Jou, 216 (Blog Entry 1 - Snug Harbor, 1.28)

 We must write a blog for my journalism class. This is my first post.

I've always been rather lazy when it comes to exploring the city, no matter which city I am in.  Once I am home, I want to just cuddle up in front of my computer and whittle away at the hours until my body demands I rest for another day.  For this blog, I am going to attempt to push myself outside my comfort zone to experience a little more of what life has to offer at nominal cost.

Charlotte nightlife can be a very interesting animal to encounter.  One of my first meanderings brought me to the Snug Harbour, a local alternative bar in Charlotte's "hipster" area off Central Avenue near Midwood Plaza.  I had been there once before, wanting to force myself to socialise a bit on a demure Sunday night.

This evening was a Thursday.  Shiprocked Thursday, to be specific.  On this night, they have a special show for the alternative community which is a mash-up of Drag Queens and Burlesque.  I had an inkling of the presentation from the onset, some friends recommended the novelty and requested my humble presence.  It was definitely an experience which left an impression.

The small bar was packed, one of those standing room only situations where you appreciate the added body warmth but would rather not be in close proximity with the bulk of your available compatriots.  It's a popular night, for along with the show there are drink specials to tempt the wicked to attend.

My friends were getting crunk, as the kids would call it, while I claimed the role of designated driver with gusto.  As the night progressed, I crept around with my camera to entertain myself.  To avoid getting a fist implant, I kept my reticule primarily on inanimate objects.  The night progressed smoothly, saw old friends and made new ones.  Good times were had, along with giggles and some wriggles on the dance floor.

Midnight hit, and the real ball began.  The music was throbbing, people were gathering close to the dinky wooden stage in one corner of the room.  The closeness brought an emphasis on the beat as dollar bills began to fly on stage for the gogo dancers gyrating to the sound.  Soon the DJ brought down the music as the girls shuffled off-stage to announce the treat for the night.  A local Drag queen, Bethann Phetamine, was soon to mount the stage.

Her entrance was dramatic.  

Her make up, elaborate.  

Her clothes ... Not so existent. 

The show was definitely entertaining, to say the least.  The crowd ate up everything she had to offer, and were voracious for more.  It was hard to tear your eyes away, even if it were merely from morbid curiosity.

She mouthed along with the lyrics while fluttering about the stage with an erratic fluidity which is difficult to capture on film or in words.  The show ended with a dramatic flourish of her arm as the mass of bodies pushed forward in excited reception.


To say it was a one of a kind experience would be overtly poetic, but for my first experience of that lifestyle, it will definitely be one difficult to forget.

Psychology, 150 (Sigmund Freud)

Basic "answer these questions" boring short essay thing.

Sigmund Freud was a revolutionary in the evolution of psychoanalysis and psychology. He began as a neurologist, then transitioned into theories about the unconscious mind. Freud theorised that individuals would repress unwanted or inappropriate desires, often sexual or pleasure related. He believed it was a defense mechanism of the subconscious to protect the individual's sanity. Another of his theories was that girls had to accept early in life their initial failure to be born as a male. Freud was known for his male preferential and was often criticised for it.

Many of Freud's theories were directly based on his own experiences and surroundings. Later in life, as the first World War and antisemitism took hold of Europe, “death and violence became more prominent in his theories, and he emphasized the ways participation in mass society released deep-seated aggressive impulses. (LOC)”

Outside of criticism for his misogynistic theories, Freud's emphasis on sexual tendencies and causality for mental issues was also often under fire. Over time, many of his supporters would come to disagree with him and move on to create their own organisations as “diversity of opinion was something Freud himself seems to have had but little tolerance for. (NNDB)“ Although his theories are often discounted, his drive to understand the subconscious and mental process set the foundation for modern psychology.

Jou, 216 (Media Release)

MEDIA RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Kaila Burtch, communications specialist
Central Piedmont Community College

January 19, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CPCC PRESENTS ARTS AND CULTURE FESTIVAL SENSORIA

Central Piedmont Community College‘s Sensoria, April 13 to 21, is a feast of local arts and culture fit for the Queen City featuring Author Sandra Guiterrez demonstrating from cookbook “New Southern-Latino Table.”

Culinary students will recreate her recipes for the public to sample in “Grazing with the Student Chefs” after the workshop.

North Carolina Dance Theatre will choreograph a tribute to Charlotte born artist Romare Bearden to perform alongside CPCC dance students according to CPCC’s Sensoria website.  A collection of his art will be on display.

“Being able to bring the arts here to CPCC is just an amazing event,” said Dawn Cloutier, director of operations for Performance Facilities. “People learning through the arts, having exposure to things they wouldn’t normally be exposed to.”

Russell Goings, well respected poet and philanthropic, is this year’s Irene Blair Honeycutt Distinguished Lecturer in honour of CPCC’s Spring Literary Festival founding director. Goings is best known for his epic griotsong “The Children of the Children Keep Coming.”

"Write About Yourself"

Most uncomfortable thing you can ever request of someone imo. >_<;;;




I first joined the Simulation and Game Design Program when I was eighteen-years-old and fresh out of high school.  At that age, I was very free-spirited and largely interested in traveling and exploring the world around me.  Before I had entered high school, I had visited England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and had been deported from the Czech Republic to Germany on a trip with the YMCA to attend a Christian Leadership Conference in Prague with a group of fellow teens.  I was thirteen-years-old at the time and managed to keep calm while soothing the twenty-eight-year-old chaperone which had been deported with me as he had a panic attack.  The summer after I graduated from high school, I went to Russia for a three week riverboat cruise with my Grandparents where I made friends with my contemporaries employed on the ship.  By the end of the trip, I was already able to communicate basic conversations and understand more complex ones in Russian.

When I returned to America, I was antsy to explore more. While attending classes, I worked two jobs to accumulate 3,000 dollars for a trip around the United States my best friend and I had been planning since we met in our sophomore year of high school.  We purchased one-way tickets and flew from Charlotte, North Carolina to San Francisco, California on May 20th, 2008.  We explored the city and helped non-profit group Food Not Bombs feed the homeless for a few weeks, then purchased three month unlimited ride Greyhound bus tickets as our mode of transportation. We passed through thirty-one states and two countries, carefully navigating our trip to ensure we could find people to stay with as well as follow Warped Tour, a music festival, to spread awareness for a non-profit association Vegan Outreach. 

Negotiation, compromise, flexibility, decision making, budgeting, sociability, and assessing the character of others are all life skills we relied upon heavily during our trip.  There were times we trusted complete strangers to have wonderful experiences with, other times we were taught lessons about the dynamics of people and how to interact with them.  It was a wonderful adventure, through which I experienced and explored much of the United States and its diverse national cultures. 

My trip ended with me in Canada, where I worked for three months until I had an opportunity to move to New York City.  I pounced on the chance and lived there for two years.  While living there, I worked as a secretary and after a year of residency began filing papers to attend classes at a local school.  I realised I would not be able to afford going to school on my own while also trying to live in the expensive city and made plans to return to Charlotte so I could focus on my education.

Since I have returned to Central Piedmont Community College my grades have been excellent and I have been involved in extracurricular events on campus while still working a regular part-time job.  A highlight would be designing a game for teenage girls which received an honourable mention in the Games4Girls Competition held by the University of Illinois, primarily due to the judges being unable to defeat it. 

I have had fun learning about game design, but I have found that throughout my life, I have really enjoyed helping those around me.  I have always had a strong interest in psychology and why people do the things they do, so I have decided to focus my education in that field of study.  I hope to one day be able to properly understand, assess and advise those in need and have a positive effect on the world around me. 

Layered Cupcakes with Swirled Buttercreme

Made some silly cupcakes for my coworker's birthday. 

Her children love green and pink, so I made that the theme (first time using tips to ice a cupcake).

Homemade buttercreme icing (med consistency) and a basic white cake box mix with some extra vanilla and banana extracts mixed. Flavour experiment actually turned out well. ^_^

Cake Decorating, Course 1 (Magikarp Cake)

My first attempt at cake decorating!

Crumb layer (so the final icing layer looks purdy)

Crumb layer 2 + filling

Final icing

Outline and basic fill

Wave shit I made up. :D

"Magikarp, use splash!"

Dyed the inside two shades of blue to match. :)