GABRIELA YARELIZ

There Are More Things

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
– Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio

Facing Yourself

[Awesome gifs in post from: Boy Meets World Gifs]

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Anyone remember Boy Meets World? In Girl Meets World, Cory and Topanga return as parents. Who didn’t love the hilarious Cory and smart Topanga? Topanga became a New York lawyer, and pretty soon, it seems like she will be facing her childhood self in an emotional time of reflection.

When I heard about this, I thought about what many of us students and young professionals face day to day. The pressure, the money chase, the responsibilities, the numbers–

Many changes are looming in the future for many of us. We are all consumed with applications, expectations, and thoughts of jobs, money and loan payments. When I saw this “Topanga Moment of Reflection”, I thought that it’s time for all of us to reflect and make sure that we are taking steps toward becoming the person we want to be; the person God wants us to be.

School is difficult, and to top that, we are often exposed to the ugliest side of mankind; its violence, its greed; its malice; its deceit; its competition. With so much evil and tragedy, sometimes you really do feel your soul dies a little.

This post is probably really random and terribly written, but my invitation is for each of us, regardless of age, to think of that child we were– the essence of who we are. Sometimes, that person gets lost, suppressed, thrown away–

It’s not about being a child again; it’s about not losing an essential part of yourself. It’s about living a life that you’re proud of; a life that the child-version of yourself would be proud of–and if you are not living that life, as Fitzgerald says, I hope you have the courage and strength to start again.

The child inside of us should never die.

As Topanga once said, “Jedidiah and Chloe say, every time you are not true to yourself, the Earth weeps.” It’s a weird way to put it, but you get the idea.

Don’t lose yourself.

Don’t let them change your or even rearrange you.

To Live Longer, Walk Slowly

“Days of slow walking are very long; they make you live longer, because you have allowed every hour, every minute, every second to breathe, to deepen, instead of filling them up by straining the joints. Hurrying means doing several things at once, and quickly: this; then that; and then something else. When you hurry, time is filled to bursting, like a badly-arranged drawer in which you have stuffed different things without any attempt at order.” A Philosophy of Walking by Frederic Gros, pg. 37

Autumn Fever

Soundtrack for this post: Ben Rector–Yes, let’s bring this back.

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Last year, I really fell in love with autumn. Spring is fabulous; there is always something wonderful about getting some warmth and relief from a brutal winter (looking at you, winter of 2014), but autumn was beautiful. Maybe, I am turning into an autumn girl, or maybe that is how disappointing this weird summer weather has been. In autumn, I love the clothes we get to wear (no need for iron-rubber leggings quite yet), and that back-to-school, crisp, new-beginning feeling. I like the darker makeup, the neater hair, the color palette, and how the leaves look so beautiful while dying. Fall, I have fallen for you. I feel you coming autumn…

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
― Lauren DeStefano, Wither

What the excitement is all about:

1] The general feeling: I don’t live in a cozy cabin, but I love how at the Whole Foods entrance, only in this season, the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon spice embraces you.

2] The makeup: Okay, so maybe we don’t walk around with lipstick this dark, but still– you get to be a bit more daring, edgy and dark in your color palette.

3] The clothes: The joys of not wearing a coat but not sweating through your clothes.

So much beauty… have you fallen for the enchantment yet?

I would say “Come soon autumn”, but take your time because I have a feeling you will be here before we know it.

ar·raign·ment

By: Gabriela Yareliz

An arraignment is the first time an arrested person presents him or herself to the court and to the judge. It’s where the defendant hears the charges against him or her. People sometimes get bail, some walk out of the court, while others are taken back to their cells by court police.

One early morning this summer, I showed up to the New York Criminal Court to watch arraignments. The court room works like an assembly line. Yet, at the same time, there is a lot going on in the room. Defense attorneys are consulting in one corner (usually from Legal Aid). In another corner, some court reporters are telling the Assistant District Attorneys to stop mumbling, and antsy defendants are sitting handcuffed in an opposite corner. In the crowd around me, are other defendants in police custody and family members of those being arraigned.

When the person is called up, the police takes a very close up photo of the defendant, and the defense attorney appears. After a while of sitting there, my back felt stiff. I would shift in my spot on the hard wooden bench (that resembled a church pew, minus the cushion). I could hear some whispers; I could see the police greeting officers who were just joining the team for the day; and I could see the judge, focused on what was being said.

In some cases, the defense attorney would make reference to the family members sitting around me, and to the “close ties to the community” the defendant had. It was sad when the defendant would get sent back, and he (all of them were male that day) would look back into the crowd, eyes searching until his eyes met with his wife or loved one. One mistake can cost you a lot.

The interesting reactions and expressions were of the ones released.

“Free to go.” The court police would echo, and the attorney would tell the defendant his right to appeal. One particular defense attorney was amusing to watch. He would take the defendants who were released to the back by the bar gate door and whip out a metro card from his front breast pocket. He would pat the defendant on the back and encourage him to be a good citizen, and then, the attorney would give him the metro card. “Free to go.” He’d often echo.

I was reminded of how many times we are trapped by our mistakes, our failures, our shortcomings, our character flaws, but through Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s forgiveness, we can leave our burdens and failures and start again. When God forgives us, He tells us to walk in righteousness with His help (encouragement), He offers us His strength out of grace (our very own metro card to help us get home), and He tells us we are free to go.

Now, what person in his or her right mind stands and asks to be handcuffed and taken back to a cell when freedom is offered?

I guess it’s up to each of us to answer that question.

The Magician (the cat) Signs with Real Madrid Until 2019

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Karim Benzema extended his contract with Real Madrid! The truth is, everyone, including Real Madrid, has fallen in love with him. Who can blame them?

Summer Cleaning and Mental Spillover

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Summertime cleaning is here. Euro fashion bloggers are out in Ibiza and Napoli tanning. Unconsciously, the rest of us are wondering how we can get to Ibiza in the first place, someday. I know, it’s about being happy with our own unique blessings and realities. We believe this, but at the same time, we buy frames and décor with photography of foreign locations and monuments; their allure beckoning us day after day. That is what I was thinking about when I was on the floor sorting through bill statements and lawyer magazines their own writers probably don’t read, which were over a year old. It was quite scientific, this sorting through trash, trash-I-wish-to-burn, trash-I-want-to-give-to-the-friendly-pigeons-outside-of-my-window-for-nesting and the to-be-shredded trash.

More thoughts that rushed into my head were: The truth is, those who graduated and are unemployed are facing decisions and some substantial stress. I am a witness. And the rest of us to graduate, once we graduate, we will be busy paying back loans. So, learning to make the most out of our realities and not dreaming of glitter is something we should start doing now.

Some glitter is okay, but not too much glitter. We should constantly remind ourselves to love the moment and place we are in because this time will not come again. All of us soon-to-be-graduating law students who aren’t tied down by a job (slightly distressing), spouse or children, well, we are not trying to get too attached to any place. Mobility is our advantage (if we have any at all).

Ultimately, no matter how things turn out, even if we end up taking unexpected roads and paths we never expected to trek, it will all work together for good. Sometimes, life is extremely unconventional, but that may be what is necessary to take us to what is best for us.

So, while I fill out job applications, dream and prepare for the semester, I decided to fix my space a little bit (hence the trash and paper sorting). Today, I found my flight itinerary of when I moved to New York. It was weird and strangely nostalgic. Growth has certainly proven to equal pain, at times. That process never ends, though–we never make it. We just keep growing (if we choose to, that is). If we don’t grow, I guess we settle like stagnant pond water with clouds of gnats hovering over us (#annoying).

My late-summer cleaning is 70 percent done (beaming with pride). It hasn’t all been cleaning, though. I have been taking advantage of summer freedom. Yesterday, I walked the entire edge of Manhattan below the Village. I walked through Soho, Tribeca, the Financial District (downtown), the South Seaport District, Lower East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown (which lately seem to be becoming one), Nolita, Noho and back into Greenwich.

Can I just say, in Little Italy/ Chinatown, I saw the most interesting advertisement for a cosmetic and dental doctor’s office. It had the doctor posing with the last three or four popes, and one photo with the Dali Lama. Who is this man? How much money does he have to be having private audiences and photo shoots with the popes (or does he have a master photoshopper)? What do religious leaders have to do with dentistry? Sure, it’s comforting to think you have a tolerant dentist but… It was absurd, hilarious, weird, arrogant and definitely entertaining while I waited for the crosswalk to change. While I do take breaks from cleaning, apparently I do not take breaks from thinking.

It was scorching hot. Humid, strong heat. A humid, strong heat I am planning to stay out of today. Despite the recent heat surge, last week it was cooling off into the 60s. This summer has been weird. I am over it.

Today, while cleaning, I heard Jon Stewart say something so hilariously true about having time to yourself when you are usually really busy and working nonstop (interview with Aubrey Plaza):

“I have found that as well, that people always say, ‘You need to relax and take some time’. But I always find that, you know, there’s a very small window between, ‘Wow, it’s so good to be with my thoughts again’ to ‘You failed everyone who ever loved you’; that is a very short window.”

Think, but not too much. It is good to reflect, but keep it positive and never get to the point of hyperventilation. Relax. Summer will soon be dying into autumn. Autumn is a season for new, colorful beginnings (remember the new back-to-school 1999 Lisa Frank folders?).
I will continue cleaning. I need to be ready for this new beginning and all of the changes it will bring with it.

Being a Kid

By: Gabriela Yareliz

[Written by a 90s child]

Do you remember sitting in the back of the family car waiting for your Happy Meal. Then, suddenly your bag would come, a parent would open it and rummage through your meal to make sure you had everything (including ketchup packets and BBQ sauce), and then the tan cup tray would come through the window and your bag would be passed back to you. You would open the Happy Meal bag, and the first thing to come out would be: the toy.

I probably have boxes full of McDonalds toys. There were the Flintstones, Hot Wheels, mini Barbies, mini Beanie Babies, new movie action figurines–I didn’t always care whether it was a girl or boy toy. As long as there was a toy, I was okay. When Beanie Babies were all the rage people would go to McDonalds just to buy the mini animals filled with plastic beads.

I was in Tribeca recently, where I saw a Happy Meal toy display, and everything came back to me. Also, my family was cleaning the shed, and they would share with my the little treasures they found from my spoiled childhood. All of this combined, reminded me of: my rock collection, my plastic bins with many compartments filled with beads, clear fish wire and plastic thread lanyards; birthday party goodie bags filled with the bright orange notepad that would erase everything when you’d lift the bright orange plastic, candy necklaces and Polly Pockets. I thought of the pens filled with water and confetti, Scholastic Book Fairs, and the eagerly awaited book orders. There were the American Girl catalogs, which defined each season. I thought of Mary-Kate and Ashley shows and movies, Lizzie McGuire and Teen-Vogue-reading summers in junior high. There were so many things that made me smile.

Lately, my mind has been going back to these joys. I feel so blessed to have had such a full and glittery childhood. I know many are not so fortunate. I thank my parents for everything they provided for me.
I know I wouldn’t be standing exactly where I am without every piece and element adding to my essence.

For nostalgia’s sake, here is Hilary Duff’s new single (her comeback). When I heard it– her voice, lyrics and face, the song took me back; way back. I hope it takes you back, too.

/Love the life I live; and I will live the life I love/–Chasing the Sun, Hilary Duff

The Conservatory Garden

By: Gabriela Yareliz

One of Central Park’s hidden gems: The Conservatory Garden. I don’t even know how I discovered it, but when I saw the photo, I knew I needed to go and see it for myself. The trek up to this area of the park which is kind of parallel to East Harlem was fun. It’s a bit tricky to get from the train to the Fifth Ave. area.

When you arrive to the Garden, you find yourself at a large gate, which I believe used to be outside of the Vanderbilt mansion. Being at the Garden was such a serene and peaceful experience from the minute I passed through the gate. The street and traffic is left behind and neatly-arranged nature invites you.

As gorgeous as these photos look, I had big expectations when I went to the Garden. The photos I had seen gave me another impression of what I would find inside of the Vanderbilt gate. Despite my high expectations, I still was impressed by its unexpected simplicity. There is an area that is dedicated to The Secret Garden, which is ironic because many New Yorkers don’t even know this Garden exists.

If you ever need a solo walk or a place to be absolutely alone, by these photos, you can tell the Garden is a place where you can escape the crowds.

It was a lovely experience to just walk around the winding, green-lined paths. There were no cell phones making noise. People were reading, sleeping and thinking.

[Let’s be honest] At the Garden, my expectations were slightly let down, but still it lends itself to surprises. Life can be like that. We have so many expectations, and we sometimes have a set vision for some things. Then, we arrive at the gate. We don’t see what we expected. Still, I guess life is about being able to let go of the expectations. It’s about seeing the magic and simplicity in some things and paying attention to the details. In the details, we find our most lovely surprises; surprises placed there for only those who stop to look.

Shall We Walk to TriBeCa?

[Photos belong to: Gabriela Yareliz]

By: Gabriela Yareliz

This summer, I worked in Tribeca (triangle below canal street). It became sort of a second home, this neighborhood. I think Tribeca is a neighborhood second only to the Village. It’s clean, renovated, trendy and by the river. This is where you can find shops with French opera posters, you can walk to the courts, drink $15 juices (or just drink the samples until you are full, as many like to do–the Cardamom thing is awful, by the way), or cheaper juices, and then, there are the Turkish baths.

There is Billy’s Bakery on Franklin St. Warning: At Billy’s you can find an employee who hates her life; who will put your friend’s birthday pie upside down in the box and give you the cupcake with no icing (I speak as a witness). Always check your order before you leave, if you dare make a purchase here. You can find parks with “baby grass” and benches galore at the Washington Square Market Park. Cobblestone streets help you twist your ankles as you walk in your work heels. Shout out to Smile at Shinola on Franklin Street. It has amazing gluten-free goods like quinoa-banana muffins and peanut butter cookies. Also, there is the lady at the Hudson Street Deli who never looks happy when you give her business, but the place is so good and reasonable that you keep coming back to it.

Strollers can be found on every sidewalk navigating past dog walkers, and flowers outside of delis perfume what seems like every corner of Hudson Street. The door men have inside jokes with the small children who go out with their nannies every morning; they give each other high fives as the children leave their glassy homes.

The walk from the Village to Tribeca may be one of the friendliest walks one can take in New York. Tourists don’t interfere with the walk and charming people cleaning sidewalks and walking around will greet you. I got to know Tribeca very well. I know where the best juices, ice cream and taco can be found. I also know where you can get chips and guac that are too expensive for anyone in their right mind to buy. I know how to get into the Barnes and Noble on Warren Street (not to be confused with the Whole Foods, Bed Bath and Beyond and Bank of America entrances). And I know where to get watch batteries changed (if you speak to the man in Spanish you have a chance of scaring the vendor out of his mind and he is less likely to rip you off), and I know where you can buy a salad with soba noodles in it.

Celebrities and young downtowners who make bank inhabit this neighborhood; in the morning you can see expensive cars and people suited up crossing Hudson and Greenwich St. Everyone rushing to work, but walking slow enough to be noticed. Walks to and through Tribeca will always top my list.

Here are some of the views from a walk from the Village to Tribeca. Some parts may not be exactly in Tribeca, but who’s drawing lines here? The Village, SoHo and Tribeca–three neighborhoods this good can seem to just mesh together at times; especially by the glittering gray Hudson.