Life After Undergrad: People don’t always grow up, they just get better jobs

Posted on March 5, 2018 by Samantha

When I was younger my mom told me that sometimes adults can be more childish than actual children. I didn’t quite get this idea until I started working full-time– more so in a leadership role. At first it baffled me how people who were in positions of such esteem and regard could be so immature and petty. I witnessed grown adults holding grudges, gossiping and being cliquey– worse than middle school girls. My first thought was “well I’ll just avoid all of that and mind my business” but unfortunately gossip culture will find you; and it will test you.

I figured that by being nice to everyone, not overstepping the work/ socializing boundary that I could avoid that whole whirlwind of picking sides– I was wrong. In being nice to everyone and chit chatting over the water cooler, I opened myself up to other employees prodding for information about their coworkers because I seemed to get along with everyone. When I didn’t play into the game I became a scapegoat and a goody-two-shoes. While I don’t often let idle gossip bother me, dealing with such petulant behavior from adults was tiring. I ended up putting my foot down and just making it clear to all that if something was amiss or there was confusion I should be asked directly– and not relayed messages through the grapevine.

In my middle school days, gossip and ally making was rattling to me and I wanted to badly to be on the right side. I found however, that the “right” side often meant compromising my character or my morality and I just couldn’t do it. In elementary school I was an outcast for making friends with a girl who had an accident and in middle school I was made fun of by proxy because one of my best friends was a little overweight. Once I reached high school I was over it entirely and I built myself a network of girlfriends who didn’t give a damn what people thought of them and although not all of us keep in touch anymore the lesson they taught resonated.

I don’t need to be liked or loved by everyone to do my job, or to be good at it and I certainly don’t owe anyone anything. The most important thing that I can say is to be firm in your footing; stand up for what you believe in and who you are. Most of all, do your job, do it well and don’t tread anywhere the ice may be too thin.

The Scientific Method

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Denise Claire (Pebbles)

The scientific method is something we are all familiar with. Basically, it is the systematic observation, measurement, experimentation and modification of a hypothesis.

I am a great believer in the scientific method. It is never scientifically proven until it can be repeated multiple times with the same result and I am proud to say that I have been conducting thorough scientific observation since my formative years. Take for example, the research I helmed in electrical conductance and insulation:

As any famed scientist should, I shall share with you the findings of my experimentation. And because I am also a storyteller, we shall set the scene…

It was midday somewhere in the hills of Cebu City, Philippines. A young Pebbles has been sent to bed for a nap before she attends pre-school. With the doors shut and the sun shining, our rebellious little scientist refused to shut her eyes. Instead, she discovered one of her father’s pens, laying on the bed beside a stuffed animal.

Now rumor had it that if one were to put a metal something into a socket, it would electrocute said idiot. But, it was Pebbles’ hypothesis that if there were a buffer (the teddy bear) between the metal something (the fancy pen) and herself, there would be no cause for injury. And so, our little scientist set to work…

There is a moment in every young scientist’s life that she realizes she’s made a grave mistake. As the daylight suddenly turned to darkness, little Pebbles–

Rumor had it, that if one were to put a metal something into a socket…

Rumor had it…

It was now three p.m. The sun was lower, but our young scientist had exhausted her resources. Her blackout in the name of science had been longer this time around. It was now time for preschool. Rumor had been true and her hypothesis false. Conclusion:

Teddy bears are terrible electrical insulators.

—-

Anyone recall their childhood science experiments?

All artwork by Pebbles!

A Birthday Made for Heaven

Posted on March 1, 2018 by briannavasquez

Image by: theblackandwhite

Birthdays are an amazing celebration. They are the special days that occur during the year in which we celebrate and acknowledge the lives of our loved ones by way of cake, balloons, and other party favors or public outings. Birthdays are the established born days…they are how love is created, how relationships begin, and how memories are made; all thanks to the birth of that special person. Whether it’s your mother, your father, your child, or your sibling, everyone deserves this appreciation for the place that they hold in someone’s life, especially on their birthday. This past weekend was my boyfriend’s birthday who, unfortunately, passed away exactly a year and a half ago from osteosarcoma which is an aggressive form of bone cancer. Losing him was the most difficult thing that I have ever endured in my life by far. He was my love, he was my everything, and he stole my heart with that smile of his. I miss him greatly each and every day. But he is always with me in my heart, I see him everywhere in this world that he has left behind. I see him in the whistle of the wind, in the shape of the clouds, and in a mesmerizing sunset. The picture below is actually a photograph that I captured while overlooking Coney Island. If you look closely, it looks as if it is an angel with huge wings, soaring horizontally.

Image by: Brianna Vasquez

One of his favorite places was Coney Island. He was still pretty young when he passed away, but he always had this mentality of being a kid at heart. To this day, I have never met someone who loved cartoons or McDonald’s chicken nuggets and fries as much as he did. He was such a huge fan of Coney Island, though…he loved the amusement park and all of its thrilling rides. He enjoyed the serenity of the beach and the view that you could observe of the sun setting with the sand and water as the backdrop. He would be so excited to see the fireworks there as they lit up the entire sky with bursts of vivid colors. He especially liked the food; he’d always get fries from Nathan’s, as well as a hot dog on occasion. But he would almost always buy a root beer. He loved those; it was his favorite flavor of soda and it was mine too.

Image by: Mike Carey

We would always share our root beers with each other whenever we had one. And, even when he got sick, here I was, spoiling him without his mother’s knowledge with root beer. I wanted to dedicate this post to him. I visited the Coney Island Brewery last summer and I would definitely recommend going to this amazing place. It was an admirable experience; the brewery offers free tours and sells beer pints, beer flights, as well as the company’s merchandise apparel. I, of course, decided to try one of the hard sodas which are essentially an alcoholic version of soda…a soda pop for adults. The root beer flavor was stunning and made for a great ode to my boyfriend.

a bottle beside a plastic cup of root beer

Image by: The Sampler

So I say, cheers to my handsome guy for his second birthday in heaven. I love you so much.

Tea for the soul

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Gennessy Palma

Good Afternoon City Tech! Today’s post will be based on Rooibos tea. This tea is known to be as a fruity and flavorful tea. Rooibos originates from South Africa and has been consumed for centuries. It’s known throughout countries as the “colorful tea”, due to its reddish appearance; it is also known as “red bush tea”. According to healthline, its family origin is from a shrub called Aspalathus linearis which is grown in the regions on the West coast of South Africa.

I personally enjoy this tea because, again, it’s fruity almost like a dessert. I used to get them from Teavana but now I’m more open to other options, so if anyone has any recommendations of tea places lemme know!

Going back to our topic of Rooibos tea, it has its perks; just as all teas do. From Rooibos tea we benefit in five areas as shown and provided to us by Healthline.

Antioxidants found in the tea have been linked to a healthier heart (13).This may happen in different ways (14).First, drinking rooibos tea may have beneficial effects on blood pressure by inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (15).ACE indirectly increases blood pressure by causing blood vessels to contract.A study involving 17 people found that drinking rooibos tea resulted in the inhibition of ACE activity 30–60 minutes after participants drank the tea (15).However, this did not translate to any changes in blood pressure.There is more promising evidence that the tea can improve cholesterol levels.One study examined the effects of rooibos on 40 overweight men and women at higher risk of heart disease.

The researchers found that drinking six cups of rooibos tea daily for six weeks resulted in a decrease in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as the “bad” cholesterol.It was also associated with a small increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. That’s the “good” cholesterol (16).However, the same effect was not seen in healthy people.Healthy cholesterol levels mean added protection against various heart conditions, including heart attacks and strokes.

BOTTOM LINE:Rooibos tea may benefit heart health by positively affecting blood pressure. It may also lower “bad” cholesterol and raise “good” cholesterol in people who are at risk of heart disease.

These facts/ benefits are credited to healtline.com and has not been written by me, though it does raise that thought of getting ourselves a cup of tea, right?? It’s like a cup of good health in the palm of your hands! There are many places you can get Rooibos tea, why not give it a try today?

P.S: Disclaimer!!! This does not replace professional health physician care.

Roses are red… Towers are pink…

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Sabrina Vasquez

Since last Wednesday, I’ve been really anticipating the upcoming seasons. By upcoming, I’m referring to summer, in particular, since the spring normally gives me a plethora of allergies. If we could only fast forward to Summer when everything is already in bloom and strikingly beautiful, I would be one happy CityTech student! Last Wednesday had New York City in the upper 70 degree range. The way the sun beat down on the pavement and upon my back as I walked to the train station made me wonder if it was still winter. But, then I saw the brown grass and leafless trees and was quickly reminded that the season didn’t magically change, it was just an environmental fluke. At one point I looked to the sky screaming, “Stop playing tricks on me!” while jumping frantically. Luckily no one was around to see my crazy tantrum. Spring is rapidly approaching, but we still have to last through the final stings of winter. So to keep the excitement growing, I wanted to post about the most flowery, springy, sun-tastic piece of art; it practically screeches “Hold on, I’m Comin’” by Sam & Dave.

Near Union Square Park valiantly stands a large tower of crystal roses; they shine, glisten, and bounce the rays of sunlight, it’s called the “Rose Crystal Tower “. It teases us with the floral blooms that we so desperately want to see. The statue stands thirty-one feet in the air, charming the busy area with a vibrant pop of color in a sea of varying grays and browns. The roses stay just as beautiful and lively in every season. It graced Greenwich Village in October, taking the place of the last temporary art piece “Morphous” (which I mentioned last year).

According to Union Square Partnership, the tower was built by 76-year old Washington native Dale Chihuly. This will be Chihuly’s second public installment in New York City; his first being a temporary piece in the Botanical Gardens. Each rose was made out of a substance he calls “Polyvitrois,” which is a casted plastic substance made to resemble glass. The roses are then wrapped around a steel structure which is placed upon a steel podium. Chihuly discussed his inspiration for the piece in a statement he made to the NYC Parks Department. He claimed, “New York City’s energy, architecture, and rich creative history is formidable and it continues to offer infinite inspiration for artists. I am excited to share my work with the residents and visitors who pass through New York City every year.”

The Rose Crystal Tower will be on display up until this October. So if you haven’t seen it yet, you still have a chance.

Budgeting Your Relationship

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Cherishe Cumma-Clarke

After three years of being in a relationship I realized that being with another person is expensive. Seriously! When I was single, the only gifts I would normally buy were for my immediate family on holidays like Christmas and their individual birthdays. Now that I have a boyfriend, I feel like there’s a holiday every month, or at least that’s how it can seem. Being in love, and caring for someone else along with yourself can be expensive for both parties. Celebrating birthdays, holidays, anniversaries; even just going out on spontaneous dates starts to add up and take a toll on your bank account. As a college student, I have to budget my money for five main things: food, transportation, books, family events/gifts and “me time.” Now that I am in a relationship, I have to restructure the set-up for my budget to include another person. I noticed that being in a relationship caused a radical change in my spending and I realized a change needed to be made. So my partner and I sat down one day and decided to figure out a way to maximize the time we spend together, while also cutting back on the amount of money we spend on each other. I know you may be thinking what kind of relationship are you in? Why would you want someone to spend less money on you? Who wants to be in a relationship with a cheap partner? My answer to this would be “We aren’t cheap. We are just budgeting our relationship.”

I don’t know about other couples out in the world, but my boyfriend and I are still trying to establish ourselves financially so that we can live comfortably when we get older. We are both talented individuals aspiring to achieve all of our dreams, but in order for those dreams to come true, we feel we need bountiful savings accounts. Unfortunately, going out on fancy dates every other day isn’t conducive to the lifestyle we both want to live when get older. So after much consideration we decided to establish a budget system that helped us not only save money, but also brought us closer in the process. Below I will list some of the steps that we took to start budgeting our relationship, and increasing our bank accounts.

Step 1: Be honest. If you don’t have the money to go out, tell your significant other that. Don’t be afraid to tell them that you can’t afford a certain restaurant because you need to pay your phone bill. Pay your phone bill and then explain to the person you are involved with the situation, and suggest another way for you both to spend time together.

Talk about your finances. The best thing you can do in a relationship is communicate with the person you are involved with. Tell them about your plans for your money, your dreams, your aspirations, and how you want to spend your money in the future. Let them know why you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a meal that will only satisfy your hunger for a few hours before you have to make a Mcdonalds run. Your partner may be more understanding about your spending habits if they understand why you are saving.

Step 2: Take the Time Out magazine when the person outside of the train station tries to hand it to you. This magazine has so many affordable date ideas that you can attend in Brooklyn, and the other boroughs. All you have to do is read through the magazine and you are definitely going to find something that interests you. Personally I found an art exhibit for my favorite artist Kara Walker, and the best part was that it was free!

Step 3: Stay home some time. Make use of your Netflix subscription or your on-demand, or your fire stick. Pop some popcorn in your microwave. If you don’t want to watch a movie, make a home-cooked meal. Cooking at home is a great way to improve your skills in the kitchen, while also saving money. So, chef it up!

Step 4: Make date night epic every once in a while, instead of every week! Save your money for a few weeks, as Yo Gotti would say “Rake it up, Rake it up.” Then when a month or so goes by and you have accumulated a good amount of money in your account, take a small portion of that money and do something nice. Go to one of those fancy movie theaters with reclining seats, buy popcorn instead of sneaking in your own outside snacks. Ha! Most of all just enjoy the time you spend with your special person. After enjoying your date with your special someone, get back to the grind and continue to save your money.

Step 5: Go after sales! There is nothing wrong with catching a deal for half price. A gift that was originally $250.00 is still the same gift even if you catch it on sale. There is nothing wrong with utilizing sales and most of all getting coupon codes from Retailmenot.com, or even Groupon! There’s no shame in saving money. At the end of the day, your partner will still have an amazing gift or dinner, and you will be able to look at your bank account without getting chest pains.

Retrieved from Pinterest

If I have learned anything from being in a relationship, it’s that there are much more important things in life than money. My boyfriend and I have had more fun going out to a pier, eating at a local chinese restaurant, and taking long walks than we have had at upscale restaurants. I mean, sometimes it’s nice to be “wined and dined” but no one likes to see a $400.00 bill at the end of the night. Sometimes it better to just hit up a restaurant that sells affordable food so that you can stretch your money. Be reasonable and think logically: The $400.00 that you spend for one meal could get you a dinner, a movie, and a mini shopping trip if you manage your money correctly. Think about quality rather than quantity. Consider how much you can get for your dollar rather than just purchasing something because its expensive and in style.

Trust me, if you start to live your life using these suggestions, you will see drastic changes in your relationship. This counts for friendships as well. I suggest that you and your significant other discuss the changes you want to make in your relationship first. Then, if you both agree on making the changes, implement the steps into your relationship slowly. Give it a week or so and then leave me a comment and let me know if the steps above worked for you or if they didn’t. I would love to know if any of the changes I adopted in my relationship can help others as well.

Progress is a Process: Forming Habits Follow-Up

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Neffi

Retrieved from BeingIndispensable

If you thought I forgot, think again. It’s Day 21! In my post 3 weeks ago, Time to Re-Wire: Forming Habits we talked about forming new habits in our lives to upgrade ourselves. I hope you got a chance to read the 3 R’s article and put your new habit into motion. If you have, how’s it been going?

When setting goals in our lives, we usually give ourselves a timeframe to do the work so we can check back in and measure progress/results. My new habit I wanted to work to form was to be in bed by 11:00 p.m. because my goal is to get more sleep. In some cases you can be super excited to see your amazing progress, and in others, you can wind up being discouraged by the results because you expected better.

I know the same feelings can arise when trying to create a new habit. Twenty-one days may have passed and you feel no difference, or no real improvement or progress. Well, habits are essentially a skill. This means that the more you practice forming habits, the better you get at it. If you’re new to it and just starting to develop better habits, take my advice and start extremely small. The reminder, the routine, and the reward are the three pillars and the foundation of the habit-forming loop. This is literally the science behind how habits are formed. Don’t believe me? Read about it here.

If these 21 days have initiated your 180-degree change, congratulations! Me? I’m doing alright lol, I have my relapses, but James Clear says in the 3 R’s article “missing one opportunity to perform the behavior does not materially affect the habit formation process. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you mess up every now and then. Building better habits is not an all-or-nothing process.” Thank you for the affirmation, Mr. Clear! This means you should celebrate how far you have actually gone and continue pushing forward!

Retrieved from YourBirthdayQuotes

Progress is a process.

Remember, whichever habit you choose to work on, don’t get discouraged if it hasn’t become automatic after 21 days. Think of this as the test trial, because as I said in my original post, a lot of concrete research says that 21 days is too short to fully form a habit anyway–but it’s a start. To get to day 400, you have to start at Day 1. Am I right or am I right?? It reminds us that habit, much like success, is NOT “one size fits all”. It’s going to be different for everybody. How long it takes to form a new habit depends on (1) the type of behavior trying to be turned into habit. I mean if you’ve been doing something for decades, 21 days might barely be a scratch on the surface right; and (2), it depends on the biggest factor: YOU. Are you really planning and working towards it?

Pick one habit to form at a time, because overcommitting can be a huge mistake and lead to you feeling discouraged. Start Small. Forget performance for now, and just focus on consistency. Keep in mind the “Three R’s,” and don’t punish yourself for setbacks. Make it fun and enjoy yourself. Everybody needs some help, and creating a support system to keep you on track and “on goal” is a major key. We all slip sometimes, so by having one or more people in your corner, maybe even attempting a new habit as well with you, you can actually increase your chances of sticking to the habit—at least in my own experience. Practice makes (almost) perfect. Keep going!

Retrieved from Pinterest

I’ve Got the Keys

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Robine J

By Robine Jean-Pierre

Growing up, I heard Haitian Creole and English spoken interchangeably at home. My knowledge of Creole started off as a collection of simple words and phrases pertaining to cuisine, the household, and hygiene. Unfortunately, I soon developed the regrettable habit of hearing a question or statement in Haitian Creole and responding in English. As a result, I’ve always understood more Creole than I can actually speak.

Taking up French in sixth grade drastically increased my Creole vocabulary. Many people I’ve come across expected it to be the other way around–in other words, that knowing Creole first would have helped me learn French. (My eighth grade French teacher used to exclude me from competitive games during class because she thought I had an unfair advantage.) In truth, my analytical mind started to make connections between the original French terms and the cognates that derived from these. For example, du riz in French means “[some/of] rice” and I realized that this was where the Creole diri came from. (If you’re interested in more on this, consider reading An Nou Palé – Let’s Talk.)

By the end of high school, I had taken French for six years and Spanish for about two (just for fun, since I loved it so much), so that means I have four languages under my belt. However, I’d be lying if I said I could speak each one (aside from English) 100% fluently! This fact embarrasses me, and I often ask myself, Is it the flawed education system? Is it me? Did I ever really learn?

The answer is simple: PRACTICE. For all my theory and knowledge and textbook smarts, I have not always taken advantage of real-life opportunities to practice–and by this I mean live, on-the-spot, spoken communication. I figure that if I’m not speaking Creole as fluently as I’d like to, it’s because of my own timidity, but most heritage speakers have the same struggle. I was always afraid that I would be mocked for pronouncing something wrong or fumbling a sentence, which kept me from trying. (Being condescending is somewhat ingrained in Haitian culture, so my fears were well-grounded.)

It bothers me that I am familiar, yet not fluent, with these three languages other than English (LOTEs); but what I need is to get bothered enough to actually do something about it. Plus, nothing pushes you more than having a sense of “need” rather than just “want.” I’ve been considering multiple measures: getting language-learning apps like DuoLingo; finding friends who speak the desired language and striking up a conversation; and replying in Creole to my family’s questions (which, of course, would take a whole lot of guts).

For French and Creole, especially, I know that most of the words are stored up in my brain somewhere, so it’s just a matter of excavating them. My worst nightmare would be to lose what it took so many years to learn, especially since it’s harder to learn new things as you get older. In the future, I hope to travel to communities that speak any of the three LOTEs, and be able to communicate comfortably. Languages are like keys that open the doors to other worlds, and I wish to hold onto those keys as tightly as I can.

Life After Undergrad: How I managed to check my anxiety at work

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Samantha

With more knowledge comes more power, right? Well in my case more knowledge and more ability came with a larger office, more employees and more targets to hit. Naturally I was flattered my boss thought highly enough of me to promote me, but deep down I was panicked. Part of me even secretly hoped I wouldn’t have to do it and I could sit quietly in the shadows. When I looked at myself in the mirror though, I realized that I needed to look at myself in a better light. I needed to believe in myself and view myself with confidence and not doubt of what mistakes I may make.

When the season started I was jittery, but I tried to sound as confident and positive as I possibly could when I met my new team of employees. I found that they were a really great group of people who were relieved to get a new leader at the helm; this made easing into a new role easier. I’d heard once in a psychology class that there are two types of leaders; transactional and transitional. Transaction leaders are a hands off type of leader that only handles things that go wrong or need attention, but a transitional leader will lead by example– and that’s the kind of leader I wanted to be.

I started by making a list of exactly what I needed to do that day, down to the most minuscule of tasks because it made the whole day seem like less of a challenge. I checked off the must do stuff first– things that had time deadlines or needed to be done the same time every day. After those tasks I worked on the bigger projects and tasks that took more of my time and effort. Breaking up my tasks made my time seem like less of a long-winded spiral. I found that managing my time made me less anxious because it eased the feeling that I wouldn’t get to everything I needed to do. As I started to develop a routine I started to worry less about the day-to-day and just organize my days in a way that made the most sense– and I haven’t looked back since.

Tell me readers, how do you stay organized?

Fringe

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Denise Claire (Pebbles)

Dora the Explorer was my jam. Up until the age of 14, I could tell you the exact sequence of the Dora intro and theme song: i.e. the camera swinging through magically opening French doors and the chunky early 2000’s desktop. My older sister and I enjoyed it so much that our father decided he would cut us bangs to emulate the cultural icon that is Dora the Explorer.

But alas, mid-bang, I decided I was my own woman and I would not be Dora. Or, more truthfully, I was afraid of the scissor so close to my eye.

A few years passed and my family immigrated to America and a new cable plan in our new apartment heralded a new wave of Dora fandom in my household. She had taught us Spanish in the Philippines, where our mother tongue was already laced with hints of the language. Now, here in America, she continued to do the same. As an homage to her constant watch over me, I sat on my bed, blunt tip scissors at the ready, deciding today was the day. I was to fulfill the half completed destiny. Today, I would be Dora.

The evidence—a fistful of hair—was discarded through a hole in the screen of our bedroom window. I looked more like a shredded piñata than I did Dora, but I was on a high.

My father was a firm believer that girls should have long hair— girls’ hair. When I was 13, my mother took us to the hair salon where a hairdresser trimmed our hair into layers.

My father knew something was up. We just ignored it.

Unfortunately for my parents, I began cutting my own hair from then on. I learned how to give myself side bangs and the pony tail method for creating layers. They all looked relatively well done, but my hair became shorter each time.

And one fateful afternoon during my senior year of high school, I decided to “trim” my hair.

This time round, I was destined to be Lord Farquaad of Shrek the Movie fame. It was the very first time I had decided to make a drastic change in my look. No one could stop me, I was making my own decisions. Equipped with that terribly crooked bob, I became the queen of my own world. I was a living testament to anarchy. Screw the rules, mama’s fresh cuts were serving looks.

What I’ve learned over the years is that my hair has been part of my growth in self expression. No matter how out of style my bob was and is, I love it because I chose it. I’ll be Dora, Lord Farquaad, Velma or Tina whenever I please.

I am UNSTOPABLE!

All art by Pebbles

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