Rest in Peace Chi Chis: The U.S.A will miss your celebration of food!

  For my birthday this year, I wanted to eat at Chi- Chis Mexican restaurant—for the first time ever. I wanted to be a part of the “Celebration of Food”. Since I never got that invite all my life.

Alas, this didn’t happen since I learned this year that all of the Chi-Chis restaurants in the United States closed down.  I was distraught and inconsolable on the day of my birthday party.

It would’ve been mature of me to have a stolid face but a part of me hoped this nugget of information was simply a canard.  A lie, a baseless falsehood. 

Nevertheless, my two sources of information couldn’t be false since it came from both my awesome boyfriend and my great friend Fahad ( who I silly stringed into a cacoon awhile back).

Several years back in 2003,  Chi-Chis was hit with the largest Hepatitus A outbreak in U.S history, with around 4 fatalities and 660 other victims who contracted the illness in the Pittsburgh area. If it weren’t for those green onions laced with hepatitus, maybe just maybe, Chi-Chis would still be around.

On the other hand, Chi-Chi’s was fighting bankruptcy for the last part of it’s fragile life.  Nevertheless, I wanted to eat there since I was 7-years-old. I would see the Chi-Chi’s sign highlight amidst the night sky, everytime my parents drove by it on the weekends.  I relished the day when I was big enough to eat ChiChi’s chimichangas, nachos, empanadas and tacos.

When that supposed day came,  in February 2012, little 7-year-old Sherryn was going to have her dream come true. She was finally going to be able to eat a whole meal at the one restaurant she wanted to be at.  The one place that she knew that accepted her as an adult, big enough to eat an entire entree by herself.

A few hours into the night, her moment of: “salsafication”; of having her life ” needing that extra salsa”; and of possibly being invited to that supposed “celebration of life”; dashed into irrevocable pieces.

It was that night in February where I finally matured into a full-fledged adult. I learned that sometimes the Rolling Stones are right, you can’t always get what you want. So you just have to bide the time and cogitate about what’s really important in life.

 I know that Hormel bought out ChiChis and sells their products online and I could always make it at home, but it’s really not the same. It never will be.

If  I ever want to eat at ChiChi’s, I would need to travel to Belguim or countries in the Middle East, Asia,  North Africa or Europe. I would have to shell out thousands of dollars of cash just to accomplish this feat and frankly, that’s too much for me to do.

  Moreover, I am not even sure if ChiChis would even taste good in a different country—the way I dreamed it would taste.

Comment below if you ever ate at Chi-Chis and miss it still. Maybe your comments will attenuate the pain inside of never knowing the real celebration of food.

Nada Surf at 9:30 Club: Decent concert, sparse crowd

Last night, Nada Surf rocked the 9:30 club to a commodious yet some-what packed audience of hipsters, awkward tweens, and Gen-Xers. Normally, the frosting to any concert experience for me is to max-out my people watching skills. I couldn’t help myself yesterday as I watched a coterie of frazzled hair girls squeel when Nada Surf’s lead singer Mathew Caws sung one of his newest singles.

As i’ve previously said before, it bites being short at concerts. I’m, like, always the shortest one there. And to top it all off, I abhor wearing heels so that didn’t  help the situation either. I conceded to my physical defeats and comported myself behind these two sheltered tweens.

   Throughout the night, these three meat-head types with large ears deemed themselves to have carte blanche over the rest of the audience.

 Each one, unknowingly, obfuscated my only clear view of the concert.  I was sure I wasn’t the only short person fraught with rage over their brusque behaviour.

In the meantime, Nada Surf played with bouyancy. Each song was sung harmoniously, and unlike the uncreative duo behind Sleighbells, each of their songs were singular, fresh, and different. Too bad for me, I wasn’t too aware of the band’s fan favorite hits.

All I really wanted Nada Surf to do was play my favorite songs.Conversely, they seemed bridled by the tweets of hipsters, home-schoolers, meat-heads and slightly graying couples in their 40′s.

Ughh!  Nada Surf just played what the majority wanted! Besides being a minority – and I don’t mean being the only Indian American at the show– I was probably one of a handful who only wanted to hear their popular singles, from this homogenuous group of Nada Surf Fans. I was captious to find foibles with the show.

When I realized all of this was occurring, I later quelled my emotions and swirling thoughts by just mentally replaying my own favorite Nada Surf songs.

 Subsequently, after I was attenuated by Nada Surf playing ‘fan favorites’, they started to play all of my favorite songs in a row.

• Best Nada Surf Songs at 9:30 Club   

*Blond on blond * See these bones * Inside of love * Always love

 I instantly forgave Nada Surf for being a people pleaser to D.C’s hipsters that night. I forgive you Nada Surf! You actually played the popular stuff.  On the contrary, though Nada Surf played their popular hits, they did not play “Popular”.

 Thank goodness! Though that hit is what they were most famous for, it’s the one song that grated my nerves the most.

Consequently, I did have a great time. Nada Surf played enough mellow tunes to lull a picky indie listener like me for awhile. Mathew Caws has an angelic voice, and his band produced wonderful refrains, choruses and beats to magically entrance any Nada Surf fan.

Even though I didn’t know alot of the songs the band played, I was still thoroughly impressed by their craftmanship. It was also cute that Caws parents were at the balcony, directly to his right. Both his mom and Dad had large grins that didn’t diminish throughout the night but only grew as each song played.

Nada surf was a decent concert overall and I hope they come back again to the D.C area.

Why do people brag about not studying in the U.S?

Growing up, I was surrounded with peers who loved to smear it to everyone’s face how they got an A on an exam they never studied for. Or better yet, talk-up how they put zero effort behind a school-related task and excelled in it. Honestly, it’s people like this that not only keep their peers down but give the U.S a poor reputation when it comes to having smart, scholarly educated residents.

Gone was the respect for someone who studied a clean 5 hours for an exam, honestly. And instead, are often heckled for being “dumb” enough to take time to really learn the material. I really don’t understand why people do this? What’s worse is that these same people who also brag about never studying for the SAT’s and GRE’s also boast hard about getting in the top 10 percentile.

There’s not as much respect for the person with average intelligence who works night and day for the high score. The one person who knows the value behind hard work and being self-sufficient, who often gets berated and chewed up for putting any effort—to begin with.

No wonder the U.S public school system is falling apart, slowly and painfully. This widespread mentality that laziness is rewarded and hardwork means you get punished is utterly disgusting and mendacious. I respect competition based on honesty and hardwork, since those are true American values. Not competition based on genetics or flat out lies.

I have never met a person who talked about studying hard for an exam and I wish I did. I would seriously pat them on the back for not only putting effort but for their sheer honesty. I’ve also met sensitive students to who get heavily bogged by their peers lies and who lose the confidence in themselves to learn the material. Since learning seems to be the uncool thing to do.

Honestly, people who hate learning or who brag about not really studying for anything, get on my last nerves. I think this is my biggest pet peeve since I dislike slackers and liars.

I also want to point out that bragging and lyings are clear signs of insecurity, so if you know of anyone who lies and brags about their stellar grades, maybe you should smile a bit. Atleast you are confident enough to remain honest about your efforts and value working hard for what you believe in.

Zombies: Do they exist in Maryland?

No, I don’t really think they exist. But if you were in downtown Silver Spring October 22, 2011 than they were real for one night. Silver Spring had it’s annual zombie walk where people from all walks of life dressed up as zombies and walked all across the downtown area.

 In fact, if you didnt feel like dressing up as a zombie you could go as a spectator ( take pictures of the zombies) or go as a zombie hunter and hunt down all the zombies with fake swords and Nerf guns.

When I lathered on globs of cream colored paste on my skin, fake blood down my shirt and red makeup over my face; I pondered what misadventures I could get into that night. Little did I know, would the following happen:

1.) Every minute I screached, “Brains, brains, I need Matt Damons brains.” I did it enough where onlookers would give me a quizzical expression and where some fellow zombies scratched their heads. I mean seriously, why Matt Damon. I was like,  Why not Matt Damon?

2.) I grabbed a gumball in the shape of an eye-ball, spotted a young 9-year-old zombie hunter and threw the gumball at him. Then ran away swiftly, before he prodded and stabbed his weapon at me. Zombies get one point, zombie hunters get zero points.

3.) I was about to throw another gumball at the direction of these three Silver Springers who dressed up as zombie hunters from “Resident Evil”, but ran away before the thought pervaded my brain. Those Silver Springers looked exactly like they were from Resident Evil and I wanted to live past 2011, atleast, without getting creamed by real zombie hunters.  Zombies  hunters get 1 point, while zombie are still okay with 1 point.

4.) I found a zombie hunter with frizzy hair, an undulated sword and a confused expression on her face. I tossed the gumball at her direction and she swiftly used her sword to hit it away. My face fell. I screamed and ran across to McGinty’s… Zombie hunter gets 1 point and Zombie loses 1 point for being a coward.

5.) The walk may have ended by this time but me pretending to be a zombie never ended. As I was driving out the parking garage, I lowered all the windows and told all my friends to scream, ” Brains, Brains I need Matt Damon’s brains” at anyone they could find. So far, 25% of the people who saw us waved to us while a majority of the rest gave us dirty looks.

6.) Finally, I see this girl with a lopsided pony tail slowly drive past me. I got the strongest impression from her that she had no idea about the zombie festival that just occurred. So, I lowered all my car windows, stuck both my oscillating arms out and screamed, ” Brains, Brains, I want your brains.”  The girl with the uneven hairstyle screamed, ” Oh sh*%” and swerved her car to the far right-hand side. As a fellow zombie of Silver Spring that night, I felt like that was a success story. Zombie’s reclaim a point after losing a point from McGinty’s awhile back.

IHOP: The “O-face” Pancake

October 28, 2011 is the day when I-HOP’s across the nation are giving kids 12-years and younger free pancakes with a happy-scarey face on it.  Inspite of these stringent rules, I wanted a pancake with an “O-face” on it just for giggles.

 Even though I am twenty-something year’s old and far from being a 12-year-old ( actually, I am the size of a 12-year-old, so scratch that thought), I wanted an innappropriate pancake on the wrong date.

Lucky for me, my usual waiter was there. He’s known me for like a year and 1/2 now, and would usually say the following two things to me whenever he sees me:

1.) Where is your friend?

2.) Will you actually eat something today? You just never seem to eat anything.

My usual waiter was really proud of me today. I ordered a whole meal and ate all of it. He was so proud that he let me get away with I-HOP regulation and made me an “O-face” pancake.

It’s the kind of pancake catered to adults since kids are not allowed to make “O-faces”, anyway….

Disney Princesses: Worst role models a young girl can have

Disney has been marketing their Disney Princess franchise for well-over  past 10 years. Young girls ranging from new borns to pre-teens want to buy either an Arielle themed dress or  a Snow White doll.

 Moreover, women my own age talk incessantly about their favorite disney princess growing up and about how they wish prince charming would just walk through their doors and whisk them away from their hum-drum lives.

I’m also sure that these same women, as younger women, would’ve wasted half their meager allowances on Sleeping Beauty merch if they could.

As lovely as it seems that young girls and older women love to color in conversation with droll tales of Belle being such a humble beauty who deserves the riches of being a new wife to the prince: It’s futile in rearing young women to be indepedent.

I,too, grew up on fanciful tales that all of your problems will wither away once prince charming strolls in, with his white horse and long sword, ready to fight all your battles and ready to beset you with riches beyond your feral imagination. I’m just fortunate enough to learn through life’s torrid experiences  that it’s not real. Disney movies are not real and MOST Disney princesses are the worst role models a parent can shove to their precocious young tykes.

I’m not really sorry to burst your niave little bubble nor will I recant anything I will say in this post. It’s true and I feel sorry for you for idolizing sleeping beauty. She’s a passive, insecure little whisp of a person. I’ve met young women like her and they waste their time focusing on their looks, dumbing themselves down by not reading books and focus all of their attentions on landing a rich man. Please!

Also, don’t get me started on Snow White. She, literally, ran away from her problems ( her step-mommy) and decided to bide her time with strange men ( dwarfs). Instead of teaching herself life skills or networking to get a career, she played passive house keeper and kept house.

She was a great role models for people pleasers ( she did please those dwarfs) and never frowned once. She smiled alot and never showed a variation of emotion throughout the movie. Is that really someone you want to look up to? A passive, people pleaser who can’t think for herself?

To top it all off, she did rely on her good looks to get saved by that prince. He only kissed her because she was hot. Not because of her intelligence, personality or special talents. She’s just a rich broad with a nice face. I guess snow white was the Paris Hilton of her day.

Ofcourse, Snow White ( like all the other Disney Princesses) and the prince marry,  live happily ever after,but does anyone ever talk about what happens afterwards? It’s great that the prince saved Snow White but the movie never explores his full personality.

Isn’t it true that men who play up the prince charming role tend to be controlling, passive aggressive abusers? Also, if Snow White really wants to keep her man–who fell head over heels for the way she looks–she may need to get lip, botox and a tummy tuck if she starts to age. If only Disney movies learned to “keep it real”.

This same rant holds merit to Cinderella. She’s passive and not a fighter. It’s obvious she hated her squalor but why didn’t she just move out? She’s married to the prince, but what else happens?

She tells other people to clean her mess? Cinderella just became a lazy “Real House Wife of New Jersey, New York, D.C, Los Angelas, etc.” That’s all she ever became after prince charming gave her back her Gucci brand glass slipper. A Real House Wife of Ever After Land, who gets to bitch and moan about Snow white talking trash about her and who smack talks Sleeping beauty for sleeping through her past conversation about too many mice in her castle.

Now don’t get me started on Arielle. It may seem romantic to young girls that she ran away from home to be with her man, but she makes disobeying her family, being selfish and sacrificing her own special talents ( a lovely singing voice) to be with some random man. She’s one self-centered, insecure, little red-head. I doubt she ever said thank you to Sebastian or Flounder for sticking out for her either.

Belle, from “Beauty and the Beast” may have some redeeming qualities but still qualifies under being a terrible role model. It’s great that she looks past the beasts ugly exterior, and loves to read books. Yet, she doesn’t seem to do anything else but read books. She’s obedient to the beast and if you read the classic books, she pretty much does everything her selfish family members want without voicing an opinion for herself. Though I bashed Arielle for disobeying her parents, there is nothing wrong with having open communication.

Obviously, Belle didn’t want to stay with the beast but it would’ve been nice if Belle decided she didnt stay with the beast. Belle was subjugated by her family ( according to the classics) to not voice her own opinions and learned complete submission at a young age. That’s definitely not a virtue that should be passed on from young girl to older woman but a vice. It’s also quite trite that Disney Princesses have to be beautiful on the outside to be one. What about princesses who are beautiful on the inside?

Princess Jasmin is beautiful on the inside and outside, but she was raised to be married off. Pocahontas was the same way. Their prime goal was to be married off. To sacrifice the rest of their lives to this union and to disregard their own talents. Inspite of those caveats, Jasmin and Pocahontas are ten times more redeemable than the aforementioned princesses. They are naturally beautiful, smart, courageous and bold. Not to mention, they try to make their own destiny.

Mulan is a fighter and a commoner. She worked very hard as a warrior and only lucked into being a princess, since that was never her sole aspiration. She deserves to be a role model as well as Princess  Tiana from the 2009 Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog”. Tiana never expected to be a princess. She simply worked two jobs, was self- sufficient, and dreamed of opening up her OWN restuarant with her OWN money. Out of all the princesses, she’s the best role model. She’s also realistically beautiful inside and out as well.

Though i’ve bashed countless princesses in this post, I have also praised the lesser known ones as well. I noticed that mainly the weak, passive or selfish princesses are marketed the most. I rarely see Jasmin, Pocahontas, Mulan or Tiana merchandise at any stores ( maybe some Jasmin but she’s ALWAYS in the background of her weaker, more passive, peers). Why is that?

Why market the worst role models a young woman can have, and stealthily hide the ones that should be followed?

If you agree or disagree with this post, please rant and rave below. I am all ears.

Unloved: A story about a hairless penguin and a rejected ginger seal

People can be cruel at times, this is common sense. There are stories saturating the media about parents abandoning, beating or emotionally abusing their young.  Nonetheless,It’s not everyday when readers get to hear about animal parents being just as cruel–if not worse.

This week, I read about a hairless penguin being rejected by its family due to looking socially and physically awkward. The penguin baby was  left to die, isolated, on a lonely patch of ice. Luckily for the baby penguin, that it was able to be  nursed back to health in China’s Laioning Province by caring non-animal hands.

This  little baby was born akward and bald because it lacked supple nutrition and had an inability to digest food properly. After the baby grew feathers and started to look the way a penguin ought to look, its family started to accepted it back, with open, floppy wings.

Another animal rejected this weak was this ginger seal (yes, the sad one you see above). Along the seal colony, by Tyuleniy Island, Russia, a furry seal with reddish fur and glossy blue eyes was hiding under a pile of logs. It’s family abandoned it too. The poor seal is almost blind and was left to die–much like the hairless penguin with crying eyes.

Generally seal are supposedly dark brown and, when wet, apear almost ebony. Which is  a stark contrast with our ginger seal who has glossy blue eyes and salmon colored flippers. I’m sure, when it’s wet, will look like an angry, rabie-bitten tom cat. It’s sad that it was considered an anomaly amongst its seal family. Poor lil bugger.

Lucky for him, the rejected ginger seal found a new home at a Dolphinarium where he can be doted on. Though both the baby penguin and seal found a happy ending to their sad situation, it pains me to think how animal families are not so different from many human families.

Just Looking into their long-set eyes, pointing downward, I couldn’t help but feel remorse for them and anger for their families. Just because they were born odd doesn’t make them any less a penguin or any less a seal. Only time will tell.

Why are most of the Golden Girls dying off? End of the world, perhaps..

Does anyone else find it really strange that most ( not all) of the main cast of the acclaimed TV show “The Golden Girls” have been dying of, in sequential order? Seriously!

I get that they are old and it’s their time. But I find it very strange that ever since 2008, each member has been croaking from that show. Why?

Has anyone else noticed that around the time  cast members were dying off that one of the main stars, Betty White’s fame has been skyrocketing? She wasn’t this well-liked in 2007 but after 2008 she’s been getting exceedingly more popular. Hmmmmm…

 Now, Let’s start off with the first death. Estelle Getty, who played Sofia— the cranky but sardonic octogenerian – died July 22, 2008. She suffered from Lewy Body dementia and was slowly losing her sanity after the show went off the air.  I digress, it’s funny to point out that she was actually one of the youngest members of the show but looked the oldest.

All of that makeup she had caked on really fooled viewers into thinking she’s an 80-something years old  midget mom who bore a non-jolly-full Giant ( Dorothy). Anyways, it was Getty’s death that started off the whole  ’Who’s going to die next from the TV show Golden Girls’ trend. I’m so not the only one guilty of this too.  I know I wasn’t the only one who played this introspective game, there were others across the globe who had similiar thoughts like me.

Little did I know back then that this was going to be a yearly game that I would be  mentally playing for the next three years. By 2009, Bea Arthur who played dry but responsible Dorothy sbornak died on April 25. She suffered from long bouts with cancer but died peacefully at home. On the show, Dorothy played Sofia’s daughter and viewers, aside from me, liked the dichotomoy between both of their heights. Extremely tall ( 6-ft-Arthur) against someone extremly short ( 5-ft-Getty).  If you watched the show and pretended they were all real characters, one may think: how did such a little lady bore…that?

Anyways, before 2010 I thought this was a coincidence. But by 2010, this sick pattern was making more sense to me now. Rue Mclanahan, who played Blanche the southern hussy, died June third of that year.  Mclanahan was a breast cancer survivor but passed away due to suffering yet another stroke.Okay, I am going to stray from the topic one more time. I know they that say that actors and actresses are only playing a made-up character on TV but Wikipedia did say Mclanahan had 6 husbands.

I don’t know maybe art imitates real life sometimes. Was one husband not enough for her? Did she want to compete against the late great Elizabeth Taylor?

By 2010, it was the year of Betty White. I think around then she hosted SNL due to a Facebook campaign and won more emmys to collect dust with her other emmys from like 50 years ago. Betty White also garnered the nickname by the media as, “The last Golden Girl.” I’m sure she’s really sad about her close on-and-off screen friends passing away in sequential order but has she ever came across any insidious thoughts that 2011 may be her last year? Well, it would make sense since Getty, Arthur and then Mclanahan said farewell to planet earth.

We’re more than three-fourths done with 2011 and no Golden Girl has died this year—or so we think.

Andrew Gold, who created the theme song for the Golden Girls, died June 3 of this year in his sleep. He was being treated for renal cancer and was just two months shy of his 60th birthday. Betty White is safe for now.

But 2012 is coming up soon and this is where the latter half of my blog title: Why are most of the Golden Girls dying off? End of the world, perhaps, theory comes to play. Don’t people joke that the world is ending by 2012?

(Keep in mind, this is not a serious entry and everything I am saying is in facetious jest). What if Betty White’s possible death in 2012 starts the end of the world?  The most beloved TV actress to date, is the last Golden Girl. The last. As in 2012 is the last year before the end.

Unless the actor who plays Stanley, Dorothy’s husband croaks or the creator of the show passes away, Betty White is up for grabs by the grim reaper next year. I don’t think there is a strong enough Facebook campaign out there to stop it. So, what is everyone’s thoughts? Will Betty White live past 2012 and stay with us until 2025? Will Betty White pass away in 2012. Or will Betty White live forever while we die before her since she’s too awesome for words.

Please comment below your thoughts, feelings and jokes about this matter. Thank you.

New to the D.C/Maryland/Virginia area and bored? Here’s a guide on having a life

The Washington D.C, Maryland and Virginia area is home to thousands of new  transplants. It’s hard not to bump into someone from New Jersey or Ohio in this region. After an initial meet-and-greet,  I realize that several transplants don’t take advantage of the area’s many splendors.  Even young adults– those who were born and raised in the area–  waste their time on the following:

• Eating fast food
• Netflix/Redbox
• Watching TV at home, all alone
• Reading a book
• Quiet dinner or potluck with a few friends
• Clubbing in Dupont Circle, by Kay street, etc.

After mingling, socializing and even chilling with some new DMV residents; I often get flustered with them for not breaking out of their daily routines to enjoy life. Even if DMV peeps aren’t bored and  have close friends, it gets monotonous just staying indoors and drinking coffee with the same old crew.

 When young adults are in their early or late twenties/ thirties,  many tend to feel that life is too long and vast. Meaning, there’s plenty of time to live life so why start now? It’s a pity that  some waste their youth on watching too much T.V, perusing their new I-pad or frequently resting at home and immaturely call that a hobby. It’s not only a dormant way to expend one’s free time, it’s also a threshold for premature obesity, a shortened attention span and even catching depression. If you think this sounds bad, there are even worser ways some young adults in the area waste their time.

 There are others who venture into more underscored vices, e.g., doing  or dealing drugs ( yes, marijuanna counts as a drug), drinking too much, sleeping around, lying, stealing and creating drama. 

I admit that I used to watch alot of T.V when I was younger but I could never condone  anyone who waste their youth and time on any of these aforementioned  vices.  The media, peer pressure and sheer boredom subjugates several young adults ( even young professionals) in their twenties into throwing away their time like that. I truly don’t get it.

This region has alot to do besides drinking, clubbing, and staying at home all the time. If you are reading this entry and have ( still are) engaging heavily in these vices then I hope this obtrusive article not only offends you but sways you into foraying into the activities listed below (Click on links for actual locations in the area, hope this helps narrow down a location for you. Also this list was compiled due to an objective Google search and doesn’t personally reflect my own personal hobbies or interests):

1.) Take a Hip Hop class.

2.) Join a Social Sports club.

3.) Stretch your body out with Yoga.

4.) Join your local YMCA.

5.) Indoor or Outdoor rock climbing classes.

6.) Bike around D.C.

7.) Join the 20/30’2 Meet-up Group sponsored by J.T Yaung.

8.) Take a cooking class.

9.)  Read 100 best classics of the 20th Century.

10.) Learn a craft like crocheting or making jewelry.

11.) Go to indie shows at the 9:30 club.

12.) Hike at Great Falls.

14.) Take a Tennis Lesson.

15.) Get involved in politics.

16.) Be a mentor.

17.) Learn a foreign language, like Spanish.

18.)Take an Art class.

19.) Go horseback riding at Waredaca.

20.) Learn to ski or snowboard the bunny hills.

21.) Take an ice skating class.

23.)  Take a Belly Dancing course.

24.) Get into Haute Cuisine, and fine dine in the DMV area.

25.) Try Ziplining.

26.) Learn a life skill.

27.) Travel

28.) Take the metro everywhere.

29.) Join a Civic Group.

30.) Take an acting course.

31.) Wine Tasting.

32.) Professionals in  the City.

33.) Visit all the DMV festivals, every weekend.

34.) Take motorcycle lessons.

35.) Run a marathon.

36.) Take up fencing.

37.) Be an online writer.

38.) Take up fishing.

39.) Take swimming lessons.

40.) Golf or putt-putt.

41.) Martial Arts.

42.) Hit up a shooting range.

43.) Run around the area.

44.) Hang glide, sky dive, paraglide.

45.) Take an acting course.

46.) Learn to play guitar or piano.

47.) Archery.

48.) Master obscure board games

49.) Learn to dance Ballet, break dance, swing dance, tango, and waltz.

50.) Billiards

51.) Caligraphy

52.) Chess

53.) poetry writing

54.) scrapbooking

55.) Blogging

56.)  Sewing

57.) Sign Language

58.) Speed Reading

59.) Paint ball

60.) Discover foreign cinema or classic films.

61.) Follow a bucket list or follow your OWN bucket list.

62.) Visit every museum in the area.

Though this is a very extensive and exhaustive list, not everyone has the same interests so I am sure there are items here that will peak someone’s interest. I also want to make a very important note that you don’t need to do any of these hobbies with friends.  I know that sounds kind of harsh but ( and you can’t deny this too) people tend to FLAKE and CANCEL on you, even if they have a good reason. Please don’t depend on other people and just GO FOR IT. Take that ice skating lesson alone and even try to crochet on your own too.

I learned, the hard way, that you need to take advantage of your precious time and just learn as much as you can along the way. Even if people are laughing at you for taking that archery class or for you to even consider that cooking class. Just do it!

Did you know? You can plank in Downtown Silver Spring too..

I’m sure some of you have heard of the the fad planking. No? Well Planking, in short, is lying face down in a unusual or incongruous location. It’s imperative that hands must touch the sides of the body and  players must post the pic online, asap. In order to play the game right, players must find the most unusual and original location to play.

Many have claimed to have invented planking (e.g., Tom Green, Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon) while others simply just do it.  This trend was incepted in 2011 and has pervaded the globe. So many Facebook pages are influxed with Planking pics ranging from awkward locations at a park to exotic landmarks like the Taj Mahal.

It’s even interesting to note that someone died from this fad. On May 15, 2011 an Australian man from Brisbane plunged to his death after reportedly planked on a seventh-floor balcony.

Well, a few weekends ago I didn’t die, neither did my friend Rob.  You can live through this fad too, fyi.

I haven’t seen Rob in awhile so I decided to text him to see if he wanted to catch dinner in downtown Silver Spring. He did but was craving a taco salad from Qdoba. So we met up, ate and talked.  Throughout the meal, I noticed Rob had this trendy camera hung on him. He would double-check the lense then unremittingly snap shots of me eating awkwardly.

I wish I had those pics to post too but sadly, I don’t. Anyways,  Rob wanted to plank. It was all he thought about doing. After talking about it so much, I wanted to plank too.

Rob was very brave. He wanted to plank in the most awkward locations..

I wish I was as brave as Rob G. I opted to just plank in the most noteworthy location..

Rob wanted other people to laugh at me. And yes, he got his wish.

It was a fun adventure. It was not only my first time planking but it was also my first time creating a semi scene in the area as well. Rob and I jotted down future locales to plank at ( ofcourse, his areas are more daring and risky than my own).