80s Old School Hip Hop

This weekend was a blast. I went to an 80s Old School Hip Hop Dance and had an AMAZING time. I got dressed up wearing the best old school outfit I could find and danced for hours upon hours to music that defined the famous music we love so much called HIP HOP...
----All the artists that set the tone for our current Hip Hop artists today:

•  TLC
• Salt 'n Peppa
• Run DMC
• Queen Latifah (early 90s)
• N.W.A.
• Grandmaster FLASH

                        And the father of Hip Hop...DJ Kool Herc
Hip Hop was designed and developed through MCing, Beat Boxing, DJin and last but not least GRAFFITTI... I love Graffitti. Art at it's more raw point. (ahhh...refreshing)

Pictures from the night to come soon.

Black Womens Hair in Black Culture

In my Black Feminist Theory class today we discussed how oppressive the white elite system is to our Black Culture. Especially in regards to womens' hair. Black women reach a crosspoint where they have to decide whether to add chemicals to their hair to make it more "manageable" or to leave it in its' natural state. This was a very controversial discussion because some young black women, in the class, had their hair relaxed while others were rocking it all natural. How were we suppose to determine which hairstyle is more genuine and unique to our "BLACK CULTURE?" We could barely agree on what our BLACK CULTURE was. There was no right or wrong answer....just a lot whole lot of different viewpoints.

 I am personally in the process of growing my hair out of it's "permed state" and let me say, it's been a difficult yet fulfilling journey. I feel less stress about having to save money to "relax" my hair. I feel even less stressed about "needing money" to add hair to my own hair (also known as weaving it up). My hair was not built to handle all of this stress. And I should not subject my hair to this torture any longer. I have been braiding and re-braiding my hair for the past 6 months or so. And it's been...a journey. But I am learning to appreciate what I once thought was a curse: My nice thick hair!

In this stage of my life where I am turning 20 this year, I am realizing more about what makes me happy, without the external factors HUGELY AFFECTING MY DECISIONS. I am happy with my hair. It's rough sometimes, using the word ROUGH loosely, but it's mine. I own it. And I should determine what I want do to it. Not what I should do to it because of the field that I want to go into after I graduate. Isn't going to an ALL WHITE private college enough torture for me?


PS. All thanks goes to Britney for braiding my hair tonight :)

The Easy Life

Golden locks of hair
 entwined within each other
cuts and twists and curls
Smells like no other

Running around my dorm
laughing, gigling and screaming
We face no real storm
Our sunlight is beaming

Watching tv shows
of husbands asking woman for wives
we don't get that oppurtunity
we have to "fake" our easy life

MyQueerValentine

So, YES! I stole this title from my Valentine this year...so what?
 LMAO I had an amazing Valentine's Day this year. Britney and I exchanged gifts as soon as we could on Sunday night-early Monday morning. I had a meeting at 11pm but as soon as it was over, I ran to my room to see what was awaiting me.


It was a beautiful ring entwined with two hearts with each of our initials on it... "B" and "Z". It was the best Valentine's Day present I could have ever received. And besides that, we shared some wine and talked for a while, sitting Indian crossed, on my purple rug discussing our gifts and our future and it was just an amazing Valentines Day experience. Usually, Valentines Day is a day that only I am excited about but this year Britney went all out for me. She wrote me a beautiful song that confirmed her dedication and commitment to me.


She is definitely a good look for me. I am more happy than I have been in a while and I am looking forward to more holidays to come with her.






Love,
Zaraya

Another Again-

Another Again-By John Legend


It's a circle that never ends-
everything is connected.
This moment was meant to occur
this meeting was meant to happen
I was meant to realize that...
But why?
I barely know anymore.
 I don't know why things happen
Or how...but they do.
Everything is so connected in a wierd
It's a chess came thats addicted to being played
constantly over and over again
Over and over again
and when the king eventually is caught...
because no matter which team it is...a king is always caught
The game is over.
Again. And another again. And another again.
It's a circle that never ends-

Random Ramblings of Nothing Important

     
I got out of my Philosophy of Feminism class early because we had a quiz that I finished within about 50 minutes. I hope I did well. I semi-studied for it productively with other people and alone so hopefully, my studying skills pay off.
     I am in the library on my college campus in PA, where I live (sighs, I miss NYC) observing everyone else around looking busy at work and all comfortable and what not. And I feel totally MISPLACED. I am bored and I miss home and I miss my friends and I am tired of all the printers going off at the same time, printing what feels like a hundred pages each! But I am trying to be more optimistic about being on campus. I complain a lot when I have so much to be grateful for. I am realizing this slowly but surely.
        Tomorrow is pay day so I am excited not to be broke for a while. My checks last maybe two weeks at best and I just never know where my money is going anymore. I am an obsessive shopper at Walmart when I get the chance but with their low prices how can you not be? I buy neccessities for my everyday life such as soap and clothes detergent and...clothes...cheap clothes and by the time I check my account I have five dollars left! I know I must sound like a spoil brat but I gave myself a new goal/idea/whatever. I am not going to treat myself to anything major (i.e.a tattoo, or more clothes) until I get my grades to where I want them. I think this is a reasonable goal saying that it will encourage me to want to do better overall in my classes. So, example, if I pass this quiz that I took today with a B or higher, I will buy myself a nice article of clothing, like a shirt or something random. If I do not pass with a B or higher I will not get myself anything. I think thats fair since I am always trying to look for unceccesary things that I do not need anyway this will help me save money and only buy things one at a time.
   Well that was my random ramble for the day. There might be more to come. Who knows? lol

Tax Collecting Disaster

I filed taxes for the first time ever about two weeks ago! And as exhilarating as it was, the process was frustrating. The waiting for the check to arrive was even worse. But after 2 and a half weeks of waiting, it finally arrived. I was so excited (and broke) that I couldn't wait to cash it. I checked the time, and it was fairly early still (8:30pm) so I begged and pleaded for my friend to drive me to the nearest Walmart.            


When I arrived at Walmart, I waited on a LONG line that seemed to have a thousand people in front of me ,for what felt like forever, until I finally got to the cash register. But to my dismay, I discovered that they did not accept the bank that issued my check. AHHHHH! Are you serious? After all this rushing and excitement just to get to Walmart (which was like 4 miles away) it was all for nothing! 
Disappointed, I came back to campus. Empty handed and still broke. But my girlfriend and I enjoyed the rest of the evening watching Lifetime movies until I fell asleep dreaming about only one thing (Ok, maybe two things): Getting my check (and holding my girlfriend, of course)


In the morning, I got up early, washed up and walked to my local bank (Wachovia). They were so helpful and understanding about my situation. They acted swiftly and were very friendly, as well. And wa-la, I was able to cash my check within minutes. I hurried back to my dorm with a new plan in mind for the evening. Dinner and SHOPPING! 
I haven't done either of the two things yet, but when I get around to eating (and shopping) I will let you guys know.


Thanks to Wachovia and a whole lot of patience from my girlfriend while I was freaking out about the whole matter, I am able to have a peaceful and happy Friday :)

I don't want to...

For my un-named, unofficial girlfriend,

Baby, I know that I do not treat you any where close to the sunshine that you are

You are this tall, high yellow, sexy young woman who is smart

and getting more and more open minded as the days pass

I do not want to allow another day to go by without you knowing how special you are to me.

I refuse to allow another moment to go by

without your smile brighting up my morning and afternoon and evening

You share so much of yourself with me

and I am more than grateful for that

we do not have sex...we make love...mentally and emotionally and physically
and every time you touch me, I feel...
like a virgin touched for the very first time again...
(or the second and third time...whichever one you will believe ha!)
You are a big part of this crazy, untangible, unpredictable person I call Zaraya
I have fallen so deep for you...and I can't get up.

But honestly, I don't want to.