Tea for the soul

Good Afternoon City Tech! Today’s post will be based on Rooibos tea. This tea is known to be as a fruity and flavorful tea. Rooibos originates from South Africa and has been consumed for centuries. It’s known throughout countries as the “colorful tea”, due to its reddish appearance; it is also known as “red bush tea”. According to healthline, its family origin is from a shrub called Aspalathus linearis which is grown in the regions on the West coast of South Africa.

I personally enjoy this tea because, again, it’s fruity almost like a dessert. I used to get them from Teavana but now I’m more open to other options, so if anyone has any recommendations of tea places lemme know!

Going back to our topic of Rooibos tea, it has its perks; just as all teas do. From Rooibos tea we benefit in five areas as shown and provided to us by Healthline.

Antioxidants found in the tea have been linked to a healthier heart (13).This may happen in different ways (14).First, drinking rooibos tea may have beneficial effects on blood pressure by inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (15).ACE indirectly increases blood pressure by causing blood vessels to contract.A study involving 17 people found that drinking rooibos tea resulted in the inhibition of ACE activity 30–60 minutes after participants drank the tea (15).However, this did not translate to any changes in blood pressure.There is more promising evidence that the tea can improve cholesterol levels.One study examined the effects of rooibos on 40 overweight men and women at higher risk of heart disease.

The researchers found that drinking six cups of rooibos tea daily for six weeks resulted in a decrease in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as the “bad” cholesterol.It was also associated with a small increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. That’s the “good” cholesterol (16).However, the same effect was not seen in healthy people.Healthy cholesterol levels mean added protection against various heart conditions, including heart attacks and strokes.

BOTTOM LINE:Rooibos tea may benefit heart health by positively affecting blood pressure. It may also lower “bad” cholesterol and raise “good” cholesterol in people who are at risk of heart disease.

These facts/ benefits are credited to healtline.com and has not been written by me, though it does raise that thought of getting ourselves a cup of tea, right?? It’s like a cup of good health in the palm of your hands! There are many places you can get Rooibos tea, why not give it a try today?

P.S: Disclaimer!!! This does not replace professional health physician care.

Roses are red… Towers are pink…

Since last Wednesday, I’ve been really anticipating the upcoming seasons. By upcoming, I’m referring to summer, in particular, since the spring normally gives me a plethora of allergies. If we could only fast forward to Summer when everything is already in bloom and strikingly beautiful, I would be one happy CityTech student! Last Wednesday had New York City in the upper 70 degree range. The way the sun beat down on the pavement and upon my back as I walked to the train station made me wonder if it was still winter. But, then I saw the brown grass and leafless trees and was quickly reminded that the season didn’t magically change, it was just an environmental fluke. At one point I looked to the sky screaming, “Stop playing tricks on me!” while jumping frantically. Luckily no one was around to see my crazy tantrum. Spring is rapidly approaching, but we still have to last through the final stings of winter. So to keep the excitement growing, I wanted to post about the most flowery, springy, sun-tastic piece of art; it practically screeches “Hold on, I’m Comin’” by Sam & Dave.

overall view of the rose crystal tower from the corner of union square park

Near Union Square Park valiantly stands a large tower of crystal roses; they shine, glisten, and bounce the rays of sunlight, it’s called the “Rose Crystal Tower “. It teases us with the floral blooms that we so desperately want to see. The statue stands thirty-one feet in the air, charming the busy area with a vibrant pop of color in a sea of varying grays and browns. The roses stay just as beautiful and lively in every season. It graced Greenwich Village in October, taking the place of the last temporary art piece “Morphous” (which I mentioned last year).

the art display sign, explaining the piece

The top of the the rose crystal tower

According to Union Square Partnership, the tower was built by 76-year old Washington native Dale Chihuly. This will be Chihuly’s second public installment in New York City; his first being a temporary piece in the Botanical Gardens. Each rose was made out of a substance he calls “Polyvitrois,” which is a casted plastic substance made to resemble glass. The roses are then wrapped around a steel structure which is placed upon a steel podium. Chihuly discussed his inspiration for the piece in a statement he made to the NYC Parks Department. He claimed, “New York City’s energy, architecture, and rich creative history is formidable and it continues to offer infinite inspiration for artists. I am excited to share my work with the residents and visitors who pass through New York City every year.”

the body of the rose crystal tower

The Rose Crystal Tower will be on display up until this October. So if you haven’t seen it yet, you still have a chance.

the rose crystal tower and podium

Budgeting Your Relationship

A man and woman posing for a picture


After three years of being in a relationship I realized that being with another person is expensive. Seriously! When I was single, the only gifts I would normally buy were for my immediate family on holidays like Christmas and their individual birthdays. Now that I have a boyfriend, I feel like there’s a holiday every month, or at least that’s how it can seem. Being in love, and caring for someone else along with yourself can be expensive for both parties. Celebrating birthdays, holidays, anniversaries; even just going out on spontaneous dates starts to add up and take a toll on your bank account. As a college student, I have to budget my money for five main things: food, transportation, books, family events/gifts and “me time.” Now that I am in a relationship, I have to restructure the set-up for my budget to include another person. I noticed that being in a relationship caused a  radical change in my spending and I realized a change needed to be made. So my partner and I sat down one day and decided to figure out a way to maximize the time we spend together, while also cutting back on the amount of money we spend on each other. I know you may be thinking what kind of relationship are you in? Why would you want someone to spend less money on you? Who wants to be in a relationship with a cheap partner? My answer to this would be “We aren’t cheap. We are just budgeting our relationship.”

I don’t know about other couples out in the world, but my boyfriend and I are still trying to establish ourselves financially so that we can live comfortably when we get older. We are both talented individuals aspiring to achieve all of our dreams, but in order for those dreams to come true, we feel we need bountiful savings accounts. Unfortunately,  going out on fancy dates every other day isn’t conducive to the lifestyle we both want to live when get older. So after much consideration we decided to establish a budget system that helped us not only save money, but also brought us closer in the process. Below I will list some of the steps that we took to start budgeting our relationship, and increasing our bank accounts.

Step 1: Be honest.  If you don’t have the money to go out, tell your significant other that. Don’t be afraid to tell them that you can’t afford a certain restaurant because you need to pay your phone bill. Pay your phone bill and then explain to the person you are involved with the situation, and suggest another way for you both to spend time together.

 Talk about your finances. The best thing you can do in a relationship is communicate with the person you are involved with. Tell them about your plans for your money, your dreams, your aspirations, and how you want to spend your money in the future. Let them know why you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a meal that will only satisfy your hunger for a few hours before you have to make a Mcdonalds run. Your partner may be more understanding about your spending habits if they understand why you are saving.

Step 2: Take the Time Out  magazine when the person outside of the train station tries to hand it to you. This magazine has so many affordable date ideas that you can attend in Brooklyn, and the other boroughs. All you have to do is read through the magazine and you are definitely going to find something that interests you. Personally I found an art exhibit for my favorite artist Kara Walker, and the best part was that it was free!

Step 3: Stay home some time. Make use of your Netflix subscription or your on-demand, or your fire stick. Pop some popcorn in your microwave. If you don’t want to watch a movie, make a home-cooked meal. Cooking at home is a great way to improve your skills in the kitchen, while also saving money. So, chef it up!

Step 4: Make date night epic every once in a while, instead of every week! Save your money for a few weeks, as Yo Gotti would say “Rake it up, Rake it up.” Then when a month or so goes by and you have accumulated a good amount of money in your account, take a small portion of that money and do something nice. Go to one of those fancy movie theaters with reclining seats, buy popcorn instead of sneaking in your own outside snacks. Ha! Most of all just enjoy the time you spend with your special person. After enjoying your date with your special someone, get back to the grind and continue to save your money.

Step 5: Go after sales! There is nothing wrong with catching a deal for half price. A gift that was originally $250.00 is still the same gift even if you catch it on sale. There is nothing wrong with utilizing sales and most of all getting coupon codes from Retailmenot.com, or even Groupon! There’s no shame in saving money. At the end of the day, your partner will still have an amazing gift or dinner, and you will be able to look at your bank account without getting chest pains.

A man holding his chest

Retrieved from Pinterest

If I have learned anything from being in a relationship, it’s that there are much more important things in life than money. My boyfriend and I have had more fun going out to a pier, eating at a local chinese restaurant, and taking long walks than we have had at upscale restaurants. I mean, sometimes it’s nice to be “wined and dined” but no one likes to see a $400.00 bill at the end of the night. Sometimes it better to just hit up a restaurant that sells affordable food so that you can stretch your money. Be reasonable and think logically: The $400.00 that you spend for one meal could get you a dinner, a movie, and a mini shopping trip if you manage your money correctly. Think about quality rather than quantity. Consider how much you can get for your dollar rather than just purchasing something because its expensive and in style.

Trust me, if you start to live your life using these suggestions, you will see drastic changes in your relationship. This counts for friendships as well. I suggest that you and your significant other discuss the changes you want to make in your relationship first. Then, if you both agree on making the changes, implement the steps into your relationship slowly. Give it a week or so and then leave me a comment and let me know if the steps above worked for you or if they didn’t.  I would love to know if any of the changes I adopted in my relationship can help others as well.  

Progress is a Process: Forming Habits Follow-Up

quote photo

Retrieved from BeingIndispensable

If you thought I forgot, think again. It’s Day 21! In my post 3 weeks ago, Time to Re-Wire: Forming Habits we talked about forming new habits in our lives to upgrade ourselves. I hope you got a chance to read the 3 R’s article and put your new habit into motion. If you have, how’s it been going?

When setting goals in our lives, we usually give ourselves a timeframe to do the work so we can check back in and measure progress/results. My new habit I wanted to work to form was to be in bed by 11:00 p.m. because my goal is to get more sleep. In some cases you can be super excited to see your amazing progress, and in others, you can wind up being discouraged by the results because you expected better.

I know the same feelings can arise when trying to create a new habit. Twenty-one days may have passed and you feel no difference, or no real improvement or progress. Well, habits are essentially a skill. This means that the more you practice forming habits, the better you get at it. If you’re new to it and just starting to develop better habits, take my advice and start extremely small. The reminder, the routine, and the reward are the three pillars and the foundation of the habit-forming loop. This is literally the science behind how habits are formed. Don’t believe me? Read about it here.

If these 21 days have initiated your 180-degree change, congratulations! Me? I’m doing alright lol, I have my relapses, but James Clear says in the 3 R’s article “missing one opportunity to perform the behavior does not materially affect the habit formation process. In other words, it doesn’t matter if you mess up every now and then. Building better habits is not an all-or-nothing process.” Thank you for the affirmation, Mr. Clear! This means you should celebrate how far you have actually gone and continue pushing forward!

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Retrieved from YourBirthdayQuotes

Progress is a process.

Remember, whichever habit you choose to work on, don’t get discouraged if it hasn’t become automatic after 21 days. Think of this as the test trial, because as I said in my original post, a lot of concrete research says that 21 days is too short to fully form a habit anyway–but it’s a start. To get to day 400, you have to start at Day 1. Am I right or am I right?? It reminds us that habit, much like success, is NOT “one size fits all”. It’s going to be different for everybody. How long it takes to form a new habit depends on (1) the type of behavior trying to be turned into habit. I mean if you’ve been doing something for decades, 21 days might barely be a scratch on the surface right; and (2), it depends on the biggest factor: YOU. Are you really planning and working towards it?

Pick one habit to form at a time, because overcommitting can be a huge mistake and lead to you feeling discouraged. Start Small. Forget performance for now, and just focus on consistency. Keep in mind the “Three R’s,” and don’t punish yourself for setbacks. Make it fun and enjoy yourself. Everybody needs some help, and creating a support system to keep you on track and “on goal” is a major key. We all slip sometimes, so by having one or more people in your corner, maybe even attempting a new habit as well with you, you can actually increase your chances of sticking to the habit—at least in my own experience. Practice makes (almost) perfect. Keep going!

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Retrieved from Pinterest

I’ve Got the Keys

By Robine Jean-Pierre

Growing up, I heard Haitian Creole and English spoken interchangeably at home. My knowledge of Creole started off as a collection of simple words and phrases pertaining to cuisine, the household, and hygiene. Unfortunately, I soon developed the regrettable habit of hearing a question or statement in Haitian Creole and responding in English. As a result, I’ve always understood more Creole than I can actually speak.

Taking up French in sixth grade drastically increased my Creole vocabulary. Many people I’ve come across expected it to be the other way around–in other words, that knowing Creole first would have helped me learn French. (My eighth grade French teacher used to exclude me from competitive games during class because she thought I had an unfair advantage.) In truth, my analytical mind started to make connections between the original French terms and the cognates that derived from these. For example, du riz in French means “[some/of] rice” and I realized that this was where the Creole diri came from. (If you’re interested in more on this, consider reading  An Nou Palé – Let’s Talk.)

By the end of high school, I had taken French for six years and Spanish for about two (just for fun, since I loved it so much), so that means I have four languages under my belt. However, I’d be lying if I said I could speak each one (aside from English) 100% fluently! This fact embarrasses me, and I often ask myself, Is it the flawed education system? Is it me? Did I ever really learn?

The answer is simple: PRACTICE. For all my theory and knowledge and textbook smarts, I have not always taken advantage of real-life opportunities to practice–and by this I mean live, on-the-spot, spoken communication. I figure that if I’m not speaking Creole as fluently as I’d like to, it’s because of my own timidity, but most heritage speakers have the same struggle. I was always afraid that I would be mocked for pronouncing something wrong or fumbling a sentence, which kept me from trying. (Being condescending is somewhat ingrained in Haitian culture, so my fears were well-grounded.)

It bothers me that I am familiar, yet not fluent, with these three languages other than English (LOTEs); but what I need is to get bothered enough to actually do something about it. Plus, nothing pushes you more than having a sense of “need” rather than just “want.” I’ve been considering multiple measures: getting language-learning apps like DuoLingo; finding friends who speak the desired language and striking up a conversation; and replying in Creole to my family’s questions (which, of course, would take a whole lot of guts).

For French and Creole, especially, I know that most of the words are stored up in my brain somewhere, so it’s just a matter of excavating them. My worst nightmare would be to lose what it took so many years to learn, especially since it’s harder to learn new things as you get older. In the future, I hope to travel to communities that speak any of the three LOTEs, and be able to communicate comfortably. Languages are like keys that open the doors to other worlds, and I wish to hold onto those keys as tightly as I can.

Life After Undergrad: How I managed to check my anxiety at work

With more knowledge comes more power, right? Well in my case more knowledge and more ability came with a larger office, more employees and more targets to hit. Naturally I was flattered my boss thought highly enough of me to promote me, but deep down I was panicked. Part of me even secretly hoped I wouldn’t have to do it and I could sit quietly in the shadows. When I looked at myself in the mirror though, I realized that I needed to look at myself in a better light. I needed to believe in myself and view myself with confidence and not doubt of what mistakes I may make.

When the season started I was jittery, but I tried to sound as confident and positive as I possibly could when I met my new team of employees. I found that they were a really great group of people who were relieved to get a new leader at the helm; this made easing into a new role easier. I’d heard once in a psychology class that there are two types of leaders; transactional and transitional. Transaction leaders are a hands off type of leader that only handles things that go wrong or need attention, but a transitional leader will lead by example– and that’s the kind of leader I wanted to be.

I started by making a list of exactly what I needed to do that day, down to the most minuscule of tasks because it made the whole day seem like less of a challenge. I checked off the must do stuff first– things that had time deadlines or needed to be done the same time every day. After those tasks I worked on the bigger projects and tasks that took more of my time and effort. Breaking up my tasks made my time seem like less of a long-winded spiral. I found that managing my time made me less anxious because it eased the feeling that I wouldn’t get to everything I needed to do. As I started to develop a routine I started to worry less about the day-to-day and just organize my days in a way that made the most sense– and I haven’t looked back since.


Tell me readers, how do you stay organized?












My father knew something was up. We just ignored it.













All art by Pebbles

I Want Candy

the economy candy marquee

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez



candy for sale on a table inside economy candy

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez


a lever to a jelly belly vendor

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez

green M&M's in a vendor

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez


a retro toy for balloon modeling on a shelf

Image by: Sabrina Vasquez


The Tea Ways

Gen here! How’s it going, City Tech?

On today’s agenda, I wanted to bring up a kind of tea known as Oolong. As far as the name’s origin, it is said that this tea was specified after its place or birth, the Wuyi Mountain. It was discovered by a man named Sulong Wulong. As I mentioned last week, tea can be a useful factor in our lives,Not many like the taste or the thought of drinking tea because they believe it’s only leaves and hot water but, it’s more than that; it’s a way of life and a  key to successfully good health.

According to an article written by Josh Axe, food is medicine.” Oolong tea contains flavonoids, caffeine (although not as much as black tea), theanine and fluoride. However, ladies in gentlemen as a disclaimer, the information provided is not intended to replace health care professional help, please seek advice from a doctor or a licensed physician for more pressing matters, or serious illnesses.

In the article Axe explains that “Many oolong tea benefits are due in part to the presence of catechins, a particular type of flavonoid. The list of those benefits is not what you’d call short—oolong tea is associated with lower instances of heart disease, obesity and cancer; prevention of diabetes; a reduction in both inflammation and oxidative stress; increase in cognitive function; healthy skin and even healthy bones.” It’s due to these antioxidants that people can use teas as a way to lose weight; both Oolong and green tea give amazing results. Due to my slim figure, I don’t drink much of either teas because I’ve seen the results work myself, and quite frankly I’m trying to gain weight not lose, so I drink other types of teas instead. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover; give it a try, because it may be beneficial for you. Let me know what you think and what you’ve tried, comment below!

Take that, Whole Foods!

the logo of the essex street market

I remember going to The Essex Street Market a few times in my life. I must’ve been about ten years old, accompanying my mother to a random market that we had stumbled upon. I recall it looking different than other supermarkets I had been to (shout out to everyone who grew up with Keyfood, C-Town, Associated, Waldbaums, and PathMark). It isn’t the average A&P store that we all have come to find as a normal way of food shopping. The Market goes by small shops and vendors that cater to the community’s ever-changing needs. What makes it different from other supermarkets is how you will be able to find ethnic items that you can’t get at other mainstream establishments. It’s not only a means of food trade but it’s also a cultural platform that suits the quickly and constantly changing neighborhood.

An artistic banner on top of the essex street market

Art installation by AI Weiwei as part of the “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors” citywide exhibition.

According to The Essex Market, the market has been in effect since the early 1900’s with four pushcart markets peddling on Hester Street. With mass arrival of immigrants on Ellis Island, the need for cultural foods and products quickly became a high demand in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. By the time of 1917 there were fifty-seven pushcarts around the neighborhood catering to the Jewish and Italian cultures who were densely populated in the area.

brick facade on the essex street market

After the Depression hit in the ‘30s more of these peddlers became more apparent in the community since many lost their jobs. To make money, they would sell anything from fresh produce to the pots and pans to cook it in. As stated by, New York History Walks, 47,000 families made a living off of peddling. By the mid-1930’s Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (yup! Like the airport. It was named after him since it was built during his mayoral run), wanted to get rid of the densely packed streets and find an indoor commons where the vendors can sell their goods. This resulted in one of the first public markets.

a historic photo of the essex street market

Essex Street Market, 1940 Image Credit: Shopsins

LaGuardia fixed the problem, aiding the community with The Essex Street Market which opened in 1940. This large market was along Essex Street extending over four blocks, from Broome Street to Stanton Street; it consisted of 475 stalls. It wasn’t only a place for buying foods and other preparative equipment, it was a center of learning for cultural foods. As the progression of WWII, the Market began to provide classes so the public could learn how to prolong their food for a brutal war that was lasting indefinitely.

hallway in the essex street market

Now, the Market still offers classes to the public in the hopes of defeating a new war on “Food Deserts” in lower class communities. They were put in place to help people eat, and, ultimately shop healthier. The size of the Market was reduced to just one block with twenty-eight vendors in the establishment. Due to cultural change, the Market now, mostly, serves the demands of the Hispanic/Latino ethnicities.

posters for food classes at the essex street marketvisitor's center at the essex street market

By the end of 2018 The Essex Street Market will move to a new location on Delancey Street. My inner historian was greatly saddened by their imminent departure since the Market has been there, in that building, within those walls, and under that exposed structural/mechanical ceiling. Now it faces high threat of being demolished, according to New York History Walks. The building has seen generations and generations of cultural diversity only building on communal significance. I’m scared that the move and the new look will change the demographic and everything that the Market has worked seventy-eight years to refine. If it looks like an average contemporary mall on 59th street, will the community still feel comfortable and immersed in the community atmosphere to shop and learn there or will it change forever?

an entrance at the essex street marketbottled beverages for sale at the essex street market

Only the future will tell, but there is still hope for the survival of the aesthetic of The Essex Street Market. If we have learned anything about its history, it’s that regardless of where it goes – on the street or in a public market – it always flourishes. It does what is best for the community and I hope that doesn’t change.