from out the window
Posted by: nnk1 on: February 11, 2011
Frozen ice crystals speckle the frosty window
like freckles, like tiny stars at night; they glitter and gleam.
As the sun warms up the glass, the starry show shapes melt
dripping back to Earth like cold tear drops when he cried.
Jack Frost returns at sundown
and new ice flakes form
Happiness and joy for a winter wonderland.
The crystals dance across the window in merriment; celebrating winter solstice
Decemberland.
They parade on moving panes ’til Spring’s beauty blossoms
and breaks the heart of Mr. Frost and his creation.
The flakes cry in lamentation
melting, dripping; Spring’s invasion
it’s reincarnation.
The flakes turn to water that cultivate floral decor
cycle the life
the nature’s accessories.
Frost to bloom; sun to moon
it’s the cycle of life…
…life renewed.
a year in review: 2010
Posted by: nnk1 on: December 31, 2010
i rang in 2010 with vivacity, and although the 2009-10 NYE soiree i attended last year was as exciting as watching the 40-year-olds around me sipping glenlevit and hitting on young waitstaff, i still managed to ring in january 1st with a wave of positive energy and motivation.
twenty-ten was a huge year for me.
here are some highlights from the past year. i: studied some amazing queer lit at GVSU, took up swimming, took a random trip with an (almost) stranger to chicago and shared a bed with german girls, (wait, that sounds sexual. i swear it’s not! what i mean is, i stayed with strangers and slept with them too. i know, huge risk taker) made several late night beach excursions with some of the most genuine, kind and fun friends, got a sweet pair of bongos to add to my percussion set, visited the dominican republic, went cliff diving, enjoyed late night jam sessions with my band, got yelled at from an interviewee for revealing the truth about a non-effective weight loss product, graduated from GVSU where i earned my bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, got turned down by nearly 50 news reporting jobs across the country, started my own video production & writing solutions company, ended a LTR that was super-long distance, made new friends that introduced me to new love, fell (am still falling) in love, repped (still reppin) the buick regal & lacrosse for the auto show, modeled in some amazing shoots and live events, was mentored by a few motivating, smart and humble grand rapidians, helped launch a successful lounge AND vacationed in california with my best friend and amazing partner.
so what did i learn? well, let’s just say SELF-DISCOVERY. holy smokes, it’s amazing what you learn about yourself in one short year. i also learned a TON of practical and character-shaping points from mentors and friends. i learned to be OKAY with the unknown and to trust God in His plans. i also learned that God blesses situations even when you go into them not fully understanding what is going on. i learned….to fall in love, to trust, hope and believe. my mentors taught me to be more positive and harness positive energy that surrounded me. i learned how to mend a broken heart. i learned how to beat the ‘bad economy’. i figured out how to buy an LCC. i mended friendships and made new ones. i took risks and enjoyed uncertainty. listening; i learned to actively LISTEN and apply the knowledge i heard to my life. honestly, i could go on with at least a hundred more things…
so what now? i won’t just ring in 2011, i’ll crash it with an intense amount of positive energy, LOVE and gratefulness. my resolution? apply all the things i learned in 2010 to grow more, learn to be more rational, and try not to be such a planning-mcgee because hey, although the mayans say the word will end in 2012, who knows if our last day will be tomorrow? (i’m sort of kidding..i realize that was kind of morbid, sorry).
if you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. if you know me personally, thanks for shaping me into the woman i am today. i love you and appreciate your friendship.
cheers to love and a fruitful new year,
nadira
spooky & real
Posted by: nnk1 on: October 29, 2010
It’s no ghost story, but a true story… Before I go on, time for some math: alcohol + people = (you fill in the blank)
What’d you put in? Probably not rape, right? Probably not sexual harassment…Probably not even “being taken advantage of”.
Halloween weekend is here and if you’re a 20-something socialite like myself, I’m sure you’ll be seeing some rather scandalous costumes and/or activity. I believe it was the movie ‘Mean Girls’ that made this phrase famous: “It’s the one time of year that every girl dresses like a slut and gets away with it.” At any rate, I want to remind people that ‘NO’ MEANS NO.
NO! It doesn’t matter if someone is dressed “like a slut” or is intoxicated. NO! It doesn’t matter if you know him but don’t want him.
1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).
shocking? check this out:
Approximately 62% of female rape victims knew their assailant.
Maybe you’ve heard or seen these statistics somewhere, but it’s never really been an issue “close to home.” But let me ask you this, why must it be close to home for you to be proactive and aware of your surroundings?
The numbers increase when drinking is involved, but that’s NO excuse for anyone to touch you or verbally harass you. 26% of men who acknowledged committing sexual assault admitted that they were intoxicated at the time of the assault, and an additional 29% reported being mildly buzzed.
Women, empower yourself with some great tools: say NO, be around good FRIENDS, have your cell phone HANDY, know the AREA WELL, know how to DEFEND YOURSELF.
Men, misogynist jokes ARE NOT FUNNY. Not every woman wants to “hit it” with you. To the good men that are reading this: we look up to you strong, honorable men to lower these scary numbers and to help create a safe environment.
Friends, I don’t write this to scare you or to be your mother. I write this to empower you and to raise awareness. There’s a big difference between a drunken hookup (with consent) and being raped.
Have so much fun this weekend, be safe (!!!) and really take the time to be proactive. If you are in an uncomfortable situation and/or see someone struggling, know that you are strong enough to take a stand to do something.
Stats in bold are public information issued by the National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistics (2000).
For more information on date rape prevention, click here.
whodunit?
Posted by: nnk1 on: October 25, 2010
call sherlock holmes for there’s a case unsolved
filled with mysterious love. who is involved?
a beautiful thief, i think, stole my heart
day by day she swoons me, and breaks me apart
she breaks down love into tiny pieces
she shows me how to love better by sealing the creases
it takes being broke down to mend and heal
it takes being ripped apart to understand true love and to feel
so, call the dectectives and get out the hounds
i must kiss this heart robber for the joy i’ve found
thunderlove
Posted by: nnk1 on: October 22, 2010
controlling, damaging, manipulating
the clear blue sky is now a cloudy storm
draining, aching, lying
golden bolts strike the earth’s roots
sky, you were true. you were transparent. you were blue.
sky, now you’re black. filled with anger. you’re a deadly attack.
the dove delivered a message as a rainbow bloomed
a new promise has taken over
a deep love to heal and renew.
Left with no choice
Posted by: nnk1 on: September 12, 2010
For many, being closeted is dark and lonely.
We feel as if we are left with no choice but to live a fake, heteronormative lifestyle to cater to others’ ignorance.
To whoever feels the same way as the stated in the (PostSecret) picture below: I feel your pain and I pray for you.
I live for the day when ignorance is banished and acceptance thrives, but for now…I live for the moments where I get to live freely and openly; without the fear of being judged.
One love.
a turnaround
Posted by: nnk1 on: September 7, 2010
“There’s nothing to do in Grand Rapids,” is an outdated phrase.
WAKE UP!
There’s lots to do in this city!
This Friday, you can get your fashion fix with Fashion’s Night Out, sponsored by Vogue.
Celebration On The Grand is going on this weekend, too. It’s just another amazing event to kick off a series of ethnic and culture-based festivals that will happen almost every weekend from now until the end of October!
ArtPrize is almost here for its sophomore debut, as well as the grand opening of the Leopard Lounge Cocktail Boutique (I can’t disclose more details just yet, but it’ll be the best nighttime venue you’ll ever experience).
GO OUT AND ENJOY WHAT GRAND RAPIDS HAS TO OFFER!! 
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Love The Way You Lie (Commentary)
Posted by: nnk1 on: August 8, 2010
If you haven’t seen the incredibly amazing music video or heard the song Love The Way You Lie (Feat. Rihanna), you’re missing out. The song and its music video have topped the charts and continue to battle it out with other hits to stay at #1 (according to iTunes). So, again, if you haven’t heard the song or seen the video, go ahead and watch it before you continue reading.
Now, I don’t want to go into detail with the production aspect of the music video just yet because I believe it would be a tangent on what I really came here to do. What’d I come here to do again? Oh yeah, tell you folks how emotional this song makes me feel. But let me just credit director Joseph Kahn for making a fine piece of art with the video. I can’t get over how sick the lighting, set design, characters and graphics (with the fire) are… I could analyze this video all day! Kudos, Mr. Kahn, I’m sure this video will receive a VMA award.
Okay, now onto spilling my heart out. First, I’d like to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with this song. There’s some serious anger and sadness in Eminem’s lyrics. His clever, heart wrenching rhymes always evoke the most intense emotions from my soul and for that, I dually love and hate this song. Since I can (kind of; I think everyone can in some way) relate to this song, and especially since I’m going through a break up, it’s easy for the lyrics to cloud my judgement. His words really put my head and heart through exaggerated emotions and for that, I hate this song. Overall, both this song and music video are beautiful in that it draws in its audience and speaks to them in a very personal way.
-NK