Featuring a tatted and bleached-buzz cut Dylan O’Brien smoking winged weed joints and cringe-filled, like, social media slang is Hulu’s recently released film “Not Okay” - a satire that reflects the current state of millennials and the i-Generation in the digital age, particularly poking fun at influencer culture. The story follows wannabe social media influencer and desperate attention-seeker, Danni Sanders (played by Zoey Deutch), and her journey of how she shamelessly clawed her way to fame. 

Around this time is when summer peaks - the sun gets warmer, cold booze and refreshing drinks spill the bars and tables, and an influx of tourists flood the avenues of Manhattan. Around this time is also the peak of the rental market. Recently, and controversially, New York City has been experiencing the highest rental hikes in the history of the city, with rents raising 3.25% higher in the last decade. People are moving out, people are moving in, and I'm just moving. 

Other than inflation and the U.S's economic crisis following the Russian-Ukraine land war and the impacts of the pandemic, other factors that contributed to this I've also noticed was an influx of graduate and undergraduate students moving in after college or for college. I remember around the time that I started at The New School in the Fall of 2020, many students I knew had decided to take some time off because of the pandemic. Now that COVID-19 protocols have relaxed, businesses are starting to open again, and life begins to feel normal, people are deciding to move back. 

New York City is known for nomadic dwellers who are always on the move, and I've always lived that nomadic lifestyle - I've lived in three different countries in three different continents, lived in many cities and experienced many different environments, exchanged multiple currencies, and lived with various groups of people. This past year alone, I've moved apartments four times: from the East Village, to Broadway Triangle, to further into Bushwick, to now Bedford-Stuyvesant. So despite staying in the city throughout the pandemic, I'm still the wandering dweller on the perpetual move. 

I do hope that I can be settled for once in my new apartment in Bed-Stuy but, as I had experienced throughout my life, things can change - and that's okay. When I lived in Tunbridge Wells in the UK, I had a plan to go study fashion communication or design in Central Saint Martins or University of the Arts London. I had a nice job working for a British haberdashery measuring and cutting fabric and I was close to completing my A-Level certifications in French, Media Studies, and Photography. Alas, I was thrown off with we're moving to Florida. 

When I lived on Broadway Triangle, my roommates and I were content. We had a nice apartment conveniently located by the JMZ train of the Myrtle-Wyckoff station. But alas, we were thrown off-guard by an unexpected roach infestation. And so, we were forced to look for a new home. 

Things like this happen in life all the time, where you think you're settled but shit gets thrown at you. You can sit and complain which is what I did when I first lived in Florida, because I wanted to be anywhere else but the small, suburban Trump town I lived; or, you could make the most of what you've got and make your own decision, which for me was to move to New York City. 

I'm not entirely sure if I'll ever find a home that I can truly settle into, to start a family or to launch my career, but I'm only twenty-two. There's still so much more exploring to do. 

THE EAST VILLAGE APARTMENT: WHERE IT STARTED

BROOKLYN BABY

THE COVID-19 MONSTER

Opening to Kate Dibiasky, a PhD candidate played by an unnoticeably pregnant Jennifer Lawrence, casually making toast and a cup of tea, singing the lyrics to "Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin Ta F’ Wit" by Wu Tang Clan with a deadpan-ness that we see in Dibiasky throughout the film. She makes herself comfortable with her tea and snacks, and preparing the Subaru telescope for a casual viewing as part of her PhD studies, until she notices something. She's surprised. Happy. Excited. Terrified. A reaction which we see spread out as we continue. 

Inspired by true events, "Don't Look Up" is an interesting summary of 2021, drawing a conclusion to one of the (truly) catastrophic year as of yet. From portraying the polarization we see in politics, to the juicy satire of the previous administration, this movie represents a huge aspect of this generation: the media landscape and how much it can influence everything. 

The film started with a shocking discovery: a comet headed towards earth and with mathematical calculations, they only have six months left until impact, in which the comet will wipe out every known species on Earth to extinction. Kate Dibiasky and astronomy professor from Michigan State University Dr. Randall Mindy (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) who both discovered the comet are set out to convince the world to prepare for the apocalypse. Along with the help of Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe - who was portrayed by Rob Morgan - the head of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (and yes, that's a real place), they go on a journey that started with the government. Meryl Streep plays a cluelessly narcissistic and motivated woman president, Janie Orlean (who I think is based on Donald Trump), and Jonah Hill is her arrogant and spoiled son Jason Orlean, who is also the Chief of Staff (nepotism that is also familiar in the Trump administration), with whom Dibiasky, Dr. Mindy, and Teddy try to convince to do something. Similar to the reaction of COVID-19, it was met with skepticism and downplayed. 

The way in which this apocalyptic event was treated as another piece in the game of politics and politicized throughout the movie, shows the greed and selfish motives of people. This can be evidently seen when we see the nation become divided - the satirical memes making fun of Dibiasky, TikTok videos denouncing the comet and calling scientists marxists, and hashtags that start a movement (#BlameKate, #DontLookUp). This is a representation of this generation and the current media landscape - a vast space of endless possibilities, allowing people the freedom to share their thoughts or ideologies. This power given to the public, although it's a democratization of information, it also trivializes events.  

This is a hard-hitting satirical story that exposes basically us - you, me, the people we watch on TV, the celebrities we follow, the people we interact with on social media. We see it in today's social climate: politicians spreading propaganda, politicizing a pandemic that has claimed over five million lives, and seeing a a divide nation at war with each other. Celebrities attempting to be relevant by voicing their opinions on politics. Although we see some familiarity, seeing our reflection on our screens, we think we know what happens; but director Adam McKay does a great job in creating a sense of unpredictability and anxiety. 

In the interview on The Daily Rip with Brie Evantee and Jack Bremmer (both portrayed with the wit and humor of cookie-cutter American anchors by Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry), we see the shaky close up of Kate to absorb the anxiety she's feeling. The light behind her face so we see the shadows of her expressions that say "we're fucked". Another thing I really loved about the style of this director is the sudden and blunt transitions between the scenes, sometimes cutting off dialogue of the characters. We don't know what's going to happen. We don't know what we're going to expect. It truly captures how we're all feeling at these uncertain times. 

This funny, terrifying, and thrilling movie encapsulates our experiences this past year through a painfully satirical observation of our society. In a way, it reminds us of how oblivious we all are of the gravity of the situations we're all facing - I've noticed how trivialized the pandemic has become, where people are so exhausted that seeing the death or case count is just another number they see on the screen. Like Manohla Dargis' thoughts, the people on earth aren't interested in saving their own planet. We're far from taking action and taking it seriously. The Climate Clock on 14th Street Union Square (that counts down the time we have left until the effects of climate change are irreversible) is just another photo opportunity for tourists in Manhattan, New York. 

It's an interesting film that's worth the watch if you like to laugh and be entertained by Cate Blanchett's funny portrayal of a blonde, horny, and shameless news anchor with a low-key drinking problem, or Jonah Hill as the grotesque and perverted son, who is spoiled and childish, of a female president of similar manner. With a cast of variety and famous names (including Ariana Grande as the vapid but beautiful singer, Riley Bina, and Timothee Chalamet), you will relate to the storyline as it punches in a very familiar series of events, ending with an ending that will remind us of our impending doom. 

If you saw the movie, what did you think of it? Do you agree? 

Museums are historically defined as the institution committed to preserving the evidence of humankind and the environment, according to the definition by Britannica. The majority hold the original artifacts that have existed and preserved from a century ago to millions. Although libraries differ in a nuanced way, in which they store and preserve books, they are similar in a way where they both hold the stories, experiences, and knowledge of humanity throughout time. 

Charles Dickens' desk; where he wrote Great Expectations and Hard Times, as well as fifteen-thousand letters.

I've had the pleasure of sauntering around this fascinating exhibition that is being held at Stephen A. Schwarzman building at The New York Public Library between 40th and 42nd on 5th Avenue. Thanks to the generous donation of $12 million from philanthropist, Dr. Leonard Polonsky, you can now see rare artifacts and historical items that will conjure your curiosities. "The exhibition exposes to the world, or the world that is willing or able to attend, the richness of the holdings of the library...which are extraordinary." Polonsky says in an interview conducted for The New York Public Library's website. From ancient religious texts, to the first drafts of some of the most notable novels in literature, here are some of the artifacts that truly intrigued me. 

As a reader and fan of The New Yorker magazine, I was excited to see the original prospectus written by Harold Ross, who founded the publication in 1924 or 1925. Titled "The New Yorker" with their signature font, the drop caps and detailed, illustrative border with crinkles of the paper and coffee-coloured tone to show it's aging that showed that it's been through a lot - yet kept in good shape. 

Through the cleanest glass I've ever seen stands the stuffed toys that inspired a story that was my whole childhood. I grew up watching the show and reading the books about Christopher Robin's adventures with Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, and Kanga. As a child, I've always seen the characters as how they were originally illustrated (the original illustrator was Ernest H. Shepard). To see the inspiration behind it all, the very items that began a story that influenced and was embraced by millions of children and adults, was truly an amazing experience. 

I think one of the most decorative and beautiful books I've ever seen in my life is the Evangelie naprestol’noe (or the Altar Gospels). A golden cover with detailed engravings and embellished with gems and jewels, it is the book that highlights and holds the word of God to the highest standard. Bound by the Muscovite craftsmen (who were inspired by the French), it's a work of timeless art that anyone will marvel at. 

Another favourite in the exhibit was Charlotte Brontë's portable desk. Foldable and filled with different compartments to store her inks and pens, it was mesmerizing to look at a piece of Brontë that she used to write letters and drafts of some her greatest novels in English literature. According to the place card, the box was opened in 1973, the first time thirty years after The New York Public Library had acquired it. After unlocking it, they found several keepsakes of Charlotte's, including memorial cards for her siblings, Branwell and Emily. 

I was mesmerized by the illustration that the library displayed for Gaius Julius Hygenus's De astronomia. The book was opened to a page that had glowing illustrations of mythological creatures and a written manuscript that is a poem describing how the alignment of stars and planets governed the affairs between heaven and earth. Throughout the manuscript, he named 42 constellations and the gods and heroes associated with each of them. 

If you ever have spare time and happen to be around 42nd and 5th Ave., I highly recommend going! When I discovered the exhibition online, they have timed free admission!! And since the Christmas market has opened in Bryant Park, it also makes a nice date or general day out with friends where you can walk around after a look around the library and get hot cocoa and eat delicious food, shop for Christmas gifts, or go ice skating. 

The Polonsky Exhibition is the perfect place to marvel, learn, and delve into your curiosities. Get your free tickets, bring a friend, or even go by yourself as I did.