New York’s Nature Side

 

The beauty of nature is that it surrounds us all. Whether it is the variety of clouds, sunset or sunrise or even a waterfall. When you think of New York the first thing that comes to mind is its nickname “The Big Apple”, “Concrete Jungle”, “Gotham.” But have you ever thought of New York as the nature type environment? This city is more than just the skyscrapers and bridges. Discovering the nature side of New York is almost unbelievable, sometimes I often have to pinch myself to be sure that I am in the right place.

“We never noticed the beauty because we are too busy trying to create it.”

trees in a field“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”  Central Park, Manhattan NY 6:34am

trees by the water“What we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capacity. Its more likely a function of our beliefs about who we are.”  Central Park, Manhattan NY 7:17am

 

a white building on a pond“Nature is one of our greatest teacher.”  Prospect Park, Brooklyn NY 5:30pm

 

a mossy stream“The things that we love tells us what we are.”  Prospect Park, Brooklyn NY 5:44pm

 

a mossy pond“Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, or to discover something that is true.”  Prospect park, Brooklyn NY 7:31pm

 

Preparing To Graduate?

a stock image of graduation hats with tassels being tossed into the air

This December, if everything goes as planned, I will be graduating from College. While its an exciting thought, it’s also a nerve-racking one, as I begin a whole new chapter in my life.

So it got me thinking about my fellow future graduates, and what they must be thinking and feeling as well. Gathering information from all around, I’ve come up with some tips to help us through our journey.

1. What do you want after you graduate? A Job!!! Complete or update your resume/cover letter to prepare for your job search. It’s also important to buy an interview outfit. And an interview outfit doesn’t include jeans. You have to dress professionally, even if the job you are applying for is a relaxed one, since you want to make a good first impression. Practice your interviewing techniques with the types of questions you may be asked at an interview.

2. Have you taken out a loan? Make sure you know how much you owe, and the different options for repayment that are available. Most student loans begin repayment six months after graduation. You want to be prepared to begin making payments when they are due.

3. Study, study, study! Just because you are about to graduate, that doesn’t mean you start to get lazy and slack off. The goal is to graduate, and one misstep can keep you from achieving your goal.

4. Continue to save! You no longer will have to spend money on those expensive books, and other school expenses, so start saving your money now. It’ll come in handy in the long run, trust me.

Just a few things to pay attention to as you prepare to be handed your diploma. Good luck!!

Summer Throwback

Welcome back to all the OpenLab community. It has been my pleasure to blog and share my photographs on The Buzz last semester and I’m excited and eager to share more with all of you this semester.

This summer was pretty exciting, I went to many places and did many things within city limits and beyond. Various times, I took on adventurous journeys in New York City to discover, explore and photograph many of its beautiful sights . Furthermore beyond New York City, I engaged in adventurous journeys to see the breathtaking sights of other places in the world. Thus the Caribbean Islands of Haiti was the ideal location for me to see splendid turquoise blue clear water beaches and beautiful landscape. Overall it was great summer and here I have gathered photographs of some of my best journeys.


a bridge in the distanceQueensboro Bridge – Queens

 

a city bridge as seen through the cables of another bridgeBrooklyn Bridge – Brooklyn

 

a sunset over the waterBrooklyn Bridge – Brooklyn

 

the oceanPort-au-Prince – Haiti

 

turquoise water at a cliff Dame Marie – Haiti

Living the Moment

a card that says "Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have -Eckhart Tolle"

“This is probably more than just a quote to me now.  This is my mantra.

Its true that at times of pain, sadness and grief that we should try to be positive.

What people forget to mention is the process it takes to have a positive mindset.

You don’t just say to yourself, “well thats unfortunate and shit happens.”

You observe (realize) your mind and let these thoughts and emotions pass through you and you accept (consciousness) the moment for what it is.

People see time as the means to salvation, whereas in truth it is the greatest obstacle to salvation.  You think that you cant get there from where and who you are at this moment because you are not yet complete or good enough, but the truth is that here and now is the only point from where you can get there.   You get there by realizing that you are there already.

There is nothing you can ever do or attain that will get you closer to salvation than it is at this moment.  This may be hard to grasp for a mind accustomed to thinking that everything worthwhile is in the future.  Nor can anything that you ever did or that was done to you in the past prevent you from saying yes to what is and taking your attention deeply into the NOW.  You cannot do this in the future. You do it now or not at all.

Overall these few words have motivated my thinking, strengthened my faith and increased my ability to open up to learning about myself.

With these words I have faced many fears, failed and succeeded in many battles.

But it all started with the moment I was in and observed myself without limits of psychological clock time and it has not let me down since.”

Name: A. H. Abrew
Age: N/A
Major: Construction Management

Summer Adventures

Welcome back all! Especially to the students and faculty and also my Openlab team.

I’m pretty much excited to be blogging again. What’s even better is that I get to share my summer adventure with you guys even though I stayed in New York, I surely made the best of it.

 

sunny clouds over a city shoreline“Don’t dream your life, live your dreams.”  One World Trade Center, Manhattan NY 7:48pm

 

the statue of liberty in front of a blazing sun“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to loose sight of the shore.” Staten Island Ferry, NY 8:18pm

 

a city at the water's edge“People inspire you, or they drain you. Pick them wisely.” Roosevelt Island, NY 8:50pm

 

a hand reaching through a hole in a wire-mesh fence“The moment you start to act like life is a blessings, it starts feeling like one.”  Manhattan Bridge, NY 6:35pm

 

 

kids playing in a park fountainForever young; Enjoy your childhood to the fullest, for when its gone it can never be returned. Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn NY 6:53pm

 

 

the city at night, in black and white, with a crowd“I’ll get you your money. But if you don’t get the President of the United States on that phone, you’re gonna have to answer to the Coco Cola Company.”( this was a line from the movie) Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn NY 8:55pm

 

Welcome Back!!

a small welcome sign

Image by: Ramdlon

Welcome back to all my fellow students and faculty as well as my colleagues who work with me on the OpenLab’s “The Buzz”. When I found out that I would be the first one to post this semester, I continually pondered on what to write about and decided to share the happenings that occurred this summer for me. As summer is slowly coming to a close, autumn will soon begin but before then there are still some last minute activities we can pursue. I had the opportunity to visit a few gelato shops this summer and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

 

  1. PopBar  

Address: 5 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014

gelato on a stick covered in melted chocolate and pistachios

Image by: L.A. Foodie

Popbar is a small shop that is located in the West Village that offers an array of popsicles which consists of handcrafted artisan gelato that is delicately placed on a stick to resemble a popsicle. I was thrilled by the potency of their flavors, I had the coconut bar which had such a strong, captivating flavor intensity that I felt as though I was trapped on a tropical island with a gorgeous beach front view and sand between my toes as I indulged in eating the bar until, of course, all that was left was a lonely stick, and I was suddenly back in crowded train on my way home.

 

  1. Amorino

Address: 60 University Pl, New York, NY 10003 and 162 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011

gelato shaped into a white rose

Image by: Brianna Vasquez

Amorino sells a large variety of artisan gelato that can easily be molded and shaped into an artistic masterpiece that resembles a flower. With multiple locations, they are easily accessible despite where you are located. The pricing is reasonable even though they are located in Manhattan. The workers are extremely patient with you as you *ponder which flavors to choose from their large selection. Then, they use these specialized gelato scoops which enables them to craft your chosen gelato into a delicious art form that is truly unbelievable.

 

a view of a baseball field

Image by: Ted Kerwin

I had the honor of being able to work at Citi Field this summer which allowed me to gain a better understanding of what occurs in a commercial kitchen to serve a larger scale of guests. I got to train as a chef and learned many new techniques while having a lot of fun being able to meet new people each and every home stand. Being that I been to a few New York Mets games, it was great to experience both sides of what happens at Citi Field as a guest as well as an employee. And, if you would like to enjoy watching a Mets game, McDonalds is offering a New York Mets Buy One Get One ticket deal offer for everyone.

If interested, click the link below:

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ticketing/group_offers.jsp?group=mcdonalds

The Coupon Code is: MCD

 

Finally, I will be attending the Club Fair next Thursday, September 10th and I will be bringing a few treats for fellow students to freely eat while we describe the importance of “The Buzz” in the college as well as its impact. I cannot wait to share the news of “The Buzz” to other students especially the freshman who may not be informed of our public forum.

 

 

 

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day to all those who have served in the Armed Forces, or are family and friends of one, or have lost one in the service. Today, I was conflicted on what to post on such a historic day that truly marks the importance of those who have fought for our country. But I decided to write about an iconic American pastime, baseball. Although, many will camp, go to the pool or beach, enjoy time with friends and family, this sport is great to watch with fellow loved ones for this particular day.

Major League Baseball is very dedicated to the honoring the fallen veterans by holding moments of silence to show respect to the troops. Each of the players wear camouflage uniforms still embroidered with their team affiliated logo to represent the appreciation that Major League Baseball has for those serving in the Armed Forces. They happily show their support by having a reduced pricing for all veterans not only for Memorial Day but for all games. New York is luckily honored to have two Major League Baseball teams to represent the state with both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets.

Personally, I have went to plenty of baseball games with my family to Citi Field to watch the New York Mets and whether they win or lose, the most entertaining part of the game is being able to watch this exciting sport being played out while being surrounded with loved ones. The simple experience of cheering for your favorite team while simultaneously watching the game and having the chance to eat the concession stand food in this fantastic atmosphere, it is truly a great memory to last a lifetime.

I simply wanted to share a recipe for a concession stand food item that is commonly consumed at baseball stadiums by customers to have better experience while watching the game.  So if you cannot attend a MLB game this weekend and can only watch on television, this is an easy recipe to make the experience seem that much more connect to the game.

a tower of funnel cakes covered with powdered sugar

Image by: KirstyJoan

Funnel Cakes

makes 4, 12″ cakes

4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
5 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
Powdered Sugar for dusting

Heat oil in an electric deep fryer or cast iron pan to 375°F. You will need at least an inch and a half of oil. We chose to use the electric fryer, which recycles its heat quicker and kept the fried foods smell and heat out of the house! Line plates with paper towels, the process will go fast once you start!

Mix egg and milk together with a wire whisk or fork until combined. Stir in other ingredients until batter is smooth.

Fry Tip: If you will be frying more than 4 funnel cakes or if you wish to make the batter up to an hour in advance, increase the amount of baking powder by 1 teaspoon to help give it lift during its long wait before frying.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and squeeze batter in a random, yet overlapping pattern. (It’s all mainly a haphazard process, but crossing the batter back over itself will help it stick together when it’s time to flip.) Once it’s floating and golden brown (usually 60 seconds in), flip using tongs, allowing the other side to cook.

Continue cooking until desired color is achieved and remove from grease and set on a paper towel lined plate. Apply powdered sugar liberally to the top, add fruit toppings if desired and enjoy!

Note: You can use an actual funnel for this process, or even a zip top bag with one corner snipped off. Just as long as the better is able to get into the oil quickly and efficiently, that’s all that really matters.

Recipe adapted from The Kitchn 

So enjoy this Memorial Day holiday weekend kick back, relax, and enjoy a baseball game. And Major League Baseball teams, batter up!!

Summer FUN!

What a relief, we have finally approached the end of the spring semester! That means no more homework, no more studying and more SLEEP! So now that Summer is here (well a month away if you want to be technical) what do you guys have in store? Having bbqs? Going to the beach/pool? Going to Six Flags? What’s something that you’re doing this summer that is BRAND NEW. Well for you I mean. Something you’ve never done before…..like going jet skiing, ziplining, or even sky diving! One of the things on my “Summer 2015” bucket list is to attend as many festivals as possible. I’ve only been to the Italian Festival so I am excited to see what these other themed festivals are about.

For those of you that may not know a festival is it is basically “an event cardinally staged by a community, centering on and celebrating some unique aspect of that community and its traditions.” There are so many types of festivals, for instance music, film and even color!

So you haven’t attended? Don’t worry, as mentioned before I’ve only been to the Italian Festival haha. Tomorrow I’ll be attending the Color Run at Citi Field for the first time and words cannot describe how excited I am!! Although tomorrow’s event is sold out, there is still a chance for you yes YOU to go. The next Color Run will be held on July 11th at Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn, NY!

Here are some photos of previous Color Run events:

clouds of color

Image By: Hannah E.

two young women covered in colored paint

Image By: Dana Amihere

a crowd with pink smoke

 Image By: Zachary Strain 

people in clouds of colored, smokey paintImage By: Melissa Romero

After seeing those images doesn’t it just make you want to go out and have fun!? It sure does for me!! Tomorrow I will definitely be coming back here on The Buzz to fill you guys in on the details of this festival. Hope to see you at the next one! 🙂

Amanda’s Personal Review: Hey guys! As promised, i’ve come back to inform you guys about The Color Run. First of all, let me start of by saying that this was one of the best experiences in my life! As New Yorkers, we don’t really come across “happy” people so attending an event where all you see is ear to ear smiles and everyone just wanting to have fun is simply AMAZING! For those of you whom aren’t avid runners, don’t worry, you can run, jog and even walk if you like! As I mentioned before, they will be holding this event at Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn, NY on July 11th so I hope you guys attend! Out of all the event’s/places I’ve reccomended to you all this is one you guys must put as #1 on your bucket list! Here’s the link for futher information https://thecolorrun.com/night/brooklyn/

Here are some photos I took:

a fake license plate on the ground

a stadium field and billboard

a crowd

people in clouds of colored, smokey paint

a package of colored paint

Why I Love Food Blogging

Wow I can’t believe the semester is coming to an end already, can you? Since the semester is coming to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to write a post about why I love to do what I do and that’s food blogging.

I started blogging when I was 14 on Xanga.com, but at that point in my life and the earlier years of my college life I wasn’t blogging about food nor did I have a niche. I would blog about my life, challenges as a freshmen, and a lot more. It wasn’t until around 2009 or 2010 I discovered I had an extreme passion for food and became very opened to trying new foods, restaurants, and cooking.

I had a growing passion for food, for writing, and for blogging so I decided to combine all three and that’s when I started blogging for food blogging communities and after learning a sufficient amount of information about how to start a food blog, what type of content I would post up, and etc. I created Ambitious Eats with the help of my boyfriend.

I’m very happy to have and write for my food blog because I love blogging and it’s just a nice feeling to be writing and sharing content with a little mystery of who will be reading or who will be finding my food blog. I like sharing my experiences, thoughts, ideas and etc. I feel there’s a lot of good food in New York City and all around, but there’s also a lot of bad food and friends shouldn’t let other friends eat bad food.

Food blogging and just blogging itself has changed my life because it’s made me become a little more opened to my friends and just people in general. I am very passionate about food and I think it shows very clearly through the series of posts I’ve published here, on my food blog, my Yelp reviews, and much more.

I hope you enjoyed reading my series of posts about food and my passion. I wish you best of luck on your finals and a great summer!

Shadow Play

It’s amazing how the things we see daily can turn into a form of art, objects, shapes and shadows. All it takes is for one to be a bit more observant. As for myself, I’m constantly seeking for objects ans shapes that may seem out of place or has interesting looks. Sometimes I get the ‘is she crazy’ stares from people; hopefully they don’t think about admitting me to the G building(now known as the Mental/Behavioral Health Center) in the near future(lol).

Shadows are created from natural and artificial light plays an important role. Without it, there wouldn’t be any shadows


 

an overhead train track“Travel light, live light, spread light, be the light.” -Unknown. Ralph and Atlantic ave, Brooklyn NY 12:32pm

 

a person walking across a street “Darkness is the absence of light. Shadow is the diminution of light.” -Leonardo Da Vinci. Tudor City, Manhattan NY 2:14pm

 

a stone wall “Give light, and darkness will disappear of itself.” -Desiderius Erasmus.Tudor City, Manhattan NY 2:24pm

 

a field  “Ours is the responsibility to keep our lights bright for others to see and follow.” -Thomas S. Monson Central Park West, Manhattan NY 6:49pm

 

a sunset behind an overhead train“Never fear shadows. They simple mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby.” -Ruth E. Renkel. Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn NY 7:03pm