Llama Gets Down to Business

As interns we are encouraged to learn as much as we can, take advantage of all the resources the publishing company has to offer and talk to as many people as we can.  Remember the COO (he new my name)…well yesterday I talked to him for a half an hour.  We had a really nice conversation about the publishing industry, different approaches to the business, and just what goes into the COO’s job.

We talked about Apple’s Kindle killer…or should “killer” have a capital “K” too?

Here are some links to info about the iTablet, predected to come out late August early September.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=2046

http://communities.bentley.com/photos/thex1138s_images/picture46095.aspx

http://www.macrumors.com/2009/05/21/apple-tablet-coming-in-2010/

http://www.macmod.com/external-mods/ibook/166

Ok, I need to run to work but before I go I am going to share with you the advise that the COO told me…

Look at where we are, where we want to or should be, figure out how to fill that gap and you’ll make an name for yourself in publishing.

Now that I’ve written that, The Gap ad “fall into the Gap” comes to mind.

Llama’s been busy

It has been nearly three weeks since I last wrote.  I am going to try to do a quick recap of events.

June 10- The Barge Bash

This is a party for people who work in production in NY.  It is on Pier 17 in the South Seaport.  A three floor restaurant is roped off and production-ists? enjoy a private party with an open bar and a gourmet buffet.  Its super swank, but don’t get the wrong idea.  This is not a frequent occurrence for production staff.  I think it is a once-a-year party to make up for all the glamor that the editors get. (or all the exaggerated “glamor” they make people think they experience)

This is what I wore to work/the Barge Bash

I went to the Barge Bash with two men from work.  It was a lot of fun listening to them talk about work politics.  I met interesting people all night.  I got a business card from a woman who wanted me to send her my resume…which I did.  She works for Rizzoli International.

On Friday June 12-Intern Breakfast with Hachette’s CEO & COO

I don’t have a picture of myself wearing the outfit, but here is what i wore…

It looks better on me than the hanger, I swear.

At the breakfast I spoke with the COO.  When he asked which of us had worked in an office before I was the first to speak about how my experience compared to this publisher’s office.  (This one rocks!)

After the intern breakfast I went upstairs to the VP of Production’s retirement party!  They had chocolate cake and champagne!!  (best office ever, right?)  The CEO and COO were there too.  The COO brought me into a conversation, by name!  I was asked what my favorite film was.  I said it was Double Indemnity.  I don’t actually have a favorite film because it depends on my mood and a bunch of other things.  But I think that DI is a good answer because it shows that I like film noir, older movies, b&w films, and things that make you think.  The VP of Production (who is now retired) came to talk to me after the party.  He loves films and has an epic top ten list.  His favorite film is the Hollywood version (not Welles’ prefered version) of Touch of Evil.  What I mean by the different version is that Orson Welles made Touch of Evil, edited it and created a film that had a specific mood and message.  Hollywood didn’t like it so they re-edited it and released their version.  Personally, I can’t like the Hollywood version on principle.

Ok, so the first week of the internship was packed with excitement.  Thing slowed down after that but I still seemed to be constantly on the go.  I don’t know exactly what I did (because I didn’t record it in my blog) but…I was busy…?

Alle, my sister, graduated from high school.

I got an iphone

I emailed another person my resume.

I attended a meeting for my boss.  I took notes, and made sure the art dept. new when they had to get covers to my boss.  I also had to tell them which covers they were supposed to have gotten to her already.

I got a job offer…kind of.  What happened was, the people I worked for last summer (at a book production company) called me and wanted to talk about creating a position for me.  I told them that would be great but I am not available to start working until August 14th.  That is when my internship ends.  I felt really bad about turning down a job that started now but I made a commitment to this internship and I have to stick with it.

My roommate and I got a picture of the two of us together!

Kate & I!

We went to Battery Park yesterday and read in the shade!

Kate reading in the park

We found a nice spot under a huge tree.  There were some guys drumming near us; it was relaxing.  On the same patch of grass a few feet away a group of people were practicing Shakespeare!

Oh! and we saw Spiderman!

There was a lot of stuff going on in the park.

Kate liked the buildings...

...I liked the trees. It looks like I'm not even in NYC!

Today…I worked on this post.  Well I read too! Right now I’m reading Bitten & Smitten.  It is really funny.  But when I need something serious, or I just feel like listening to a book instead of reading it myself, I have been “reading” The Historian.  Its an addictive mystery that you immediately become enveloped in from the first chapter…just like the characters.

Sunday in the Park with Llama

I was so excited yesterday that I didn’t even tell you about my first adventure of the summer!

On Sunday I took the R (with some difficulty) to the 4 to lower Manhattan.  There I met up with a friend of a friend…who is now my friend too! We waited in line for an hour to take the Governors Island ferry across a watery distance that was less than most bridges I’ve crossed.  Whatever, its an adventure!  (Saying something really stupid, or awful, or all around not fun, is an adventure automatically makes it 50% better.)

Once on the island we met up with some of my new friend’s friends, which I proceeded to make my friends! Mwahaha! (<-evil laugh)

We had a lot of food, conversation, organized question asking, and FUN!  By “organized question asking” I mean, we played spin the bottle but when the bottle pointed to someone they had to answer a question.  It was a really fun way to get to know each other.  Most of the answers were funny stories, and others were more serious but either way it was always an entertaining conversation.  I talked about my junior prom when my very sweet, and sincere date told me I was like an iceberg; he could only see what was on the surface.  He wanted to get to know me better.  I felt so bad because he wasn’t giving me a line, he really meant it.  Either way it didn’t work.

The last ferry off the island is at 7pm.  The island…people, told us that we needed to get on the 6:30 ferry so we packed up our picnic got on the boat to leave.

We had so much fun we forgot to take pix until we left

The 2second ferry ride was a nice end to my weekend.  After that, I got on the R back to Queens.

I’m so excited that my first outing was successful; I made friends, sat near trees, floated across some toxic water, conquered the scary unknown that is subway construction detours, and set a good precedent for the rest of the summer.

Tomorrow night I am attending the Barge Bash at Peir 17!

Llama’s First Day of Work

My First Day of Work Outfit!

Today was the first day of…the rest of my life, which for the next 10 weeks will be about interning in the production department of a publishing company in NYC!  The first day was extremely fun; it was all about introducing the company and making the interns feel welcome.  The only problem is that I feel welcome now and I kind of don’t want to leave after August 14th.  Maybe if I’m really good they’ll let me stay.

For lunch my boss took me to a cozy pub up town…Up Town…up-town…Up-town…? whatever. THEN.  After Lunch. All the interns did a scavenger hunt!  It was so super fun.  We ran–I mean walked professionally–around the office and took pictures of things on the list that we had to find. My team found everything, but they won’t tell us which team won until tomorrow.  That is not nice.  (P.S. There is no prize)

One of the free books we got was Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.  I’m really happy I got it because I’ve been meaning to read it since I took a Native Literature class this past semester. Sherman Alexie is really funny and tells amazing, deep, insightful stories.  His characters make you laugh and relate to them, and sometimes you really wish you didn’t.  If you’re looking for something good to watch check out a film Alexie wrote, and Chis Eyre directed, Smoke Signals. It is a buddy film that followes two Indian boys on an adventure where they learn what it means to be an Indian.

Unrelated to books and movies…

I decided that starting a job would be a good time to start a new routine focused on self-improvement, or something.  (yeah, real focused)  This morning I woke up and did a 20 minute yoga routine along with a video.  It sounds lame but it really helped me start my day happily.  I am going to try my best to stick to it and do yoga every morning.

Tonight after work I made dinner and it came out really well so I thought I would share my “recipe” with you.  Recipe is in quotations because I didn’t really do much of anything (there isn’t even salt in it) but it was awesome non-the-less.

OK. So.  Get a deep skillet-pan-thing.  Heat some olive oil in it, and throw some cubed chicken breasts in it.  Then when the chicken is cooked dump a whole 16oz jar of Newmans Own pineapple salsa.  Then a diced red pepper.  A cup of dry rice ( I used non-sticky white).  1.5 cups of water (you might want to put water in salsa jar to rinse it out into the stuff thats cooking so you really get all the salsa into the food and not in your sink) THEN the magic happens.  Put the lid on the skillet-pan-thing and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

TA DA!  Fantastically delicious dinner!

I should write a cookbook.

…ok, maybe not.

Anyway, thats all for today!

Llamas like Apples…well just the one Big Apple, really

I am living in New York City this summer.  I have an internship and a thirst for adventure.  I have been here for three full days now and I have watched a lot of Netflix!  (My job starts Monday)

Corpse Bride what a disappointment.  I have never been one to wear a Nightmare Before Christmas zip-up sweatshirt but I think is definitely an auteur of our generation.  I was really ready to like this most recent creation of his.  Plus Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter did voices, so how wrong could it go?  Well…it felt like Burton was trying to make this one a little more mainstream and made it both uncomfortable and boring.  My biggest complaint was Danny Elfman’s score.  Although he had composed the captivativing music for Nightmare this time he channeled Burton’s wayward mainstream vision.  The songs were more Disney’s Aladdin than Beetle Juice.  I finished the movie only because I wanted to keep knitting.

Then She Found Me was an unexpected film.  I still don’t know exactly how I feel about it.  I like it.  I like that Helen Hunt looks her age.  I like that her character struggles in a real and messy way.  Colin Firth is wonderful as always, even as a crazy emotional single Dad…or maybe, especially? Pretty much the movie made me realize that I would love Bette Midler to be my mom.  Or at least one of them.

For those of you who haven’t seen the movie, it is about a woman, April (Helen  Hunt) who gets married to her friend, she is also adopted, and jewish. Oh! and she is a kindergarden(?) teacher and does not have any children of her own even though she would very much like one or two.  She is trying to have kids but she is almost 40! (apparently the filmmakers haven’t heard 40 is the new 30 and anything is possible at 30) Another thing that makes having kids difficult…having a husband that doesn’t want to be married.  I swear I haven’t given anything away, this all takes place in the first 10 minutes.

This film is for women with life experience who will appriciate other women’s stories of struggle and heartache.  This is NOT a film for all females to watch and ogle Colin Firth.  He doesn’t get that much screen time and only a few peticularly sigh worthy moments.

Today I watched Cleopatra, talk about epic!  It is four hours, and I kid you not, I paused it and took a nap a the “intermission”.

Elizabeth Taylor was stunning in every shot.  I wish I had just one of those costumes, and could look as half as fabulous in it.

I know this production is a classic but I have to say that Cleopatra and Antony wasn’t nearly as entertaining as Cleopatra and Caesar.  I didn’t believe that Cleopatra would turn into a mushy pain in the ass for Antony.  He never did anything, he wasn’t that hot, and I just don’t get why she liked him better than Caesar.  Maybe I was just tired of the movie by the time their relationship starts 2 hours in.  Even though their portrayal of the famous love affair didn’t hold my attention, the sets and costumes did, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.  I’m just throwing this out there, I wouldn’t mind living in Cleopatras “tomb”.

Moral of the story is, Netflix is still awesome in NYC.

But despite my love for instant movies on my computer I will try my best to have a life outside my apartment this summer.  I will keep you posted on how that goes.

Tags: Cleopatra, Corpse Bride, Netflix, New York, Then She Found Me