Lauren Nepomuceno '14

1. Today I fly home to Chicago for Easter break.

2. Two weeks from now will be my one year anniversary with my boyfriend, John.

3. What’s now officially is that I’ve just exposed to my boyfriend my anniversary gift to him.

THREE DAY PASS TICKETS TO THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF LOLLAPALOOZA

Words can not express the level of excitement! For those of you who don’t know about Lollapalooza, I will say that I know quite a lot about it being my 3rd time at Lolla. It’s a 3 day concert at Grant Park in Chicago, IL. There are about 10 stages set up around Grant Park and different bands play all three days. Basically, it’s an entire weekend of mosh pitting, crowd surfing, sweat, dehydration, ringing ears, and a whole lot of fun!

For this year’s lollapalooza, here’s my lineup! DRUM ROLL PLEASE…(Insert Michael Scott’s “The Office” drumroll).

1. FOO FIGHTERS- Some of their best songs consist of “Best of You”, “Let It Die”, “The Pretender”, and their entire recent album “Wasting Light” is quite fabulous. I am incredibly excited for them. I saw them at lolla 2009? (I believe that was the year) and they were phenomenal!

http://hitpredictor.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/foofighters1a.jpg

2. COLDPLAY- This is one of my favorite bands. They are extra classy with violin parts and of course the acoustic piano parts which I personally enjoy playing on the piano. Basically, they transformed the music scene and I love everything about their intelligent lyrics and just everything they stand for. I am just praying that another one of my favorite bands don’t overlap with coldplay *PRAYING*.

http://media.hiponline.com/uploads/2008/05/coldplay.jpg

3. MUSE- I can not wait for this band! My expectations are so high for this band, that I don’t even know what to imagine. However, I will completely accept and allow for my mind to be completely blown!

http://www.clashmusic.com/files/imagecache/big_node_view/files/images/muse300.jpg

4. Cee Lo Green– So far he has one hit called “F*** You”, but I can’t wait to hear more of his music live instead of the typical radio hit Cee Lo Green songs.

http://www.eventrocks.com/assets/cee-lo-green-live-concert_94965.jpg

5. Bright Eyes- This band hasn’t really released anything new in awhile and then FINALLY they released a new album “The People’s Key” 2/15/11. I’ve listened to some of their songs on their new album, and I’m quite disappointed. It doesn’t sound like their chill, folk, indie “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning” album from ’05 anymore. Their new album consists of upbeat music much like the following bands: Tokyo Police Club, The New Pornographers, and such. I can’t put a finger on their new music mainly because I personally believe that it’s NOT them. However, I do believe in 2nd chances and hopefully at Lolla this year, they can wow me.

http://www.sentimentalistmag.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/brighteyes2010.jpg

6. Arctic Monkeys– OKAY THIS BAND IS GOING TO ROCK! I’ve seen them live at the Riviera theatre in Chicago during the winter of 2009 and they were amazing! I will admit, that the concert was so crazy that I had nearly 2 death experiences. It was so worth it.

http://www.musicgaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Arctic-Monkeys.jpg

Basically, you can already understand that THE LIST GOES ON.

Here’s THE LIST: Ratatat, Flogging Molly, Cold War Kids, Cage the Elephant, OK GO, Sam Adams, The Mountain Goats, Friendly Fires, Young Man, Girl Talk, Kid Cudi, Afrojack, Skrillex, and PLENTY MORE!

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on It’s now official!

I’ve been a bit busy at Holy Cross lately but I’m here now and I’m just dropping by to keep you all updated. It’s really starting to warm up which is extremely exciting. There’s NO snow, some rain, and just this past weekend we had a whole lot of…. highlights?

HiGHLiGHTeD eDGe

4/9/11

The point of highlighted edge is to wear  bright colors, an old white tee, and of course draw on the tees using highlighters.

Me and Jackie- Special thanks to my friend Katy for her photo taking skills and awesome camera.

Hana, Me, Jess, and Jackie.

Hana, Deirdre, Kristina, and Jess.

My crazy friends who I love to death.

Angel Wings on Neema's back.

Ali, Neema, and Jackie.

Intense photo of Deirdre and I.

Ali and awesome photographer/ camera owner Katy.

A bunch of us.

Most people think of the edge as a sort of a lame, on campus, overly supervised event. I would beg to differ considering….

THE AWESOME TURN OUT. What a fun night!

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I will say that despite being at school is fun, there are some things that I incredibly miss about being at home. I miss being with my friends from home and I miss having their company. One tradition that my girl friends from home would do is that we would go out to eat at this Japanese Habachi restaurant. This past weekend, my girlfriends (from school!) went to a habachi restaurant and saw the movie “Just Go With It” featuring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston.

Although we went to a habachi restaurant it will never be the same as my going with my friends from home. My home-girls and I would normally dress up to go out and then eat at the restaurant. Afterwards, we stopped by the local coffee shop and maybe get some desserts or coffee and head back to one of our houses and watch a movie. It was a pretty simple evening but the real happiness of those adventures was among the conversation and company of my friends. I’m not trying to insult my girlfriends at school, but let’s be honest- no one can replace my friends from home, period.

As for the evening with my girls from school, I will say that it was slightly amusing when some friends of mine (anonymously speaking) thought wasabi was guacamole and ate the entire ball of wasabi. Bad idea! Wasabi is very spicy and eating it like it’s guacamole is highly NOT recommended by me. As for the movie, I will say that Adam Sandler romantic comedies can get pretty old, but this movie was pretty unique. I thought that the jokes were pretty in depth and they developed even more throughout the movie. I guess that touch sort of added more a natural humor of “inside” jokes that everyone, including the audience who watched the entirety of the movie, can understand.

This is just a quick weekend update, hope you enjoyed it. I love my girl friends (and guy friends) from both home and school!

I spy in my little eye something happy.... very, VERY happy. 😀

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This may sound ridiculous or at least it should be credited with some creativity points, but birthday celebrations with my friends are the best study breaks and the best way to catching up.

Not only was it just valentine’s day weekend, but my friends and I celebrated Deirdre’s birthday. It’s a pretty simple tradition and relatively inexpensive. Of course, we don’t candles for the potential fire hazard, but we have cake… and lots of it! I just wanted to post this to show that even if it’s on a weekday, even if there’s lots of work, and if there’s lots of studying to be done, you will always have that group of people to support you and to save you sanity with a yummy cake break. I love my friends and I will say that I don’t appreciate them enough. Without them I would certainly not be consuming as much cake during my time at Holy Cross and most importantly, I wouldn’t have enjoyed as much here on campus. Make new friends, build strong friendships, and let it last.

Happy Birthday, Deirdre!

February 13, 2011

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<3 Happy Valentine’s Day!<3

Ali and I have decorated our bulletin board all nice for the Valentine’s. I also wrote something a little more personal and nothing really pertinent to Holy Cross. Feel free to read it at your own risk. Just wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day even if you’re single, widowed, or if your beloved isn’t there. Just remember that there’s at least someone out there who cares and loves you and that’s all that really matters on this day. 🙂

She waited for 19 days. She worked constantly at night. She often skipped lunch to do more extra reading. The only break she knew of was sleep and “The Office”. She knew her hard work was worth it. She washed her rugs Wednesday. She cleaned the floors and surfaces Thursday. Then Friday came along and she washed her linens and clothing. The big day was here, so she finished some of next week’s work she had left over from this hard week. There is no such thing as time-outs. She was at a fuss all week and the previous weekend because her boyfriend was flying out (his first flight ever) to visit her. That visit would mean the world to her.

Friday after classes and getting work done she was pacing… and more cleaning to the already cleaned surfaces. She wanted to take a nap but her own energy was unbeatable. She had dinner with a friend and her roommate before the big drive. She had a lot of responsibility driving her friend, her friend’s girl friend, another girl friend, and her boyfriend. She was clutch that night to make it the best weekend ever. She drove to Boston and picked up the 2 girlfriends from South Station. She drove to Boston Logan where she would find her own. She drove everyone back to Holy Cross. This was real.

We got settled in my dorm and I introduced everyone to John. Everyone liked him. I was pleased. The guys thought he was funny, the girls thought he was sweet, and I just thought I was lucky. Saturday morning, we exchanged valentine’s day gifts. He enjoyed his smart wool socks and book. I am glad I got him a red tie for the black and red themed dance that night- he forgot his tie. I received the sweetest card ever and a cookbook. We cooked breakfast- pancakes, bacon, bagels, eggs- for nearly all of our friends.We walked to the Hart Center for family skating. We ended up not skating, so I toured him around the facility and went back to the dorm and got ready for the day. Instead, I asked him to try his dress shirt on. It was too small. We made an emergency trip to the store to get a new dress shirt. It was on sale. John was happy. Then back at Holy Cross, we went back to the Hart Center and watched the basketball game. The game was so close. With only 54.7 seconds left, we were tied with Bucknell but we lost at the end of those 54.7 seconds by 4 points. It was still a fun game.

We got back to the dorm, ate food, got ready, and went to the dance. We danced all night. It was so much fun and it was incredible showing John my school. He really loved the campus and thought it was beautiful. Let me remind you, this is coming from him not me. After the dance, we hung out with friends for awhile and we talked. Eventually we were exhausted and tried to watch old SNL episodes until we fell asleep. I slept so well that night.

We woke up, got ready for the day, and we head down for brunch with everyone’s last meal together. It was so great seeing everyone. We walked around campus to show more buildings and we went back to the dorm. We shared one last cup of coffee and we started our drive to Boston. He was flying that morning and I knew it would be hard. I stayed strong. We said our goodbyes and that was the starting point of the next count down- 19 days until spring break. We couldn’t wait.

I drove back to Holy Cross, on my own now. There’s nothing more difficult and more beautiful than a long distance relationship that can last this long. Just short by 10 hours, we missed Valentines Day. I knew going back to what I now call home will be hard for I knew that at least 3 days of “home” felt real. That night, I couldn’t fall asleep. There was too much blanket. There was too much pillow. There was too much space. I woke up and it was as if it were all a dream. It was too good to be true, but it was real. Waking up, I hoped I wasn’t alone. I looked at the clock, it was 7:05. Even before rolling over, I knew. I said,

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Baby”

for even a thousand miles can’t stop our love.

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Posted in HAVE FUN. Have fun? YES, HAVING FUN is possible while in pre-med!, My life, Reflections | Comments Off on A Fictional Story

Orange Sparkly Scarf!

If that noun sounded familiar, than you too probably know the reference or have at least seen the youtube series “Sassy Gay Friend” written and produced by Chicago’s Second City! Another thing that you may or may not have known of THE sassy gay friend- Brian Gallivan- is that he graduated from College of the Holy Cross!

I know the issue of sexuality can be a bit uncomfortable. I know that hearing this talk around “adults” or “parents” is EXTREMELY uncomfortable. This show that was performed in front of 400+ people by a gay middle aged man, with the infinite fold amount of the sass exhibited by my little shih tzu sass-pup, goes to show that his performance was beyond hilarious and highly recommended for those too uncomfortable to hear the forbidden “s” word. I won’t write his jokes up because I personally believe that this is a “must see live” or “must see via youtube”- type performance. I will say that it was truly genuine and quite dieting for the heavy topic of homosexuality.

Believe it or not, it wasn’t the fact that he used the politically-correct euphemisms to hide away the “gore” and “truth” of homosexuality. It’s the fact that his presentation was extremely blunt, honest, and sassy that made the fearful subject of homosexuality seem funny and educational in its own way. I won’t say that this show will magically solve the racism endured by homosexuals. I will say that it provided a new outlook on people by bringing out this distinct preference. His comedic irony about his homosexuality brought a holistic understanding of humans- the idea of human acceptance of individual being- is okay and should be tolerated by society. For the sake of this post and readers who still aren’t sure of what I mean, I will provide a Gallivan quote that best exhibits this example and a human being becoming whole.

“The first time I felt like a man was waking up naked next to another man.” -Brian Gallivan.

Hopefully this understanding can become more prevalent in the status quo and for future generations. Slowly, we can already see the waves turning as recently there was a repeal of the United States’ Military “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that didn’t tolerate open homosexuals in the military. I hope that this repeal can be the initial push for many more to get this ball rolling.

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Posted in HAVE FUN. Have fun? YES, HAVING FUN is possible while in pre-med! | Comments Off on Roll The Ball.

It was once known as College of the Holy Cross est. 1843…..

It is now known as the Ice World. I wish this were true, but unfortunately this is just a fabrication of my imagination and with the support of photographic warrants justifying its desperate need of a changed name. I kid you not. Here’s the evidence.

Icicles of Doom.

Icicle tower.

Imagine one of those falling on you... just kidding! Really though, it's highly unlikely for that to happen due to the mounds of snow blocking your way from walking beneath this potential hazardous icicle.

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My flight went by smoothly which is fortunate and already I’m thinking about summer and bringing stuff home. I barely brought any clothes pack and I packed a luggage within another luggage to hopefully bring BOTH back home filled with junk that I won’t need. The more I think about, the more I realize how quickly these semesters pass. I’m not going to be here THAT much longer and the idea of finding storage space might be difficult. For students who live far away like me, don’t worry… once the end of the year hits I will definitely write a blog in regards to storage space and the best available options.

Now coming back to Holy Cross- one thing is for certain- Mass. got hit with a TON of snow. I have never seen this much snow at one time, one place in my entire life. With this said I would recommend…

1. long winter coat that covers (for lack of a better word)butt.

2. Waterproof winter boots- ugg boots will not cut it.

3. hats, gloves, scarves

Besides seeing all my friends and having our family dinner together at Kimball, it’s great to be back on campus and seeing the true Massachusetts weather I was dreading and looking forward to at the same time.

Dinand Library and its steps.

Sun set and Smith Labs.

Fenwick

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My boyfriend, John, and I decided to go on little Chicago adventures over winter break. We stopped by Greek Town and had food there. We stopped by Little Saigon and went to the oriental mart there/ nail supply store (I was able to find $4 O.P.I. Nail polish there!). We also stopped by China Town and ate at a restaurant there. The last place we decided to eat at was Ed Debevic’s.

I’m not sure if there’s a restaurant of this type in Massachusetts, but there’s certainly one in Chicago. “What’s so special about this restaurant?” might you ask. This restaurant is built on its fame of rude waiters. They have normal food but it’s their service that makes them so unique.

Walking into this restaurant, you can see the old signs from the 50’s/ 60’s. They had bright red booths and a counter table to sit at. Best of all we had the greatest waiter of them all who looked like the exact replica, maybe even more “bumish-looking”, version of John Belushi’s John Blutarsky in the collegiate related movie “Animal House”.

http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/files/2010/11/john-belushi.jpg

Famous quotes from our John Belushi, look-alike, waiter.

  1. “What do you two love birds want?”
  2. After just ordering water to drink, “Oh I see… tight budget eh? I’m on one too!”
  3. While delivering our drinks, “Ugh… You two are gross! GET A ROOM.”
  4. After asking him for another straw due him throwing the straws on our table and one falling between the wedge of the booth and wall, “WHAT?!?! You know that’s why they have a wrapper on it. GO PICK UP!”
  5. After I ordering a half slab of ribs, “Well… that wasn’t lady like.”
  6. While eating my ribs he decides to grab a plastic bag and wrap the bag around my neck as a bib, “Here’s one for the baby!”
  7. After dinner, “Do you want dessert or the bill?”
  8. After deciding on the bill, “Too much to eat, baby back ribs?”
  9. While John and I are splitting the bill, “Oh no… come on, man. Don’t let her pay for the bill! Better yet, take full advantage of her generosity before you’re married into a slavery.”
  10. Before leaving, “Thanks for the money… NOW GET OUT!”

Ed Debevic's

My bib.

My un-lady like meal.

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Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Reincarnation of John Belushi

Now it might seem like all through out break the only thing I do is hang out with friends. That is not necessarily true. My brother attends Dartmouth and because they have trimesters, he returns on the 2nd of January which is also a day before his birthday. I wish I could hang out more with him but our breaks don’t overlap as cleanly as we would like. However, I’m still at home with my parents who currently going through a moving process.

Both my parents are physicians and have owned their own private business in this old building in my hometown for a good 20 years. Now they are currently with St. James Hospital and have their own office connected to the new hospital and their own private office in another town. This basically means 2 doctors, 2 office, and both of them work at both places. It’s pretty crazy. Because I’m trapped at home and they needed help I’ve been working for them. It’s quite a boring job. I shred old paper, old records that aren’t needed anymore, and a lot of old junk. Then, when it comes to emptying the old office which is literally a home to them for 20 years, I’m the one who has to convince them to throw out junk. Their office ladies that they hired would tell them what to throw out, but considering my parents are their bosses, I think my parents would frown down upon that. Because I am the daughter, I can freely express my frustration on my mom’s irrelevant need to keep blank, old forms from 2004 and help them throw out unnecessary stuff.

Basically for  this week and the following I will be working in parent’s office. Then I leave, hang out with friends, sleep, and it’s work again. Sometimes though, we go out to eat. There’s this restaurant close by in Matteson, IL and I’ve been going there for a good 3 years after they rebuilt it. I just found out that there is now a Habachi grill!!! This is extremely exciting because it’s closer to home and the lunch prices for…

1. salad

2. soup

3. shrimp appetizer

4. meat(chicken), vegetables, and rice or noodles

is only TEN DOLLARS. Normally Habachi places charge $18 dollars for all of that +ice cream. I know for sure that this place is going to be a new hit for future dates with my boyfriend and I CAN NOT WAIT.

For those reading this don't know what I'm talking about, this is a habachi grill. IT's the table like grill where the chef cooks your food in front of you.

Lastly, we decided to see the dessert options and at first I thought the restaurant made a typo when they listed…

“Chocolate, Vanilla Mochi Ice cream. ” I thought they meant to put an ‘a’ instead of an ‘i’ to spell out mocha ice cream. I asked them again what it was and it turns out mochi ice cream is a kind of asian ice cream where there’s rice flour ball with ice cream in the middle. It’s really good!

These are Chocolate and Coffee Mochi slices.

I thought that this was on of the most interesting desserts I have ever tried and I am definitely looking forward to trying more Mochi Ice cream again!

Posted in My life, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Work and Habachi

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