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esskay
Digital storyteller, Photographic narrator, Hogwarts alum. In real life, I write things. I speak fluent sarcasm. I'm unintentionally funny. My favorite thing is food. Guac is life. I'm a fountain of the most random information. I'm pretty, only because it's weird to call oneself beautiful. I'm weird in all the good ways. I live in the greatest city on Earth. I was Sasha before Beyonce was schizophrenic. My life is stranger than fiction. But please, don't take my word for it. My pen is mightier than my sword. Instagram
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Monday, February 1, 2016 || 7:39 AM
It's been a while since I've done this. For whatever reason, the beginning of the year always sucks for me. So come February, I usually try to hit the reset button and start over. It hasn't all been sucky, though. Last week, there was this crazy ass blizzard that took over NYC. You know, in case you missed it. But before that, my friend Joel and I went on what I am sure is the first of many random shenanigans in 2016.During the month of January, There was an art exhibit in the Knockdown Center called Suspended Forest. Aptly named, as it is a forest that hangs from the ceiling and consisting of discarded Christmas trees. I thought it was a pretty dope concept so I called the only person I know who is always down for whatever random ideas I come up with and dragged him out there to see what it was all about. And let me just say, my pictures do not do it justice.  
Joel, lurking
  I feel like I didn't really capture the full beauty of it but it was more than just a room full of old Christmas trees. It's hard to explain. I think, for me, it highlighted the beauty in death. Death is something that has touched my life and touched it often in recent years. Just last week, I lost someone who was like an aunt to me and I'm not gonna lie; losing someone in a way so final is the hardest thing I've ever done. But walking through that room was an entirely different perspective on death. A hanging forest is cool, sure. But imagine walking on a concrete floor covered in pine needles with their fragrance surrounding you. The closer the tree gets to dying, the more it dries out, the more beautiful it becomes. And even though you're sad to see it go, you enjoyed it while it lasted. Maybe it's just me, but it definitely gave me something to think about. Last year was a weird one for me. I'm not entirely sure that's a bad thing but it was different, for sure. There were things I experienced, old friends that became new again and vice versa. It was a very reflective year for me and I'm just hoping that I can take what I've learned and put it into making 2016 awesome. I hope that everyone had an awesome holiday (even though I'm a whole month late) but more importantly, I hope you're all having an amazing new year. Labels: anomaly, fun times, in real life, personals, pop of culture Monday, September 21, 2015 || 9:54 PM
"I know you gon' miss me. For we been together like Nike Airs and crisp tees"Another one has come and gone and once again, it felt entirely too short. I know I shouldn't complain. I'm more fortunate than a lot of people and I get opportunities to go places and experience things that most people don't but I always feel like I could've crammed just one more thing into my Summer if I only had a little more time. Now, Fall is upon us and as much as I can appreciate sweater weather, I just miss short shorts and sundresses. I guess my love of Summer just guarantees that I'll never be satisfied with these three short months. Also, I'm sure the fact that I live in New York has a lot to do with it. It wouldn't be so bad if we actually had the four seasons we're supposed to instead of one month of Fall, six and a half months of Winter, three weeks of Spring and then what feels like five minutes of Summer. Still, I try to make the most of it and this year was no exception. So here is a snapshot of my Summer shenanigans. I miss them already. 1. The unofficial start of Summer No, I'm not talking about Memorial Day. I usually like to kick my summer off around my birthday which is a week before Memorial Day. So I usually get together with some friends, and have a mellow turn up. This year's was pretty memorable and I had a great time. 2. Becoming one with nature So this Summer, I took a few trips to Prospect Park with my sis and her son and it turned out to be an interesting adventure. We fed ducks, took a ride on a surrey, had ice cream, ran through the sprinklers and even had some delicious #DRAAAAANKS. Plus, the view of the lake is beautiful.  3. Went to the Ball And no, I didn't lose a glass slipper. I went to the Governor's Ball, this really great music festival on Randall's Island. Three days straight of good music, good food and good beer. I finally got to see Florence + the Machine perform which was the highlight of that experience for me. Drake was also amazing and the silent disco was pretty cool too but the #EEEEEATS are what really stole the show. 4. Took a trip to the 'burg And that would be Williamsburg. For Smorgasburg. Because the only thing better than a music festival is a food festival and it's not Summer in New York without Smorgasburg. I actually took more than one trip this Summer because the fat girl within just couldn't stay away. The Ramen Burger was reason enough to go back but then I discovered the Dough donuts and I was hooked. As always, The Good Batch, Milk Truck and Home Frite did not disappoint. 5. A milestone and a first So my chunky monkey celebrated his first birthday this Summer. I always say I don't think I have a maternal bone in my body and that kid makes me believe it more and more everyday. I love him but I kinda suck as a Godmother. Which is fitting because I, too have a sucky Godparent. My Godfather is the worst. Whenever you really need him, he's super clutch but other than that, forget a happy birthday or a Merry Christmas unless you send him a written reminder because he never answers his phone. So maybe that'll be me. Sucky but clutch. I'm okay with that. As long as he knows he can come to me if he ever needs anything, I think I've fulfilled my duties.  6. Restaurant week So New York Restaurant Week Started the week I was leaving for vacation. But I owed a friend a lunch date before I left So I finished shopping and packing and picked a place off of the very extensive list of restaurant participants. I decided to play it safe with one I had heard good things about so we went to Tao. It left something to be desired for him but I had a moment with the Spicy Tuna Roll and really, that was all I needed. That said, I owe him a Steak for Winter Restaurant Week but the company and the drinks were good so no complaints here. 7. Vacation, all I ever wanted At the end of July, I packed my bags and headed to a little island in the West Indies called Grenada. It's where my parents are originally from and it's beautiful. Admittedly, I haven't posted those vacation pics because it was such a mellow and relaxing vacation, I didn't do much to show. But mostly because posting them would solidify that Summer is over. However, now that Summer actually is over, what the hell?           In any event, I enjoyed myself. 8. Went Greek When I got back to the city, A friend of mine introduced me to this amazing Greek restaurant in Chinatown of all places. I had never tried Greek before but it was sooooooo good. So, so good. So good that I went back the next weekend, paid it forward and passed on the secret of the amazing Greek place in Chinatown. It's not so secret now that my favorite food blog has let the cat out of the bag but still definitely worth a trip. I still have dreams about the Baklava. Totally worth it. 9. Partied with The Row This Summer, I got to see my favorite group of poets, The Strivers Row. And even though my favorite poet is no longer with the group, they were as phenomenal as always. After the show, we got to hang out and party with the poets which I thought was pretty dope. The DJ left much to be desired but the drinks were good and the poetry was bomb.   
10. Went blonde
So earlier this year, I got the blonde bug and I said that I wouldn't let 2015 end without trying on blonde. I mean...I guess blondes have fun? I have just as much fun if not more with my real, brownish black hair so meh. I was also a dread head for a few weeks. It's been an interesting hair year thus far and it's not even over yet so I'll be doing another post about that soon. If you missed the first one, check it out here.This was just kind of a highlight reel of my Summer. There were a lot of great times in between. Awesome parties, good drinks, even better food, random shenanigans and I was fortunate enough to enjoy it all with good friends. Now that it's hoodie season, I guess I'll turn down for cold weather. Until next year, keep warm folks! Labels: friends and fam, fun times, good eats, in real life, listy, personals, pop of culture, vacation Saturday, June 20, 2015 || 1:27 PM
So the Governor's Ball Music Festival happened. Three weeks ago, to be exact. My only defense is that I didn't have time to blog those shenanigans because I was enjoying other shenanigans. Also, I still don't have all of the pictures but it's been three weeks so those will just have to come later.
When I first heard about the Governor's Ball, I thought it was just that. You know, fancy party, important people in formalwear. Then I realized it's like New York's version of Coachella. And it was awesome. I went with a friend that I grew up with (who's actually always been more like a big brother) and his girlfriend and we had a really great time. We had 3-day passes but we were all busy on Saturday so we went on Friday and Sunday. I guess it's a sign of old age creeping up on me because those two days were more than enough. I don't know how people do Coachella. After two days, I was ready to tap out and climb into bed. Nonetheless, I had a really great time and it was an awesome experience.
Day one: Friday
We got there late in the afternoon and it was pretty much a zoo. I'm guessing the first day is always the craziest as there were people as far as the eye could see in every direction. But the food (curated by the good folks over at the infatuation) was definitely on point. After procuring a few corn dogs and some funnel cake and beer, we found a nice spot on the grass to enjoy the show.
     
Highlights:
The people watching was superb. Pictured above is a group of friends carrying a big ass slice of inflatable pizza through the crowd. Where else? Seeing Drake and Florence + the machine perform was also pretty dope.
Day three: Sunday
This time, we got to the island pretty early. The ferry ride over was beautiful. Once we got there, there was lots more to see and do. We hit up Asia Dog for some eats and then took a trip over to the lounge for some drinks before we did a little exploring.
         
Highlights:
It was pretty cool to see Weird Al perform. The hot dogs from Asia dog were well worth the wait. The silent disco was a new and interesting experience. We got to take a bunch of pictures all over the place (that natural sunlight filter is everything). We also got to make a gif, so that was fun.
Overall, I'd say this was one of those really awesome, unforgettable experiences and I'm glad that I got to share it with some dope people. It was also a really great way to kick off the Summer and I'm looking forward to more awesome experiences and making more memories with dope people along the way. Since tomorrow is officially the first day of Summer, I hope you all have a great one!
Labels: entertainment, friends and fam, fun times, good eats, in real life, pop of culture Thursday, May 21, 2015 || 10:17 AM
It always takes me a minute to collect myself enough to blog about my birthday. This year, I'm only a week late so...progress! This birthday was a strange one for strange reasons that I won't go into here but also a really good one. I had a great time with a good (if random) bunch of people, I felt good and there was cake. It wasn't the multiple day adventure it has been in recent years because reasons but it was exactly what I planned on it being: nothing special. It may sound weird but I think it's a sign of my impending old age. I've always been an old soul but old soul or not, there are just things you feel the need to do when you're young. For my 23rd birthday, I went to Miami and celebrated for 5 days straight. And now I'm perfectly content to have cake and drinks with a bunch of randos. Because lets face it, they're my randos and life would be pretty dull without them. Anywho, we went to this cool little spot in (where else?) Williamsburg called Sweet Science. I loved it because it was so chill and the menu was mostly comfort food things but it was SO good. Also, the drinks were top notch and not overpriced. Overall, it was a really good night.    
We had a few drinks in the back room (which was pretty cool in and of itself) before the rest of the folks showed up.
    
This cake was EVERYTHING. Usually, I'd tag the bakery I got this from but I almost wanna keep this a secret. I've mentioned it before though.... So good.
    
This also happened...
My friends are bad people...
Highlights of my night:
1. A pretty awesome, very specifically mixed to my liking drink made by a handsome bartender with a beard of epic proportions at Featherweight.
2. The staff in general. They were so cool and extremely accommodating to everything we needed. That, and the fact that the food and drinks were so amazing.
3. Cake!
4. That time Brad and Krys randomly surprised me and showed up after what I'm sure was their own version of a crazy night. Also with Kevin (another surprise as he's NEVER in the country for very long) and a lovely young lady whose name I unfortunately can't remember because...
5. Brad decided to play a game where I would take a shot and before I finished it, there would be another sitting on the table in front of me. It was kinda like that episode of Spongebob where Patrick ate his lollipop and then went crazy looking everywhere for it except this was the opposite because I'd do a shot and then look down and think 'I thought I just drank this!' which I'm sure was entertaining for my friends because then Krys and Kev and even our server Caprice decided to participate.
6. Caprice was cool as shit.
I had a really great time though and to everyone that was there, thanks for making it what it was. Love you guys! And of course, thank you to everyone who took the time out to send some birthday love my way. I know I'm a whole entire week late but I definitely appreciate it.
Labels: friends and fam, fun times, good eats, in real life, personals |