recommended: surviving college pt. 2

back in march of 2014 i issued my first recommended: surviving college post. eight months later, and i'm back with another!
in this segment, i talk about all the tv shows, movies, and more that have helped keep me sane throughout the tough school year while also making me cry, laugh, or stare with such intense concentration, i forget my mouth is open.

american television

the walking dead: i only have one question–– why oh why was i so late on this?? for the past 4 years that the walking dead has been on air, i've held off on watching it, ironically turned off by the crazy amount of hype it received. now, with 4 seasons under my belt in 3 weeks (and a reopened netflix account that i thought would never see the light of day), i'm now on the 5th season, and dreading the wait for new episodes. the walking dead totally takes my mind off of anything and everything, and in a lot of ways, a perfect stress reliever... if you discount the in-show stress! i also have to add that i think my favorite character as of right now is daryl (aka norman reedus), which is crazy because glenn (aka steven yeun) got me into it in the first place! oops, swapping man-crushes, but who can blame me? this is an absolute must-watch if you haven't already!

movies

the drop: this was the movie that had my mouth open the entire time. in the drop, the twists and turns are absolutely chilling, there's a great use of dry humor, and character developments are in-depth and fascinating to witness. also, what's not to love about tom hardy? he is a great actor (and handsome, to boot!) who has perfected his character, and has all the skills to pull off this super-fun thriller! not to mention, there's a puppy in this movie. dog-lovers, unite!

korean television

korea's next top model, cycle 5: the top model series has long been on the decline, whether it's in america or, in this case, korea. cheesy, overly dramatic, and unrealistic challenges are set out for these unsuspecting model-hopefuls, all for the sake of cheap entertainment. and yet, why i'm unable to tear my eyes away i'm not sure... kntm does have one saving grace: it's selection of contestants. there were a lot of genuinely beautiful and unique faces that i could see actually working editorial shoots and runway shows. it was really fun rooting for my favorites, and made me feel like a preteen again when i dissected weekly episodes with my friend peter over text messages.

youtube

viviannadoesmakeup: weekly vlogs: ah, finally, a time where i can talk about how much i love vivianna's channel! when i find myself needing to take a relaxing break, but am limited on time, i hop on over to viviannadoesmakeup to check out her latest video. as much as i love anna's beauty reviews and makeup tutorials, her ability to connect with her audience shines best when she vlogs. she harbors a wonderful combination of genuine kindness, dorkyness (thus approachability), and her ability to not awkwardly talk to a camera while in public! i love seeing what cool youtubers (especially those involved with fashion and makeup) are doing, and it's even cooler to have this kind of access to the bits and pieces of anna's life as she works on exciting new projects.

pewdiepie: alien isolation: we all know i'm a pewdiepie fan, and have been for a little over a year now since i was introduced to his outlast series by my friend ariel. i love story-based games, really good gaming graphics, and i have a soft-spot for pewdiepie's somewhat obnoxious commentary, what can i say? alien isolation is just another game to add to my repertoire of favorites. the game combines a great use of detailed story-telling, realistic graphics, and the classic hide-and-seek aspect to any thriller-game. i highly recommend it if you're too lazy to play it yourself (like me!) or just want to blast through the storyline without getting stuck on really hard levels (like me!).

books

ever since i got a nook, books are now back in my entertainment rotation! these were both great recommendations by my friend, jessia.

interpreter of miladies by jhumpa lahiri: just a series of absolutely beautiful short stories centered around the theme of immigration, family, and understanding one's own past. lahiri puts into words, concepts about growing up second-generation in a country that isn't your motherland that i have been unable to articulate myself, or have simply taken for granted. she is an incredible writer with such an innate sensibility for describing human emotion, i quickly devoured every other work of fiction she's written, including the namesake, the lowland, and unaccustomed earth. i recommend them all!

americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie: another great writer who also takes on similar themes as lahiri, but her story is that of the african woman. americanah gives a voice to those who have no other option other than sink or swim, those who have been put on the brink of desperation because of money or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. adichie writes with so many different, beautifully fleshed out characters, that i can't help but feel like i am reading their diaries, or living like a fly on their wall. please go read it!