Running Into Your Boyfriend's Ex When You're Out Together

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We've all been there - that awkward moment when you're out with your boyfriend having a great time on a Saturday night and then...you awkwardly bump into his ex-girlfriend at the same party you're at.

In the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal. We're all twenty-something college-educated young adults with good heads on our shoulders and bigger concerns than awkwardly bumping into our boyfriends' exes.

Still, it can be a socially awkward situation on a Saturday night and since there's nothing we like better than laughing at others' misfortunes (thanks, Hobbes's Superiority Theory of Humor), I would like to share my awkward with all of you in the spirit of encouraging laughter!

You're welcome.

When you think you recognize the girl from his old facebook pictures across the dance floor:

When you end up in the tiny, packed bathroom at the club at the same time that she's there and realize that it is her when you hear her name:

When you try not to be noticed:

When she clearly knows you're there and her ex (your boyfriend is there), and she's not happy about it:

When her drunk friend gets awkwardly confrontational for no reason, she's like:

And you're like:

When you leave for a new, less-awkward party:

...and then you bump into her again:

Do you have any funnily awkward stories to share?

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Immersive Fitness: The Work Out That Puts You In A Video Game

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Walk into any give gym on any given day of the week and I can almost guarantee that you will find people that don't want to be there.

There are definitely some people sighing over the time left on their cardio machines who would much rather play video games or watch an action flick if only that would give them the same fitness, health, and happiness results.

I'm not much of a gym-goer, but I love fun fitness and being active in ways that entertain me. I'm also not much of a video game player, but that's mostly because I get bored watching the characters have all the fun - they get to scale tall buildings, jump over canyons, and beat up evil overgrown bug thingies?

No fair! I want to, too!

So Immersive Fitness from Les Mills, the fitness gurus behind BODYPUMP, sounds awesome. What is it?

Exactly what it sounds like. Basically, you get plunged into an immersive video game/action flick experience where you're the hero - and you get your workout kicking butt!

In case you want to see what that really looks like, here's a teaser:

○

It sounds like the coolest studio fitness class ever - I want to take one! It's not out yet, but there's talk of a 2015 tour across the USA with specially designed pop up studios.

I. Am. So. In.

Follow the project on Instagram to be the first to know when you a studio is coming near you, a.k.a. when you finally get to be James Bond/Lara Croft all in one.

The most fun fitness classes that I've taken so far are yoga and Zumba, but this one looks like it's going to absolutely kick both of their butts. Is it 2015 yet??

And since Les Mills has paired with Reebok, maybe we'll all get lucky and they'll have some super cute fitness gear for us to rock during our workouts. I'm thinking a breathable catsuit that wicks sweat away from your body and gives you cleavage. And maybe some Google Glass action, too?

Haha, I'm kidding.

^These are fab (I'm especially coveting that sports bra).

But seriously, can't wait for this Immersive Fitness to become a reality!

The next level of fitness is here. IMMERSIVE FITNESS™ surrounds participants with cinema quality video content projected onto screens of a purpose-built studio.  Exercise moves synchronize perfectly with music and graphics, creating a truly immersive fitness experience. Learn more!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Les Mills. The opinions and text are all mine.

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What Living in NYC is Like, According to Disney's Frozen

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I'm a New Yorker now, guys!



So maybe the cost of living in the city doesn't make me quite as euphoric as Olaf on a summer day...

...though there's an interesting parallel between Olaf's delusional love of warmth, despite how bad it is for him, and my love of NYC, despite how bad it is for my finances.

Overall, however, NYC is a wonderful city for young professionals. We're energetic and can deal with some hard work, sleepless nights, and budget-necessitated instant ramen-centric diets.

There are a lot of things that are unique to life in NYC, but here's a quick list (courtesy of some adorable Frozen GIFs) that touch on what living in NYC is really like.

When you first get a permanent address in Manhattan and are like YHEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

I've been wanting this (and saying it would happen, even though my parents laughed at me for imagining I could predetermine my future so early on) since elementary school. I feel like NYC is the one place where that's really not uncommon - people dream of moving here all of their (too-young-to-move-yet) lives.

When you realize you're going to be mildly claustrophobic for a while, but umpteen-million roommates is worth living in downtown.

When you first try to navigate the subway to get to work.


When you discover the map function on your smartphone and EVERYTHING IS AWESOME.

When you get your bills for the first time and realize your paycheck disappeared.

When a rando tries to sketch on you in the line at your corner bodega.

When you try to make friends without the aid of school/classes/extracurriculars. 

The day after you go to your first all night dance club.


When you finally meet some friends who are just as lost (and hilarious) as you.

And that's it for now. I've only lived here for a little over three weeks, so....stay posted. 

Who knows what will happen next? It's NYC, anything could happen.

What is your favorite Disney movie?

Do you want any of the same things now as you did when you were a kid?

Who is your favorite Frozen character?

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Recipe: African Vegetable Curry

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I'm on a roll with the African recipes, so here's one more. The cuisines of the Middle East and India are famous for their curries, but Africans like spices, too. Here's a South African vegetarian curry!

South African Vegetable Curry

Serves 4

• 3 tablespoon canola oil, for frying
• 3 medium onions, diced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 2 medium green bell peppers, diced
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 - 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup water

1) Heat the oil in a large skillet.

2) Add onions and green bell peppers, saute ~10 minutes until the onion is clear.



3) Add the diced carrots, tomatoes, water, and all the seasonings. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.



Serve hot with sadza and a protein source.

What are your favorite curry ingredients? 

How often do you make curries/stir-fries/soups/stews?

What is your least favorite vegetable?

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How to Choose a Roommate: What Matters & What Doesn't

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It's easy to take finding a roommate lightly, especially when you're looking at a fast market like the NYC housing market.

When everything is out-the-wahoo expensive and finding a semi-reasonably placed room in a less than 10 bedroom apartment (most young professionals don't want to go straight back into dorm style living), anything sounds better than homelessness.

Which it is.

But do you really want to pay 2k a month (ouch, NYC rent) to room with a bunch of slobs that you can't stand? Most leases are at least a year long and those annoying habits can be, well, annoying.

Finding a roommate may even be considered a greater commitment than finding a boyfriend - you can't easily break up with a roommate!

But just like with boys, if you have a million and one deal breakers on your roommate list, you're going to find yourself without a roommate.

And who has the money for that? Maybe the Queen of England.

From a seasoned roommate expert (I've had roommates for over 8 years), here are some things that really matter and some that really don't in the roommate search!

Matters: Cleaning habits.

I've roomed with girls who leave dishes in the sink for days or even weeks. Girls who never scrub the shower. Girls who write up cleaning schedules, but consistently fail to deliver when it's their turn. All that does is build up resentment and make your home an embarrassing place to bring guests.

Make sure you have someone whose standard of cleanliness matches yours. 'Nuff said.

Doesn't: Decorating style.

Your shared apartment isn't your home for life. Decorate your room as you wish and compromise on the common spaces. It's unreasonable to expect your temporary roommate to have the same interior decorating taste as you and/or to contribute a large amount of money to getting decorations that you like for the common spaces.

Matters: Use of space.

I've roomed with everyone from people who are never home (pretty great, it's close to having a single) to total homebodies who are home for all but three or four hours a week.

From experience, unless you're planning to always be out of the apartment during waking hours or if you don't care at all about having any alone time at all, don't room with someone who works from home. Living with a hermit can be really trying.

Doesn't: Socialization habits.

While you probably don't want someone who is always around, it doesn't matter if they're a party animal or not (as long as they party happens out of your apartment).

As long as your roommate is respectful about keeping noise down if she comes home late, it doesn't matter if she likes to stay out until 4am dancing or if she prefers going out for a peaceful dinner on Saturday night and then turning in early. You don't need to find a carbon copy of yourself to be happy.

Matters: Pet peeves.

If your roommate does one of your absolute pet peeves all the time, it's not going to be a pleasant living experience.

Matters: Hygiene.

I've had roommates that let food mold in the fridge for weeks. That's not just a problem for them, it's a problem for you - if you're storing your food in the same place, as you will likely have to, it increases your risk of falling ill due to poor hygiene practices.

Doesn't: Friendship.

You don't need to be best friends with your roommate. A friendly, but not-friends, rooming situation can be the best for drama-free, stress-free living.

Matters: Guest policy.

From someone who has been there, be careful to talk over guest policies with your potential roommates. Having someone who treats the apartment as a hotel for any visiting friends or relatives and/or friends all the time can turn what you that would be a peaceful home into a dormitory.

Skip it.

Matters: Substances.

If you're rooming with a smoker or a drug-user, even if they say they'll only do it outside of the apartment, chances are it will affect you. Either the smell will come in with them on their clothes, you'll have to deal with erratic behavior (fi they do drugs or drink heavily), or they'll start doing it in the apartment.

Sucks, but I (and several of my friends) have ended up with roommates at some point or another that smoked pot in the apartment and made us extremely uncomfortable. Since it's a huge deal for me to not have that stuff around, one of my top deal breakers is substance use. That said, a little wine with dinner or mild social drinking is just fine.

Doesn't: Age.

I've lived with everyone from near-agemates to people almost a decade older than me.

Maturity, lifestyle, and respect is way more important than age in determining whether a potential roommate is really roommate material.

What are your deal breakers?

Do you have any roommate horror stories?

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Recipe: Sadza

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As promised, here's a recipe for Sadza - with my own twist (aka, addition of a potato, as is common in a related West African dish called Pap).

Sadza

Serves 4

• 2.5 cups cornmeal 
• 3.5 cups water
• 3 potatoes, washed and diced
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon salt

1) Cook potatoes, water, salt, and oil in a medium pot over medium heat until the potatoes are soft enough to mash. Water will remain.

2) Mash the potatoes in the pot. I used a fork because #keepingitclassy

3) Stir in the cornmeal and cook the pap for 15-20 minutes. Mix every five minutes or less with a wooden spoon, but don't worry about the crunchy crust that forms at the bottom of the pot - my big sister and I used to fight over it, it's arguably the best part.

Serve warm with veggies and meat. 

What's your favorite corn product?

What's your favorite grain side dish?

What is your favorite African cuisine?

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My Style: Mata Hari

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Photographer: Adam Avid Photography

MUA: Lory Sun

Designer: Brooke Johnson of TAB Custom Design

Model: Danai Kadzere

I hope you guys enjoyed this Mata Hari-inspired fashion shoot!

Like the look? Tweet it, please!

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Recipe: Zimbabwean Style Greens

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I'm half-Zimbabwean and half-German, but haven't really posted many African recipes on here at all. Collard greens, prepared Zim-style, were a staple at my house growing up. They were typically served with sadza (a hearty dish made of cornmeal and halfway between cornbread and really thick porridge in consistency) and Zim-style beef or pork. 

Here's a recipe for the peanut-y version of Zimbabwean greens!

Zimbabwean Style Greens

Serves 4

• 1 bunch collard greens, washed and shredded (discard stems)
• 1 cup water
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 5 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (natural salted is best)
• salt

1) Place shredded collard greens in a large pot (they'll cook down a lot, don't worry that the pot looks like way too many vegetables).

2) Bring water to a book and cook greens for about 10-15 minutes, until intermediately tender (don't overcook).

3) Drain most of the liquid into a separate container. Save the liquid.

4) Add diced tomato and onions to greens, cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

5) While the veggies cook, thin out the peanut butter with the reserved vegetable broth that you drained from the greens in step 3. Add to the vegetables.



6) Cook, stirring constantly, until the greens have a nice creamy consistency.



7) Add salt to taste.

Serve hot with sadza and a protein - enjoy!

Shown here with vegetable curry, un-pictured sadza (recipe to come)

What cuisine did your parents make most?

Do you cook the same sort of food now that your parents did when you were growing up?

What's your favorite family recipe? Leave a link if you have posted it online!

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I GRADUATED FROM HARVARD!

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This is a bit over-due, but here's a photo dump post (courtesy of my smartphone) of my graduation from Harvard.

Graduating from Harvard #letmetakeaselfie 

I now have an A.B. Degree in Human Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University (in a nice frame and everything) and am officially a real life grown up working a real life full time (and then some) awesome job as Chief City Writer at a tech startup in SoHo!

At lunch with my parents

Our Class Day speaker was Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook and our Commencement Speaker was Michael Bloomberg (and let's be honest - his name is his brand) but the real standouts were our two honorary degree recipients.



President George H W Bush received an honorary doctorate of law!

18-time Grammy winner Aretha Franklin (aka, the Queen of Soul) received a doctorate of arts!



And President Faust of Harvard was her usual cool self.

Congratulations, class of 2014!

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The Emotional Stages of Graduation

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Congratulations to all 2014 grads! The 2014 World Cup might be pretty darn exciting, but it has nothing on the fact that ****WE'RE DONE******!

1) Disbelief

Like wait, what? Wasn't freshman initiation yesterday?

Don't I have some paper that I have to turn in or some exam that I need to take or some something that I have to do? It can't just be over, just like that, can it?

2) Sheer Bliss

It'strueit'strueit'strue NO. MORE. STUDYING.

Semester notes, meet recycling bin. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

This is the definition of happiness, dears.

3) Hyperventilation

There's the overwhelming fact that you're about to enter the real world. There's the fact that you're moving away from friends you've loved for four years and starting over somewhere new. There's the fear of failure or missing the bus and being the unsuccessful one. There's the realization you're fully responsible for your rent, need to learn about savings, need to buy your food, need to pay your bills, need to get your own cell phone, need to - DOES ANYONE HAVE A PAPER BAG I CAN BREATHE INTO?

4) Excitement

Eventually the panic passes and you realize that you can do it. You've made it through college, you're intelligent, educated, hard working, and ready to do life!!

There are few better feelings than the excitement of a promising new beginning.

5) Pride


Just go with it.

Are you celebrating anyone's graduation this year? 

Who are you rooting for in the 2014 World Cup?

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