I-Only-Blow-Bubbles

If this case study has shown me anything, it's that (1) multiple movie representations are necessary for all places and peoples and (2) people are best at portraying themselves

It was only the other day that I finally unpacked the last of my decorations. I pulled out the tea towel I had bought at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and hung it on the oven door handle. The painting my grandmother gave me of a couple walking near the Eiffel Tower now hangs behind my small breakfast nook table. Upon this same table is an empty bottle of wine filled with a fake sprig of…

Read all about my attempt to find movies that would make me cry

When I chose the movies I watched this week-ish (really it’s been more than a week), I based my decisions on how much I thought the movie would make me cry. I wanted a movie that would rise up to the occasion and flood me with emotion because I was tired of going through the motions and hopping from activity to activity. I wanted to give myself time to contemplate what was going on around me and…

If you can't tell by the title, I only watched action movies this past week.

Ever since I started my new job, everything has been go, go, go — in the best way possible, thankfully. I’ve been driving to different cities, meeting the big names in town and writing like nobody’s business. Naturally, when I get home in the evening, my first inclination is to shower, change into my pajamas and hop into my cozy, comfy bed. I end up scrolling on TikTok until I fall asleep, and I…

Last Friday, I was scared I hadn't watched enough movies to constitute a blog post. I watched nine movies. I have a problem. But I also have a blog post. Please read.

This week, I was worried I wouldn’t watch enough movies to write a blog post. I saw one movie on Monday, but come Tuesday, Wednesday and so forth, I ran out of time to watch anything because I was running errands, listening to my podcast and watching “Glee.” Yet, my worries were quickly calmed after realizing Independence Day was on Sunday. Movies are my way of celebrating holidays. I remember…

This past week, I watched six movies, but out of all of them, "Fargo" has to be my favorite. Check out this week's movies recap to learn why

Despite the fact that I watch several movies each week, the sad reality is that most watches are re-watches, meaning I seldom cross new movies off my never-ending watch list. This week was no exception. After watching “In the Heights” in theaters opening weekend, I watched the movie again one week later on HBO Max. And there’s nothing wrong with re-watching movies. In fact, for a class I took…

I've decided to start logging the movies I watch and my thoughts on each one. Here are the five movies I watched this past week-ish

This past Tuesday, I woke up and decided to watch a movie for breakfast. As I set up my laptop and connected it to my television with an HDMI cable, I thought to myself about how it had been too long since I had watched a film. Moments later, I realized I had only gone two days without watching a movie. With this epiphany, I have decided to actualize an idea I have had brewing in my mind for…

My father raised me to live my life as though I might die tomorrow. I did not know what day would be my last, so I could not afford to live afraid of what could be.

When I turned 21 last December, I promised myself I would do better to live up to this standard. I would study abroad in Spain for five months, enjoy my last summer as a college student and attend every single football game in the…

I promise this isn't as weird as it sounds. It just so happened that I got a paper cut and thought way too much of the situation (as usual).

The cut on my left pinky is barely noticeable anymore. The bloodstain it left behind, though small, still remains visible to the naked eye.

The bloodstain in question decorates the white border of my brand new issue of Film Comment magazine. I had never heard of the magazine before August 9, but I look forward to remembering the name and reading the stories associated with it.

I crossed…

In the words of Orientation Advisor Sabrina circa summer 2018, "I love movies."

When I was scrolling through Twitter for work, I came across this 30-day film challenge and was immediately enticed. While my mom was trying to watch the news and our nightly telenovela, I was pestering her with questions.

“What’s a film that you hate from your favorite genre?”

“Huh?”

I repeated the question.

“Is that how you pronounce genre?” she replied. “Why is it pronounced that…

After listening to Taylor Swift's "Folklore" on repeat for several days, the songs have started to take on new meanings.

In an attempt to become more like the fictional character my parents named me after, I’ve been trying to live in a state of love and rose-colored glasses. But it’s been a challenge given the current state of the world. I have so many things to be cynical about, whether it’s the pandemic, racial injustice or simply the loss of what could have been. There are times where I even try to talk myself…

Every year, I track cherished moments in my journal to remember all I have to be grateful for. Today, I'm sharing this past year's worth of memories with you.

This past year, like many others, I kept track of the days I cherished. Some were new adventures, others simple pleasures. Regardless of reasoning, I wrote each treasured date with a quick description in the left-hand corner of my journal.

These days aren’t my only happy ones. They just happen to be moments when I happened to have my journal nearby and enough sense to pull out a pen and mark…

Back in 2016, I decided to create a blog for myself. Four years later, I've finally made the decision to buy my own .com.

After deleting my first angsty website and its words, I had the grand idea of re-entering the blog sphere with a site called sabrinakaye.wordpress.com. At the time, I only knew how to write fictional stories and poetry; the world of non-fiction and publishing posts about myself was fairly uncharted water.

I was just 17 years old. My life was consumed by high school obligations, and my mind…

No salsa in the mornings

I know I’m at my mom’s apartment when I wake up to the smell of corn tortillas in the frying pan and the warbled sounds of salsa emitting from a small, black radio hiding in the corner by the dishes. This morning routine used to be accompanied by the drip of brewing Duran coffee, but that has since been replaced with hot lemon water. My mom wants us to strengthen our immune systems.

Other things…

Toledo is just 30 minutes away from Madrid by train. Learn about how you can visit this day-trip-worthy city.

To the south of Madrid is a lovely city known as Toledo. It’s an uphill walk no matter where you are, but luckily that is complemented by breathtaking, old world views.

I had the pleasure of visiting Toledo on a Tuesday with just myself. Despite the dreary sky and rain, I had a blast just walking around the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Between the nature surrounding the city to the cobblestone…

Madrid is the perfect jumping off point for day trips in Spain. Learn all about how I spent my first Spanish day trip visiting Segovia.

Madrid has the luxury of being smack dab in the center of Spain, making it a perfect jumping off point for day trips into antique, Spanish towns. The first day trip I took was to Segovia, a town roughly one hour northwest of Madrid. Segovia stands at a population of just over 150,000, making it feel minuscule compared to Madrid’s 6.5 million inhabitants.

However, what Segovia lacks in expanse…

The pros and cons of living with a host family

At my school, I’m an anomaly. Most students from Madrid live with their families, and international students have their own apartments.  I, on the other hand, live with a host family. I did this partly because of my desire to experience Spanish culture more fully and partly because my mom told me I should. (She was quite persistent about it.)

The only knowledge I really had about host families…

8 things you should know before visiting Madrid

I guess I should start by saying I’m not in Austin, Texas anymore. For the past three weeks (I can’t believe it’s already been three weeks!?), I’ve been living in Madrid, Spain for my semester abroad. During my short time here, I’ve visited several sites, walked through various neighborhoods and learned to take advantage of public transportation. Now that I feel settled in my new city, I’d like…