spending time with my 15 year old niece, darlene this summer gave me some insight into her world. what's cool, what's not. what's hip, happening and what's worthy enough for her time. among many things, i discovered how incredible it is to be her age right now!
youtube :: cool
check out: MichellePhan: "really? you don't know who she is?" guess she's all the rage. an asian teen (with videos by herself + commissioned by lancome) who does makeup tutorials specifically for those brown skin + almond shaped eye girls. she does video tutorials about how to apply makeup for a natural look, for class photos, even using hot cocoa as blush!
check out: bubzbeauty: an asian teen who shows you some hip hairstyles - from loose curls to french braid behind the neck updo's. fyi, that sloppy "just rolled outa bed" look is intentional. some good styles for doing your and/or your little girl's hair!
tumblr :: cool
a graphically laid out blog popular with the young kids, displaying posts in conversation bubbles. newsweek said it's “a space in between twitter and facebook.” if i had more space + time, i'd figure this one out. but, i don't.
for old folks, people.
facebook :: cool
for all the same reasons us adults think it's cool. random, meaningful discussions, getting to know each other thru identity defining quizes...
email :: occasionally cool
i learned the hard way that if i want a response from her in the next month, i should email her. she rarely checks it. i fb her instead and am zapped straight into her most checked line of communication.
texting :: need i even say cool?
must. pull her. away. from texting. without it she's lost. or she has to come to her aunt's house to earn money for her phone card by babysitting the kids. oh, and spending time with her aunt. oh yeah, that too. some of my favorite texting shortcuts i learned are: mkay (ok but mmmkay!), rofl (rolling on the floor laughing), js (just saying).
talking on the phone :: not cool
this is not in the main stream of thought when you're out of minutes on your texting plan. you know, use the landline! her phone does not even have a talking option.
that is when she wants to pay for music for her ancient 4 year old ipod. usually she gets them free using frostwire.
listening to a song, start to finish :: occasionally cool
just when i'm getting into one of her songs in the car, she gets her fill of her favorite part and moves on. talk about short attention span. those poor teachers writing by hand on the blackboard. how utterly primitive...
korean music :: cool
tv shows :: anime :: cool
i'll admit it, she got me into avatar, the air bender. don't know of it's more of darlene thing or a typical of all teens thing. earth/fire/water/air. end of the world. only one who can save us. sibling rivalry, love. what's not to love? she's loved anime since she was little and it stuck with her. first sailor moon, now true tears. she still loves hello kitty and all those little anime creatures you can get at the asian store that hang on your phone. that we have in common! hello kitty + little twin stars 4ever!
my 9 y.o. son likes it because of the music, my 6 y.o. daughter, the cute boys. my teenage niece thinks it's...l a m e.
asian store food treats :: cool
check out: pocky, aloe drink, botan rice candy (ok this one's one of my faves - edible rice paper wrapper!)
volunteering :: lukewarm cool
after volunteering with kids + art this summer, it gets a "it was ok." however, posting your volunteer time to your fb profile appears to be :: cool.
online photo editing :: cool
check out picnik. a free editing site that's photoshop-esque and let's you crop, resize, dodge, burn and sharpen to your heart's desire.
my teenage niece, once a 6 year old flower girl for my wedding, is all grown up. she's up on the latest youtube videos, technology and has cool music choices (bruno mars!). whenever she comes, i'm always asking her, "what's that?" "who's that?" "why do you like them?" i get to be the cool aunt who gives her space (shower at 4pm? mkay. another nap? js!) and is genuinely interested in her. valuing what she's into, what is hip + cool to her brings me closer to knowing and loving her for her. <3 and btw, boys :: not cool.
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1 comments:
what a really great blog! what a great summer for her and you!
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