The Statue of Liberty

When my friend Keysia came to visit, we took the Staten Island Ferry which goes right by the Statue of Liberty. Here are a few pictures from that excursion. It was a nice hot, summer day. It's still amazing to me, that it's really not THAT big once you see it up close!

And More Pictures

Here is the last batch of pictures from the weekend. When I first got to DC I surprised everyone by showing up at the doctor's office and caused a big scene of course, but Devon and Nate were so happy to see me. I loved it!

And I was even happier to see them!

Kijuana has a great tennis court right by her house.

We played one night and it was so much fun!

Playing a little "ring around the rosy" after church with Devon and Madison.

At my favorite brunch spot - Logan Tavern - before leaving DC. Yum!

This is where I go to church in NY. They are building a new building that is going to be just a few blocks from my apartment, but right now we make the trek to 15th Street.

Mom and Corban in Central Park.

Eating some much needed pizza from Angelo's after a long day of walking around the city.

After the party it's the afta party and...

After the party at the gym, people came back to the house to continue the celebrations. Here are some pictures from that.

It was so great to have Ilean, Danette, Sofia and Gabriela there.

Rachel was the official pied piper of the event. At one point she had like 5 babies on her lap!!

Cameron and Nate and Devon

The circus act

Just loungin'

What is Nate looking at?

Devon's Third Birthday

On Saturday the 12th was little Devon's birthday party. Kijuana and Ted threw such a great party and Devon had a wonderful day. She was surrounded by those who love her the very most. Here's a picture of our gang.


She was so happy to see all her friends and family at her Dora/Gymnastics Party
Of course Devon wanted a "Dora the Explorer" themed party with all the trimmings!

Some of the kids playing in the "pit" at the gym.
This is Kijuana and I showing them how it's done!

Yeohlee Sample Sale

Last week I got a postcard in the mail announcing that Yeohlee was having a sample sale. [If you recall, I met her back in April at the Mentoring walk put on by the Oxygen network (See May 23rd post). ] Anyway, today during lunch I went to the sale and, although I couldn't afford anything, it was still nice to go and see her offices and what kind of clothing she has created. I went with Regine and Rani from Parsons and as we were browsing her designs, out she comes! She totally remembered me and Regine from the walk. She seemed suprised and grateful that we stopped by and told us that she was impressed that we took the time. It was really nice to get some face time (albeit brief) with her. One thing that Yeohlee said during the mentoring activity is that it in the fashion business, you have to be talented, but you also have to be lucky. She claims that she got lucky. In a way I believe it, but on the other hand she truly is extremely talented. But, I am just so glad I decided to stop by!

Scary Face

One thing I love about my family is that we aren't afraid of looking or acting silly. While shopping for groceries for Devon's party, I dug up my favorite saying of "when it's team work it doesn't seem work" because we had divided up the list and were done shopping so quickly. Apparently this old man heard us and chimed in, "but there is a me in team"...not sure if he realized we were joking or not.

Anyway, while standing in line, we decided to all do our best version of "the scary face" so here it is for your viewing pleasure.

We can be normal sometimes too!

So tired...

What a weekend! On Thursday night I went to DC to hang with my fam and celebrate Devon's third birthday! My mom, Corban and I came back to NY on Sunday and having been playing in NY the past day and a half. I reluctantly have to go back to work tomorrow...we had a long day and will post some pictures soon.
Some highlights -

• Seeing Devon have so much fun at the gym. She was soooo super cute running and jumping around with all the kids.
• Hanging with Nate and Devon. I really do have the cutest niece and nephew in the world
• Having the whole family together. It rarely happens, so it's nice when it does.
• Seeing people that I haven't seen in awhile. I got to reconnect with people that I don't get to see enough.

I will post pictures by the end of the week. We got some good ones!! My Mom and Corban leave early on Wednesday morning, so tomorrow while I am at work, they will navigate the city on their own!

The Things You Learn

Sometimes on the train I watch people. I am always curious as to where they are going and what they are doing. Anyway, this particular day, I watched this guy and he took out all of the bills in his wallet. He then borrowed a pen from the gentleman sitting next to him and wrote something on the back of each bill and then gave the pen back. I was getting off at the next stop, so I stood up and walked to the door and asked him what he wrote and why. I was expecting him to say, I write my number on the back hoping to score a date or I wrote my rap name trying to get a record deal, but instead he proceeds to tell me that his brother is in jail and that he writes his brother’s number on the back of all of his bills because someone told him that it would help him get out faster…Hey you never know until you ask!

The Day of the Roach

Just imagine you have been on a bus for 4+ hours to come and visit your friend. The bus didn’t stop and you didn’t bring any food with you – you are starving! Finally you get to New York and find your friend. You have been dragging your luggage all over the city and finally sit down to eat a nice slice of NY pizza and a cool crisp salad. All of your worries now in your past…until about ¾ of the way through the meal and your friend suddenly stands up and starts backing away quickly while making wild gestures at you. Your friend who is speechless finally manages to convey that there is something on her that won’t come off. Eventually the “thing” comes off, the patrons in the restaurant are screaming and you have to deal with the realization that you have been violated by some sort of scary critter. Yes, this actually happened. My friend, who begged to remain nameless, will probably never come to visit me again! She was just trying to enjoy her meal and this roach came crawling across her chest and then down and around to her back and finally through the restaurant until some nice teenager killed it for us! So sick and scary! The rest of the evening we couldn’t stop talking about it and how it got there and how she didn’t realize that it was on her, etc, etc.

Now if only that wasn’t bad enough - the very next morning we got up, ate breakfast and were getting ready to go out. I was calmly laying on the wonderful blow up mattress that my guests get to sleep on when they come to visit me and I see this “item” staring at me! I immediately jump up, let out a blood curdling scream and run to the kitchen leaving my friend to fend for herself. Luckily my roommate’s boyfriend was there and he killed the blasted thing. Just our luck - two in a span of 24 hours both in very near proximity! These are not your run of the mill cockroaches, mind you, these are the 3 inch long suckers that run really fast and seem to have a million legs! SOOOO GROOOSSSSS!

Needles to say, we had nightmares the rest of the weekend and anytime there was movement we both jumped. The worst part about this whole situation is what I learned about myself. I, apparently, am very selfish and would run away before helping a friend! Who does that? My friend kept saying – why did you leave me? (Since, I hadn’t seen any before she got her, I also accused her of bringing it with her – It was a moment of weakness, what can I say? Unfortunately she didn’t forget…) Thank goodness she is one of my dear friends and knows that I do love her. Secondly, I realized that I have a deathly fear of the little critters. On Saturday when I saw the one (in my room) I started tearing up while standing on one of the chairs in the kitchen until Brian got it. Apparently I get a little worked up about the situation. But, I guess this is New York. Our apartments get sprayed once a month and life must go on.

I forgot, why do I love New York so much?

Worst Blogger

So, I have been the worst blogger lately, but I do have quite a bit to blog about, so I have a lot to post. My friend Keysia came into town last weekend from DC and we had a great time together. I will post pictures once she sends them to me, but it was great. Today I am leaving to go to DC because my mom flew into Baltimore yesterday and will be staying at Kijuana’s house. We will also be celebrating Devon’s 3rd birthday on Saturday. Then on Sunday my mom, Corban and I will be heading to New York to see some sights here and they fly out of LGA on Wednesday. It will be nice to take a few days off of work and enjoy some time with my family. Plus, with Becky around, there will be plenty of pictures taken.

I'm melting...

It's soooo hot here. It's all I can think about. It consumes me. I get up in the morning, complain about the heat, walk outside and am sweating by the time I get to the subway. Walk down into the subway, proceed to sweat profusely while waiting for the train. Get on the crowded morning train and have to stand back to back to people who are just as sweaty as me. Get off the train, walk to work - still sweaty cause I can't cool down. Finally get up to the office and cool down a bit. Talk about the heat all day with my co-workers. Go to lunch. Get hot again. Come back start to cool down. Go outside again to head home, sweat profusely again. Try to go to the gym, come back still sweaty. Take a shower before bed to cool down and do it all again. When does the madness end? This heat and humidity are killin me. Did I mention that it is hot?

Needle in a haystack?

Although New York is a huge place, there are things that make it seem small. One thing I have noticed is that New Yorkers are creatures of habit. I usually go to Bryant Park and sit outside during lunch. Sometimes I bring it, sometimes I buy it and usually I have a book or a friend, but it's a part of my day that I look forward to being outside for about an hour instead of in the office. Interestingly enough, I almost always see this one man. He is dressed for work, so I don't think he lives there, but he is usually reading by himself. The reason I find it strange that I always see this one man is because I don't always go to lunch at the same time and I don't always sit in the same place.

I think most people tend to have a routine. Most people have their favorite bagel or coffee shop. Most people get their newspaper from the same person or walk the same way to the subway each morning. But, despite the fact that people tend to search for sameness, they are very adaptable. In New York, you learn to expect the unexpected. The day you are running late, the train will make you later. It will rain hard on the days that it's supposed to be only a 40% chance of rain. Just when you think you're having an easy morning, there will be a terrorism drill blocking the entrance of your building.

Then there are the days when you look at all of the people. The people on the subways, in the streets, in cabs, in buildings and you realize how small and insignificant your life is in the grand scheme of things. The majority of the people I run into seem to have a purpose, have drive and go about their day as if it is more important than anything else. New York has this amazing energy that people talk about all the time. What is it about New York that drives people to succeed even though you are literally one in a million?

Vault

I have been feeling a little old lately, being in my late 20's and all but apparently I am still cool in my choice of softdrink.  Today, I picked up a Vault (Drinks like a soda, kicks like an energy drink) and these young skateboarder type kids commented as I walked by - NICE choice!  Apparently they "snatch one up on a daily basis"...  We chatted about why this was better than Mountain Dew and why it was also better than Red Bull.  I think they were impressed by my knowledge and wisdom in the matter...haha, not!  Anyway, maybe you had to be there, but I just thought it was too funny not to share.

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Vanity Sizing

I saw this article this morning and decided that I wanted to blog about it because I am thinking about what type of clothing I want to design.  I have to really think about what I want my brand to say to people. 

Why is America obsessed with weight?  We are all obsessed with these anorexic celebrities, yet our population is like 60% obese.  It’s quite interesting to me.  It’s like the more obsessed we become, the fatter our nation grows.    Anyway, I just wanted to know, would you prefer to buy an item of clothing based on the size or the consistency?  [Translation: Would you rather buy a size 2 because you “can” or would you rather know that a brand remains consistent and that you will have to buy a size up or down depending on how it fits and whether your weight is up or down at the moment?] 

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Hard head

Today I am grateful for my hard noggin. I had the craziest experience on the way to work - I was just walking along about 3 blocks away from my house on the way to the train and this man, who looked like he could have been homeless, was walking towards me and as he passed, he popped me upside my head! Just out of the blue! I am guessing he was either high or crazy because, seriously – who does that?

All I did was yell at him as he ran away. There were people around me who asked me if I was ok. I called Kijuana and started to cry of course and then called 311 (the non-emergency number) and they transferred me to the police station. I told them what happened and they wanted me to fill out a police report and all that and I didn’t have time to wait for them to get their just so that nothing would be done about it. I wasn’t hurt, just shaken up. I remember looking back at him and he had a nub for a hand! I got punched by a nub! Or is it knub? There is a part of me that wishes I would have chased after him, but it wouldn’t have been worth it to get beat up!
It kind of feels like a dream. If I could do it all over again, I probably would have yelled to the people down the street to grab him, some hunky guy would have tackled him, I would have called the police immediately and he would have been arrested…kinda like a movie except in real life. I am just glad that I wasn’t injured or killed.

In retrospect, I need to be more prepared in my responses and I need to stay away from homeless men with nubs.

My lovely mullet

I can finally talk about it, therefore I must blog about it. Last Wednesday, I went to get my hair trimmed (which apparently you have to define nowadays when you want less than 5 inches cut off). The woman who cut my hair is at a Brooklyn salon, has cut my hair before, and is supposed to be especially good for curly hair.

I went in and she started snipping away. Unbeknownst to me, my hair was being rapidly depleted while I sat in the chair thinking of how cute I was going to look. She finished cutting (my hair has to be cut dry) and then proceeds to add a little color to the roots for a touch up. As the color is getting washed out I am chillin' and thinking about what to eat for dinner. I go back to the salon chair and glance in the mirror as I am running my fingers through my hair. At that moment I realized that there isn't a lot there to run through...on top. I feel the back and yes there is still some length. I guess I must have looked a bit worried, so she said, let me style it for you.

So, again, I left her to her "magic" and didn't say anything as she blow dried my piece.
Not really sure the look she was going for. Perhaps a girl version of this frolet?

When she finished "styling" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Still not sure. But, I think my face said enough. She said, next time, I won't layer it so much.

I said ok, paid and left.

Now it's too late to go back. I punked out. I actually paid for someone to give me a mullet. Who am I and what have I become?

I went home and literally cut 3 inches off the back. (Of course I left the sides and top) I am still trimming as I go and waiting until it gets a bit longer to get it cut again, but now I am scared. (Kelly, Jenna, or Rachel - I need you!) There aren't that many ways I can style it now because I can't fit it in a pony tail and it's too humid to blow dry it straight because it would just curl up again. So much for growing my hair out.

You won' t be seeing pictures of me anytime soon, so please cherish the ones you have, but I will be following these tips.

Word to the wise: bring pictures next time you go to your stylist. Even if you trust him or her.

My crazy neighbor

A few weeks ago, one of my classmates was at my apartment and we decided to make dinner. Well, we needed 2 pans, but of course I only had one small pan, so I thought, this is a good way to get to know my neighbor. It was the middle of the week, around 8pm, so I figured that someone should be home. I knocked on all of the doors on my floor...nobody answered. I then proceeded to go up one level and knock on a few doors on the fifth floor. I was getting ready to just go out and buy a pan when the final door I knocked on I heard a faint "hello"...

"Hi, this is Kamilah, I live on the 4th floor and I was wondering if I could borrow a pan," I yelled through the door. I hear all sorts of shuffling around. He opens the door. It's an older gentleman in his late 60's or 70's probably. I repeated my speech and he says just a minute and closes the door partway and disappears. I peaked into the apartment and am literally floored. Years and years of paperwork, nicknacks, junk, etc cover practically every inch of the apartment from floor to ceiling. All the shuffling I heard was him having to maneuver stacks of crap so he could open the door and move around the apartment. I hear all sorts of noises as he is rumbling around the apartment. A good 2 or 3 minutes later he comes back and he is carring a ballpoint pen!

Oops. Some sort of communication breakdown. I said, "Oh I am sorry, I guess you didn't hear me, I need a frying pan." At this point, he is sweating and just shakes his head and closes the door.

New York can be a very isolating city if you let it. It looked like years and years of accumulation and him not throwing anything away and also him running out of space. How does it get that bad? I can't imagine living like that!

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The Devil Wears Prada

I hope that everyone had a great holiday weekend. It was strange, yet nice to have a day off during the week and I am so happy that it's already Friday!

On Monday night I went with 5 of my Parsons classmates to see The Devil Wears Prada. Funny movie if you haven't seen it.

As you know, the movie is based on the book written by Anna Wintour's old assistant. According to some reports, "Anna Wintour isn't taking The Devil Wears Prada movie sitting down — at least not in an ergonomically correct throne. She's warning fashionistas and actors that any involvement in the Meryl Streep movie will make them invisible in the eyes of Vogue. Unless they're fat, and in that case they should've given up hope long ago. [Radar]"

Now, that is just a rumor, but if you have seen the movie, pehaps you may have noticed that the clothes weren't ALL fabulous. They were good, just not GREAT. So, I guess her threat worked! I mean she's Anna Wintour, the diva of all fashionistas - she can do that.
(Jossip)

Here are some thoughts that we discussed after the movie:

• Can a woman have it all?
• Can you have a thriving career and a balanced family life?
• Do you have to settle for mediocrity in family and career instead of excelling in one?
• If this were a man, would there be any hype?

I am pretty sure that something has to give. You can't give ALL your time to both entitites. In that case, how do you choose without feeling guilty. If you decide to stay home and be a full-time mom, is it a waste of money and years studying? If you decide to devote yourself to your career, what happens when you get old?

It's a juggling act that I don't profess to know the answer to. As my mom said, if you just continue to make choices along the way that you are comfortable with, everything else will work out.

More random photographs

I am still looking for a new camera, but for now, I rely on pictures from other people, my cameraphone, or my palm. Here are some pictures that I finally had time to download from my palm.

Here is a picture of Pepper and Archie at the Mets game when we went a few weeks ago.

Don't ask. It was there, I had to stand behind it.

This picture doesn't really do the scene justice, but one day, Pepper and I were returning back to work after lunch and we saw both sides of the street lined with cop cars while a procession of cop cars drove down the street. In DC I was used to seeing the presidential procession all the time, but this was different. There were so many lights! I felt like a tourist, but I had to take a picture.

We found out later that they were doing a terrorism drill. It was so extreme!

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Day in Central Park

On Saturday, it was a beautiful day and my friend Angela and I decided to head to Central Park. We went there to watch Shakespeare in the park, but couldn't find the outdoor theater, so we walked around, looked at all the people sunbathing, and just had a nice time outside. Later we met up with our friend, Regine and ate delicious ice cream. Perfect end to the day!