Girls: A Voice of A Generation

The HBO show girl exploded onto the scene in its first season and has since won many awards. Like all good shows, it has also generated much polarizing opinions and arose controversy. I am a bit late to jump on the bandwagon but I must say that I am sure glad that I did. There's something so real about these girls that invokes both distain for their spoiled and entitled ways and yet as someone in their age bracket, I find that I really do connect to these characters in a much deeper way.

The show revolves around 4 girls in their early twenties who are living in New York City. They are newly independent and are basically trying to find their footing. The show is often tooted for its unconventional realism.
Much of the criticism of the show has stemmed from the fact that these girls do not actually represent the modern young 20 somethings. Some have said that the show is too white. The girls are annoyingly spoiled but still act like they are poor and can't afford to eat. It is unrealistic in that they pretend to live the life of pauper trying to make it in the big city but do not be fooled. Each one of these girls have a safety net of wealth to fall back on. Even though Lena Dunham's character was cut off from her parents in the pilot episode, her parents would inevitably come to her aid should she be in any real crisis. It has even been compared to Gossip Girl in that these are shallow, self-involved characters caught in a drama of their own making.
That's according to many critics of the show. And I agree.

Sorta. After watching the first two seasons of the show on DVD, I have come to the conclusion that these characters are self-absorbed and annoying and entitled. But I also find that incredibly relatable. As a young 20 something myself, I would definitely describe myself and most of my peers as selfish and self absorbed. We are probably annoying and spoiled as well, but honestly, if there ever is a time to be self-absorbed, it would be your twenties. I think that maybe your teenage years are when you are beginning to learn about the world and the rebellious teen is just someone trying to explore that world. But in your twenties, you kinda already have an idea of what's out there, but now you have a college degree and is mostly trying to figure how to fit into the world. People always say that your teenage years are very formative but I really think that much more so then that, your twenties are the most formative and it is probably the period of greatest self discovery.
And I think that the show Girls does a fabulous job of depicting that time of our lives. As for the spoiled and shallowness, I definitely would not say that Hannah and Marnia come form the same crop as Blair and Serena of Gossip Girls. They certainly do not enjoy that same previleges as the characters of Gossip Girl and they seem, to me, very standard products of the modern day middle class family.

What makes this show very realistic and relatable is its ability to depict our modern, self-aware but insecure girl that is desperately trying to find her life in the big city. I can honestly say that some of the situations and story lines for these characters are so realistic and hits so close to home that I can't help but cringe when watching it.
Another thing that is pointed out again and again, is really how bleak these characters lives are. Its almost depressing to watch. It refreshing departure from the glamourous lives of the Carrie and Samantha of Sex and the City or that of Serena and Blair. Here, in the Girl's version of New York, there are no glamourous galas and prestigious nightclubs and exclusive restaurants.  But watching this show and observing their lives really can be quite depressing. I guess maybe the overall message to take away from Girls is that reality sucks. Face it?! I think that Hannah herself on the show said it best, she is just a voice of a generation. One show can't possibly represent all the different perspectives of our generation.
The optimist in me is rooting for these characters. I believe that they will succeed and land on their feet. Regardless, Girls is the first show in a long time that has provoked this much thought in me. And for that, whether you agree with its depiction of our generation or not, it deserves an A+

Spicy Tuna and Cauliflower

Day 1 of my healthy eating: Spicy Tuna and Cauliflower for dinner. 

I've always been a big fan of vegetables so my strategy for healthy, low-cal eating has been to try and fill up my plate with stomach filling veggies. Today, my choice is cauliflower. I basically just heated up a pan with some olive oil spray, chopped up some cauliflower and then cooked them in chicken broth. Added some salt to taste and done! This might be too bland for those who are not into vegetables, so you could always amp up the flavor. I love Mrs. Dash for this. Seriously, stock up your kitchen cabinet with all the flavor that you can.
 The tuna was a bit more tricky. I generally do not love meats and it takes quite a bit of finessing for me to like my meat. For my tuna today, I just marinated a tuna steak in soy sauce, garlic, some lemon juice and also some basil. Then I grilled some jalapeños peppers with some olive oil. After sizzling that for a couple of minutes, I added the tuna and allowed the outside of the tuna to sear. Then I lowered the heat so that the inside of the tuna can cook. If the tuna has been properly defrosted, it should only take a few minutes.
Overall, I would say that the cauliflower tasted great, but I wish that I hadn't added the lemon juice to the tuna marinate. I feel that the mixture of lemon and jalapenos was just a bit too... acidic tasting? If that even makes sense. Still though, for someone who doesn't like meat, it didn't taste too bad. Best of all, it was very clean and healthy
  What kinds of healthy recipes do you guys like to cook?

Back on Track

After achieving some minor success dieting and working out in the last few months, I've really fallen off the treadmill these past weeks. Or more truthfully for the entire past month. It's what happens to me every single time I go on one of these health kicks. I get really excited that I have lost a little bit of weight and I pat myself on the shoulder for sticking to my workout regimes... and then I stop.

Well, today is the day I re-dedicate myself to getting fit, cleansing my body and eating healthy. I would be lying through my teeth if I said that I am doing all of this for just health. As a human being existing in this modern age of glossy magazines and glamorous advertising, I have to admit that my primary motivation to diet is for vanity. Then my left brain kicks in, telling me that it is more important to do it for my health and that my goal should be to be able to run 7 miles in an hour rather than to lose 20 pounds. Or maybe to be able to swim a 100 fly again. That would really make me feel accomplished. I haven't been able to do that since high school. 

Image from Google Images

Regardless, I think I will start by making mini goals and somehow by posting this to the nebulous world wide web, I will hold myself accountable for these goals. 

Today, I will finally cook that tuna fillet that has been sitting in my freezer. I will go for that swim that I have been putting off for the past month. I found a great, simple recipe from allrecipes.com that I think I could manage. 

This week, I will continue to eat clean and work out 3 more times.  

Maybe tomorrow for dinner, I will grill some chicken and cauliflower. 

Soup and salad for Thursday? I always love a good greek salad!

Quinoa for Friday. Maybe paired with shrimp and some green beans. 

Updates to come at the end of this week.