because jihye's "high-heeled plan for the future" got me thinking

plan #1: law school

22-23 | find a job for a year, most likely doing production assistant stuff for a media corporation, nothing fancy, just something to sustain myself for a year

23 (right before law school) | travel to europe again

23-26 | law school

26-27 | launch into slave mode, working into the depths of the night, study and pass bar exam

27-30 | slave mode part II, spend hours on end making a name for myself and satisfying the corporate pricks...and partners

30-34 | the pressure's a bit off my shoulders, continue working at law firm, get a few raises and promotions, hopefully work my way into a minimum of $250K a year; meanwhile, begin pro-bono/non-profit work to help battered/abused/disadvantaged women and children

plan #2: no law school

22-24 | hopefully find a job as a production assistant (gotta start somewhere) or a low-level journalist for a swanky fashion/entertainment magazine

24-26 | work my way to associate producer or staff journalist; the show which i am associate producer of gets nominated for an emmy/golden globe, courtesy of the magazine, i'll attend my first new york fashion week show

26-28 | become producer or assistant editor; attend emmy's/golden globes in a fabulous designer dress, attend first fashion show in milan

28-30 | asked to join production of a critically acclaimed tv show and/or movie; become an editor, start doing fashion spreads by myself

30-34 | buy my first house, in the off time, begin non-profit work (same as above)

*a girl can dream, right? they can't take that away from me just yet. i still have my idealism.

the proust questionnaire*

what is your most marked characteristic?
biting sarcasm, a perpetual desire to please and be seen as worth admiring; i would hope to say, the yearning to love from the barest of my heart and be loved

what is the quality you most like in a man?
charisma, charm, a masculine tenderness

what is the quality you most like in a woman?
subtle confidence, feminine conviction, unabashed intelligence

what do you most value in your friends?
support, for always being there for me regardless of what mistakes i have made or stupid decisions that brought me to undesirable consequences

what is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
never having put my all into something, lack of conviction, indesiveness

what is your favorite occupation?
ask me again in twenty years, but for now, living

what is your idea of perfect happiness?
having succeeded at something i absolutely love, being able to wake up every morning next to the one i absolutely love, surrounded by the company of those i absolutely love and cannot live without

what do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
failing at something because i was too scared to take the risk

in which country would you like to live?
i could never consider any other country home...but i think i'd like to try my hand in paris, or even some small city in the south of spain or italy

who are your favorite writers?
ayn rand, f. scott fitzgerald, david sedaris

who are your favorite poets?
ee cummings, ts eliot, rainer maria rilke

who is your favorite hero of fiction?
sydney carton

who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
anna karenina

who are your favorite composers?
chopin, shubert, debussy

who are your favorite painters?
raphael, caravaggio, picasso

what are your favorite names?
i actually don't have any at the moment, but it'd have to be something unique

what is it that you most dislike?
ignorance and narrow-mindedness

which talent would you most like to have?
i'd have to steal proust's answer and say irresistible charm

how would you like to die?
as someone who had an impact on people's lives, perhaps even having changed something, even something seemingly insignificant in the world

what is your current state of mind?
introspective, trying to figure out the best answers for this questionnaire

what is your motto?
hrm, i don't have one, if anything, it'd be carpe diem

*at the age of 20, marcel proust put his own psyche under the microscope by answering questions meant to reveal one's innermost thoughts; more than a century later, "the proust questionnaire" continues to be a popular method of interviewing

so i bet y'all are wondering what's erika up to lately since she's left berkeley. with the help of lisa, i've compiled my daily events into a very easy to understand day-by-day routine.

two weeks ago: surgery, to remove an ovarian cyst. (i'm fine, no, better than fine. the cut just itches like hell now. i should be set to go snowboarding in two weeks, although they say my ovary won't completely heal till 3 months later. but that all happens inside anyway)

day 1: start reading volume II of proust's "remembrance of things past"
day 2: bake a cake
day 3: update queue on netflix hourly
day 4: straight perm front of hair
day 5: tuna casserole
day 6: facial
day 7: gardening

oh, and not to forget, the everyday essentials:

1) check email
2) find new things to fix for lunch (garlic, olive oil, and parsley pasta was on today's menu)
3) mail netflix DVDs
4) coffee
5) talk to lisa online

jess is on spring break next week so that should prove exciting. meaning, shopping 4 days out of the week, and the beach for the remainder. then, the week after, UC's/stanford spring break. which means, i'm going to get even fatter because i'm going to make jenn bake with me. come play with me!

best discovery as of late: dad's old ties. who knew my dad would have a YSL and dior tie?! from like 20 years ago! i was so excited! oh yes, i'm into ties too.

this is what happens once you remove an ovarian cyst.

in the words of my good friend richard:
aznherc (2:29:18 PM): what is going on erika
aznherc (2:29:23 PM): you're like a changed woman

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. organizational sense
2. directional ability
3. idealism

THREE THINGS YOU HATE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. inability to really study
2. indecisiveness
3. idealism

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. snakes
2. the future
3. failure

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. email
2. coffee
3. face lotion

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. lavendar urban outfitters tee
2. gray express editor pants
3. citizen watch

THREE THINGS ON YOUR DESK:
1. planner
2. mini ipod
3. fucking jury summons

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS AT THE MOMENT:
1. the shins
2. slovo
3. blue six

THREE REASONS YOU'VE BROKEN UP WITH EXES:
1. N/A
2. N/A
3. N/A (if i had to say anything, i guess it would be loss of interest)

THREE THINGS YOU WOULD WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:
1. honesty
2. trust
3. passion

THREE THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. height
2. intelligence
3. confidence

THREE THINGS YOU CAN'T DO:
1. drive stick
2. concentrate for long periods of time
3. tell a lie

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE PASTIMES:
1. shopping
2. eating (like, sit for three hours eating)
3. exploring new places

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BAD RIGHT NOW:
1. buy a new pair of diesel jeans
2. eat oysters
3. score a fabulous job

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE:
1. i'm scared of failure
2. i'm scared of success
3. i'm scared of love

THREE PLACES YOU WOULD GO ON VACATION:
1. st. croix, st. thomas, you get the point
2. southeast asia
3. europe (oh, oh, i'm gonna go! haha)

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. be published in vogue 
2. buy my parents a new house
3. be happy