“Let’s join Isis!” said more people than you’d think.

“4th Brooklyn Man Is Charged in Plot to Join ISIS” (The New York Times.) “More Americans volunteering to help Isis” (CNN.) “The World of American Kids Seduced by Isis.” (Rollingstone.)
These are the types of headlines that the public is seeing in the news & the draw to join Isis is becoming more common & more disturbing. 

According to The New York Times as of August 20, 2014, around 85 Americans had chosen to fight in Syria. The State Department estimates that about 12,000 people around the world have traveled to Syria to fight in groups like Isis.

What is the appeal for young people to join Isis?

As reported by CNN, Isis runs a powerful publicity machine, which uses social media to target these young people. 90,000 Tweets are sent out daily, & Facebook & WhatsApp are used to reach their target audience in a language the generation understands.

These young people seem to be flocking to Isis for it promises “the good life.” They provide a “utopian political project.” Additionally, Isis promises free housing, utilities, & toiletries all while warping young minds into oblivion so much so that these recruits don’t think Isis is doing anything wrong.

I love free things. I love Facebook. However, nothing in the world would make me want to join this group regardless of any post I read or offer I received. I don’t know where the world’s head is at, but it is certainly not in reality or using common sense.

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

It's All About Networking

As many of you may know, I landed a job with the New York Times & I couldn't be happier. My title is the Confidential Administrative Assistant & I will be fielding news stories & interviews in addition to being the personal assistant to the senior editor.

I have applied to well over 300 jobs & I wholeheartedly believe that submitting applications online does close to nothing; it is all about NETWORKING. If you're out alone at the bar or grabbing dinner, talk to the person next to you.

I ended up meeting a woman who works for Morgan Stanley, a well-known finance company, & she said she'd pass my resume along.

I also have connections at Google & Nickelodeon because my parents met people who work there. I even got my New York Times job because I had an acquaintance on the inside. From there I worked my butt off & 5 interviews later I was hired!

There are also plenty of networking events, especially in the major cities, that you can search for on Google. My advice is to perfect your resume & tailor it to each position you apply to as well as a tailored cover letter.

Lastly, make personal business cards so the people you meet can add you to their contacts & remember you later. So quit busting your hump on hundred of tedious applications & get out & network!

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

A Turkish Delight

I know I haven’t been very active on my blog lately, but I have good reasons! My head has been scrambled since being back from Europe due to my amazing boyfriend moving to New York in 27 days, our job & internship search, & our apartment search. On top of that, the weather has been horrible in New York compared to Europe, but I do not miss the Veneto pollution-I thought New York was bad, but you have no idea. In any event, I can finally sit down & share my Turkish adventures. Istanbul is a fantastic city full of life, prayer over the loudspeaker 5 times a day, delicious & affordable food, & amazingly beautiful (& cheap! 1 Lira is worth $0.40 at the moment) shopping.

Mom & I stayed at the Tria Hotel, which was not a good hotel but was in a great location. Surprisingly, Best Western is a great option in Turkey & conveniently located in the hotspots of Istanbul. Here are notes I took of some places we visited:

•The restaurant Mostra is known for their fish, but I had delicious lamb & salad. The sauvignon blanc & mezze plate were also delectable.

•The restaurant Lezzet-I Sark was very tasty. We did not like the lamb, but the chicken was delicious. What was astonishingly good was the Kunefe, which is a sweet cheese pastry (it sounds strange, but you must try it).

•Many will recommend the Grand Bazaar, but it is highly overpriced for items you can find at local Mom-and-Pop shops where they’re willing to give you a deal like Çakus Rugs.

•The Arasta Bazaar was nice & more willing to cut a deal, but still not as good as the side shops. 

•The Spice Market was my favorite market. They had the best quality spices & teas, souvenirs, & will vacuum seal everything to take back home with you. I highly recommend the Spice Market.

•The Blue Mosque was pretty cool. Enter through the side tourist entrance & see the great architecture from the inside. Be sure to have your legs and arms covered and women must cover their head.

•Mom really wanted to see the Pera Palas Hotel where Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie was set. We had wine & tea & enjoyed the nice atmosphere after such a tough commute finding the place. If you want to visit the hotel, take the Tramvay (aka tram) to Taksim & then walk around aimlessly asking people where the hotel location is-Good luck.

•Mom & I never reached the Asian side of Turkey (but we did see it from afar). If you want to go to the Asian side, you must cross the Bosphorus Bridge. If you ask someone how to get to Asia, they pronounce it Ah-see-uh. I was wondering why no one knew what Asia was…Oops!

•Last, but certainly not least, you MUST visit Çakus Rugs (Kurban Çakus) at Mimar Mehmet Aga Cad. No: 5 34122 Sultanahmet. These are one of the side shops that I was talking about. This is your one-stop-shop for Turkish jewelry, clothes, beautiful lamps, ceramics, & rugs. The men who own the stop are the sweetest, friendliest salesmen you will ever meet & they have the best prices in town. Definitely visit this shop if you plan to shop. If you can’t find the shop, here is their number: +90 212 638 56 68.

Mom & I also went on a dinner cruise with entertainment & the unlimited drink package; it was well worth the money. The food was okay, but the entertainment was very enjoyable, the views from the boat were gorgeous, & Mom & I certainly drank our money's worth. I was also recruited (or pushed on stage by my mother) to compete in the belly dance competition. Let’s just say I won a gold medal.

Moreover, EVERYONE should get a Turkish bath. It is the utmost form of pampering you'll ever receive. They exfoliate, moisturize, & massage your entire body. They also give delicious fruit tea & Turkish delights & the whole experience takes place inside a palace-like Mosque; I called it a water palace. They separate the men & women to 2 different sides of the building so you can be naked & free as a bird.

Overall my trip to Turkey was a delight & great last trip with my mom. I definitely recommend everyone visit Turkey. Travel & enjoy ☺

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

My first visit to Ireland & the Irish Family Initiation

I had a fantastic time in Ireland & I am thankful to have been able to immerse myself in the culture through my boyfriend, Jason's amazing family. I was also very lucky to be able to experience delicious Irish home cooking every single night & eat a full Irish breakfast (thanks Stephanie & Paddy!)

Jason took me to the leprechaun museum, which is great to hear stories about leprechauns & to take photos sitting in giant furniture.

We also went to the Guinness Storehouse despite my strong dislike for beer. It is a fascinating museum of the history of Guinness & at the top is a bar where we tried a free Guinness with the purchase of our museum ticket (& I can still say that I do not like beer, YUCK).

Then the fun continued at Newgrange, which is a beautiful sight to see & I think one of my favorite parts of my 9-day trip. The landscape & scenery are beautiful & for a city girl, it is nice to get a change of scenery. There are symbolic markings on the rocks that no one knows the meaning of that is near the cave entrance. The tour guide was very passionate about the site & showed us what it was like with no light & how it would be like to live there. Newgrange reminded me a lot of Stonehenge so if you like Stonehenge, you will definitely like this.

I had a great time being a tourist & visiting all the tourist sites, but the main reason for my Ireland trip was to meet Jason's whole family at his brother, Robbie's wedding. The reception was at Ballymagarvey, which looked like a quaint castle. There was food, lots of drinking, & Jason & I danced as if we were on "Dancing with the Stars," or at least that is what we thought. I had the best time meeting all of Jason's family & bringing in the New Year with a kiss from Jason.

I also got to experience the nightlife scene at the Palace in a cute town close to Jason called Navan. Jason & I drank, mingled, &danced all night long. I did not realize how much Jason & I love dancing until now.

I loved Jason's family; I felt very at home & if I were close to a city, I would move to Ireland in a heartbeat. Ireland is friendly, clean, & obviously, I love it because Jason & his awesome family are there. Who knows, I may be living out there sooner than I think depending on how things go. Fingers crossed!

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Florence, Italy with Jason

Jason & I took the train, TrenItalia down to Florence. Mom has booked us a fast train ticket but we had gotten on the slow train by mistake bringing us in an hour later. On top of that, we were charged 50€ extra for being on the wrong train. Jason & I were pissed, but things were fantastic when we reached Florence.

My friend, Lorena lived in Florence for 1 semester & is also Italian so she was able to recommend delicious places:

1. Lunch/Dinner at Gusta Osteria (Via de Michelozzi 12/R).
2. Dessert at Gelateria dei Neri (Via dei Neri,9) near the Duomo. They have great gelato & cannolis.
3. Lunch at All' Antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri, 65R). The best sandwich shop I've ever been to.
4. Dinner at Academia (Piazza San Marco) recommended by my friend, Kieran. All of these eats are very affordable on a shoestring budget, authentic, & delicious.

If you're looking for nightlife, look for the Lochness Lounge along Via di Benci. There's a great hookah place next door & many bars surrounding that street. Jason & I had plenty of wine, got a hookah to share, talking, & acted silly while getting lost in the streets of Florence. It was a memorable night for sure.

Jason & I also visited the Duomo. We had clearly purchased tickets online & printed them as the ticket said to do, but the bar code was too small to scan & the people working there could care less about 2 English speakers. Be sure you have a large bar code to scan or be savvy like me & bring it up on your smartphone & enlarge it (I know, genius).

We looked around the museum, which I didn't think was that impressive, but maybe because Jason & I were still angry about the whole ticket situation. We then walked ALL THE WAY up the bell tower & got amazing pictures of the views of Florence. I definitely recommend touring the Duomo. 

I must also mention Hotel Casci. The staff was so friendly, the hotel was clean, & the room was reasonably priced for its amazing location (right next to the Duomo, nightlife, & all the restaurants I mentioned). I would definitely recommend Hotel Casci to have an amazing Florence experience without breaking the bank.

Unfortunately after such an amazing trip, we hit problems again. We had to switch trains in Padova to get back to Vicenza. We pulled into Padova late but had about 3 minutes to spare to catch the next train. The door was open & we were about to get on when the conductor put out his hand blocking us from getting on & the doors shut. TrenItalia has HORRIBLE customer service & treats their American (or maybe all foreign) customers like dirt. It's too bad TrenItalia is the only train choice. All I can say is be on time & ask the conductor if you're on the right train before getting on.

Despite the horrible customer service at the Duomo museum & with TrenItalia, it was a wonderfully romantic & perfect trip to Florence. Thanks for booking it, Mom!

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Venice, Italy with Jason

I've been to Venice before with my friend, Alexis & her family.

Although it is beautiful, it's a very smelly city due to crowding & polluted water & the people aren't very friendly. 

Nevertheless, I took Jason, my fabulous beau, to Venice making it my second visit. It was still smelly & many things were closed (reposo [you may know it as siesta or a midday break] is from 2-4 so try to avoid exploring during that time), but we make the most of it.

We walked around & got lost down desolate alleyways.

We then found the gondola rides. It was 80€ for 30 minutes, but I told them that it was too much so we got a 20-minute ride for 50€ instead.

Always try to bargain when buying high priced items or services in Europe.

The gondola ride was beautiful & so romantic; Jason & I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

The gondola driver told us the history of Venice's different sites. It was quite an experience, especially with the one I love the most.

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Verona, Italy- The land of Romeo & Juliet

To get to Verona's center, take TrenItalia to Verona Porto Nuovo & it's about a 20-minute walk to the Colosseum.

However, we took a cab being that we were pressed for time; the cab was 7€.

We went to the Colosseum (also called the Arena) & got in at a discounted price with our student cards & took photos together with the amazing structure in the background.

We saw Romeo & Juliet's balcony. Jason & I wrote notes to each other in the guest book that they had. After we bought a lock, wrote our names on it, & locked it on the gate of the fountain near the arena & restaurants in the main circle (it should be easy to find since our lock is the only one there). 

After we got 3 fabric, heart-shaped pot holders free-hand embroidered for Mom, Jason's parents, & one for Jason & my new apartment.

 It was a romantic & fun-filled day for us. I definitely recommend Verona, especially for couples.

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13