Senior Reflection

This is my senior reflection for the senior show. We were required to write a story capturing our passions and aspirations, our 4 years of experience at Taylor, and our hopes and dreams and how we want to impact culture for the glory of God.

So here's what I came up with...

I love to write. It’s as simple as that. Writing allows me to express my thoughts and opinions about anything under the sun. The little joys of life inspire and motivate me to leave my own unique handprint on the world.

When I was young, I aspired to be a teacher so I could educate others and help shape their character and worldview. That dream fizzled out when I discovered the joys of playing the guitar and drums – I wanted to be a rock star. But after countless ‘jamming’ sessions that left my head pounding and my ears protesting, I came to the conclusion that I was not cut out for the grueling ‘rock ‘n roll’ lifestyle. So I decided to be a worship leader instead. That way, I could utilize my passion for music and still keep my hearing intact 30 years down the road.

I composed numerous songs and thought I was well on my way to fulfilling my purpose in life, when it hit me – I found greater pleasure in writing the songs than in performing them. That revelation set me on the path of writing, which opened up a whole new world filled with all kinds of possibilities.

My desire is to provide light-hearted entertainment through my words, as well as impact the lives of others by evoking emotion and provoking thought. I enjoy writing about my passions: entertainment, fashion, travel, culture, and food. I have worked for a diverse variety of companies, such as an online lifestyle magazine, a talent agency, a university newspaper, and a matchmaking agency. Each experience has been truly beneficial and eye opening. I wish to contribute to culture by crafting compelling stories that will speak profoundly to and leave a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of others.

My four years at Taylor have been an incredible rollercoaster ride of laughter and tears, convictions and doubts, successes and disappointments, and breakthroughs and setbacks. Every experience has taught me something new. I learned to step out of my comfort zone and reach out to a world in need. I found my own distinctive voice and style of writing. I came to appreciate the beauty of diversity. I built friendships with some of the most amazing people I have ever met.

Through the ups and downs of life, God is the one constant I can always depend on. To others, I may be just another writer, but I believe God has given me this gift so I may be a blessing to the world. I want to live my life in such a way that, at the end of the day, I can say I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.

Writing is my way of communicating to the world who I am, what I believe in, and what I want to achieve.

My website!

I HAVE A WEBSITE!!!!!!! FOR MY PORTFOLIO!!!!!!!

www.benitaleeportfolio.com

I made it in DreamWeaver and bought the domain name (someone already bought benitalee.com and filled it with pictures. lame) and got a friend to host it and TA-DA! I have a real live website! coolness. the site itself isn't that great, its just a basic layout, but hey. it's a huge accomplishment for technology-dumb me. haha. Had to pay about $16 for the domain name for 2 years, but that's pretty alright.

“They Said What??” - Song Lyrics Gone Wrong

"Music saves my soul" - Really??

Is it just me, or are the lyrics of popular songs going from bad to cringe-worthy to just plain ridiculous? I remember the good old days when Backstreet Boys sang songs like ‘I’ll never break your heart’ and ‘As long as you love me...’ 


Back when the line ‘Am I sexual?’ from their song ‘Everybody’ in the 1997 Backstreet’s Back album was considered shockingly forward and taboo.
Back when the Spice Girls were insanely popular and everyone wanted to be Baby Spice because she was the cutest and the prettiest. They released a movie, ‘Spice World,’ which I was strictly forbidden to view because it was apparently ‘not good’ for 10-year-old me.
Back when music videos were relatively chaste, with boy bands performing cheesy dance moves and girls prancing around all covered up except for their midriffs.
Back when I was only allowed to listen to Christian music, or music made by Christians. If the artist mentioned God in their ‘thank yous,’ or if they had a clean-cut image and appropriate lyrics, I would be given the green light to buy their CDs and put up their posters on my wall.

My collection consisted of Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, ‘Nsync, Jennifer Lopez, Boyzone, A1, The Moffatts, Aaron Carter, S Club 7, Atomic Kitten, M2M, B*Witched, Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore, Westlife, 98 Degrees, etc. Pretty wholesome stuff.


Old school Backstreet Boys.

Fast forward to 2010, when radio stations are filled with songs by 50 Cent, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Britney Spears, Black Eyed Peas, and so forth.
All they ever seem to care about are the
5 most important things in life (according to them):
Money, drugs, violence, sex, and, as T. I. so accurately words it, doing ‘whatever you like.’

Songs like ‘Tik tok’ by Ke$ha, ‘3’ by Britney Spears, and ‘Bad Romance’ by Lady Gaga top the Billboard charts week after week, showing how society has become a slave to the values and morals music preaches. ‘Tik tok’ is all about partying and having fun, ‘3’ is about the pleasures of having a threesome, and ‘Bad Romance’ is just completely inappropriate.


Lady Gaga donning an outlandishly bizarre outfit, as usual.

So why are these songs ridiculously popular? I admit I like them too, despite their awful lyrics; these songs have such catchy beats and melodies that we just find ourselves humming along, even though we know the lyrics aren’t edifying. Sometimes I find myself singing a song that’s stuck in my head, then I realize what I’m actually singing, and I stop, because I’m ashamed to be thinking those thoughts. All popular songs ever talk about nowadays are drinking, partying, hooking up, making truckloads of money, and repeating the process.

It makes me think – if I’m unavoidably affected by all this, what about all the kids and teenagers who are exposed to this crap at such a young age? No wonder society is deteriorating; the younger generations are introduced to all this worldly stuff early in their life, and they become used to it and start thinking it’s okay to drink until you pass out; it’s okay to have sex before marriage; it’s okay to change everything about yourself to conform with society’s impossible standards of beauty.

Music has always been one of my passions, and it’s saddening to think how such a universal and powerful tool is now being used to disintegrate traditional values and morals. Music is incredibly influential; I think it just needs to be used in the right way. But who knows what that is anymore.

Looking back, I miss the good old days when everything was simple and squeaky clean. The music scene was filled with bubbly teeny-boppers, the music they created was upbeat and the lyrics harmless, and they were pretty decent role models. I’m glad my parents imposed such strict rules on me, because it’s so true that what we allow our eyes to see and our ears to hear can genuinely affect our perspectives, well-being, and attitudes.

Now we’ve become so accustomed to trashy music videos, terrible and inappropriate lyrics, and artists wrecking their personal lives that we can’t even discern right from wrong anymore. This is the type of music children nowadays are exposed to, and this is the type of music our kids will listen to.

Can we just stand by and watch this happen? But what can we do?
I have no idea; I’m still struggling with my guilt over being yet another mindless supporter of the music.

Places and faces

I love to travel. It’s the best thing in the world, besides love and chocolate. There’s just something unbelievably delightful about stepping out of the airplane and onto new, unfamiliar ground. Of course, there’s always the tinge of worry and apprehension that comes with traveling, especially when airlines lose your luggage all the time, but for the most part, visiting a new place is a fantastic experience that nothing else can compare to. I just love taking in the sights and sounds of different cultures, meeting and interacting with the people, sampling their food, learning about their heritage and traditions… there’s just so much to absorb, it’s mind-boggling!

I’ve been amazingly blessed with so many opportunities to travel to all kinds of places, as the stamps on my passport will verify, and I am definitely grateful for the rollercoaster experiences I’ve had, because my eyes have been opened to the breathtaking beauty and extraordinary wonders in every corner of the earth. I am also very open to the possibility of more traveling, and it would be great if I could find a job that would let me travel and write at the same time. Oh what fun what would be. But for now, here’s a list of best places I’ve been to.

Best Place to Spot Celebrities (or Be Discovered as One) – Los Angeles, California

Of course, this being the home of Beverly Hills and Hollywood, it would naturally be filled to the brim with all kinds of celebrities. And I had such a whirlwind experience going from free movie premieres to TV show tapings to awards shows at the legendary Kodak Theatre. Definitely a fame-obsessed town – everyone there is either trying to make it big, or already a huge hit.


Catching 100 Monkeys in concert on Sunset Boulevard

Best Place to be Single – New York City, NYC

The Big Apple is totally the city for singles, because you meet people everywhere. Guys tried to get my number at grocery stores, restaurants, clubs, even on the street! NYC’s awesome in general, but it really is a place for singles to have fun, especially if you’re in your 20s, because everyone there is too preoccupied with climbing the corporate ladder (in finance or fashion) to maintain a stable relationship. Plus there’s always something to do in the city that never sleeps – hang out in Times Square, go vintage shopping in SoHo, buy cheap stuff in Chinatown, enjoy the fresh air and musical sounds from buskers in Central Park, watch a Broadway show, and club-hop all over the city.


Hanging out at a bar

Best Place to Retire – Brisbane, Australia

Laidback people, slow-paced life, beautiful beaches, people with fascinating accents… Definitely a great place to live in when you’re done with life’s excitement and ready to settle down in peace and quiet.


At the beach

Best Place to Party – Tokyo, Japan

Hands down, no competition. Cheap yet potent alcohol, crazy fun people, clubs that don’t close till 7am, love hotels… the only negative thing was the ridiculously expensive entrance fee, which can be avoided by going on certain days to certain clubs with special coupons. I never knew the Japanese could party so hard.


At DisneySea (we were too busy partying to take photos of us actually partying. haha)

Best Place to Shop for Cheap Stuff – Malaysia

That’s why all the kiasu Singaporeans take the time to drive in and tolerate the traffic jams – to get the best deals at the lowest prices. We’re all about that sort of stuff, even though the quality leaves much to be desired.


Random pic of a mall

Best Place to Raise a Family – Singapore

I know, I’m biased, but it’s true. Singapore is wonderfully safe, absurdly clean and green (people are still shocked when they realize chewing gum is banned in Singapore), and small enough that it’s not a hassle to go from one end to the other, but also large enough that you could avoid someone you don’t like if you wanted to. No country bothers to invade it because it's so tiny, and yet it's free of earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. Plus it has all kinds of shops from countries around the world; it boasts good and cheap movie theatres, and the food... That’s a reason all by itself. And it’s not as racist as other countries, or maybe I didn’t feel that way because I was among the majority. Although… the education system still has much room for improvement. Kids are undergoing unnecessary stress and way too much tuition.


Family photo shoot

Best Place to be Entertained – Las Vegas

Every kind of entertainment you could ever wish for is probably here. Okay, maybe not, but there’s a ton of stuff to do here in Sin City. From Broadway shows to magic performances to abundant casinos to lion and dolphin exhibits in hotels to fantastic food to pirate shows to gorgeous malls to crazy clubs to beautiful architecture to wedding chapels… You’ll never be bored.


At the Mirage hotel's fountain show

Best Place to be Swept Off Your Feet by a Handsome Guy on a Motorbike – Rome, Italy

Rome, Vatican City, Florence… Basically anywhere in Italy is delightfully romantic and endearingly quaint. From the charming cobbled streets of the Spanish Steps to the breathtaking magic of the Trevi Fountain to the magnificent artworks of the Sistine Chapel, every monument is spectacular and exquisitely etched in history. Just walking down the street makes you feel as if at any moment, a tall, dark, and handsome Italian man will whisk you off your feet and ride off into the sunset with you on his motorbike (until you reach a gelato shop, and then of course, you will stop for the world’s best dessert).


By the Trevi Fountain

Best Place to Load Up on Weed – Jamaica

Seriously. I was offered marijuana at least 3 times a day, everyday, when I was there. And everywhere you go, on the streets, the smell of weed inevitably wafts up your nose. It’s pretty sad, but still a beautiful place to visit. The white sandy beaches, delicious food, and wonderful hospitality from locals will make your stay a very enjoyable one.


Random pic of us at the orphanage. I swear I've never seen this before.

Best Place to Learn About History – Greece

This country is brimming with rich culture and history, from the ruins of Corinth to the monuments in Athens to the churches and monasteries in Meteora and Philippi. Simply visiting each unique place brings history to life, and the next time you read the Bible, the words will just jump off the page at you and bring you back in time.


The entire group at the Neapolis Monument

Best Place to Live if You Don’t Want to Have a Life – Upland, Indiana

That says it all.


Freshman year, Broomball pick-a-date. Oh that was so long ago!

So these are some of the places I’ve visited in the last few years that stood out to me. Hopefully, there will be more to come!

From City to Country

It was time. I stepped out of the Indiana airport, and a cool breeze swept past me as I took in my surroundings. Little did I know this was a foreshadowing of life in Indiana, where dreary wet days, bitterly frigid wind and knee-high frosty snow were the norm. Having grown up in a city that experienced year-round summers, I was in for the shock of my life when the first snow fell.

After hauling suitcases stocked with my entire wardrobe, shoe collection and lifetime supply of books, my family and I embarked on the drive to Upland, the tiny town I would call “home” for the next four years. As we sped past cars on the highway, I gazed out the window, fascinated by the small towns we passed by. I scoffed at their buildings and signs, ridiculing the humble establishments they had set up.

Since I did not make the effort to Google “life in Indiana,” the only connection I made to it was the movie character Indiana Jones. Yet, I was somehow convinced it would be similar to New York City. I entertained visions of myself living the glamorous life, sipping lattes at a classy cafe in the afternoon, and watching people stroll past, going about their day.

No doubt I was in for a rude awakening. Not only was I in foreign territory, I was also about to be immensely disappointed. As the Global Positioning System (GPS) informed us we were nearing our destination, my brows furrowed in confusion. Was not Upland supposed to be a huge metropolis, a bustling place filled with all kinds of interesting people? Why were there only farms and fields, with the occasional cow grazing next to horses? A sense of apprehension crept up on me.

The GPS must be wrong, I decided. There was no way I could live in the countryside for the next four years! But, the emotionless, computerized voice soon uttered the words I dreaded to hear: “You have reached your destination.” I gaped at my surroundings in astonishment and dismay. Most college students would be thrilled to step onto campus and plunge into their first day of orientation, but all I could think was, “There aren't any malls here!”

Where were the huge crowds? What was I supposed to do for fun? The town was like a deserted wasteland, and the only thing it seemed to possess in abundance was fields and fields of corn. My first impulse was to snatch the car keys from my dad, jump into the front seat and speed back to the airport, but then I remembered I did not know how to drive.

Simply put, my dreams were instantly crushed. Gone were the fantasies of living the glitzy, jet-setting city lifestyle. The lump in my throat kept growing as I realized this would be a challenge of monstrous proportions. It was a whole new world, one I was unfamiliar with, and quite honestly, reluctant to accept.

I longed for the hustle and bustle of the city, but I was here. I had to put an end to my complaining and welcome my new life. So I did, albeit with some hesitation. As time passed, I grew to embrace life in the countryside. Yes, Upland was as different from the city as you could get, but there was a unique and charming quality about it, something remarkable that set it apart from anything I could have imagined.

Slowly, I adapted. I battled the biting cold with my five layers of clothes, scarves and hats, I discovered the senselessness of trying to predict the ever-changing weather, I learned the benefits of making friends with people who had cars, I experienced getting lost in corn mazes, and I adapted to the smell of skunk in the car. Most of all, I appreciated the beauty of friendship, because when there was nothing to do, the alternative was spending quality time with some of the greatest people I have ever met.

On hindsight, I would have read up more on Upland before arriving. But if I had, I would have never made it to this little town and come face to face with a life changing experience. I have learned to embrace the beauty of nature, to simply sit and gaze in awe at the splendor of creation. There is a kind of peace and tranquility about the countryside, which gives me a sense of serenity I have never experienced before. City life is vastly different from country life, but both are just as amazing.

Now, when I glance out my window and see the pure blanket of snow gracefully spread out over the grass, a sense of wonder overwhelms me, and I am thankful to call Upland my home, at least for now.


-Just thought I would share a personal narrative piece I wrote for class that I'm including in my portfolio :)

Countdown

Less than two weeks from now, my producer stresses and worries will be OVER! just need to get this weekend and next weekend's shoot over and done with, and YAY i'll get my life back!! :)

After calling a gazillion schools and churches (found them randomly online -- they were all Christian because we realized Christians are nicer and more likely to let us film for free. haha), we got a few maybes. so... we're crossing our fingers and toes and hoping to God that someone, anyone, says yes. please yes. we just need one office to shoot in, that's not too much to ask for! and we already got our request to shoot with our own cameras turned down, so we're shooting with crappy cameras, and people aren't happy about that. if we have to shoot in the crappy casting suite as well, this is going to be one crappy film. again, it's not like i care because this isn't crucial for my future career, but it means a lot to others. so here's looking forward to two weeks from now!!! :)

Went to the advance screening of Gentlemen Broncos at The Archlight, and saw another premiere going on for some movie called Boondocks II. no idea what that was, but there was a red carpet and everything. and then the star of the movie, jemaine clement, who was in Flight of the Concords and other TV shows, came to the theater to introduce the film. he was funny, the movie was not. at all. i guess coming from the producers of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, i couldn't have expected more from it. it was the lamest crap ever, filled with slapstick humor and lots of unnecessary puking. and some people actually found it funny! don't know why. but oh well it was free :)

And i'm almost halfway through with my script!!! 45 pages of screenplay! my new title is Miss Match. I kinda like it. it's cute. haha.
And here's my logline - Convinced that the celebrity of her dreams is her true love, a psychic matchmaker attempts to meet him face to face, and realizes that love can be found in unexpected places.
It's not perfect, but my prof said it's 85% there. so... getting there, slowly but surely! and i'm realizing there's lots of me and my life in the characters and the script. haha. i guess writing what i know best is easiest.

Stress and de-stress

Classes

Really feeling the pressure to perform in class now. this whole entertainment industry thing is no joke. there are TONS of people wanting to make it big everyday. actors, directors, producers, writers... and i'm just another face in the crowd. i'm beginning to realize this is hard work. WRITING is hard work. inspiration doesn't just strike with perfect timing. you have to sit at your computer and let it flow, even if the writing seems to be nothing of value. then from those 100 pages of nonsense, maybe there's 2 pages worth using. sigh. that's what my professor said - writing is not an easy task. those people at Walmart working the monotonous, brainless 9-5 shift? yeah, they used to have dreams and goals too. but somewhere along the line, they gave up, they let go, they settled for financial stability and an ordinary life. because being an artist requires more time and effort for less results.

sometimes i wonder why God placed me in this... creative industry. writing. producing works of art. it's all so subjective. and there's really no guideline, no path to follow to ensure success. it's just a lot of hard work, blood, sweat, tears, and luck. meeting the right people, being at the right place at the right time. sounds very risky huh. but it's a risk i'm willing to take. i'd like to know i gave it my best shot before settling for a dreary and mundane 9-5 office job. it'd be easier to follow a straight path to be a doctor or lawyer, at least you'd have jobs after graduation. but a media comm degree in the outside world? means absolutely NOTHING -- this fact has been pounded into us since day one, to make sure we understand what we're getting ourselves into. it simply means we can maybe write or read better than the average person. but it doesn't really consist of any real skill, unlike practicing medicine or manufacturing a computer.

so yeah. i'm feeling the pressure to work hard. very hard. i'm pretty satisfied with my script outline now, working toward starting it soon. the rest of the class + my prof seem to like it too, at least i'm getting positive responses, unlike some others. but this whole scriptwriting thing... i'm not sure if i truly love it. it's fun, definitely, coming up with ideas and plots and falling into this world i've created with characters of my very own. but getting down to business and actually writing the script is very... grueling. and exhausting. i wish i could just pass my idea on to someone and let them write it. that'd be easier huh. but nothing in this life is easy.
anyway, i'm excited about my script. it's a ROMANTIC COMEDY! and the more i write it, the more i'm like, I TOTALLY WOULD GO SEE THIS AT THE THEATRE! I WISH SOMEONE WILL BUY MY SCRIPT AND MAKE IT INTO A MOVIE! can totally imagine Sandra Bullock being the lead!! haha. more about the plot later. when it's fully developed and locked.

also, this whole thing about being a producer is HARD WORK. who knew it'd be so hard calling every single mall in LA and surrounding areas, trying to find a dang place that's nice and colorful and has a carousel and photo booth -- that will let us film???

Disney mania

wednesday was our day off for producers. instead of working hard, hani and i took a break. haha. we attempted to find a dim sum place for lunch, but ended up at this tiny chinese restaurant on Sunset Blvd, which turned out to be like any other chinese place - crappy.

but then we went to the Disney El Capitan theatre in Hollywood to see the special double feature - TOY STORY 1 & 2 in 3D!!! it was pretty cool. the theatre was magnificent. majestic red velvet curtains draped over the walls, huge screen, colorful organ on stage playing disney songs, even Woody and Buzz performed a little dance sketch! it was terribly cute.


Woody, Jessie and Buzz dancing on stage. haha.

Coolest organ ever.

El Capitan theatre!

Crazy day

Thursday was crazy. class in the morning, class in the afternoon. i think Theology in Hollywood has got to be the world's most boring class. all we do is talk about film. every. single. detail. of. the. film. from lights to color to music to tone to atmosphere to dialogue... omg. i'm so tired of analyzing films i couldn't care less about.

Anyway, we went to the free advanced screening of Law Abiding Citizen, starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx! my roomie worked the premiere two days ago, and she got to go to the after party, where she BUMPED INTO Gerard Butler and RAN AWAY speechless!!! funny. the movie was gruesome and had lots of unnecessary scenes of grisly violence. it had an interesting message about the justice system and how justice isn't always served, but i don't think i'd go see it again.
It made me think of what my prof said about creating characters in our stories. he said the best villains are those who absolutely BELIEVE without a doubt in their cause. it can be something horrendous, like Hitler's, but he did believe his cause was righteous and true, even if it was twisted to the world. interesting huh. the best villains are also those we can kinda relate to. 'cause they're human too, and circumstances just turned their life down a different path from others.

As we left the theatre, fire alarms were going off in the parking lot, and security people RAN PAST US, muttering something about a fire/bomb threat!!! and then tons of security people were checking cars and closing off exits. omg. it was kinda scary.

And then since the night was still young, partyyyyy!!! :) i still think partying in NYC was more fun. oh NYC, i will be back! the place was 18 and over, so the crowd was... very hyper and adolescent. they even had a dance group perform on stage, and it felt like i was at some high school prom. haha. but it ended up being fun :)

Until...

I woke up today and hated myself for staying up so late last night. ugh. had to go to work too. wasn't a very happy person, or cheery. but i got to sit in on an audition at work, and watched 2 adorable kids perform a monologue. it was so cute :)
and then the bus took 2 hours to get me back home.

but YAY THE WEEKEND'S HERE!! and it's a long weekend too!!!! off till tues!

Lazy days

Everyday is a lazy day. I have no motivation to go anywhere except the pool to suntan. haha. even classes seem so far away, and walking in the hot sun sure isn't fun. i really need to get a fan. our apartment is like, as my roomie says, a hellhole. SO HOT. btw, my roomie/apartment mate is like the funniest person ever. every word she says makes me laugh so hard. one particularly hot day, she was like, 'i would give my first-born child for some air-conditioning in here!' and then she goes on tirades about those 'demon birds that screech like they're possessed' every morning at 5am (they're actually kinda creepy. think huge clusters of crows screeching their heads off). cant remember what else she said, but she just cracks me up :)

Anyway, i completed my script. it's 10 pages long, the maximum. and it's about this 10-year-old kid who's really quirky and a little off-beat and has a vivid imagination. he thinks he's an explorer and talks about his adventures in the third person. but he doesn't have friends at school 'cause everyone thinks he's weird, and he gets bullied alot. and his parents fight about him, too, because his dad thinks he's a failure at life and wants him to be normal and play sports instead of holing up in his room all day, talking to himself. and his mom always has to defend him.

So one day, he stumbles upon a magical watch that gives him the power to go back and forth through time. after being bullied again, he's fed up with his life and wants to be liked by others, so he turns the watch forward and finds himself 33 years old and completely different. he realizes he's become what his dad wanted him to be, and in the process, accidentally caused the death of his mom. so he's traumatized and horrified and goes back to the present day, where he returns the watch to a mysterious stranger and appreciates his life the way it is.

After telling my story idea to my friend, i realized there's already a movie similar to this idea. which brings up the point that there are simply no original ideas. seriously. everything's been done before and done again a thousand times. it's so hard to write something original. sigh. i don't think i like this whole scriptwriting business much. and now i have to write a 100-page screenplay for class. at least the prof seems totally laidback and generous with the grades. all we have to do is turn the screenplay in at the end of the semester! yayyy. and that's all for this class. so glad i chose screenwriting instead of motion picture production, where my other classmates are suffering cuz they have to write, direct and produce 3 entire films in 2 months. craziness.

Hollywood production workship, my other class, seems to have a heavier workload. we applied for positions we wanted, and i put (in order of my choice) producer, production designer and 1st camera assistant. soooo.. hopefully i get either one of my top two choices, cuz producer sounds really fun, get to audition actors, search out places to film, help out the director and all. and then production design is designing the set and putting everything into place on set. cool, huh. i have no idea what 1st camera assistant does, but i put that cuz i didn't wanna do sound or be an editor. simply no interest being behind the camera or in front of the computer for hours and hours.

Been watching a lot of critically acclaimed movies lately, to increase my little knowledge of film. haha.
THE PRESTIGE --- the best suspense thriller EVER. i was on the edge of my seat! so good. it's magic + suspense + crazy fantastic script + insane plot twists. totally awesome, plus it stars hugh jackman and christian bale.
Some like it hot --- first time i ever saw marilyn monroe in a movie. it was alright... funny and cute, but in black and white and totally from a different era, one i haven't really come to appreciate yet.
Being john malkovich --- so interesting! what would you do if you found a portal into someone else's head?? and you could see and experience everything they did?? crazy plot twists too. loved it.
Adaptation --- directed by spike jonze, the same guy who did Being john malkovich. but this one was weirder. about a screenwriter who tries to adapt a novel into a screenplay and ends up writing himself and the people around him into it. i almost fell asleep.

YAY i'm this much closer to accomplishing my goal of watching all 100 films on the top 100 list of movies.

The little things

More feature stories :)

Dallas - carolina's mexican cuisine
http://www.julib.com/dallas/mexandmatch062509DA_email.html

London - the compass
http://www.julib.com/london/direstraits062509LO_email.html

London - cote brasserie
http://www.julib.com/london/coteofarms062309LO_email.html

Atlanta - rosebud
http://www.julib.com/atlanta/rosyroots062509AT_email.html

All cities - 4th of july special
http://www.julib.com/newyork/july4thspecial063009NY_email.html
(all our subscribers in all 14 cities got to see my writing!!)

Long, long weekend

So today i received the best news ever. my manager told me i didn't need to go in for work!! YAYYYY. was gonna go back to sleep, but then i opened up my computer, and was instantly flooded by a barrage of calls and emails and chats (so i guess between sleep and talking with family and friends, the latter won).

No more talk about brothers. oh the wonders of censorship.

Lazing away

Lazed the day away...went out with haley, my suitemate, to this asian restaurant called Je'Bon around the corner. i have no idea why an asian resto has a french-sounding name. i think they tried to explain that it had some chinese meaning, but however i tried, je'bon just does NOT sound even vaguely chinese at all. anw the food was good, and i had a good time. haley's really cool. she's got the whole theatre major thing going... she wants to move to new york and try to get into broadway next time, which i think is awesomely cool. she's probably gonna be super famous one day, and i'll know her! haha.

And of course it had to start pouring cats and dogs as soon as we were done with our meal! so we waited it out. attempted to flag a cab, but they all ignored us for some reason. fine, don't earn our money! so we just walked back in the rain. no biggie, since we both hadn't showered. haha.

I think i took like 3 naps today.. just lazed on my bed and watched movies. felt so good to just slack :)
Was a little tired still, but managed to pull myself out of bed to go to times square and go bar-hopping. i love girls night out + cheap margaritas :)

AND i'm so jealous of my roomie cuz she eats with reckless abandon, like nobody's business, always stuffing her face with cookies and chocolate and cakes and calories, but she's stick thin.

and i, on the other hand, try to eat healthy and stuff, but obviously i'm the furthest thing from being thin. how can life be so unfair?????

So tonight i shared a bunch of random details with my roomie (who was, surprisingly enough, still awake) about my past. and showed her my sgp ID, where i look gross. as someone once said, 'eeeee, u look like my dad!' and proceeded to take a picture for future laughs. all i can say is, we all go through awkward stages, some worse than others. i'm just glad i grew out of the short hair, center parting, round, harry-potter-like glasses, and baggy clothes.
thank God for contacts and makeup.

But we had a good laugh, and she shared some awkward middle school stories too. i'm glad to hear i'm not alone. haha. i'm also glad to be the source of joy for people whenever i whip out my sgp IC and show it to them. most people just about die laughing on the spot 'cause i look so different (and hideous) from how i look now. so i always tell them, if they ever have a bad day, just come to me and i'll show them my IC and they'll feel all better again :)

My dad :)

i just love this picture. it's adorable :)


The greatest dad ever. this guy's awesome. you should get to know him :)


Dad teaching me the waltz at church camp in malaysia.


Because my dad's just cool + hilarious like that.


A man with a heart of gold - that's how most people would describe my dad.
With his salt-and-pepper hair and almond-shaped dark brown eyes full of spirit, he exudes warmth and friendliness to all. His energy and passion for life is contagious; he makes the most of every second of every day, never failing to take a moment to appreciate the simple things in life.

For those who meet him for the first time, my dad comes across as good-natured, welcoming and easy to talk to. His ever-abundant supply of 'dad jokes' (lame but endearing quips that only my mom laughs at) enable people to see his down-to-earth side and feel at ease in his presence.
A loving, big-hearted and self-sacrificing father, he is often the glue that securely binds our family together. My dad has always been the solid rock we all can depend on, come rain or shine. He's showed us that as long as we have family, nothing is impossible.

I remember all those times growing up when dad would take my brothers and i out to go fishing or catch a movie or play at the game arcade... or when it'd just be the two of us spending quality time together... it was all very precious to me.
even if it was just a simple lunch at KFC after organ lessons or a family dinner at Swensen's (what used to be our favorite family restaurant).
What mattered was that he loved us unconditionally, and he expressed that deep affection in so many wonderful ways.

I especially liked when, after minutes of pleading and pouting from my brothers and i, he would smile tenderly and give in, buying us our heart's desire (toys, books, gadgets, etc.) even when he knew the excitement would die down after a few days and we'd move on to new toys. I like to think it made him happy to see us happy.

I always loved it when my dad would take turns with my mom to tuck me in at night, and we'd lay on my bed for a while, gazing at the radiant, luminescent stars stuck in random formations to my ceiling, conversing about everything under the sun. Or when we'd have sleepovers in my parents' room... or, as we grew older, we'd just hang out there and laugh about the most random things.

Family movie nights were another thing i looked forward to. Every tuesday, we'd all sit down to dinner, chat animatedly (except my brothers, who mumbled their way through) about our day, and then chuckle at phua chu kang and whatever comedy shows there were on channel 5.
We eventually grew out of the lame channel 5 shows, and graduated on to movie nights, especially when my dad injured his leg last year. i eagerly anticipated the evenings, when mom, dad and i would gather in front of the tv and be captivated by the movie i'd picked. Basking in the moments of delightful joy, peacefulness and quiet contentment, i knew it was times like these i would always look back on with fondness.

As i grew older, i began to understand, value and respect all the things my dad has done and given up for his family. Many a time he has mused about his dream of becoming a writer/film director/musician, but has never once complained about surrendering his passions to provide for my family. When i think of him, i think of a man molded by God and infused with His great strength, resilience, courage and compassion.
Generous with his time and money, he never turns down an opportunity to spread the love of God, often displaying Christ-likeness in his every action and word.
His relationship with my mom has been such a tremendous encouragement to me, for they have constantly battled through the fires and storms of life without leaving one another's side. Even as marriages in society crumble and fall apart, they take it upon themselves to bring restoration and set the example for many to follow. As far as my future husband is concerned, my dad definitely sets an impossibly high standard that is out of this world, for he is a loving father, amazing husband and awesome friend.

All in all, i mean it with all my heart when i say my dad is the best dad in the world.
He is a man of kindness, benevolence, sensitivity, selflessness and loyalty.
My dad is truly a man of God.

I love you, dad.

Happy (belated) father's day :)

Fresh off the boat

.And i'm proud to be an asiannnnn.

So one day in the NYU elevator i heard this caucasian girl exclaim loudly, 'my roommate's fresh off the boat, and she's hilarious!'
(you know, fresh off the illegal boat from asia or some other continent) and then she proceeded to talk about her weird/funny her mannerisms and actions were. and i was like, wow. i've heard ABOUT the term so many times, but i've never actually heard anyone use it! it was weird. but i wasn't offended or anything.
it takes a lot to offend me. i've learned to be more open-minded around people here. even when they say chinatown is exactly like koreatown. haha.

But then again, it always annoys me how americans are practically worshipped and adored in asia, while asians are mocked at when they arrive in the US of A. ironic, huh. one-way relationship.

Although, everyone i've met here has reacted with shock when i told them i'm from singapore. they're like, 'omg, i would never have expected that! you don't have an accent at all!'
I guess i'm becoming... one of them.
took me 3 years, but now i've made it. haha.

.Gaming.

Yesterday a bunch of people went to Dave & Busters, this game arcade/bar.. and it was totally fun!! it's been such a long time since i've been to an arcade. we played new games like 'deal or no deal,' and won a ton of tickets.
Also got hit on by tons of creepy guys. one guy offered to give us his coupons so we could exchange them for gifts, and he ended up getting my friend's number and asking her out to lunch. he was a total weirdo. kept rapping to us like he was some cool dude, but he was just a white wannabe rapper.
but anyway we took his coupons and got teddy bears and shot glasses. haha.

Also, some of my friends totally flirted with this huge, old man who claimed to be from the mafia, and he bought them like 3 free drinks each. i refused. i'm not that desperate for a free drink to flirt with some sweaty elderly man, old enough to be my grandpa. ew.
Now if he were young and cute..... that would be a different story :)

.Good work day.

Today was definitely a good day. slacked around in the office (even my manager didn't have much to do 'cause it was thursday), and read stuff on wikipedia. haha.
it was really interesting! read up on Scientology, which was full of nonsense. i mean, it had some crap that was supposedly confidential but got leaked out to the public by a former scientology member, about this guy named xenu who came to earth from another planet and put people near volcanoes and blew them up. so now their souls are floating around earth, terrorizing humans. i was like... this totally makes for some awful science fiction story. but sure, you can believe in whatever you want to!

Also read about mormonism and jehovah's witnesses. funny how i 'supposedly' learned about them in my Historic christian belief class (where i got an A), but i still have no idea who they are/what they believe in. but now i know. and they have some weird beliefs too. especially the jehovah's witnesses, which i learned, they're called that cuz they're known for their door-to-door evangelizing. fascinating, huh.

And then i had a nice long chat with my manager about office politics. apparently the higher-ups like the people to think the office environment is laidback and all, but it's really not. and this one guy who seems chill actually watches everyone to make sure they're not skiiving off. i was like, ooohhh... better make sure i look more hardworking!

But yeah, i really like my manager. she's awesome. and we talked about starting a career in NYC, and how hard it is because there's tons of cutthroat competition. and she said i was in luck, because having an internship in NYC on my resume would look much better than someone else who had an internship in like, indiana or something. cuz companies in new york like to see that you've had experience here before. so yay! now i have connections here!!!!! :)

.My resume's filling up.

I seriously can't believe i wrote so many articles between this week and last week.
Here's all the links if you're interested. after a while, they kinda all sound similar. haha.

-Organic clove salon opens in Atlanta, Georgia
http://www.julib.com/atlanta/luckycharms061609AT_email.html

-DVF boutique opens in Miami, Florida
http://www.julib.com/miami/birdwithoutwings061109MI_email.html

-Caviar Kaspia opens in Miami, Florida
http://www.julib.com/miami/kaspiasea061609MI_email.html

-Rugosa opens in the Hamptons
http://www.julib.com/hamptons/pulltherugosa061009HA_email.html

-Cadot opens in Dallas, Texas
http://www.julib.com/dallas/spacecadot061109DA_email.html

-New online design store called Functionals, from the Netherlands
http://www.julib.com/sandiego/hollandssauce060909SD_email.html

-Side bar opens in San Diego, California
http://www.julib.com/sandiego/Bsides061109SD_email.html

.Thumbs up.

Went to see the movie 'Up'...

... in 3D! and it was everything they said, and more.
everyone should TOTALLY go see it, please. it's SUCH a great movie. once again, pixar never fails to deliver. although, it costed as much as three freakin movies in sgp. ridiculous. but worth it :)

Can't decide if i wanna go see the jonas brothers perform at the Today Show...
maybe not. don't think they're worth the wait and the waking up at 4am.

ROAD TRIP TO WASHINGTON, DC THIS WEEKEND!!!!
I'm so excited. i've never been there!!! and we're gonna stay in hotels for free and see all the free museums! :)

Blogging everyday is tiring

but i'm determined to keep a record of my first summer away from home.. in NYC :)

.Work As Usual.

I stared at the blinking bright computer screen for an hour and a half, thinking i might either go blind or convulse into seizures, when finally my manager glanced at me, and upon realizing i was utterly bored and wasting my time, she gave me a task to do - more research on new and upcoming restaurants/bars/hotels/fashion designers, etc.

That about sums up my day. haha. and i forgot to bring lunch, so i only had two granola bars and was starving by 3pm. Then, at 4.30pm, my manager abruptly turned to me and delegated an assignment. i was to write a feature story about some new online furniture design store.

"Are you kidding?!?!?!" was my initial reaction. there i was, wasting the entire day away, and she gives me something major to do minutes before i'm supposed to punch out and leave for the day.
Nevertheless, determined to keep a positive attitude and let my star shine bright, i daydreamed for a while before starting on the story. and i still managed to leave at about 5.30pm, so that was alright.

PLUS i found out today that i got published!!! both my feature stories!! funny thing was, andrew found out before me. turns out he's been stalking the magazine website ever since i told him i wrote 2 stories for them. and he found my stories and gave me the link. haha.

So here they are:
The opening of Ahnvee restaurant --
http://www.julib.com/miami/toavee052809MI_email.html

The opening of Alila villas --
http://www.julib.com/travel/balioutplan053109TR_email.html

Yayyyyyy. it's kinda exciting. although i admit i don't even recognize my own writing. it just sounds so different from anything i've ever written. but i guess it's a good thing.. that i'm assimilating into their style of writing, which is what i'm supposed to do anyway.

.Dude.

The guy i previously wrote about texted me again. and called me. twice at work, so obviously i didn't pick up. but yeah.. man, is he persistent. he kept asking me out, i said maybe, he said 'so many maybes, how about a yes?'
i was like... ok... fine... i guess we can be friends. haha.

Can't wait for tomorrow -- we're gonna go see a Broadway show!! :)

First day of work (since yami yogurt)

hahahaha. yup. and it was a pretty interesting one at that. i actually went to sleep early last night (early meaning midnight)... got up at 8am, the crack of dawn. haha. can't believe i'm getting up earlier in the summer than during the semester!
so i met allison, the girl i travel to work with, and we hopped on the subway, then the bus, and then got to our building like 20mins early. so we walked around the block, both of us falling silent periodically, with immense butterflies in our stomach. actually i wasn't that nervous, i was just tired. but she was really freaking out -- she smoked like 3 cigarettes to calm down.

so i got to the 5th floor of my building finally, and with trembling hands, i grabbed the knob and turned it. and i was in the office! it was really small, there were only 6 workers there, and they were all really friendly and warm. SO RELIEVED. and the first 'person' that greeted me was this HUGE black dog. it practically jumped on me and wanted me to pet it. i later learned its name was 'india', and its owner is this really hilarious and friendly gay guy. he was so nice and introduced me to the place and the magazine. and i met my manager, she was really sweet too.. she put me to work working on researching addresses of stores and researching new restaurant openings in miami.

so all in all, i really didn't do much my first day. got kinda bored and actually almost fell asleep at one point, cuz i was just staring at the screen, not really doing or thinking anything. but i'm sure i'll get more to do once they get used to having me around. my manager asked me what my major was, what i was interested in doing, and i told her i wanted to write, and she said i could probably contribute some stuff to their editorial department, which she was in charge of, so that was cool :)

AND she said i'm gonna get 3-day work weeks starting next week!!!! so i just work tue-thur 10am to 5pm!! how awesome is that??? this fri i have to go in, but it's only a half day. YAY! i told one guy about my awesome work schedule, and he called me 'bitch'. granted he did it jokingly, but i was taken aback, and i guess he saw my reaction, so he said he wasn't meaning to offend me, just was jealous. hehe.

so i walked around the block alone to get lunch, cuz my co-workers all ordered in, and i wanted to get out and get some fresh air and explore the surroundings.
BIG MISTAKE.

man, the place i work at is so sketchy!! full of creepy mechanics and construction workers.. cuz there's tons of construction going around there. and hardly anything else except art galleries and fashion showrooms. so i got lots of shady stares and whistles from creepers. and so i finally found a few cafes, but they were SUPER sketchy and i was totally creeped out but had to go in to get lunch. so with a deep breath, i walked into one, and got a muffin. hahaha. everything else was too dang expensive man. and then i went into this indian grocery store to get a drink, and man... they stared at me creepily. uggggghhh. i'm totally ordering in next time or bringing my own lunch. and it was cold, too. freezing, actually. it'll be raining for the next few days. SAD!

so the office felt strangely like my mom's matchmaking company. guess its cuz it's a small and relatively new company, and the owner is a mom... and i don't know, it just felt really comfortable and home-y. i liked it :)

so it was an interesting day at work. although i did get lost on the way back. took the wrong subway..realized it and got off one stop later... walked back.. couldn't get in again because apparently u have to wait 15mins after swiping your card to swipe it again... so yeah. it took me an hour to get back! but i did. and i felt gross like i always do after taking the subway. even though its not as filthy as people say it is, its definitely 1000times worse than singapore's MRT. i always feel like i have to take 5 showers after coming out of the subway. bleh.

dinner was ok. ate at NYU cafeteria. it reminded me of taylor's food, except worse. so little selection.. only pasta, burgers, hot food and salads and ice cream. oh well. i didn't really eat much. i feel like i'm either gonna lose weight from walking everywhere and hardly eating, or gain weight from eating too much chocolate to lower my stress. haha.

went to a seminar organized by the internship program tonight. was so tired but just went to see how it was. they have seminars every tues.. they're kinda like inspirational seminars.. tonight's speaker-- she battled a heart attack, amputation of her leg, and lymph node cancer!! she's sooooo strong. and she's not a christian. and you know what? this has just given me a newfound appreciation and admiration for non-believers. cuz they have to go through life depending on their own strength and abilities, without a higher power to help them get through it! they must be soooo strong, because i don't think i can get through life without having God to lean on.

and can i just say, i'm so glad i went to taylor and not some huge state school. i know i've said this plenty of times before, but taylor's really been a great place for me to adjust to life in the states slowly and get used to a different culture. i really appreciate the community we have there, cuz after hearing all these stories from people at state schools and seeing how so many of them waste their lives away drinking and smoking, i'm glad my life turned out the way it did. God knows i'm easily influenced and who knows what path i'd have gone down if i went to some state school and mixed with the wrong friends. PLUS taylor's not in the city. omg if it were, i'd have spent millions of dollars by now on food, clothes... everything.


random: here's the DVD cover from the movie i wrote the script for! haha.
they changed my title from 'the long road home' to 'gone but not forgotten'
which reminds me. number 1 on my summer to-do list: write more scripts for next semester so i won't have to kill myself writing them in the fall.

Gimme an 'S' for 'survivor'!

i survived. this week. was so long. but. i. survived.
omg so happy now i could just fall asleep. haha.

So last weekend was full of yummy dinners :) Sakura (jap) restaurant in Indy on friday... with a bunch of asian people.. then Flattop (stirfry) restaurant in Fort Wayne on sat for the international student senior farewell dinner! was kinda sad hearing all of them make their speeches and realizing i won't see them next year... time really flies. Sunday went to Fort Wayne again to pick Jo up from the airport!! i think GPS is the best invention ever. we would all be so lost without it.

ANW. some exciting news... i got a $40 cheque in the mail this week!!! i know it's not much, but it's still something!! I GOT PUBLISHED IN 'THE SECRET PLACE'!!! it's a christian magazine that publishes devotions... and two out of three of my submissions got accepted!!! so 20 bucks for each!! isn't that awesome?? :) was really shocked.

AND. my script.. the first and only one i ever wrote (for class).. won 3rd place for 'Outstanding Screenplay' at the media banquet! omg. was totally shocked and speechless when my name flashed on the screen.. wasn't expecting it AT ALL!! i really don't know what they see in my script.. it's not the best.. and i thought there were so many other people who were better than me.. but this was a good confidence-booster. maybe this is my career path?? haha.
and i got the dvd of my movie!! carly produced it and brent directed it.. and my script is now officially made into a movie!!! AAAHHH. haven't seen it yet. don't dare to. haha. it's totally weird seeing something i wrote made into a film!!!

other than that... i pulled my very FIRST college all-nighter on tues. haha. since my groupmate didn't do her part until last min, we had to stay up ALL night and work like almost 24 hours straight on the project. but oh well. it's over. thank God. i'm done. and i played in chapel the next day... was so tired i fell asleep in all my classes. haha. and then rushed to prepare for another presentation on thursday... so this week was basically awful. but it's OVER! man, junior year is over. this is so incredibly weird.

Why am i still awake

I don't know. I feel like I should write a poem entitled "Why Am I Still Awake".

Why am I still awake
Oh it's a cake I'm about to bake
For a friend who's birthday is tomorrow
And I don't want him to feel low

That's my feeble attempt to come up with something creative when my sleepy eyes are half-open. And I have a group presentation worth 25% of my grade tomorrow. which we spent the whole evening preparing for. and it was kinda fun. we were mostly goofing around.
But anyway, it's one of the guys in our group's birthday tomorrow, and he'll prob have a sucky day since we're meeting at freakin 8am to run through our presentation, which is at 3pm. Sooo... we decided to bake him a cake. aren't we all nice and sweet and fluffy. even at 3am. it's a double fudge dark chocolate moist deluxe cake (from cake mix, of course). doesn't that just make your mouth water??
here's a pic i found. only it's not the exact one. but close enough :)


Anw my interview went really well!!! but i'll only know if i get Taylor-approved next week. sigh so slow. i wanna know NOW! i really hope i get it. please please please let me get in. i'm about ready to get out of this tiny little campus and experience 'the real world!' only i wish i had more experience with film production, instead of just writing, writing and more writing.


YAY the cake is done! and it looks good! who knew i could bake. (cake mix is still baking, ok. it involves mixing in water, oil and eggs. totally not easy. haha)

Now or never

My script 'The Long Road Home' is officially submitted to the Page Awards!!!! kinda nervous about that. but we'll only know if we got into the quarter finals in july, semi finals in aug... etc. so late. i wanna know NOW! well actually i just wanna see their feedback. so i can improve. and write better scripts!!!

And I did homework the entire day today. from the time i woke up at 1 till 8, when i made cookies and had a girl party where we watched High School Musical 3!! it was awesome. although hannah didn't let me sing along with the songs (that i painstakingly memorized. ahaha).


~we're all in this togetherrrr~

Oh those lucky rich and famous kids. haha

random: been listening to old songs from the '90s. backstreet boys, 'nsync, m2m, boyzone, savage garden... going down memory lane.

Back to hw! Actually, not really. Just filling out applications for study abroad in the fall. My interview's tomorrow!! at 3pm!! pray that God's favor will be upon me and the interview will go great and i'll be Taylor-approved to go study in LA!!!! :)
(This is lame, but i just realized LA is in california. I'LL BE IN CALIFORNIA FOR THE FALL!!! coolness)

i NEED a break

i really do. so tired of having so much work EVERY day of EVERY week!! it never stops! mostly cuz of working for the Echo. newspaper work is so tiring!! i don't know how anyone can do this for a living! but then again, i get a sense of pride in seeing my work published and my name in print. it's pretty cool to have people come up to me and be like, hey! i recognize your name! you're in the newspaper! i guess i have a love/hate relationship with writing. :)

talking about publishing, i wrote a movie review for this god-awful christian movie, The Touch, for my freelance writing class. and my prof liked it! so he sent it to Church Libraries, and they're gonna PUBLISH MY REVIEW in the december christmas issue of the magazine!!!!!!! i'm so excited. so what if i'm only getting published in small christian publications?? starting small and working up is the way to go!

oh. and if you go to www.taylor.edu, you'll see my article on my school's website!! it's called 'Council meeting gives students global perspective'. I wrote it for The Echo, and the Director of media relations at Taylor liked it, so he put it on the website!!
CLICK ON IT to read it!
i just thought it was pretty cool seeing my article on the front page of Taylor's website :)

this week been superrr busy preparing for AIRBAND!!! which was freakin awesome. we just got done doing two shows. tiring!! someone filmed us, so i'll put up the link to our performance soon!! I WAS THE ZEBRA in lion king!! haha. so glad we're done with all the rehearsals. everyone was awesome though. the dancing and performances were sooo good!! and we were the first act!!! whoo hooo!!! was on an adrenaline high just now. super tired now. only one class tmr!

PICS FROM AIRBAND :)

sarah, cait (who were in Gerig's 'Prince of Egypt - Deliver us' performance. they were AWESOME!), me (the zebra!!) and cartoon (who did Daft Punk's 'harder, better, faster, stronger' with strobe lights and glowsticks n all!!)

Dan (who was Simba!! complete with flips and jumps n crazy stuff. and he has a crazy awesome tongue stud) and mark (our fake drummer)

Jordan (she's a bird) and me

me,cartoon,dan,mark. waiting downstairs for our turn to perform!!

April (the other zebra!), anne (a creepy hyena), and me (a scared zebra)

Zebras!! with furry tails and white duct tape on our black costumes! :) everyone loved our face paint. Sooo many random people came up to me and were like, 'I LOVE ZEBRAS! you're awesome!' haha. i didn't know zebras were so popular.

Rhona (who was an awesome rafiki. just LOOK at her costume and face paint!) and me. waiting for our second performance.

Liz (who performed a super awesomely slick hip hop dance to Semisonic. they creeped me out the first time i saw it. just look at their masks!!)

me, rafiki's stick, and jordan!

Liz and Athena (she was a gazelle :)

MY FIRST PUBLISHED WORK!!

AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

ok guess what???????

so i'm taking this class, Freelance Writing, at school, and the professor is super intimidating but extremely experience and well-connected. so he had us write 3 devotionals for class, and apparently he liked mine so much that he showed them all to an EDITOR of an online newspaper called The Aboite Independent!! and the editor thought they were (quote) 'marvelous' (aaahh!!)
so he wants to PUBLISH them during the next few weeks!!! isn't that INSANE?? so unexpected too!! not one, not two, but all three!! my prof just did that without telling me!!!!!!! :)
and i dun get paid for it, but hey. awesome exposure!!!! soooooo psyched! can't believe it!!!! :))))))

GOD IS SO GOOD.

on a side note, i realized i like having stuff/work to do. keeps me alive n alert n feeling useful. i should do something this summer instead of slacking around.

it's the weekend again!

yay! this week's been pretty fun :) so TCA auditions are over! sad. they were fun..we had 19 pple try out for worship!! so adam n i formed 4 bands..1 contemporary, 2 acoustic, one special music with a cello! it's really cool. i'm super excited for this year!!!!!
it's gonna be so awesome. can't wait!!! :) we're gonna meet them all on mon n tell them about our expectations n time commitment..finally..we're gettin started! we offered a 100bucks prize for whoever comes up with the best brochure for us! which makes me feel really bad. cuz we have to reject the rest! i'm too soft hearted like that. adam (my co-director) was like, we're paying them $100! we shouldn't feel bad! haha.

so my wing n our brother wing has been playin stick 'em..it's like catching. haha. only college level. like we get the name of someone else, and we're supposed to catch that person n get another name, and so on. but i didn't have time to really go stalk my target. besides, i didn't knw him. he looked like every other big, bald guy on campus. haha. and today this middle eastern band came to perform. was pretty cool music..sounded indian.

ooh and my Q & A article got published in The Echo, our sch newspaper..yay! it's all so incredibly exciting. i dunno how to attach it, so i'll just put it all here. haha.
it was an interview with Fouad Masri, this Lebanese pastor who founded the Crescent Project, which reaches out to Muslims. it was so cool to interview him!! had a tape recorder n all! like a real reporter!! ahahaha.

How was life growing up in Beirut, Lebanon?

I grew up during the Lebanese War. It was a struggle. We didn’t know which nights we were going to spend in the basements. They’d fight for two weeks, and stop. So you’d go to school, start your business, clean up the mess and three weeks later, they’d fight again.

What do you miss about Lebanon?
I miss the weather and its four seasons. I miss the Lebanese fun and fellowship and the beautiful countryside.

You studied in America and went back to Lebanon. Why did you come back in 1993 to start the Crescent Project?
Muslims in North America have the freedom to read the Bible, but I had Arab Christian friends who were not reaching out to their people. The idea was to focus on a practical and personal engagement, for one Christian to talk to one Muslim. Christians should take baby steps to pray, reach out to one Muslim and give a Bible to a friend.

What made you go from a bachelor's degree in communications to a master’s degree in Islamic studies?
I wanted to know how we were training our missionaries. Sadly, even after September 11, (2001) very few missionaries take training before they go overseas. That’s where the struggle has been. Their training is on Islam, not on culture, theology or witnessing.

Why are you so passionate about reaching out to Muslims?
Muslims want to know God, but they don’t have the information. I feel like somebody should tell them. The joys of seeing a Muslim love and follow Jesus makes me pleased that the Lord used me.

What do you think is the greatest difference and similarity between Christians and Muslims?
The most common similarity and difference is Jesus. Muslims say that he is a prophet, but they don’t consider his teachings or his life. It’s not hard to change their mindset, because many of them are spiritually hungry. That’s the beauty about Christian ministry. We take the gospel to them, show them the love of Christ and leave the results to God.

Any practical advice on how to reach out to Muslims?
Pray for the Muslim world. Get involved, trained and educated. Go on a mission trip to meet and engage with Muslims.

What is your greatest dream?
My dream is that one day, every Muslim will have his or her own personal Bible.

What do you have to say to those interested in going into ministry?
Make sure you have a burden for certain people groups or activities. Pray that God will give you a strategy.

Any last words?
Matthew 24:14: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in (the whole world) as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."
It’s a great verse to know Christ promised that people will hear about him.

yay :)

yay for hardworking me

on a really EXCITING note, i wrote an article for our sch's weekly newspaper, The Echo, and it got PUBLISHED, FRONT PAGE. AAAAHHHHH!! this is all so incredibly exhilarating. i so wanna become a journalist!! i love all my media classes!!! love em!!

so..been advertising for TCA to recruit pple (especially freshmen) to come..hope it works. oh God please let there be enough interested pple!! my co-director, adam, and i are like such newbies at this..we totally don't know what we're doing!! all i can do is keep praying that God will send pple our way so we'll have a good, effective ministry!! kinda anxious/nervous. cuz tmr's signups for auditions. really really really hope pple come!! aaahhhh.

this weekend was our wing retreat. went to our PA's house in ohio. omg, i thought indiana was ulu enough. her house is seriously in the middle of cornfields. like literally. it was kinda cool though. serene, peaceful. we sat around the bonfire at night in her HUGE backyard. their have so much land..it's like 1000 times the size of my teeny backyard at home. it was a pretty good time of bonding with the girls..shared alot of things in the open..had s'mores around the fire..shared about our fav undies and our VC (visual crush) ahahaha. it was entertaining. i'm really glad i'm on this wing with all these awesome girls :)

hardly got any sleep though. so still tired. and i actually spent sat night DOING HW. made me feel like such a loser. but a hardworking, diligent loser. hahaha. seriously. had 3 papers to finish by mon, tons and tons of reading to finish, a huge presentation to work on, more TCA advertising to do...omg. craziness. felt gd to get it almost done. got distracted along the way by pple visiting. heh.

today, my peaceful sleep got interrupted at the insane time of 7am in the freaking morning. girls were running up and down the hallway shouting 'ringdown!' so...taylor has this tradition. and it's crazy that we actually have a NAME for the tradition,cuz it means it happens quite often. ringdown means a girl on our wing just got engaged and we all kinda sit in a circle and sing until the girl comes forth and we find out who she is. this is naturally followed by shrieks and yells of astonishment and excitement. so..yeah..the girl that got engaged is freakin MY AGE. she's a sophomore too!! and they got tog only like last yr!

that is all too much for me to take in. why would anyone wanna commit so soon?? and be held down for life at such a young age?? it's so hard to be happy for pple like this cuz i'm all like..ur making a huge mistake! but of cuz i try to be all excited and happy too. cuz it's their decision. and they prob thought it thru well n all. heh. oh well. plus taylor has like quite a high divorce rate i think. for pple who get married/engaged during college. u would think pple learn frm the mistakes of others, but no.