Little Wonders: Year End Reflection

Looking back on the past year, I can honestly say it has been a great one. The last 365 days have been filled with many new adventures, self discovery, new and old friendships, lessons of love, forgiveness and moving forward. As I write this last post of 2007, I know I am truly blessed with the great people who surround me - my family and friends. I now realize that I can be halfway around the world and still never really leave Canada because my heart is with those whom I care most about.

I am most thankful for my family, for always being there with support and wisdom - but most importantly, for their unconditional love. When I think about the true meaning of success, I think about my parents. How they were able to come to a new land with no money, and raise 3 little girls on so little, and yet be able to give them so much. I know that I can never fully comprehend how much hardship they have endure, and how many sacrifices they made, to be able to give my sisters and I the opportunities I often take for granted. I only know that the hardships they faced are mountains compared to my problems today, and yet, they never belittle my problems - but try to help me see past them. If I can become even half the person they are, I think the world would be a better place.

I'm thankful for my sisters, who are also my best friends. Somehow through the years, through pranks and teasing when we were little, we have somehow become young women. We share secrets, we share hopes and dreams, we share clothes and of course advice and wisdom, on anything from school to clothes to boys. We are very protective of each other, and may god help you if you hurt one of us! When I think of our times together, I think of laughter. My mom always asks, "Don't you girls ever stop giggling?" And it's true, when we're around each other, we just can't stop laughing and talking. I know I can be 100% honest with them and not feel judged. The bestest pals any girl could ask for.

Of course, my cousins who are always there for me as well. Basically, they are an extension of my sisters. All the above apply to them as well! I still remember that day when "it" happened. I remember Elaine and Con, hauled me off to Sobey's and we stocked up on Hagan Daaz ice cream (one bucket per person), Elaine made her specialty brownies with chocolate and peanut butter chips, and then we cut out pictures of hotties from the "Cosmopolitan" magazine and pasted them up on our living room wall. *sigh* You guys are the best and I miss our Cedarvale times!

My friends. You guys keep me sane when everything is going crazy, and you make fun times even funner :). I love surrounding myself with people who make me laugh, and that's what we did this year - laugh a lot. Anything from being stuck in the lab for 15 hours straight working on a term report, or our crazy shopping trips (whether in a mall, in the states, or in the UW store), going out for food, traveling in a foreign country with nothing but our Lonely Planet guides, hiking in a rain forest, or any other random ideas. You guys make everything more fun, and I can't wait for our last term for more laughs. My new friends whom I met from traveling, from work, and just randomly. I hope there are many more memories and fun times to share in the upcoming year.

It's funny how when I was little, the world seemed so simple and divided into neat sections. I remember one time I was in kindergarten, I thought that after I "graduated" kindergarten, I would go to university, then live happily every after. LOL... what a strange and funny kid I was (though I doubt I've changed too much...lol...) Imagine my shock when I found out I had to go through grades 1 - 12, and OAC AND university would be another 5 years. Now here I am, almost at the end of that journey, having gone through many obstacles and heart aches to get where I am - and it is truly the journey and not the destination that mattered. At the end of this part of the journey, although I believe I have grown and learned so much, I also realize how little I know of the world and life in general. Life really is a never ending lesson, and I hope I never lose this sense of wonder and yearn for learning.

I think one of the things that affected me most was the opportunity to travel earlier this year. I don't think I really had much expectations when I arrived in Singapore because I wasn't sure of what to expect. I didn't even know that I would be able to travel as much as I did. Luckily I had some great travel buddies, who were about as budget conscious as me - if not more so. So I got to see a lot of different places. For me, traveling is fascinating because I get to learn so much about different people and cultures. Every new destination is a new adventure with its own history, culture and people. The great thing is, there is so much to discovery - whether it be swimming in the ocean, scuba diving with sting rays, climbing a mountain, sleeping in caves, witnessing tribal rituals, or just soaking in the wonders of just being alive at that time and place.

When I visited countries which were torn apart by recent wars, such as Cambodia and Vietnam, not only did it make me realize how lucky I was, but I was also deeply humbled by the strength in the people. These people were able to rebuild their lives, when nothing was left and everything was taken from them. It also made me see how little childhood some children have. There were so many children, but they have to grow up so fast when living in such poverty - in order to provide for their family. Living in Canada, I didn't realize how oblivious I was to the poverty that affected the daily lives of so many people in the world. I will always be thankful for this eye opening opportunity. I hope that one day I will be able to give back to the places where my parent grew up, because a part of me is from there, too.

I'd like to end this post with some pictures from 2007 and the lyrics to Little Wonders by Rob Thomas. I believe that although there are big moments in our lives, it is in the little things which happen everyday which shape our lives and the people who surround us. Happy New Year to everyone, and all the best in 2008! Cheers! :)


Little Wonders - Rob Thomas

let it go,
let it roll right off your shoulder
don't you know
the hardest part is over
let it in,
let your clarity define you
in the end
we will only just remember how it feels

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

let it slide,
let your troubles fall behind you
let it shine
until you feel it all around you
and i don't mind
if it's me you need to turn to
we?ll get by,
it's the heart that really matters in the end

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

all of my regret
will wash away some how
but i can not forget
the way i feel right now

in these small hours
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away but these small hours
these small hours, still remain,
still remain
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away
but these small hours
these little wonders still remain

FW: Indoor Soccer Update

We had our pre-holiday celebration / farewell party to the co-op students (myself and Roy) last Friday and it was a lot of fun. You can't go wrong with Momma's Pizza, beer and wine. I think the highlight of the party was "the box." Let me explain the significance of "the box." There's this case in one of the associates cube and is used to ship some sort of equipment around. For some reason, my bosses started betting one another that they could fit in "the box." In the end, this activity amused us for a good 5 hours, as we taunted each member of the office to get into "the box." It was really funny, and when I tried to explain it to my sisters, they just told me that engineers are so weird. LOL.... below is a picture of one of my bosses in "the box." We were even joking around that my boss should take "the box" in for co-op interviews, just to see the reaction when you tell the student to get in "the box." :p

Anyway, so the title of this post relates to the game synopsis that have been sent out to my soccer team throughout the season from our fearless captain. It has been a great season and I think that our soccer team has grown and improved tremendously. We also made it into the play offs. We are placed 3rd (out of 6....) so things are looking good. I am so proud of my team. Some of us are more skilled about soccer than others, mainly the guys. I remember when I was asked to join, I said that I hadn't kicked a ball since I was forced to in gym class and very limited coordination. The guys were cool and said that it was fine, and we are just in it for the fun of it. Anyway, I believe that we have come a long way since our first game way back in September. We have lots of fun, we play fair, and we are always improving.

I have decided to include in the post, all the game synopsis I could dig up in my email from the beginning of our season, until the last game on December 20th.

I believe there will be 2 teams next term. I also believe team names will be Decepticons and Autobots, and the slogan is something along the lines of, "Let's roll, Megatron.".... I have no idea what this all means, but the fellas were really excited about it. Anyway, the following posts are courtesy of our fearless soccer captain and leader.

Below is a picture of most of my teammates. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it this game, but I was there in spirit! :)


~Enjoy!!

26 October 2007
Game: IBI Group vs. Foot Soldiers
Score 0 - 2

Quick Snapshot: Another lost, but we are showing improvement.

Player of the game: Nassim :P

The game was an even battle between the teams. We had way too many shots ring of the goal posts. Richard was a huge energy burst and Kinza took the hits and bruises. We should also recognize Alex B. for injurying or frustrating atleast one player from the other team every game.

We have minor improvements to make, before we can start winning games. one is that we need more girls to play, so if anyone knows anyone girls who can kick a ball, ask them to join. Lastly, we need to stop hitting goal posts and hitting the back of the net.

That's it. That's how we will win.

Good game everyone


2 November 2007
Game: IBI Group vs. Fernando FC
Score 0 - 6

Quick Snapshot: Own goal. Team mate gets knocked out and we are shorthanded
(once again).... Ok, so 0-6 doesnt look so bad anymore.

Player of the game: Everyone? Noone?

Even though i wasn't there, i heard some stories about yesterdays game. Surprisingly, we were short in the guys department and this hurt us a lot. First half ended at 0-2. Advantage Fernando FC.

Second half, the stories just got worse. Kinza gets a ball booted in the face by our own acting captain. White lights and a bruised nose are a result. An own goal happened. This kinda seems like a routine thing for us now. Roy tried his best in net, but with little offense to stop the onslaught, 0-6 is considered a fairly okay score.

As "captain" i will try and come up with strategies for next weeks game and I'm gonna guarantee our team will have one goal next game.

9 November 2007
Game: IBI Group vs. The Incredibles
Score 2 - 4

Quick Snapshot: Blue Walls Pads as nets? ... Seriously?

Player of the game: Chris Cambell for his two goals

Since most of us were there, i wont go into detail. We lost to The Incredibles 2 - 4. The game was good and foruntately no one was injured by Alex B.

Next game we play Panic, which we have not faced yet. Everybody has played at least one game and we're slowly getting better. Also, on a high note, we have as many goals scored as own goals. Congrats, everyone!

See you all next week,


26 November 2007
Game: IBI Group vs. Gerry Hatrics
Score 1 - 1

Quick Snapshot: Holy Smokes!

Player of the game: Scott Fraser, but i think it's necessary we mention Alex
B. as well.

IBI Group came out strong in the first half of the game. Even play kept Gerry Hatrics struggling to initiate any real offensive threat in the first half..of the first half. At this time, Numair was able to break free from GH's defense and fire a shot that caught the goalie off guard giving IBI a 1 - 0 lead. Nassim, known for her ability to stop balls with her nose almost scored a goal before the half as well, but was unforuntately stopped by the goalie.

Not expecting to be down to IBI, the Gerry Hatrics offensive onslaught began but were all subdued by Scott Fraser making key saves that kept the score 1 - 0 at the half.

The second half was met with the same intensity by Gerry Hatrics, but not by IBI. if it was not For Scott's sensational goal tending, the score could have easily been lop-sided. With time winding down and with multiple shots on net by Gerry hatrics, it looked as if IBI Group was going to defeat the only undefeated team in the league.

This was not meant to be.

Gerry Hatrics was able to throw the ball on net and unfortunately hit Alex
B., which found the back of the net. Alex B. mumbled a few profanities while Nicola, Ricardo, Catherine and Alvaro played excellent defense. Kinza, Roy and Nassim played well creating
great offensive opportunities throughout the game.

The scored ended 1 - 1 and IBI team should be proud for tying with the top
team in the league.

Next game is against Foot Soldiers, who defeated IBI 2 - 0 in their last
meeting.

Alex. B is now in the running to be the leader in own goals against IBI. Unforutnately, he has a lot of competition. And to commemerate his goal, I have found a perfect YouTube video to reward Alex.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5879759145636232499

30 November 2007
Game: IBI Group vs. Foot Soldiers
Score 3 - 0

Quick Snapshot: We're on a roll people

Player of the game: Scott Fraser [again]. Shut out, plus scoring a goal from
our own end...impressive

IBI Group was ready play. Missing the intensity from Alvaro and the defense of Ricardo, IBI Group went to Richard Chang, who gladly helped (but probably wished he didn't after rolling his ankle in the second half).

Foot soldiers played with the minimum amount of players for the first half and IBI took advantage. With crisp passing and good ball movement, IBI had several chances to score. It was only when Scott took a goal kick from his crease, which easily passed through the goalie legs, did IBI loosen up.

Richard Chang quickly followed up with a precision shot that gave IBI a 2 - 0 lead at the end of the first half. 2 members of the foot soldiers team entered into the game in the second half, which kinda balanced the game play (but not really cause were so awesome). It was in the second half that Richard Chang rolled his ankle, Numair got body checked (again) and Kinza and Alex had excellent chances to score but were unable to put it pass the keeper. Half way through, Numair shot the ball, which deflected off one of the defenders and went pass the goalie. Nicola and Catherine played strong defense subduing several Foot Soldier attacks and Nassim and Roy are eagerly trying to score goals and are coming very close. The game ended in a 3 - 0 victory for IBI Group, and we currently sit in 4th place.

Next game is against Fernando FC, who defeated IBI 6 - 0 in their last meeting. They are the only team that IBI has yet to win or tie against.

After a dismal 1 - 4 start, IBI is now 3 - 4 -1.

7 December 2007
Game: IBI Group vs. Fernando FC
Score: 1 - 5

Quick Snapshot: After going 2 - 0 - 1, Fernando FC proved that we are still
human.

Player of the game: uhhhhh.... Nassim is excused from POG because of the treats she left us. :) So she is not POG.

IBI was ready to play, but so were Fernando FC. Fernando scored three quick goals in the first half and IBI could never recover. Mr. Green Socks, No. 14 and with the exception of the Mr. Clean look-a-like, were Fernando FC guys who were way to aggressive and played dirty which started to get IBI players pretty mad.

In the second half, things didn't get much better. IBI scored a single goal late in the second half, but was countered by two more by Fernando FC. Foul play increased on behalf of Fernando and curse words and trash talk was exchanged at some times.

Mr. Clean was very impressed by the girls on our team. Good job guys...err, i mean girls.

..Oh yea...the ref sucked yesterday.

Our next game is against Incredibles, who it seems are our rivals.

14 December 2007
Game: IBI Group vs. Incredibles
Score: 2 - 1

Quick Snapshot: A shot to the gut, some shoving and cussing, but overall we got the win.

Player of the game: We got two stars this week. Alvaro for game winning goal and yellow card. And Nicola for absolutely demolishing that girl and then apologizing.

I have to keep this quick cause i have work to do. We scored two goals in the first half. one power shot by Chris Campbell and one clever shot by Alvaro. incredibles followed up with a quick one timer that put the score at 2-1 in the first half.

To sum up the second half, Roy and some dude from the Incredibles got in an arguement and yellow cards were issued to Alvaro and "some dude." No goals were scored in the second half.

Congragulations IBI Group, we made the playoffs!

Our next game is against panic @ 8:30. A win and a loss buy Footsoldiers and
we'll be in third.


21 December 2007
Quick Snapshot: Congrats Catherine for scoring your first goal.

Player of the game: Um, Catherine? Yea obviously. I would like to give honourable mention to my fingers as they are recovering well from a brutal attack.

The first half had a distinct change as our defense and forwards switched positions. Albatross and Megatron were putting huge amounts of pressure on Footsoldiers. Alex came close of scoring a goal three times but couldn't find back of the net. Catherine however broke free of the defender early in the game and shot the ball past the keeper and gave IBI a 1-0 lead. The
second goal by IBI is vague in memory. I dont remember how it went in, but i heard shouts and congragulations being given to Alvaro. So congrats Alvaro for you're second goal this season. The first half ended with IBI up 2-0.

Footsoldiers came a bit stronger in the second half and that guy dressed in baby blue (literally all baby blue) was floating and wisking by us and caught Numair off guard as he kept Footsoldiers in the game with a goal. Numair tried taking the game into his own hands for 30 seconds before almost scoring on himself and then decided to stay in net for the teams sake. He then felt the awesome power of a power strike that caugth his hand between the ball and the goal post. Numair didn't cry but he didn't like the pain either.

The game ended in a 2-1 win for IBI Group. Also, Gerry Hatrics lost to Incredibles and Fernando FC beat Panic, thus the rankings at the end of the season are:

1. Fernando FC
2. Gerry Hatrics
3. IBI Group (YAY!)
4. Footsoldiers
5. Incredibles (eliminated from playoffs)
6. Panic (eliminated from playoffs)

A quick note: After speaking with XTSC reps and with players who have played with XTSC before, the playoff game is on January 10th and the schedule is.

6:30 - Fernando FC vs. Footsoldiers
7:30 - IBI Group vs. Gerry Hatrics
8:30 - Winner of 6:30 Game vs. Winnger of 7:30 game.

This e-mail has gone on long enough. I hope the final season celebration was
good.

**side note: We decided to give nicknames to everyone. I am Albatross (long story)...
----------------------------------------------------------------

Happy Holidays! :)
Remember, don't drink and drive.

In Her Shoes

********** SPOILER WARNING ******************

You know there is nothing like a snow storm to feel cozy and comfortable at home. So this weekend was a little hectic with moving Carolyn, snow shoveling, hair cut, frantically looking for my health card and SIN card through all my boxes after not using it for the last 8 months and putting in a "safe" place. After work on Friday, Con and I took the GO train home to b.town. We rented this movie, along with "The Painted Veil" and "The Good German" and watched them this weekend. I read "In her shoes" a while back, and I really loved the book. Unfortunately, books turned movies can often be a disappointment for me. It's not so much that the movie turns out different than I imagined, it's that I feel what I thought might have been the "essence" of the book is partly lost.

Anyway, I really liked the way this movie turned out! In a nutshell, its about 2 sisters who seem to have nothing in common, but their shoe size and love for shoes. Rose is the older sister, who is honest, sensible and responsible. She is a workaholic lawyer and she cares for little sister Maggie. Maggie, is gorgeous and thinks that she can use her sexuality to get whatever she wants. She is reckless, short tempered and manipulative. Rose always helps Maggie out of whatever sticky situation she may have gotten herself into, but Maggie crosses the line when she sleeps with Rose's boyfriend.

Rose kicks Maggie out of her apartment and the Maggie is forced to grow up and be more responsible. However, Maggie discovers a long lost grandmother and she goes to see her, in hopes of milking her for all she's worth, since Rose is no longer taking care of her. This sets the scene for the rest of the movie.

What I love about this movie is that it captures the essence of what I felt when I read this book. About loving someone and giving them second chance after second chance, for no other reason, than because you are family and because you love them. This is a little synopsis of each of the main characters:

Maggie - We first see her as spoiled rotten and selfish. After moving in with her grandmother, who promised to match her earnings if she was able to work at the local hospital, learns to be more responsible. She even discovers traits and skills she never really knew she could put to use to help others. She also learns how wrong she was, and how much she really missed Rose.

Rose - We first see her as sensibler, serious, no-nonsense lawyer. She has an affair with one of the associates and it goes bitterly wrong when he ends up in bed with Maggie. Not wanting to face the scandal, she takes time off and becomes a dog walker and really enjoys it. She also starts dating Simon Stein, one of her colleagues who had a crush on her, but she never gave him a chance. Rose learns to enjoy life outside the office and also discovers joys in her life. On a side note, I was a little surprised with who they chose for Simon. I had imagined him to be short-ish, balding and a little pudgy (from the book's description) - but, nope. Simon was pretty cute - but, I guess that's Hollywood.

Ella - A very introverted woman who tries to occupy her time so that she doesn't have anytime left over to worry about other aspects of her life - such as, her daughter who passed away and the grand daughters she never got to know. Even though she knows the reasons behind Maggie's "visit" she feels guilt because she was never able to spend time and get to know her grand daughters, and forgives her when she catches Maggie trying to steal from her. She even offers incentive for Maggie work and continues to care for her and becomes her friend.

This story is about love, forgiveness and most importantly, the special bond between sisters. Similar to Maggie and Rose, my sisters are my best friends. They are the people who I want to tell first when something exciting happens. They are the ones who I can always count on, no matter what the situation. They keep me grounded and always give me an honest perspective. When my world comes crashing down on me, they are always there - with wisdom, with tissues, with chocolate chip brownies and haagan daaz ice cream, but mostly with a supporting ear to just listen. I would do anything in the world to protect them or make them happy and I know they would do the same for me. Although I'm the oldest, Con is definitely the most responsible one. Carolyn is still the baby. I'm not really sure what I am.... Perhaps the more adventurous one? I think I'm more of the risk taker in my family - having said that, I do come from a very conservative family, so it's all relative.

Having written that, I know you girls don't read my blog, but I love you anyway! =) You guys are THE BESTEST BESTS! (note: best is used here as both an adjective and a noun, I'm not making it up! )

"It's not what the world holds for you...

... It's what you bring to it." - Anne of Green Gables the Sequel

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I adore Anne of Green Gables. I loved the entire series, and watched the movie and the sequel many many times, and can watch it many many more times. I will cry at the same parts as I did the first time I watched it, no matter how many times I watch it. :P

Anyways, I think why I like it so much is mostly because of this quote. I guess, sometimes it seems like life might not be as exciting and exotic as we might have once imagined it. There's school, there's work. There's all the stuff in between that we might not have control of. And then life might seem kind of bleak, and you take what you can get. But I guess we forget sometimes that we have a choice - to be proactive, and take control. To take risks and to try something new. To not settle for something mediocre, but reach for what you really want, even if it is out of reach.

I figured I should probably start applying for jobs soon. So I started last week. I didn't go about it the conventional way, through job mine and whatnot - I spent time researching the companies I wanted to work for, and went from there to contacting people who I thought would respond. I think I'm going to stick to this method :) Got an interview almost immediately, and they offered to fly me in to Vancouver for a second interview and for me to see the company and the area. I can't believe it's all happening so fast. I am overwhelmed and completely blown away. I danced around my apartment as soon as I hung up the phone!!!

Even though moving to the west coast is out of my comfort zone, and I am scared. When I am about to move anywhere, I always think back to this quote, "It's not what the world holds for you, it's what you bring to it." I like to push my comfort zone, and I find that I am able to bring satisfaction and happiness to almost any situation, and where I am... when I lived in Boston, when I was in Singapore, here in Toronto, my time in Waterloo - I was able to be happy, and meet genuinely nice people who are still my friends today. Your life is what you bring to it, not what is just placed in your lap. So, even though I am scared and excited about this opportunity, I know that things will work out. It's if I want to take the chance or not.

There is still a lot of other factors, such as my friends and family being in Toronto. And I also really love my job now, and the people I work with. So, there is definitely a lot of thought that has to be put into this. But it's nice to have the option there. Choices.... I'm very thankful for being fortunate enough to have them. Life would be easier without them, but definitely less interesting and less satisfying.