come on and go with me...

after a very long weekend in andalucía (south of spain), i've returned with a new mindset on not only my surroundings, but on the person that i currently am at the moment. and while i would love to go into detail, i'm going to keep it brief because i've gotta study for midterms *grrr*

number one : the moment that you think you've got it under control & know who you are concretely, something always comes along to tell you otherwise.
as simple as this sounds, things can get a little complicated with this one. while i am secure in who i am on certain levels, there always tends to be times when certain layers are peeled away because they're just getting old. after a particular situation occurs (where i know that i am in the wrong) i see me taking steps backward instead of forward; mostly reminding me of times when i was in high school. -_-

number two: don't let people get under your skin - no matter how awkward or annoying they may be. 
this is a constantly reoccurring one that i see if i tend to be around people for longer than i would like to be. when this happens, i start to retreat to my comfort shell, get an attitude and have smart comebacks for everything and everyone. i'm not too sure where i get this from (maybe i will find the root of the problem during my psych studying) but i'm definitely working on it. i always have to remind myself that things aren't as bad as they seem and just to take time to relax & release. no big deal.

number three: your mind was specifically designed to create and harbor certain images; images that are both true and false. don't give in to the false and negative ones!
i'll admit - not having access to the blackberry overseas has been very interesting for me, but i'm learning to do without having constant connection with everything in my own little world. stuff like that can make you go crazy! with the lack of communication, the left side of my brain came up with crazy images that the right side of my brain tried to process, but ultimately failed because i came to my senses. i had to remind myself that i am currently on a journey that is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and i should be taking full advantage of it and not worrying about things that are out of my control. sh*t will happen, period point blank! but it is up to me to live my life right not to the fullest and not try to fix thangs that ain't broken. ;-)

maybe any of you can relate to this? i know it may sound incredibly weird, but that's how i roll sometimes. i just gotta get it out some way, some how.


it's always wise to put yourself in check, because it may be worse if someone else has to #imjustsayin. 

ok, enough with the self-evaluation for now. back to the world of academia. deuces!

-*csc. 

visually appealling : "shutterbug" - big boi

it's been a while since i've seen a vid from the one half of outkast, but i must say i do like it a lot! it's very colorful and has many different technologically-driven illusions, but that's what makes it very fun. i like the song too, something that i can totally groove to this summer!

check it out below...

-*csc.

new sounds: "power" - kanye west feat. dwele

all i gotta say is, Chi-Town stand up - your son is back.


-*csc.

¡bienvenidos a madrid!

hi everyone!

so i've been in a madrid for a week and i must say that it has been a good experience so far. so many things are different over here, from the Metro system, to the ciestas in the middle of the day. I really want to be able to tell my story though pictures. below are just a few sights that we've seen thus far...

 la plaza de neptuno (above) ; the king's palace (below)

el sol (2nd above) ; kilometer zero (above)

i'm loving the lifestyle over here and how relax it is from the united states. i'm also learning a lot from my personality psych and business classes about the culture and society here in madrid. 

i'll update with more sites & sounds of madrid when i can!

¡ciao bella!

-*csc.

What's your definition of Love?

it's a question that i often have to take time out of my day and ponder about, but i think that there is more than one answer to it. before i even get into my answer,  have to shout-out my home girl amanda for posing the question and giving me that chance to flex my brain cells. ;-)

but when she asked me the question, i must say that i was caught off guard, but it made perfect sense considering the topics that we were discussing at the time. so after taking time to think about it, i gave her this definition:

"love can come three fold: love for family and friends, love for your Creator, and romantic love (this is basically agape, philos, and eros love). the love that i am most eager to experience is the latter because i have yet to know what that is like. that love that gives you butterflies everytime he texts you, calls you or lets you know that he's thinking about you. that love that reassures you that he's down for you no matter what, even when there are tough times. it's that love gives you the warm and fuzzy feeling everytime you close your eyes and imagine his presence..."

i gave support for my definition with my current favorite song, "there goes my baby" by usher because everytime i hear that song, it just makes me swoon and only imagine how it would feel to be the main topic of this song. but amanda made a good point: sometimes those butterflies are bees that sting, and you will have to, more often than not, continue to love that person through the stings. *still love that analogy, btw*

but what i've discovered from our conversation and even reflecting on the person that i am at this moment is that you have to consume a certain love for yourself before you can invite anyone else in to love you. by that i mean, fully accepting who you are, flaws and all--your good attributes, your not so good attributes and the things that make you, YOU. no one is perfect of course, but i feel at this point in my life where i am constantly evolving into this woman i see my self becoming, it's kind of inevitable. but i know with God's help, I that special person, who ever he may be, will walk into my life at the right time. in the mean time, i'm just going to continue to learn more about who i am, accept blessings that are coming my way and by loving me more, maybe even attract person without even trying.

love is more than just a figment of the imagination, it can and will be my reality.

-*csc.

visually appealling : "hello, good morning" - dirty money feat. t.i. & rick ross

So here's the heavily anticipated video from Diddy & Dirty Money feat. T.I. & Rick Ross. After watching the video with a keen eye once, I noticed some thumbs up and thumbs down. Are you ready? Ok, go...

Likes:
*The Buggati - As many times this car was just making cameos in the video, I thought it was a commercial for the whip, but #lowkey I felt like I was riding shot gun with Diddy the whole time.

*T.I. - OHEMGEE, that smile?! his rhymes?! The KING is back! I can't wait for him to drop his album, whenever it comes out this year. He makes the track, hands down. Clap, clap for Diddy on getting that right. 

Dislikes:
*Rick Ross - ok, shorty really didn't have to be in the video or on the track for that matter. I like the song just featuring T.I. I'm not hating, i'm just saying.

*The last 1:30 of the video: the fireworks, the circle stage, the Dirty Money duo dancing in the background...I felt like I stepped back into 1996 with the 'Mo Money, Mo Problems' video, the only thing that was missing was the shiny suits. The way that Diddy was spinning around stage makes me thing that he's still stuck in that era. It's ok to let it go boo, thanks.

*Flashing images - this is like the second video i've seen with that flashing image between two shots. i'm no TRF major, so I don't know the effect it's trying to give, but it's giving me a headache.

Other than that, I plan on cranking the song all summer, how about you?

-*csc.

visually appealing : "find your love' - drake

i really like the artistry of this video. drake shows not only his music ability but also his acting talent as well. shot in jamaica, the video's ending does keep you on the edge of your seat, but i'm pretty sure that they a-typical happens and we'll just have to stay tuned for the next single that will be release off of thank me later (which drops on june 15th).

in the mean time, click on the link to enjoy the video

Find Your Love - Drake


-*csc.