Learn to look a little deeper.

I don’t have time for more than a short entry. But I’d just like to say this;

everyone these days goes around saying, “oh, I never judge the books by the cover. I hate people like that. I hate posers.” They’re so convinced of their hate that they go on to truly believe they don’t judge.
… Really?

I often find that the ones who are absolutely certain that they simply do not judge are the most judgemental.
We’re humans. Humans judge. We ASSuME. At first glance, your mental database on the people around you is already busy registering a myriad of aesthetically-based speculations. The question is not whether we judge (face it, we do); rather, it is whether we allow our judgments to dictate our actions.

I don’t give a shit what you think when you see someone. But to let those thoughts get in the way of digging a little deeper (“oh, if she dresses like THAT she must not be worth getting to know”/”if he hangs with THOSE guys he must be such an asshole”); well, fuck you. It’s not true. I’ve made that mistake in the past. I’ll make it again. I can admit it because I know I’m imperfect. Admitting it also makes possible for me to try my best not to repeat it.

So next time you see that girl in the hallway or that guy on the stairs, do a mental double take. Examine all the unconfirmed and preconceived notions you have about them. Then approach them- using only what you know, not what you think.

You’ll be surprised.

When Nira Hacked My Myspace…

She left me this blog:

Spread the love!
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Blogging

Hey, hey, hey. Tis’ Nira and let me fill you in on Kari. She is probably the kindest and most beautiful person you will ever meet, so if you fuck with her, I guarantee  that you will end with your head shoved up your ass. She is funny, unique, and completely understanding. She will never judge you and she is there for you through thick and thin. Though if you want to see her you might need to look around the ground…check your shoes to make sure you don’t step on her! L-O-L! If you ever need an intelligent conversation or if you just want to talk about the weirdest stuff ever, she is your girl. She has a wonderful sense of humor and she is open to new ideas and because of her awesomeness she deserves the most life could ever offer!

Now everyone should write what they love about Kari in a comment. Gotta spread the love people. I am sure she will comment back about what she thinks about you ♥

I promptly informed her that other than herself there would be absolutely no commenters on the blog.
About half a second later, I got a new notification.

Omg! You have such a nice friend Kari, she completely spoke my mind!

I don’t remember a really funny and priceless moment with you…. We had too many. I miss our summer phone calls, and then you were the bird lady, and i tried ruining Breaking Dawn for you.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Nira on October 12, 2008 – Sunday 7:05 PM

Oh dear.
And then this happened.

Ok Kari, I came on myspace just to write this:

You are the best person in the whole wide world. You’re kind, smart, pretty, and always there for me. You’re worth me dragging my ass to the computer and looking for this blog on myspace, which knowing me and my lazy self, means a lot.
I luv you, and I’ll always be there for you.
As Shakespear wrote in The Tempest, “The past is prolouge.”
I haven’t let you down yet, and I promise I won’t ever.

I love you with all of my fucking heart.

Your Sister,

Mara-Chan
Posted by Rose on October 23, 2008 – Thursday 5:36 PM

I shed a couple uber-sentimental tears for them both before firing off a disjointed, nonsensical retort that was most likely only crafted due to the fact that it was past 1 AM when I wrote it.

I like really really really really really love you guys.

My heart spontaneously combusts in my chest at the thought of your model-perfect faces and smokin’ stick-thin-yet-curvy bods.

My cellphone is forever open to you both at whatever time of day, even when I’m crapping on the toilet; unless it’s out of battery in which case you can leave hysterical voicemails hurling profanities at me in as many different languages as you can think of.

My best pictures that weren’t taken by me were taken by you.

When I grow up and we rent flats in Soho and hit the NYC nightlife/club circuit you can divide me up Persephone-style or we can all live together and our flawless faces will appear in threes on Page Six for prepubescent, immature, idiotic high school boys to adorn their lockers with.

And I trust you both not to drop my iPod when you borrow it. Which is saying a lot.

Like, as in, I trust you more than I trust myself.

Socialite-ology: An Introduction

I am currently…

a) procrastinating and
b) had an urge to blog so I thought
c) why not procrastinate productively and
d) indulge a request I received earlier today by
e) writing another post about upcoming attractions?
NOTE: I apologize for ending a “bullet” with the word “and” more than once. Hey, at least it wasn’t consecutive.

In any case, I haven’t mentioned this, but one feature of this completely random blog of teenage (and occasionally angst-ridden *or more than occasionally*) musings will be a (most likely cynical) analysis of the numerous high-end events I attend with my extremely socially-and-politically active father. [Excuse the run-on sentence.]
For those of you that don’t know, my dear old daddy-o is a leading figure in our community and other scattered parts of NYC. We can’t

-walk ten steps in the Main Street area without bumping into/being hailed in Mandarin or Chinglish by some acquaintance or other
-he appears practically every other day in local newspapers
-runs a talk show on Sunday that has been going on for seven years now

and still can’t wash the dishes properly. Men.

Well, this D-list fame has spilled over to me, at least in our area. Random old Asian ladies will interrupt my boutique-hopping on weekends to gush about how much I’ve grown and how talented/gifted/lovely I am when I can barely remember their faces, let alone their names. Recently the gushing over my academic and instrumental prowess has been accompanied by an exclamation over my vocal talent (which I admittedly don’t mind); a direct result of being fortunate enough to make my real vocal debut in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel during one of the greatest international business affairs on the Asian radar. [Specifically the 26th World Chinese Traders Convention, hosted by, of course, my dad. Who, despite being adept in front of the camera at press conferences, tends to behave rather childishly whenever I try to snap a photo. Tsk.]

In any case, I’ve been event-hopping with him ever since I moved back to Queens following my mother’s death a couple years back. Recent highlights have been the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Manhattan, a lovely cross-country club in Long Island, Queens Crossing, etc. And apparently there are some more events lined up for this weekend which I’ll attempt to blog about if I can stop procrastinating long enough to do it.

Hopefully you’ll have gotten the idea by now and won’t mind my returning to my AP world history textbook and the entire chapter of completely unread pages I have to master before 12 AM.

Happy Wednesday in advance!

xo
Kari

We’re All Slaves to Society

I really shouldn’t be getting this up-close-and-personal this early in my blogging lifespan but fuck it; I just had an epiphany of sorts and it might be marginally beneficial to share it. And if it’s not? What-fucking-ever. At least I have the words saved somewhere.

I just finished a book called “Sloppy Firsts” by Megan McCafferty. I thought it might echo with my recent, angsty-teen mindset. It did. It went above and beyond the call of duty. And this is what I learned.

a) Making sure things with me and the one guy who’s ever really appreciated me for who I truly am are where they should be is more important than getting a conventionally “cool” boyfriend or hooking up with guys or being wanted by them
b) Getting a first kiss that really means something is worth more than getting it over with just so I don’t have to feel like a loser of a lip-virgin at parties
c) Actually doing my homework, not taking naps in Ms. Reilly’s geometry class, and bringing home the best grades possible to my dad is more important than hanging out and eating frozen yogurt and getting fat no matter how low the calories are [not dissing frozen yogurt btw; red mango = orgasmic.]
d) Making friends that will stay true is more important than making friends that will look good in pictures
e) Hanging out with my “sister” and really listening to her is more important than shopping for overpriced clothes that I don’t really love
f) Practicing my violin and not losing touch with the gift my mother gave me whether or not it takes me really far is more important than refreshing my Facebook to see if I got any more comments on my profile picture

My excuse for all of this was that I already have the friends-for-life; I don’t need any more. I don’t care if people like me for all the wrong reasons as long as I can have a good time. So maybe that makes sense. But maybe it’s not enough. Why not make more lifelong friends? Can you ever have “too many” true friends? Hell no. And in allowing myself to think otherwise, I might lose the true friends that I already have. And then what the fuck would I be waking up for?

I go to high school every day worrying about how I act, how I look, and who I’m with at all times just to come home and wonder why I’m alive. I’ve always known that it’s not worth it but I thought it was worth trying for a while. Well, it’s been a month of proverbial PMS, and I was right. It’s not. And fuck trying.

This is who I am. Either you’re comfortable with it, or you’re not.

Now the only thing that remains is seeing whether I have the strength to follow up.

What’s the 411?

A new match is lit in the blogosphere!… and hopefully it won’t burn out too quickly.
Here’s the 411 on who I am, why you’re here (or should be!), and what you’re here for.

MY NAME: Kari (mind, that is “car-e” *KAHR-ree*, not Carrie)
WEB IDENTITY: Kari Pyralis (<– “of fire” in Greek; no, that’s not my real surname, but for all intents and purposes it might as well be).
BLOG ADDRESS: karipyralis.wordpress.com (Captain Obvious)

THE HELL IS THIS?: I’m not pretending to be more interesting than your average human being [though I do live in NY; and let me assure you, my city is better than yours]. Nor am I attempting to convince you that yes, reading my daily ramblings is essential to the continuation of a full and healthy existence. It’s not.
But, to be blunt (it’s 2:39 a.m. and I haven’t got energy for much else), my life isn’t boring. And there are people interested in keeping track of it. So for those of you who care, here’s my blog. Here’s my life on a web page. These are my thoughts. This site is my canvas. Blah, blah, etc. etc. Detailed identity blog to come later for those readers who aren’t already overfamiliar with my suffocating persona.
Stick around. Procrastinate. Enjoy.

Don’t like what you see? Before you down another glass of Haterade and contribute two cents of unnecessarily venomous discouragement- stop giving yourself bad karma and just move. on.

xo
Kari ♥