It's A Beautiful Day For Beautiful Spaces!

Black Swan Banned In Barbados

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 I can't believe that this is actually true.. but the island of Barbados has banned the movie Black Swan. I've seen the film and in my opinion it is one of the best movies I've had the pleasure to watch in a very long time. It's sad that such oppression still exists in our World today. Just when it seems like we are making strides forward in terms of equality and freedom, things like this just take us back to the 1940's and 50's! Needless to say the group that banned the movie in Barbados, the local Film Censorship Board, is in some hot water at the moment. This story has gained momentum not only in the island itself with talks of a March happening, but CNN has also run a story. I doubt this is the type of media coverage the island hoped for, or maybe they will just ban this too? Here's hoping something changes... soon.

To join the protest please visit this website and sign the petition for an appeal on the Boards decision.

**UPDATE**
The movie is now being shown in the local theatre with a R-rating. Seems the islanders cries have been heard!

Housing, Apartments, and Dorms Part II

Seems like a bunch of you latched onto the earlier post I did on Apartment and Dorms in the States, so I decided to do a post numero dos and cover some more things I skipped over earlier.

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Safety was one of the first things on my parents minds. We really wanted a gated community and the area around the University only had three places that had the feature, so it was pretty easy to make a decision when all of a sudden our options were cut down from fifteen to three. Talking to some of my classmates I had no idea how much a small gate card was increasing my security. My next door neighbors were having break-ins and police posted in their driveways, something I can never imagine taking place around our apartment, and which to a year later.. still hasn't and probably won't. Positioning too can be very helpful! If you can, request a second floor apartment further away from the entrance. We are on the second floor, about half a mile back from the entrance with a grassy tree-filled area on one side which puts us in a pretty quiet, peaceful area. Having a little oasis of safety makes such a difference.

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Paying rent is an issue some people have. My and my roommate have it set up so at the end of one month I'd pay the full rent along with water, and at the end of the next month she'd pay the whole rent along with water. The energy and cable are split every month. Around graduation time we'll tally it all up and make sure it's 50:50. She and I both trust each other and are dependable when it comes to rent, so this works for us. This goes without saying that saving your bills is super important! For the most part your cable/internet and rent are fixed numbers, but water and energy will be different so make sure those bills are filed away for the future. *Side note* I have a little filing cabinet in my desk and it is crazy helpful. The bills, receipts, important documents, and all other such items are filed away and it makes such a difference when it comes to finding things. Definitely a must!

styleunveiled.com

Over at boarding school in Vancouver, rules were super important to having a healthy bond with your roommate. I shared a room with another girl who has become like a sister to me, which definitely would not have been possible if we didn't set the boundaries and follow the house-cleaning rules the houseparents set for us at the beginning of the year. Even though it may be awkward because you've only just met your roommate, you have to sit down and lay out what's good and what's not. Neither of us are huge partiers, but if either one of us is having people over we let each other know before-hand. There's definitely been a few times when one of us would forget or people would drop by last minute, and when you don't know someone's in the house it sucks to walk in on a stranger. Same goes for sleeping over. You learn as you go along! We always have our place spick and span, having a clean area is a must. It makes such a difference to have a clean, nice smelling apartment! Don't take it for granted, make it happen!

bayareabrideguide.com

Because A College Student Reads Books. Occasionally.

Hello Hello Hello!

Glad to see you made it through Valentines Day in one piece and not a big pile of mush!

xmission.com

I put off buying these Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series for quite a while. I mean everyone was reading it, and for a while although it never got as bad as the Twilight epidemic, it was crazy the attention these books were getting. So I thought I'd be cool and not read them. Jesus I'm an ass. THEY ARE AMAZING. And I mean that. Target was selling them for like $6 so I just decided on the fly to grab the first two, and it was the best decision I've made in recent times. So worth it. They are captivating, new, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, can't-put-down kind of books. They are based on an extraordinary girl, heroine if you will, that although is the opposite of every heroine we've had in recent times, you can't help but root for her the whole way. Amazing writing, very brisk and to the point, but still very detailed and meticulous. I recommend!

kariannalysis.com

Another lovely one to spend the evening with is Water For Elephants. A little PG-13, parents decide, but it is another amazing hard-to-put-down story. Centered on the circus, an elderly man in a nursing home tells his 'life story' if you will, through his day dreams. It captures a circus traveling through America in the time of the Depression, which you can imagine, is a little harsh at times, but still managing somehow to maintain that 'dream' some of us have of running away to join the circus.

goodreads.com

Right now I'm currently reading a memoir of a young girl seeking asylum in America after being forced to marry a man nearly twenty years her senior, the same man who requested she be circumcised before she enter his house. I'm about halfway through and it's been a real eye-opener so far. I had no idea about the "female genetic mutilation" as they call it in America, and never really thought about the idea of asylum either. The book is called Do They Hear You When You Cry, and if you would like some more insight on the detention centers in America, along with life in Africa as a young woman this memoir is for you.

paperbackswap.com

Banana Ice-Cream

As a college student.. your going to eat ice cream at one point yeah? Well I've got an excellent recipe that you can try out with just 2 bananas and a blender.

First of all this goes without saying that it's pretty darn healthy. What your going to do is choose out some 2 medium sized bananas (or three depending how big your craving is) and your going to cut them up sort of in 'coin-sized' pieces. Pop those in a container of sorts and leave them in the freezer till they are frozen solid, I think around 2 hours should be good. Then just pile them into your blender and chop them up! You might need to pause at some points to stir it around, make sure it is thoroughly blended. You can put them back in the freezer after, as they might have sort of lost their 'frozen-ness'.

So there you are! It's pretty nice and cooling when the day is hot :)

ourbestbites.com