Cool New Thing To Try: Aerial Silks

I work for a yoga/athletic wear company and one of the many perks of my job is that I get the opportunity to try almost any class in the city for free. Usually I would stick to yoga classes, or maybe a class at Physique 57, but this also means I can try really bizarre classes as long as they are physically active. A coworker of mine was taking an aerial silks class, and decided to sign me up, knowing that would force me to go.

I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Within minutes I was climbing up long strands of silk attached to the ceiling, inverting myself, doing upside straddles, half crows nests, and making an attempt at inverting myself while already in the air. By halfway through the class I could feel the burn, and by the end of the class I was already starting to get sore. I woke up this morning with a limited range of motion in my tender arms and abs that haven't really been worked in a month.

Another really amazing thing about the class was that while I was a beginner taking it, there were many advanced people also there. When I wasn't attempting new tricks myself, I was mesmerized by the amazing and beautiful things my peers were doing. I'll admit, I'm totally hooked, and can't wait for my next class. Cirque du Soleil, here I come!

Perez Hilton is Ruining Everything I Love About Subculture

Okay, I love to read Perez Hilton. I love all the crappy celebrity gossip, I'm a bit addicted, I'm not going to lie. However, I HATE when Perez claims to have "discovered" new things. The first time this happened was with the Canadian Indie band "Said the Whale." Okay, this one isn't fair because I know one of the band members, so of course I knew who they were, and I will admit it was super cool to see my friends band being advertised on Perez Hilton, because they are amazing. The next time this happened was with Agyness Dean. Perez claimed that she was the next upcoming supermodel. Well for those of us that were fashion followers, we knew Agyness had been huge for a long time in the fashion world, and the minute Perez began a following was the minute us fashion followers jumped off the Agyness bandwagon.

Today was my last straw. Perez posted about the Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini. I've been listening to Torrini for years. Literally, since like 1999 or whenever that horrible Kirsten Dunst "Crazy/Beautiful" movie came out. I've even went so far as to introduce Torrini to every boyfriend/friend I've ever had, and the first song I ever publicly performed was Sunny Road by Torrini. It is no secret that I like to covet certain musicians and bands, and Torrini was one of them. I want to see bands succeed and making a living doing what they love, but I have a huge problem with them becoming flash in the pan trends. And Perez, I think you have the possibility of making a high musician turnover rate.

Okay, this rant is over. Until next time...

So You Wanna Be An Indie Kid? Brooklyn Edition

The other night I attended the Sunset Rubdown concert at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Not only was it my first official New York concert, it was my first official time in the real Williamsburg (not East Williamsburg a.k.a. Bushwick). Needless to say, I was thrilled. Here I was, getting to see one of my favorite bands, in a place that is know for it's 20-something indie scene.

Unfortunately, indie kids disappoint me. In both towns I lived in before, the indie kids were easy to spot because they looked different. Here, there was a room full of people who all looked the same. Not to say that they are any less indie for that, but it makes me want to be the iconoclast I am and change the way I look. So if you wanna be an indie kid there are some very easy things I noticed that you can do.

Guys:
Grow a beard. Not a goatee, but a full on scraggly beard. And if you don't have that ability, at least try.
Don't cut your hair for a while. Unless you have a beard. Short hair and a beard work, long hair and a beard even better, but clean cut is a definite no-no.
Build a collection of vintage t-shirts/concert tees/clever and witty tees. Make sure that they aren't too big, not too small. They have to fit just right.
Borrow your girlfriends jeans. If you can't fit into her jeans, make sure you invest in a pair of tight jeans that look like the belong to your girlfriend.
Travel back to 1992, and stock up on plaid shirts. Oh, if only indie kids knew what a role Marc Jacobs had in all this.
If your eyesight is poor, get yourself some Rivers Cuomo glasses.

Gals:
Give up your heels. Unless of course, they are attached to knee high worn-in, vintage boots.
Start buying vintage. Dresses and tees specifically. Also boots. Boots in various colors as long as they come to your mid-calf or higher and are flat.
Run to your nearest American Apparel and buy up everything in your sight. T-shirts, dresses, leggings, hoodies, everything American Apparel will work.
Channel Jenny Lewis or Irina Lazareanu with your hairstyle. Thick heavy bangs, long straight locks, or slightly wavy.
Invest in a big slouchy cloth bag. The indie scene is not somewhere you will see Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, and Coach bags. Unless of course, they're vintage.
Start drinking beer. There seem to be an alarming shortage of girly drinks in the indie scene.

There you have it. The easiest and surest way to fit into the indie scene in Brooklyn. I also suggest a "I don't give a fuck attitude" for good measure. The sad thing, is that I used to feel slightly original with my indie-ness. Of course, I lived in a town clad in Abercrombie and Fitch and American Eagle. Wearing vintage was weird and original. I'll be spending the next couple weeks trying to figure out a way to reinvent my style.

Event to Try: The Poetry Brothel

I've been in the city less then a week. I'm still living with my friend, desperately searching out a place and job hunting like crazy. However, I'm still making time to have fun and explore all the glorious things the city has to offer.

That being said, last night my dear friend dragged me to a "Poetry Brothel" in Brooklyn. I didn't know what to expect, but whatever it was, this event was not what I expected. The first thing I have to remember is that spaces in NYC are SMALL. I expected it to be more of an open warehouse type thing, but it was a small apartment building. It was crowded, hot, and sticky. But that can't ruin your night. There are various "whores" that you can pay to read you poetry (you get a free reading with your $10 cover charge). They come out and do excerpts at the beginning (most in costume). It is such a diverse group of talented poets it becomes tough to decide which whore you're going to take. You can choose from poems on beastiality, snails (my personal favorite), or rigor mortis erections.

If getting a poetry reading isn't your thing, then maybe the live music, ever present absinthe, or just the company will get you there. Either way, next time you're looking for something to do and the poetry brothel is going on, head down at least for a little while, you'll be glad you did. http://www.thepoetrybrothel.com

Poser Girl in the City: Day 1

So I got to New York last night without any problems, except the fact that I don't have a place to live, and they didn't have my luggage. Yeah, American Airlines lost my luggage. Apparently it got in today and was going to be delivered between 12 and 2, which would've been great, aside from the fact that I had orientation on the other side of Manhattan at 1. So 12-2, didn't really work so well for me. Now I'm simply waiting on it from 6-10 last night, real small window there, thanks guys. I just hope my luggage comes closer to 6 rather then 10.

In other news, I'm frantically looking for an apartment, but my friend and her roommates have been so awesome, they are completely welcoming and understanding. But, me being me, I feel like a huge burden so of course I'm trying to get out of their hair as quickly as possible.

I had my registration at Lee Strasberg today. I'm excited, but the school is not at all what I expected it to be. I guess I'll just have to go and see what it's like. Prior to registration I ate at a cafe next door, it was really yummy, but unfortunately it wasn't a ton of food (not that I need a ton), but now I'm left with a rumbling in my stomach and I have no clue where to eat.*

I got in a fight with the ex-boyfriend today. It's really hard to be away from someone you care about, but it makes it even harder when you don't cope with that the same way. My way of coping is trying to stay close, supporting him, talking, greiving, and realizing it is what it is. His way is to party it out of his system. I guess I just have trust issues and him partying makes me feel like he's celebrating my departure instead of mourning it. Oh well, it is what it is. I'm going to have a nap.

*Reason #472 for wanting a place to call home: So I can buy groceries!

The Big Move: Night Before

It's officially the night before the big move. In 8 hours I will be on a plane to New York (well, with some stops on the way). And I am terrified. I got scammed, bad, for my housing and now I'm moving to New York without a place to live. Essentially, I'm homeless. Which is the scariest thing I think I've ever had to tell myself. Before, moving wasn't THAT scary. I was going to be okay, I was going to deal, and I was going to succeed. Now, part of me feels as though I've already failed, and what's going to stop me from continuing to fail?

Luckily, I have a friend in the city who I can stay with. I've also sent out probably 12-15 e-mails to various craigslisters, roommate seekers, and the like. I've already heard back from two, give it time, more will come.

What upsets me more then anything, is that I don't have a home to go to when I get to the city. I'm most likely going to have to kill time in the airport until my friend gets off work and can meet me at her apartment. It's almost embarrassing, and definitely makes me really sad. Maybe it's just that I'm sad in general. I can't imagine leaving my boyfriend, I know we have our problems, but god, it's just really hard to leave someone you care about and are actually comfortable with.

Anyway, I still have a bit more packing to do and I should probably get some sleep. Wish me luck and look for more updates on how the move goes!

SCAM

WARNING:

I was scammed out of money for my apartment in New York. They used a scanned passport from a girl they had previously scammed. If anyone tries to rent an apartment with the name Alexandra Steinmetz, it's a fake. I repeat, it's fake, don't send them any money, they're clearly very good at their job.