I'm Being Good. And Bad.

We all do things we aren't exactly proud of... Like eat an experimental cookie, become upset because it wasn't perfect, and proceed to enter the second bakery in ten minutes... Someone stop me. If I used hashtags, I'd say #HellsKitchen. It's fantastic. And a menace to my health. Though I would like to add that I walk everywhere... I'm keeping active between my mouthfuls of sweets... Whatever, I don't even care. I don't have to prove ANYTHING to you. I'm gonna love this biscuit to pieces. 

So.... Favorite spots in New York? Yeah, I have a half-baked list; let's see here...

I love Prospect Heights (the only neighborhood of Brooklyn I've visited thus far), Hells Kitchen, the Upper West Side, and the West Village; I want desperately to explore Queens. I actually just adore the west side of Manhattan at large. I realize that that is geographically an expansive area to love, but I do, I really do... And anyway, I've listed more specific locations below...

Riverside Park
The final scene of You've Got Mail was filmed here, at the 91st Street Garden (the park is four miles long). My cousin and I talked to one of the groundskeepers there last week; he was 93, had been caring for the gardens for over 50 years. He doubled over laughing when Kenny said he looked 83.

Riverside Church
I'd say go, regardless of anything and everything. The prayer room is reason enough; it's marked by silent reverie and Hoffman's painting of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Also, I might be extra-partial due to my meeting a new friend here... God works wonders every day.

Museum of Natural History
I HAVE SPENT SO MANY HOURS HERE--I NEED TO SPEND MORE HOURS HERE.

9th Ave and the 1,000,000 Thai Restaurants It Is Home To
Pretty self-explanatory if you know me at all.

Chelsea Market 
Shout out to Sara Clifton (my Brooklynite-turned-Salt Laker neighbor) for highly suggesting a visit to this indoor hub of food, clothes, books, and material goods of other sorts. My visit(s) are now biweekly... Seriously, I buy half of my groceries here because YUM, and there's no shortage of options for lunch, dinner, or dessert. In the midst of my longing for Winder Farms, Ronnybrook, housed in Chelsea Market, has really come through for me. Winder is still better. 

Bleecker Street
It might just be that I like listening to Simon & Garfunkel's song whilst strolling down the tree- and brownstone-lined boulevard, but that's reason enough for it to be one of my favorite places in New York. 

Cones Ice Cream Artisans
Possibly the best ice cream I've had in New York so far... The pistachio was simply splendid, as was the cantaloupe... And every other flavor I've tried thus far.

Brooklyn Museum
This place is a giant palace of artistic expression and learning... The Beaux-Arts Court (below) is where I want everything important in my life to happen, and where I want everything important to my characters to happen. It's the stuff of whimsy, really just so exquisitely beautiful and tranquil! I wouldn't mind running away and living in this museum rather than the Met (sorry, Claudia). They have plenty of fully-furnished rooms and houses to choose from... No joke.

There are others, but I'm pretty much done for now... Oh! This would not be complete without mention of my favorite bakeries! The list includes Levain, Sullivan Street, and Amy's, though the first two far outshine the latter, in my humble, teenage opinion. I like Amy's because it's more accessible to me than the other two: there's one near the office and one near my apartment. 

Anyway, I love you all and hope everyone is taking advantage of the wonders that surround them this summer season, wherever you may be. Don't waste time moping--the wind is calling your name!

Love,
Scout

P.S. Bleachers full album came out today. I totally dig it. 

Come Here Often?

No, I don't. That should be very clear; it's been months since I've posted. So no, nice try.

Well, what to say? So much happens every day, and I am never eager to give out information online. A blog is like a public diary, which to me is an oxymoron; if only I had realized this when I first started a blog, such a long while back. Oh well, it is what it is: the starved blog shall starve some more, no doubt, until it withers away into nothing...

Isn't that sweet?

Whatever, let's tear off this bandage. I'm in New York City, have been for nearly three weeks, and will be until the 31st of July. It's been an excellent learning experience, and I have also had a great deal of fun; no doubt I will continue to do so. I live in the West Village, which is (in my humble opinion) the best place to live on the island - Queens and Brooklyn seem pretty cool too. The West Village is well-situated by the Hudson (where I run) and has a neighborhood vibe that I have not found anywhere else in Manhattan. Besides, living in the West Village means I'm within walking distance of all the delicious food I could possibly want (I just indulged in pistachio and peanut butter-caramel ice cream from Cones, which is five minutes from my apartment, max). It is truly a fantastic area.

...And it makes up for the fact that the MongoDB (where I'm "working") office is located at 43rd and 7th...right next to Time Square. I don't much like Time Square; it functions as the sweaty, infected bellybutton of Manhattan (I also don't much like bellybuttons, but recognize the need for them). Anyway, "work" is great, and I actually do "work"--stop that! I do work! Thank you! 

 Somewhat manic smile... Don't fret, Henry's still alive.

The Guggenheim is cool, the Highline is cool, Chelsea Market is waaaaaayyyyyyyy cool... I like calories. It's, like, whatever... Yep. (To the tune of "Meow Meow:) Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum--can I go home now? I hate this gig... Which I realize I force myself to continue... Yeah, I'm leaving. See you later.

Hole-in-the-wall theater in Brooklyn... Saw a show here that was better than some of what I've seen on Broadway. Also, the tinfoil wall-lining was 100% legit. 

Oh hello, Public Library. You are a thing of beauty. 

Hello, poignant street art from Brooklyn. 

Have a lovely evening not blogging,
Scout, the Reluctant Blogger 

91st Street Garden at Riverside Park: site of the final scene in "You've Got Mail". Very beautiful; the picture does not do it justice. (Come on, Snapchat.)

Smells Like Tween Spirit // A Frolic Through Days Gone By

For a friend; I told you that you'd have "cringe". 

 Mrs. Twiggs' famed 3B ELP US History class // Charlie's Angels

I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end

This past Thursday I decided I ought to look for my old poetry, stories, and other forms-of-expression-more-or-less-immortalized-on-paper and read them. It had been a long time since I had looked at that stuff, and I was intrigued as to the nature of "Tweenage Scout"'s records. I have yet to uncover most of the trove, but I DID find my old journal, which I began writing in on my 12th birthday and completed at some point during my freshman year, and it is prime. I mean, I kind of want to time travel and slap 12/13/14-year-old Scout in the face, but then I wouldn't have such a fabulous time reading my old journals...

"I am no Dickinson and no Wordsworth. I am not Dickens or Twain. I am certainly no Shakespeare. But I am an Asay, and I am like no other." Hahahaha

Clearly I thought I was Sherlock, though; I'm also fairly certain that my eternal bond with Lerin began in CTE.

There are angsty rants about society and the media in conjunction with swine flu, lengthy accounts of summer written in prose, and SONG LYRICS. I know that Tweenage Scout probably thought that she was very deep, and I am glad she believed that, if not simply for the comedic value. I was reading through the verses in my 1st period on Friday with friends and we were laughing so hard we were not crying, no, but sobbing. Tweenage Scout, thank you for believing that you had any musical inclinations, and thank you for trying to prove it. Also, thanks for creating words, ie, disreponand = despondent. 12-year-old Scout used this monster to describe my iPod Touch; I think it's safe to say that I did not grasp the meaning of the word.

I also seem to have been very indecisive:

"I do not want a pet. I want a dog."
"I despise love my mom."
"I HATE writing am too lazy to write in my journal."
"I hate mildly despise writing in my journal."

The transition into "teen angst" is BEAUTIFUL:

"This is the first of my hopeless dreams."
"I am busy. I am tired. I can't wait for summer. Or my senior year. Or no more school. Or to be a grandparent. Or my death. UGH."
"I obsess about stupid things...I lock myself in my room. Blah life sucks."
"There is an abyss in my heart, emptier than a barren wasteland." 

There are also full pages that have been crossed out, with the words, "He lied!", scrawled across them. To clarify, this was not in reference to a boy I liked... Though that would have been the cherry on top.

Sometimes I'm just dull:

"Writing to a friend in Germany. School is semi-cool. Skiing is cool. Got a new red jacket. Too cute. Room is done.""I draw.""I sang and drew."

But I really, really like seeing my relationships with others reflected on the pages:

"Coach Lee is an angel from above. Amazing."
"Isaac Nelson is one of the funniest people to walk the Earth."
"Kassner is so funny and his shoes are amazing! But math is just so-so."
"Well, Emma is in the UK for three weeks, and I miss her, but I shall never tell her because she's Emma." Word to your mother. 

Keiko and me at our first Spirit Bowl. Those glasses. Dang.

Sometimes I really just want to hug Tweenage Scout:

"My passions: daydreaming. Also, I think I can get a falabella." Falabella = a breed of horse; I was planning to keep it in the backyard, because the city and my father would never take issue with that. 
"Kissing is horrifically revolting. The worst part of Pride & Prejudice is when they kiss; why did they have to kiss?!?" Her confusion, though. *Five stars*
"I love people, but I guess I like observing them more, which would explain why I like sitting my myself on Saturday nights watching movies; please don't talk to me." But really, please don't talk to me.
"Gave my Harry Potter Pt. 2 premier ticket to a friend so they could go. I really want to go. I'll go when I get back, though. I can wait." You did something... Nice. I'm... Really proud.

My conclusion: please keep writing, Teenage Scout, or Young Adult Scout will have nothing to look forward to.

I'm just...so happy; life is so very splendid,
Scout

San Fran Spring Break 2011: people are cool.

Oh, Good Lorde!

Lorde is my favorite musician currently, and why shouldn't she be? Aside from her poetic lyrics and her unique and haunting sound, behind her stunning face and mermaid hair and fabulously unique fashion choices, she is a phenomenal role model. Why? Here are just a few from the multitude of reasons...

Oh my gosh astoundingly exquisite perfection, all captured in a photograph

1. Lorde is Lorde, and she doesn't pretend to be anything else. She has said, "I only wish goodwill on people, I just speak my mind a lot." She's not a hateful person, but she won't lie or avoid answering a question, and I love that. So many people - especially in the media - pose in figures that don't reflect who they are - not Lorde. Everything is carefully calculated to express her and her ideas; her music videos are perfect examples of this. In an interview with Billboard, Lorde told them this:

“In a perfect world, I would never do any interviews, and probably there would be one photo out there of me, and that would be it.” She continued, “I feel like mystery is more interesting. People respond to something that intrigues them instead of something that gives them all the information — particularly in pop, which is like the genre for knowing way too much about everyone and everything.”

Magnificent.

2. She stands by what she says. This doesn't mean that she doesn't take the time to clarify and clear things up when necessary, but it means she avoids wasting words. I'm all for that. She is honest and takes responsibility for what she says; how many people - let alone teenagers - do that? 

3. She is confident: she embraces what success she has had and acknowledges that she is blessed and the like, but she doesn't act bashful when her fame and success comes up. I like that, because she isn't overly humble, and, going back to point one, she isn't putting up some facade, like, "Oh! You mean my success? Ha, oh, stop it you!" No. She knows that she has talent and doesn't pretend that she isn't special. It's a balancing act, and she's found the equilibrium. 

5. She thinks. Her lyrics are clever and expressive, reflecting, well, her: her interests, opinions, observations, desires, etc. She doesn't just putter around like a sheep; she has own opinions that she's formed and that she also expresses. 

4. She is an observant teenager; she recognizes and articulates so many of the good, bad, and neutral characteristics of adolescence that most kids can't express:

The belief that we are more distinguished than we actually are, 

We wouldn't be seen dead here in the day, // I guess you're lucky that it's dark now // And if I like it then we'll stay // Impress the empress, take a shot now

"White Teeth Teens"

The idea that we are separate from the triviality around us:

But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece, // Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash // We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair. 

And we'll never be royals, // It don't run in our blood, // That kind of luxe just ain't for us, // We crave a different kind of buzz. // Let me be your ruler, // You can call me Queen Bee // And baby, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule; // Let me live that fantasy. 

"Royals"

The truth that while forced isolation sucks, we really just want to be alone:

I'm sitting pretty on the throne, // There's nothing more I want - except to be alone. 

"The Love Club"

The knowledge that it's all an act:

I'm faking glory, // Lick my lips, toss my hair, // And send a smile over // And the story's brand new // But I can take it from here; // I'll find my own bravado 

"Bravado" 

The comprehension that much of the time, we're spending our hours doing nothing much: 

We're never done with killing time, // Can I kill it with you? 'til my veins run red and blue; // We come around here all the time, // Got a lot to not do, let me kill it with you. 

"400 Lux"

And of course, she's remarkably self-aware - as all teenagers are from time to time, some more often than others:

I feel grown up with you in your car; I know it's dumb. // We both got a million bad habits to kick, not sleeping is one. 

"A World Alone"

She is absolutely brilliant. 

5. She has her own desires, goals, and aspirations. She isn't infected by other people's expectations for her or their dreams and desires - that's sensational. 

6. Along with that, she isn't too invested in what others say about her. Period. She doesn't read her own reviews and she doesn't get caught up in celebrity and social media drama... She just does her thing, and she enjoys it. She takes the bad with the good and drives on through it all, and to that I say, "Bless you, Lorde, you saint."

Signing off as your pseudo cultural guru,
Scout

In More Recent News...

My dad went to Costco yesterday and brought back a twin pack of Nutella - evidence of the mayhem incited by our mother's absence (she's chilling in Costa Rica), and a monumental day in Asay family history. I must exercise my discipline moooorrre. Well, right after I finish eating a third of this container, while simultaneously sobbing because the orthodontist is trying to kill me. 

Sherlock said, "It's a two pack problem." I'm paraphrasing. 

I got my first ticket! I am not excited about this... Did you think I was? The cause was my lack of "stop" at a stop sign when I was turning right - no vi ningún signo de parada; ¿usted?

BuzzFeed is ruining my life, ie, will to work. WHY MUST YOU BE SO ENTERTAINING AND CLEVER, BUZZFEED? WHHHHYYYYY??? 

To all of you who were wondering if "yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssss" was still a thing: it will always be a thing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTJoH-xBCxQ (For those of you who are not pop culture gurus and require some catching up.)

I lost my iPod car connector - which begs the question, HOW? - and my disc lineup in meager: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge* soundtrack (Bollywood), The Music Man (what, you don't want to listen to "Goodnight, My Someone" at 7am? Yeah, neither do I), some singer-songwriter chick (I have absolutely no idea who she is or where the disc came from), Billy Collins reading a selection of his poetry, Paul Simon, and Cat Stevens. I have a sneaking suspicion that Weezer is hiding under the passenger seat. 

A section of the section of IB Film that I'm friends with (definitely did that just to trip you up) selected me to act in their horror film for Halloween, along with some other friends, like PETER! Quite the experience, let me tell you! It involved several trips to a horrid abandoned house (in Bountiful, no less) filled with trash and junk, and fake blood, of course, and a ton of sass and paranormal activity. The people involved were fun; "Can't Jack just beat me?" If the editing is ever completed, I'll post the finished product here, because it's most likely very entertaining, no matter the reasons... Film people are weird. 

 Tyrone and I had to act kitschy; you can't blame us for this selfie. 

Also, his name is not Tyrone, though it does start with a "T".

Oh yeah, and then there's this beauty:

http://entertainment.time.com/2013/10/27/snl-made-fun-of-all-your-favorite-wes-anderson-movies-last-night/

Between this and the trailer for The Grand Budapest Hotel (!!!!!!!), I could easily do no homework for at least two weeks. 

Well, but then this happened: 

Rezo que mis padres todavía no lean mi blog.

I had it coming,
Scout

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7NVIwO8_pI

A Few Remarks Pertaining to Existence At Large

My first thought is that life is ultimately good, and by a wide margin. No, truly it is! Some moments make this goodness apparent, and one of the happiest events occurs when you enjoy several such moments in rapid succession:

"Imagine living with three Emma's." "They'd all be like, egajklawimcopv!" 
"Patron!" 
"Confession, I..." "Let's just agree that everything said over Rolo cookies stays with Rolo cookies."
"You just don't understand FAME."
"Are you talking about Mistake Suit #1 or Mistake Suit #2?" 
"He went to the edge of the precipice and walked along it, buuuuuuuut he fell off - you're not supposed to do that." "WOW." "Hey, the suit was an unjustifiable risk! People may have been hurt for all we know!"

(Those were all excerpts from Friday's fantastic ongoing dialogue; it was a marvelous day.)

Another thought: everyone in your life serves a purpose. 

Examples: what would I do without my unconventionally (and sometimes brutally) honest friend? She has lent much to my awareness and has helped me become more patient and forgiving, when before I was much too sensitive far too much of the time. What would I do without my friend who loves foreign men and a good cookie as much as I do? She talks to me freely and openly on many topics people avoid or don't even consider, and she emphasizes to me the significance of friendship. The friends who burst into song with me give me great pleasure! I have friends who permit me to drive them home because they know that I don't like driving alone, and I have friends who are actually happy to go see terrible movies with me and they enjoy them as much as I do. I have friends who have moved and whose absence in my daily life highlights how powerful relationships can be. Then there are those people who stumble into your life only for a short amount of time, blubber something seemingly disjointed, and then leave, and it is not until later when you are older, more experienced, smarter, more thoughtful, etc, that you can recognize what they added to your life in the moments they came into contact with it, and you only then can comprehend the impact they had on you.

There are no coincidences: people come and go only when it is called for, weather only favors or confounds when the favor or confounding serves a purpose, and trains, planes, and automobiles are only delayed or hurried along when that is the occurrence that must occur. The relocation of the Srivastavas, who are practically family to me, to Australia has been a dominating trial in my life since June. Their absence has made me incredibly lonely these past few months (who else am I to play Settlers with?:), especially when coupled with other prevailing circumstances, and I know that the move has been a source of both great pleasure and hardship for them and that it will ultimately benefit us all, so think: what lessons are being learned? Am I learning to reach out to others and initiate new friendships? You bet. I've found it absolutely necessary, and it has been very rewarding. So even in the midst of what seem to be taxing obstacles shuffled at random into our lives, be assured that is not chaos that reigns, but reason and order, and that no one is subject to things that do not apply to them. And yeah, that's all for now. I lahve you all.

Stealing poignantly beautiful photos of Ethan, Bretta, and Isabelle from Raj (Srivastava). Awww yeeeah.

In conclusion, Carl Jung said, "In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order," so "In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you." That's Deepak Chopra's followup. :)

Adios amigos, 
Scouty Pout

Summer Post #1: Ask Me

Gah, this is so bizarre. It's been almost 8 weeks since I posted last, and so, so, so much has happened. I don't know where to begin... I don't know what to tell you, and I don't know what I want to tell you... What a predicament. 

Well, let's start with the basics to get you caught up: I finished sophomore year. I made two cakes for two people I adore. I attended two graduations. Four of my little cousins stayed at our house for a week and I took care of the baby - August. "Is this a people? Jenny, is this a people?!" (That was Olive, my three-year-old cousin that I LOVE! Even when she is being difficult, which is fairly often. Also, I'm her "Monster Friend"... Real charming, I know; I have Isaac to thank for that title.) I spent time planning for our Youth Conference (that includes the time I spent making 300 cookies for it - exciting - and a memorable trip to Costco) and I spent time pretending I'm cool, listening to French pop and rolling my sleeves up. I spent time in a satellite campus of heaven: a hot, dusty, small town in southeastern Utah called Montezuma Creek where horses roam free and where I met magnificent people and washed oobleck off the feet of children in giant kitchen sinks and walked on the railings of a bridge that spanned the lazy summer river. I met Tiny, I met Tarzan, I met Miko, Quinton, James, Sunshine, Teryn, Kayla, Javy, Dillion, Darnell, Kami, Carthenia, Sofie, Josie, Kirri, Sid, and Christian at Camp Einstein. I served with Ray and Oleta, Johanna, Peter, David, Autumn, Miss Susan, the Harvey family, the always outstanding Orton family, Diiny, Jenny, and the kindest and most helpful janitor in the world who unlocked Montezuma Creek Elementary School early so I could make 200 cookies for the campers... That's about 500 cookies in one month, 200 of them made in an industrial kitchen. Dreams really do come true. Oh, and super powers exist! I mean, Will Orton taught us all to make quicksand, we singlehandedly turned the entire riverbank into a death trap, and none of us died, so that's pleasant. 

After that transcendental week, I traveled for 8+ hours in one day so I could make it to Bear Lake by Saturday night for the Minster family powwow. Lots of people in one vacation house... Lots of noise, lots of mess, lots of worry, but just as many smiles, hugs, walks, and just as much laughing, overall enjoyment, and tanning. Just kidding, I'm Minster-Asay pale, so instead of "white bread white" like I was previously, I am now, like, slightly less "white bread white". Except for my tummy... Casie, my redhead friend, could probably still beat me on midriff darkness, as she did last year and there is no reason why she wouldn't beat me this year. But yeah, Bear Lake was great, and now I've been back for a week and a half and that's been great too. Summer is magical. Like, tie-dye-stained hands magical, or late night Sherlock parties magical, or "oh my gosh, there's a lobster in the gully!" magical. Barefoot magical, early morning rain magical (Peter, Paul, and Mary reference! Extra points!), kitchen heat magical, that strange moment when you see Mme. Schroeter at Costco magical, 4th of July barbecue with Sara's lavender honey pie magical, ducks in the backyard magical, summer reading magical (sort of, I mean, Russian lit is bleak), homemade berry syrup magical, cause and effect magical. Summer makes you exceptionally happy to be alive, and it cultivates in you a fervent desire to live! It's fabulous!

No pierda un minuto no vive, ¡vive! 

Scout

Shyness is nice, and shyness can stop you
From doing all the things in life you'd like to;
Shyness is nice and shyness can stop you
From doing all the things in life you'd like to
So if there's something you'd like to try,
If there's something you'd like to try,
Ask me I wont say no, how could I?
Coyness is nice, and coyness can stop you
From saying all the things in life you'd like to
So, if there's something you'd like to try
If there's something you'd like to try
Ask me I wont say no, how could I?
Spending warm Summer days indoors
Writing frightening verse
To a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg
Ask me, ask me, ask me
Ask me, ask me, ask me
Because if it's not Love then it's the bomb, 
The bomb, the bomb,the bomb, the bomb, the bomb, 
The bomb that will bring us together
Nature is a language - can't you read?
Nature is a language - can't you read?
So, ask me, ask me, ask me,
Ask me, ask me, ask me
Because if it's not Love then it's the bomb, 
The bomb, the bomb,the bomb, the bomb, the bomb, 
The bomb that will bring us together
If it's not Love, then it's the bomb,
Then it's the bomb that will bring us together
So, ask me, ask me, ask me,
Ask me, ask me, ask me
Oh, la la la....

("Ask", The Smiths)