Testing. Is the mic still on?

Years later and I've finally made a surprising comeback to blogging. I'm not sure if this will be a routine thing. A lot has happened since my last post but I'm just glad the blog is still here. Usually inactive blogs and sites are prone to deletion, and seeing this blog thrives after oh-so-many years warms my heart. This blog is still a trove of my memories, stories, experiences kept for over ten years.

I have created many blogs in an attempt to recreate or rebrand my blog with a more mature tone, but they've fallen apart and I can't seem to maintain them, nor do I have the drive to. I always keep coming back to this. So maybe this is a sign that I should really come back to this blog.

I'm not sure what else could be shared here. Definitely look out for more thoughts than stories, I think. I'll probably post some travel pictures too. I haven't really traveled much far since the pandemic hit and now it has ceased, I just landed a new job. So I'm not sure if traveling far will be somewhere in my radar.

Keep a lookout on more posts here!

The Norm of Being Blunt

One time, I was doing groceries in LA like every other weekend. I was going to get a can of pesto sauce on the other end of the aisle. Not feeling like dragging the cart all way to the other end, I left it on one side while walking all the way down for the pesto. It was then I heard a lady shouting. "Whose cart is this? Miss, is this yours?" I nodded. The lady threw me a firm gaze and told me not to leave it unattended as it was dangerous. I had a spitting thought of “So what? That's my cart. You've nothing to do with it.” but instead, i was flustered and begrudgingly walked to my cart, not to leave it ever again.

That case was one out of many things I encountered while living in US for years. Simply put, Americans are so blunt! In a good way. But this then-timid Indonesian student was so shocked when someone walked by to compliment her shoes or jacket. Or the other day I was having my loads of items scanned at the register at Target, and the cashier went “Oooh are you having a party tonight? By the way I love this noodle brand. Great choice!” Should this happen in Indonesia, you'd be suspecting the cashier might be developing a chronic nosy symptom. Should the scenario unfold here, we'd take it skeptically and be like “So, why do you want to know? You think you're getting invited? You're way inside my personal space so fuck off.”

The Pink Sky Above Venice, LA

Source: Viviana Rishe through www.unsplash.com

Published on The Lit Up in 2018

There are many places Avery wishes she’d rather be now, things she could do — doing touch-up while waiting for the traffic in I-10 to move, at home, binge-watching Netflix for a whole day, or at her interview — everything under the convenience of an air conditioner.

Finding herself wandering aimlessly in the wide strip of walkway stretching along the Venice beach isn’t one, especially after what happened.

She clenches her eyes tight. Tina Sanchez’s sing-song voice is still vivid in her head. In fact, it’s been playing for hours.

“I’m afraid we have to reschedule.”

The I-10 was congested worse than usual and the phone call wasn’t what she expected, especially when she was headed to the interview Sanchez had set up for her.

Why Passengers is essentially WALL-E (Passengers Review + SPOILER ALERT!!)

Image belongs to Variety

**PASSENGERS SPOILERS ALERT!!!!
If you haven't seen the movie, it's probably not a good idea to keep on reading.**

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Gosh I'm so bad at this. I realize I've been so bad at answering texts. I think my New Year resolution should be about being more tech responsive. I apologize for that. So sorry! Anyway, I really wish this month is November, or be made into a NaNoWrimo's month, because I've been actively writing the sequel to Translucent since the end of last year (*gasp* 2016 is last year?!).

On another news, and the main topic of this blog post, I just watched Passengers today. I thought it didn't live up to the bad reviews and turned out to be better than expected. It wasn't amazing but it's still quite impressive and stunning to watch.

My NEW Portfolio is up!

I'll just let this post be a shameless plug. As I mentioned in the previous post, I was working on my new graphic design portfolio. Now I'm happy to say that it's FINALLY done!

Check it out here: www.carissatrianty.com.

It features some NDA-free collaborative projects at my full-time work and some pitch projects as freelance gigs. Also, find out some exciting personal work and a brand new re-done school project! (I redid my Type 5 project, how savage is that).

Going home

Six years have passed and I reached the finish line. The finish line is temporary, as a whole new start is about to begin. I first arrived in San Francisco on August 2010, with a six luggages and both of my parents eager to take me to the orientation day. Coming straight from a country nestled close to the equator, United States seemed very big and cold, with all the spacious roads, the unfriendly, bone-prickling breeze, restaurants and stores standing on its own building instead of cramped next to each other. I wore a ton layers of coat. Now it’s November 2016, I walked out in the Bay Area wrapped in a cardigan and I felt fine.

Many asked me why I decided to go back. First off, the visa issue seemed quite obvious and inarguable. The work visa system barred me from staying longer in the States. As much as I wanted to stay in US where opportunity, wage, and lifestyle couldn’t have been better, I couldn’t stay if it weren’t for work. That ruled out the possibility of going back to school. Also, I had personal matters at home too.

.

The last twenty-four hours had been difficult for me to savor. Although I’m not a US citizen, I am as shocked and devastated as everyone else.

United States was my home for six years, where I felt more accepted more than I am in my hometown. The United States I know embraced cultural diversity, where people pour into the street and mingle regardless of their skin colors, sexual orientation, backgrounds, and faiths. The United States I know is a nation undivided.

Official author website is up!

So this is happening you guys...

I have an author website!!!

Aside from my design portfolio.

You can easily access it by clicking the image above or go to carissatrianty.weebly.com

This past month, after my work permit was expired, I spent most of my time getting back to writing and collected my guts to move forward with my long-time novel draft, Translucent. Although of course, I still do some designing on the side. After months of working full-time as a designer and learning a lot from my agency, I decided to set designing a little aside just so I could focus on my other passion (without abandoning my main one, which is designing, of course).

A long time ago, in a galaxy, far far away...

http://media.aintitcool.com/

Ten years ago, my thirteen-year-old self couldn't be more hyped to see Revenge of the Sith. The euphoria lasted for two-three years that I decided to binge watch all the saga, join the fanbases, make friends with fellow Star Wars fans along the way, join RPG and forums, and weirdly enough...write Fanfictions.

In the wake of The Force Awakens, which opens today, I decided to give you guys a revelation:
My Star Wars Fanfiction website.

First Book Signing Event

Zodiac Wikia

For the first time ever, I attended a book signing event!!

How cool is that?

Vromans, the bookstore where the event took place, is located just a few blocks from where I live and it often hosts so many book signing events. That I just discovered lately. As an aspiring writer and avid reader, I'm psyched, of course! Lately, I've been circling some potential Young Adult books for me to read to kill time after The Girl on the Train before finding Zodiac by Romina Russell.