The Banana Mush

Analyzing emotions of the past  Investigative journalism skills at it's finest. The picture was taken by @vkarinaxo  By yours truly, Karla.  "A mile away Several miles away Many miles away. Yet, it's all the same. Family intact. Fears remain. Doubts unchanged. Why do I keep running away? If I'm here, there and over there. Everything is the same." - KL 6/9/17 After hanging out with my "gal pals" on a Saturday evening.  I dragged my body inside the car which I have driven since the age of 17. The four-door black Fiat with war wounds from unseen poles in parking structures is home to the memories of high school to the present day. Oliver, the three-year-old mom car, had housed the various trips I'd taken from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  Memories of friendships and romantic partners that would raise the volume of their choice of music.  The  various...

 Let's talk about healthy relationships  The signs of a manipulative relationship.    By yours truly, Karla.          Just recently, I decided to withdraw myself from the fast-paced social media platforms.         Usually, I delete the social media applications from my phone and force myself for the first day to not redownload them. From day one and so forth, I adjust well and focus on other tasks that are required for a class.         The sudden disappearance from the social media accounts helps ground myself and remember the simplicity of life. Also, it's great for mental health since everything online is fast-paced and there social standards of beauty and character that can be overwhelming.        An assignment that I had for my advanced multimedia course this past week required me to use Instagram. I had to monitor a few journal...

Why do I feed off romance?  Self-relection on romance/spouse love. Drawings by me, Poetry by @vkarinaxo    By yours truly, Karla.  "See you been trying to make me feel like You don't love me anymore And you have been trying to make me feel that You don't need me anymore But baby I won't let you play games You wanna leave then you can go." - Let It Go, Keisha Cole The air conditioner set on full blast as we tried to defeat the LA weather in Ashley's car.  Four bodies filled the space in the car: Ashley, Vanessa, Arleen, and I. The idea of "love" filled our heads and conversation on that Saturday afternoon. This emotion of "love" and the influence on music began to associate as we shared music with each other. Both the a.c. and the car speakers were filling the tight space at this point. We continued to shout out different song titles that seem to explain the e...

  Where Have I Been?  What Have I Been Up To Lately?  An update on my life & the unfortunate events.    By yours truly, Karla.  A year ago I promised myself to remain creative. But, a year passed, and today I find myself relearning the idea of embracing creativeness. What happened in between today and the day I promised myself 364 days ago that resulted in me losing my liking of producing artsy content? I had fallen into a well of emotions from built up trauma. The universe had introduced me to the challenges that redirected my mind, body, and soul energy. Most of these issues were critical to my well-being. Self-hatred towards myself physically enticed me to introduce myself into eating disorders and excessive alcohol use in the midst of the physical issues. I hurt past friends emotionally unintentionally and eventually lost friends as well. My living situation throughout the year wasn't stable because of financial deprivat...

Sacramento native, Zoe Alcalde, adjusts to the sunny and busy streets of Long Beach, transitioning her Bay Area life to So-Cal living. Her long-awaited move has given her an insight into the new cultures that are prominent on the beach side of the LA area. The prominent cultures that Long Beach is known for revolves around the terminology of street sports: skateboarding, and rollerskating. In regards to rollerskating, the participation in a sport with rising popularity can be seen along the streets of Long Beach. It can be seen on the paved pathways through Belmont Shore Beach or the uneven sidewalks of the traffic-heavy 7th street. A famous rollerskating club, the Moxi Skate team, has been featured in media platforms like Youtube and is well-known among the rollerskating community. "Way more people [roller] skate here for sure," states Zoe. Alcalde recognizes the difference in the physical environment when it comes to skating on the streets. Its ...