve never thought I would be a fan of Eggs Benedict until a few years ago. Some people don’t like runny yolks, but I actually like it and don’t mind. Eggs Benedict is my choice of brunch when I am out for brunch with my friends or boyfriend. I think Eggs Benedict are the best when the Hollandaise sauce has a lemony taste to it and they are runny.

a dish of dumplings

2. Dumplings are probably one of my favorite foods growing up and not because it’s a popular Asian food, but sometimes it’s just more pleasant to eat than your regular rice and noodles. I especially love the pan-fried dumplings my boyfriend and I make, fold, and cook together. I like my dumplings both pan-fried and boiled and I also like they come in different flavors.

a dish of food

3. One of my favorite dishes that my mom makes best is braised pig feet with bean curd stick with mung bean sauce. This particular dish is made mostly on Chinese holidays and I always look forward to eating it because it is really delicious and has a bit of sweetness to it from the mung bean sauce.

fried calamari with dipping sauces

4. I’ve always had a thing for fried calamari ever since I was high school. However, good fried calamari is hard to come by at times. I’ve tried a lot of fried calamari and they always seem to be bland, tasteless, and overcooked. Good fried calamari should be hot, crunchy, and cooked just right.

a dish of noodles

5. Pad Thai is not only one of the more popular Thai dishes, but it is one of my favorite Thai dishes that I enjoy very much. I like that you can add any protein you want in it and/or have a vegetable one if you like. I like it not too sweet and with a little tanginess to it.

a scoop of ice cream

6. Ice cream is one my weaknesses, but also my favorite dessert. I sure have had a lot of ice cream this summer and so far my favorite flavors are: pumpkin, French vanilla, earl grey, almond, and cookies n’ creme.

cooked food

7. I think it’s pretty apparent that I love ramen. I mostly eat it hot because it’s just a nice comforting food to have especially on chilly days like tonight or in the Winter. I really enjoy the different types of broth and style of noodles that are available. I haven’t had ramen in a few months, so I definitely need to have a bowl soon!

fruit

8. Another one of my favorite desserts is anything that incorporates with fruits and grass jelly. Grass jelly is a jelly-like dessert found in China. The jelly can be cut into cubes or other forms and then mixed with syrup to produce a drink and dessert and it is thought to have cooling properties especially during hot weather.

a food dish

9. Rice cakes with preserved mustard and shredded pork is a popular Shanghainese dish and also one of my favorite dishes to order at a Shanghainese restaurant. The rice cakes are a little chewy and gummy texture and the preserved mustard is usually served fresh and has a crunchy texture to it. It’s quite a savory dish!

a food dish

10. Last, but not least one of my favorite Chinese dishes is clams with black bean sauce. I love eating Italian style clams too, but I enjoy eating clams with black bean sauce a lot more and it’s quite tasty too.

What are you favorite foods to eat?

 

Pursuit Of Portraits

 

Some people are just nature born’s in front of a camera, others just need a little push to realize it. Photographing people in their most unnatural state is very rewarding, it gives you an incentive as to what they might be thinking or feeling. A stage photograph is also amazing; not sure which one I like best. Its amazing how you can learn about a person in such a short time while photographing them.It also makes them feel more comfortable when converse with them.

Here are a few shots I took over the weekend with some new friends.


a woman standing inside a large red circle“Happiness is a journey not a destination.”  Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn NY 10:26am

-Ben Sweetland

 

a woman lying on a field, wrapped in red fabric

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built.”  Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn NY 10:39am

-Rumi

a woman wrapped in red fabric, standing in a field

“Human beings make life beautiful. There’s beauty in everything. But what makes life beautiful is the ability to acknowledge that.”  Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn NY 11:06am

a woman wrapped in moving red fabric in front of a pier “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you a joy.” Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn NY 11:29am

-Rumi

  a woman wrapped in red fabric holding someone's hand“The soul has been given its own ears to hear things that the mind does not understand.”  Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn NY 11:35am

-Rumi

I Stand With Ahmed Mohamed

a young man by a computer and a computer chip

“I’m the person who built a clock and got in a lot of trouble for it,” the ninth-grader said during a press conference outside of his home after his arrest became national news.

Fourteen year old Muslim high-schooler, Ahmed Mohamed, made headlines this past week, after he was arrested in Texas, for bringing a homemade clock to school, in which his teacher mistook for a bomb.

Ahmed was arrested and taken to juvenile detention and suspended for three days, according to his family. “They interrogated me and searched through my stuff and took my tablet and my invention,” the teen said. “They were like, ‘So you tried to make a bomb?’ I told them no, I was trying to make a clock.” Ahmed is quoted as saying.
The incident has raised allegations of racism, and made the Texas school district the target of online outrage. Messages of support from President Obama, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, have all come in for young Ahmed Mohamed.

President Obama has even invited him to the white house, though his act of kindness wasn’t viewed positively by everyone. Bristol Palin posted on her blog “This is the kind of stuff Obama needs to STAY out of. It encourages more racial strife that is already going on with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ crowd and encourages victim-hood.”

Oh Bristol….what are we going to do with you?

The Other Side Of The Fence

When fences are put in our lives, we distance ourselves from the rest of the wold and everything around us. We live in a world where we tend to overlook at other things and not recognize others and their qualities because they are different their our own and are at the other side of our fence.

When this does happen it creates boundaries between us. if you sometimes wondered why is the world is like the way it is, maybe it is time for you to look at things differently and and get some perspective. Seeing things from a different point of view can lead to giant leaps in a better world. Allow yourself to be the other, and to see the world through a different pair of eyes because sometimes things do seems to be worth paying attention to at the other side of the fence.


“I just want people to take a step back, take a deep breath and actually look at something with a different perspective. But most people will never do that.” Brian Mcknight

a fenced-off parkThe Highline – Manhattan

 

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” – Frances Hodgson Burnett

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change. – Buddhaflowers growing through a wire-mesh fenceQueens – New York

 

“I think the way I look at things gives me a different perspective. I’m most valuable when I work with a team of bright people who complement my weaknesses with their strengths.” – Craig McCawa sunset through a bridge's fenceBrooklyn Bridge – Brooklyn

 

When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. – Alexander Graham Bell

a city skyline through the cables of a bridgeBrooklyn Bridge – Brooklyn