Happy Holidays from the Duo!

Witchy Ghosts, Murderers, and Shia LaBeouf | Recent Film Projects

TIA HERE with some videos for you! I've been doing a lot of stuff lately, but haven't had much to show for, unfortunately. It sucks when you put a lot of work into something, like a project or a paper, and then it sort of disappears into oblivion to later become a part of your GPA. But the good thing about videos is that you can hold onto the evidence that you did something and actually show it to the world. So that said, here are the films/YouTube videos/music videos I've been creating lately, both WIP (unlisted) and completed:

Thankful, but Passing on the Thanksgiving Food

TIA HERE with an obligatory, cheesy Thanksgiving post. Because the truth is, I have a lot to be thankful for. A whole lot.

Job + School + General Panic | Diary

TIA HERE and hoping to turn Duo Diaries a bit more personal from time to time. This is effort #1. Because here's the thing—as much as I love writing blog posts with a topical focus, sometimes I don't feel I have an adequate amount of time to create a post of the caliber I'm really hoping to achieve here. Currently, the DD drafts include "How to Listen to Lana Del Rey's 'Honeymoon' Album" à la this Taylor Swift 1989 post, several video tours of the Cornell University campus, and "How to Write a Query Letter," in the same vein as this post about reader's reports. So what's the holdup, right? Life, it seems, and all of the resulting anxiety.

How to Write a Reader's Report

TIA HERE with some advice for any editorial intern-wannabe who has been asked if they can write a sample reader's report as part of an application to a publishing industry-related company. If you haven't written one before, you probably aren't sure where to start. Based on my experience interning at three different places within the publishing industry (an ebook publishing company, literary agency, and publishing house), here is my outline, with examples, on how to write a killer reader's report that will get you hired:

Interning Abroad in Cape Town, South Africa | Guest Post

walking with lions on the Garden Route

JANABETH HERE—are you surprised? As DuoDiaries’ (self-proclaimed) number one fan, it was only a matter of time before I got the chance to write a post of my own.

Between bugging Tia about when the next DuoDiaries will be out and listening to T. Swift, I have been spending my time interning in South Africa. When Tia asked me to write this post, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to reflect on my experience as it comes to a close…

What's It Like to Intern at a Production Company? | Guest Post

QUINCIE HERE—Wait, what?! Not who you were expecting, right? My buddy Tia, who you all know and love, asked me to write a guest post about my summer internships. Of course, being the good friend that I am (*insert sassy hand flip girl emoji*), I agreed. I previously appeared on Tia’s other post about internships, but here are some more specific details and tips about the industry I am working in, which is… *drumroll*... the entertainment industry!

What's It Like to Intern in Publishing?

TIA HERE and interning at a literary agency and publishing company this summer (which, if you've read even a portion of DD, you already know). Before my internships began, I googled wildly for advice from publishing interns to prepare for what was coming, and I was totally disappointed by the lack of things I could find. Maybe I'm just bad at googling, or maybe it would help others to share my experience so far.

FIT Dorms Room Tour | Kaufman Hall

TIA HERE with a post for anyone looking to live in NYC briefly (like for the summer). There are a lot of different options with a lot of different prices, but I thought I would just talk about the living situation I'm currently in and post some pictures.

So for those of you who don't know, I'm staying at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) dorms, specifically Kaufman Hall. I'm in a double with Victoria, which includes a kitchenette and private bathroom, with two beds in a studio-style room. Without further ado, here are the pictures of what it looks like:

Arriving in NYC | Diary

VICTORIA HERE to fill you in on what I've been up to recently! This summer I will be working at a social media marketing and pr agency in New York City called Socialfly as a social media intern. Super excited to learn more about marketing and develop those professional skillz. I am a complete NYC newbie so I hope you guys stay tuned to witness me take on this new opportunity!

Monday | morning: I spent night Sunday waiting for the 4am Shortline bus to NYC. As I was about to get on the bus, a girl asked me to help her mom out who couldn't speak English and was already sitting on the bus alone. Fortunately, her mother was Korean and I was able to speak with her and help her buy a ticket. I definitely am way better at understanding the language than speaking it myself so though I was able to listen well to her stories about her children and visiting America, my replies were quite short but I tried my best! She praised my Korean skills and became more comfortable with me (gave me gum and an apple when I woke up from my nap lol) which is all I could ask for. After we got off of the bus, I helped her get a taxi to JFK airport and was very satisfied that I could put my Korean to good use even after having left Seoul.  

Monday | evening: After the five hour bus ride I was finally at Port Authority and took a short Uber ride to my summer housing at FIT where I met Tia in our shared apartment. We unpacked our things, were treated to lunch by Tia's mom, and took a train to Chinatown where we bought the most beautiful mangoes ever.
Tuesday: I slept.

Wednesday: I went out and explored the Chelsea area to make up for not doing anything the day before. I wore black jeans which was the worst decision considering how hot it was. I have been sweating so much here! I got lost a few times and probably walked more than 20 blocks but I was still happy. Mostly because I picked up a new skirt from Muji and much needed summer tanks on sale for 2/$10 at H&M~
Thursday: I was set to catch up with a friend who I met while in the city for a networking event over spring break. We decided to meet at a restaurant called Santina in the Meatpacking District because of its close proximity to the Highline.

The Highline

I live near the end of the Highline on 31st and didn't realize the restaurant is at the complete opposite end of the line past 13th so today I ended up walking more than 20 blocks too! But the time totally passed by quickly because my walk was filled with cool murals, art pieces, and funky architecture.

Santina is a trendy (and expensive) restaurant located right under the Highline in Meatpacking. The menu featured a lot of different seafood plates amongst others.

I went for the Wild Rice Calamari Salad mostly because it was one of the cheaper options at $17 (still expensive but good)! All of the main dishes on the menu were around $24 and up, so if you're into that definitely check this place out.

Gansevoort Market

After lunch, we headed over to Gansevoort Market for something sweet--my friend needed a de-stresser after going through a two hour job interview the morning of. The market is full of little eateries with their own booths. The options range from freshly squeezed juice to tacos served straight out of a Volkswagen. 

My friend decided gelato would be her cure of choice so we both ordered custard and marsala wine-flavored cones called Zabaglione. We were definitely satisfied!

Afterwords, I headed back down the Highline while listening to my new fave Soundcloud mix. It was a pretty nice day.

Until next time,

V.

Mad Max, Moving, & Mangoes | Diary

TIA HERE, now with a crazy week under my belt. After days of packing, I finally moved my six boxes from the old apartment to the new one (in Ithaca) and nearly broke my arms in the process. I definitely didn't do it all alone. Victoria had her fair share of boxes as well and we would've gotten nowhere without the life-saving assistance of my friend Sarah, a wonderfully talented < 3 A Cappella member and grad student with a big car. You're amazing, Sarah!

March & April | Favorites

TIA HERE and it's that time again! (Time for a bimonthy favorites post.) Here is what I've been particularly enjoying for the past two months.

MUSIC

Ukulele tunes are all I care about right now, and that is in part due to Steven Universe (see below) but mostly because I've been really enjoying playing my ukulele lately! It's basically free accompaniment for any song you would ever want to sing, in any key, at your own pace. Ukutabs and other chord-listing websites are all I need to feel like I can finally sing along to the songs I love. Recently, it's been mostly Steven Universe and stuff from Bioshock Infinite and The Hunger Games. A very strange combo, I know.

Tia's 50th Duo Diaries Post!

it's me and I'm amazed!

TIA HERE and I can hardly believe it. We are a few months away from DD's first birthday, and I have already hit a milestone of my own when it comes to the blog. This is my 50th post! Who knew that my relationship with this crazy website would last this long? (I did, or at least I hoped it would.)

Seven Steps to Get an Internship | With Tips and Tricks From Friends

TIA HERE, just exiting the stressful world that is the internship search. If you are an American university student (or perhaps a college student elsewhere as well), then you know what is expected of you in the summer. While some start their junior year, others begin taking on summer internships as early as freshman year (holla). But how do you go from being an unemployed student with no income, to a briefly employed student with no income?

Happy Birthday, Cornell University!

If you didn't already know it, the wonderful school we go to has turned 150 this year. Happy sesquicentennial, Cornell, and here is to many more years of spreading community and education!

Love,

The Duo.

DD Hiatus Updates | Tia

TIA HERE with the deets on what's been going on since DD's hiatus, at least on my end. (Follow our social media for immediate updates!)

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO

Since March, I have been up to my eyes in work—from exams (disguised as "quizzes" on the syllabus, but certainly far too formal to actually be considered thus) to papers, to piles and piles of club work, to a semester-long, virtual internship with an ebook publishing company. While I'm happy to say that my grades have been pulling through nicely, I'm even more happy to announce that I have finally, with certainty, secured two internships for this summer.

January & February | Favorites

TIA HERE and although it's been a little while because of the toils of Cornell classes and clubs, I thought it was a good enough time to talk about my monthly favorites—or, rather, my bimonthly favorites.

January and February are crazy, cold, ambitious months, when people start and end their New Year's Resolutions and trudge through miles of snow. This is the wildest time to try to hold onto sanity, but also the most important. Here is my list of things that have kept me sane in the past month or so:

MUSIC

Rachelle Dyksinski is a wedding singer with a soothing voice that is perfect to listen to when doing homework or taking a break. Check out her YouTube channel and thumb through her music if you love acoustic guitars, the occasional ukulele, and a lovely female singing voice.

5 Simple Ways to Survive Cold Season

TIA HERE, hoping to keep you healthy while everyone around you descends into coughs, sneezes, and tears. While you should always remember to get a flu shot, there are also little things you can do to bolster your defense against sickness during the icy winter months. Here are five easy tips (all gleaned from my mom, the ex-nurse) that will hopefully help you strengthen your protection against cold weather illnesses:

Back in Ithaca | Our International Gift Exchange

TIA HERE with our latest video! Now that we're back in Ithaca, Victoria and I decided we'd finally do our gift exchange. I grabbed some goodies while in Europe, and Victoria got some from while in South Korea, and this is a short video showing what we decided to give one another.

Tragically, my camera shut off before we could record our outro so expect an abrupt ending. Regardless, I hope you enjoy! Maybe you'll even learn a little about our experiences and the countries we visited along the way.

Much love,

T.

Chasing Perfection | How to Make the Best of Your Character Flaws

TIA HERE with the age-old Hannah Montana adage: "Nobody's perfect." Although Hannah may not be real, her advice is, and I know it still applies to me every day, a constant reminder that being perfect is an impossible goal. Just like every good literary character has their set of flaws, people are no different. So, when it comes to addressing your imperfections, there are two ways to take it all in—fall into a vast pit of despair as you fail to become the person you wish you were, or find a way to make the best of it. Look for your fatal flaw in the list below, and consider its silver lining: