When people ask me where I’m from, I am proud to say I am from Queens. Living on the border of two neighborhoods, Sunnyside and Long Island City, it’s hard for me to chose which one is better. The streets are always lively and business owners know customers by name. The neighborhoods excludes no one and welcomes newcomers with open arms. Sunnyside is full of diversity while Long Island City provides an artistic value. The recently demolished 5 Pointz building provided local artist to share their artwork, whether good or bad. Locals came to love the idea and praised the ‘graffiti’.

Although I may be shy at first, given time people will get to see my bubbly personality. At times I may get excited and get loud unknowingly. Over the years people have told me that I’m loud and I used to be offended. Not anymore, I’m proud to be loud and heard.

On my free time I will most likely be doing one of four things: eating, shopping, painting my nails or sleeping. I love exploring and trying new foods, especially spicy food. Spicy food to me is a challenge, which itself is a good and bad thing. It becomes a victory to me when I am able to finish a spicy dish, but a loss if I cannot. I hate seeing food go to waste and I’ll always save it for later, even if it doesn’t taste as good. Most of the time, I’m on the Internet I am checking the new style and trends. If I was rich, my closet would be full of both the old and new fashion trends. Sadly I am not. However, getting my first job has allowed me to see the real value of the dollar. When I do shop, I chose clothes that aren’t trends for the season, something I know will be in style for years. Nail polish is something I see as art. Anyone can paint their nails a certain color, but can they add their own personal touch? When I find the time to paint my nails, I need at least ninety minutes. I take a lot of pride in my nail art because it’s my own style. Lastly, I love my sleep. I will get cranky if I do not get my eight hours of sleep. I cannot function without it, and coffee or tea is no help.

Hopefully this blog has given you an insight to me and the kind of person I am, but if not, we have till December together.

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I choose to do a slideshow, consisting of eight images because I wanted to give a visual representation of who I am. First and foremost I think I have been a good friend to anyone who knows me well. I am also an athlete; having played soccer, tennis, and most recently track I have developed many skills outside the classroom. Television shows are a temporary escape away from our own lives, it is a way to immerse ourselves in another character and be inspired by their actions. My four favorite shows are on the third slide. Aside from playing sports, I also enjoy watching them; anything from the English premier league to a good old game of football on Sunday nights always entertains me. Another thing I do a lot is eat, constantly; I always look for new places to eat and new foods to taste. Oddly enough, my love for food has led me to meet incredible people who I now call friends. Above all the sports, the entertainment and all the distractions is school. Studying is a regular habit I have, it doesn’t matter if I’m on the subway, if there’s something I have to study for, I will. I take my grades very seriously and I make sure nothing puts them in jeopardy. Ignorance is not an excuse for failure.  My seventh picture is that of a speaker. The picture is not meant to say that I enjoy or am good at public speaking, what it says about me is that I like to speak in general. We all have a voice, one that I like to adequately use. At the end of the day when all is said and done the most important thing for me is to have fun. By fun I’m not necessarily referring to a “Social gathering”. We go through life always rushing through things and never take a chance to just stop for a second and appreciate the moment we are currently living. I like to smile, laugh, and say jokes, because it’s what makes us human, the ability to feel emotions. Ultimately what we all seek is happiness and that is the way I try to structure my life, to achieve happiness. The song I choose to go along with this song is a different version of an LMFAO song I heard one day on YouTube and I decided to put on this slideshow spontaneously because being spontaneous keep life interesting. Regardless of how I describe myself however, everyone will view me differently, which is okay. In this slideshow I described how I think others see me based on how I see myself, but it up to these “other people” to agree or disagree. After all who am I to form their opinion?

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The City – I am blessed to have been born in New York City. Each of the five boroughs molded me into who I am today. Growing up in a city with so much diversity made me  more appreciative of the world and its cultures. The concrete jungle is a breathtaking sight and it never gets old.

Fashion – A great part of growing up in the city of New York is its fashion. Fashion is a great way to express yourself. In this picture, I am carrying bags of clothes which I bought that night. I enjoy a nice fit and it’s something I care about.

Food – Food is really good. ALL KINDS OF IT. I don’t like cooking but I LOVE FOOD. I can eat food from all kinds of cultures. In this picture is a pile of junk food I had packed for my senior trip. Junk food is a guilty pleasure for me because I like to be healthy. However, indulging once in a while is no biggie.

Typing Test – I grew up with computers. I started doing typing tests since I was 8. I spend more than 6 hours a day when I am at home. This typing test exemplifies my expertise at the keyboard. It’s higher than most but not too impressive among the real techies.

Barbell – I started working out April 2012 and it has been a big part of my life since. Lifting means a lot to me. It means achievement, confidence, and strength to me.  When I was able to dead lift 315 lbs, I felt like I conquered so much.

Social Media – This is my Instagram profile.  I spend a lot of my time on the phone. And when I am on my phone, it is usually for social media like Snapchat, facebook and Instagram. I love being connected with others. Sometimes the connection is real because there is a barrier preventing us from seeing each other but sometimes it’s just to see how others are doing at that time.

Youtube – I view YouTube different from other social media because it’s been part of my life since 2006. I had clocked in so many hours on YouTube when myspace was a thing! I still spend a lot of my time on it. I have an obsession with videos. Video editing and making is a fun hobby of mine. Also, I’ve connected to these YouTube celebrities and they’ve influenced me.

Kanye West – I bought the Yeezus album in 2013. I was really into sneakers and Kanye had designed one of the hottest shoes of the summer, the Yeezy 2. After the purchase I learned more about fashion and hip hop. His get-sh-t-done mentality even rubbed off on me.

Trends: Cinnamon Challenge and Ice Bucket Challenge – These two pictures show that I like participating in popular things. I am not too outgoing but once in a while I like doing things people are doing.

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Often pictures are used to send out a message to people and express your thoughts. I used many pictures to tell about myself to everyone. I used pictures of cookies, cakes and cupcakes to inform people that I love to bake and it’s one of my hobbies. England, France, Germany and many more countries that I’ve traveled to have always been very welcoming and the people are amazing which makes me want to travel even more around the world and meet new people of different cultures. Six Flags is a great place to visit and really exciting and fun. I go to Six Flags every summer because it’s so much entertaining and adventurous. Especially going with your family makes it ten times more fun. In my entire life I’ve been to so many Indian weddings, but I never got bored or tired of them because they were always so nice. I felt really lucky to be at those weddings and be a part of the bride and grooms happiest day of their life. It’s always nice to see not only two people come together, but two families come together. Also the pictures tell you how much I love animals. Animals are very beautiful and they entertain us all the time. When you go to the circus the tigers entertain you and you also get to sit on elephants. I love animals because they are very humble and caring. It is sad knowing how homes of these beautiful creatures are being destroyed and they are being kicked out of their habitats. This is endangering their lives and animals usually mean no harm to you unless you try to harm them.  I want people to respect animals too. One last thing that I enjoy is going to India. Visiting the Taj Mahal was amazing. Words can’t describe how beautiful it is. Gateway of India is one of my favorite places to visit when I go to India, the scenery is outstanding. I’m a big fan of the food in India as well. I love the curry, roti, biryani and my most favorite of all is Pani Puri also known as golgappes. Lastly I love how the Indians welcome spring by celebrating holi where they throw colored powder on each other and its lots and lots of fun. Most of my life has been full of adventures, but I know there is a lot more out there for me to see.

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This playlist, consisting of ten songs by various artists, are my top ten favorite songs. Being a lover of music and various genres, picking ten songs that you love the most is very difficult. While each of these songs have a different meaning and a different tone, these are the songs that can play a million times, and I will enjoy them the same every time. Some of these songs such as “Awake my Soul” by Mumford and Sons, “Alleyways” by the Neighborhood and “Colours” by Grouplove, mean more to me because I saw them preformed live. Seeing your favorite bands preform live is such an amazing experience, you’re seeing what you hear, be played before your eyes. You see the passion the artists display and can comprehend the talent they truly have. Mumford and Sons was a truly special concert to me, they are my favorite band and their performance in August of 2013, was the first and last time I was able to see them before they broke up. The cool thing about music is that even if a band is not together anymore, their music is still the same and can still bring you the same happiness and excitement when listening to it. Other songs like “Snap Out of it” by The Arctic Monkeys are songs that can make you energetic and want to dance and sing.  Some softer songs like “Back to you” by John Mayer, or “42” by Coldplay are great to listen to when doing homework, or reading a book.  These songs don’t have specific meaning to me, but their sounds and tones interest me and that is why they are my favorite songs.

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I chose to make a playlist because I have always had a special connection with music. Music are my go to when I’m happy, sad,  and every other emotions in between. I did not choose these songs because they are my favorite songs. I chose them because they are my “pick me up” songs. These are the songs I listen to when I need a boost in confidence, when I’m having a bad day, or when I feel really good about being who I am. Most of these songs send out very positive messages and that is what I strive for in life, positivity.  Having suffered from depression for over a year, I know what a dark place it is there and I have no desire to go back. “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson really speaks to me. Whenever I listen to this song, I get the feeling that I can do anything if I set my mind to it. Like the lyrics in the song, what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainer, “Roar” & “Firework” by Katy Perry, “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga, and “Not Afraid” by Eminem are my self esteem building songs.  When I’m feeling down or just need something to pick me up, these are the songs I go to. These songs send out the message that I should love myself for who I am and that I should not care about how others see me because at the end of the day it is only going to be me, myself, and I. As long as I am happy with who I am, everyone else’s opinions do not matter. “Louder” by Charice, “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey, and “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield are the songs that I listen to when I am nervous and need something to calm my nerves. These songs send out the message that I should not be scared. If I want to do something, then I should go for it because I cannot predict the future and worrying about it is not going to make it better. Instead of worrying about the consequences, I should just take the first steps and whatever happens after that, I will face it head on. I chose to put “Please Don’t Judge Me” by Chris Brown into the playlist because I really like the meaning behind the song.  I really like the line”Just let the past, just be the past.” The song taught me that moving on is better than dwelling on the past. It is the past for a reason so just move on because life is not stopping for you just because you want to stop. These are the reasons why I chose all the songs on my playlist. They help shape me into a more positive person, helping me get closer and closer to my goal of living a life full of positivity.

Hi everyone!

Your first blog post is to create a two minute video, an eight image slide show, or a ten song musical playlist that represents who you think you are to your classmates. Embed your creation in a blog post and then write a post of no more than 500 words, but please write something substantial included why you decided on the type of post, and explaining how what you’ve created speaks to who you are.

Email me if you have any problems posting!

Here are some possible tools to use:

Video Editors:

YouTube Editor: http://www.youtube.com/editor/

Image Slideshows:

Flickr: http://flickr.com

Flickr Slidr: http://flickrslidr.com/

Picassa: http://picasaweb.google.com/

Slidely: http://slide.ly/

Image Loop: http://www.imageloop.com/

Musical Playlists:

Grooveshark: http://Grooveshark.com

Spotify: http://www.spotify.com/us/

Mixpod: http://www.mixpod.com/