what's right for the broader good...

I chuckled to myself as I filled out my professional development self evaluation today, when i came across the phrase 'employee does what is right for the broader good.'

Exemplary? Good? Developing? Poor?

Hm.

I finished Atlas Shrugged last night. For two months straight, reading literally almost every night little by little the importance of doing everything based on your own self interest was hammered into my head.

Common Good?

Pish Posh.

My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute. -Ayn Rand

Great book. Interesting theory.

Even more so when you reflect on where you fall on the spectrum of self interest vs. common good...

I want to live In The Heights!!

Tonight started the last week of Institute, marking the start of a 60 hour work week to wrap up one hell of summer in NYC.

Actually, I'm not sure 6 weeks really counts as a summer, but with four weekends free to enjoy New York City- I sure did see a lot- it was more like an NYC summer on Speed.

Last weekend after a night in Chelsea, I headed back to Midtown Saturday night to see A Chorus Line- starring none other that AC beautiful Slater himself- Mario Lopez. Tears ran down my cheeks listening to 'Kiss the Day Goodbye" one of the most beautiful songs of all time.

This weekend it was back to Broad way- for the 2008 Tony Winner for Best Musical: In The Heights.

It was i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.e.

The star of the show is a 28 year old Puertoriqueno from Washington Heights in northern manhattan who wrote the story of In The Heights in his sophomore year of college- writing the story of his neighborhood through rap lyrics and break dancing.

The show moved from his brain, onto paper, into a small theater, to Off-Broadway, to Broadway. The original cast is still performing, and I was able to meet them all, including the writer/star, after the show on the street as they exited the theater.

As I snapped photos with them and they signed my playbill, I was star struck and speechless, thinking of the incredible amount of talent that was contained in the people standing before me.

Talk about chasing a Dream.

* * *

My final 'day off' in the city, today- i spent spending some quality time with myself: exploring museums around central park and drinking coffee in a corner cafe.

As I made my way home on the E, back to Queens- an older women sitting next to me commented on my copy of Atlas Shrugged I was reading.

She read it 35 years ago and can still remember the intensity of Ayn Rand's writing, and how she sometimes had to read passages over slowly to grasp their full meaning.

I looked into her eyes and thought how I hope to remember such details about my life 35 years from now...

So classy

a scene straight out of senior year of high school.

After spending $13 dollars per a drink for two days in a row (ey caramba) two classy 21 year olds stash their water bottle full of rum from the weekend before in their purses.

Off to the bathroom they go with their diet cokes to enhance the evening and make the jokes at Gotham a little bit funnier.

A stroll around the block to enjoy our new edition of DC, led us to gags and cringed faces wondering wtf was wrong with our beloved sauce- something just didn't seem right.

We tried to force them done, knowing our bank accounts would thank us later, but it just wasn't happening.

Why does it taste kinda like a screwdriver?
Why is this rum spiced so strangly?
Is this even booze???

Nope.

Its my roomate's cheap $6 dollar warm blush wine.

Diet coke with lime with cheap blush wine?
ohdeargod.

Damn dim lighting in the trailer park bathrooms...

Rookie mistake- kinda.

Left behind

Hello Katy,

I'm Alex from Guatemala.
I received English Classes from you, at Academia Europea, Guatemala.

I saw you at the Academy about a month ago. I though you was coming back to teach English again.
But it was nice to see you again.

I received classes with Erin Gundersen, a week ago, she is so nice, and I told her that I know you. She is your friend and I told her that I went to your farewell party, you wrote me a message in a Gallo (beer) label, I kept it in my bedroom.

Thaks for all. You are so special.
I'll hope receiving news from you.

Regards.
Alex

Accidental Death

I'm not sure exactly what's going on- I have to admit I've felt like I've been out of the country or on another planet for the past couple of weeks.

Reading over a couple of blogs, I think there are a few different threads of conversations going on- and I'm not sure if my thoughts- are worth repeating again and again.

But why not just for kicks and giggles.

If I could spend my AIESEC career putting in my time and effort to give as many people as possible a rich leadership experience coupled with an eye opening mind blowing time abroad- and have them come back and spread their energy with a sense of urgency and get as many more people as humanly possible to learn to be a leader in their everyday lives and get their mind fucked by going abroad- then I'd say my time was worth it and AIESEC would be doing its job.

locally: AIESEC is what it is. Harness its power and use it to propel its core work forward: not to change the focus of the core work.
nationally: Its seems that we are having some troubles tripping over our own feet now, doesn't it?
internationally: go do that. everyone.

Squeeze

I squeezed every ounce out of today. Waking up at 5am I was at work by515am (conveniently i live at work). Running around for 9 hours put me at 2pm with a quick lunch break before booking it off to the Village. The one plus of waking up at the butt crack of dawn: You can put in a a full work day before some people eat lunch: Plenty of time to explore!

I have to admit, my goal was to see a famous person; but it didn't happen. My friend told me its like Love. You won't find it, if you're looking. A little dramatic- but so true!

On the upside- I fulfilled another Dream. I stepped in the shoes of the beloved Carrie Bradshaw and stood at the stoop of her comfy cozy Manhattan apartment. I could see Big rolling down street in his classy car in my mind; or see Carrie hailing a cab- sexy chic on her way to hang out with her girlfriends- so fun!

Don't roll your eyes yet...we then headed a few blocks over to snap some shots of the Friends apartment! I tried to walk around it to see the balcony of Monica's apartment- it of course doesn't exist- because its fiction...and its a set.

Go figure.

With some hours left in the day, we jumped on the subway and headed to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked across and back. It was BEAUTIFUL! If you didn't know this about me- I think bridges and damns are two of the greatest feats of mankind.

The Brooklyn Bridge was no exception- truly breathtaking.

To finish off the day we saw the construction side that once held the Twin Towers. An old Path station marked the corner, and a crooked Hoboken sign hung in the rubble.

If man can build it, man can bring it down.

* * *

A warm summer's breeze through my hair and an ice-cream cone in hand, it's good to be alive.

Midtown

I watched three sets of fireworks displays with great friends last night, rooftop with hobohookah boxes for end tables.

Today, my weekend adventures in the City continued by seeing my first Broadway show- ON Broadway... SPRING AWAKENING.

a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

Our view during dinner was also not too shabby....

I'd say my first day off in two weeks went pretty dang well :)