Twinkle By Wenlan

So we must bid farewell to Aasha as she leaves us to go back to Wisconsin.  I still haven’t wrapped my head around this choice of University locale, being that she is from New Jersey but I’m sure it is a lovely school in a lovely state.  Her first day was fantastic!!  She had to call Saks in Mexico City and suddenly we hear, “Hablas Ingles?…Si, Si.”  Oh, there’s nothing funnier than hearing someone trying to access their high school language skills! The entire office was cracking up.  This of course did nothing to enhance Aasha’s language skills, bless her heart. But it was such a good time for the rest of us.

 

The life of an intern consists of making mistakes and then learning from them, right? Well if this is true then I am the Queen Bee intern. You know when you have one of those days and can’t seem to do anything right? That’s today. Good thing we all can just laugh about my stupid mistakes and I don’t have to worry about getting yelled at. Ah, the perks of Twinkle. Tomorrow I am determined to bring my A game…

I am just in love with the Wenlan plastic crocodile necklace. The first time I laid eye on it, I was just enthralled by the somewhat stylized shape and bold pink color of the cute little croc , hanging on the gold chain. You see girls walking around with little bunnies, hearts, cherries, etc, hanging off their chests, but you do not see anyone with a crocodile! I really like the idea of it! I must have it!

My first week at Twinkle has been nothing short of amazing. I have been given the opportunity to jump into the world of fashion for a small but growing company. I have already done a handful of tasks including doing research, press loans and runs to pick up dyed beads-just to name a few. I’ve really enjoyed my week thus far and look forward to the rest of the summer. Everyone here at Twinkle has a friendly and welcoming attitude, and has made me feel right at home. I really enjoy what I’m doing at Twinkle by Wenlan; I don’t know where the day goes. I never knew interning could be so much fun!

Today is my first day at my internship with Twinkle- so far so good. The atmosphere of the office is very relaxed (thank goodness) and has much comic relief thanks to Milan, their wide eyed French bulldog. I have learned that if you pet her once, she never goes away. Consequently, she is my biggest fan here… as of now. I have yet to woo everyone with my witty banter just yet- it’s only the first day! I believe my internship here has a very promising future. Which ironically is just around the corner seeing as I only will be here for only 4 weeks. (Tear tear) My time here is cut short due to the extraction of my wisdom teeth. Believe me, I’d much rather be interning!

At brunch, I met a lady, who couldn’t stop talking about the free hot chocolate she and her boyfriend enjoyed at a Target promotion. She went on for at least 30 minutes about this hot chocolate. Knowing I couldn’t escape this one-way, “I’m in hell” conversation, I slowly envisioned pulling my hair out piece-by-piece. My life is too short to be trapped in this boring conversation, I thought. Yeah, wouldn’t life be too long for ordinary moment to run one’s life?

A few nights later, I was having dinner with a very witty friend, who began talking about a birthday party for her 60-year-old boss. We discussed the marvelous accomplishments of her boss, explaining that not long before her birthday, she was promoted to lead a very successful department in the company. Not to mention, her boss hit a landmark in her career, long after what was considered the traditional primetime. As she recounted such events, she let out a sudden cry, “Life is not short! Life is long!”  I laughed.

As I watched The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I was suddenly reminded of my witty friend’s comment.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the story of Jean Dominique Bauby, a renowned editor at French Elle Magazine, after he suffered a stroke at age 29. With one blinking eye and the help of a writing assistant, he completed a biography. The number of wonderful things he created and imagined, in spite of all that he had lost after his stroke, is unbelievable. He realized that, despite the accident and his misfortune, he could enjoy life to its fullest through sheer imagination: a life that was perhaps richer than the one he could have led with his full health.

My favorite scene is the one in which he and his father – the two men with their strong minds, were trapped in withering bodies. Also, the contrast in relationships between him, his ex-wife and current girlfriend serves as a true testimony to the film’s originality and personal account. His ex-wife and girlfriend represent two very different passion of love. After his accident, his ex-wife forgave him and offered to take care of him, while his girlfriend lacked the courage to see him. While the girlfriend’s lack of support and refusal to see him might seem cruel and distant to some, I felt empathic to her pain and fear.

The film has also turned me into a fan of Julian Schnabel, the film’s director — post his famous “Plate Paintings” from the 80s. His raw photography enlivened an intuitive and spontaneous journey in front of my eyes, deep and beautiful like Jean Dominique’s own life. The film’s “handmade,” ethereal feeling is definitely something from a painter’s hand.

One of Julian Schnabel’s famous “Plate Paintings”, The Patients and the Doctors.

Poster of The Diving Bell & the Butterfly

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I can never get enough of fireworks. On July 4^th, I spent the night watching the fireworks from downtown’s piers on the FDR Drive. I’ve always enjoyed these sorts of events. But, I would leave out the crowds if I could. Maybe it was the bad weather that brought less people than I expected. I remember the time when I was in Tokyo there were 700,000 people surrounding Tokyo bay area, watching the annual fireworks festival. Like a true publicist, I thought about how more publicity was needed to expose this event to attract more people.

After a 10-minute delay and 30 minutes of standing in the rain, the show finally started. The fireworks did not live up to my anticipation and I left before the show finished. Nevertheless, it would turn out to be a splendid half an hour show, but in comparison to all the other fireworks I’ve seen, it wasn’t all that spectacular. At the other shows, there were star-lit skies, light breezes, wonderful orchestra music, and easy access public transportation home immediately after the shows. New York’s Independence Day fireworks show was clearly not the best of what I’ve seen, but definitely not the worst either. Perhaps, this is the reason why I didn’t see a lot of people outside. Most of them might have already experienced it at some time in their life and decided to stay home. Watch from their 50 inches flat screen TV instead without having to move from their couches. After all, life in America is all about having all the luxuries without the necessary worries.

Early Sunday morning, there’s nothing like playing with your kids in the newly renovated playground in central park. Enjoy the endless fun in the sprinkle pool and swing. Explore the architectural artworks in the sandpit, while relaxing under the sun.

Make sure to bring sun block for kids, a spacious, waterproof picnic mat, different sized buckets, and plenty of beach towels.

I love spending an early afternoon at the kid-friendly Landmarc restaurant, located in the Time Warner Center. Children’s meals are all served with a healthy side of carrot sticks. Parents can enjoy the spacious dining area and spend some quality time with their loved ones. In the City, it’s not that easy to find quality food that’s affordable. Landmarc’s got it all covered. All you need is a big appetite.

The cotton candy is delicious! After the meal, be sure to order some for you and your kids!

I like to get my weekly grocery shopping out of the way at Whole Foods Market. You can get organic, homemade baby foods. Browse through the rows of organic baby’s products that can help protect your kids’ delicate skin and hair from the harsh sun.

Keep a baby carrier or stroller by your side, in case your kid decides that he’s too tired to walk. Make sure the stroller’s thin enough so that you have enough room to pass the crowded aisles.

With a refreshing cup of Pinkberry’s original yogurt and fresh fruit, I like to end my day with a nice walk. Who can resist the City’s beautiful sunset?

Go home and prepare a fresh organic dinner for your family.

Tuck the kids into bed. Then, for some downtime, go out and enjoy a movie. All you need is a peaceful mind.

People at the office might not believe it, but I cook. It first started as an economic necessity but evolved into something that I actually enjoy doing. When I moved to New York last September, I lived in a hostel for a month to look for apartments. I had to eat fast food and take-out all the time. That was the time I realized that cooking at home is a/ cheaper b/ healthier and c/ definitely more fun!

Probably the hardest part for me deciding what to cook. If you are faced with a similar dilemma, I have some culinary ideas to share!

Garlic Trout

Trout Fillet (1 or 2 per person)

Butter (knob)

Pepper

Caraway seed

Potatoes (as much as you will eat)

Water for the potatoes

Potato peeler

Start by boiling water with a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of caraway seed. Peel the potatoes, cut them into pieces of equal size (so that they don’t end up over-cooked on the outside and raw inside) and add them to the boiling water. They should be ready in about 15 minutes – you can see if they’re ready by poking them with a fork. If they are still hard, leave them to boil some more. If they are soft pour the water out and serve them.

While your potatoes are boiling, peel the garlic and chop it into small pieces. Put the butter on a pan over medium heat and leave to melt. Than add the chopped garlic and fry for about 30 seconds. Salt the fish from both sides and place it on the frying pan. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side. Don’t turn your gas all the way up because then the fish will be burnt and raw on the inside. If you’re unsure about the trout being done, take one fillet out of the pan and cut it across in the thickest place and peek inside if it’s ready. If not, just leave it sizzling for a longer time.

To enhance your cooking experience, I recommend stuffing you mouth full of peanuts while cooking and drinking a nice cold white wine to relax.