Erica's Random Blog

Go to ericaswallow.com!

2010-03-07T12:42:00.000-05:00

This blog has moved to WordPress. Find me at ericaswallow.com. Cheers!

How I Became an NY Times Olympian

2010-02-28T10:18:00.001-05:00

Above: The "NY Times Olympian" Foursquare Badge

Above: The New York Times' Foursquare Page (http://foursquare.com/nytimes)

Last weekend, I took a long weekend trip to Vancouver, Canada to visit my friend, Dario. A week prior to the trip, I had no firm plans to go, but an interest in checking out the city during the 2010 Olympics. Not only that, I had just recently led The New York Times in creating a Foursquare page. Phase 1 of the NY Times presence on Foursquare was sharing a list of Vancouver tips during the Olympics. Vancouver Foursquare players following The New York Times had the opportunity to unlock the "NY Times Olympian" badge by checking into NY Times-recommended venues. As somewhat of a Foursquare fanatic, I was 95% sure that I NEEDED to go to Vancouver to get the first badge that I helped create. (Note: Kudos to Paul Lau, the incredible NYTimes designer who designed the Olympian badge!)

Dario and I were chatting and he asked if I'd be in Vancouver for the Olympics. That was the last straw - I had to say "yes". How could I miss out on such an opportunity? It was on like Donkey Kong. Within a few days, I booked my flight and had a place to stay (Dario and his biz partner, Ryan, were kind to let me stay with them!).

On my second day in Vancouver, I unlocked the official NY Times Olympian badge by checking into the Granville Island Public Market, where a few new friends and I ate lunch and waited in the Altantic Canada House line, before giving up and taking the AquaBus back to downtown Vancouver. Great times, though.

While in Vancouver, I had the opportunity to stop by a few NY Times-recommended venues including the Vancouver Art Gallery and Salt Tasting Room. I was hoping to make it around to Vij's Rangoli. That will have to wait for another time!

That, my friends, is the story of how I became an NY Times Olympian. See more photos of my time in Vancouver on Flickr now!

Vote Now in the Fashion 2.0 Social Media Awards

2010-01-28T12:37:00.003-05:00

My favorite online sample sale website, ideeli, has partnered with Style Coalition to create the Fashion 2.0 Social Media Awards. The goal is to measure the best of style influence online. They need your help determining which brands engaged you, moved you, and inspired you to shop, dress, and think in 2009. There are 7 fabulous categories to vote on- so check out the poll here!

Vote now for The Innovator Award, Fashion 2.0!

President and First Lady Caught in Advertising Turmoil

2010-01-07T14:58:00.001-05:00

(Above: Michelle and Barack Obama pictured in unauthorized ads.)

What's up with publishing unauthorized images of U.S. politicians as brand endorsements? Well, it seems like a new trend. Within the past few days, the White House has issued statements about ads Michelle and Barack Obama have appeared in without consent.

Above, Michelle Obama is pictured in a recent anti-fur PETA ad. "We did not consent to it," said Semonti Stephens, spokeswoman for the wife of US President Barack Obama.Oh, PETA, when does the madness stop? We understand that you are trying to save animals, but that doesn't justify publishing unauthorized photos! To all the readers out there, though, serious question: do you wear fur? Vote here!

Meanwhile, Barack Obama was featured in a Times Square billboard, wearing a Weatherproof jacket with the copy, "Weatherproof Since 1948." It has come to light that the White House did not give permission for the use of Barack Obama's image for the ad. The New York Times reported yesterday on the matter, in which a White House aide said, "This ad is clearly misleading because the company suggests the approval or endorsement of the president or the White House that it does not have." The article points out that the photo was taken on Obama's trip to China, in which he was wearing what seemed to be a Weatherproof jacket. It appears that Weatherproof had paid the appropriate licensing fee to AP for the billboard image but failed to obtain necessary clearances from the White House.

Oy vey, it's startilng what a company will do for a little press and sales. Do you think that either of these ads are justified?

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-25T11:13:00.002-05:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Bit.ly Gets Into the Holiday Spirit

2009-12-15T16:13:00.003-05:00

Visiting bit.ly today, I noticed that th bit.ly fish icon is now accompanied by a dreidel. That's cool of them to celebrate Chanukah with an icon change! Cheers!

Update: bit.ly also broke out the stockings for Christmas! Holiday spirits all around!

Update #2: It's no surprise that bit.ly kept up the festivities with another icon change, this time celebrating the new year! Happy 2010!

Votre Vu Tragic Magic for Keratosis Pilaris

2009-12-01T15:33:00.003-05:00

Above: Votre Vu products on display at Shecky's Beauty Night Out

Keratosis Pilaris (KP) affects about 40% of the adult population (including myself) and about 50-80% of all adolescents. KP is characterized by rough bumps that resemble "goose bumps" or "chicken skin", usually on the upper arms, though it can also be found elsewhere on the body. Caused by the excess production of keratin, KP causes only cosmetic consequences, but there is currently no cure.

Looking on the bright side, there are palliative treatments available, all of which involve a commitment to consistency of use. Creams that contain Tretinoin (the acid form of Vitamin A), Adapalene, alpha hydroxy acids or urea may be used to temporarily improve the appearance and texture of affected skin. However, once these creams are discontinued, the condition reverts back to its orginal state.

At the most recent Shecky's Beauty Night Out, I learned about Votre Vu, a French luxury skin care company that offers national skin care products. Jean Louise Lilly, Director of Product Development and Marketing, recommended that I try Tragic Magic Rescue Creme for my Keratosis Pilaris. The cream's power ingredients include jojoba oil, lime extract, rose hips oil, calophyllum oil and soja insaponifiables (a soybean derivative), vitamin E and avocado insaponfiables. So, how did it work out?

After a few weeks of use, I saw a drastic change in my skin's condition. The bumps were visibly reduced and the redness is gone. Usually, KP is most visible during the winter months, when moisture levels in the air are lower, so this is a big feat for both Votre Vu and me!

Thank you, Jean Louise, for the samples and for helping me find a solution to KP!

Shecky's Beauty Night Out in NYC

2009-12-01T14:39:00.006-05:00

Above: Maria Kucinski, Erica Swallow, Jamall Oluokun and Kriti Bhandari

I recently attended my first Shecky's Beauty Night Out with three lovely friends (pictured above). Shecky's is most known for their Girls Night Out, an event that pulls together the best of fashion, cocktails, food and fun! They also have Holiday Night Out and Getaways! Beauty Night Out is all about beauty... makeup, face, hygiene and dietary products. Even more exciting, all of the events include a HUGE Goodie Bag! The giftbag is so well-known that they call it "Shecky's Famous Goodie Bag". haha. The goodie bag was simply wonderful, to say the least. It's definitely the biggest goodie bag I've ever received at an event. Of course, there is a price to enter, but still!

If you're curious about Shecky's, I say go! It was definitely worth it! (Tip: Sign up for the Shecky's Insiders program for discounts before purchasing tickets.)

For more information, check out the Shecky's photo gallery!

Twitter and Facebook Go (RED) for World AIDS Day

2009-12-01T12:42:00.004-05:00

Above: Twitter's (RED) look for Dec. 1st, World AIDS Day

Above: Twitter's usual homepage, as of July 29, 2009

In support of World AIDS Day, Twitter and Facebook have gone (RED) for the day.

Facebook is running a campaign at facebook.com/joinred, where you can share the (RED) video, change your profile pic to a (RED) photo to support AIDS awareness, or shop (RED) products.

Twitter's support is much more pervasive across the site, which is respectable. They replaced their usual homepage design with (RED) galore, including a red ribbon of text that implores users to "turn Twitter (RED)". But how do we do that? Well, it says we can "follow @JoinRED to find out"! After visiting @JoinRED, I realized that there are three main ways to "turn Twitter red":

1.) Use the hashtag #red
2.) Use the hashtag #laceupsavelives
3.) Turn tweets the color red

Above: If you use the hastags #red or #laceupsavelives, or tweet the word "red" your tweets turn red

Well, well, well! Get on it tweeters!

Even My Favorite Pizza Parlor is on Twitter

2009-10-11T21:36:00.002-04:00

While visiting Artichoke Pizza this week, I noticed that they have really poured on the Twitter advertising since the last time I've been there. There was a beat-up white board outside the pizza shop, advertising their 32 ounce Bud beers (to stay or go - not quite sure if that's actually legal...) along with their Twitter account, @ArtichokePizza. Inside, they had multiple pizza boxes imploring pizza-hungry customers to follow them on Twitter.

Well, I must say that it worked on me! I pulled out my phone, looked them up on Twitter and followed them on the spot! I wonder if they're now taking orders by tweet!

Photo Inclusion in Schmap NY Guide

2009-09-27T17:40:00.001-04:00

A photo that I took at the Bloomberg SP09 summer party was recently published in the Schmap New York Guide. The photo was featured in the Randall's Island section (because the Bloomberg party took place there) and showcased my friend, John Wood, playing a frog-throwing game. Don't worry, the frogs were made of rubber! Here's a close-up for all you Randall's Island / John Wood fans!

Spin the Pen Revisited: Spin It to Win It

2009-09-26T10:20:00.014-04:00

Last summer, my friend, Daniel McCoy, and I entered the Pentel Recycology Student Campaign of the Year contest, hosted by Alloy Media + Marketing. Our entry to the contest was called "Spin the Pen. Save the Planet." Among our many campaign strategies, we utilized a Facebook group, YouTube page, Twitter page and website. We featured pen spinners JC and Xero spinning the Recycology products.

As winners of the contest, Daniel and I attended the John Caples Awards, were offered internships at Alloy Media + Marketing to further the Spin the Pen campaign, and received a lump-sum of $5,000 to split among ourselves and those who helped out, JC, Xero, and our cameraman, Josh. Great prizes, right?!

Unfortunately, I was unable to take the internship, but Daniel did a great job there. He continued the Spin the Pen campaign, but focused on the Pentel RSVP, a pen that many pen spinners consider to be the best pen to get started spinning with. I think that was a great move, as many spinners kept telling us that the Recycology products were too light and had too many protruding functions to spin.

His new campaign is called "Spin It to Win It". The main video is shown above. Check out the website for a tutorial, an introduction to Xero (the featured spinner), and more. You can even upload your video for a chance to win $500! Here's Xero's entry:

My congratulations go out to Daniel and Xero! Great site, videos and campaign!!!

Yoostar Test with Marilyn Monroe

2009-09-19T17:40:00.004-04:00

On Fashion's Night Out at Bloomingdale's, I had a chance to try out the YooStar home green screen kit with Marilyn Monroe. Check out the video above!

Free ColdStone Ice Cream for Make A Wish Event

2009-09-19T17:16:00.003-04:00

This just in! Go to Cold Stone Creamery on September 24th from 5-8pm for free ice cream when you make a donation to Make A Wish Foundation! About 85% of Cold Stone proceeds in September will go to the foundation. To learn more about the social, click here. For store locations near you, click here!

Yoga Toes!

2009-09-19T16:43:00.005-04:00

My friend Maria has been wearing YogaToes for quite a while now. She's an enthusiastic fan of these jelly-like feet helpers. As a New Yorker, my feet are one of my top concerns. Cobble stones, pavement, sidewalks and curbs can really take a toll on your feet! Not to mention, I'm always challenging my feet to stiletto duels in the streets.

I finally decided to get YogaToes, as I way to relax and treat my poor feetsies! They came earlier this week and I've been using them since. They are supposed to help shape, stretch, condition, align, strengthen and stimulate toes while treating and preventing bunions, hammertoes, fatique, poor circulation and varicose veins.

They have annual Labor sales in which they take $25 off the usual price of $49.95. Having missed the sale, I just searched for deals. I happened to find a deal in New York Magazine for $15 off!

After a week of use, I haven't seen much of a difference, however, as I'm mostly trying to prevent feet problems. Seeing those gross bunion ads in NYC subways has really scarred my mind! I hope I never have those problems!!!

Fashion 2.0 Fashion Week Meetup Sponsored by Style Coalition and Ideeli

2009-09-10T23:48:00.012-04:00

(Above: Maria Kucinski and Erica Swallow (me) at the Fashion 2.0 Fashion Week Kickoff Reception Meetup)

(Above: Yuli Ziv, founder of Fashion 2.0 Meetup, and Deirdre Sullivan, Social Media Director at ideeli.com, hosted the fashion trivia giveaway!)

Last night, I went to my first official Meetup! It was the Fashion 2.0 Fashion Week Kickoff Reception that took place at W New York - The Tuscany. Organized by Yuli Ziv, the party included an open bar, a hot gift bag full of goodies, and a ton of fun guests. Some highlights for me included hanging out with my BFF Maria, meeting a few great people, sipping tasty wine, getting compliments on my Moo.com minicards and seeing Phillip Block.

For more photos, check out my Flickr photostream!

My First Time as a Mayor!

2009-09-09T18:02:00.004-04:00

Hooray! I just became a Mayor on Foursquare for the first time ever! It just so happens that I'm the mayor of Dean & Deluca - Times Building. I owe The New York Times for this great honor. If I didn't work in this building, I wouldn't be compelled to eat so many Two Little Red Hens chocolate cupcakes, supplied by Dean & Deluca, just downstairs! And thank you, Dean & Deluca for your existence. And Soraya Darabi for introducing me to Foursquare! Cheers to all!

Friend.ly Facebook Friend Stats

2009-09-09T11:57:00.004-04:00

Cool! I just discovered Friend.ly, a Facebook application that analyzes yours friends' demographic information and outputs basic statistics.

Thought I'd post my friend stats here so that you could all psychoanalyze me!

Out of Erica's 1,035 Facebook friends:

Most common name: Kevin (11 friends)

Most common zodiac sign: Libra (83 friends)

Longest name: Maximillian-Conroy Hencke

Shortest name: Yi Li

Female/Male: 50% / 50%

Single/Taken: 39% / 61%

Youngest friend: 17 years old

Oldest friend: 105 years old

Average age: 23 years old

If you're interested, go try it yourself at http://friend.ly!

Note: You can click "Don't Allow" for both prompt boxes and it will still calculate the statistics. Plus, you don't even have to publish the output to your Facebook news feed!

Invitation Codes - Haute Look, Gilt Groupe, Rue La La, ideeli, Editor's Closet, The Top Secret, Glam List, Beyond the Rack,...

2009-09-07T20:22:00.013-04:00

I just landed a social media dream job at Bloomingdales.com. As a result, I've made it my personal mission to learn about and join all of the sample sale websites out there! These websites are a great way to enjoy designer fashion at extremely low prices!

There are quite a few, so I'm racking up memberships left and right! I'd like to share the wealth, as many of these sites are invitation-only websites. If you'd like an invitation code to any of the following, just comment with your e-mail address and which one(s) you'd like an invite from and I'll send you an invite to join in the fun!

Beyond the Rack
www.beyondtherack.com
Click here to sign up for Beyond the Rack now!

Billion Dollar Babes
www.billiondollarbabes.com
Click here to sign up for Billion Dollar Babes now!

DD Push
www.ddpush.com
This is an email invite only. Put your email address in the comments and I will invite you!

Editor's Closet
www.editorscloset.com
Click here to join Editor's Closet now!

Gilt Groupe
www.gilt.com
Click here to sign up for Gilt Groupe now!

Glam List
www.glamlist.com

Gomatta Girls
www.gomattagirls.com

Hautelook
www.hautelook.com
Click here to sign up for Hautelook now!

ideeli
www.ideeli.com
Click here to sign up for ideeli now!

Juxzy
juxzy.com

One Kings Lane
www.onekingslane.com
Click here to sign up for One Kings Lane now!

Rue La La
www.ruelala.com
Click here to sign up for Rue La La now!

Secret Style
www.secretstyle.com
Click here to sign up for Secret Style now!

Snappy Tuna
www.snappytuna.com
Click here to sign up for Snappy Tuna now!

The Top Secret
www.thetopsecret.com
Click here to sign up for The Top Secret now!

If you'd like to join any of the above-mentioned invite-only sample sale sites, write in the comments below! Don't forget to mention which sites you'd like invites to and your email address!

Make a Dent in the World Water Crisis!

2009-08-26T11:39:00.005-04:00

Dear Friends,

I'm trying to help put a dent in the world water crisis and I need your help. I've created three projects via charity:water, each with a goal of raising $5,000, enough funds to build a water well in a community in need of clean water. I'm asking that all of my friends and family find it in their hearts to donate, as there are millions of people without the basic need of water.

I've made three funds to match my friends' interests:

1.) NYU Fund: For all of my NYU friends that want to make a difference. This fund goes towards helping bring water to schools in need of it. Have some school pride and donate today at http://new.charitywater.org/nyufund.

2.) NYC Fund: For the city known for its water towers, atop every building. This fund is for all the New Yorkers who care about delivering clean water to people in need. Donate now at http://new.charitywater.org/nyc.

3.) Erica & Weikai's 2nd Anniversary: Today is the 2nd anniversary of dating for Weikai and me! In celebration, we're asking all of our friends and family to find it in their hearts to donate to the millions without water. We're lucky enough to have been born in societies with an overabundance of water. Let's give back. Donate now at http://new.charitywater.org/EricaandWeikai.

With all of my love and best wishes for you and yours!
Erica

Are You Sharing Too Much Online?

2009-08-25T07:01:00.003-04:00

Being that I'm pretty active online, I'm always wondering if my social networks are conveying the best image to potential employers (and friends!). Today, I ran across a great blog post on the Doostang blog about "the professional downside of your online social life" that gave me a few tips about best practices.

If you're worried about whether you're sharing too much information about your personal life on your social networks, it's worth a look!

Tarot Cards over Dinner

2009-08-05T11:11:00.005-04:00

(Above: Nicolas Crummey reads Maria Kucinski's cards)

Every Tuesday night, my 2-out-of-3 best friends (Nicolas and Maria) and I have dinner. We alternate houses, visiting each person's place a week. (Note: The third best friend is Alice, but she's in China.)

This week, Nicolas (aka Nick) hosted dinner. The theme was summer. He made the most excellent tomato/basil/mozzarella appetizers and an incredibly tasty pasta salad for the entree. Maria brought the wine -- a rose and a white. And I supplied the desserts -- gelato and fruits. MMMM.

Nick's roommate, Hailey, happened to have a deck of tarot cards lying around and let us play with them. Luckily, they were beginner's cards with notes and meanings written on them. The deck even came with a piece of paper to place under the cards that told us what the placement of each card meant.

All in all, Maria's cards were excellent. She got the star... the empress... the awesome stuff... and all was well. Meanwhile, Nick read mine and I got all the crap! The hanged man... the devil... the moon. Ugh. It was horrible. Basically, my life sucks. But it turns out that everything is supposed to end well at the very end... so, only a lifetime of suffering left, and then comes the good stuff!

I learned a few things about tarot cards, though:

The cards should face the reader (so they can read them, obviously)
There are 21 cards in all, numbered with Roman numerals
The cards should be placed in order (I - XX) and handed to the questioner (the person with the question)
The questioner should then shuffle the cards, concentrating on their question. Lastly, they cut the deck three times. They should concentrate on their question, in order to feed their energy into the cards, apparently.
It doesn't appear that questions like "What color is my shirt?" can be answered... it truly didn't work.
"The cards don't lie." Nick, Maria and I broke out in song to these words, singing as Nick played his banjo. They must be true, as the only explanation I can muster up is that we were possessed by their power to react in such a way.

Overall, I'm not a suspicious person. However, it is kind of strange that I received all bad cards and Maria received all great cards. Maria and Nick attribute this to me cursing at the cards and ridiculing them while Maria was getting her cards read... they heard and were out to get me.

hehehe. This makes me want to get a Ouji board now!

My 1,000th Post on Twitter

2009-08-04T15:48:00.003-04:00

Let's celebrate! I just posted by 1,000 post on Twitter! Just wanted to get that on record. Ok. Go back to your normal lives now. Cheers!

The Best Social Media Presentation EVER!!!

2009-08-04T13:42:00.002-04:00

I found the greated Social Media presentation today, by Marta Kagan. Kudos, girl!

What the F**K is Social Media: One Year Later

View more documents from Marta Kagan.

Interning at The New York Times

2009-07-31T15:23:00.005-04:00

Today I created a Facebook group for the Summer '09 NYTimes Interns and it reminded me that my internship is really awesome! I also love the work environment at The New York Times, so I wanted to share it with you! Below are some photos of the beautiful space that I work in! What a blessed life!

(Above: The New York Times Building)

(Above: The lobby of The New York Times Building is simple yet beautiful. Walking through it is a great way to start the work day!)

(Above: My subway station exit is about 10 steps from the building. So, each morning, I enter here!)

(Above: My desk on the 9th floor of The New York Times Building)

(Above: The view from my desk. This is a view of Port Authority at 40th Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan)

Not only is working at NYTimes.com amazing, it's aesthetically-inspiring!!!

Which Color M&M are You?

2009-07-29T14:52:00.001-04:00

I took the M&M test today to see which color M&M I would be. Turns out I'd be red! Here's the description:

You are the fiery M&M! You are a revolutionary and want to change the world! You can only be tamed by the sexy green M&M who you are madly in love with. You stand out in a crowd, however that sometimes means you are the first to get eaten....

Isn't that lovely? Take the quiz here, to see what color M&M you are!

Twitter Launches New Homepage

2009-07-29T11:32:00.004-04:00

(Above: The NEW and IMPROVED Twitter homepage!)

(Above: The OLD and OKAY Twitter homepage!)

Twitter launched their new homepage today, which focuses on searching and Trending Topics. The search bar implores of visitors to "See what people are saying about…". Below the search bar, a cloud of the most popular topics being talked about on Twitter is featured. Oddly, there is a phrase that says "Most popular topics by the minute, day and week"... however, I'm not sure how to narrow them down by those time frames.

Yesterday, Chloe Sladden, director of media partnerships at Twitter, gave a lecture on the future of Twitter. One of the upcoming changes she mentioned was a new homepage that focuses on searching the content of the site. Well, I didn't see it coming so soon! Congrats, Twitter!

My Resume was Featured on Scribd.com

2009-07-24T18:25:00.005-04:00

(Above: Click the screenshot above to enlarge and see my resume featured on Scribd.com)

Wow! What a day! I finished a super cool NYTimes project, which is yet to be launched, and my resume was featured on Scribd.com. I'm floating!

P.S. Just found Scribd on Twitter!

Update (03/19/2010): This feature resulted in 3,636 reads, 178 downloads and 6 five-star ratings in a little less than 8 months. (It was published on 07/24/2009).

Twitter for Businesses

2009-07-24T11:32:00.003-04:00

Twitter just launched their Twitter 101 Guide for Business. To accompany the new subdomain http://business.twitter.com, the guide is a quick way to get your business up and running on the fastest-growing social network out there. So, give it a shot!

Twitter 101 for Business

Is 41,667% of Daily Recommended Vitamin B12 Dangerous?

2009-07-20T22:42:00.007-04:00

On a monthly basis, my marketing mentor, Kriti, hosts Idea-phile parties. During these parties, she takes us through a free-flowing process that facilitates idea-creation. Must admit, it's pretty amazing.

Along with idea-facilitating activities, she also brings quality snack foods from Kraft (her previous employer) and PepsiCo (her current employer). Most exciting, these snacks are from all around the world!

From Nicaraguan Tang to Chinese Cheetos, I'm always amazed with the variety of snacks. This time, however, I was moved to blog about two particular snacks: Cheetos Horneados and Zipfizz energy drink mix.

First up: Cheetos Horneados... what's going on with this packaging design? These chips are from Chile. Upon seeing the packaging, the Idea-phile party attendees assumed that the food inside must either be "nuts" or "spicy". It certainly must be that eating these Cheetos is dangerous and/or harmful, at least for the male population.

(Turns out Cheetohs Horneados are just regular, cheesy Cheetos shaped like tennis balls and rackets. Interesting right?)

And for the second curiously odd snack food: Zipfizz energy drink mix...

(At first, Zipfizz seems harmless. But take a look at the nutrition facts...)

(41,667% the daily recommended dose of Vitamin B12??? Is that lethal??? Note: Zipfizz is neither a Kraft nor PepsiCo product. It was used for competitive analysis!)

I love you, Kriti, but some of your snack foods are a bit freaky! :-P

McCafe Mocha Mondays at McDonald's: Free Coffee!!!

2009-07-20T22:33:00.006-04:00

(Above: NYTimes interns, Naishi and Biff, and I took a quick coffee break with free mochas from McDonald's)

Who doesn't love free stuff? Free things keep me going every day. Today, the freeness just kept coming with McCafe Mocha Mondays at McDonald's. That's Right! Free mochas from McDonald's new McCafe coffee line. Get them while they're hot (or cold)!

The bottom line: Every Monday from July 13 through August 3 2009, participating McDonald’s restaurants will hand out a free sample size of Iced Mocha (7 oz.) or Hot Mocha (8 oz.) between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. Limit one free sample per person, per visit, while supplies last.

Louis Vuitton Advertises in Space Style

2009-07-20T14:19:00.007-04:00

(Above: Louis Vuitton takes a new direction with luxury advertising)

(Above: On July 20, 2009, Louis Vuitton advertised with a drop-down ad that read "MEN WALK ON MOON on July 20, 1969. 40 years later, Louis Vuitton is taking you on a Journey Beyond." The ad links to louisvuittonjourneys.com.)

Louis Vuitton is taking a new direction on advertising. With the recent 40th anniversary of putting a man on the moon, Louis Vuitton is taking the opportunity to honor the journeys of three space heroes: Jim Lovell (commander of Apollo XIII), Sally Ride (America's first woman in space) and Buzz Aldrin (the second man to step on the moon).

The website louisvuittonjourneys.com takes viewers on an adventure through the lives and careers of the three space legends, as described by them in a private interview with Louis Vuitton.

It's an interesting take on luxury advertising. Best of all, I love how Louis Vuitton is not directly advertising their products. Instead, they are engaging viewers in conversations with great American legends. What a treat.

Twitter's Internal Strategy is Compromised

2009-07-16T19:26:00.001-04:00

I stepped out of the office for a little bit today and when I returned I found a 40-paged article on my desk, freshly printed and bound with a binder clip. The article, from TechCrunch, was entitled Twitter's Internal Strategy Laid Bare: To Be "The Pulse of the Planet".

Apparently, on Tuesday evening, more than 300 confidential Twitter documents and screenshots were sent to TechCrunch. Skimming through the article, I can't help but think the following:

1.) How can Twitter be so rude to P. Diddy? (@iamdiddy)

2.) Is this really a strategy? And was it written by 10-year-olds? But, then, on the other hand, I'm thinking that Twitter must have a really youthful culture to use such juvenile language in official strategy meetings. Some examples include:

-- Google would kick our ass at finding the good tweet.

-- Twitter should tell me stuff without me searching for that.

-- Getting into bed with Microsoft / Why did we start talking to Microsoft in the first place?

-- We can give people stuff for free but not forever.

3.) Wow. I wonder how the folks at Twitter conned TechCrunch to not publish all 300 confidential documents that were sent to them.

If you haven't skimmed through (or completely devoured) the article yet, please do so now! It's hilarious and a bit enlightening at the same time.

What Should I Do with Simpson Stamps?

2009-07-09T15:43:00.006-04:00

Just read about the new Simpson family stamps issued by The United States Postal Service this month. Beautiful! Thanks to the NYTimes ArtsBeat blog, I'm timely in learning about them. Although, now that I think about it... I never really send mail anyways.... so I'm not sure what to do... buy a few for my sticker collection? Or send a few postcards to the family back in Arkansas and Ohio? hmmm. It may take me a while to figure out which action I'll be taking, but regardless, I wanted to share the news with the universe.

How many of you out there still use stamps and snailmail?

Michael Jackson Becomes the Most Popular Person on Facebook

2009-07-07T14:41:00.003-04:00

According to AllFacebook, the unofficial Facebook resource, yesterday marked the day that Michael Jackson became the most popular person on Facebook, the well-known social networking site that we've all come to depend on. Well, that's in debate, as well.

His Facebook page now has over 7 million fans. As his memorial is in session at this moment, his page has gained thousands of fans within the last few minutes. The page is acting as a virtual memorial for the deceased King of Pop. His MySpace page is not receiving as much responses with just over 614,000 fans, and there doesn't seem to be a reliable Twitter page with regular updates.

360i Social Marketing Playbook Quiz

2009-07-02T11:26:00.004-04:00

Check out the 360i Social Marketing Playbook. It's a 56-paged full-color guide to social media marketing. This week, 360i, an award-winning digital agency specializing in search, social media, behavioral marketing and digital design and development, is giving away 10 shiny new playbooks. Take their quiz for a chance to win one of the ten guides! I did, and I scored 100%! I even received a certificate of achievement, as pictured below!

Quiz School - Try this quiz and get your own certificate

Michael Jackson's Last Dance at the Apollo: Impersonators, Love Letters, News Crews and Tchotchkes

2009-06-26T09:00:00.004-04:00

Above: The most popular Michael Jackson vigil in New York City last night was at the Apollo in Harlem, where a spirited tribute was paid to the late "King of Pop".

Above: Michael Jackson fans danced to his beats all night long at the Apollo. This photo was taken at around 2:00 a.m. on Friday morning. The Apollo festivities began during the early news of Jackson's death on Friday afternoon.

Above: Coined "DJ Standpipe" by the guy in the hat on the left, this Jackson fan played "what the people want to hear" all night across from Apollo Theater.

Above: A video of the Apollo Theater Michael Jackson tribute dance party in action.

Above: A well-received Michael Jackson impersonator with someone I think looks like LL Cool J.

Above: CNN Senior U.N. Correspondent Richard Roth (also an NYU grad) reported live from the Apollo in Harlem.

Above: Four cardboard boxes were taped in the entrance of the Apollo, where fans poured their hearts out to Jackson, leaving both notes of peace and love.

Above: Finding space on the cardboard memoir was difficult for late-comers.

Above: Another Michael Jackson impersonator appeared in Times Square. Less welcomed than the impersonator at the Apollo, this guy stood awkwardly in a sea of camera-happy tourists. A group of angry fans approached him at one point for his tasteless act. I feared that he was on the verge of getting beat up.

I stayed at The New York Times building until 11:30pm last night after work, staying updated on the latest news on Michael Jackson's shocking death. By around 10pm, I had a game plan. I learned of the two vigil sites by then. One took place at Times Square outside the recently-closed Virgin Records Megastore. After hearing about it, I highly publicized that one on Twitter and Facebook, to get the word out.

Shortly after, it occurred to me that the Apollo Theater in Harlem HAD to be the most spirited MJ vigil in NYC. Why? The Apollo is where he first performed as a 9-year-old boy with The Jackson 5. It is also where the band won the coveted Apollo Amateur Night award in 1969.

Weikai (my boyfriend) and I decided to check it all out. After a brief visit to Times Square, where we saw an awkwardly still Michael Jackson impersonator, we headed to Harlem. Exiting the subway, we heard MJ music blaring from many passing cars. The two-block walk to Apollo was pretty eventless, but upon arriving we heard music from various sources filling the air, saw a much more graceful and tasteful impersonator, spotted a few news crews (including CNN), witnessed fans signing a piece of cardboard in memory of Jackson, and passed by a few tchotchke-sellers.

Within about 20 minutes, I even saw my supervisor, Soraya, who directed me a few blocks away from the Apollo where hyped-up fans were chanting "Michael, Michael, Michael...". A few minutes after arriving to the new site of fans, it was broken up by the NYPD who told the fans to go around the corner (out of the street) to a safer place.

By that time, it was nearly 2:30a.m. and Weikai and I were getting sleepy. I left feeling like I had witnessed a part of history -- a moment in time that many will remember for years to come.

Michael Jackson Vigil TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT: NYC Times Square Virgin Records Store

2009-06-25T21:31:00.010-04:00

Above: Michael Jackson in London in March 2009 (Photo: AP)

Michael Jackson Vigil
Where: Times Square Virgin Records Store
(1540 Broadway, between West 45th and 46th Streets)
When: June 25, 2009 at Midnight

Calling all Michael Jackson fans. Come celebrate the life and music of Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop". See you there!

And before you come, feel free to share your thoughts and photos on the "Michael Jackson Legacy" page on NYTimes.com.

Jon & Kate Gosselin: The First Ten Years

2009-06-23T14:35:00.005-04:00

Above: A screenshot of the video player on TLC's homepage, advertising the next special episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8

Last night, TLC played the special 1-hour episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, in which Jon and Kate Gosselin, the parents of twins and sextuplets (8 children in all), announced that they had filed for divorce earlier on Monday (yesterday). Minutes before the end of the episode, a black screen with white text read:

On Monday June 22, 2009, legal proceedings were initiated in Pennsylvania to dissolve the 10-year marriage of Jon and Kate Gosselin.

Now, on TLC.com, the network has already begun advertising the next episode, "Jon & Kate Plus 8: The First 10 Years". The trailer goes:

A lot can change in a decade. For the first time, go back to the very beginning to see the complete story of Jon and Kate's ten-year marriage. It's a special one-hour retrospective with a look at what's ahead for the family.

Wow. The network is relentless. I guess it's totally expected, though, as everyone's out for money these days. Ugh. What a depressing past few days it has been for the Gosselin family.

I Love Harney and Sons Fine Teas

2009-06-15T18:54:00.007-04:00

This post is definitely long overdue! While at the 2009 Coffee and Tea Festival NYC in April, my friend, boyfriend and I happened to meet Michael Harney, Jennifer and Jess from Harney & Sons Fine Teas. We were all volunteering, as we're all tea fanatics. We had no idea that Harney & Sons would be at the festival though, and coincidentally they are both Joanne's favorite tea and mine, too! How so, you ask? Joanne actually included Chinese Flower and Wedding teas in her wedding favors! And as for me, I drink Harney & Sons Tea every day at work to start the day off right! My desk collection is pictured below.

Above: My Harney & Sons tea collection at work includes Chinese Flower, Winter White Earl Grey, Pomegranate Oolong and African Autumn. I can't start my day without a cup of fresh tea!

Above: While at the Coffee and Tea Festival, Michael Harney gave us full tins of Wedding, Mutan White and Lung Ching teas! So generous! I was so happy to extend my collection!

Above: Michael Harney showed Weikai how to mix the new Matcha tea! We were among the first to try the first shipment! That's Jen in the background. She's in charge of Harney & Sons multimedia and marketing, including the website, blog, catalog, Facebook page, and Twitter page, which are all very impressive and full of information!

Today at work, I tried the Harney and Sons bottled juice. To go with my fresh mozzarella sandwich, I picked up an Organic Lemonade and Tea, as pictured below. It's a 50/50 combo of lemonade and tea (like an Arnold Palmer) and absolutely tasty. It quenched my thirst and made my lunchbreak a lot sweeter! Even better, the cap had a sweet message, "Relax!"

Harney & Sons is my favorite tea company for a lot of reasons, but most importantly:

1.) Their teas are tasty.
2.) They think global and act local. It's a local company with global tea sources, for the best quality teas but from a friendly, local manufacturer.
3.) They have a family feel to them.
4.) They have an unmatched variety of teas from locations all over the world.
5.) Their packaging can be reused for storing almost anything! I love those tins!

If you haven't tried their teas yet, check them out! They're from Millerton, New York, so you can also check out their Tasting Room if you're in the area!

Cheers!

Don't Be a Victim of Flat Hair! ... Or Attrociously Large Hair!

2009-06-15T14:39:00.005-04:00

Has anyone seen the newest infomercial about Bumpits, by Big Apple Hair? If not, please enjoy above. This commercial is outrageous, featuring big-haired moms, cheerleaders and a 10-year old dress-up girl... so intriguing, I wonder who this is actually targeting.

If I had to guess, I would say the Bumpits is perfect for Middle American girls and women, going out on the town... or to the local high school prom. Of course, this infomercial features women at the beach, at work, out and about, and just hanging out at home. So, I guess this hairdo could work anywhere.... if you're going for the "alien skull head" look. Ugh. This is absurd.

Cannes MoFilm: OMO "Dirt is Good"

2009-06-10T08:28:00.005-04:00

A few good friends and I created the video that you see above for the Cannes MoFilm User-Generated Content Initiative, judged by Spike Lee!

As you might remember, we created our film all in one session at Central Park. We staged a huge dirtball fight and got a lot of people smiling and laughing. Now, we want to share our film with the world! So, click above and visit our YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/omodirtball. And if you're really into it, plot your own dirtball fight and post it to our channel!

The Incentives

OMO is offering the chance to win a once in a lifetime travel experience – by inviting the winners to become their roving OMO reporters traveling to countries of choice, meeting mums and kids, telling stories around playing outdoors and child development. All they ask is that the travelers record their stories and encounters both on camera and online to be showcased as a travel log on the global OMO website. (Total prize value of €10,000!)

In addition to over $100,000 worth of brand prizes the winner of each of the 12 brand contests will be judged by Spike Lee and 4 leading marketing professionals. All 12 winners will have their work on display at the Cannes Advertising Festival and the top 3 finalists will be invited all expenses paid to attend Cannes France for the festival. Additional prize money of $21,000 is up for grabs with the winning finalist taking away $12,000 and an apprenticeship with Spike Lee himself!

I could totally see my team taking part in any of the above-mentioned prizes! Wish us luck!

Salute to Israel Parade 2009

2009-06-08T19:39:00.004-04:00

Above: Israel pride. That's me in the middle.

Above: The EL AL Airline float.

Above: Super Israel Girl

Above: A clever passerby placed an Israeli flag into the arms of a Central Park statue

Above: The grand finale float.

My friend, Mike, invited me to the Salute to Israel Parade this year, and I was glad to go. While there, I learned a little about Israel, but a lot more about Judaism. Here are the top three new facts that I learned... ok, they may not be facts, but they were new pieces of information lodged into my head via conversation:

Married Jewish men and women are not allowed to physically touch other men and women. So, let's take "Jane" for example and say she's a married Jew. She is not allowed to touch anyone except her husband. That is, if she's really religious.
Jewish women must cover their heads after marriage. Some women do not like to wear the head coverings, so they choose to wear wigs instead. That is why so many Jewish women wear large headbands (to cover their wig tops).
The most popular Israeli airline is called EL AL.

At the end of the parade, we went to the Israel Day Concert, where it began to rain and a falafel sandwich put me out $5.

I'd say the parade was a success. :-) After witnessing such peace and happiness, I was warned that the National Puerto Rican Day Parade is a total disaster. Last year, it apparently resulted in rape, assault, sexual harassment, and the sale of candy that contained marijuana. Wow. I'm not sure if I'll be going to that one, but if anyone's interested, it's on June 14th, 2009 at 11am, along Fifth Avenue (from 44th Street to 86th Street.

Shalom!

Buitoni Turns 14th Street Subway Stop into Pasta Art Exhibition

2009-06-08T19:28:00.005-04:00

Above: From a distance the Buitoni ads appear to be framed works of art with labels denoting the "artist", "title" and description.

Buitoni, the pasta brand owned by Nestlé that claims to be "The Italian Art of Food", has recently turned the 14th Street Union Square subway start into a pasta art exhibition.

This is definitely one of the most creative subway ad campaigns I've seen in a while. The creatives behind this one deserve a big pat on the back for thinking of such an interesting idea. Besides adding a little class to the Union Square subway stop, they also had multiple people stopping by the title cards, reading for more information. And, although I didn't get a picture, Buitoni also had turnstyle advertising at this station.

Bravo!

Bing Takes Over NYTimes.com

2009-06-08T00:50:00.002-04:00

I was just stopping by NYTimes.com, when a huge Bing (Microsoft's new search engine) advertisement (as pictured above) frightened the heeby-jeebies out of me. What the?!?!?! It was so huge, I thought it was a pop-up ad. I guess whatever brings in the bacon for The New York Times is good enough for me, but jeeze, this is pretty extreme.

What do you all think? Are huge advertisements a good source of revenue or just total brand killers?

H&M Invades my Pandora

2009-06-05T15:35:00.007-04:00

Above: H&M's "Fashion Against AIDS" campaign in action at their storefront

Above: H&M invaded my Pandora today

Above: Cute H&M tagline, followed by world-savers, U2.

Today, H&M invaded my Pandora "Pop/Rock" playlist with their "Fashion Against AIDS" advertising campaign. Cute tagline, though: "Be smart. Do your part. Think Twice. Wear one." Hmmm, what a mystery... what could they possibly be talking about? ... hmm.

Anyway, my favorite part? It was followed by U2 and their glorious song "Mysterious Ways". How appropriate. I wonder if that was planned out.

Search for "Sustainability" on Dictionary.com and Get a Prius Ad

2009-06-05T11:43:00.006-04:00

Above: I searched for "Sustainability" on Dictionary.com and found a Prius ad.

I tried looking up Sustainability on Dictionary.com and indeed, a lovely Prius ad was served. Other words that served a Prius 3rd Generation Solar Roof ad included "Solar Power", "Green", "Moonroof", "Hybrid" and "Hybrid Car".

Oddly, when I looked up "Prius" (definition: "Before; former"), the ad was not served. Iiiiiinteresting.

To read more, check out this All Thing's Digital article, entitled Prius Takes Over Dictionary.com's Home Page.

Great Firewall of China Strikes Again!

2009-06-03T15:53:00.012-04:00

Above: My friends, Maria and Andrew, at Tiananmen in 2006

Anticipating the 20th Anniversary of the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, the GFW (Great FireWall) of China has struck again! For those of you who have never heard of GFW, it's a method by which the Chinese government censors out anything that they don't approve of. For example, if you look up "Tiananmen Square" on Google in the U.S., you'd see a mix of photos, some of which include photos from the June 4, 1989 uprising. However, if you look up "Tiananmen Square" on Google in China, you see smiling pictures of tourists in front of Tiananmen and pictures of local restaurants. Big difference right?

This time, GFW is taking a ton of sites with it, including popular social networking sites, like Twitter, Xiaonei, Blogspot and Flickr.

To get a sense of just how many sites GFW is censoring, take a look at this Google Doc that includes an extensive list of sites that are currently being blocked in China. Check out the document here.

There have been a lot more stories that I wanted to aggregate here for you, as well:

Tiananmen Square, 20 Years Later (The New York Times)
China's Forgotten Revolution (The New York Times)
Behind the Scenes: Tank Man of Tiananmen (Lens Blog, NYTimes)
China Blocks Twitter (And Almost Everything Else) (Mashable)
To Shut off Tiananmen Talks, China Disrupts Sites (The New York Times)
In China, a New Breed of Dissidents (Wall Street Journal)
China Blocks, Twitter, Flickr, Others as Tiananmen Anniversary Looms (Fox News)
Tiananmen Square: Foreign Reporters Barred by China on Eve of Anniversary (Huffington Post)
1989 Tiananmen Square Protest (YouTube)
Tank Man Documentary (PBS)

I wish I could be in Tiananmen to check out what was going on right now. For anyone there, please comment below and tell us the latest news on what's going on in Beijing!

Binging and Googling Myself

2009-06-02T14:13:00.007-04:00

As many of you may know, Microsoft just came out with Bing, it's new search engine that is positioned to rival Google.

And what was the first thing I thought to do with these two mega-power search engines? I'm shameless. I just Binged and Googled myself to see which one has the better search results. Let's compare, shall we?

Number of Search Results

Google retrieved 397,000 Search Results, while Bing somehow managed to pull out 762,000 Search Results... hmmm. Somehow, I doubt they're all about me.

- Bing wins Round 1!

Timing

Google performed the search in 0.40 seconds, while on the other hand Bing didn't even tell me how long it took. In the broad scheme of things, I guess I don't even care, but it would be nice to have that extra piece of information for shock value!

- Google wins Round 2!

Quality of Search Results

I've always loved Google's ranking system. They never let two of the same domain name enter the first page. If they do, one of them is listed as a sub-category of the other. HOWEVER, Bing allowed two Twitter pages onto my front page. One is my Twitter account, and the other is a tweet that I wrote about Hillary Clinton speaking at my graduation. Bing also let two Brandstorm Community webpages up on the first page. Tsk tsk, Bing! What are you doing over there?!?!?

- Google wins Round 3!

Number of Options

So, this battle is all about who has the most options on their page. Google has a TON of applications and tabs at the top of their page that people use every day, which include Maps, Images, Video, News, Shopping, Gmail and More.

Let's see what Bing has.... At the top of their page, they have Images, Videos, Shopping, Maps, MSN, Windows Live and More.

Great try, Bing, but Google is the king of Apps.

- Google wins Round 4!

Name

Ok, so far Google is kicking Bing's ass, but who will win the Battle of the Domain Names?

Google is a clever name. "Google" is derived from googol, which is 10¹⁰⁰, that is, the digit 1 followed by one hundred zeros (in decimal representation). This is a great name choice for a search engine, as it implies that it retrieves a very large number of results.

And, so what does Bing mean? According to dictionary.com, it means "a heap or pile". I see where they are going with that. It also is a type of cherry. And it also means "to go". When I think of Mandarin Chinese, I think of the word "ice", pronounced as bing. Hmmm... but somehow, I'm not buying it. Especially when you write it as a verb: Binging. It reminds me of binge drinking and bulimia (binge eating and purging).... ICK!

Plus, there are already a lot of social networking sites out there with similar names, such as Ning and Ping. But there are other similar onomotopaeia-ish names, such as Boing boing, Blurb, Bonzo, Badoo, Blip, and Bebo. Very unoriginal and not well thought-out, Microsoft. And kudos to Google for the creativity.

- Google wins Round 5!

Overall, it's Google at 4 and bing at 1. Google is the champion here, and it seems that the only edge that Bing has over Google is the number of results returned. But, peeps, it's QUALITY OVER QUANTITY!

Check out the screenshots from my vain Binging/Googling session!

Above: Googling results for "erica swallow"

Above: Binging results for "erica swallow"

Analysis of Obama's Support of General Motors

2009-06-02T11:10:00.006-04:00

I want to share this NYTimes video with all of you. It's a strong analysis of General Motor's decline over the past few decades and how Obama has put high stakes into the auto industry. Produced by Michael Orr, this video illustrates how Obama's stake in the industry could put his reputation on the front lines in the case of a failed re-emergence of the U.S. auto industry.

I believe that Obama could be making the right move to have faith in the American auto industry. Maintaining hope in one of America's famed industries is essential, if we are to keep cars moving out of these plants. Americans must be reassured that their investments in new vehicles will be safe, or else they will go elsewhere to buy.

In order to keep the industry moving, though, I believe that the R&D needs to be there. American cars are falling behind on hybrid and electric technology, and this type of devastating event could further hold back innovation, as a result of declining R&D budgets.

Whether GM survives over the next few years or not, the American auto industry needs to embrace new technologies, far beyond the combustion engine, and once again lead the world in technology. Without any competitive advantage, the industry will continue to fall behind.

In order to achieve innovation, the government must provide incentives for automakers, including tax benefits and green research funds. Furthermore, to get consumers hyped up about buying hybrid cars, the government must do the same for consumers... tax benefits for buying green. Some states already do this. The Department of Energy has a database of state incentives and laws related to alternative-fuel vehicles. Most of these laws apply to businesses, but some apply to personal vehicle purchases. These incentives should be raised to a federal level to further incentivize the purchase of eco-friendly cars.

What do you think? Do you believe that Obama is making wise moves in backing up the American auto industry? Or will his support of GM and other American automakers lead to his demise?

NYU RAN Alumni Mixer Tomorrow

2009-06-01T10:46:00.003-04:00

Hey NYU friends! Are you going to be at the NYU Recent Alumni Network Alumni Mixer tomorrow? Weikai (my boyfriend) and I will be there. See you there!

Click on the invitation above for more details!

Prop 8: A Fearless TV Ad Response

2009-05-28T14:43:00.003-04:00

The Supreme Court upheld Prop 8. Sign the pledge to repeal Prop 8 and restore marriage equality to California: http://www.couragecampaign.org/Equality

This provocative new TV ad was created in the spirit of Harvey Milk's call to "come out, come out wherever you are" and proudly tell the stories of the people most affected by the passage of Prop 8 -- in moving images set to the beat of Regina Spektor's beautiful song "Fidelity".

This video has been viewed by more than 1.2 million people, making it the most-watched video ever in the history of California politics.

Join the movement to repeal Proposition 8!

Get hit in the face with DIRT!!! FREE COOKIES!!!

2009-05-28T13:29:00.010-04:00

WE NEED YOUR TALENT!!!! (In exchange for FREE COOKIES!!!)
Facebook Event: http://tinyurl.com/dirtintheface

Some friends and I are shooting a commercial on Saturday, May 30th for the Cannes MoFilm User-Generated Content Initiative, judged by Spike Lee!

Come get hit in the face with dirt, and we'll give you free cookies! We are making a video montage of 100 people reacting to the goodness of dirt in their faces!!!

The commercial is for Omo, a Unilever laundry detergent brand and one of the top 12 brands in the world.

Meet us in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 5th Avenue at East 82nd Street) on the steps at 9:00am for our first shoots. Or call us throughout the day to see what our location is in Central Park!

I will be updating my Twitter and Facebook statuses with our location on the day of the shoot! So, if 9:00am is too early to wake up for you, just check in on my status and see where we are! Or call me at 870.565.5200!

If we win the contest, you could become famous, as the video would be shown at Cannes! Woooo! So, come join us for some dirty fun!!! AND FREE COOKIES!!!

RSVP on the Facebook Event: http://tinyurl.com/dirtintheface

Pepsi's Throwback with YouTube Poptub

2009-05-26T12:25:00.006-04:00

I'm not much of a soda drinker, and I'm usually not in-tune with what soda companies are up to. But, when Pepsi started their new branding campaign last fall (as pictured above), I took note. But furthermore, when I discovered Pepsi Throwback today, I was pretty intrigued. Unfortunately, it reminds me of Xanadu, my Mom's favorite movie. Scarring.

Anywho, I thought I'd share Pepsi Poptub with you. It's an innovative way for a brand to interact with a group of fans via social media. Basically, Poptub's mission is stated as: "We make YouTube videos about YouTube videos on YouTube. It's not that complicated." Of course, we all know the real mission is to engage an audience in the Pepsi brand in order to achieve higher sales. But who would say that? That would be blasphemous.

On a positive note, I think the new branding campaign that's been underway since October 2008 is well-integrated. They have the new brand image. They're tying monochromatics with retro vibes and throwbacks. But at the same time, they've got the refresheverything.com thing going on, as well. So, they've got a neo-retro vibe going on.

Regardless of my sarcasm, you should check out Pepsi Poptub. Take a look at the imagery below for a taste test!

(Above: YouTube.com/PopTub)

(Above: Pepsi's website, refresheverything.com)

(Above: Limited edition Pepsi Throwback in can and bottle)

Apartment Jargon: Pied-à-Terre

2009-05-25T19:00:00.004-04:00

A pied-à-terre (French: "foot on the ground") is a small living unit (typically an apartment or condominium) typically located in a large city (such as Paris or New York!). It typically is used as a temporary second residence, either for part of the year, or part of the work week.

Specific to New York City: Many co-op buildings in New York City prohibit pieds-à-terre because they want full time residents.

Best Pied-à-Terre Cities: A 2007 Forbes magazine article deemed Manhattan and Hong Kong as the top choice cities for a pied-à-terre. Woot woot! Go New York!

Stuff Thats Going On in NYC

2009-05-25T14:20:00.001-04:00

href="http://hapnin.com">events, nightlife and deals powered by
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CamelAmmo: Waging War on the Front Lines

2009-05-25T10:45:00.007-04:00

(Above: CamelAmmo product sample)

Hey All! Remember my post about Kamelflage? (If not, check it out here.) The ladies over at Kamelflage have rebranded and launched a new website. They are now known as CamelAmmo. What is this product you may ask? Well, it's a panty insert that helps you "Wage war on the front lines". That is, it prevents the dreaded cameltoe. Basically, for all you gals out there who have a pair of spray-on jeans or tights that you just can't seem to stop wearing... this product is for you! It keeps that area looking smooth.

Product Review:

I tried the CamelAmmo with just my undies, and I have to say it's a pretty interesting idea. On the positive side, it hid any trace of a cameltoe, as you would imagine. Also, the pink camoflage is a really great design for the branding effort. Well thought out, ladies!

Admittedly, I don't have pants tight enough to need CamelAmmo, so actual product testing was a little difficult. However, I found a pair of black tights that I have yet to wear. You know, the ones that all the hipsters are wearing with plain white tees? I haven't found the courage to wear them yet. I probably won't ever get around to wearing them, unless I find a top that covers my toosh. BUT, nevertheless, I tried them on with CamelAmmo and can report 100% coverage on the front lines. Thanks, CamelAmmo! If I ever get around to wearing these tights, I will be needing some friendly coverage!

Overall, I think this product is well-suited for anyone with a love of tight pants or tights. Ladies, if this is you, get to CamelAmmo and buy one for the low price of $10! If anything, you'll get to have fun with it like I did and maybe even right a product review!

How to Open Wine without a Corkscrew

2009-05-22T19:26:00.005-04:00

Above: All you need to open a bottle of wine is a screw, screwdriver and plyers!

Have you ever gone to open a bottle of wine, but then suddenly realize that either (1) you don't have a corkscrew or (2) you can't find the friggin' thing?! I have! And that's why my boyfriend (Weikai) and I got inventive with our household tools and discovered a way to open wine without a corkscrew!

All you need is (1) a screw, (2) a screwdriver, and (3) plyers! If you have those things, you'll be good. We found out that it's actually better to have (1) a screw and (2) a hammer with a claw. However, we couldn't find our hammer at the time!

Below we'll illustrate just how it's done!

1.) Insert the screw into the cork and screw it with the screwdriver.

2.) Use the plyers (or hammer) to pry the cork up.

3.) Once the cork is almost out, use your hands to pull it out.

4.) And voila! You've done it! Your wine is ready to enjoy!!! Now, maybe you'll go all MacGyver on your wine more often!

Enjoy the new tip!!! Let me know how it goes for you!

China Care Foundation Launches New Homepage

2009-05-21T11:44:00.010-04:00

During my four years at NYU, I had a huge involvement in the China Care Foundation. My roommate, Alice, and I, along with three other friends, founded the NYU China Care club. During my time there, we helped dozens of children receive life-saving surgeries and feel loved from thousands of miles away.

This week, China Care launched their newly designed website: www.chinacare.org. It is much more user friendly and explains in detail the new program that they have with Half the Sky, their new partner. We even have a whole new Youth Empowerment section dedicated to clubs, in which I'm actually featured in numerous sections! NYU is listed as a recipient of the first annual Club Awards(in which I won an Outstanding Leadership award); they used an NYU photo for the Fundraising section (which features our Treasurer Amanda Fuller, as seen above); and they even feature the newsletter story about my 2008 summer internship with Saatchi & Saatchi (which you can read about below, or click on the photo to go to the webpage), in which I led a team to create a pro bono ad for China Care that was placed in CosmGirl magazine!

I hope this new homepage brings lots more attention to the China Care Foundation, as they touch not only the lives of they children that they save, but also the lives of so many others, like myself, that help in the process.

Don't Balloon this Summer!

2009-05-20T23:35:00.005-04:00

Today I saw the oddest advertisement for Yushi Bento Bar, a Japanese restaurant in New York. Floating down 8th Avenue was a balloon that read "Don't Balloon this Summer! Yushi." I believe they were trying to say something like, "Don't get fat over summer, you disgusting pigs. Eat sushi at Yushi and stay lean." But somehow, I'm not sure it got across.

Interestingly enough, the balloon holder was stopped by a police officer and asked for identification and a permit to float the balloon down the street. When I first saw the balloon, it was actually floating down the middle of the street! Then, as the officer approached, the balloon holder was escorted to the sidewalk.

I'm not sure exactly how effective the balloon is, though, because it says nothing about what Yushi is. The only reason I looked it up was because I'm an advertising fiend.

Hopefully it turns out for the best. And if anything, I was just excited to chase a balloon down 8th Avenue to catch this picture!

I'm a Gilman Scholar! Are you?

2009-05-18T16:25:00.007-04:00

Above is an interview that I did with the Institute of International Education about my experience as a Gilman Scholar. I discussed my Gilman experience as an NYU in Shanghai study abroad student in China and offered advice to current applicants for the Gilman Scholarship. Wish I was more interesting! I need to start reading a dictionary!

To learn more about my time abroad, check out my China Adventure website.

Why do we still wear academic regalia?

2009-05-11T23:06:00.013-04:00

According to my favorite unofficial source, academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree (or similar) or hold a status that entitles them to assume them (e.g. undergraduate students at certain old universities). It is also known as academicals and, in the United States, as academic regalia. I'd like to go with regalia, as I love sounding pretentious!

Above: The pickup area for NYU academic regalia.

I picked up my academic regalia a few days ago, and the matter left me wondering about how this whole tradition came about. Why are U.S. graduates still sporting gowns, caps and tassels at their commencement ceremonies? I had to get to the bottom of this.

First, let's start with an overview of the main ingredients, compliments of academicapparel.com. I also found a great diagram. Click it to enlarge!

Robe or Gown: The three types of degrees each have a different style gown. Bachelor's gowns have pointed sleeves, and are worn closed. Master's gowns have oblong sleeve, open at the wrist, with the base hanging down, and rear part of the oblong cut square while the front arc cuts away. These robes have fasteners so they can be worn open or closed. Doctoral gowns have bell-shaped sleeves, also designed with fasteners so it is worn closed or opened. For the doctor's robes also have trimmings including velvet panels down the front and three bars of velvet on the sleeves. All three gowns are usually black, though some colleges and universities use the color of the school.

Hood: Academic Hoods are black, made from the same fabric as the gown. They vary in length depending on the degree from three feet to four feet, and the doctoral hood is wider. Lined with college or university colors, they typically have one field color and one chevron color, though sometimes there are school specific variations. The edge of hoods are velvet in the color of the degree subject.

Cowl: Cowls are typically made from velveteen rather than velvet, and are used for Associate Degrees. They do not display a degree or discipline color, just the institutional colors on the lining. The outside is generally black.

Tam: Tams are typically used for Doctoral degrees, though some Master's programs do use them. Tams are made from velvet, and usually have a ribbon over the fabric, and in black. Color variations do occur with some colleges. The number of sides vary, and can be four, six, or eight sided. eight, six, or four sides. Four sided is usually only used for Master's degrees, while six and eight sided are used for Doctor's degrees depending on which the University prefers. Tams are "poofed" at the top instead of flat, and come with a tassel usually in gold, with one or two buttons and sometimes in a gold bullion color.

Mortarboard or Cap: Mortarboards are flat rather than "poofy" at the top, are not made from velvet, and are also usually black but come in a variety of colors and variations are more frequent than with tams. Mortarboards have only four sides, and typically have a tassel with a single button at the top, usually in the color of the degree-granting institution.

--------------------------------

Ok, so let's get down to the good stuff! Why are we still wearing these garbs? Where did it all begin?

Think of the two schools in the world where you might expect such habits to have originated... If you're thinking Oxford and Cambridge, you got it! This crazy practice all begin during the formation of Medieval universities in the late 11th and 12th centuries. These very traditional universities even have prescriptions for what students wear under the gowns. Uptight, right?

Let's dig a little further now. How did this all come to the United States? I mean, do we always have to copy Europe?

Apparently, its history in the U.S. all begins in Colonial American days, when the first colleges were formed. The time period is coined the Colonial Colleges period and refers to the time before the American Revolution in which nine college institutions were formed. They include the present day Harvard University, The College of William and Mary, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Rutgers, and Dartmouth College. Students of most colonial colleges were required to wear the "college habit" at most times - a practice that lasted until the eve of the American Civil War in many institutions of higher learning. The academic attire was highly influenced by European practices and styles.

After the civil war, academic regalia was generally worn at ceremonies or when representing the institution. There was not, however, any standardization among the meanings behind the various costumes. In 1893, an Intercollegiate Commission made up of representatives from leading institutions was created, to establish an acceptable system of academic dress. The Commission met at Columbia University in 1895 and adopted a code of academic regalia, which prescribed the cut and style and materials of the gowns, as well as determined the colors which were to represent the different fields of learning.

Random Fact: The color of purple, as seen in the NYU gowns, is actually the color code for the Law discipline. Interesting...

Now, of course, academic attire is rarely worn outside of commencement ceremonies, and that's what makes us so balla on that special day! Happy graduation to all my NYU Class of 2009 peeps!!! Can't wait to look awesome in academic regalia with you on May 13th at Yankee Stadium! WHAT?!!??!! Oh, yeah! That's how we roll. CHEERS!

College Time Line.

2009-05-11T22:46:00.003-04:00

My friend, Cheng, sent me this via email. It's a timeline of college. It's completely fitting, being that I just took my last final last week and I'm graduating in two days. Cannot wait! Enjoy this perfect illustration of what college is really like!

Every New Semester:

After 1st Week:

After 2nd Week:

Before the Mid-Term Exam:

During The Mid-Term Exam:

After The Mid-Term Exam:

Before the Final Exam:

Once We get the Schedule of Final exam:

7 Days Before Final exam:

6 Days Before Final exam:

5 Days Before Final exam:

4 Days Before Final exam:

3 Days Before Final exam:

2 Days Before Final exam:

1 Days Before Final exam:

Night Before the final exam:

1 Hour before the final exam:

During the final exams:

once walk out of the examination room:

After the final exam during the holiday:

That’s College!!!

30th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival

2009-05-03T08:39:00.006-04:00

The 30th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival will be held today -- Sunday, May 3, 2009 -- at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (at East 47th Street and 2nd Avenue) from 12:00pm to 6:00pm.

The day long celebration of Asian Pacific American culture is the longest running and largest Pan Asian heritage festival on the East Coast. The festival is free and open to the public, including Asians and non-Asians alike who want to see, hear, taste, and interact with Asia America!

8,000 visitors are expected to come hungry and sample delicious bites from all over Asia while taking in the work of renowned artists in calligraphy, Mehandi art (painting designs on the skin of the hands and feet) and other unique folk artists. An exciting range of cultural performances on the main stage include Bollywood Axion Dance Company (Western/Indian dance), Jack Lords (Hawaiian/Urban music), COBU (Japanese Taiko Drumming/Tap), Polynesian dance and much more. This year’s Children’s Corner will give kids a chance to try their hand at Japanese kite making, Korean doll-making, Pakistani rugs and more, plus get their faces painted in beautiful designs.

For the Asian American community, prominent Asian American social groups will also be present to educate the Asian public about numerous valuable services available to them, as well as volunteer opportunities and non-profit avenues to get involved in the community.

For more details on the event, go to: http://capaonline.org/eventschedule.htm.

Also, check out the organization on a wealth of social networking sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Flickr and Twitter.

See you there!!!

Swap-a-palooza Tonight!

2009-04-26T13:51:00.005-04:00

I'm modeling in the annual Swap-a-palooza tonight! I've modeled in the show for the past four years, modeling for AuH2O, designed by my friend, Kate Goldwater. I actually met her four years ago on an audition to walk in her show. Luckily, I was picked as one of the models and have been working with her ever since! This is my first time to be on a show flyer (see above)!

What is Swap-a-palooza? It's an eco-friendly fashion show. Basically, the entrance fee is a bag of your clothing. In return, you get to go through tables of other people's clothing, alter them, and bring home new pieces! The event lasts all day at NYU's Kimmel Center and ends with the fashion show at 5pm, brought to you by AuH2O.

So, why AuH2O? Well, AuH2O is an eco-friendly and socially conscious clothing store owned by Kate Goldwater. AuH2O is “Goldwater” in chemical symbols: Au=Gold, H2O=water. Clever, right? Kate makes all AuH2O clothing from recycled materials, sewn right on site. AuH2O also carries other eco-friendly designers, and vintage and consignment clothing, jewelry and handbags.

You should all come out! Check the Facebook invite or the AuH2O blog for more details!

Jet Blue Sale! Today Only! Fares Start at $29!

2009-04-23T13:07:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Jet Blue is having an awesome Sample Sale today! Flights are as low as $29!

Fares from New York City have been reduced to $29-$99 each way in this 1-day sale announced
by JetBlue today. Flights to the West Coast are as low as $79.

The sale is for travel April 30 - June 10, but only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Tickets must be booked by 11:59PM MST tonight.

Sample fares from JFK (each way):
- Boston ... $29
- Washington, D.C. ... $29
- Charlotte ... $29
- Pittsburgh ... $29
- Bermuda ... $69
- Cancun ... $71
- Oakland ... $79
- San Francisco ... $79
- St. Maarten ... $79
- Burbank ... $99

Hope some of you can skip out of work to get some sun!!!

Love,
Erica

Burnt out? Final Exams? Summer Internships? Smoking Pot?

2009-04-23T09:40:00.006-04:00

On April 20th I received another compelling email from the NYU Wellness Exchange, titled "Burnt out?". Last time the Wellness Exchange sent out one of these emails it was about over-drinking. This time, on the national high holiday (4/20), it was only fitting for it to be about smoking pot. Read the image above, which was the body of the email.

Wow, seriously, who makes these PSAs? I wasn't expecting that at all. Somehow, I didn't get the flow from papers, final exams, internships... to smoking pot.

But, whatever, it caught my attention.

It was also fitting that on April 20th, the New York Times ran an article entitled Marijuana Advocates Point to Signs of Change. Ever wonder where the term "420" originated? According to this NYTimes article:

Mr. Hager said the significance of April 20 dates to a ritual begun in the early 1970s in which a group of Northern California teenagers smoked marijuana every day at 4:20 p.m. Word of the ritual spread and expanded to a yearly event in various places. Soon, marijuana aficionados were using “420” as a code for smoking and using it as a sign-off on fliers for concerts where the drug would be plentiful.

In the end, I think the day went over well. The NYU Wellness Exchange would be happy to know that I didn't hear of any students smoking up on the notorious holiday, although I'm sure there were plenty of festivities behind closed doors. What can ya do?

Cheers.

FACES: Forum for American/Chinese Exchange at Stanford: On Common Grounds 2009 (Part II)

2009-04-21T19:57:00.009-04:00

The second half of FACES (Forum for American/Chinese Exchange at Stanford) was excellent! We had great discussions among delegates and even had some top-notch keynote speakers! Here's a taste of the last few days at FACES 2009.

Above: Condoleezza Rice (Former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, Current Professor of Political Science and Senior Fellow, Stanford University)

Condoleezza Rice was our keynote speaker for the week. She spoke eloquently about Chinese and American relations, touching on four key topics:

1.) The need for Americans to fully recognize and promote the domestic transition that China is facing during a time of vast economic growth within the country.

2.) The need for regional cooperation between Asian countries and the United States. She made reference to the success of the Six-Party Talks (North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the U.S.) and Friends of Pakistan and said there was a need for progress in regards to China-Taiwan relations.

3.) The need for the world to fully recognize China as a global power. Citing the facts that China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a big player in many other organizations, she urged us to place China on the same level as other global powers.

4.) The importance of realizing that China makes a huge and necessary contribution to the world economy.

During the Q&A section, she said two things that really stuck with me:

On Taiwan's political status of "Status Quo":

"Status Quo" is a political device used to manage a problem so no one has to solve it.

On democracy:

The absence of democracy in countries is dangerous.

I was very surprised with her candidness to answer questions with real passion, feeling and bias. All too often, we get the political answer from current and past politicians. Yet, Rice told it like it was. Impressive.

Above: Christian Kaas and Alex Metelitsa sign the China-Taiwan agreement during our Paracel Islands simulation.

I had the chance to participate in a political crisis simulation, much like those that take place in Model UN. My group worked on the "Paracel Islands simulation". The Paracel Islands are a chain of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, off the coast of Hainan and Vietnam. These islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. During our simulation, control of the islands was being disbuted by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The premise of interest in the islands was that the extraction of oil would begin in 5 years and last for decades. All three countries had particular interest in the oil, as natural resources are valuable, especially in this day of age.

I was a part of the Taiwanese delegation in the simulation and played the role of Chief of Energy Department. The simulation was eye-opening to what really goes on in politics! We had an extreme amount of information a-symmetry going on and were constantly making side-deals throughout the simulation. We had to play hardball to get the Chinese delegation to even consider Taiwan as a valid player, because we first had to get past the political issues. I really enjoyed it!

Above: Abby (Zhang Fuyang) played the role of a reporter from "The Vietnamese Times" (a ficticious newspaper) during our Mach Press Conference, where Christian and Alex (playing Chiefs of the Taiwanese and Chinese National Security Advisory Boards, respectively) announced and signed our agreement.

Towards the end of the day, the entire FACES delegation competed in "Iron Chef". We were given an arrangement of foods, including ketchup, mustard, squash, avocado, Spam, hotdogs, fish, crabmeat, sourkraut, radishes, oatmeal, yogurt, tangerines, cheese, mushrooms and grapes. Each food had to be used in at least one of three dishes, and grapes had to be used in all three dishes. The catch? We had 45 minutes.

My team's final menu was as follows:

Appetizer: Squash soup
Main dish: Sauteed fish over salad
Dessert: Oatmeal and yogurt mixed with freeze-squeezed grape juice and tangerines
(See below)

Above: My "Iron Chef" team created three amazing dishes!

Above: My teammates and I were quite proud of our creations!

Above: The FACES Executive Team were real sports for trying EVERYTHING! Yuck!

In the end, our team came in 3rd place (out of five teams). I guess that's not too bad... We saw some crazy dishes, and I was amazed at the true bravery of the FACES Executive Team for trying every dish presented to them. I saw what went on in our kitchen, and it wasn't pretty! I'm sending my best wishes to the execs in hope for survival after such trauma!!!

I want to thank all of the American and Chinese delegates, the entire FACES Executive Team, all of the speakers, and the entire Stanford campus for a great week at FACES 2009! I'm looking forward to the Beijing forum in November!

FACES: Forum for American/Chinese Exchange at Stanford: On Common Grounds 2009

2009-04-16T02:15:00.008-04:00

For the past few days, I've been at the Forum for American/Chinese Exchange at Stanford FACES. The mission statement of FACES is:

The Forum for American/Chinese Exchange at Stanford (FACES) is a student led group started at Stanford University dedicated to fostering personal relationships and understanding among future leaders in the United States and China. Through its presence on college campuses, FACES strives to promote interest and awareness in U.S.-China relations, building the foundation for a more constructive bilateral future.

Here's a little taste of what we've been up to:

Above: Discussion about "Taiwan: Major Anniversaries and Potential Breakthroughs in Cross-Straight Relations, featuring Thomas Gold (Associate Professor of Sociology, UC Berkeley, Executive Director of the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies), Sam Zhao (Professor, Execuitive Director of the Center for China-U.S. Cooperation, University of Denver, Founder and Editor of the Journal of Contemporary China); and Eric Yu (Research Fellow & Program Manager for Democracy in Taiwan at Stanford's CDDRL).

Above: David Straub (Acting Director of the Korean Studies Program at The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center of Stanford, Former U.S. State Department Korean Affairs Director); Sigfried Hecker (Professor of Mangement Science and Engineering, Senior Fellow at FSI, Co-Director of CISAC, Stanford University; Emeritus Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory); and Michael Armacost (Sorenstein Distinguished Fellow at APARC) discuss "China, the United States, and the Future of the Korean Peninsula".

Above: Michael Armacost makes a valid point on North Korea's treatment of South Korea: "South Korea has an economy that is 50 times that of North Korea, yet North Korea treats South Korea with utter disrespect."

Above: Ronald McKinnon (Senior Fellow at the Stanford Center for International Development at SIEPR, Stanford University) and Jean Oi (William Haas Professor in Chinese Politics: Professor of Political Science, Stanford University) discuss "The Future of Economic Growth in China".

Above: Thomas Fingar (Payne Distinguished Lecturer for International Studies, Stanford University) revives a new thought on the exportation of democracy: "Democracy is not exportable. If it is not indigenous, it is not real."

Above: Yiqun Zhou (Professor in Asian Languages, Stanford University) discusses "New Confucianism in China" with the American and Chinese delegates.

Above: Stephen Schneider (Melvin and Joan Lane Professor for Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies, Senior Fellow in the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University); Jeremy Carl (Research Fellow at PESD, Ph.D. Candidate in the Emmit Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Stanford University); and Michael Wara (Assistant Professor of Law, Stanford Law School) discuss "Intergovernmental Cooperation & Technology for Climate Change".

Above: Robert Baensch (President of the Baensch International Group Ltd., Academic Director and Faculty Director of the Stanford University Professor Publishing Course) and Charles McCullagh (Senior Vice President, Member Services, Magazine Publishers of America) discuss "Capitalism and International Media".

Above: Richard Williams (Former U.S. Consul Gernal in Hong Kong, Former U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia, Former Country Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs, U.S. Department of State) (far left) discusses Tiananmen, 20 years later.

FACES has been such a valuable conference so far. I can't wait to attend more seminars and panel discussions. Tomorrow, are conducting simulations, which are much like Model UN. My team is in debate over the Paracel Islands. One team will play Taiwan, while the other will play China. We will enter negotiations to try to find the best solution. I'll let you all know how it goes! Wish my team (Taiwan!) luck!

Yuan Express 2009

2009-04-16T02:01:00.005-04:00

This year marked the last year of my official student participation in my favorite NYU event, Yuan. Yuan is an event hosted by the Chinese Mei Society (CMS) to promote Chinese culture. At the same time, Yuan is a charitable event; for the past four years, CMS has donated the profits of Yuan to China Care, to help disabled Chinese orphans receive life-saving surgeries.

For at least the past three years, Yuan has been a fashion and culture show, based mostly on fashion. This year, however, Yuan focused on a "cultural and dining experience". I must say that I was quite impressed with the setup. The talents exhibited were amazing.

Furthermore, they had great raffle prizes! Guess what I won... an autographed Wang Lee Hom CD!!!!!!! Can you believe it??!?!!

I was glad that China Care got to take a more active role this year. We helped get raffle prizes, and we had a great turn out for volunteers.

I'm glad to say that this year was one of my favorite years at Yuan. I can't wait to be involved as an alumna next year!

Marmite, Promite, and Vegemite Comparison

2009-04-08T21:19:00.009-04:00

A while ago, my Australian friend, Jordan, told me about Vegemite, a concentrated yeast extract spread loved by Australians. Its popularity in Australia is similar to the popularity of peanut butter in American.

In my International Marketing Management course, we learned about it's British counterpart, Marmite. This whole new introduction into the yeast extract spread world got me curious about the differences between Vegemite and Marmite. While doing some research, I discovered Promite. So, let's do a little comparison between the three!

Marmite: Originally from the UK and now in both the UK and New Zealand, Marmite is made from yeast extract, a by-product of beer brewing, and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Some say it tastes similar to beef bouillon. Marmite is the French term for a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot. Marmite used to be served in glass jars that resembled such jars.

Promite: Promite is made from vegetables and yeast extract. Originally an Australia brand, it was acquired by Mars Incorporated, an American company. Dispite it's U.S. ownership, Promite is still manufactured and sold in Australia. It appears that Promite is the underdog of the three brands.

Vegemite: Vegemite, an Australian treat manufactured by U.S. giant Kraft, is made from yeast extract, and various vegetable and spice additives. Many Australians consider a national food and cultural icon.

Well, I'm not sure if that clears things up, but at least it's a start!

Chonga. Chola. Cafre. Chusma.

2009-04-08T20:41:00.005-04:00

Today, I discovered the Chonga Girls and their viral hit "Chongalicious", the video seen above that was apparently based on a song by Fergie. My friend, Rogelio, taught me the many synonyms to "chonga" in the various Spanish dialects. Let's review.

Chonga: According to Urban Dictionary, a chonga is

Primarily found in Miami (most famously, in Hialeah), the chonga is known for her cheap form of dress, a combination of the so-called gangsta look and that of a prostitute, but can vary between the two. She wears ridiculously large hoop earrings large enough to be bracelets, which are usually gold and have their name written in them, and diamond studs high up on her ears.

Other key factors that identify a chonga are the excessive use of makeups (including eyebrow and lip liners), name brand hip hop clothing (Baby Phat, Sean Jean, Ecko, etc) and sneakers (Air Force Ones or Reeboks), an attraction to malls, tight jeans, large amounts of hair gel, and a liberal use of Spanglish.

The variants of chonga include:

Chola: A Mexican variant of chonga. The chola style is common in southern California like east LA, San Diego, OC, and also NYC.
Cafre: A Puerto Rican variant of chonga.
Chusma: A Cuban variant. In Cuban Spanish, this is a vulgar word.

Thank you, Rogelio, for teaching me the slight variations existing between chongas, cholas, cafres and chusmas.

Stealing Chinese Kids

2009-04-07T17:18:00.004-04:00

One of the many things I noticed while in China was that kids are precious. Because of the One Child Policy, children are treated with great care, often becoming the "Little Emperors and Empresses" of the family. As a result of the One Child Policy and the cultural importance of passing on one's name, boys have historically been preferred among the Chinese. This trend is dying out as many urban Chinese become exposed to international world views and leave behind strict traditional mindsets. But some Chinese still place a high value on sons and would give anything to have one, especially if their first child (and thus, only legal child) doesn't measure up to expectations.

The New York Times recently reported on the kidnapping and selling of kids as another result of these traditional Chinese values. The video above does a great job of conveying this problem in rural China.

On another note, it is stories like these that fuel my belief in organizations like China Care, a non-profit organization that helps provide life-saving surgeries for disabled Chinese orphans. Many of these orphans are abandoned for the same reasons why children are stolen and sold. Because of the One Child Policy, the Chinese place a high value on healthy children. If it turns out that their child is disabled, there is a higher probability that the child will be abandoned. That's where China Care comes in, and it's a good thing that they're there to help out, because the number one reason that children become orphaned in China is due to health issues or disabilities.

Unfortunately, social policies and traditional family beliefs in China have led to the existence of child trafficking of healthy boys and higher-than-average abandonment rates for disabled children.

Hopefully the Chinese government will turn its focus towards these issues and create a sustainable solution. Until then, we can only hope that news coverage of these tragedies will continue to draw attention to the problems.

YouTube Discovery: Kid with Crazy Dance Moves

2009-04-07T13:55:00.003-04:00

While on Twitter, I saw a tweet about some dancing kids... Followed the link and found ArchiPug2, as shown above. Wow, these kids are kind of amazing. Well, the sister has some problems, but I'm sure she'll find her way. :-)

Vicks and Ricola

2009-04-05T23:26:00.003-04:00

It's official. I'm sick. For the past few days, I've tried to get by without taking much medication, but today it all went up in smoke. I had the honor of presenting as a panelist at the NYU Stern Open House for prospective students. I was on hand to share my experiences as a Stern student, along with my classmate Sandeep. With all of the talking required, I had to do something about my tragic coughing / man voice. Let me explain my systems... First of all, I sound like a man. Some of my roommates have called it my "sexy voice", interestingly enough. My throat is scratchy, dry and evil, and I have wheezing coughs. Worst of all, the phlem family has invited itself over for the past week.

So, I turned to the trusted cough allies: Vicks and Ricola. Why did I pick these two?

1.) They're recognizable. Like many consumers out there, I went for the ones that I thought seemed most respectable.

2.) Ricola used the word "Natural", and we all know that's a buzz word that works on my demographic! Plus, they have the whole Swiss thing going for them.

3.) They're both pink/red!

It's good to know that I have my healthcare down to a meticulous and well-thought-out system, right?

Just two hours after taking some Vicks and two Ricolas later, I'm still not feeling any better. But I have hope!

For all of you out there who are in the same shoes as me, hats off. And if you'd like to share some Vicks or Ricola with me, you know where to find me!

Stern Semi-Formal 2009

2009-04-05T23:12:00.003-04:00

Weikai accompanied me to the NYU Stern Semi-Formal last night. The venue, Capitale, was amazing. Dinner, on the other hand, was not so great. I had a rice pattie with vegetables... not as appealing as it might sound to my fellow vegetarians. The dancing was great, for the most part, though. The DJ wasn't anything to rave about, but any dance with Weikai is a ball. He's such a good dancer, that I couldn't care less what was going on around us!

We staked out a VIP area where no one was dancing and claimed it for ourselves. We danced the night away until my little feetsies hurt. Then, we called it a night and went back to his place for a well-deserved slumber.

I really enjoyed the night. Now, I'm looking forward to the NYU Senior Formal! So many dances, so little time!

Turnstyle Advertising

2009-04-03T19:35:00.008-04:00

Above: A turnstyle at the 14th Street - Union Square subway stop that advertises

On March 30th, the NYC Health Department began a new campaign for targeting parents who smoke. The official press release points out the danger of smoking as it relates specifically to NYC parents:

About 400,000 New York City adults who smoke live with a child. Sadly, smoking takes the lives of 8,000 adults each year in the city, many of whom leave children behind. New Yorkers are urged to quit smoking and to call 311 if they need help.

The campaign launch a television commercial that "features a young boy in a train station who has lost his mother. He is terrified and begins to cry. This painful moment shows the viewer how vulnerable a child is when a parent risks their life by continuing to smoke – and how scary the death of a parent would be." The commercial is a licensed version of one created months ago in Australia for quit.org.au:

You can see the entire campaign on nyc.gov/health.

As a part of the larger campaign, they feature turnstyle advertising, as shown above, in NYC subway stations. The ads are definitely eye-catching, as I've never seen this type of promotion. Furthermore, they feature a prominent comment: "Quit smoking today."

This is definitely a good cause. We'll have to wait to see if other advertisers start using this same medium in the future!

Erica is the New Black

2009-04-01T23:37:00.006-04:00

Above: A subway ad at 71st-Continental Ave for WhatIsTheNewBlack.TV.

After seeing a thousand ads for WhatIsTheNewBlack.TV, I finally checked out the website. As the name suggests, it's a website that sees if you can identify "the new black". You pick one top, one accessory and one bottom, and then see "if your black is the new black". It ranks your picks on Creativity, Wearability and Trendiness. You are then ranked into a fashionista category of either The Futurista, The Eclectic, The Individualist, or The Classic. Here are my interpretations of the fashionista categories:

The Futurist: (They say: No matter what the season you stay a step ahead.) Interpretation: You probably work in the fashion industry or know what's going on in fashion.
The Eclectic: (They say: You mix and match with a style all your own.) Interpretation: You're an odd one..
The Individualist: (They say: You have the confidence to dress to please yourself.) Interpretation: You don't know how to dress yourself.
The Classic: (They say: You know what works and you work it.) Interpretation: You're boring.

After creating an outfit, you can email it to your friends! The email looks something like the one below.

Above: What do you think? I'm definitely all up for a splash of color!

Above: I sent it to myself to see what the email would look like. It was titled "Erica is the New Black". hahaha. Thus, the title of this post.

Overall, it's a great idea, but the flash player takes a really long time to load. But don't take my word for it! Go check it out!

I Love Ice Cream Cake!!!

2009-04-01T23:07:00.007-04:00

Above: Ice cream cake! Read below for the full story!

Yesterday, Weily, my boyfriend's sister, mentioned ice cream cake. It was all downhill from there! I couldn't stop thinking about it and talking about it! Weikai, my boyfriend, was plagued with my begging all night long. At one point, though, he snuck off to his room. When I went to see what he was doing, he was looking up locations where we could find an ice cream cake! So sweet! At that time, it was too late, though. So we went to bed, and I awoke to thoughts of ice cream cake.

After class, we met up, napped a bit... and then! ICE CREAM CAKE! We walked to Cold Stone Creamery at Astor Place and Weikai treated me to a "Cake Batter Confetti" ice cream cake. Here's the complete description:

Layers of Moist Red Velvet Cake & Cake Batter Ice Cream with Rainbow Sprinkles, wrapped in Creamy White Frosting

Doesn't it make you want to shout in joy?!?!!?

After eating some of the cake at Cold Stone Creamery, Weikai walked me home while I tried to guilt him into coming up and eating some more cake and then some rice and veggies for dinner at 11pm. He declined, so I said I'd go up and enjoy the cake with my suitemates. After acting like he was going to drop the cake, I said, "Don't give me a heart attack!" In response, he whined, "You love the ice cream cake more than me! If I was going to fall, you'd be like, "Oh well!" I'm jealous of the cake! If you left me alone in the same room with it, I'd drop kick it!" hehehe. He's cute.

Above: After seeing Weikai off, I invited my suitemates (Jess, Neha and Maria) to come enjoy the cake with me! Along the way, we found Weijia and Shipra, too!

Thank you for the cake, Weikai!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you way more than ice cream cake (and chocolate, which you know I love a whole bunch)!!!

Above: The end! Yummm!!!!

Kamelflage: A bra, but for your...

2009-03-31T14:01:00.006-04:00

While reading a blog post on The Moment about an open call for designers at Henri Bendel, I discovered an interesting product -- the Kamelflage. Created by Treger Strasberg and Loren Weiner, the Kamelflage is a product designed to camouflage the dreaded cameltoe... Here's a little description from the Kamelflage website:

Kamelflage is a small flexible insert constructed of breathable and body friendly material that is placed into the liner of your favorite panties. It is discreet and molds to fit the unique shape of your body leaving it totally undetectable in even the most body skimming pants. It is far more comfortable than even the thinnest panty liner and certainly more comfortable than a frontal wedgy! The care is the same as any of your other fine washables, washer no dryer. Each kamelflage is small enough to tuck in your wallet incase of an emergency but they are so pretty and feminine that you might be tempted to show them off!

Can't say I've ever thought of anything like this before... But, if your tight pants are causing such a problem, wouldn't you just consider getting rid of the pants?

McDonald's: See What They're Made Of

2009-03-30T23:22:00.006-04:00

While on Facebook today, I saw the advertisement above for the McDonald's campaign entitled "See what we're made of".

On the website, they describe their supplier relationships with each ingredient, including the lettuce, tomatoes, beef and so on.

This is their newest campaign, as it has just recently been phased into packaging designs. By the end of this year, they hope to phase out the "I'm lovin' it" campaign that seemed to be a big hit.

The campaign has received a lot of backlash from organizations like EndAnimalCloning.org and World Society for the Protection of Animals, citing that "McDonald's has no policy on serving milk and meat from cloned animals or their offspring."

We could argue all day about whether McDonald's is actually adding utility to society or not, and I think the skeptics would win, but that's not the point of my post today. I'm just pointing out a new advertising campaign. Good or evil, they've come a long way from their first commercial:

YouTube Discovery: Signs

2009-03-30T23:06:00.007-04:00

My friend, Weily, sent me a video last night, entitled "Signs". It's a short film about communication and has a little undertone of love, directed by Patrick Hughes. Check it out below.

So sweet, right? Had me saying "Awwww..." for hours.

Continental Airlines: Work Hard. Fly Right.

2009-03-29T20:18:00.028-04:00

Above: An NYC tour bus ad that I spotted in Astor Place.

Above: A news stand ad (at Lexington Ave and 53rd Street) for Continental Airlines.

Above: A news stand ad (at Lexington Ave and 53rd Street) for Continental Airlines.

Above: An NYC subway ad (at Lexington Ave - 53rd Street) for Continental Airlines.

Above: Two NYC subway ad (at Lexington Ave - 53rd Street) for Continental Airlines.

Above: An NYC subway ad for Continental Airlines.

Above: An NYC tour but ad for Continental Airlines.

Above: An NYC Chinatown scaffolding ad for Continental Airlines

Above: Subway posters for Continental Airlines.

Above: Two taxi ads for Continental Airlines.

Above: An inventive use of newspaper space for a Continental Airlines ad in The New York Times National section on Tuesday, March 24, 2009.

Above: A Continental Airlines ad in The New York Times Business section on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. (Size: 6 columns x 7 inches)

Above: A Continental Airlines ad in The New York Times Business section on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. (Size: 6 columns x 7 inches)

Above: A Continental Airlines ad in The New York Times Business section on Tuesday, April 21, 2009. (Size: 6 columns x 7 inches)

Above: A Continental Airlines ad in The New York Times Business section on Tuesday, April 21, 2009. (Size: 6 columns x 7 inches)

Above: A Continental Airlines ad honoring International Restaurant Week in The New York Times Dining section on Wednesday, April 15, 2009. (Size: 5 columns x 13.5 inches)

Above: A Continental Airlines ad honoring International Restaurant Week in The New York Times Dining section on Wednesday, April 15, 2009. (Size: 6 columns x 7 inches)

Everywhere I go these days, I see Continental Airlines' ads, showcasing their worldwide destinations and unbeatable services. I'm not sure if it's because I have the travel bug recently, or not... but I think they're doing a pretty great job, regardless!

They could have one of the most integrated campaigns I've seen in a while. Everywhere I go, whether I'm walking on the street, reading the newspaper, or getting in the subway, I see their ads. I even see their ads online! Here are some of their recent online initiatives:

Above: Ads placed on Reuters.com with an embedded flight search feature.

Above: Continental Airlines ads on NYTimes.com.

Above: An ad targeted to Israeli-Americans and Jews that I found on SalutetoIsrael.com

And we can't forget their "Take Away" commercial. They're all pretty captivating and oh-so-true.

"Take Away"

"Clouds"

"Proud Parents"

"Free Time"

Makes me want to rush and and buy tickets to all of their worldly destinations! If only I had the time and money!

Meine Lieblingsfarbe ist orange.

2009-03-27T14:58:00.010-04:00

Meine Lieblingsfarbe ist orange = My favorite color is orange.

MTA Hikes Fares and Cuts Services

2009-03-26T12:15:00.008-04:00

Above: An ad placed in the subway by KeepNewYorkMoving.org

As an NYC commuter, I'm definitely sad/angered to hear the recent news that the MTA is raising the transit prices yet again. Effective May 31, 2009, a train ride will raise from $2 to $2.50 and the monthly Metrocard price will travel from $81 to to $103. Yikes!

As a monthly Metrocard buyer, I was shocked to hear such a drastic price change. Last year, the price rose from $76 to $81 and that sent shocks through the City. This change is even bigger, and I feel a lack of empowerment creeping among commuters. During the last price increase, there were rallies and protests. But this time, the atmosphere seems to be one of helplessness.

Even worse, MTA plans to cut services, including 35 bus lines and two subway lines, the W and Z. This will result in 1,100 employee layoffs, 2% of their workforce.

If you're upset about the new MTA hikes, visit KeepNewYorkMoving.org to send a letter to Governor Paterson and state legislative leaders.

For more information, check out the NYTimes Cityroom blog post entitled M.T.A. Increases Fares and Cuts Services and the video below.

As Seen on TV Logo

2009-03-26T10:42:00.005-04:00

It's the famous little logo that gets everyone interested in the weirdest of products: "As Seen on TV". What is it about this little logo that attracts customer attention? That's a mystery that has yet to be solved. And who created it? Is it copyrighted? Now those are questions that I can answer!

The As Seen on TV logo was created by Telebrands Corporation, a direct response marketing company that is, as you might have guessed, most recognized for its creation of the logo and the "As Seen on TV" category of trade.

So, I guess you could say that they're the people responsible for us staying up late watching knives cut through shoes and pennies... and watching vacuum cleaners pick up bowling balls... and gawking at the fact that the ShamWow can clean everything -- the house, the RV, the car, the cat, the dishes, your body, carpet, the shower. It's simply amazing... and a little pathetic.

Upon calling to see if their logo was copyrighted, I got this message:

"Due to the overwhelming response to PediPaws our phone lines are busier than normal. Monday and Tuesday are the heaviest call volume days, and you may wish to try your call on another day. PediPaws inventory are being received on a regular basis and orders are shipping out as soon as the inventory is available."

Umm.... wow. I'm kind of speechless after that. But nevertheless, I'm still not sure if Telebrands actually owns the copyright to the logo. I would guess yes. Does anyone out there know the answer?

Aldi and Trader Joe's: Siblings?

2009-03-25T18:01:00.004-04:00

Today in my International Marketing Management course, Professor Susan Douglas mentioned that the famous "Aldi brothers", owned both Aldi and Trader Joe's. Just to get things clear, I did a little research into the relationship.

Trader Joe's is a chain of specialty grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. They specialize in organic, vegetarian, gourmet, and frozen foods and attract young, urban, health-conscious shoppers. They also pride themselves on their eco-friendly message.

Aldi, on the other hand, is a discount supermarket chain, solely focused on delivering the lowest-priced products possible. The company is split into two divisions, Aldi Nord (Aldi North) and Aldi Süd (Aldi South). The northern division is headquartered in Essen, Germany while the Southern division is headquartered in Mulheim an der Rühr, Germany. My favorite fact about the store is that Aldi stands for "ALbrecht DIscount".

So, let's clear some things up...

Who are the "Aldi brothers"?

Theo and Karl Albrecht. Theo owned and managed Aldi Nord, while Karl was in charge at Aldi Süd. Now, of course, they're both retired.

Do they own both Aldi and Trader Joe's?

Sort of. The 1,000 Aldi stores in the U.S. are a part of Aldi Süd, owned by Karl Albrecht. However, Trader Joe's is owned by a family trust of Theo Albrecht. While collectively as a family, they own both, the two entities in the U.S. are actually competitors, as they have no legal ownership ties.

So, there we have it! Another mystery solved!

Twittervision

2009-03-24T14:05:00.006-04:00

Twittervision is an animated geographic visualization of tweets created by David Troy, an experimental programmer/designer and entrepreneur. Today, his Twittervision creation is being promoted as one of the Twitter definitions:

You can follow David on Twitter (@davetroy) or even follow his @twittervision page. There's even a Twittervision Facebook application. With Twittervision you can update your location via Twitter, and track the location of your friends. When they tweet, they appear on the Twittervision application at the location from which they are located (or say they are located) along with their tweet. Pretty exciting right? If anything, it's an addictive little tool! Try it out!

John Caples International Awards

2009-03-21T23:02:00.011-04:00

Above: Host Ralph Harris, actor and comedian, had everyone laughing.

On Thursday, I attended the John Caples International Awards with my teammate Daniel McCoy. We were entrants to the Student Campaign of the Year Award, sponsored by Alloy Media + Marketing, with a campaign entitled "Spin the Pen. Save the Planet." Among our many campaign strategies, we utilized a Facebook group, YouTube page and website. We featured pen spinners JC and Xero spinning the Recycology products. The response was great. As of now, we have almost a thousand YouTube channel views, 22 subscribers, and 1848 total video views. On Facebook, we have over 200 Group members. Here are some of our videos:

And the winner was.... drumroll, please... Daniel McCoy and Erica Swallow! We were super excited to win. Above and beyond winning, we had the opportunity to meet countless industry experts and enjoy a wonderful evening at Capitale. Below is our trophy!

Thank you to JC and Xero (our pen spinners), Josh Oh (our cameraman and video editor), Bernhard Wiecha (our Flash guy), and Chris Turan (our webhost)! Thank you Weikai for running to the convenient store to get tape, ironing the sheets, lending us your lamps, and being our first YouTube subscriber! Thank you Dan for being my teammate! Thank you to Alloy Media + Marketing, Pentel, the judges, DMNews, and the John Caples board. Cheers to all!

Hotel Grand Oasis Caribbean Resort - Cancun, Mexico

2009-03-21T22:10:00.006-04:00

Above: The beach at Grand Oasis Caribbean Resort

Above: Me lounging in the cabana.

Above: Weikai smoking a Mexican chocolate cigar in the cabana.

Above:Weikai and I at the Asian restaurant at our resort.

Above: The pool as viewed from our room.

Above: The beach and ocean beyond the pool.

Above: The beach had both shaded and sunny spots.

Above: The lobby at Grand Oasis Caribbean.

Above: Weikai and I lounging in a cabana by the pool.

Above: The view from our cabana.

Above: The view from outside of our hotel room door.

Above: The pool all lit up at night.

While in Cancun, Weikai and I stayed at the Hotel Grand Oasis Caribbean Resort, an all-inclusive resort located on a beautiful, white-sand beach on Kukulcan Boulevard on the main hotel strip in Cancun.

While the resort has mixed reviews by its guests, Weikai and I really liked it. Here are the pros and cons.

Pros:

Everything is included. It's all-inclusive, so meals, drinks, room service, everything is included. No need to go out to any of the overcrowded bars or restaurants to shell out too much money, just stay in!
They're always cleaning! The place is spotless. They squeegee everything -- the floors, windows, tables... it's kind of crazy. I didn't know the squeegee was so popular in Mexico!
The staff is nice. We didn't encounter any rude or obnoxious servers at all. Such a rare occurrence in New York, so it was a nice change!
The beach is pristine. White sand, blue water. It's heaven.
The views are amazing. We stayed on the 9th floor. As you can see from the photos above, we had a lovely ocean view.
The TV has English and Spanish channels.
They had a smoothie bar! (Unfortunately, it closed at 5pm every day)

Cons:

The wines and champagne are of substandard quality. They all tasted like rubbing alcohol.
The service is often very slow. We tried most of the restaurants and experience long waiting times at most of them. The only restaurant that I really liked was the buffet near the lobby. It had a large variety and practically no waiting times for seating. The other restaurants had long waiting times for both seats and food. No bueno!
Room service can be slow as well. The average waiting time was quoted at 45 minutes, but we often waited longer.
There were definitely some immature spring breakers. One particular group of drunk guys by the swim-up bar was carrying a few naked blow-up dolls. They were "interacting" with the dolls (but nothing too awful), even though there were people of all ages around. So disturbing.

Overall, I definitely recommend the resort. It's the newest of the Grand Oasis hotels and is overall very impressive. It was our first all-inclusive resort and a great way to start out!

Pok Ta Pok: Mayan Basketball

2009-03-21T19:57:00.007-04:00

Above: Photos of an ancient Mayan Pok Ta Pok ball court at Coba, Mexico.

If you venture to Cancun, Mexico in the near future, I highly recommend stopping by Cobá, Mexico, a large ruined city from Pre-Columbian Mayan civilization. While there, you'll see multiple ruins, including my personal favorites -- the Pok Ta Pok ball courts.

Cobá is the largest Mayan excavation site, extending over 80 km². Its main pyramid is the Nohoch Mul pyramid, as pictured below. At 138 feet tall, it's the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan peninsula.

But back to Pok Ta Pok! The sport, as described to us by our tour guide (who called himself the Mayan George Clooney), was an ancient Mayan game that resembled basketball. Each team of seven players attempted to keep a ball off the ground using only their hips, knees, heads and elbows. The object was to get the ball over to a captain who was running along the sideline wall's ledge (about 4-feet above the field). The captain then used a kind of stick to hit the ball through a stone ring located in the top-center of the stone wall on their team's side. Interestingly, the ball weighed up to 9 pounds and was made from natural rubber and covered in animal hides. 9 pounds... That's pretty crazy, considering that the average Mayan man was 5'2" tall! But I guess what they lacked in height, they made up for in strength.

At the end of the game, the losing team's captain would behead the winning team's captain. It was an honor to be sacrificed in Mayan culture, of course, so it was only fitting that the best player of all would be sacrificed.

While in Cancun, I saw a street sign marked "Pok Ta Pok" and a golf course named Pok Ta Pok. So, I guess the game lives on!