So A-Live and the rest of the OnTrak and Malado family are off to UMass Amherst this weekend to perform for UMass' Spring Concert 2009. They'll be opening for Lupe Fiasco and rocking people of their feet with their music. If you missed my previous post, A-Live won the Battle of the Bands competition a few weeks back and gets this opportunity to be the opening act for the concert. If all goes well A-Live will be approached by Lu and he'll go "So A-Live looks like you are able Cool It like me". Best of luck to them. Here's how they got there, in the form of Green Street TV: Episode 2 "The Road the Lupe"
If you like their performances, and like the song "Cloud 9", help the guys out by doing them a favor. They are entered in a competition to get signed by an independent record label, and the winner is decided by internet participation. Please go to Song Joust, type in "University of Massachusetts" under the search query and click on the track "Cloud Nine" when it pops up. The more votes, the better the chance of getting signed. Spread the word!
'till then, its off until finals are over.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Utilization of Natural Light Sources
So it was a fantastic weekend, with the weather great and the sun shining. It was a shame that most of my Sunday was sent catching up on work, but the reason was because Saturday I spent my day at East River Park basking in the sun and partaking in some olympic festivities. Not the ones you're familiar with, like shotput, 100M dash, triple jump. But more of pushups with someone sitting on you, sit ups while doing chubby bunnies, the lot. The only regret is only getting a quarter shade tanner, but like working out, tanning is a journey not a destination. Just have more areas to work on. So after the festivities I was able to watch some of my friends play basketball. I should have taken pictures looking back on it, because the theme is the same everytime:
1. Group of my friends ask if they can play next game
2. The other people say yes, and look at them with a puzzled look because all of my friends don't look like they can ball.
3. They realize that Derik Kumagai just broke their ankles three times while doing a 360 reverse layup after pickpocketing them in the defensive end.
4. They realize that this 6 foot 3 160 pound Yao Ming fake wannabe thats scrawny as a stick just swatted your shot, twice, in a row.
5. They realize that this short puny Indian kid named A-Live is draining shots in front of them.
6. They get angry because they realize that they're down 5 buckets to a group of rag tag bamas.
7. Game over, our side wins.
Got to love city ball. Next time I'll get some pictures of those games up, but these will do:
'twas a good weekend. Green Street TV Episode 2 coming soon, just finishing up a few things.
1. Group of my friends ask if they can play next game
2. The other people say yes, and look at them with a puzzled look because all of my friends don't look like they can ball.
3. They realize that Derik Kumagai just broke their ankles three times while doing a 360 reverse layup after pickpocketing them in the defensive end.
4. They realize that this 6 foot 3 160 pound Yao Ming fake wannabe thats scrawny as a stick just swatted your shot, twice, in a row.
5. They realize that this short puny Indian kid named A-Live is draining shots in front of them.
6. They get angry because they realize that they're down 5 buckets to a group of rag tag bamas.
7. Game over, our side wins.
Got to love city ball. Next time I'll get some pictures of those games up, but these will do:
'twas a good weekend. Green Street TV Episode 2 coming soon, just finishing up a few things.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Relishing the Emergence of Natural Lightsources
Outlook for this coming weekend and continuation into the next few days:
Go outside, its going to be nice this weekend. Weekend pictures will be up soon, along with Green Street TV Episode 2: The Road to Amherst
California boy is too excited to go outside - later.
Go outside, its going to be nice this weekend. Weekend pictures will be up soon, along with Green Street TV Episode 2: The Road to Amherst
California boy is too excited to go outside - later.
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Underperformance of Life
So in the morning after the Sharks blew it once again (touchy subject), and are booking a one way ticket to Chokesville, the rain has decided to pour once again into the stressed out lives of NYU students. In the weeks before the final people are stressing, weather decides to be crummy and dump on us again. How great. Along with my umbrella getting obliterated by the 25mph winds, I decide to do curious thing and check the weather back home. Horrible, horrible decision. Lets compare shall we:
New York ^
Saratoga, CA ^
Mmm, as the common person would say "FML". But not entirely F, just a little sucky. At least my registration went through with no dramas; don't know how I'm going to be surviving doine 8AMs all week but.... we'll figure it out as we get there.
If its sunny outside and you are reading this instead of going outside, I yell in envy at you.
New York ^
Saratoga, CA ^
Mmm, as the common person would say "FML". But not entirely F, just a little sucky. At least my registration went through with no dramas; don't know how I'm going to be surviving doine 8AMs all week but.... we'll figure it out as we get there.
If its sunny outside and you are reading this instead of going outside, I yell in envy at you.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Overpowerment of Extracurriculars leading to Infatuation with becoming Photosynthetic
Among other things, yesterday was Relay for Life. Great event, great spirit amongst the mates, and we came out with two awards. Third for team spirit which I find highly suspect, since there was no other team like us come 2AM. Second was the second place finish in the Olympic Events. Had we had things bounce our way, we could have easily made it to the top, but what a great comeback from my boy D-Rock to hold it down on the last leg and catch up in the final leg.
Great finish, and the weather is finally turning out, was able to go out and get a little sun in Battery Park. Not a bad deal. So as you can see these extracurriculars have taken over most of my time. The nice weather has really compelled me to go outside much more, just for the sake of absorbing more sunlight. Walking around the island instead of taking the Subway, the lot. It's been great. This coming weekend will be another great day of sports fest. Pictures will be up soon, along with Green Street TV Episode 2.
Go outside, enjoy the sun.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
"I'm not a Businessman, I'm a business man"
Well, the boys of OnTrak along with my boy A-Live from Green Street Records performed in the Battle of the Bands competition in UMass-Amherst. How confident (and potentially sacrilegious) it was for us to buy the celebratory pieces before even performing, but thats how confident the boys where. After a little bit of drama in the beginning sound checks trying to figure out what song to play, the boys were ready and rocked the crowd. After three rounds of competition, initially starting with over 60 applicants, OnTrack finishes on top, winning the coveted opening slot for the Spring Concert for UMass-Amherst on May 3rd, 2009. The lineup includes Girl Talk and the man himself, LUPE FIASCO.
One of the few rappers that I truly respect and admire, this is a great opportunity for the boys. Not only do they get to open for him, but they have the likely opportunity of performing with him on stage together. Not a bad gig. Here are some early preliminary pictures. The video will be up soon.
Me and A-Live
The Real Life Entourage: Mr Dev, Chilly, and A-Live
Getting famous
Green Street and OnTrak, taking over.
Once I have time to edit, will throw up the video. Until then, check our A-live's blog:
greenstreetrecords.blogspot.com
Mister Dev's blog:
misterdev.blogspot.com
Chilly's blog:
chillyray.blogspot.com
One of the few rappers that I truly respect and admire, this is a great opportunity for the boys. Not only do they get to open for him, but they have the likely opportunity of performing with him on stage together. Not a bad gig. Here are some early preliminary pictures. The video will be up soon.
Me and A-Live
The Real Life Entourage: Mr Dev, Chilly, and A-Live
Getting famous
Green Street and OnTrak, taking over.Once I have time to edit, will throw up the video. Until then, check our A-live's blog:
greenstreetrecords.blogspot.com
Mister Dev's blog:
misterdev.blogspot.com
Chilly's blog:
chillyray.blogspot.com
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Intersection of the Crossroads of Maturation
I had a little time on my hands, so I decided to go through my old photos that I was able to salvage on my defunct hard drive and I came across this photo. I had a little fun with it on photoshop to edit it to show what my mindset is right now:
March has quickly come and gone and I'm now in April, theoretically the last month before finals. How quick was it that this semester has passed; not too long ago I was taking the tube to Bank to go to a "Seeing London's Architecture" class in London. I really do miss those days, as I had much less to worry. Everyday was Carpe Diem, a new adventure. But even if that was merely half a year ago (already? Amazing) I feel so much older, so much more overwhelmed. The nature of studying abroad gives you a fantastic opportunity to become young again, to have no worries and to escape from everything that you were tied up in and live for the moment.
Now that I'm back here things have arisen and have hit me hard like a brick wall. In a little over a month I will have finished my third year in NYU. High School feels like such a distant memory, and I feel a much different person having come out to the city and lived for three years. Some things have changed about myself, some things haven't. Looking at myself now I ask myself whether I would have expected myself to be where I am now when I was stepping out of my door moving into my freshman dorm for the first time. Have I grown as a person? Have I expanded my mental intellect not just in academics, but through experience and interacting with new things, people, and environments? Have I made my parents hopeful for the person that I will become?
People continuously told me that you need to enjoy your time in college, because it is truly the best four years of your life. I was apprehensive to believe them to start, but looking back on it now I can not agree more. College gives you the pallete with unlimited colors to paint your own picture on any medium. You are given the chance to live independently without having to worry about the extraneous expenses and costs that come with it. But as I slowly realise that my time in Eden is slowly drawing to an end, I have to look forward and see where the journey I have set leads me.
I am hearing back from American Express soon (hopefully, bearing no unfortunate fallacies I can not foresee) about my projects that I get to select for this coming summer. The more I dwell on it the more I realize that my summers are starting to evolve into the once blissful escapes of academia to the limited opportunity presented to me to shine. The difference between the two are startling. The summer after senior year of high school my biggest worry was wondering which sandwich deli to hit for lunch. Now its wondering if my performance earns me enough creditbility to be considered for full-time. The circumstances have changed, but I don't feel like the game has.
This leads back to the picture above. It was a picture that I took during the World Cup Finals in Berlin. France was playing against Italy and the game went into sudden death penalty kicks. Grosso is setting up the ball for the kick that eventually hands the trophy to the Azzurri. The kick that he took defined the person he was for the entire tournament, for his entire career. He could have been the David Trezeguet, who missed his kick when it hit the crossbar and gave Italy the smallest window required to win the match. Grosso scored the game winner against Germany to send his team to the finals, and here he was again required to make the spot kick. Relating to myself I feel like I am coming into crossroads into this kind of situation. If I am given the ball, what will I do with it? What actions will I partake that define me? Will I be the one that slots it in side left corner, or the one that lets his opportunity slip away? This summer I feel will be a huge defining point in my life, not just for the fact that this is the first job that I have found on my own, interviewed on my own (with some prepping from fellow friends and family), and received on my own. Not just for the fact that this is the first time I'll be working away from California, away from home. Not just for the fact that I will be eventually/hopefully making more money than I have in the last 19 years combined. But ultimately, the fact is that I've been given all the tools necessary to become truly independent, to become an adult, to be able to truly define myself outside the realm of my parents.
I've got only one more year of college left, what will I do with it? What can I say is the best thing I got out of college? Was academics the most important thing that I got out of everything? I don't know, and I'm at a point in my life where I really don't know what will happen next. I am anxious to work, to test out what its like working in "the real world" if there is one. I am hungry to learn what it requires to live independently. I want to know what it takes to be self-sufficient.
Am I ready? I have no idea. But all I know is that if I get the golden ball like Grosso did, I sure as hell hope I know what to do to make the best of my opportunity.
March has quickly come and gone and I'm now in April, theoretically the last month before finals. How quick was it that this semester has passed; not too long ago I was taking the tube to Bank to go to a "Seeing London's Architecture" class in London. I really do miss those days, as I had much less to worry. Everyday was Carpe Diem, a new adventure. But even if that was merely half a year ago (already? Amazing) I feel so much older, so much more overwhelmed. The nature of studying abroad gives you a fantastic opportunity to become young again, to have no worries and to escape from everything that you were tied up in and live for the moment.
Now that I'm back here things have arisen and have hit me hard like a brick wall. In a little over a month I will have finished my third year in NYU. High School feels like such a distant memory, and I feel a much different person having come out to the city and lived for three years. Some things have changed about myself, some things haven't. Looking at myself now I ask myself whether I would have expected myself to be where I am now when I was stepping out of my door moving into my freshman dorm for the first time. Have I grown as a person? Have I expanded my mental intellect not just in academics, but through experience and interacting with new things, people, and environments? Have I made my parents hopeful for the person that I will become?
People continuously told me that you need to enjoy your time in college, because it is truly the best four years of your life. I was apprehensive to believe them to start, but looking back on it now I can not agree more. College gives you the pallete with unlimited colors to paint your own picture on any medium. You are given the chance to live independently without having to worry about the extraneous expenses and costs that come with it. But as I slowly realise that my time in Eden is slowly drawing to an end, I have to look forward and see where the journey I have set leads me.
I am hearing back from American Express soon (hopefully, bearing no unfortunate fallacies I can not foresee) about my projects that I get to select for this coming summer. The more I dwell on it the more I realize that my summers are starting to evolve into the once blissful escapes of academia to the limited opportunity presented to me to shine. The difference between the two are startling. The summer after senior year of high school my biggest worry was wondering which sandwich deli to hit for lunch. Now its wondering if my performance earns me enough creditbility to be considered for full-time. The circumstances have changed, but I don't feel like the game has.
This leads back to the picture above. It was a picture that I took during the World Cup Finals in Berlin. France was playing against Italy and the game went into sudden death penalty kicks. Grosso is setting up the ball for the kick that eventually hands the trophy to the Azzurri. The kick that he took defined the person he was for the entire tournament, for his entire career. He could have been the David Trezeguet, who missed his kick when it hit the crossbar and gave Italy the smallest window required to win the match. Grosso scored the game winner against Germany to send his team to the finals, and here he was again required to make the spot kick. Relating to myself I feel like I am coming into crossroads into this kind of situation. If I am given the ball, what will I do with it? What actions will I partake that define me? Will I be the one that slots it in side left corner, or the one that lets his opportunity slip away? This summer I feel will be a huge defining point in my life, not just for the fact that this is the first job that I have found on my own, interviewed on my own (with some prepping from fellow friends and family), and received on my own. Not just for the fact that this is the first time I'll be working away from California, away from home. Not just for the fact that I will be eventually/hopefully making more money than I have in the last 19 years combined. But ultimately, the fact is that I've been given all the tools necessary to become truly independent, to become an adult, to be able to truly define myself outside the realm of my parents.
I've got only one more year of college left, what will I do with it? What can I say is the best thing I got out of college? Was academics the most important thing that I got out of everything? I don't know, and I'm at a point in my life where I really don't know what will happen next. I am anxious to work, to test out what its like working in "the real world" if there is one. I am hungry to learn what it requires to live independently. I want to know what it takes to be self-sufficient.
Am I ready? I have no idea. But all I know is that if I get the golden ball like Grosso did, I sure as hell hope I know what to do to make the best of my opportunity.
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