i've done that too, twice.

You know those people who always have to out-do every other person in the room? We've all met them.
You start a conversation about one thing, and they've done everything you've done, twice and in an exotic country.
So, I had the chance to meet one of these people the other day at the tryouts for RVAlution, a local dance party that was looking for performers (gogo dancer, hoopers, breakdancers etc...).
This guy and I were the first people to the audition and got to talking. He then proceeded to tell me he was from my hometown, so I started a conversation with him. Big mistake.
By the end of the conversation he had let me know that he was a DJ, a producer for Interscope records, a breakdancer, and although he was in "the scene", he had never heard of the "scene parties" that were in his backyard all summer last year. But he had a good excuse, he was back and forth to Utah all summer. Okay. Right...
He was the first performer to tryout, and he did some flips around, blah blah, then he just stopped after about 20 seconds, as though he was saying "I'm done, you've seen I'm good enough, so I;m gonna stop here"
He unfortunately set the pace for the rest of the tryout session. Everyone got their 30 seconds. It was super, well, short. These performers are on stage for hours every night, we should be showing our stamina. We didn't though.
Whatever.
Later after all were done trying out, including myself, I overheard Mr. Napolean telling another girl that he liked her "kandy" then proceeded to cut her off and say he had been to Tokyo last year sometime.
Dude, really?
You're annoying, and now that you've tried to hard to get everyone to like you, no one does and we're writing blogs at how tacky your antics are.
And who auditions for a part-time minimum pay job in Richmond when they are a producer for Interscope records. Come on. If you're so many things, then what the hell are you doing here?
It's kinda like people who "rep" NY, and can get everything in NY cheaper. Okay, well great, what are you doing here? Idiots.
I guess people are strange, when you're a stranger.
That's okay, I'd like to keep it that way.

Oh and a side note, we were supposed to be emailed with the tryout results a day or two after. It's been over a week.
See the blog two prior. That's so annoying and so unprofessional. Is anyone surprised yet? If it weren't for the acts I'd be dancing for and the line on my resume, I would have totally ditched this party and spread the word.
I just have to learn from their mistakes though and not be them.

Dad, you're embrassing me.

I was inspired to write this blog after seeing an atrocious post on Shoptopia.com from one of the contestant's fathers (who is not in the lead) attacking another contestant and being basically an internet bully.

Let me give you a little backstory here.
There are two contestants who are competing in a "Style Off" to make it to the finals to win $1000 gift card to the local mall. Contestant One is Tori, a 15 year old with a urban chic, bohemian "Urban Outfitters" style. Contestant two is Yvonne, a mother who has a fun bright edgy "Express" style. The two are totally different and not similiar at all.
The contest has been going on a for a week or two now, and Yvonne is winning, by about 100 votes. Her video is just like her outfit, edgy fun, and bright. Tori's video is simple plain and well, that's it. It is what it is.

Okay so back to the story...
On the "forum/talk" section of the Shoptopia website, there seems to be some chatter coming from Tori's father. There are over a half a dozen posts asking Shoptopia users to vote for Tori, laying out her life goals of wanting to be in fashion, blah blah.
Then there is one post that says the same thing, and then so ever slightly has an amended part in parenthesis talking down about Yvonne, the contestant who is beating this man's, daughter.

WOW

Who does that?
What is it teaching this fifteen year old?

If my father did that I would be more than embrassed. That's so childish of him. I mean, what is he teaching this girl... "daddy will always be there to figth your battles"?
GIVE ME A BREAK.
It's all I can do not to talk back on this forum. The only reason I haven't is because Yvonne has asked me not to fuel the fire. No problem, it's just a silly local mall contest.

In seeing this, I am so thankful that my parents NEVER fought my battles for me or got involved and were "those parents". You know the ones who get kicked out of the kids sports games for yelling at the umpire, or the ones who are always in the principal's office complaining about the teachers.

GIVE ME ANOTHER BREAK.

Those people disgust me.
And for lack of better things to say...

Jealousy is a Bitch.

I learned many things the hard way when I was this girl Tori's, age. I leaned that the D's and F's weren't the teacher's fault. I learned the value of a dollar and have paid for everything I own.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still my father's little girl and he will help me if I ever need anything. Like when I'm at the dealership for one thing and then my estimate is for ten more things that cost ten times as much.
Even though my Dad may step in in some instances, it doesn't change the fact of what's right an wrong. The car still needs those ten things fixed and I still got those D's and F's on my report card.
For that I am thankful. My dad never embrassed me... well the sleepovers at my house with all my BFF's doesn't count.
I hope this girl learns a good lesson as well as her father. What they've collectively done together or seperate doesn't warrant a DQ for Yvonne or a Pity Card for Tori.
If they were smart, they'd learn from Yvonne and see how she did it and take notes.
Because it's not what you know, it's who you know.

that's my two cents...

-Gezika 

Here are the links to both of their blogs

http://fashnlvr.blogspot.com/  -Yvonne

http://fashiontrendsmore.blogspot.com/ -Tori

instant gratification

So, I drank some "Hater-ade" this morning while checking my email...

There is nothing that irks me worse than not receiving a return email response on something very simple.
Being generation Y (I like to think I'm generation "WHY" though), I need instant gratification to fulfill myself. I can't help it. I was raised by a Gen X'er and well blah blah this is another blog about generational differences...

So yeah, I would appreciate an email response within 12 hours, and 24 at the latest, expecially when it deals with business. Heck, you could even send me an auto-response and I'd be happy.

Did I get that? No.

So being the Peruser/Online Stalker I am, I went searching. I typed in the email that I had sent my "job questions" to and found something I'm not so sure about.

A little background on this event...
I'm interested in a dance/gogo position at a re-invented party at Hat Factory called RVAlution. The Facebook page had posted an update saying performer auditions were to be on 4/26 (that's very soon) and had an email posted for questions. I sent the email with my questions, and well now we're here at this blog.

So what really gets me is the person whom I am emailing is not who I was expecting or who I thought I would ever audition for. I dont like that I have to prove myself to someone who doesn't eat, sleep, breathe the part they are judging.
When I apply for a position as a gogo dancer, there better be bad-ass gogo's who are judging my credentials. None of this "I'm a promoter at the club" or "i'm head gogo, but you can't tell from the outside" bologna.
I'm gonna need a certified professional in my field to give me the yay or nay.
This city is so bass-akwards.

I've done this once before for a HUGE production company in DC, probably one of the largest on the east coast.   D.C. clubbing doesn't play around.

I didn't proceed further in their process and it's okay because they picked some great girls and they lived WAY closer to D.C. than I do.

<-- me at the audition in D.C.

Besides that there are far too many "issues" with their original girls- it's blatantly laid out on Twitter. Anyone can access it, I'm not drinking the "Hater-ade" now, it's in plain sight. I'm not here to live the drama of high school, I'm here to enjoy working.



Anywho...
So what I stumbled upon when "searching" for this email address was a twenty something male with a popped collar and the "fraternity" pics to go along with it.

No Sir. Hopefully you lead a double life cause I dont think people are going to take you seriously just like they haven't taken this party seriously the first time around.


So frustrating.


In closing, I had made a previous goal of starting a team of gogo's with specific traits, personalities and morals that can be contracted out to venue's. I want to be that person who finds the talent and keeps them grounded and managed.
Team EZ does a great job of this in Denver CO and I admire them for what they do and how they represent themselves. If you click on their page you know right off who they are, no frat pictures and popped collars.

Eat, Sleep and Breathe who you are and what you represent. This is who I am.
Search my email, and you'll see that it holds true...

-Gezika

post script- the real way to win this is impress the frat boys, do it better than others, become the authority and take over, then viola- I'm the expert and I'm the one doing the "judging". perfect.

black, white and grey

I work for a living. Don't we all? Unfortunately there isn't much color in my work wardrobe. Booo, yeah I know.
You should see my closet, it's black white and grey with a few pink things thrown in there for the "days off". On my day's off I find myself wearing black and white anyways. Whatever, you can't mess it up, so it is what it is...

We had a meeting last Thursday and were allowed to wear jeans in our mix of dullness. You better believe I did too!

Above was my outfit for our meeting. How hott is this, without showing a lot of skin? LOVE IT!

The top is new from Express and it's my fave new piece!

Sweater Dolman Top- Express $49.50

White Tank- Express $19.50

Grey Jean Leggings $32.99 *Clearance* Fall '10

Square Peep Toe Platform Heel - Nine West $29.99 *Clearnace* Fall '10

Bangles- Express $19.50+ each

Oakley Beckon Sunglasses- Sunglass Hut $110

What a sale shopper I am huh? The shoes are pretty comfy too for being so big. They aren't as tall as they look because they have the platform. I do love Nine West shoes though and I swear by them. I don't wear heels for a long period of time unless they are from Nine West. Period.

So there's my fashion for the week. That's about as fancy as I get. My regular work wardrobe is much more basic than this and the shoes are always flats. I stand for 6+ hours a day, so it's basically required after doing it for 8 years now.

-Gezika

terrible Tuesday

UGH!
What a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day I had yesterday.

Have you ever had a day like that. Everything is dandy, then one thing happens and sets you in a bad mood, then it all compounds throughout the day and WHAM!... breakdown.

That was my exact day yesterday.

I was at work and things were fine. Then, one person (customer) caught an attitude with me and blatantly patronized me telling me how to do my job. The thing that really irked me was that what she was buying looked ridiculous on her. I am the kind of person to be real with people, but she was such a jerk, my only intention after that was to get her money, and get her out of my store.

This tweet followed - "For knowing so much, you sure are on the wrong side of the counter. Don't make me come over it."

Okay, so whatever. I can deal with an ignorant person who is also a know-it-all. That's my job (especially in this mall)

Then, everything compunded. Where am I? Why am I still here? How did I get here? Am I happy? Where is my worth shown? Am I replaceable? Blah Blah Blah...

Oh and it gets better... the final straw that broke the camel's back walked up while I was on the phone.

She had a 10+ year old pair of shades with an equally as old case. She wanted a "new" case since this one "didn't last". She wasn't going to pay for one. I wasn't going to give her one. We don't do that. I'm not in the business of giving things away. No business is.

She then told me I was unfair, and said she knew people. They would have given her a case with no hassle.
I explained the policy once again and stood my ground.
She continued to argue. Saying she'd bought a few pairs from us. (that's great, you're not an exception to the rule and you've clearly not shopped here in ten years and your old Ray-Ban's show it.)
Trying to please the customer, that wasn't even a customer more like past-tense customer, I grab a Ray-Ban case and hand it to her.
She pushes it away and tells me she doesn't want that case. She wants a case like she has.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

SNAP

Well, ma'am, styles change in sunglasses just as they do cases. We don't carry tiny little circle glasses anymore so in turn we dont have those little glass cases they go in either. Sorry

She then asked why I was yelling at her.
I rebutted with "Why are you arguing with me?"

More going back and forth. She left with a card and a sour attitude.
I stood there in awe, wishing I had just called security and had her escorted out rather than making my blood pressure rise.

Soooooooooooo........
My whole conclusion to the day is
Why do people think they can act like fools to customer service agents. And 2, why is it common for the customer service associates to "take the abuse" and accept it as normal?

You people have watched too much Oprah, when she told you to raise your voice and argue for what you believe in and that the customer is always right.

INCORRECT or as my mentor says "FALSE!"

I will not lose my job for giving things to people who think they are an exception to the rule. I'm not an exception to the rules of my job when they fire you for giving away product. Neither are you.

And why do we, as associates in retail take this everyday abuse? Why can't we stand up for our company and our rules and regulations.

What if we did? Things would be so different.

You yell at me, I'll yell at you and tell you how I feel, since you did it to me. No more Mr. Nice Customer Service.

Respect gets Respect back.

What if everyone would get tackled that stole, none of this "we don't prosecute" crap.

An eye for an eye.

This could turn very political very quickly so I'll conclude with this.

In America, there are more laws protecting the guilty than we have to protect the innocent victims.

I'm just glad it's Wednesday...

-Gezika

extra terrestrial

Do you know how a song can just catch your attention? You know, make you stop dead in your tracks.


That song for me right now is Katy Perry- E.T.
I usually have a soundtrack each summer of my fave songs that I can put on repeat in the car when I'm just "driving" and jam out, sing along and get some "me time".
I drive a convertible too, so you can imagine how this works, especially if you have one.


Listen to it while you finish reading this... This song will be on my summer soundtrack for 2011.





I'm also struck by her makeup in one of the last shots in the video. I'm super fascinated with airbrush makeup and have been contemplating investing in one. This is a screen shot of her makeup in the video.

You can't really see her forehead in this picture, but I took this screen shot to show her hair. I'm just inspired by all of it.
I've been a fan of the "updo extensions" look for a while now. This look is a bit "extra terrestrial" but still is the same concept I like to accomplish when I go all out for a dance outfit.

Back to the makeup, I love the circles and the over-top-ness yet subtlety is has to it. The subtleness is the colors they use that play off her costume and her other makeup colors. The over-the-top is the "costumeness" of it. Very off the wall and not for everyday wear. Needless to say, this is super cute and totally perfect for a night of gogo.

I also like the Grecian flare I see in her outfit at the end of the video as well as the braid in the hair. Braids are always a hot trend for summer time.
One thing I do not LOVE about my hair (which is probably the only thing) is how thin and fine my hair is. I have so much of it too, so styles that have a lot "going on" require a lot of product and a lot of time. Hence, why I've been playing with extensions this past year... okay longer, but I've gotten it down to a science in the past 12 months.

Oh and I almost forgot. Did you see that product placement? Vogue sunglasses. Unreleased but still the hottness. Clear frame. Cat-eye shape. And Vogue, so a super good price point for a super trendy pair of sunglasses. Only Kristy Elena has these glasses so far, but they will be for sale at Sunglass Hut May 1st I believe.

Some other summer anthems of 2011-
Britney Spears- Hold It Against Me
Lady Gaga- Born This Way
David Guetta- Gettin Over You (an older one, but a banger none the less)

I'll have to search for more... it's only April so there's many more to come

-Gezika

DJ Micro CD Release Party

I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the DJ Micro CD Release Party held at Crave here in Richmond.

DJ Micro is a trance DJ from L.A. that has been in the electronic scene for many years. I have seen Micro previously at club Nation in DC in 2004. Club Nation was a warehouse in SE D.C. that brought some of the biggest names in the electronic scene to the east coast. It was torn down about 5 years ago to make way for new office complexes. (insert sad face here)

Club Crave was an intimate small venue that held an intimate small party. Only about 40 people were through the door. Over 80 people had pre-paid online for their ticket but didn't make it. Why they didn't, is beyond me.

The opening DJ's were DJ RX and DJ JMungz. Both did a great job and threw down some old and new tracks ranging from house, progressive to trance.

Last night I wore a yellow and black ensemble that I threw together last minute. I must say, I did quite the job on it and was very proud of myself when I walked in the venue and got compliments first thing. It also may be because it was the first time I have worn shorts since last year... The workouts I do 3 times a week really do pay off!

There haven't been any pictures surface of me yet in this attire I speak of, but I will update this once I locate them.

Don't you hate that? People wonder why "we" take mirror pictures of ourselves. It seems as though not everyone is interested in documenting life in pictures like I do. I take pictures of others, candid and not. But it's like pulling teeth to find people to take pictures of me unless I ask them to. I guess it's just not the first thing that comes to most people's minds.

I like getting those pictures of people when they don't know it. Then afterwards they see it and say "Wow, I didn't know you were taking pictures" or "Wow, cool picture of me". That really makes me feel good. I wish others felt this way.

Okay well enough ranting in the blog. Even though that is why all of this blogging started for me. I feel better when I write.

-Gezika