An Original Piece

As some of you know, I really enjoy writing, but what you may have not known is that I love writing poetry. I haven't had much opportunity to write any poems lately, but I thought it might be a good idea to finally reveal some old poetry nobody has ever read before! I even scavenged through one of my old hard drives for the one posted below! This one is probably my most well written piece, I used it as an introduction to a very long research paper I wrote with a melodramatic literary twist on drug addiction when I was 16. I hope you enjoy it!

No More Power

You are a rapist, a concubine, a delicious slumber, a deliverance, the agony, the alibi, the excuse, the courage, the fear, you beat with your fists and caress a bloodied cheek: you are the drug which inhabits nightmares and dreams. A date rape demon, a blanket which shrouds the soul, a twisted communion smoldering the spirit.

A man looks in the mirror, looking back with a frown and crying tears without lifting a brow. A man spiraling downward with every split tear, a man with fatigued bloodshot eyes, a lonely fellow, a victim of tragic profusion.

They stand alone, broken and defeated, their heads swimming, their minds altered in unforgiving ways; the addiction has beat them, they have no more power.

There is a hate floating on this earth, a demon to us all, and if you choose to use just once, your soul is promised to fall. You may think you’re strong and there’s no way an addiction can happen to you. But soon your body will need it, and your mind will drift into an endless sea. Your body starts to tremble and shake, whenever you need a fix. You’ll sell your soul to the devil to get it and get it quick.

The man who once believed he would prevail and never again falter now kneels at his porcelain alter. Lacerated skin weeps crimson tears and existential dread ulcerates the mind, paralyzing the body with nausea. He lamented the days of long lost dreams of stolen promises and Prozac screams. Blisters of insecurity have stifled all ambition and staggered movement. Killing, killing, dying from the inside out.

Talent Has Been Given New Meaning

If you were to go on a talent show in front of millions of viewers, what talent would you show off? But wait just a minute now.... don't think you can throw on a pair of your great grandma's tap shoes and perform the most difficult choreography known to man. When you flip through your television channels, there is bound to be at least some sort of talent show on, whether it is American Idol, So you think You Can Dance, etc, but what about the ultimate talent show where you are not just limited to singing and dancing? In fact, singing and dancing seem almost out of the question, you have to be as original as possible. I recently have become really interested in America's Got Talent, there have been some really great acts! I thought it might be interesting to see what talent Britain is cooking up, especially since American Idol's very own Simon Cowell is a judge on this as well. Here were a few of the clips I looked at that I found to be unique and interesting...

British Teenagers Officially Love Americans.... the Parents not so much

I saw this article on Yahoo and found it kind of funny....

Britain, the land of school uniforms, rigorous exams and ivy-covered school halls, is embracing an American invasion: the high-school prom.

British teenagers say they've seen the events in movies like "American Pie" and television shows such as "The O.C.," and they want the chance to dress up and rent limousines themselves. That means a new reason for Britons to worry about the dilution of their culture, a new burden on parents' pocketbooks, and new businesses selling prom essentials such as tuxedos and corsages.

Many American adults cringe when they remember the unfortunate dresses and awkward dates from their own proms. Britons, meanwhile, are adopting the prom at its most traditional, with prom queens and kings and professional photographers favoring pastel backdrops. In some schools, proms are replacing more modest British traditions like the "leavers disco," where kids turn up at the school gym in jeans.

Tips and Facts to Remember If You Are Traveling to London or Italy

I just got back from my trip to London and Italy a few days ago and it was great! I had more fun than any other vacation! Check out the photo gallery by clicking on the link above the slideshow! I learned a lot while I was abroad, so I wanted to share with everyone some useful tips and facts that I discovered.

1) Don't ask for cream in your coffee in London. Not only do they not use cream, but unless you ask for black coffee, it comes standard with steamed milk already inside. I made myself look like a fool walking around the cafe and looking for cream. haha
2) Don't plan anything after dinner time in Italy and be prepared to eat late! Restaurants in Italy don't open usually until 7:30 and dinner typically takes at least 2 hours!
3) Do some reading before you go to all the museums, it will make you appreciate the experience a lot more. Almost all of the museums have book shops also that you can stop in to get a better idea of the history behind all of the artifacts.
4) Be careful if you are using sarcasm or even joking when in Italy. People in Italy take things very literally and are easily offended. My dad encountered this when making a joke with a the Gondolier man, who looked like he was ready to slap him when he made a simple joke.
5) Act gracious at the dinner table and complement the owner and the chef, it may earn you earn you a free wine or dessert! We were so in love with the food that we made sure to send lots of complements and our waiter was so pleased that he decided to give us free dessert and wine on more than one occasion!
6) Don't ask for an iced latte in Italy, you will get a blank stare and some funny looks. Most people only drink cappuccinos and espressos in Italy, I was unable to find one place that brewed coffee or served it cold.
7) Make sure you go to the Tower of London when you travel to England! It is by far one of the most fascinating historical landmarks I have ever been to.
8) Tip is already included in the majority of places you eat at, and it is a lot less than in the US (only 10-12%). Also, you are not expected to tip cab drivers.
9) Bargain you way through Italy and beware of scams and liars. You can bargain at almost any store in Italy, especially in Venice. Don't pay what you see on the price tag! Also, a lot of stores will appear to carry lots of nice designer apparel, but it is more than likely fake, so keep your eyes peeled!
10) Bring a great pair of walking shoes and buy a top 10 book to guide your adventures! We walked on average, about 8 miles a day and my feet were killing me by the end of the trip! We had a ton of fun though, and a lot of it was because of the great recommendations we received from the "Eyewitness Travel Top 10 book (Italy and London edition). It lists the top 10 of everything from dining to sightseeing attractions.

Active Vacationing is Fun!.. But Kind of Tiring Too

Wow am i sore and exhausted! These past two days have been our most active of the entire 2 week vacation! Yesterday we walked up to the very top of the Duomo tower, which is one of the most famous churches in all of Italy. Our journey was over 400 steps to get the top! You can see the end results in the video I posted below, and the size of the tower in the slideshow above.
Today was my favorite day in Italy. We were lucky enough to go on this incredible 25 mile bike ride into the Tuscan Countryside! It was so beautiful... and to top it off, when we reached our endpoint in the countryside we were given a wine tour of Tuscany's famous Chianti wine. We got to try two of the most popular wines they make and bottle there, and we were also served an excellent home cooked Italian meal! I felt so incredibly spoiled! On the way back, the sun decided to disappear on us and it became muddy and rainy so we stopped half way for some great Cappuccinos! If you ever go to Florence I HIGHLY recommend this tour to you! It was by a company called "Florence by Bike".
According to my Dad we have walked on average 8 miles per day, which means that by the end of this trip we will have walked a total of 112 miles all together! Now that's a lot of walking! Unfortunately our journey is just about over. : ( Tomorrow we take the train back to Venice and the following day our plane leaves. It has been an amazing vacation and definitely exceeded my expectations by far! I am looking forward to coming home though! I can't wait to see everyone!

Famous, Fabulous, Flavorful Florence

We just arrived yesterday to Florence, which is part of the Tuscany Region in Italy. We got incredibly lucky as we were able to obtain a free upgrade to one of the nicest rooms in the entire hotel. The picture I took above is a view from our balcony!! The video gives you a quick peak at just how nice our room is. So far we have done a lot in the city... we got to see The David, which let me tell you it is far more amazing then I could have ever imagined. I never understood what was so great about a statue of a man until I actually saw it in person. The David is all carved out of marble (nearly impossible to carve anything out of) and is about 20 feet tall! Michelangelo sure knew how to work his chisels! Today we went to the famous Uffizi Museum that displays a good majority of many of the famous artists ranging from the late 1200's - 1700's. The most famous artwork we saw was "The Venus" by Botticelli, which I am sure all of your are familiar with. Yesterday we had the most incredible meal of my entire life. Dinner took us 3 hours as we were served the freshest Italian antipastas, main courses, and Desserts at a place called "Il Profeto" which was strongly recommended by some locals. Florence is timeless; we have walked the same streets that Galileo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Michelangelo walked. It has been quite the experience, which unfortunately is nearly over, but I will most definitely be back in Europe soon!