Two Point Five Years Later... and This is IT?

Well, there is a change of scenery. The landscape is rather bleak - this Sparkle has lost some of its shine but nothing that a rinse in the jewelry shop won't cure - or at least I hope. I come back here to this blog 2.5 years later, and find my shiny life in Los Angeles gone, my good friends scattered all over the country requiring a flight or a bus trip as my beloved Honda is parked in Massachusetts. Where am I now? New York City... Manhattan... East Harlem part of Manhattan. A place dubbed "gross" by a few of the Manhattanites I've encountered so far. Lovely. I'm making the most $$$ I've ever made yet ironically I'm living in a ghetto and dubbed "low class" in this city. Of course, in this city alone. I'm comfortably upper middle class in the remaining 99% of the country. Funny, huh? Well, sadly, I'm not laughing.

I could lay in bed and cry all day, but that's not really me. Or I could shop the voids away - but that results in more debt on credit cards that I'm trying to pay off and have done well so far - I mean, who the hell pays off $17,500 of debt in one year (This girl here does...)? While I'm here temporarily (yes, if I have any control over this, it WILL be temporary), I'm making the best of it. I mean, this is a city with $400/night hotels for a reason - people find SOME redeeming qualities here... And what does a normal 27 year old do in such circumstances besides hanging out with the few friends she has in the city? She checks out the guys... and sees what adventures she can get.

First there is Omen. Omen has a high-flying (literally - he jets off to the Middle East at a moment's notice) career at my old firm. I met Omen at a trance music festival - he was a friend of a mutual friend that I got back in touch with. He was great company, we discussed various aspects of electronic music, clubs in the city, etc.. He made sure my beer glass was always full and gave me a ride home on both nights of the festival - he got a good night kiss both of those nights. The Armin Van Buuren set was amazing, and I'm glad I got to enjoy it with good company. However, the buck stopped there. Both of us had such busy schedules that I rainchecked him the night we were supposed to have our first official *date.* Then he left for the Middle East for work, and that was that. He was a little too *chill* for my taste though, and I don't think he is capable of being attached to anyone, really. He's 36 with a house and sees the house as "too much of a commitment." What I found a red flag about this city overall is that our mutual friend told me he was "too clingy" in her opinion. Um, I didn't realize 1-2 emails a week, a missed date that was never really made up counted as "too clingy," but ok... I happen to like having people in my life on a close level - that's just me - feel free to run if that's not you - I'll figure it out and not take offense.

Next is Basement Boy - 29 going on 30 within the next few weeks and still living in a rented basement apt in Jersey while mysteriously owning a nice plasma screen tv. Ok, I would like to know how guys who make way less BANK than me own nice big plasma TVs while I still have the big-ass silver TV that I got for my 21st birthday while still in college? No fancy plasmas here... Maybe if I sell some of my plasma... bad pun, I know. A college dropout which raises a flag, but it also didn't phase me when he didn't follow through on the simple stuff. If you can't finish college, which should be the main priority in your life, how are you expected to um, get, maintain, and keep an adult relationship? If he contacts me and schedules a date to see me, I'll consider it, but if not, no real loss there... NEXT.

Well, hello Mr. Southern Gentleman. When I moved to NYC, I never thought I would be getting in touch with a guy from the South who also happened to be someone I grew up with ... as he lived a few doors down. Mr. SG is intriguing... he knows this because I've communicated this to him. I want to know more about him... about his life. Who he is really. I feel like there is a mask involved with him - I walk past him and turn around and keep staring, because he's fascinating. My one major concern is that Mr. SG seems to be a little anxious about seeing me. I do not understand this as we saw each other in passing every day as teens. This baffles me. I can't even say anything more about Mr. SG as I'm so baffled.

Then there is the Artist. An educated older guy - definitely would have him on board as a museum buddy - we share the same love of MOMA - he paints and may inspire me to really get back into painting (I thought the city was inspiring at first, but maybe the city inspires enough pain and loneliness to paint?). I'm not sure of my feelings for this guy just yet, but I'm 100% receptive to meeting him at a museum to have someone to talk to about the paintings I've seen and what Bruce Nauman's newest mindf*** art is. There is a black and white Roy Lichtenstein exhibit I've been meaning to check out - this dude could be the one to check it out with.

Honorable mentions go to Polish Persian - a good looking social guy who would be fun to hang out with as friends, but not boyfriend material AT ALL. And Buff Asian philosopher - not into Asian dudes at all, but this one is smart and could be fun to talk to - back burner for now, I guess. The most baffling award goes to the obviously gay Asian BigLaw lawyer who claimed I was "hot" - a friend told me her Gaydar went off full force on that one.

So yeah... we'll see what happens! :)

Miracle of miracles...

So I was talking to a good friend this morning about how my interview at the place yesterday went poorly in my opinion. I kept stumbling on some of the questions and was really surprised they wanted to continue talking with me... I figured they would be like "This girl is retarded - let's not waste any more time on her" and send me on my way. So imagine my utter surprise when I get a voicemail from them today that they thought my interview went very well and wanted to know whether I was still interested in the position. I was seriously, like, "Wtf???!!!" when I heard it as I thought I had said "Sayonara" to that position yesterday... but apparently bad vibes aren't mutual, and they must have seen something in me, retardedness and stumbled words aside... I will call them tomorrow, and we will take it from there.
I had another interview today at a place I really want to work for. This place is the epitome of the entertainment industry. If there was a GOD in the entertainment industry, this place is IT. So yes, you can imagine why I would want to work there. I am not going to say anything about how this interview went... because I don't want to jinx anything... but I will definitely keep you posted.
Well, it looks like my interview skills are sharpening up... as I'm getting very positive responses so far! So another thing I want you to get out of this blog is how to achieve success *Sparkle* style! Some of the tips I use I have taken out of this really great book I'm reading (besides Army Wives, of course) called "The Girl's Guide to Kicking Your Career into Gear" so I should credit this book... even though I don't agree with everything in there. First of all, the book shows examples of model resumes... and I had to laugh when I saw them. First of all, who writes paragraphs about themselves on a resume? That is what a cover letter/e-mail is for! Second of all, the authors of the book showed an entry level resume of a girl they hired. And the resume looked ok... except for the bottom where she put "Handbags" down as one of her interests. Ok, seriously, at that rate, I should put down sexy men as my interests. Or Coldstone Creamery ice cream (which I'm still feeling right now...ugh...) as my interest. Or Melrose Place re-runs... Yeah, definitely not the way to go imo... But anyways, I want to share some awesome *Sparkle* interview tips that should get you places and your foot in the door:

1) Always always ALWAYS wear a suit! This goes for both men and women. Women - you can wear pantsuits or skirtsuits - whatever you look and feel best in. I personally feel my hottest and most confident in a pantsuit, but I did wear a skirtsuit to yesterday's interview and came out ok... so what can I say, fancy office clothes just work for me. Don't hate me just yet... there are plenty of things I can NEVER wear that many other girls can wear such as: spaghetti strap dresses/tank tops, those reverse halter tops, button up shirts (well, I can wear them - it's just hard to find a shirt that accomodates my boobs without making me look like Rosie-freakin-o-donnell, string bikinis (not in public at least, lol), etc.. But anyways, I digress, YES, wear a suit. Even if you go in and see that you're the most overdressed person in the room, it still shows that you are taking the position seriously and thus, can most likely do the job.

2) Always have interview questions ready. Do your homework - know the company, what it produces/what service it provides. Try to look at the bigger picture of the company instead of fixating on your position. Oh, and if you are given a thorough job description before your interview, don't ask what the job consists of. Anyways - the longer your interviewer stays with you and talks with you - the better. If they didn't think you would be a good fit, you would be given a rather routine/mechanical interview that lasted for only the time allotted if not less. So have your questions ready!

3) Arrive 5 minutes early. I broke this rule yesterday, and because of traffic, I got there just on time - I lucked out b/c the HR person was busy anyways, but definitely plan to be there 5 minutes early. No easy feat in Los Angeles as you never know how traffic will be. But it does make a good impression! (Btw, this idea was stolen from "Girls' Guide" so I totally have to credit them.

4) Ask for the interviewer's business card if they don't offer it to you. If you really want the job, write an e-mail the day after. Many places say write a handwritten thank you note, but some places have such a quick turn-around time in terms of employment that the position would be filled by someone other than you when the interviewer finally gets the thank you note.

5) No gum. Make sure your cell phone is OFF during the interview. Be courteous to all support staff and security. Say "please" and "thank you" and SMILE. Employers are not just looking for people with the experience - they are also usually looking for people with a nice personality and someone who would be easy to work with. Have a firm handshake.

Yeah, so that is it for my tips so far... I'm falling asleep otherwise I would write more career-related stuff... but when you're falling asleep, it's usually not a good idea to write stuff down b/c you're like "WHAT DID I WRITE THERE..." like I am right now.

Alright now, let's make BANK!

"Light shines always...
Light wakes up my day...
I'm your starlight...
But you're still blocking my way...
Light it fills alot of lives...
Just to grey the truth...
Light shines always

Who shines the way?
On my day...
Who lights the flame?
Hold me now...
Who shines the way...
Feel the sun...
Who times my flow...
Touch the sun..."

Nail-biting week...

So I'm just trying to survive this week... my interview yesterday went well - again, I won't say where - except that if you've spoken to me since then - you know where. But anyways, it went so well, that I got a phone call TODAY, and the person said that they liked me a lot, but felt I was overqualified for the position and that there is another position more suited to my level opening up in another area, and whether I would be interested in it - to which of course, my answer was a YES. So I just have to hear back from them, because I will need to schedule another interview for this new position. I'm so happy, because even though today's i-view today was crap not to mention littered with red flags, I need as many options as possible... there is one more i-view tomorrow, and this one I really want - so wish me luck, and let's hope the third time is the charm! Because it would really suck... if nothing came out of these interviews... not to mention humiliating. Clearly someone hates me up there if it came to that since so many people already know about these interviews. It'll basically be like "Sparkle is a loser who can't get a job." Never mind, that the market in Los Angeles - although full of opportunities - is also full of competition. But the phone call the day AFTER the interview = definite good sign, and I really hope I get a position there, because the commute would be wonderful... ::sigh:: 15 minutes... avoiding all inbound LA traffic ::sigh:: Too good...

I started reading Army Wives - although sources have told me to start watching the show. It kind of creeps me out - let's see: one of the wives gets stabbed 70 times by her husband then is set on fire, another one gets strangled with her um... underwear. It's not a very reassuring book. And what is worse is that some of the murdered wives were "said to have it coming to them" by the soldiers in that book. Because apparently a cheating military wife is at the same level as a terrorist... but the same is not true for cheating soldiers. So sad. :( That's what I got out of it so far... hopefully it gets a little better, but I could just be overly optimistic.

Bah, so moving on from sordid topics, so anyways... I can't wait for this week to be over! I'm spending Friday night out in Hollywood with the GIRLIES... There's so much anti-male tension amongst our group so we're going to go to the perfect place to male-bash: HOOTERS!!! Yah, I know whatcha thinking, but it's about time us FABULOUS chikas claimed certain male joints as OUR OWN. Why should men have all the fun - we work just as hard IF NOT HARDER (And feel free to cry and disagree, but I do think most women work harder than men.), so we need more fun spots... I'm also planning my 25th birthday get-together. It's going to be GIRLS ONLY - so we're going to get good food, good drinks, and see the *CHIPPENDALES* in Hollywood!!! Then probably go out dancing afterwards. I'm already thinking up what I'm going to wear, lol. I'm thinking (what else???) SPARKLES!!! And STRIPPER GLITTER. Can't forget the vanilla scented stripper glitter!

Oh yah, who's gonna look hot on her wild-wild 25th? Sparkle will look HOT! Jesus... I'm getting delirious here...

Life in LA - Take 2...

So I was reading a friend's blog about her adventures in Amsterdam and was inspired to start my own about life in LA and basically, making it out here Melrose Place-style. Is it really sad that I was inspired by Melrose Place to come out here and make a new life for myself? Well, the main reason at first, was law school. But after a little over half a semester (semesters are longer for part-timers, which I was), I realized that:

1) I was financially trapped. If I finished off law school, I would be about $100k (actually over $100k - b/c it would include my undergrad debt as well) in debt. And would not really be able to fulfill my dreams with that debt looming over my head.

2) I was not having any fun. I don't care if it sounds unambitious and lazy, but I LIKE having fun on the weekends, and I like having the weeknights to goof off online, read books, watch tv, go out for drinks, etc.. Working full-time and going to law school part-time was NOT allowing me to do any of that, and I was miserable as a result.

3) I didn't have a strong desire to be a lawyer, hence I didn't want it enough to make the sacrifices required of me.

4) I was in Los Angeles!!! There were so many *cool* companies out here I could work for and finally get my foot in the door of the wonderful entertainment industry. And I could do this NOW - no law school necessary!

5) Both law school and my old job made me realize a few things about myself. Glitzy executive/lawyer careers are great, but they are not for me. I value the time I am able to spend with friends, boyfriend, and family. I value getting dolled up and being able to go out with my friends. I DON'T value working until midnight every night or working mandatory weekends. That is just not for me, and it shouldn't be. Why is that expected of me just because I have above average intelligence - it's not fair to expect that just because.

So... this blog will cover my life AFTER I made the life-changing decision to withdraw from Loyola Law. Was it a good choice? Well, the three interviews I have lined up at prestigious entertainment companies tell me that yes, it indeed was (Wish me luck!).

Regarding the job interviews - first one being tomorrow... don't want to say where yet, but they are all very good big entertainment companies, so I am extremely excited. I was out shopping all day yesterday buying suits, so I hope to look snazzy. I got a black pantsuit and a black skirtsuit - now I'm just deciding what to wear where. Today, I will also go shopping to buy shirts to go under the suits and go for a drive to find the job locations so I don't get lost this week. I am going back to my old career - accounting/finance, so it's very lucky I have that to fall back on. It's better for me. I like to spend $$$ so it's vital that I have a good full-time job where I can grow and thrive. I really can't focus on school for some reason so I'm putting plans of an MBA on the back burner. Although I do want to sit for the CPA... but the cache 22 is I don't want to work long ridiculous hours, and usually CPAs have to. I want a normal 9-6 or 8-5 job :: pout pout :: I'm such a girl, but I don't care. It makes me happy. Plus now that I'm approaching 25 years, I am really thinking about what I want out of life, and what I do not want to be is some lonely 45 year old career woman who doesn't have anyone in her life and still gets s*** on at work - because sadly that is how it still is for women in the workplace.

It doesn't matter if you don't plan on having children as women are automatically assumed to pull the mommy track no matter who they are. I don't find this fair for the lonely 45 year old women who have to face the same exact obstacles as the non-lonely women. Hence, I don't want to be that lonely woman, because it's almost like a double-target, and it frankly sucks.

So anyways - I basically want to have the options in life many other women have. It's not fair to say "Oh, Sparkle is smart, Sparkle should forget about having a husband and kids and just try to focus on punching a hole through the glass ceiling." It's actually rather insulting. Other parents want their daughters to get married and are thrilled when their daughters announce their engagements. My parents don't. Hence, I know I will have to do elope and then tell them after the fact or they will try to talk me out of it - no matter who the guy may be. Now I'm not saying that ALL my parents should expect of me is to get married and have kids because that's equally unfair and not to mention, sexist - but is it really that hard to expect me to have a good solid (although NOT backbreaking/mentally exhausting) career and a family? Just my thoughts... but it is very sad that women can't have expectations like that. Like, MEN are expected to have both a good high-flying career and a family. If you see a rich successful man, you can bet that he has a wife and kids at home. Why is it so hard for women to have the same?