I LOVE HONOLULU, HAWAII!!! IT'S SO AWESOME!!
Everyone here is incredibly laid back, there are tons of tourists, and people basically just chill out at the beach everyday.
WHAT. A. LIFE. I want to move here and work at a surf shop and relax at the beach everyday too!
It actually reminds me a little of Singapore, because it's a tiny island, sunny all year round, filled with trees along the pavements, and oh, asians GALORE. Seriously, this is like a second Japan. I think more than half the population here are Japanese; all the signs and travel brochures even have Japanese on them. So the convenience stores sell a ton of asian food, which is so exciting because it's such a welcome change from Indiana's lame old Walmart.
Anyway, after flight delays (no surprise there, DELTA), I finally arrived in Hawaii after going from Indianapolis to Memphis to LA. And my suitcase actually didn't get lost! I was shocked. Maybe Delta is improving after all. So I got in at 9pm, which is 3am Indiana time, and I was exhausted from the 13 hours of traveling. But Cartoon and I had a little reunion catch-up time, so that was cool. Oh, and we're staying at her friend's apartment, which is so nice and clean and 10 mins away from all the shops and the beach! SO excited. We didn't go yesterday, because we went grocery shopping and exploring around the area, but we'll go soon. SUN, HERE I COME!
I am so white. I need to be tan again.
So we walked around the area and saw a ton of brand name stores. I didn't expect Hawaii to be so.... brand-conscious. But I guess it's mostly for the tourists. It was so wonderful to be able to be around people again, and the sun, and shops. And the beach was packed full of caucasians roasting in the sun. It was like a mass of red because they were all burnt from the sun's rays. I wonder if they know they're getting this much closer to contracting skin cancer.
Anyway, we made dinner in the apartment while her friend was out - we fried gyozas, ramen noodles, chicken, and lettuce together. It was so delicious. Better than the katsu ramen I had from a local restaurant. And then, PARTY AT NIGHT! I have been so deprived.
I love spring break :)
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Dear Spring Break, I'm so glad you're here
Done with classes for the week (except those I'm skipping on Friday)? Check.
Done with homework due after spring break? Check.
Done with packing? Check.
I'M READY FOR SPRING BREAK 2010!!!
Honolulu, Hawaii, HERE I COME!!!!!
Leaving tomorrow at 7am, flying off at 10.15am, and arriving in Hawaii at 6.13pm!!
I didn't know Hawaii's actually 6 hours behind Indiana, so even though it's a 13-hour journey to get there, I still gain 6 hours. Awesome.
So glad break time is here. It'll be nice to get away from this tiny town and go somewhere and be surrounded by people and sunshine.
Oh random note - It was raining on Monday, and so I was carrying my umbrella (that I got for free when I ordered some clothes online from DavidandGoliath). And I realized the words on the umbrella kind of fit me. They read "I understand, I just don't care."
Maybe this has been obvious to people around me, but recently I've realized how apathetic I am. I seriously don't care about anything. I don't have a burning passion for anything or anyone, which is maybe why my walk with God is suffering. I'm just a drifter in life, content to go wherever the river flows. That's why I'm so easygoing, and nothing much bothers me, becuase I just don't care. I think this is a big weakness of mine that people usually think is a strength, because they always wonder why nothing ever gets on my nerves and I get along with everyone. So yeah - I've realized - my primary school teacher was right. I'm indifferent. TO EVERYTHING! I wish I cared more about something, anything. Maybe then I would have pushed myself harder to achieve more things in life. So I will try to perk up and find something I can genuinely care about.
Okay, end of rant.
Off to paint my nails now! For the first time since January (because it's finally warm enough to show my toes).
Done with homework due after spring break? Check.
Done with packing? Check.
I'M READY FOR SPRING BREAK 2010!!!
Honolulu, Hawaii, HERE I COME!!!!!
Leaving tomorrow at 7am, flying off at 10.15am, and arriving in Hawaii at 6.13pm!!
I didn't know Hawaii's actually 6 hours behind Indiana, so even though it's a 13-hour journey to get there, I still gain 6 hours. Awesome.
So glad break time is here. It'll be nice to get away from this tiny town and go somewhere and be surrounded by people and sunshine.
Oh random note - It was raining on Monday, and so I was carrying my umbrella (that I got for free when I ordered some clothes online from DavidandGoliath). And I realized the words on the umbrella kind of fit me. They read "I understand, I just don't care."
Maybe this has been obvious to people around me, but recently I've realized how apathetic I am. I seriously don't care about anything. I don't have a burning passion for anything or anyone, which is maybe why my walk with God is suffering. I'm just a drifter in life, content to go wherever the river flows. That's why I'm so easygoing, and nothing much bothers me, becuase I just don't care. I think this is a big weakness of mine that people usually think is a strength, because they always wonder why nothing ever gets on my nerves and I get along with everyone. So yeah - I've realized - my primary school teacher was right. I'm indifferent. TO EVERYTHING! I wish I cared more about something, anything. Maybe then I would have pushed myself harder to achieve more things in life. So I will try to perk up and find something I can genuinely care about.
Okay, end of rant.
Off to paint my nails now! For the first time since January (because it's finally warm enough to show my toes).
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
In case you haven't noticed...
I've been trying to blog more often this month, because looking back at previous months/years, sometimes I go weeks without blogging. And I think it'll be nice to be able to read this blog years from now and reminisce and laugh at my immature self.
So... haven't been up to much lately. Just a lot of huge projects and busy work I have to do. I sort of completed my personal website today! YAY! It was an awfully tedious process, made even worse by my laziness. My website consists of an About Me page, a Resume page, and a Portfolio page, and in an attempt to make things easier, I stuffed all the information I wanted onto a Photoshop piece, and then put that image into Dreamweaver (so I wouldn't have to put in any text. just the image). But alas, it did not work; it only created a multitude of problems for me. And so I enlisted the help of my supernice professor. But when he told me to start over because everything was becoming too complicated, I refused to believe him and continued making things even more complicated. But the good news is, I FINISHED IT! Even though the code is 10 times more complex than it needs to be. Oh well who cares. The main thing is, I'm done. Although it might possibly make the top 10 ugliest websites in the world.
Here's the evolution of my website design.
From this...
To this...
To this! I know, it isn't the greatest. But at this point, I don't care. I'm a writer, not a designer.
I also have to work on my portfolio (digital and print), and perfect every single piece of work I've ever done in my life. Okay, maybe not all of them, just 9 of them. But still! I have to do the layout of the pages like a magazine, put them in Acrobat, make the links workable, etc. Apparently this project takes about 40 hours to complete. And so far I have put in 0. Awesome. At least it isn't due till 2 weeks after spring break. So I guess I will be living, eating, sleeping, and breathing my portfolio until April 19.
Other than that (and job hunting), I really don't have much on my plate this semester, which is nice. Because I get to hang out with friends and surf the net while they slog away at homework. We've been having more ramen parties recently, as well as homemade dinners at people's apartments, which is such a welcome break from the DC food.
I think one habit I need to put into practice is sleeping early (or earlier). But this computer screen is just so addictive, I can't tear my eyes away from it. Dang you, world wide web! Another thing I need to do is workout more. Even though I have tae-bo/pilates class twice a week, I need to do more, because I did the elliptical for 45 minutes on Monday, and now I'm suffering the consequences of sore legs. Also need to start eating more healthy, which is hard because of the array of crap they call 'food' here.
Why the sudden talk of changing habits, you say? Well, I've recently learned (in class) that people become set in their ways after a while, and so I want to become set in good ways, not bad ones, if that makes sense. Because people in heaven/hell are maximally set in their ways, and they don't even have the desire to change, which is so weird because you would think someone in hell would see the gross mistake they made and want to go back to God. I don't know, all this learning about hell is so confusing and overwhelming.
I've always thought people who don't accept Jesus and believe in Him will go to hell. But now some people are saying there could be a second chance after death, or when you go to hell you only suffer for a while then you perish, etc. And how much suffering does each person experience in hell? Is it measured by the amount of sins they committed? How is that even calculated? And if God is so loving, why does He send people to hell? Why can't He create us all to be God-lovers instead of self-lovers? I understand that will take away our free will and all, but still. What about those people who have never heard the gospel? Some say they will probably not believe even if they heard, so that's why God didn't let them hear the gospel. But that doesn't even make sense! Why on earth would God create these people if they were going to go to hell anyway?? Why let them lead meaningless lives on earth just to suffer for eternity?
Also, do people in hell repent of their sins? Do they realize the mistake they've made? Or do they just go on sinning forever? How can they not know then that God is the true God?
I feel like we will never know the answers to these questions. All we can do is speculate and live our lives in righteousness, glorify God, and fulfill His purpose for our lives.
On another note, I think sometimes people pick and choose aspects of God that they like, and God ends up becoming somewhat of a 'Stepford God' (like in the movie Stepford Wives where the women were all perfect and in the end it was revealed they were all robots). But we should accept all His characteristics, from His wrath to His love to His grace, because they are all truth, and they are all part of the Christian faith.
So... haven't been up to much lately. Just a lot of huge projects and busy work I have to do. I sort of completed my personal website today! YAY! It was an awfully tedious process, made even worse by my laziness. My website consists of an About Me page, a Resume page, and a Portfolio page, and in an attempt to make things easier, I stuffed all the information I wanted onto a Photoshop piece, and then put that image into Dreamweaver (so I wouldn't have to put in any text. just the image). But alas, it did not work; it only created a multitude of problems for me. And so I enlisted the help of my supernice professor. But when he told me to start over because everything was becoming too complicated, I refused to believe him and continued making things even more complicated. But the good news is, I FINISHED IT! Even though the code is 10 times more complex than it needs to be. Oh well who cares. The main thing is, I'm done. Although it might possibly make the top 10 ugliest websites in the world.
Here's the evolution of my website design.
From this...
To this...
To this! I know, it isn't the greatest. But at this point, I don't care. I'm a writer, not a designer.
I also have to work on my portfolio (digital and print), and perfect every single piece of work I've ever done in my life. Okay, maybe not all of them, just 9 of them. But still! I have to do the layout of the pages like a magazine, put them in Acrobat, make the links workable, etc. Apparently this project takes about 40 hours to complete. And so far I have put in 0. Awesome. At least it isn't due till 2 weeks after spring break. So I guess I will be living, eating, sleeping, and breathing my portfolio until April 19.
Other than that (and job hunting), I really don't have much on my plate this semester, which is nice. Because I get to hang out with friends and surf the net while they slog away at homework. We've been having more ramen parties recently, as well as homemade dinners at people's apartments, which is such a welcome break from the DC food.
I think one habit I need to put into practice is sleeping early (or earlier). But this computer screen is just so addictive, I can't tear my eyes away from it. Dang you, world wide web! Another thing I need to do is workout more. Even though I have tae-bo/pilates class twice a week, I need to do more, because I did the elliptical for 45 minutes on Monday, and now I'm suffering the consequences of sore legs. Also need to start eating more healthy, which is hard because of the array of crap they call 'food' here.
Why the sudden talk of changing habits, you say? Well, I've recently learned (in class) that people become set in their ways after a while, and so I want to become set in good ways, not bad ones, if that makes sense. Because people in heaven/hell are maximally set in their ways, and they don't even have the desire to change, which is so weird because you would think someone in hell would see the gross mistake they made and want to go back to God. I don't know, all this learning about hell is so confusing and overwhelming.
I've always thought people who don't accept Jesus and believe in Him will go to hell. But now some people are saying there could be a second chance after death, or when you go to hell you only suffer for a while then you perish, etc. And how much suffering does each person experience in hell? Is it measured by the amount of sins they committed? How is that even calculated? And if God is so loving, why does He send people to hell? Why can't He create us all to be God-lovers instead of self-lovers? I understand that will take away our free will and all, but still. What about those people who have never heard the gospel? Some say they will probably not believe even if they heard, so that's why God didn't let them hear the gospel. But that doesn't even make sense! Why on earth would God create these people if they were going to go to hell anyway?? Why let them lead meaningless lives on earth just to suffer for eternity?
Also, do people in hell repent of their sins? Do they realize the mistake they've made? Or do they just go on sinning forever? How can they not know then that God is the true God?
I feel like we will never know the answers to these questions. All we can do is speculate and live our lives in righteousness, glorify God, and fulfill His purpose for our lives.
On another note, I think sometimes people pick and choose aspects of God that they like, and God ends up becoming somewhat of a 'Stepford God' (like in the movie Stepford Wives where the women were all perfect and in the end it was revealed they were all robots). But we should accept all His characteristics, from His wrath to His love to His grace, because they are all truth, and they are all part of the Christian faith.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Counting down the days
I can't believe graduation is exactly TWO MONTHS AWAY. I've thought about that day ever since I was a measly freshman at Taylor, and now it's actually almost here. Back in 2006, when I just came to the States, 2010 seemed like something in the great distance, something that would never reach me. But here it is, and we're already in March. I seriously don't understand how come time flies by so quickly. How can it be I'm already turning 23 this year? Where did all the time go???
I guess I'm starting to freak out a little, especially hearing other people talk about job offers they have and places they want to live after graduation. It's hard to commiserate with those who don't have jobs as yet, because even if they end up jobless after graduation, they can at least go home and stay with their parents for a while. I, on the other hand, have to find a dang job NOW or else it's goodbye career, hello waitressing (to make ends meet in some city) or hello pizza shop in Perth (and I did not slog four years in college just to end up working at a pizza shop).
In all honesty, I am quite prepared to move to NYC/LA/Chicago/San Diego/San Francisco/Minneapolis/Colorado Springs/Pittsburgh/any major city in the USA and live in a cramped apartment and slave away at some restaurant just to have a shot at chasing my dreams. So many people have told me I should just move out to wherever I want to live, and find a job that puts food on the table first. And then keep looking for jobs I'm actually interested in. Which, I guess, makes sense, because you don't just land that coveted job right out of college. You have to network and climb your way up first. So I really don't mind doing that. Although I think my parents would freak if I moved to NYC and got a job as a shoe salesperson. But... sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Life is all about taking chances, right? We only have one life, we should live it to the fullest.
I guess I'm a little worried about finding a job, getting a place to stay, making enough money to make ends meet, making friends, finding a community, getting plugged into a church, and all that stuff that comes when you move to a new, unfamiliar place. We talked about things that will change once we leave Taylor in class today, and I realize I'm probably never going to experience this sort of tight-knit community on such a large scale ever again (unless I work for some Christian organization). People in the real world aren't as nice, they don't smile at you on the street, they don't offer you a hand when you fall on the stupid ice. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and I'm not sure if Taylor has prepared me for that. I can't help but feel a little overprotected in this tiny bubble of corn.
Today in class we also talked about life to-do lists. And it got me thinking, because I have no idea. I know what I want to do with my life next week, and the week after next, meaning I only have short-term plans. But what about in the next 10 years? What do I want to see myself accomplish by then?
So I thought up a list of to-dos for my life in the next decade:
-Travel the world and (perhaps) write about it
-Move to New York City and work for a major magazine publication
-Make a lasting, positive impact on those around me
-Have fun and go crazy and then finally settle down
I don't know. I just thought of it today, so I'll probably be adding other things to this list. And I don't know if my plans match up with God's plans for my life, but I'm not super attached to any of them, and if He wishes to change them, He's welcome to do so. Right now, my number one priority is just to GET A JOB.
Okay, off to apply for more jobs.
I guess I'm starting to freak out a little, especially hearing other people talk about job offers they have and places they want to live after graduation. It's hard to commiserate with those who don't have jobs as yet, because even if they end up jobless after graduation, they can at least go home and stay with their parents for a while. I, on the other hand, have to find a dang job NOW or else it's goodbye career, hello waitressing (to make ends meet in some city) or hello pizza shop in Perth (and I did not slog four years in college just to end up working at a pizza shop).
In all honesty, I am quite prepared to move to NYC/LA/Chicago/San Diego/San Francisco/Minneapolis/Colorado Springs/Pittsburgh/any major city in the USA and live in a cramped apartment and slave away at some restaurant just to have a shot at chasing my dreams. So many people have told me I should just move out to wherever I want to live, and find a job that puts food on the table first. And then keep looking for jobs I'm actually interested in. Which, I guess, makes sense, because you don't just land that coveted job right out of college. You have to network and climb your way up first. So I really don't mind doing that. Although I think my parents would freak if I moved to NYC and got a job as a shoe salesperson. But... sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Life is all about taking chances, right? We only have one life, we should live it to the fullest.
I guess I'm a little worried about finding a job, getting a place to stay, making enough money to make ends meet, making friends, finding a community, getting plugged into a church, and all that stuff that comes when you move to a new, unfamiliar place. We talked about things that will change once we leave Taylor in class today, and I realize I'm probably never going to experience this sort of tight-knit community on such a large scale ever again (unless I work for some Christian organization). People in the real world aren't as nice, they don't smile at you on the street, they don't offer you a hand when you fall on the stupid ice. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and I'm not sure if Taylor has prepared me for that. I can't help but feel a little overprotected in this tiny bubble of corn.
Today in class we also talked about life to-do lists. And it got me thinking, because I have no idea. I know what I want to do with my life next week, and the week after next, meaning I only have short-term plans. But what about in the next 10 years? What do I want to see myself accomplish by then?
So I thought up a list of to-dos for my life in the next decade:
-Travel the world and (perhaps) write about it
-Move to New York City and work for a major magazine publication
-Make a lasting, positive impact on those around me
-Have fun and go crazy and then finally settle down
I don't know. I just thought of it today, so I'll probably be adding other things to this list. And I don't know if my plans match up with God's plans for my life, but I'm not super attached to any of them, and if He wishes to change them, He's welcome to do so. Right now, my number one priority is just to GET A JOB.
Okay, off to apply for more jobs.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
“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!
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!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Oh hello, sun
Today was incredibly warm and nice out. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, the clouds were fluffy and white, the wind was blowing, and EVERYONE was outside. I swear, people here (at Taylor) are obsessed with the sun. When one little ray of sunshine peeks out or the temperature gets one degree warmer, people start wearing shorts, flip flops, and tank tops. I'm like, seriously, people, it's not that warm. I mean, it's way warmer than it was a week ago, when there was snow on the ground, but it's still in the 50s (Fahrenheit), meaning jacket and jeans weather. No more coats and boots, but still not shorts and flip flops weather yet.
I guess we're all sun-deprived here. People were out laying on the pavement (and obstructing everyone's way), sleeping on the grass, studying on the benches, playing frisbee/baseball/any kind of outdoor sport... It was a nice change not to have to brisk walk between buildings to avoid becoming numb from the cold.
We went on a walk around campus and ended up at the lake, which was so beautiful. The water was sparkling from the sun's light, and it was so nice to just sit on the grass and enjoy the breeze. I love snow and all, but Mr. Sun is definitely welcome to stay in Indiana :)
I guess we're all sun-deprived here. People were out laying on the pavement (and obstructing everyone's way), sleeping on the grass, studying on the benches, playing frisbee/baseball/any kind of outdoor sport... It was a nice change not to have to brisk walk between buildings to avoid becoming numb from the cold.
We went on a walk around campus and ended up at the lake, which was so beautiful. The water was sparkling from the sun's light, and it was so nice to just sit on the grass and enjoy the breeze. I love snow and all, but Mr. Sun is definitely welcome to stay in Indiana :)
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Eat this, not that!
Think about what you ate today. How healthy was it? How much sodium/sugar/protein/carbohydrates/fat did you consume? I’ve never given much thought as to what goes down into my stomach, and I think the average person doesn’t really know how unhealthy their eating habits are. Especially in the US of A. I mean, we know to avoid (or at least consume in moderation) the usual no-nos like candy, chocolate, chips, cookies, cake… all the dreaded Cs. But when it comes to day-to-day stuff, like what we have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, sometimes the nutritional label can be misleading. For example, a 120-calorie packet of chips probably contains 2 or more servings, which spike the calorie count to 240 or more.
Recently, I’ve come across a particularly fascinating website, called ‘Eat This, Not That.’ The hours upon hours I’ve spent going through all the lists of what foods to eat more of and what foods to avoid could probably be put to better use, but I just couldn’t tear my eyes off the screen. I admit I’m totally addicted to this site. It’s insanely useful, especially since I’ve discovered how certain foods I thought were healthy actually aren’t at all (that means you, granola)! The food industry only has one purpose and one only, that is, to make MORE money from YOU. So they stretch the truth and print enticing phrases like ‘0g fat!’ or ‘5g whole grains’ or ‘100 calories only!’ and hide the true facts in fine print.
My entire world has been turned upside down with the discovery of this wonderful website. So here are several pointers I’ve learned that are pretty interesting.
8 foods you should eat every day:
-Spinach
-Yogurt
-Tomatoes
-Carrots
-Blueberries
-Black beans
-Walnuts
-Oats
I definitely eat spinach everyday - it's the only veggie here that's regularly edible. Plus cherry tomatoes and carrots (sometimes). I eat yogurt whenever they have it, but not so much the rest. I still have a ton of organic instant oats brought from home waiting to be consumed.
14 health foods that AREN’T:
-Bran muffin
-Chicken Caesar salad
-Tuna melt
-Chicken wrap
-Turkey burger
-Fruit smoothies
-Granola bar
-Pasta salad
-Yogurt with fruit
-Bagel with cream cheese
-Pasta primavera
-Dried fruit
-Fish sandwich
-Margarine
Okay, seriously?! I have come to the conclusion that salads aren't always healthy. In fact, with all the dressing + croutons + fried chicken people top on their veggies, the calorie count usually comes up to more than that of a burger. Not even kidding. It's scary. You know what else is scary? I have been eating most of the foods on this list! Like the muffin, and the salad, and turkey wraps, and of course granola bars (America's favorite breakfast bar), yogurt with fruit, bagels, dried mangoes... Oh my poor body must be crying out in protest.
7 habits of highly obese people:
-They choose larger plates, which provides more space to pile their food up
-They eat while looking at food, so their mind is always on food
-They eat with maximum efficiency, shoveling food into their mouths quickly so they can go for seconds
-They clean their plates, which, if you’re at a formal business meal, you shouldn’t
-They chew less
-They dive in at a buffet, instead of going around, deciding what they want
-They skip breakfast, which can increase the risk of obesity by 450%
This list is scary. I do not want to be highly obese, and so I will avoid any of these behaviors. Although... I do eat pretty fast. Tomorrow I will start by chewing 30 times before I swallow. For every bite.
6 Superfoods in disguise:
-Full-fat cheese for muscle-building nutrients
-Iceberg lettuce for antioxidants
-Mushrooms for immunity
-Pork chops to preserve muscle and lose weight
-Red-pepper flakes to reduce calorie intake
-Vinegar for antioxidants and lower blood sugar
4 Diet myths debunked:
-Chug 8 glasses of water a day. But running to the bathroom every 5 seconds gets annoying after a while. Besides, other liquids contain water too.
-Don’t drink juice – there’s tons of sugar in it. But there’s also vitamins and antioxidants, making it worth the occasional sugar rush.
-Stop eating after 7pm to prevent weight gain. But sometimes there’s just no avoiding a late dinner after a hectic day. Plus, a calorie is a calorie, no matter what time you eat it. Of course, you should still keep your meal light and not chow down on 20 Oreos.
-Have just one bite of dessert. But, let's face it - that’s just impossible. So plan ahead and skip the bread or appetizer if you’re going to indulge.
Somehow I have trouble believing this list. But hey, if it's online, it must be true, right? I have no idea.
8 Foods that help you beat stress:
-Almonds, pistachios and walnuts
-Avocados
-Skim milk
-Oatmeal
-Oranges
-Salmon
-Spinach
Not that I get stressed a lot though, especially with this light-load semester.
9 Best foods for your skin:
-Almonds. They’re good for your skin and protects against sun damage
-Flaxseeds. They iron out wrinkle lines and give you better skin
-Cooked tomatoes. They keep the skin smooth and supple
-Sweet potatoes. They smooth out wrinkles.
-Spinach. They reduce the likelihood of developing skin tumors
-Canned tuna. They keep your skin smooth and tight
-Carrots. They reduce blemishes, plus they’re good for your eyes.
-Green tea. They’re full of antioxidants, which help fight skin cancer.
-Dark chocolate. Chock full of antioxidants, they reduce skin roughness and provide protection against the sun.
Is it just me, or is this website super fascinating? Although I think it's mainly catered to American food, because it talks about all kinds of restaurants and foods here.
But oh well. Read it. It’s a total eye-opener.
P.S. I just chanced upon this riveting website called 'Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project,' and read the entire thing in minutes. It's captivating. It's by this elementary school teacher who is tired of how un-nutritious and awful school cafeteria lunches are, and she's speaking out on her blog to advocate change. I think it's incredibly brave and amazing, what she's doing.
And seeing the pictures of kids' lunches, I am really grateful for the food we get at Taylor. At least we have more choices and they're more appealing. Also, in one post, she says the kids don't get recess, and they only get one hour a week for gym class. Seriously?? These are little kids we're talking about, they NEED to run around! You can't expect them to sit around all day in the classroom! I think America's schools need a 180 degree change. No wonder there are so many obese people here. It all starts when you're young! I don't know why, but I'm getting incredibly fired up about this issue. Kids can't speak for themselves, so we have to fight for their rights!
Recently, I’ve come across a particularly fascinating website, called ‘Eat This, Not That.’ The hours upon hours I’ve spent going through all the lists of what foods to eat more of and what foods to avoid could probably be put to better use, but I just couldn’t tear my eyes off the screen. I admit I’m totally addicted to this site. It’s insanely useful, especially since I’ve discovered how certain foods I thought were healthy actually aren’t at all (that means you, granola)! The food industry only has one purpose and one only, that is, to make MORE money from YOU. So they stretch the truth and print enticing phrases like ‘0g fat!’ or ‘5g whole grains’ or ‘100 calories only!’ and hide the true facts in fine print.
My entire world has been turned upside down with the discovery of this wonderful website. So here are several pointers I’ve learned that are pretty interesting.
8 foods you should eat every day:
-Spinach
-Yogurt
-Tomatoes
-Carrots
-Blueberries
-Black beans
-Walnuts
-Oats
I definitely eat spinach everyday - it's the only veggie here that's regularly edible. Plus cherry tomatoes and carrots (sometimes). I eat yogurt whenever they have it, but not so much the rest. I still have a ton of organic instant oats brought from home waiting to be consumed.
14 health foods that AREN’T:
-Bran muffin
-Chicken Caesar salad
-Tuna melt
-Chicken wrap
-Turkey burger
-Fruit smoothies
-Granola bar
-Pasta salad
-Yogurt with fruit
-Bagel with cream cheese
-Pasta primavera
-Dried fruit
-Fish sandwich
-Margarine
Okay, seriously?! I have come to the conclusion that salads aren't always healthy. In fact, with all the dressing + croutons + fried chicken people top on their veggies, the calorie count usually comes up to more than that of a burger. Not even kidding. It's scary. You know what else is scary? I have been eating most of the foods on this list! Like the muffin, and the salad, and turkey wraps, and of course granola bars (America's favorite breakfast bar), yogurt with fruit, bagels, dried mangoes... Oh my poor body must be crying out in protest.
7 habits of highly obese people:
-They choose larger plates, which provides more space to pile their food up
-They eat while looking at food, so their mind is always on food
-They eat with maximum efficiency, shoveling food into their mouths quickly so they can go for seconds
-They clean their plates, which, if you’re at a formal business meal, you shouldn’t
-They chew less
-They dive in at a buffet, instead of going around, deciding what they want
-They skip breakfast, which can increase the risk of obesity by 450%
This list is scary. I do not want to be highly obese, and so I will avoid any of these behaviors. Although... I do eat pretty fast. Tomorrow I will start by chewing 30 times before I swallow. For every bite.
6 Superfoods in disguise:
-Full-fat cheese for muscle-building nutrients
-Iceberg lettuce for antioxidants
-Mushrooms for immunity
-Pork chops to preserve muscle and lose weight
-Red-pepper flakes to reduce calorie intake
-Vinegar for antioxidants and lower blood sugar
4 Diet myths debunked:
-Chug 8 glasses of water a day. But running to the bathroom every 5 seconds gets annoying after a while. Besides, other liquids contain water too.
-Don’t drink juice – there’s tons of sugar in it. But there’s also vitamins and antioxidants, making it worth the occasional sugar rush.
-Stop eating after 7pm to prevent weight gain. But sometimes there’s just no avoiding a late dinner after a hectic day. Plus, a calorie is a calorie, no matter what time you eat it. Of course, you should still keep your meal light and not chow down on 20 Oreos.
-Have just one bite of dessert. But, let's face it - that’s just impossible. So plan ahead and skip the bread or appetizer if you’re going to indulge.
Somehow I have trouble believing this list. But hey, if it's online, it must be true, right? I have no idea.
8 Foods that help you beat stress:
-Almonds, pistachios and walnuts
-Avocados
-Skim milk
-Oatmeal
-Oranges
-Salmon
-Spinach
Not that I get stressed a lot though, especially with this light-load semester.
9 Best foods for your skin:
-Almonds. They’re good for your skin and protects against sun damage
-Flaxseeds. They iron out wrinkle lines and give you better skin
-Cooked tomatoes. They keep the skin smooth and supple
-Sweet potatoes. They smooth out wrinkles.
-Spinach. They reduce the likelihood of developing skin tumors
-Canned tuna. They keep your skin smooth and tight
-Carrots. They reduce blemishes, plus they’re good for your eyes.
-Green tea. They’re full of antioxidants, which help fight skin cancer.
-Dark chocolate. Chock full of antioxidants, they reduce skin roughness and provide protection against the sun.
Is it just me, or is this website super fascinating? Although I think it's mainly catered to American food, because it talks about all kinds of restaurants and foods here.
But oh well. Read it. It’s a total eye-opener.
P.S. I just chanced upon this riveting website called 'Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project,' and read the entire thing in minutes. It's captivating. It's by this elementary school teacher who is tired of how un-nutritious and awful school cafeteria lunches are, and she's speaking out on her blog to advocate change. I think it's incredibly brave and amazing, what she's doing.
And seeing the pictures of kids' lunches, I am really grateful for the food we get at Taylor. At least we have more choices and they're more appealing. Also, in one post, she says the kids don't get recess, and they only get one hour a week for gym class. Seriously?? These are little kids we're talking about, they NEED to run around! You can't expect them to sit around all day in the classroom! I think America's schools need a 180 degree change. No wonder there are so many obese people here. It all starts when you're young! I don't know why, but I'm getting incredibly fired up about this issue. Kids can't speak for themselves, so we have to fight for their rights!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
What I fill my mind with
If you ask any of my friends here, they'll tell you I watch a ton of TV shows. I mean, I'm in America, the land of great trashy TV! I have to make full use of all the available entertainment here while I can! And I'm here to say entertainment shouldn't be viewed as all meaningless junk. Sometimes there is a little bit of entertainment value even in the trashiest TV shows, although shows like Tila Tequila's Shot at Love and I Love New York (rubbish reality dating shows) should never be seen by anyone with a lucid mind. But I think there is a line between being in the world and being of the world.
We shouldn't rope ourselves off from culture by living in a cave to avoid temptation, neither should we completely indulge in culture until it consumes our entire being. We need to at least know what's going on in popular culture to remain relevant, so knowing that teen girls are crazy over Twilight, or that college girls love to watch The Bachelor no matter how wrong the concept is, is actually important. I mean, we need to be able to relate to others and have some sort of knowledge of popular culture, because that's what everyone will be talking about. And to have some say in the conversation to connect with others, we have to actually understand what they're saying.
So that's my little rationale for watching all these TV shows. Plus sometimes you just need a little mindless entertainment to take your mind off the stresses of life.
TV Shows I am Currently Watching:
-LOST
The first time I heard about this mind-blowing show was when my brother introduced it to me, way back in season 1. I shrugged it off as another lame scary TV show that probably wouldn't last. Boy, was I wrong. I finally started getting into it sophomore year, I think, when I realized what a big deal it was on campus. Everyone who was anyone watched it, and so I thought, how bad could it be? Turns out it wasn't bad at all. I got caught up on all the seasons, and from then on, I was addicted. The show throws so many twists and turns that you're just kept on the edge of your seat the entire hour. And throughout the viewing experience, the dominating chain of thought usually goes something like this - 'no way, they did NOT just do that! that's insane!' (insert jaw dropping and eyes widening in shock)
Well, that's LOST for you. The amount of conspiracy theories and websites devoted to this show speaks volumes of its intensity and addictiveness. It's probably the only show I actually actively watch and discuss with others, because we just can't figure out what's going on... until May 22, 2010. The dreaded day when all this will end. I can't imagine what LOST fanatics will do when the show ends for good. I should add that LOST is also probably the only semi 'intelligent' show I watch, at least according to my friends.
-Grey's Anatomy
I know, I know, this show is STILL running?? It's probably in its sixth or seventh season, and I lost interest a while ago and skipped out on a few seasons, but now I'm back to watching it, mostly because it's a good way to waste time. It's changed a lot since season 1, where Meredith and gang started off as little interns, but it's pretty much heading toward a downward spiral right now. Some things just shouldn't last too long. And I've noticed that a lot of TV shows nowadays like to add a lesbian factor to their plot. What's with that?? Is it the result of the success of gay campaigning for equal rights or something?? This show has a lesbian couple, and there's one in Desperate Housewives, and a ridiculous threesome in Gossip Girl. What is going on, Hollywood???
-America's Next Top Model
What can I say, I love watching beautiful people on TV. Not that models are always pretty, but they make them pretty with piles of makeup and hairspray, and it's so fascinating to watch them transform from awkward bony girls to gorgeous supermodels in front of the camera. I love the photo shoots because they're just so ridiculous, and no one would ever wear those outfits in real life. Plus girl drama is always entertaining to watch.
-Gossip Girl
YES, Gossip girl is back, and with a vengeance! I have come to accept Serena and Nate's fickle-mindedness - I'm pretty sure they both have dated almost every other person on the show, and more. So I think they deserve each other indeed, since their relationships never seem to go past the physical. I'm glad Hilary Duff is gone, because she was just like an annoying little bug that had to be squashed. The first episode since its return was a little dry and dull, but, knowing Gossip Girl, things will probably spice up soon. xoxo
-Ugly Betty
I don't know a lot of people who watch this show (actually I don't know anyone who does), but I really genuinely like it. Maybe it's because Betty has my dream job in my dream city - working at a fashion magazine in New York City - that's why I watch it every week without fail. It's just so interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes in magazine publishing, even though I know most of it is probably exaggerated for the sake of drama. But still, I want to learn everything I can about my future dream job! Plus I love the fashion in the show.
-The Vampire Diaries
I never thought I would watch anything with vampires in it, until Twilight came along. And then my roommate in Los Angeles made me watch this, and I was kind of intrigued. Its concept started out pretty similar to that of Twilight's - a handsome, charming vegetarian vampire who falls in love with a human girl - but now it's evolved to break away from the Twilight mold. I'm still not entirely sure if I like it, I feel like its geared more toward teen girls. But it's mildly entertaining, and a good way to pass time, although it scares me occasionally, with its vampire cult and witch lore. I probably shouldn't be supporting the show huh.
-Flashforward
The show is returning on Thursday, and I am psyched!! Okay, it actually started out tremendously captivating, what with its 'the whole world blacked out on this day, and everyone who survived saw their future' slogan, but it got a little monotonous toward the end. So I'm looking forward to seeing what the writers have come up with and how they're going to hold our attention for a few more episodes.
Other honorable mentions include Glee, which is kind of like High School Musical, but WAY better. The acting is a little stiff, but the cast is incredibly interesting to watch and their songs are just riveting. Plus Matthew Morrison (the teacher) is definitely easy on the eyes, and Jane Lynch (the evil PE teacher) is seriously funny as the villain.
And What Not to Wear, which is this awesome show on the TLC channel that picks out horribly dressed people who have no fashion sense whatsoever, and gives them a makeover. I love makeover shows!! They just go to prove that everyone and anyone can be beautiful with the right hairstyle and makeup and clothes, no need for plastic surgery at all.
I am so glad someone somewhere in the past invented TV. What would we do without it? Probably find more useful ways to spend our time, but in TV's defense, I LOVE IT!
We shouldn't rope ourselves off from culture by living in a cave to avoid temptation, neither should we completely indulge in culture until it consumes our entire being. We need to at least know what's going on in popular culture to remain relevant, so knowing that teen girls are crazy over Twilight, or that college girls love to watch The Bachelor no matter how wrong the concept is, is actually important. I mean, we need to be able to relate to others and have some sort of knowledge of popular culture, because that's what everyone will be talking about. And to have some say in the conversation to connect with others, we have to actually understand what they're saying.
So that's my little rationale for watching all these TV shows. Plus sometimes you just need a little mindless entertainment to take your mind off the stresses of life.
TV Shows I am Currently Watching:
-LOST
The first time I heard about this mind-blowing show was when my brother introduced it to me, way back in season 1. I shrugged it off as another lame scary TV show that probably wouldn't last. Boy, was I wrong. I finally started getting into it sophomore year, I think, when I realized what a big deal it was on campus. Everyone who was anyone watched it, and so I thought, how bad could it be? Turns out it wasn't bad at all. I got caught up on all the seasons, and from then on, I was addicted. The show throws so many twists and turns that you're just kept on the edge of your seat the entire hour. And throughout the viewing experience, the dominating chain of thought usually goes something like this - 'no way, they did NOT just do that! that's insane!' (insert jaw dropping and eyes widening in shock)
Well, that's LOST for you. The amount of conspiracy theories and websites devoted to this show speaks volumes of its intensity and addictiveness. It's probably the only show I actually actively watch and discuss with others, because we just can't figure out what's going on... until May 22, 2010. The dreaded day when all this will end. I can't imagine what LOST fanatics will do when the show ends for good. I should add that LOST is also probably the only semi 'intelligent' show I watch, at least according to my friends.
-Grey's Anatomy
I know, I know, this show is STILL running?? It's probably in its sixth or seventh season, and I lost interest a while ago and skipped out on a few seasons, but now I'm back to watching it, mostly because it's a good way to waste time. It's changed a lot since season 1, where Meredith and gang started off as little interns, but it's pretty much heading toward a downward spiral right now. Some things just shouldn't last too long. And I've noticed that a lot of TV shows nowadays like to add a lesbian factor to their plot. What's with that?? Is it the result of the success of gay campaigning for equal rights or something?? This show has a lesbian couple, and there's one in Desperate Housewives, and a ridiculous threesome in Gossip Girl. What is going on, Hollywood???
-America's Next Top Model
What can I say, I love watching beautiful people on TV. Not that models are always pretty, but they make them pretty with piles of makeup and hairspray, and it's so fascinating to watch them transform from awkward bony girls to gorgeous supermodels in front of the camera. I love the photo shoots because they're just so ridiculous, and no one would ever wear those outfits in real life. Plus girl drama is always entertaining to watch.
-Gossip Girl
YES, Gossip girl is back, and with a vengeance! I have come to accept Serena and Nate's fickle-mindedness - I'm pretty sure they both have dated almost every other person on the show, and more. So I think they deserve each other indeed, since their relationships never seem to go past the physical. I'm glad Hilary Duff is gone, because she was just like an annoying little bug that had to be squashed. The first episode since its return was a little dry and dull, but, knowing Gossip Girl, things will probably spice up soon. xoxo
-Ugly Betty
I don't know a lot of people who watch this show (actually I don't know anyone who does), but I really genuinely like it. Maybe it's because Betty has my dream job in my dream city - working at a fashion magazine in New York City - that's why I watch it every week without fail. It's just so interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes in magazine publishing, even though I know most of it is probably exaggerated for the sake of drama. But still, I want to learn everything I can about my future dream job! Plus I love the fashion in the show.
-The Vampire Diaries
I never thought I would watch anything with vampires in it, until Twilight came along. And then my roommate in Los Angeles made me watch this, and I was kind of intrigued. Its concept started out pretty similar to that of Twilight's - a handsome, charming vegetarian vampire who falls in love with a human girl - but now it's evolved to break away from the Twilight mold. I'm still not entirely sure if I like it, I feel like its geared more toward teen girls. But it's mildly entertaining, and a good way to pass time, although it scares me occasionally, with its vampire cult and witch lore. I probably shouldn't be supporting the show huh.
-Flashforward
The show is returning on Thursday, and I am psyched!! Okay, it actually started out tremendously captivating, what with its 'the whole world blacked out on this day, and everyone who survived saw their future' slogan, but it got a little monotonous toward the end. So I'm looking forward to seeing what the writers have come up with and how they're going to hold our attention for a few more episodes.
Other honorable mentions include Glee, which is kind of like High School Musical, but WAY better. The acting is a little stiff, but the cast is incredibly interesting to watch and their songs are just riveting. Plus Matthew Morrison (the teacher) is definitely easy on the eyes, and Jane Lynch (the evil PE teacher) is seriously funny as the villain.
And What Not to Wear, which is this awesome show on the TLC channel that picks out horribly dressed people who have no fashion sense whatsoever, and gives them a makeover. I love makeover shows!! They just go to prove that everyone and anyone can be beautiful with the right hairstyle and makeup and clothes, no need for plastic surgery at all.
I am so glad someone somewhere in the past invented TV. What would we do without it? Probably find more useful ways to spend our time, but in TV's defense, I LOVE IT!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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 :)
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 :)
Monday, March 15, 2010
Last MK spring retreat
This past week someone asked me, "Is it weird doing stuff and going to events for the last time now that you're graduating?"
I never really thought about that. I guess I've been too busy worrying about the future to appreciate living in the present. But yes, the reality of leaving my comfort zone in school and entering the real world is beginning to dawn on me. I went to my last Airband, my last Nostalgia Night, my last wing retreat, and most recently, my last international spring retreat. This sense of nostalgia is just creeping up on me without notice. It's weird to think I'll never be doing any of these things again. But, as with all things in life, I must move on.
The retreat was such a blessing from God. He knew I totally needed to go and hear what He had to say to me since it's been awhile. We had great fun laughing, playing games, cooking international food, worshiping, having our own Sunday service, and just hanging out and creating awesome memories. The seniors were a little nostalgic, and since only 7 of us female seniors went, we all roomed together in the cabin (the retreat was at Bear Lake Camp, this Christian summer camp about 2 hours away).
This is kind of what the interior of our cabins looked like. Very wooden and earthy and full of BUGS (but it's okay, because we spent most of our time in the main hall area)
This is kind of what the exterior of our cabins looked like. Surrounded by nature on all four sides and incredibly chilly since it was raining this weekend.
Oh it was so much fun - we played Apples to Apples, Things, random get-to-know-you games, table tennis, easter egg hunt, foosball... And I got to know some of the freshmen, which was cool, since I wasn't at international orientation in the fall. We made ethnic food for dinner - beef stir fry, korean bulgogi, chapati, and sour cream enchiladas. YUM.
But even though I enjoyed hanging out with these amazing people, I think the best part was definitely the sharing and hearing from God. We divided into small groups to talk about living in America, how it's different, how it affected our worldviews, how Taylor Christians are compared to Christians in other countries, etc.
We talked about how the Church in America is so divided, compared to elsewhere. Christians here are separated by denomination, beliefs, even trivial issues like church decor and structure. And if we can't even present a united front to the world as Christians, how can we expect nonbelievers to accept our faith? We also talked about Taylor being a safe, comfortable place to the extent where people took their faith for granted. We have all these activities and events to help us grow in our faith, and sometimes our act of worship for God becomes more of a responsibility than a conscious effort or a joy. And then we feel so contented in our little safe zone that we're afraid of stepping out into the secular world, so we continue on to Christian organizations and environments to work.
Something that always saddens me is how nonbelievers perceive Christians - the media loves to blow up instances of fallen Christian leadership that the public has come to see us as arrogant hypocrites. That's one of the top two reasons that prevents people from becoming Christians - the Christians themselves. And the other reason is the presence of evil and suffering in the world. But more on that later.
So I think these four years have been challenging in so many ways, emotionally and spiritually especially. But, they've also helped me grow and mature tremendously. I've learned so many things about myself, about the world, and about God. I used to be incredibly frustrated by all my Bible classes, because I didn't see the point of learning about all those trivial issues that divide us when we could just be a wholly united Church that simply believed in Jesus and His abundant love and grace. But my professor recently said something very profound, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.
One way to show God our love is to love Him with our minds, and that means learning all we can about Him and understanding who He is.
And I guess I never really thought about it that way before. But I see what he means. Now that I've learned about all this history behind the Bible, I am better prepared to give a reason for the hope I have. I think I used to be somewhat of a blind follower - not that I didn't know who God was or anything, but I just wouldn't know what to say if someone asked me why I believed in God, other than 'because He's real and I experienced His presence and you just have to have faith to know what I'm talking about.' So now that we've been discussing different kinds of issues like the evidence for the Resurrection and the doctrine of the Trinity and the Incarnation, I think I've come to a better understanding about my faith. And it really has strengthened my belief in God, because there's all this tangible evidence to back it up. Not that faith isn't enough, but sometimes it's hard because it's just so abstract and intangible.
So anyway, something that one of the guys shared really resonated with me, especially since I've been fretting over the future lately. He talked about how God has already been ahead of us; He has paved the way for us, and He will guide us through our journey step by step because that is just how great His love is for us. Something along those lines. And I know these things, I've heard them hundreds of times before, but somehow just hearing him say it was very encouraging. It definitely struck a chord.
And then for our 'Sunday morning service,' we had a bit of a creative worship time. They set up stations around the hall where we could draw, paint, read a devotional book, ask for prayer, journal, or sing - all in worship of God. It was a very interesting time, I enjoyed it a lot.
A couple of verses from the books spoke to me tremendously.
Deut 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
It just reminded me of how God is my only constant in life. People may change, circumstances may change, everything may change, but God will always be faithful. And even in my journey here at Taylor - no one can completely understand or empathize with my struggles, because I'm on such a different journey from others, but ultimately, God is always with me and He is all I need.
A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
Should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
I never really thought about that. I guess I've been too busy worrying about the future to appreciate living in the present. But yes, the reality of leaving my comfort zone in school and entering the real world is beginning to dawn on me. I went to my last Airband, my last Nostalgia Night, my last wing retreat, and most recently, my last international spring retreat. This sense of nostalgia is just creeping up on me without notice. It's weird to think I'll never be doing any of these things again. But, as with all things in life, I must move on.
The retreat was such a blessing from God. He knew I totally needed to go and hear what He had to say to me since it's been awhile. We had great fun laughing, playing games, cooking international food, worshiping, having our own Sunday service, and just hanging out and creating awesome memories. The seniors were a little nostalgic, and since only 7 of us female seniors went, we all roomed together in the cabin (the retreat was at Bear Lake Camp, this Christian summer camp about 2 hours away).
This is kind of what the interior of our cabins looked like. Very wooden and earthy and full of BUGS (but it's okay, because we spent most of our time in the main hall area)
This is kind of what the exterior of our cabins looked like. Surrounded by nature on all four sides and incredibly chilly since it was raining this weekend.
Oh it was so much fun - we played Apples to Apples, Things, random get-to-know-you games, table tennis, easter egg hunt, foosball... And I got to know some of the freshmen, which was cool, since I wasn't at international orientation in the fall. We made ethnic food for dinner - beef stir fry, korean bulgogi, chapati, and sour cream enchiladas. YUM.
But even though I enjoyed hanging out with these amazing people, I think the best part was definitely the sharing and hearing from God. We divided into small groups to talk about living in America, how it's different, how it affected our worldviews, how Taylor Christians are compared to Christians in other countries, etc.
We talked about how the Church in America is so divided, compared to elsewhere. Christians here are separated by denomination, beliefs, even trivial issues like church decor and structure. And if we can't even present a united front to the world as Christians, how can we expect nonbelievers to accept our faith? We also talked about Taylor being a safe, comfortable place to the extent where people took their faith for granted. We have all these activities and events to help us grow in our faith, and sometimes our act of worship for God becomes more of a responsibility than a conscious effort or a joy. And then we feel so contented in our little safe zone that we're afraid of stepping out into the secular world, so we continue on to Christian organizations and environments to work.
Something that always saddens me is how nonbelievers perceive Christians - the media loves to blow up instances of fallen Christian leadership that the public has come to see us as arrogant hypocrites. That's one of the top two reasons that prevents people from becoming Christians - the Christians themselves. And the other reason is the presence of evil and suffering in the world. But more on that later.
So I think these four years have been challenging in so many ways, emotionally and spiritually especially. But, they've also helped me grow and mature tremendously. I've learned so many things about myself, about the world, and about God. I used to be incredibly frustrated by all my Bible classes, because I didn't see the point of learning about all those trivial issues that divide us when we could just be a wholly united Church that simply believed in Jesus and His abundant love and grace. But my professor recently said something very profound, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.
One way to show God our love is to love Him with our minds, and that means learning all we can about Him and understanding who He is.
And I guess I never really thought about it that way before. But I see what he means. Now that I've learned about all this history behind the Bible, I am better prepared to give a reason for the hope I have. I think I used to be somewhat of a blind follower - not that I didn't know who God was or anything, but I just wouldn't know what to say if someone asked me why I believed in God, other than 'because He's real and I experienced His presence and you just have to have faith to know what I'm talking about.' So now that we've been discussing different kinds of issues like the evidence for the Resurrection and the doctrine of the Trinity and the Incarnation, I think I've come to a better understanding about my faith. And it really has strengthened my belief in God, because there's all this tangible evidence to back it up. Not that faith isn't enough, but sometimes it's hard because it's just so abstract and intangible.
So anyway, something that one of the guys shared really resonated with me, especially since I've been fretting over the future lately. He talked about how God has already been ahead of us; He has paved the way for us, and He will guide us through our journey step by step because that is just how great His love is for us. Something along those lines. And I know these things, I've heard them hundreds of times before, but somehow just hearing him say it was very encouraging. It definitely struck a chord.
And then for our 'Sunday morning service,' we had a bit of a creative worship time. They set up stations around the hall where we could draw, paint, read a devotional book, ask for prayer, journal, or sing - all in worship of God. It was a very interesting time, I enjoyed it a lot.
A couple of verses from the books spoke to me tremendously.
Deut 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
It just reminded me of how God is my only constant in life. People may change, circumstances may change, everything may change, but God will always be faithful. And even in my journey here at Taylor - no one can completely understand or empathize with my struggles, because I'm on such a different journey from others, but ultimately, God is always with me and He is all I need.
A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
Should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Interviews, Flower Diagrams, Friends, and Food
That about sums up my week.
Interviews
I conducted 7 informational interviews this week with Taylor alumnae, and it was a pretty interesting experience. I actually emailed about 20 Taylor alums, in fields like Broadcast Media, Publishing, and Journalism, and shamelessly asked them if I could interview them about their job and the industry so I could gain insight to what it's really like in the real world before I enter it. And I got about 10 replies, which surprised me; I thought most of them would probably brush me off as an annoying senior hunting for a job. So I'm really grateful they took the time to talk to me.
I got to speak with people who work as publicists in book publishing companies, writers in non-profit organizations, editors in lifestyle magazines, writers in fashion magazines, and all that kind of stuff. It was truly eye-opening, and I received a lot of good advice from them. They told me to get as much experience as I could in writing, research companies before I apply to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into, and do something I'm passionate about, so that it will reflect in my work.
It was really helpful listening to what they had to say about their responsibilities, the people they worked with, and all that. Obviously those who worked for Christian companies had 'easier' experiences, because people were nicer and friendlier, but after interviewing all these people, I think I really do want to go into magazine writing for travel/entertainment/lifestyle/fashion. It just makes me excited thinking about it :)
The Flower - "That one piece of paper"
We're reading this book for Senior Capstone called What Color is Your Parachute 2010 by Richard Bolles, and it's a pretty awesome job-hunting/self-discovery book. We have to complete our Flower Diagram, which basically helps us decide what our life calling is. It took several hours to complete, because it consisted of taking tests and thinking about who I really am and what I really want, but it was well worth it. So here are the results.
My top transferable skills:
1. Writing/communicating
2. Researching/information gathering
3. Showing foresight
4. Adapting/improving
5. Helping/being of service
6. Listening
7. Developing rapport
8. Following through on plans/instructions
9. Observing/surveying
10. Imagining
I think the first one is pretty redundant. Of course I would hope to be good at writing, it's what I want to do with my life! But I think overall it's pretty accurate. I realize I'm scarily deadline-oriented. I like to accomplish tasks WAY ahead of the deadline. It just gives me a thrill of excitement to cross off an assignment on my planner. I know, I'm such a nerd, but I just like to work ahead. I also like to be prepared and research things before I get into them. And I like listening to people's stories, helping them in any way I can, and I think I'm pretty good at following through on what I commit myself to do. I feel like I've developed most of these skills at college, because I definitely didn't research Taylor before I came here, and circumstances here have definitely forced me to come out of my shell.
My top people-enrivonments:
1. Artistic
2. Social
3. Enterprising
I like to work in unstructured, flexible environments, using my creative writing ability, and working with all sorts of people. The other people-environments were boring, for math, science and technology people - aka - not me.
My top goals/purposes/values:
1. Entertainment
2. Human Spirit
3. Heart
4. Mind
5. Eyes and Senses
Again, I felt a tinge of shame when everyone else had human spirit/heart as their top, and mine was entertainment. But whatever. So basically I want to bring joy and laughter to people's lives via entertainment; establish more spirituality, faith, compassion, forgiveness and love in the world; inspire greater love for the poor and needy, increase knowledge of truth and God in the world, and create more beautiful things to fill our senses. The other purposes included possessions and the earth, which I realize I don't care much about. I guess living in simplicity and saving the earth aren't my top priorities... but I promise I'm not superficial!
Top special knowledges:
1. Magazine writing
2. Entertainment (movies, music)
3. Travel places
4. Fashion/Beauty
5. Culture
6. Food
I love to travel. My dream job would allow me to travel to every place in the world and write about it. But I've recently realized I like to write and read about fashion and beauty too. There's just so much to learn, but it's all so interesting.
Top working conditions:
1. Laidback/casual atmosphere
2. Good rapport with co-workers
3. Close proximity to where I live
4. Good office space/location
5. Flexible dress code
I think I would also work fine in high-stress environments, as long as I am not intimidated by my bosses, so I can ask questions and make mistakes (but learn from them).
Top factors geography-wise:
1. In a major city
2. Good range of entertainment options
3. Change of seasons
4. Easy accessibility
5. Diverse culture
In other words, goodbye forever, Upland, Indiana.
That's basically it. There's also level of responsibility and salary, but I wasn't too sure about that. Interesting huh. Although... while researching for possible places to stay, I realized all my top choices like NYC, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, were all way above the national average in terms of cost of living. Just my luck. So I've now branched out to Minneapolis, Pittsburgh... basically anywhere that will take me!
Friends and Food
This week was good in terms of spending time with friends (instead of rushing about trying to do everything I need to in 24 hours).
We went to Ivanhoe's (the ice cream place) for senior class on Monday, where we shared about our Flower Diagrams and supported one another. It was so encouraging to hear people affirm my gifts and my direction in life. I also enjoyed learning about others' gifts and talents; I love how we're all so diverse. Some people want to go into non-profit writing, others newspaper writing, international news reporting, sports coaching, PR writing... the possibilities are simply endless.
The entire day Tuesday was spent in the Dining Commons' kitchen cooking for our Asian Wok Night! Affectionately termed 'Super Curry Wok Night,' we slaved away in the kitchen making Japanese, Middle Eastern, and Indian curry for the entire campus. It was incredibly fun though, my very last wok night! The food was delicious, and everyone appreciated a nice change from DC food. I just love serving people. Maybe I should be a waitress instead - my new life goal... Or maybe not.
The rest of the week was spent watching movies with friends while attempting to do homework, having ramen parties, and dance parties. I really can't believe it's the middle of March already. I kind of want time to slow down now that I realize graduation is approaching so speedily.
Interviews
I conducted 7 informational interviews this week with Taylor alumnae, and it was a pretty interesting experience. I actually emailed about 20 Taylor alums, in fields like Broadcast Media, Publishing, and Journalism, and shamelessly asked them if I could interview them about their job and the industry so I could gain insight to what it's really like in the real world before I enter it. And I got about 10 replies, which surprised me; I thought most of them would probably brush me off as an annoying senior hunting for a job. So I'm really grateful they took the time to talk to me.
I got to speak with people who work as publicists in book publishing companies, writers in non-profit organizations, editors in lifestyle magazines, writers in fashion magazines, and all that kind of stuff. It was truly eye-opening, and I received a lot of good advice from them. They told me to get as much experience as I could in writing, research companies before I apply to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into, and do something I'm passionate about, so that it will reflect in my work.
It was really helpful listening to what they had to say about their responsibilities, the people they worked with, and all that. Obviously those who worked for Christian companies had 'easier' experiences, because people were nicer and friendlier, but after interviewing all these people, I think I really do want to go into magazine writing for travel/entertainment/lifestyle/fashion. It just makes me excited thinking about it :)
The Flower - "That one piece of paper"
We're reading this book for Senior Capstone called What Color is Your Parachute 2010 by Richard Bolles, and it's a pretty awesome job-hunting/self-discovery book. We have to complete our Flower Diagram, which basically helps us decide what our life calling is. It took several hours to complete, because it consisted of taking tests and thinking about who I really am and what I really want, but it was well worth it. So here are the results.
My top transferable skills:
1. Writing/communicating
2. Researching/information gathering
3. Showing foresight
4. Adapting/improving
5. Helping/being of service
6. Listening
7. Developing rapport
8. Following through on plans/instructions
9. Observing/surveying
10. Imagining
I think the first one is pretty redundant. Of course I would hope to be good at writing, it's what I want to do with my life! But I think overall it's pretty accurate. I realize I'm scarily deadline-oriented. I like to accomplish tasks WAY ahead of the deadline. It just gives me a thrill of excitement to cross off an assignment on my planner. I know, I'm such a nerd, but I just like to work ahead. I also like to be prepared and research things before I get into them. And I like listening to people's stories, helping them in any way I can, and I think I'm pretty good at following through on what I commit myself to do. I feel like I've developed most of these skills at college, because I definitely didn't research Taylor before I came here, and circumstances here have definitely forced me to come out of my shell.
My top people-enrivonments:
1. Artistic
2. Social
3. Enterprising
I like to work in unstructured, flexible environments, using my creative writing ability, and working with all sorts of people. The other people-environments were boring, for math, science and technology people - aka - not me.
My top goals/purposes/values:
1. Entertainment
2. Human Spirit
3. Heart
4. Mind
5. Eyes and Senses
Again, I felt a tinge of shame when everyone else had human spirit/heart as their top, and mine was entertainment. But whatever. So basically I want to bring joy and laughter to people's lives via entertainment; establish more spirituality, faith, compassion, forgiveness and love in the world; inspire greater love for the poor and needy, increase knowledge of truth and God in the world, and create more beautiful things to fill our senses. The other purposes included possessions and the earth, which I realize I don't care much about. I guess living in simplicity and saving the earth aren't my top priorities... but I promise I'm not superficial!
Top special knowledges:
1. Magazine writing
2. Entertainment (movies, music)
3. Travel places
4. Fashion/Beauty
5. Culture
6. Food
I love to travel. My dream job would allow me to travel to every place in the world and write about it. But I've recently realized I like to write and read about fashion and beauty too. There's just so much to learn, but it's all so interesting.
Top working conditions:
1. Laidback/casual atmosphere
2. Good rapport with co-workers
3. Close proximity to where I live
4. Good office space/location
5. Flexible dress code
I think I would also work fine in high-stress environments, as long as I am not intimidated by my bosses, so I can ask questions and make mistakes (but learn from them).
Top factors geography-wise:
1. In a major city
2. Good range of entertainment options
3. Change of seasons
4. Easy accessibility
5. Diverse culture
In other words, goodbye forever, Upland, Indiana.
That's basically it. There's also level of responsibility and salary, but I wasn't too sure about that. Interesting huh. Although... while researching for possible places to stay, I realized all my top choices like NYC, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, were all way above the national average in terms of cost of living. Just my luck. So I've now branched out to Minneapolis, Pittsburgh... basically anywhere that will take me!
Friends and Food
This week was good in terms of spending time with friends (instead of rushing about trying to do everything I need to in 24 hours).
We went to Ivanhoe's (the ice cream place) for senior class on Monday, where we shared about our Flower Diagrams and supported one another. It was so encouraging to hear people affirm my gifts and my direction in life. I also enjoyed learning about others' gifts and talents; I love how we're all so diverse. Some people want to go into non-profit writing, others newspaper writing, international news reporting, sports coaching, PR writing... the possibilities are simply endless.
The entire day Tuesday was spent in the Dining Commons' kitchen cooking for our Asian Wok Night! Affectionately termed 'Super Curry Wok Night,' we slaved away in the kitchen making Japanese, Middle Eastern, and Indian curry for the entire campus. It was incredibly fun though, my very last wok night! The food was delicious, and everyone appreciated a nice change from DC food. I just love serving people. Maybe I should be a waitress instead - my new life goal... Or maybe not.
The rest of the week was spent watching movies with friends while attempting to do homework, having ramen parties, and dance parties. I really can't believe it's the middle of March already. I kind of want time to slow down now that I realize graduation is approaching so speedily.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Weekend in Michigan
On Friday I skipped a few classes to drive up to Niles, Michigan with two friends for the weekend. It was such a nice escape from campus and the busyness of life. We drove for two and a half hours, and I slept the entire time, because the scenery kept repeating itself - cornfields and more cornfields. oh wait, a barn! a horse! okay, more cornfields. We finally arrived at my friend's grandparents' place, and what would you know, it looked exactly like Indiana.
But the house was gorgeous. We had to drive down a tiny muddy road to get to the house, which was secluded from all civilization. It was situated right by a river and a pond, and they had several chickens, a cute little horse, and the most obedient dog in the world. The interior of the house was set up and decorated in the most unique way I have ever seen - there were pots, pans, tools, and equipment of all sorts hanging from the ceiling, the kitchen consisted of a wooden-paneled fridge and a quaint little stove, and we had to pull a rope to let down the stairs so we could go up to the rooms. And I think everything was made out of wood. I thought for sure they were some kind of hick town family that probably didn't even know what electricity was, so I was surprised to see they had a huge TV, several computers, and a Nintendo Wii. It was a very interesting weekend.
My friend's grandparents - she calls them Nana and Pa - were fascinating people. It took a while to get used to Pa's mannerisms, for he struck me as rather rude and cranky at first, but he turned out to be a sweet old man. And Nana was such a lovely woman, she embraced us into her home and shared openly about her faith. I thought she was such a woman of God, for she spoke so passionately about God and referred to Him as 'My Jesus.' And she shared about how she believes there is no such thing as coincidences. So whenever she dials a wrong number, or someone calls her by accident, she always takes the time to tell them there was a reason why she called them/they called her, and she would offer to pray for them. It was pretty amazing, hearing her talk about some of the lives she has touched through her small acts of kindness. I was tremendously encouraged by her strong faith. We got to meet my friend's cousins too; all the little kiddos were ADORABLE. The twins were incredibly hyper and just about the cutest little things I've ever seen. They spoke in a mumbly way that only little kids can, and I couldn't really understand them, so I would just nod and smile and pat their heads.
The front porch of the house, covered in snow.
View from the front door.
Super cool stairs that can be pulled up or let down.
Coolest kitchen ever. The black thing is the stove, and the wooden cabinet beside it is the fridge.
Random things hanging from the ceiling.
Me and susan, my friend. she's from China, but lives with the host family here.
Me in her room, sitting on a rocking chair like an old granny.
View from her room out to her grandparents' room across the hall.
View of the snowy river from her room.
This rug disturbed me. I avoided stepping on it at all costs. It think it's some kind of real animal fur. Sick.
The bed that I slept in.
View out the window.
Another view out her room.
We got to go to the asian grocery store on Saturday, which made me very happy indeed. I bought a whole bunch of stuff for $20 - I love cheap asian food! - like Pocky, Hello Panda, Rice crackers, Mochi, Ramen, Japanese crackers, Asian gummies, etc. It's funny how I've come to appreciate all kinds of asian food since being here. I guess when you don't have many options, you learn to take what you get.
We went to her friend's church in the evening to join them for Dirty Bingo, which was so interesting. I've never played Bingo, let alone Dirty Bingo. When I think of Bingo I always think of little old ladies sitting around in a room, circling numbers with their shaky fingers and adjusting their teeth. But this was actually really fun and intense. We would all get our sheets of paper with letters and numbers on them, and we had to get 5 numbers in a row to get Bingo, and this guy would call out numbers one at a time. A prize would be awarded whenever someone got Bingo. Sounds pretty easy, right? But things got more intense when we started Dirty Bingo, which was basically the same concept, except you got to steal people's prizes whenever you hit Bingo. So some people went home with a ton of prizes, like Starbucks/Subway/TGIF gift cards, and others, like me, went home with nothing. Oh well! It was so much fun though, just to meet new people and hang out.
Sunday we visited their church, which was tiny and kind of smelled like old people. Can I just say that sometimes old people scare me? I don't know why, and I'm not being mean or anything, but they just do. Then we had a wonderful lunch and drove back to Taylor. Oh the food we had over the weekend made my stomach very happy indeed. Asian spicy noodles, tang yuan, beef stew, real rice, more yummy noodles. I love noodles so much. I don't really care for rice, but noodles are a staple in my diet. That's why I rely on ramen noodles to keep me alive here.
Was so tired by the time we got back to Taylor. The drive was like 3 hours long. But I brought some snacks to the library for an asian party. It was so much fun to see friends again, even though I've only been away for a weekend. haha.
But the house was gorgeous. We had to drive down a tiny muddy road to get to the house, which was secluded from all civilization. It was situated right by a river and a pond, and they had several chickens, a cute little horse, and the most obedient dog in the world. The interior of the house was set up and decorated in the most unique way I have ever seen - there were pots, pans, tools, and equipment of all sorts hanging from the ceiling, the kitchen consisted of a wooden-paneled fridge and a quaint little stove, and we had to pull a rope to let down the stairs so we could go up to the rooms. And I think everything was made out of wood. I thought for sure they were some kind of hick town family that probably didn't even know what electricity was, so I was surprised to see they had a huge TV, several computers, and a Nintendo Wii. It was a very interesting weekend.
My friend's grandparents - she calls them Nana and Pa - were fascinating people. It took a while to get used to Pa's mannerisms, for he struck me as rather rude and cranky at first, but he turned out to be a sweet old man. And Nana was such a lovely woman, she embraced us into her home and shared openly about her faith. I thought she was such a woman of God, for she spoke so passionately about God and referred to Him as 'My Jesus.' And she shared about how she believes there is no such thing as coincidences. So whenever she dials a wrong number, or someone calls her by accident, she always takes the time to tell them there was a reason why she called them/they called her, and she would offer to pray for them. It was pretty amazing, hearing her talk about some of the lives she has touched through her small acts of kindness. I was tremendously encouraged by her strong faith. We got to meet my friend's cousins too; all the little kiddos were ADORABLE. The twins were incredibly hyper and just about the cutest little things I've ever seen. They spoke in a mumbly way that only little kids can, and I couldn't really understand them, so I would just nod and smile and pat their heads.
The front porch of the house, covered in snow.
View from the front door.
Super cool stairs that can be pulled up or let down.
Coolest kitchen ever. The black thing is the stove, and the wooden cabinet beside it is the fridge.
Random things hanging from the ceiling.
Me and susan, my friend. she's from China, but lives with the host family here.
Me in her room, sitting on a rocking chair like an old granny.
View from her room out to her grandparents' room across the hall.
View of the snowy river from her room.
This rug disturbed me. I avoided stepping on it at all costs. It think it's some kind of real animal fur. Sick.
The bed that I slept in.
View out the window.
Another view out her room.
We got to go to the asian grocery store on Saturday, which made me very happy indeed. I bought a whole bunch of stuff for $20 - I love cheap asian food! - like Pocky, Hello Panda, Rice crackers, Mochi, Ramen, Japanese crackers, Asian gummies, etc. It's funny how I've come to appreciate all kinds of asian food since being here. I guess when you don't have many options, you learn to take what you get.
We went to her friend's church in the evening to join them for Dirty Bingo, which was so interesting. I've never played Bingo, let alone Dirty Bingo. When I think of Bingo I always think of little old ladies sitting around in a room, circling numbers with their shaky fingers and adjusting their teeth. But this was actually really fun and intense. We would all get our sheets of paper with letters and numbers on them, and we had to get 5 numbers in a row to get Bingo, and this guy would call out numbers one at a time. A prize would be awarded whenever someone got Bingo. Sounds pretty easy, right? But things got more intense when we started Dirty Bingo, which was basically the same concept, except you got to steal people's prizes whenever you hit Bingo. So some people went home with a ton of prizes, like Starbucks/Subway/TGIF gift cards, and others, like me, went home with nothing. Oh well! It was so much fun though, just to meet new people and hang out.
Sunday we visited their church, which was tiny and kind of smelled like old people. Can I just say that sometimes old people scare me? I don't know why, and I'm not being mean or anything, but they just do. Then we had a wonderful lunch and drove back to Taylor. Oh the food we had over the weekend made my stomach very happy indeed. Asian spicy noodles, tang yuan, beef stew, real rice, more yummy noodles. I love noodles so much. I don't really care for rice, but noodles are a staple in my diet. That's why I rely on ramen noodles to keep me alive here.
Was so tired by the time we got back to Taylor. The drive was like 3 hours long. But I brought some snacks to the library for an asian party. It was so much fun to see friends again, even though I've only been away for a weekend. haha.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Everything I know about myself
Have you ever sat down and pondered for a while about who you really are? What your personality is like? How you treat people? What you hold dear to your heart? Your strengths and flaws? Your likes and dislikes?
I recently compiled a list of ‘Everything I Know About Myself,’ which, looking back is probably untrue, because there’s no way I can pen down every single detail about my complex self. But it was an interesting and beneficial experience to reflect back on my life and figure out what makes me Benita Lee.
So here’s a condensed version of the list, whittled down to the not-so-few I wish to share.
-I believe Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.
-My family is the most important thing in the world to me.
-I love to meet new people and listen to their life stories.
-I prefer to hang out with small groups of people; too many overwhelms me.
-I love music for its universal appeal and its effect on my emotions.
-I love to strum my guitar and sing random songs to myself.
-I love to travel, visit new places, and immerse myself in new cultures.
-I love to smile and laugh.
-I live to eat.
-I love fall, when the leaves turn yellow and red.
-I love winter, when the first snow falls and blankets the ground.
-I love to try on new beauty products.
-I like to people-watch.
-I am somewhat of a people-pleaser.
-I love all kinds of movies except horror ones.
-I like to dress up, go out, and have fun.
-I enjoy going to the zoo because it makes me feel like a kid again.
-I like to look at beautiful people.
-I like to get things done in advance and plan my day out.
-I love hearing from old friends.
-Writing helps me to process things and gather my thoughts.
-My favorite holidays are Christmas and Chinese New Year.
-I like the feeling of being liked.
-I get along well with different personalities.
-I am committed when I give my word.
-I like doing surveys, and I’m always one of the first to complete them.
-I am organized in my disorganization.
-Stress motivates me to work harder. I let myself freak out for a minute, then I put aside all distractions and focus on the task at hand (I actually learned this from an episode of LOST).
-I need to be more assertive so people don’t take me for granted.
-I like lazy days on the couch in front of the TV.
-I can multi-task very well. I usually watch a movie, do my homework, and read an online magazine all at the same time on my computer.
-It takes me a while to think and process things.
-I like casual, laidback environments.
-I show my love by spending time with people.
-I feel loved when people affirm me with words and spend time with me.
-I appreciate it when people compliment me, but sometimes I don’t know how to react.
-I love sleeping in.
-I am an ISFJ (Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Judging)
-I value tradition.
-I like to rely on myself to get things done rather than others.
-I am quite happy working alone, without distractions from others.
-I am non-confrontational.
-I don’t like to burden others with my problems.
-I like having a place and a community to belong to.
-I don’t lose my temper easily.
-I love chocolate.
That’s me in a tiny nutshell. You should try this too. It's like self-discovery :)
I recently compiled a list of ‘Everything I Know About Myself,’ which, looking back is probably untrue, because there’s no way I can pen down every single detail about my complex self. But it was an interesting and beneficial experience to reflect back on my life and figure out what makes me Benita Lee.
So here’s a condensed version of the list, whittled down to the not-so-few I wish to share.
-I believe Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.
-My family is the most important thing in the world to me.
-I love to meet new people and listen to their life stories.
-I prefer to hang out with small groups of people; too many overwhelms me.
-I love music for its universal appeal and its effect on my emotions.
-I love to strum my guitar and sing random songs to myself.
-I love to travel, visit new places, and immerse myself in new cultures.
-I love to smile and laugh.
-I live to eat.
-I love fall, when the leaves turn yellow and red.
-I love winter, when the first snow falls and blankets the ground.
-I love to try on new beauty products.
-I like to people-watch.
-I am somewhat of a people-pleaser.
-I love all kinds of movies except horror ones.
-I like to dress up, go out, and have fun.
-I enjoy going to the zoo because it makes me feel like a kid again.
-I like to look at beautiful people.
-I like to get things done in advance and plan my day out.
-I love hearing from old friends.
-Writing helps me to process things and gather my thoughts.
-My favorite holidays are Christmas and Chinese New Year.
-I like the feeling of being liked.
-I get along well with different personalities.
-I am committed when I give my word.
-I like doing surveys, and I’m always one of the first to complete them.
-I am organized in my disorganization.
-Stress motivates me to work harder. I let myself freak out for a minute, then I put aside all distractions and focus on the task at hand (I actually learned this from an episode of LOST).
-I need to be more assertive so people don’t take me for granted.
-I like lazy days on the couch in front of the TV.
-I can multi-task very well. I usually watch a movie, do my homework, and read an online magazine all at the same time on my computer.
-It takes me a while to think and process things.
-I like casual, laidback environments.
-I show my love by spending time with people.
-I feel loved when people affirm me with words and spend time with me.
-I appreciate it when people compliment me, but sometimes I don’t know how to react.
-I love sleeping in.
-I am an ISFJ (Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Judging)
-I value tradition.
-I like to rely on myself to get things done rather than others.
-I am quite happy working alone, without distractions from others.
-I am non-confrontational.
-I don’t like to burden others with my problems.
-I like having a place and a community to belong to.
-I don’t lose my temper easily.
-I love chocolate.
That’s me in a tiny nutshell. You should try this too. It's like self-discovery :)
Dorm Life
Living in a dorm is the ultimate college experience. You’re on your own for the first time; with no parents breathing down your throat, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Of course, this newfound freedom comes with strings attached, as does everything else in life. After spending the last 4 years of my life in a tiny dorm room squashed full of my belongings, I’m ready to divulge the lessons I’ve learned and the experiences I’ve had.
Advantages of dorm life at Taylor
Proximity
The dorms are as close to the classroom buildings as you can get. Any closer, and you’ll be sleeping on a desk. This makes is so much more bearable during the bitter cold of winter, when 10 seconds outside seems like an eternity and your hair immediately freezes over because you’ve just washed it (okay, maybe that only happens to me because I'm too lazy to blow dry my hair). They’re also close to the Dining Commons (most of them, anyway) and the gym, which is always convenient for you to work off that burger you just wolfed down. Basically, they’re close to everything. That’s why I can roll out of bed at 8.45am to stroll over to my 9am class.
Fellowship
You can never be lonely living in a dorm; there’s always something to do and someone to hang out with. Surrounded by people 24/7 and living with a roommate will wipe away any fears of being alone. It’s definitely a bonding experience, sharing the bathroom and learning people's little quirks. Really helps you learn how to tolerate one another and practice unconditional love. Plus there’s all the stuff like floor activities and events, movie nights, homework parties, pick-a-dates, floor retreats... And you know you’ll always have someone to sit with in the big old Dining Commons. Also, watching screaming girls run down the hallway in odd outfits is always entertaining albeit mildly shocking.
Simplicity
No need to buy groceries, pay the rent, cook or clean… Plus the rooms come furnished with beds, closets, desks, ‘free’ Internet access, and cable… That’s the life. All I have to do really is laundry. Oh yes, and we don't have to pay for laundry either. I'm sure the fee is included somewhere in our ridiculous $30,000 payment per year, but it's nice to be able to wash my clothes as many times as I want (which is once a week).
Disadvantages of dorm life at Taylor
Lack of privacy
If you are an introvert, like me, and you need time to yourself to recharge, then dorm life will take its toll on you. Constant companionship is definitely challenging, especially when there are 20 girls packed into your room for a party, and you just want to be left alone.
Roommate conflict
I’m lucky to never have had conflicts with any of my 4 roommates throughout the years, but some people have. And let me tell you, when they clash, it’s not pretty. Lots of shouting, hair pulling, and face slapping follow.
Never-ending noise
When you’re a freshman, everything is new and exciting, even at 2am on a school night. So yes, there’s plenty of noise 24/7, even during ‘quiet hours.’ From music blaring in the bathroom to people yakking on their phones to dance parties to people yelling their lungs out for no reason… Dorm life is definitely not quiet or drama-free.
Mandatory breaks
Break time comes, they kick us out the dorms, and we have to scramble to find some place to go. Great.
Mandatory meal plans
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Why do we have to pay for 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, when I don’t even use half of it?? Such a waste of money.
Random pictures of my room
Stuff on my shelves
TV + fridge, courtesy of my roomie
Fascinating photo of the door. haha.
So... dorm life does come with a ton of annoying shortcomings, but at the end of the day, it’s definitely an once-in-a-lifetime experience and the friendships you make will (hopefully) be long-lasting.
Advantages of dorm life at Taylor
Proximity
The dorms are as close to the classroom buildings as you can get. Any closer, and you’ll be sleeping on a desk. This makes is so much more bearable during the bitter cold of winter, when 10 seconds outside seems like an eternity and your hair immediately freezes over because you’ve just washed it (okay, maybe that only happens to me because I'm too lazy to blow dry my hair). They’re also close to the Dining Commons (most of them, anyway) and the gym, which is always convenient for you to work off that burger you just wolfed down. Basically, they’re close to everything. That’s why I can roll out of bed at 8.45am to stroll over to my 9am class.
Fellowship
You can never be lonely living in a dorm; there’s always something to do and someone to hang out with. Surrounded by people 24/7 and living with a roommate will wipe away any fears of being alone. It’s definitely a bonding experience, sharing the bathroom and learning people's little quirks. Really helps you learn how to tolerate one another and practice unconditional love. Plus there’s all the stuff like floor activities and events, movie nights, homework parties, pick-a-dates, floor retreats... And you know you’ll always have someone to sit with in the big old Dining Commons. Also, watching screaming girls run down the hallway in odd outfits is always entertaining albeit mildly shocking.
Simplicity
No need to buy groceries, pay the rent, cook or clean… Plus the rooms come furnished with beds, closets, desks, ‘free’ Internet access, and cable… That’s the life. All I have to do really is laundry. Oh yes, and we don't have to pay for laundry either. I'm sure the fee is included somewhere in our ridiculous $30,000 payment per year, but it's nice to be able to wash my clothes as many times as I want (which is once a week).
Disadvantages of dorm life at Taylor
Lack of privacy
If you are an introvert, like me, and you need time to yourself to recharge, then dorm life will take its toll on you. Constant companionship is definitely challenging, especially when there are 20 girls packed into your room for a party, and you just want to be left alone.
Roommate conflict
I’m lucky to never have had conflicts with any of my 4 roommates throughout the years, but some people have. And let me tell you, when they clash, it’s not pretty. Lots of shouting, hair pulling, and face slapping follow.
Never-ending noise
When you’re a freshman, everything is new and exciting, even at 2am on a school night. So yes, there’s plenty of noise 24/7, even during ‘quiet hours.’ From music blaring in the bathroom to people yakking on their phones to dance parties to people yelling their lungs out for no reason… Dorm life is definitely not quiet or drama-free.
Mandatory breaks
Break time comes, they kick us out the dorms, and we have to scramble to find some place to go. Great.
Mandatory meal plans
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Why do we have to pay for 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, when I don’t even use half of it?? Such a waste of money.
Random pictures of my room
Stuff on my shelves
TV + fridge, courtesy of my roomie
Fascinating photo of the door. haha.
So... dorm life does come with a ton of annoying shortcomings, but at the end of the day, it’s definitely an once-in-a-lifetime experience and the friendships you make will (hopefully) be long-lasting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)