Mom's Baking

For a number of months now, my mother has been obsessing over a brand of cookware she deems to be exquisite, but has never used before. I've seen this stuff and personally think its way too heavy to be practical, but hey, my mom's the one who's gonna use it not me. The problem? These pots, pans and accessories are pretty expensive and right now, expensive just isn't in the budget. It was a choice between these cooking monstrosities and a new camera for Christmas and mom chose the camera, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't still want the cookware. She does. Very much. So when there's a competition in one of her favourite magazines to win a set of these pots, what does she do? She enters of course.

I'm not entirely sure what this competition requires, since I was absent-mindedly busy with my own teenage business while my mom was busy planning out all her stuff, but I do know there are food and photos involved. I didn't catch the rest of the stuff, but I did get a snapshot of the cake.

It really didn't turn out that bad. In fact, I think its a pretty colorful masterpiece. Not only does this cake look awesome and artistic, its actually pretty tasty too. A double whammy! Nice job, Mom!

I'm not sure if she'll win the competition, but the rest of us judges will definitely enjoy the work in the meantime.

Having a Coke with You

For those of you have seen Beastly, the movie, this is a poem you might recognise. It's also become one of my favourites since discovering it, so here it is...

Having a Coke with You by Frank O'Hara

Having a Coke with You
is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne
or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona
partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian
partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yogurt
partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches
partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary
it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything as still
as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front of it
in the warm New York 4 o’clock light we are drifting back and forth
between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles
and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint
you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them
I look
at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world
except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it’s in the Frick
which thank heavens you haven’t gone to yet so we can go together the first time
and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism
just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or
at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that used to wow me
and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them
when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank
or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn’t pick the rider as carefully
as the horse
it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience
which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I am telling you about it

How To Study For Exams and Other Tests

This is something we all need to know and since I'm pretty good at it. I'll share some of my secrets with you, along with the tips of some of my friends.

• Pay attention in Class

This is my biggest tip, because this always gets me through class and get me better marks. The key is to understand what the teacher is saying and then remember it later. If it's interesting, tell someone about. Telling people what you know will not only help you remember it, but it will also make you seem smarter. A double bonus! So ask the teacher if you don't understand.

• Put on your Anti-Procrastination Pants

This is a biggy. I don't always wear my Anti-Procrastination pants and therefore I don't always do well. Just don't put anything off for later, because if you do, I can promise you, you'll never get to the studying. It just works that way. I have fallen prey to this beast a lot, in fact, I'm procrastinating right now. So, please don't do what I do, do what I say.

• Sum that stuff up!

This is how all human beings are supposed to study. Take your book, take some paper and write down only the key facts, phrases and whatever your teacher told you to study. I usually read the passage, decide what to write down and then I look through that to see if I can make it shorter and I usually can. This it where you grab your trusty highlighter and start highlighting any and all key words that will make it easier to remember.

• Plan A Schedule

Make yourself a roster by which you will study, like a studying schedule. This is apparently what the smart kids do. Me? I don't work according to a schedule. I sum up my work a few days before the test and then I go through everything the night before. You're already studying when you sum the work up and this way, everything is still fresh in your mind when they put that paper down in front of you.

• Practice Makes Perfect

This is one of those cases where I preach, but don't practice. This especially comes into play when studying Math and anyone who knows me, will know that I loathe Math. You have to practice. Make sure you understand the basic concept and know your formulas, then apply it to the equations. Don't be me in this scenario. Don't go home and lounge around. If you have the opportunity to go to an extra class, GO! Trust me, it will help.

• Don't Be Cocky

I have fallen many a times because of this. It's always good to be confident, but it's never good to be stupid. Don't go saying that you're going to ace the test if you haven't even opened a book. 1) You are going to fail and 2) everyone is going to laugh at you because you were cocky. So shut your mouth, open that book and start absorbing the knowledge. If or when you pass the test, then you can brag a little, but not too much. Not many people like a bragger.

And that's it for the study tips. Not all of these are always effective. People differ and so do their studying styles. So go forth and be smart!