Something to think about....

I'm gonna link to one of my favourite bloggers, SO. This post made me sad.

Nostalgia

That's probably the best word to describe how I feel at the moment. After watching P.S. I Love You, I just couldn't get this song out of my head. It really resonated with me. I also really enjoyed the movie. Probably because I haven't read the book, yet.



***SPOILER WARNING***

P.S. I Love You is a chick flick based on a recently widowed woman, Holly. At the beginning of the movie, we see her and her husband have an argument. We also see their interaction, of how they are really in love. Very shortly after, we skip to her husband's funeral and find out that he has died of a brain tumor.

Throughout the movie, her husband (Gerard Butler) has left her letters and tasks to complete. For instance, she had to buy a nice outfit, and go Karaoke-ing with her friends. Another task was to take a vacation he booked for her and her friends. Each task would lead her closer to another letter. And he would always end off every letter with P.S. I Love You. Sometimes, we would be taken back in a flashback to the past and we see how the task links to parts of their relationship.

I know what you're thinking, chick flicks. They never work out like this in real life. True. I wish they did sometimes. But I wanted to share the last letter with you, because that was my favourite part of the movie. I love how it tied everything together. What a sweetheart :)

Dear Holly,

I don't have much time. I don't mean literally. I mean, you're out buying ice cream and I know you will be home soon.

But I have a feeling this is the last letter because there is only one thing left to tell you. It isn't to go down memory lane, or tell you to buy you a lamp. You can take care of yourself without any help from me.

It's to tell you how much you move me. How you changed me. You made me a man by loving me, Holly, and for that, I am eternally grateful. Literally.

If you can promise me anything, promise me that whenever you are sad, or unsure, or you lose complete faith, that you try to see yourself through me eyes.

Thank you for the honour of being my wife. I am a man with no regrets. How lucky am I? You made my life, Holly. But I am just one chapter in yours. There'll be more. I promise.

So here it comes. The big one. Don't be afraid to fall in love, again. Watch out for that signal, when life as you know it -- ends.

P.S. I will always love you.

In previous letters, we see how Holly and her late husband met. We also see how he fell in love with her. And we see how through their life together, she has changed. With stress from jobs, financial problems, we can see a comparison of the free-spirited, naive, passionate Holly to the Holly, present day.

With any major turn of event, whether it be losing a loved one, or taking a next step in life, or anything in between, I feel we all lose our footing on life sometimes. Just like Holly. Sometimes, we forget who we were (or are), and we become what we worry about.

Though it is much easier said than done, sometimes, we need to take a step back from our situation, and take a look around. See ourselves through another set of lens. And then, not being afraid to take the next step forward. Believe and trust that things will work out.

Like I said, much easier said than done. But I'm working on it.

In the meantime, after watching P.S. I Love You, I think I'm in love with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Gerard Butler. In that order. Maybe I need to go to Ireland. I like the accent :)

PS. Here is a clip of the ending. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving :)

I know that I probably posted this song before, but I'm not tired of it, yet. So here is the link again. I thought it was quite a fitting song to sum up some of my thought for Thanksgiving.

I think back to my childhood, and thought I'd share a few of my favourite small wonders.

1) Watching the leaves change colours

My dad used to take my family out for drives in the fall and we would drive down country sides or highways where we can just watch the array of colours of the leaves before us. I never thought much of it, but perhaps, it is a rare thing for a family to take the time out to do that. I still gasp and point out scenery as I drive down the DVP to this day. It still takes my breath away.

2) Christmas lights

Again, another family drive around the neighborhood (sometimes our neighborhood, sometimes not). My family is not very big on decorating with a lot of lights, but we would take drives and marvel at other peoples' creations. I think I want to bring it up this Christmas and go for a little drive. Only this time, my sisters and I will be about 15 years older than we were last time we did it. I'm sure we'll point and gasp just the same.

3) Watching airplanes

Back in the day, it was a big deal for a family member to go somewhere via airplane. My entire extended family would all gather at Pearson International to see them off. Even though my family didn't go anywhere. My favourite part about seeing other people off, was watching the airplanes afterwards. My family would go up to the old Terminal parking garage and watch the planes take off. One by one. It was beautiful watching the airplane take off against the lights of the city.

I think I even waved to them, thinking my relative would see me. Silly me.

To this day, I think it's amazing that a big piece of metal can fly. I know it can be explained by physics. I prefer to think it's magical.

4) Steamed birthday cakes

When we were little, we hardly ever bought birthday cakes because my family couldn't afford them. My mom would round up us kids, and together we would make the cake mix. Then we would watch my mom put it in the steamer. When the cake was done, my mom would let one of us (we would take turns) dip the end of a chop stick in red food colouring, and mark the middle of the cake with it.

5) Eating dinner together

I would take it for granted when we always ate dinner together through out my childhood and teenage years, until I went to university. I wouldn't understand how my parents would get upset if I was late for dinner. Now I miss it. It's so rare to have everyone home, and its always nice when we do. I would take having a simply meal at home, any day, over eating out.

6) Cooking fests

My sisters and cousins and I used to have "cooking fests" when we lived together. Basically, we go shopping the day of, and then buy all the ingredients for the week (or two). Then, we make our favourite dish (at the same time) in the kitchen and have a little potluck afterwards (and major clean up). They were always fun. I love how food brings people together!

There you have it. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Believing in "Magic"

One of my favourite places to be in the fall is on the Don Valley Parkway. I love driving down it, and just take in the array of colours. It's beautiful. The way each individual leaf is part of this tapestry of reds, browns, oranges and golds, is a little magical, is what I always thought of it as a kid. Of course, I've known for a while its due to the chlorophyll and cartenoids. But I still like to think of it as a little magic trick of mother nature.

I guess one of the things I'm realizing is that as we grow up, we gain more experiences. We (hopefully) become more wise, but at the same time, we have less new experiences, and sometimes, I feel that less things become special. Things that might have at one time, made us gasp in awe and surprise, might be merely met with a shrug now. It's like part of the "magic" is gone, and it scares me.

We stopped believing in Santa Claus. The fairy god mother. The tooth fairy. Which isn't that big of a deal. But when it comes to the issues that we all might face every day, would we be too cynical to believe in something that we want to happen but might be too shy to admit?

In a world where it seems that a risk factor or some sort of statistic can be calculated for almost everything -- from car insurance to divorce rates, from stocks to best sellers. Will people still believe in "magic?"

The magic in people. The magic of kindness. The magic of compassion. The magic in nature. The magic of love. The magic of forgiveness.

I hope that I may always take that leap -- no matter how difficult it is, and believe in the magic.

And so, life begins... and I ramble...

It's funny how you imagine things as a kid, and things turn out differently in actuality. Of course. If anything, I should've seen that one coming.

For some reason, I thought that after I graduated university, life itself would just fall into place. I would know who the heck I was, and be on my merry way.

Wrong.

I think I'm just starting to realize now, that I am still getting know myself. What makes me tick. What makes me happy. What I think is important. What I like. And don't like. These things are still changing.

In a way, it's kinda frustrating. You would think that I would know myself pretty well, by now. And the truth is, I do. But in the process of getting to know myself, I also realize there is so much more to know.

In a way, it's exhilerating. I mean, I think I know myself (almost) better than anyone else. I think. But it's refreshing to know that I am not the same person I was last year, or last month, or even last week. Keeps me on my toes. It's nice to always discover something new.

I just realized that I can't committ to TV shows. Too much committment and too many commercials. I can go through the box sets, but to be following a show every week -- that's asking too much. Can't do it.

You know what brought about this revelation? The part about knowing myself -- not the committment to TV shows. Last Friday spent with my dad. I had taken the day off to help out a friend with her wedding, but had some time to spare. My dad also had the day off, so we had some quality bonding time.

We went shopping. To Best Buy and The Bay. Believe it or not, my dad likes to shop more than my mom. haha. I guess I know where I get that gene from! Then we had some ice cream. Yay, for Laura Secord. Give me ice cream, and I can talk forever.

I told my dad that even though I am happy where I am right now, I feel like I should know what I want in the future. Where I see myself in 5 years, but I'm not sure if I do, and that was a little scary. I mean, I'm done university, and yet, I don't have my life figured out. When he was my age, he was all on his own, and had way more responsibilty than me. I just felt like I haven't really grown up, yet, since I can still count on him and my mom so much.

We had a nice heart to heart. He told me about how he met my mom. The longer version of how he came to be in Canada. The hardships of leaving home, of fleeing a country, of starting from nothing. What it was like living in Hong Kong after fleeing Vietnam. Then going to France, and later, Canada. The long, and sometimes, dangerous journey. But here, he was.

This was his life.

My life is different. My life is what I make it, and in many ways, my life is just starting. And my life has boundless opportunities. Sometimes, there will be highs, and sometimes, there will be lows. But what matters to me, that's up to me to decide.

Sometimes, I get worried about things, and I can be a little hard to deal with. Part of it comes from thinking too much. Though, I often see that as more of a fault than a perk, I have come to accept it's part of who I am. As a friend put it, sometimes, it's just about filtering the best thoughts and coming up with something productive.

I don't know where I will be in 5 years, but this is what I do know. I want to be happy. I want to laugh often. I don't have to be making lots of money, but I want to like what I do (note: I was going to use the word "love" but thought that might be too strong). I want to spend time with people I care about. I want to be active and healthy. I want to have a pet. This is what I do know. And I'm happy with it for now.

I don't have to have my life figured out, or even have "me" figured out. I'm still working on it. Thanks to my friends and family for supporting me.

Friday at the Office

J.D.: You know there are Star War fans in the office when ....

me: ... your boss is imitating a wookie.

A Moment with You

A love story. As honest as it can be.

Brought to you by the guys of WongFu Productions. If you haven't seen this YouTube clip on "Yellow Fever" by WongFu Productions, then you've been living under a rock. Honestly.

So I've become quite a fan of these guys over the past term or so. Especially during my procrastination for exams. Their clips are so funny, and these guys are just so creative. Did I mention that Phil Wang and Wes Chan are also pretty cute? You be the judge.

So when they came out with their first full length film, A Moment with You, I was just dying to watch it. My friend, Joe, was so sweet, she bought the DVD for my birthday! I finally watched the movie a couple weeks ago with my sister. I loved it.

So basically it's a love story that's realistic. I think that the movie definitely lived up to it. The scenery was beautiful. The actors were pretty good (of course, we're not talking about any Oscar award winning performances.) But most of all, I loved the way they portrayed relationships. Something that even many big budget Hollywood films fail to capture.

Relationships. Sometimes they are so simple, and sometimes they can be so complicated. I think it's safe to say that most of us in our twenty-somethings have brushed past "love" or some relationship with the opposite sex. Whether it be in the form of a long term or short relationship, a crush, a friendship we might of thought would be something more, or anything in between. We've all probably had some sort of baggage, and we've probably all been hurt before.

I think this film captures those doubts, hopes, joys and sadness so beautifully.

I'm going to briefly comment on the two main characters.

Meet Arthur. Your typical nerd. (For those of us from UW, we probably know a few "Arthurs.") He's 24 and he's never had a serious relationship before. He meets Alice, who is pretty, smart, spontaneous and fun. They start hanging out and he starts to develop feelings for her. But he also knows that she still thinks about her ex-boy-friend. He's not sure if she likes him as more than a friend and he's afraid to believe that a relationship with Alice could really be a possibility and take the chance.

Meet Dustin. Your typical outgoing guy. Unlike Arthur, he doesn't have any trouble meeting the ladies; however, the only girl he can think of is his ex-girlfriend, Lauren. All he can think about is the mistake he think he's made by breaking up with her, and what might have been. What if she sees that he's changed? Would they have a chance to be together? Randomly, at a party, Dustin bumps into a close friend in college, Natalie. They start hanging out, and she develops feelings for him. Yet, Dustin is so caught up in thinking about his ex-girlfriend that he doesn't even see his opportunity to give him and Natalie a chance.

We get glimpses into some of the characters' past, into some of the crucial moments which shape who they become. We watch how they struggle to come to terms with their past. With themselves. With each other. With the present.

Although I love the entire movie, two scenes really stood out for me. The honesty and raw feelings of the characters portrayed was just beautiful.

SPOILER WARNING HERE.

My first favourite scene. Dustin meets up with his ex-girlfriend when she comes to visit. He desperately wants to tell her that he's changed and he can be a better boyfriend: he wants another chance. He doesn't want to just drift away from her life. Going against his better judgment, he spills his guts to her when they exchange good byes. This is their conversation.

D: Do you people just come and go so easily?

L: Sometimes that's the way it has to be.

D: And what if you don't want that someone to go?

L: It's not always your choice.

D: Is it ever worth trying?

L: I guess it depends on the situation.

D: And us? .... I don't want to be a stranger to you.

L: You aren't.

D: I will be... If something doesn't happen right now.

L: What can happen?

D: I can show you that I'm different.

L: That's not always enough, Dustin. I'm different, too.

D: I think about the moments that pass us by. And only certain ones stick with us... As time passes, everything we go through, loses it's realness. They all just become stories. And memories... Lauren, I don't want what we had to become another story. I want it to be real.

L: What we had was real. It will always be real to me.

D: I guess it will just be a matter of time, then.

L: Dustin, I promise. You will never be a stranger to me. I won't let it happen. I can't let it happen. What you showed me. What you were to me. No one can replace. I'm not afraid because you are a part of me. And I can never lose that.

D: Thank you. I love you.

L: I know.

***************

My second favourite scene. Arthur and Alice had a wonderful date at the art gallery. They are talking and the night ended suddenly when she got a call from her ex-boyfriend. Alice doesn't come by in a while. Arthur thinks they have gotten back together. He is sitting in the park where him and Alice used to frequent when Alice comes by. They go for a walk and share this conversation.

A: So. Uh. Where have you been lately? Haven't seen you around at all.

Al: I guess I just got a lot on my mind.

A: Hey Alice. Ummm. I don't really know if it's my place to say it. But I'm glad that things worked out between you and Jeff. I know that you guys had something special together. It's all good.

Al: Arthur...

A: I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope that we can still be friends. Because you are a nice girl. No one's really made me feel special before.... So....

Al: We didn't get back together.

A: How come?

Al: What would make you think that we did?

A: Well, I knew that you were still thinking about him, a lot. And that night, when he called, I guess, I just thought that you went over to his house. You guys talked. And .... I hadn't seen you in a while so I just thought you guys worked it out, and got back together.

Al: That's a lot of things to assume.

A: But, when we were hanging out, you did miss him, though, didn't you?

Al: Yea. I did. [pause] But the more time I spend with you. The more I realize that my happiness did not depend on him, anymore.

A: What happened that night?

Al: Well, you're right. I did go see him. And we did talk. But I realized that night. That what I was missing was a memory. And memories are nice to have, but they are not real, anymore. What's real is that Jeff and I are different people, now. What's real, is that I'm here with you. And I like it. I think we found something good here, Arthur.

A: Yea. Me, too.

*************

I think we can all relate to someone or a moment in this movie. The traits and experiences of the characters are so typical that they can apply to almost everyone. At one point or another, I think we can all relate to Arthur's shyness, Dustin's confusion, Natalie's frustration or Alice's attachment. These moments are so normal -- they can happen everyday -- and yet, so extraordinary when shared with that special someone.

People are complex. People are not perfect. Same with relationships. It's how we are able to deal with it which determines the outcome. Some are worth fighting for. Others, you just learn to move on and cherish all the good parts. How do you know which is which? Who knows. But one thing is for sure.

Life is made up of moments. Little moments. Moments which define who we are. Moments which can make us a little more happier. Or moments which make us sad. A hug. A kiss. A tear. An ending. A new beginning.

Moments

I think about all the moments that pass us by, and only certain ones stay with us.

- from "A Moment with You"

Being a Grown Up

.... or at least pretending to be, anyway.

There is so much to do, and so little time.

That phrase seems to come out way too often this summer. Don't get me wrong, because I am definitely not complaining -- I like it so far. My days are spent at work, and then either sports or going out.

I guess, I'm just realizing, I'm starting to become a grown up, now. Drats.

Things I started to do:

• Make TO DO lists, since I will most likely forget it if I don't
• Require at least 2 night's of normal sleep to catch up on a night of partying or another late outing
• Cook my own food because I like knowing exactly what I'm eating
• Buying things like shampoo, conditioner and other toiletries in bulk when they are on sale
• Looking into buying furniture to furnish my new apartment
• Being cheap and skimping on most things in order to save for bigger items -- like my "girl's bed"
• Getting a matching sheet set -- finally!!!
• Looking to buy a used car
• Exclaiming "Oh my! Haven't you grown so much!" and meaning it every time I see my little cousins.
• Attending weddings. (This is going to get expensive.)
• Pay in cash so that I can better keep track of my expenses

And this is a list I found which I thought would be fun to share.

25 Signs that, sadly, you've grown up.

1. Your house plants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.
2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.
4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.
5. You hear your favorite song on an elevator.
6. You watch the Weather Channel.
7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up.
8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.
9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."
10. You're the one calling the police because those damn kids next door won't turn down the stereo.
11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.
12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.
13. Your car insurance goes down and your payments go up.
14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonalds leftovers.
15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.
16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6 PM.
17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.
18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle your stomach.
19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.
20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff".
21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.
22. "I just can't drink the way I used to," replaces, "I'm never going to drink that much again."
23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.
25. You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and can't find one to save Your sorry old ass.

Most of those don't apply to me. Whew. Who said jeans and a sweater don't count as dressing up?! What if it's a nice sweater and dark jeans.... That counts, right?

And I hope that my relatives would never feel that comfortable to tell sex jokes around me. Gross.

On another note, I hope that when I run over No Frills after work today, they still have some shampoo and conditioner left in stock. It is their Dollar Sale, after all. If there are any left, I'm buying enough to last me a year. Trust me, you can't get "Sunsilk" for $2 anytime you want!

I also JUST bought my first bed, ever. It was a mattress and box spring set from Sleep Country's "Mix and Match" sale. It is SOOOO comfortable, and I can't wait to sleep in it next month.

I wasn't sure if I wanted a queen or double size, but my dad said to me, "Why do you need a queen size?" So double, it is. Now, to get the bed frame I want from Ikea!

See, I feel like I'm playing "house." But instead of plastic miniature furniture, I get to play with life sized ones. Life sized ones that can get really expensive. It's like I'm pretending to be a grown up.

A "Guy's Bed"

I just realized that I have been sleeping in a "guy's bed" for the past few years of my life. Ok. Get your mind out of the gutter. Let me explain what I mean by "guy's bed."

cat's definitions (with ideas taken from a post by my bloggy buddy, SO@24)

guy's bed: a bed that is functional. Most likely has a maximum of one pillow -- despite it being larger than a twin or single size bed. The thread count is most likely at a minimum -- whatever was on sale at Zellers or Wal-Mart during the big back to school sale.

girl's bed: a bed that is not only functional, but also comfortable and pretty. There are at least 2 pillows and probably a couple more "throw pillows", at least one (cute and furry) teddy bear, sheets are soft and silky -- at least 800 - 1000 thread count. The comforter probably comes in a matching set to the pillows and sheets. Not only is it a place to catch some zzz's, but its also a little slice of heaven.

So, now that I am a young, working professional. I am ready to buy my first piece of furniture -- which, for your information, is going to be a bed. I love my sleep, so this is going to take some research and investigation. I am determined to sleep in a "girl's bed", by the time I move into my new apartment in October. With my many soft and comfy pillows and matching sheet sets.

Ikea. Here I come. We're going to be seeing a lot of each other this summer. :)

ZZyzx Road

Ok. So it's the only song in my playlist. And maybe when you log onto my blog, the first thing you do is turn off the music. Maybe you like reading my random thoughts, but think I have terrible taste in music. Just trust me. This song is worth listening to.

I love the way it builds up. I love the piano. And I love the way it just rocks out at the end. Oh, and I love his voice. I just love this song. The lyrics are good, too.

Did I mention I have had this song on repeat for the last week? I've been streaming it. I'm not used to downloading stuff without DC++.

I Get Free Stuff!!!

That's right. I get free stuff. Apparently my blog qualifies me for free stuff. Awesome!

There was a comment left from a reader who does marketing for matchsticks.com, and I get to sample stuff and then write about it (if I choose to). Good or bad. Whatever.

My first package is being couriered to me in a couple weeks, and I'm excited.

Ok, so its some tampons and other stuff for that time of the month. But that stuff is important. Never under estimate the power of a strong and comfortable tampon. You know what I'm talking about, ladies. Gentlemen, if only you knew half the crap we have to put up with every month. I'm just saying.

Anyway. Stay tuned. Or if you want some of this free stuff -- cuz I'm sure there is more than enough to go around -- message me. I love giving away free stuff.

Wedding Mathematics

So, the girls and I decided to go for some sushi this past weekend. Yummy. I have yet to find a better deal than Hosu down on Queen St.

Anyway, as we were chowing down on our respective sashimi and bento boxes, we got to discussing weddings and all the money that goes into them. Maybe it's because it seems like everyone is getting married right now, and here we are, taking our sweet time, enjoying the single life.

We talked about things like engagement rings, bridal gown, rental halls, catering, cakes, decorations, bands, photographers, etc etc. Then, there is the honey moon. That's a lot of money.

Now, I've always thought of myself as a hopeless romantic, but I would much rather use the money on the honey moon and as a down payment on a house. We're not talking about a little bit of money here, usually weddings are really expensive. I'm talking upwards of $10, 000 - $30 000. I guess I have a problem when I don't "see" the result of my money, whether it be in an object (like a house) or an experience (honey moon).

In fact, I think of all the stress that comes with organizing a wedding. I guess it's supposed to be the "perfect" day. All I can think about is stress when I think of "big, perfect" weddings.

That's not to say that I don't like weddings. My bff from high school is getting married this September. Trust me, I am super duper excited for her. She's of an Indian background, so I guess it's almost a given that she has a big wedding. I know that it will be gorgeous, and perfect for her. I just can't imagine myself going through something like that. I would definitely be too stressed out.

As an engineer, I am supposed to figure out if project is worth undertaking. And, no matter how I think about it, I can't seem to understand how one day can gobble up so much money -- and be worth it. I know it's supposed to be the most important day of your life. But isn't a marriage about two people who love each other working together? I'm not sure where the expensive wedding comes in and how it is justified. Unless, of course, someone else is paying for it. lol.

And the engagement ring. I think they are absolutely gorgeous. Don't get me wrong, I love jewelery. I remember feeling super special when I got this diamond necklace from my ex one Christmas. (He even got his friends to go with him to pick out the perfect cut. He said it was really embarrassing, but I thought it was adorable!) But back to the point. Engagement rings cost a lot of money. Is it really fair to expect the guy to fork over the money for it? Or maybe it is better used as part of the down payment for a house?

This is really my point of view. And it's not because I am single (and fabulous ;] ), I had the same views even when I was in long term relationship. The math just doesn't make any sense.

My Sexy Love

Blogging because ...

I'm not sure if I really love blogging. I just thought that was a cute picture.

It's funny, I was reading my friend's blog on why she likes to blog. She explained herself really well in this post. Might I add, she is an awesome writer, and I love reading her stuff.

I like to blog because I find it therapeutic. A lot of times, it is a lot easier for me to put on paper (or on screen) my thoughts than it is through conversations. There's a bit more of a filter that it goes through, and it's almost as though, thoughts make more sense when written. It's also nice to have feedback sometimes, so I don't feel like I'm talking to a wall. You know, the odd comment I get once in a blue moon:)

I like to read. Recently (read: exam procrastination time) I have gotten to reading other people's blogs. Some have just captivated me, and I just keep coming back for more. I will share a couple of my favourites shortly. I guess, as I blog reader, sometimes we feel like we know the person we're reading about. Which is sort of true and sort of not.

For instance, on anonymous blogs, people spill their guts out. Their thoughts, their dreams, their hopes, their rants, their sex lives (or lack of). You name it, and I'm sure you can find a blog on it. In those cases, you may know actually know a lot more of your writer than perhaps, even some of their friends.

However, if the blog is not anonymous -- like mine, you might get to see a different side of the person. Maybe not the side you would usually see if you just met me, or had a conversation with me. But what you read, is what I choose to share. You know my favourite tunes. You know my rants and strong opinions on books and other such things. There's more to me that this -- a lot more -- of course, but I ain't writing it all here. That's all.

So anyway, onto blogs that I love. I might ramble on, but trust me, these blogs are worth checking out!

Meet the honest, hilarious and caring Mr. Starting Over at 24 aka SO@24. SO@24 dated a girl for 6 years (wow!) throughout high school and university. Then they broke up not long after he graduated and here he was. 24 years old, and starting over. He had no idea how to tackle the dating scene which most people had experienced by that time. He shares with us his thoughts, his adventures, his confusion, and his triumphs.

His writing is honest and funny; I always look forward to what new adventures he is up to. It's also interesting reading things from a guy's perspective, too. I was able to relate to a lot of his posts, and it's a great feeling knowing (not just believing) that other people have gone through similar stuff.

It was interesting reading his older posts and comparing them to his recent ones. This single guy has come a long way. From not being able to get his ex out of his mind, to his emo posts, to trying to be friends, to being "grown ups", and talking about some not-so-comfortable-topics. I'm happy for him :) Some of my favourite post include his first kiss, his thoughts on the "good stuff" and "keeping the faith." These are some of his more serious ones, but trust me, he's hilarious. Oh, and his roommate, Leo. He. Is. Hot.

Another blogger I love to read is Single+Cats with the pen name A Martini Always Helps. I agree, martinis work wonders. No, I am not an alcoholic. Reading her blog is like sitting down with a girl friend, sipping on drinks, and having her update you on her fabulous life. She has a great way of narrating that's really fun. She has many adventures with dashing young men -- sweet Italy, hot Hollywood, or is-he-gay- Cute Poet.

Sometimes her posts are more serious, where she discusses topics, like dealing with depression or how to let go of someone and stand up for yourself. She kind of reminds me of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. So just pour yourself a glass of Martini (or beer, whatever you prefer) and read about her life. Trust me, she is no cat lady.

Update: Shoot. After I wrote all this, I realized her blog is gone. Drats. Sorry, if I got your hopes up. I'll miss her blog :(

One of favorite bloggers was Valley Girl. She is a twenty-something working in the beautiful Silicon Valley -- hence, the name Valley Girl. She writes about everything from her favourite clothes and her (deep breath) Marc Jacob's bag collection (!!!), to her love life, to her sex life, to her battle with depression, to issues with her family (daddy issues), her ex husband, her past abusive relationships, and she even wrote about her abortion. Her posts are full of wit, charm, and heart.

Unfortunately, her blog is now gone, and I miss it. My favourite entry was when she wrote about her past relationship which was abusive. That was the one where she became pregnant and made the decision to have the abortion -- a decision which she still struggles to come to terms with today.

It was beautifully written, and very, very touching. In the end, she says that after she got out of that relationship, she met another man. An older one, who was successful and treated her very well. And suddenly, it hit her, that this is how she deserved to be treated. And after she has been treated like gold, there was no way that she would ever put up with being treated the way her ex boyfriend treated her, again.

OK, last one. Meet Ms. Fabulously Broke in the City aka FB. FB's blog focuses on finances and she gives great tips on how to manage your money. She also writes a bit on fashion, conducts interviews with other bloggers, and the many other thoughts which crosses her mind. I just started reading FB's blog not too long ago, so I don't have too many links in mind. However, I just downloaded her spreadsheet and am thinking of upgrading to her new $15 one. Yep, it's that good.

So there you have it. Another fuel for procrastination.

It's funny when I think back. In elementary school, you were forced to do activities, such as reading, writing, sports, art classes, etc etc. Now, I do those things because I love doing them. Writing has now become a part of me, and I blog not only because I can, but because I love it.

There, I said it :)

A Nerd, I am ... Sort of

Have you heard of the show called "The Big Bang Theory"? Apparently, smart is the new sexy. When did this happen?

Cat's inner monologue: Gee, this would've come in handy during high school. I wonder if it is now cool to be on the yearbook committee and the stock market club. I'll pass the message onto my little cousins.

All I can say is that the show is awesome! Made esspecially for nerds like moi. I can understand most of the jokes and I think they're funny. Not to mention all the nerdy awkwardness. Wow. Halo nights? Puh- lease. Am I in Waterloo, again? Indeed, television is making progress. Either that, or I'm missing university just a little. Just a little.

Anyway, after watching way too many episodes of this awesome show the past long weekend. I thought it might be funny to post an email between a mathie and an engineer. Mathies always make fun of engineers because we guestimate. In turn, engineers make fun of mathies because they always have to prove every last detail. It's funny (at least to me). You know, going with the nerd theme and all.

Mathie: I think I need to work on making less food. I haven't cooked in awhile so I'm losing my perception of quantity. Estimating was never one of my strong suits. I'm not an engineer.

Eng: "You mathies need to prove everything to the most minute detail. [enter scoff] Ha! And you make fun of us engineers for estimating. Muahahahaha."

Mathie: "We're being thorough, hence, before the term is through I will have aformula named after me. [Mathie] Theorem: By inputting certain parameters the formula will output the exact amount of each ingredient needed to produce the perfect portion size."

Eng: "Right. You do that. I will continue to estimate. Mathies. Pfff."

The next day, I get an email titled "I figured out the equation" and I was actually excited. But, no, Mathie was just pulling my leg. He didn't figure it out. It was dissappointing.

On the topic of nerdiness, I am still not an authentic nerd, unfortunately. I cannot deal with computers. My laptop is running in safe mode, and that is the only way it will work. I think there's something wrong with my registry. Every time I boot up, I just get the wallpaper. No icons, no start menu, no nothing. Any suggustions would be much appreciated.

Note to self: Back up things more often. Computer / electrical / software engineers cannot be trusted to make a program that actually works.

Family Matters -- Rohinton Mistry

I will be meeting up with my lovely travel mates this weekend and finally swapping (or getting) photos to post up on FB and to write about here. Until then, the blog must go on, and I have been absolutely itching to write about the novel I read while drifting along the Nile.
Doesn't that picture just look so poetic? I read while drifting along in a felucca, just like this one. Life is now complete.

******* Spoiler Warning *******

First off, I have to say that I absolutely adore Rohinton Mistry. He is an amazing writer. His writing is simple -- no colourful sentences, but they are so raw and beautiful, they bring tears everytime. He writes about simple, everyday life. I think a common theme is the impact of our simple gestures.

Family Matters takes place in present day Bombay (now Mumbai, though I like the sound of Bombay more). It looks at the family of Nariman Vakeel, including his step daughter Coomy, step son Jal, his daughter Roxana and her family (husband, Yezad and her two young boys, Murad and Jehangir).

Nariman has Parkinson's disease. After an accident where he injures his ankle, he is no longer able to care for himself. He relies on the help of his step children's care including using the bathroom, cleaning himself and other daily necessities. His step children are too squeamish and too proud to care for him and deceitfully place him in the care of his daughter. Roxana lives in a tiny one bedroom apartment with her husband and two young children.

In the duration of his time at Roxana's, we see how the family struggles financially and emotionally. We also see the family pull through with their love and compassion for one another. We see them go to extremes in order to try to take care of one another. Our heart strings are pulled at the simplest actions made with the greatest of love --sometimes, at the cost of their dignity. The line between what is right and wrong is blurred because we know the reasons behind the actions.

We also see that Nariman is haunted by his unrequited love for his young sweetheart, Lucy. They fell in love and dated for almost ten years, but since he was Parsi and she was Goan, it was an uphill battle, and they gave up on their love. He married a widow with two young children, and hoped to leave his old life -- and love -- behind. It wasn't easy for him or his new family. Lucy and their love haunted this new family, and slowly, we are shown the devastation it caused.

The deep love shared between Roxana and Yezad is very obvious, but we quickly see the strain on this relationship caused by Nariman moving into this cramped apartment. Their little rituals of goodbye kisses, followed by a wave from the balcony -- which they have never failed in their 15 years of marriage -- would be replaced by feelings of frustration, anger, and loneliness.

Roxana is exhausted after caring for her father, husband and their two sons. However, she tries to keep all their routines and rituals the same, for the sake of Yezad and the boys. There is not enough money to buy food and pay for her father's medicine.

Yezad is tired of his father-in-law staying in their cramped apartment. He can't stand the smell of urine that happens in the morning when Nariman needs to go. Why must his family suffer, just because Nariman's step children are too selfish to care for him? He also realizes that he is not making enough money to pay for Nariman's medicine and support his family. Yezad has never gambled in his life. He knows it is wrong. But, the lady next door seems to have very good fortune with guessing lottery numbers.

We see compassion even in the two boys. This is one of my favourite moments of the entire stories. Murad (the older brother) loved to tease Jehangir about being naive and gullible. One of the topics they debated was Santa Claus. Jehangir refused to believe in Santa, even though Murad tried in vane to convince him otherwise.

There was obviously no such thing as allowance in this household. However, Murad had been saving his bus fare -- hence walking home from school everyday -- to buy his little brother a Christmas present, three books.

On Christmas Eve, he sneaks into where Jehangir slept to put it into his stocking. Jehangir actually awoke from some noises in the house. He saw his brother walking towards his stocking. This was his chance to catch him red-handed and prove once and for all that Santa Claus did not exist. That'll show Murad, Jehangir thought. But something stopped him.

Jehangir got ready to pounce. Now? He hesitated. He could see Murad's expression, the little smile that flickered. There was tenderness in his brother's face.

Suddenly he understood why Murad wanted him to believe in Santa Claus: not to make a fool of him, but because he wanted him to enjoy the story... [A story that] let you imagine there was a better world somewhere else. You could dream of a place where there was lots to eat... a place where there was no beggars, no sickness, and no one died of starvation. And once a year, a jolly fat man brought gifts for good children...

All this was what Murad wanted for him. To jump up in bed and say, I caught you, you can't trick me, would be so mean. [Jehangir] shut his eyes tight, not moving a muscle.

-- Mistry, Rohinton. "Family Matters" p323

It is moments like this. So simple, and yet so full of love and compassion in the smallest of actions -- and written so eloquently -- that make this book so beautiful, so sad and so endearing.

I thought the epilogues was also very fitting. I guess throughout the novel, we feel that the cramped apartment and lack of money was the root of this family's unhappiness. It certainly caused a lot of problems for them. There was a happy ending, and this family moved to a big house with plenty of room, and they have enough money to live comfortably. Yet, they face new dilemmas and there are new family problems in their new large home. Some characters changed, some stayed the same, and some just grew up.

I guess that's why this book is called Family Matters. It's very appropriate. Most families have problems -- whether they be large or small. What it means to be a family is how you choose to face the problems and how to overcome them. With love and compassion, or with out. When one problem is solved, another one usually arises. Happiness is not static, and neither is a family. It's not just the circumstances of a situation that make it a good or bad one -- its the attitude you have towards it.

Unlike an action packed book where my eyes are racing to the next paragraph to find out what happens next. I read every word of this novel. I wanted to soak it all in and enjoy every line. Sometimes I reread an entire chapter, or scene, because it's just so beautiful. So emotional. I shouldn't read books like this in public. lol.

You should read this book. If you made it this far, I think I caught your attention:) If you know me, feel free to ask me to borrow it!

Graduation Thoughts

As a recent grad, I've been going through somewhat of a roller coaster of emotions making the transition into the working "real" world. Though I'm not used to posting notes on FB, I would like to share some thoughts with many of you.

First off, I want to take the opportunity to say a big "thank you" to the many people who have made my 5 years at UW so enjoyable and so memorable. My family top this list, with their never failing support, love and belief in me. My friends, for always making me laugh and standing by me. My fellow teammates and club mates, for putting up with my lack of coordination (dodge ball, volley ball, dragon boating and salsa) and having a great time, all the same. My co-workers, for their patience and guidance. I wouldn't be the same person without you.

Reading through some of the yearbook entries, I think it's safe to say that many of us feel the same way, so I am no different.

I would like to share the most important lesson I have learned after these few years.

Life does not turn out the way you plan it.

It is simple, and yet so complex. It is messy. It can be heart breaking. It can be scary. It can be rewarding. It is humbling.

To live fully, is to live passionately. To not be afraid. To risk getting hurt for what or whom you believe in.

Because if you choose to live your life in a safety net, you never get a chance to discover all the wonders the world holds or your place in this intricate balance.

There is great wisdom in both failure and success.

This is how I choose to live my life this way. And I hope to become a wiser, stronger and more compassionate individual.

Thanks for all your support and thanks for reading. I leave you with my favourite Grey's quote.

"Knowing is better than wondering,
Waking is better than sleeping,
Failure, even the worst,
Beats the hell out of never trying."
-- Grey's Anatomy

I'm BACK!!! :)

It feels great to be home -- always the best part of any journey.

I have been keeping a travel journal and have done pretty well with keeping up with most of it. I still have to add the last days of Egypt and the Germany parts. Other than that, my adventures in the land of the sun (Egypt), has been well documented with all of our quirkiness and stories.

First things, first though. I must do some serious laundry, make some phone calls, eat up some yummy home cooked food, watch the food network, pick out something decent for convo tomorrow...

So updates will probably be up in the next week or so. As some of you might know (news spreads fast in my family) my camera was stolen in the markets of Cairo, so I will need to get some of the photos from my travel buddies. So stay tuned!

I thought it would be neat to share a list of the things I missed while traveling.

* My family
* Laundry with a laundry machine instead of by hand-- painful
* Veggies and rice (my family bet on which one I would miss more)
* My music -- no iPod for 5 weeks
* Singing aloud to tunes
* My laptop
* Cooking (can't wait to try out my spices from Egypt!)
* Wearing shorts
* Seeing signs in English
* Timmie's everything bagel with herb'n garlic cream cheese
* Fruits
* My bed
* Conditioner (my poor hair has been baked in the desert sun)
* Bubble baths

The above is in no particular order.

Ok, enough time wasted. Must do laundry. Ciao!

Egypt Update 02

We have been in Aswan for yesterday and today. Today was pretty relaxing, we took a walk up to the Nubian Museum. Man, its hot out even in the morning. Then we saw the unfinished obelisk in the afternoon. We waited until later (for it to cool down) until we headed out again, this time out to Elephantine Island to visit the Nubian Villages.

We will be leaving for Abu Simbel at 3am tomorrow morning (that's where they have Ramsee's temple.) Then later tomorrow, we will be catching a boat -- known as the felucca -- and crusing the Nile for about 2 days and 2 nights until we reach Luxor (where there is the Valley of the Kings).

We have taken a lot of pictures and are getting a little tired of the heat and the temples, but they are still cool none the less. The 2 days on the felucca will be a good break from sight seeing, and just crusing the Nile should be aweome. Though 2 days of no showering is not exactly my cup of tea, but I guess that's the price of the cruise.

We had some really good Egyptian food today. I had pigeon, for the first time. I also bought some spices from the market place last night. My mom would really like it here. They bargain here like no tomorrow. Although it is interesting and fun, it is also very tiring.

Until then, goodnite, and take care!

Egypt Update

Hellos all,

Thanks for checking back! I am now in Egypt!!! Have arrived here a couple of days ago, and just took the night train to Aswan and arrived this morning. Finally got to shower. Walking around in a desert all day is tiring and dirty, so this shower was a. maz. ing. :)

My few days in Germany was very fun and relaxing. We stayed with my friend, Carmen, relatives and they spoiled us with foods. Lots of it. They also had 4 little kids, ages 10, 7, 6 and 3. They were so much fun, and had so much energy. I won't be posting any pictures yet, the connection is a little slow and internet costs money. But, here is a brief update of what I have been up and will be doing (I took it out of an email I send home -- yes, I am lazy)

Enjoy!!!
.......................................................................................

Been in Egypt for a couple of days now. Though it seems to be longer. Egypt is awesome, it was a little intimidating at first, but now I think that we are getting more used to it.

The three of us stick out like sore thumbs, and feel somewhat like zoo animals being watched all the time. Though I just think it's cus they don't see a lot of Asian people around here. They are friendly and like to joke around a lot. We have all gotten a few marriage proposals. LOL.

One of my favourite pick up lines:
guy: Miss, you dropped something back there.
me: I did?
guy: Yes, miss. You dropped my heart. **holds hand to chest**

Too funny.

We went to see the Pyramids yesterday and I rode on a camel! The pyramids are so huge and it was really amazing. At midday, it is extremely hot in Egypt, although it is dry and not humid at all.

Last night we took a night train to get to Aswan. Here we will be visiting some temples and the High Dam. And there IS such thing as Kom Ombo!! Its a small place with a temple there and we are going there in a few days. We will also be riding along the Nile on a Felucca.

Count down to Egypt and Germany

I'm about 48 hours away from leaving my house for my graduation trip.

I don't like having long count downs, you know - 17 weeks until [enter super fun activity here]. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it just makes me feel old. Like my life isn't really worth living until then. 48 hours, I can deal with not doing much except running around like a maniac to prepare for my trip. (ISIC card, USD, EuroRail Pass, Canadian flag pin, etc etc)

So I'm a travel junkie. This started when I had a work term in Boston (first time I stepped foot off of Canadian soil!), and then my 4 months of exchange in Singapore last year consisted of various adventures in Malaysia (Kuala Lampur and Taman Negara), Indonesia, Thailand (Bangkok and Krabi), Vietnam and Cambodia. Major, major dosage of traveling for myself, a newbie. Then a couple of short trips, with my family to Cuba and Montreal last summer. Tres fun.

[Note: You can click on the green words to read about that archived post, instead of searching through my many archives]

Traveling was like having my eyes opened for the first time to all the wonders I had no idea existed in the world. I felt so naive and ignorant. So insignificant, yet realize it is people -- individual much like you and I -- who shape the history of our world. Since it was my first time traveling, I was learning a lot. I was lucky to have friends who have had some experience traveling before, and they were equipped with Lonely Planet guides and first aid kits, and other essentials.

I also learned a lot myself. I learned that I loved learning about different cultures and also about where I came from. My dad was born in Vietnam and my mom was born in Cambodia. I was blessed to have the opportunity to visit their homeland.

I knew (not just believed) how fortunate I was to be born in Canada and have so many opportunities (freedom, women's rights, education - to name a few) that many people can only dream about. I learned that how fortunate I was to be given the opportunity to be multi-lingual, and how there are so many languages I want to learn. I also learned how much culture is reflected in the languages of different countries. In my feeble attempt to learn Vietnamese.

I learned that no matter where I go, no matter how many cool sites I see, the best part of journey is coming home and being able to share it with the people I cared about. My family and friends.

I also learned a lot about myself as a traveler. I learned that I am definitely not a country hopper. I would much rather spend more time in one single country and immersing myself in it's culture than seeing many countries in a short amount of time. It feels unjust for me to spend only a couple of days in country and claiming I have "been there."

I also don't like to be bossed around. You know those Chinese tours, where they stop at a city and you have 15 minutes to explore before you're herded back onto the bus for another 10 hour ride. Yea. Not my cup of tea. It feels unjust to the country I am visiting and to myself and others who are visiting.

So unless the place I'm traveling to is unsafe without a guide (ie. trekking in the Himilayas, Central and South American (?) ), I usually try to stay away from tours. Another exception is when I want to learn a lot the history, especially at historically significant sites. I can only get so much from staring at rubble :)

I will keep updating this blog with stories of my travels, so check back if you are interested. In the meantime, here are some of the things on our itinerary for Egypt:

Watching Egyptian Belly dancing. Maybe take some classes? So beautiful!
Visiting the port of Alexandria. Named after Alexander the Great from the Greek Empire.
Of course, the Pyramids of Giza. I have to ride a camel here.
Visiting the Western Desserts. Ever heard of sand surfing? What else would you do in a dessert, right?Diving in the Red Sea. I heard they have awesome wreck dives. Good thing I know how to swim this time around!
Visiting Mount Sinai. Isn't this gorgeous?
Visiting the mosques and museums of Cairo.
Visiting Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. Hello, Ramses the Great and King Tut.

King Tut was actually a very insignificant figure in terms of contribution to the Egyptian History, but more to come on that later.
Of course, I have to ride a felucca along the Nile. This looks so peaceful and gorgeous.
__________________________
Update 1: My song list is now updated. The theme is "girl power" :)
__________________________
Update 2: So I decided to take a look through my old blog posts. Horrible. Very bad grammar, and not too many pictures. So I took a couple hours this morning to go through them and make them a little more presentable. They also have some pretty pictures in them to keep you entertained.

The links are found above in the third paragraph. Just click on green works for the respective posts. Or you click on the "travel" label at the bottom of this post to get all my travel related posts. Toodles!

Made of Honor

One word: McHotsalot

Boys vs Girls: On "friendship"

So my girlfriends and I got to talking the other day about relationships and friendships between guys and girls. There have been many such conversations before on this topic, and there seems to be trend regarding "friendships".

Girls: We categorize guys into one of two groups: friends or more than friends. There is nothing in between. That complicates things.

Boys: They don't categorize. Girls are girls. Friends can become more than friends, it depends.

One of the most frustrating things for a girl, is to not know where she stands, and which category the guy fits into. I mean, it's ok to be stuck in between for a short while, when you're figuring out if they are one or the other, but not for a long time. Based on the categorization, she can go from there into either 1) friend mode or 2) more than friend mode. My girlfriends and I thought this was fairly straight forward, no? Fellas?

I get to wear a Sari!!

So, my bff from high school is getting married! So the next couple of months after coming back from Germany and Egypt, I'll be busy running errands for the soon-to-be-bride.

I've mostly been to Chinese weddings, and I have to say that they are so boring. It's nice, but boring. Lots of picture taking, waiting, and talking, until - finally - the food arrives.

A few years ago, my neighbor's son got married and my family was invited. It was so much fun! Lots of music, dancing and other festivities. You don't really get that at a Chinese wedding, most of the ones I've been to are very formal. I don't believe Chinese people dance. I don't believe it's in the genes.

Anyway, all I know is that I get to wear a Sari! I'm so excited. They are so beautiful and graceful. Though I think they look best on Indian women. I hope that I may be able to bring some justice to the sari when I wear mine. And I really hope I don't do something silly and trip on mine.

Doesn't Katherine Heigl just look gorgeous in the sari. Well, actually, she just looks good anything. Tres jealous. :)

Yummm.... Daikon Cake

All my life, I have known this dish to be "white carrot cake" until last night. This is one of my all time favourite dishes to order at dim sum. It's such a comfort food, and so tasty.

Anywho, this weekend, Daikon was on sale at the local supermarket (4 for $1) and some we bought a bunch. Last night, my mom decided to make this Daikon cake, and teach me how to do it, as well.

If you know me, I'm a 30 minute kind of cook. One of the things I learned about Chinese cooking is that there can be a tonne of preparation. And me, well, I'm all about the short cuts. There were no short cuts about this dish, so I was a bit skeptical if I would ever tackle it on my own.

Turns out the dish was quite simple to make, though it did take some time. I think I can do it.

This is my mom's quick recipe. (I have to check the packages for sizes)

Ingredients:
2 medium sized Daikon shredded
1 package of rice flour
1/3 package of wheat flour
sugar, salt, pepper, sesame oil and green onions to flavour
stirred fried mushrooms, dried shrimps, sausage (whatever you like)
water
oil

1. Peel and shred the Daikon. Cook in boiling water.

2. Mix rice flour, wheat flour, and seasonings together. Slowly add water to mixture and mix until it is a creamy consistency. Add a little oil to mixture.

3. Pour in creamy mixture to boiling Daikon mixture and stir.

4. Turn the heat to low and continue stirring out lumps. Add in stirred fried ingredients and mix.

5. Transfer mixture to a well oiled pan and steam for about 40 minutes.

6. Serve "soft" or pan fried (must wait for it to cool overnight, first) with your choice of sauce. I like my dad's fish sauce with hot sauce.

I know the directions are rough, but I found another site with a recipe that seems more precise.

Though I still stick to my 30 minute meals, this could be a nice for special occasions :)

My summer jeans.

American Eagle Low Waist Hipster. My favourite pair of jeans last summer. It was perfectly stonewashed and faded. It fit around my everything just perfectly. Until Cuba happened. And Montreal happened.

For me, traveling = food, lots of food. Usually all the walking and sweating compensates, but there's not much compensating lying on the beach. That's when I learned my metabolism had indeed slowed down.

Now, I don't have a bad body image, and will always be a foodie. But it just hurt my ego - just a little - when my favourite jeans didn't fit last term. Or this term. Until ... TODAY!!!

Oh, the perks of stress and school. How I will miss thee. I can now fit - quite snugly back into them. Now if only I had the cash to go shopping...

Un question pour Monsieur KFC...

What's wrong with dad cooking??

C'est tout.

Writing...

"When I write, I can hear my voice. And it's a lot nicer than the one I hear when I speak."
-- Eve

I have missed thou...

Being at school, without a TV, I have been on a Food Network "diet" so to speak. So this morning, while Connie and Elaine went to their spa day, I stayed at home and treated myself to many many hours of my favourite channel of all time.

In the last few weeks of school, mainly due to exams, I felt like I haven't seen Con in a while. It was so nice catch up with her. I had some things on my mind, and it was so nice to finally tell her. This was one of the main reasons I could not make that move to Portland. Family time is priceless.

To be honest, I actually had a terrible birthday, and I really thought it was all my fault. So the parts of it that were sweet and thoughtful (my parents, my sisters, Harneet, Alex and Jason) I really appreciated it. I'm sure you don't know how much your actions meant to me. :)

It's funny how growing up, I've always been the big sister (by default) but a lot of the times, I feel like she's my big sister. Coming home and having a heart to heart with my sis, she put a lot of things into perspective for me. She reassured me, no, I wasn't a terrible person nor was I a terrible friend. Even though I felt that way. She points out somethings out that I didn't even consider.

She really is the best. If she read my blog, she would know how much I gush a bout her. And Carolyn, too, of course. Below a picture of me and Con. I mean, Con and I.

She even dug out her history notes so I could have a starting point on my research for my Egypt trip.

Now, I'm going to do some research... with the Food Network in the background. Seriously, I can multi-task. Seriously.