Reflection

You are currently browsing the archive for the Reflection category.

Boutique service fail – à la “Pretty Woman”

January 15, 2012 in Reflection, So Cal, Uncategorized | 1 comment

My first experience at a designer consignment boutique in LA was awful. Now, as someone who gets most of their wardrobe from Target, I can tell you I didn’t really expect to ever find myself in a place that carries Dolce and Gabbana and Chanel. I ended up there as a favor…instead of getting respect though, I was ignored.

I felt like Julia Robert’s character in the movie “Pretty Woman.” She plays a hooker who takes some cash from her client-turned-prince-charming, Richard Gere, to go shopping for new clothes at a fancy boutique. In my case, I was trying NOT to buy, but sell fancy shoes at a LA-area boutique.

See, my dad’s girlfriend, Michelle, used to work for a fashion designer. After runway shows, the models would discard their shoes – after only wearing them maybe once or twice. A crime! Michelle’s designer boss gave her the leftover Manolo Blahniks (which I only know of from Carrie Bradshaw on episodes of Sex and the City) and Christian Louboutins (which I only knew about maybe two weeks ago, which I’ve been told are known for their signature clown-red bottoms). All these shoes retail at more than $500 a pair. And that’s being conservative. They are beautiful shoes, but they’re large. Michelle wears like a size ten or eleven…so I couldn’t keep any of the shoes for myself since I sport a 7 or 8 at best. Believe me, I considered it. I’ve settled for staring at them longingly and petting them. Don’t judge! These are satin shoes. They feel nice to the touch!

Anyways, I have about ten pairs of these beautiful, overpriced shoes that I need to find new homes for. I just want to haggle with a consignment boutique to sell them for me. I’ve tried selling them online and it’s been a major pain. But when I went to this LA-based boutique, I realized it could be even more of a pain.

I spoke with the owner of the store, we’ll call her Linda. Linda gave me the impression that she just needed to finish helping a customer and then she could speak with me about my shoes. There were three other women working that day. None of them talked to me or acknowledged my lurking. Linda kept speaking with her customer, but it wasn’t about fabric types or prices. They were talking about $30,000 cruises, obnoxious amounts of volunteer work (yes, it’s possible for volunteer work to be obnoxious) and how to arrange jewelry to make the most bang for your buck. I kept waiting and waiting..It was clear Linda was more concerned with this cooing senior than some cutesy 20-something. I was sick of hearing all of it. I didn’t like feeling ignored. I didn’t need a Richard Gere to save me, but it sure couldn’t have hurt.

The best part about LA? You don’t have to put up with feeling like a nobody. There’s millions of other people you can choose to interact with. You just lift your head up and move on. I still have to find a boutique to take these damn shoes to…but maybe next time I’ll “dress” the part – both inside and out. You gotta fight fire with fire.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

Tags: , , , ,

Warning by Jenny Joseph

October 30, 2011 in Reflection, Uncategorized | No comments

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

-Jenny Joseph

Meet my twin

October 20, 2011 in Reflection, Uncategorized | No comments

Cody and I were inspired by Storycorps’ National Day of Listening project to stage an interview. It asks people to interview those they love… ask them questions you’ve always wanted to ask. The point is you become closer to the person you love and have a memorable keepsake to share with others for the rest of your life. I approached Cody and asked him if I could interview him. He was a little hesitant at first, but he was game. I grabbed my cheapie Olympus recorder. We sat on a thrift store couch in my teeny-weeny apartment in Sept. 2010. We talked for about 45 minutes. I had a list of some pre-thought out questions and I also asked some off the top of my head. I learned a lot about Cody…I hope he learned a lot about me, too. Cody and I have been through some tough times together. I live in Los Angeles now, about 12 hours away. I miss him so much. When we are together, we laugh at jokes that no one else would understand. We know all the words to random Mariah Carey songs. We both have an unhealthy obession with cheese. We make up words…like stummy.

“Happy Birthday dear codyandashley…ashleyandcody…ashcody…codley…” Our names always get mashed together at our mutual family birthday parties. I’m used to it now and actually love it. It reminds me how lucky I am to have my brother, Cody. We’ve always been known as Cody and Ashley: the Bailey twins where we grew up in Arcata, California. Our family’s lived there for three generations…we are kinda hard not to recognize. People see our faces and immediately know: You’re a Bailey!

I used to hate being a twin. Cody and I would fight all the time growing up. I hit him in the eye with a hockey stick. We had salt and pepper fights. (Oh, you don’t do that? It’s when you run around the house screaming like banshees with spice shakers in hand when you’re mom’s at work) Most siblings feel some sort of competitive edge. But being a twin feels a little bit more challenging at times. Like the day we took our driving tests. My permit test – I failed. He passed. I cried all the way home. He was all smiles. My driving test – pass! His driving test – fail. He got his license three weeks later. Then there’s the whole sharing friends and classes at school. I had a hard time when some of my best girlfriends stopped calling the house for me and instead called to hang out with my “cool brother.”

Cody and I grew up. I now pretty much consider him my best friend. And who wouldn’t want to know as much as they can about their best friend?

I hear his voice in this interview and know that he’s just a phone call away. It makes me happy. I posted an edited portion of our interview on youtube, click the link at the top of this post. I hope you enjoy Cody as much as I do.

 

Tags: , , ,

CD’s – what’re those? A random dump of my musical upbringing

October 9, 2011 in Music, Reflection, Uncategorized | No comments

I found my old leather case that holds dozens of CD’s close to my heart. Well, let’s say 13-year-old version of me would be devastated if something ever happened to this leather case. These are songs I grew up on…all the way up until whenever I got an iPod. I never even saved them to my computer. Yikes! I keep them in my car just in case all other modes of entertainment fail. I cleaned out my trunk today and BAM I saw my leather case of CD’s. So here are the first five discs I pulled out and what I recall about them:

 1. Album: Revolver Artist: The Beatles

I lucked out on grabbing a “cool” album from the bunch. My friend, Julie, burned this for me when I was 16. We went through a Beatles kick. I had never really listened to them before. I experienced this intense head-over-heels falling in love moment with the Beatles, just like I imagine my mom did in the 60′s. My European History teacher Mr. Glassman taught a unit all about them and I fell in love.

Song to listen to: Eleanor Rigby

2. Album: ?? Artist: The Weepies

I LOVE finding CD’s that have no writing on them. I pop it in my trusty Mac. All the songs are labeled “track 1…track 2…track 3…” OOOooooOoohh! The mystery! Come to find out – it’s The Weepies. My friend, Katie, burned this for me my freshman year of college. I’ve been in love with the folksy, upbeat, good country-living songs of this husband-wife duo. Turns out they live in Topanga. Not surprised.

Song to listen to: Jolene

“I only think about you when it’s raining or it’s not.”

3. Album: Celebrity Artist: N’Sync

What 13 year-old American girl DIDN’T love boy bands? Okay. Not all of us, but most certainly me. I won this album from a contest on a local radio station. This was back in the day when you had to actually wait for a CD to come out in a store, run to the store after school and throw your allowance out the window. So I got THIS album the day BEFORE all my friends. I felt SO COOL. The music video for Pop is still awesome…but mostly for nostalgia, cheesy graphics and cheesier dancing. P.S. I still have a mad crush on JT.

Song to listen to: Pop

4. Album: Love 2 Artist: Air

So to be honest, I’ve never listened to this album. My friend, John, burned it for me a couple years back. He was going through an “Air” kick. They’re kinda ambient, transcendental, electronic…and French. They’re great tunes to listen to when driving through the forest. I have a feeling that if you were going to get abducted by aliens, really chill aliens, they would play Air. I’m listening to this album for the first time, now.

Song to listen to: African Velvet

5. Album: The Reason Artist: Hoobastank

Hoobastank…stinks like stank. It’s just entirely too emo for me. I bought this “rock” album solely because my friend, Alex, and I loved the hit single, “The Reason.” I’m pretty sure there’s video out there of 14-year-old us dancing and belting out loud the lyrics. The drummer grew up in Arcata, my hometown. There’s a plaque for him at the local middle school. Tee-hee. Wonder if it’s still up considering they’re not doing much anymore?

Song to listen to (obviously): The Reason

Okay…now it’s your turn. And don’t cheat. I really wanted to cheat and “re-pick” a new CD for this list of randomness. Report back! :)

Tags: , ,

Ramadan – I’m so thirsty! (I mean…I’m so grateful that I have thirst)

August 21, 2011 in Reflection, Uncategorized | No comments

Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting. My friend, Yasmin, tells me it’s not so much about depriving yourself of food. You do get to eat — before sunrise and after sunset. She says it’s about gratitude. You learn to be thankful for what you have and think about others that don’t. She says it’s also about patience. You learn to take a deep breathe and hang on, knowing that things will work out even when they feel extremely tough. She says it’s also about NOT complaining.
I decided to join Yasmin for a day in her fast. Just one day.
I rolled out of bed at 4 a.m. I grabbed a chicken breast out of the fridge. I grabbed some baby potatoes, too. I’ve been gnoshing on our leftovers from a BBQ for about a week. I couldn’t get through the potatoes. I drank five glasses of water (no joke). I ate my chicken so fast. I just wanted to get back into bed. I proceeded to have like three different bizarro dreams telling people I wasn’t eating. You forget how much eating and drinking is a part of your life. I think it’s more social than anything.
Throughout the day I kept thinking of water. I walked by the restroom. The water fountain never looked so attractive. I resisted the temptation of breaking my fast.
Somehow at work I was able to write about illegal immigration and a cultural festival. I also dealt with some technical difficulties loading audio and recording a reporter in the field. I don’t know how my brain was able to work so well. I can’t imagine that people do this for an ENTIRE month. I couldn’t wait to indulge in a brownie. Yum. Pizza. ANYTHING…I was starting to feel a little frazzled…a little wacky. Like the feeling you get when you haven’t had enough sleep.
I can hardly say I got the “real” Ramadan experience in one day, but I did come away with an experience.
Being thankful: I was walking my friend Roy to lunch. I smelled tacos wafting through the air. I told him that Ramadan was making me think of kids who have to go to school and function without a good meal. Hunger isn’t just in third world countries. It’s all around us and all of sudden, I felt how close it hits to home.
Being patient: There were so many points through my fasting day that I wanted to give up and drink something. The last hour of my work day was the hardest. Things were slowing down a bit and all I could think about was how dry my lips were.
NOT complaining: This was probably the most difficult aspect of fasting for me. I wanted to complain about how thirsty I was. The not eating part wasn’t so hard…I usually get really busy at work and bypass eating anyway. But coffee…oh, no no. I don’t turn away the java elixir of life. I drink it all day long. I saw an iced coffee sitting on a table. It was all I could do not to snatch it up and run. Luckily, I stayed busy most of the day at work and didn’t have time to complain to anyone.
The light at the end of the tunnel was going to Yasmin’s house after work. She bought us a lovely Italian dinner. We talked for at least four hours. We never get a chance to gab since we’re always running around. I got to meet some of her family members. They were so nice! I’m impressed with how deeply they are involved in their religion and the quality of people they are. They go to pray at a mosque almost every night during the month of Ramadan. And they go at like 10 o’clock at the night…when the rest of us are watching Netflix or eating ice cream (or both).
I’ve never identified with a particular religion. But I do identify with people who are passionate. They might have a love for driving race cars, baking pies, curing cancer or teaching tennis. In this case, Yasmin’s family is passionate about honoring their religion and being good people.
I can’t say I would fast again (on purpose, anyway), but I felt really lucky to participate in their celebration.

Maybe I should learn Korean?

May 15, 2011 in Reflection, Reporter's Notebook, So Cal, Uncategorized | No comments

Last week, I attended my first bi-lingual news conference in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. It was in Korean half the time. See story here. I recorded audio that would later be aired on Southern California Public Radio. I knew I wouldn’t use the Korean part of it, but it was so interesting to me…so I kept the microphone on. My ears listened to a woman speak, as if she were singing a song. I looked around the room and many people were listening intently. There were even like two or three Korean news agencies at the conference, conducting all their interviews in their language.

I’ve always been impressed with people that can speak more than one language. I speak Spanish, kinda…not really. I took two years in high school, but have never practiced it enough to feel confident. I feel like a lazy American for not learning more. It’s definitely a goal of mine to learn more languages, but where to start?

I wonder if language unites or separates communities? I think a little of both. It unites small groups of people to forge bonds and have closer relationships, but at the same time, it seals outsiders out.

I’m happy to hear different languages and proud that people keep their traditions living on. But what about the rest of us? Should everyone learn several languages? How do you decide which ones to invest in? If you’re constantly exploring the world and its different regions, how can you be sure which one will be the most useful? I guess you don’t.  You just have to jump in and be open to making a few mistakes.

 

 

 

My famed co-worker thinks grad school sucks

May 12, 2011 in Jobs, Journalism, Reflection, So Cal, Uncategorized | No comments

 

Larry Mantle hosts a daily talk show on KPCC Southern California Public Radio. He’s been doing it for 27 years WITHOUT a journalism degree. He’s pretty badass. It’s nice to hear of people making it in this business without a fancy schmancy piece of paper. Here’s why he thinks degrees aren’t crucial…

Curiosity

March 30, 2011 in Reflection, Uncategorized | 1 comment

Kissing

March 22, 2011 in Reflection, Uncategorized | No comments

“No, I don’t think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly.” Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind

 

 

Nostalgia

February 23, 2011 in Reflection, Uncategorized | No comments

 

Being 15 is rough. Just ask Angela Chase and Jordan Catalano.

“The sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time,” says the dictionary. Nostalgia has been flooding me lately as I’ve been sorting through boxes of junk.

I found old diaries from when I was 15 – talking about boys and driving permits. I also found yearbooks. In high school, I didn’t date too much. I was always a “good girl” (no drinking, no parties – my idea of a fun night out was pushing friends in shopping carts through the KMart parking lot in the middle of the night or dancing in Jessica’s garage). I  figured there must be something wrong with me to not have dates to prom or a boyfriend at the football game. But reading over these yearbook messages, I decoded interest from the male species. I was so blind! It makes me laugh to think I was so insecure. It makes me glad I’ve gotten past high school and makes me want to help other young people as they transition through one of the roughest times in their life. Social akwardness at its peak. Somehow, we all survive.

I also found a cassette tape my best girlfriends made for me when we were 14. They were singing and saying things they liked about me. I had to ask Jeanne to borrow her cassette player to listen. We laughed the whole time. It felt good to remember those times and know that even as we grow and change, we will always have these great memories of people we have cared about in our lives.

« Older entries