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I've been reading Emergenetics: Tap Into the New Science of Success lately and I've rediscovered the nerd inside. Ever since I was a kid, I loved to read. From when I first learned how to read until I was nearly 13, nothing else took up more of my time. I'd wake up and read on the walk to the bus stop, read on the bus ride to school, read while walking to and from classes, read while eating my meals, and even attempted reading in the shower a few times (they always ended up as baths). Every week my mom would drive me to the library and I'd tote home about 30 books to read for that week. In fifth grade, my teacher had us keep a log and the first time I turned it in, she stared at it in disbelief before calling my parents to have them verify that yes, I did nothing else with my life but read. I remember I did very well for reading clubs back then - what was that Pizza Hut reward program again? And of course, my favorite event of the year was when the Scholastic Book Fair would come rolling around. It was the most exciting and anticipated thing for me - to be able to browse shelves of books, peruse tons of offers for monthly subscriptions (did anyone else order the Goosebumps series?), and check out all the random other items that came along (like those science kits, bookmarks, and journals!). Ah, it was a dream come true for me. Ah, that's what it was! Book it! Good old R.L. Stine and his crazy creations! It was at a book fair in 4th grade that I came across a light purple diary with an adorable grey kitten on it. I begged my dad to get it for me (seeing as I had no money back then and my allowance was just whatever I needed). He agreed, on the condition that I promise to write in it every day. And thus began my long journey with keeping a journal. As promised, I wrote in my journal every day, whether or not it was anything interesting. I tried a variety of styles over the years, from using Chinese to titling each day in French to bullet-point lists. Time and time again, my parents would find me holed away in my room, scribbling away at my journal and each time they'd ask me, "Oh you're actually still doing that?" Well, I made a promise! As time wore on, I got busier and didn't always have time to write every day, so I started to write notes for my journal and then catch up in it periodically. This ranged from a few days to a few weeks. Then, a couple of months ago (wow, nearly a year now), I got SO distracted with being an Orientation Counselor at UCLA that I haven't been able to catch up since. I am now months behind on writing and even a few weeks behind on my notes, but I have every intention of writing an entry for each of those days. Thankfully, I am great at stalking myself (I like to think of it as being resourceful), so I can piece together most of the pieces through the IM conversations I had, the e-mails I sent, the text messages I used, and of course, the blog entries I wrote. I loved collecting these. I've gotten to get back in touch with that old side of me that always had her nose buried in a book and it feels good. I love to read, whether it's books, magazines, blogs, e-mails, or online articles. I have always done a lot of reading and writing, whether for pleasure or for school, and I'm sure my love of researching has to do with this obsession. When I was in first or second grade, my neighbors gave me their set of encyclopedias and stacks of National Geographic Magazines, which totally made my day. Although the medium has mostly changed from hard copies to soft copies, I'm still doing the same thing. However, nothing can beat the beauty of a book. The feel, the smell, the look - it's all so attractive to me. Plus, I can bring it around with me anywhere and read while sipping tea in a cafe or after I've climbed a tree perched on a mountain. That's also what I love about my journals. I really enjoy going out alone, finding somewhere peaceful (which may or may not be a public spot), plopping myself down in a nice spot, and reading or writing the day away. Oh the luxury of free time! I have, for a long time, wanted to claim my own domain name and have my blog hosted on there. However, seeing as there aren't really many people out there who would ever want to take my name from me, it didn't feel justified to do so. I became more and more interested lately, as I found that my dedication to my blog has not wavered and I got more involved in the online community. Then I came across green hosting websites and that sealed the deal for me. Cheap webhosting from energy efficient servers? I'm in! I chose Super Green Hosting for its great deal (it certainly helped that they were listed first on the list that I was reading and their website looks the nicest to me) and decided I'd wait until this month to sign up. I finally made it to the pool again after months on inactivity. Though it felt awkward to try to work out in a bikini (pity I didn't bring my competition gear with me), I managed to still get some decent exercise in. I'm so used to the comfort of a one-piece suit, cap, and goggles that I didn't exactly know what to do with myself without. I figured I could just tread water and do some endurance exercises that way, so I started off just doing a casual freestyle kick, keeping my chin just above the water. After awhile, that got boring, so I curled up my knees and tread with just my hands. From there, I did variations of strokes, from a breaststroke with my head above the water to doing some freestyle kick drills on my sides. Every time I get in the water I'm tempted to do the butterfly, which is my favorite stroke, but alas, in a suit like mine today, I was in great danger of losing my top half that way. So instead, I satisfied myself with some simple exercises that may not raise my heart rate a great deal, but certainly required a certain amount of strength and endurance. Back when I was a sophomore in high school, I got invited to go to Australia with other swimmers from around the country, to compete against some of the swimmers down under. This was with the International Sports Specialists, Inc. who run Down Under Sports. It was an awesome time, from the places that we went (Sydney, Gold Coast, and then Waikiki Beach in Hawaii) and the people we met (these guys who were there playing soccer took us around). I don't remember much of the meet, except that Aussies are freaking fast and we couldn't beat them, but we had a great time and it was a great bonding experience. I used to have a t-shirt with all the people from the New York team on it, but I lost it long ago. I also managed to misplace the sweatshirt I bought from them, as well as the Bond University one that we girls decided to get when we went there for a visit. It's a pity - those were great memories of an unparalleled two weeks. I have always had a pleasant experience with the water, from my childhood splashing around in pools to middle school when I first learned the four strokes to high school where I helped start the swim team at Brewster High School and finally when I competed on the varsity team at Valencia High School. Though I got a late start, learning stroke techniques when I was thirteen, I wasn't too far behind and always managed to be good enough for varsity level, even if I wasn't a star in that realm. Nowadays, without a team to practice with and keep me motivated, it's hard to complete a workout like I used to. Once I settle down somewhere, I'd like to make sure I visit the pool frequently, even if I don't do a real workout. Perhaps one day I can join a club or something, just to get back into it. For now it will just be my therapeutic experience; something I can always count on to make me feel better. I spent the day off exploring the Singapore Botanic Gardens, getting a chance to escape from the city for a few hours. When I first entered, it looked like a public park of sorts, with fields dotted with trees and an asphalt path for people to walk, run, or rollerblade along. Following the path deeper into the grounds took me to Swan Lake, where there were a couple of swans swimming around languidly. A few were being fed various bread and cracker type substances, surrounded by hungry koi and curious turtles. It was the cutest thing I've seen - three different species all swimming around each other peacefully. I made my way around the entire pond before continuing along the path. On the side with the grassy knoll and speckling of trees, dozens of families and friends were having picnics and otherwise enjoying the pleasant day. Turtle in the top left area, fish in the bottom area, and the swan you can't miss. That fish was not shy. I followed the signs to the Ginger Garden, where there was this cool waterfall with a little cave area behind that people could pass through. I saw a family taking pictures of themselves behind the waterfall and wanted to do the same, but alas, I didn't want to elicit outside help. I also imaged taking a fun jumping shot in front of it, but that's something I'd do if I was with a friend. Not everyone can get the timing right and I don't know how strangers would feel about trying to capture such a shot. So, in my mind's eye I took a note of how I would do things if only I had Panda with me and moseyed along. I then reached the National Orchid Garden, where I got myself a ticket to enter. I spent the next hour wandering up and down, in an out of their paths. I don't know how many species of orchids I saw, but some were curious-looking, some were gorgeous, some had strange patterns, some were plain, some were large, some were small, and all were cool to look at. Some of the interesting things I saw... Above is the Margaret Thatcher, I believe. And so many more! Look out for a photo album on Facebook. I took countless photos and rediscovered some things that I want - Venus flytraps (though I couldn't find any, there were plenty of pitcher plants that reminded me of my desire for a certain carnivorous plant!), tadpoles (I had one once, but dropped it and when I went to pick it up I squished it :( - oops), and a water fountain (there was this cool one that looked like a cluster of plants). On my way out, I wandered around the gift shop, contemplating things I might want to buy and ended up deciding to just get these small little rings. I can't figure out what material they are made from, but a lot of Chinese bracelets resemble this. These, of course, are merely cheap imitations. I have a bracelet that's legit though and it's quite cool - it's made of some sort of stone and metal. If only I could find some Venus flytraps too! I was sooo tempted to try to bring some with me. :( Plant? Nope, water fountain! And finally, the rings. From there, is was then power walking for the next two hours, going through the patch of rainforest, Evolution Garden, Eco Garden, checking out Au Jardin (a French restaurant, as it turned out), and heading back to the waaay other end of gardens to exit again. I got a bit disoriented a few times and made a few detours to some of the other attractions on my way back, including a gazebo, some desert plants, and lily ponds. It was around 8 PM by then and I was ravenous, so all I could think about was getting to food. I quickly made my escape and hopped on a bus to Orchard Road, but I tried to find this Din Tai Fung that I could see in my mind's eye, but for the life of me couldn't find in real life. The front desk at Takashimaya shopping center was useless, so I wandered around, through a fashion show and a drummer circle. Eventually I ended up at the bus stop that would take me back, so I got on and stopped along the way at Holland Village to have dinner at the Crystal Jade there. I have, as long as I can remember, always loved cats. I like animals of all sorts, but felines are certainly my favorite out of the bunch. Perhaps it's because much of my behavior is like theirs, so I feel a connection. Last night I ran into a plump kitty lounging around outside on my walk home. Being the first time that I had come across a cat and I wasn't headed anywhere or with anyone, I decided to stop to pet it. I couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, but it certainly enjoyed my stroking and scratching. I was reaching out pretty far, so I tried to shift to move closer, but that scared it a few feet away. I considered trying to approach it again, but it takes some time for cats to trust you, so I decided that was enough for the night and headed back. As I made my way back to Marylin's, I thought of my beloved cats and how sad I am to not have them anymore. This is Jerriey, our second kitty, curled up on my favorite blanket. Lately cats have been on my mind a lot because one of Panda and my friends got herself a little kitten that was found on site for a Habitat for Humanity project. That reminded me of the three other times I have come across cats that I really wanted to adopt. First was a little black kitten we found at a club in the Echo Park area. It was my first day on site for the filming of Wristcutters: A Love Story and this little guy was found hanging out in the back area where the crew hung out as we waited through shots. I named her Echo (I think the club was named that too) and gave her a lot of attention. In fact, I even managed to convince the club owner to adopt her, since I couldn't. Next was a pair of kittens, brought to us on Wilshire Boulevard. Katana and I were just walking along in Westwood when this kid comes running up to us and asks if we'd like to adopt kittens. We looked at each other with those yearning eyes. In our hearts, we really wanted to. In our minds, we knew we couldn't. So, we only glimpsed the kittens he held in his hands, swaddled in his clothing before we sadly had to say no. We watched as he ran down Westwood Boulevard and talked about how we could make it work. Then, in the spur of a moment, we decided to go with our hearts and take them. We went after the boy, but didn't know where he had gone. I looked to my left and noticed a pet store, so we went in. The boy had just handed over the pair and when we tried to take them now, the store owner said she'd have to take them in for various shots and clean them up before we could come back to adopt them. Sigh. In the weeks after, we thought long and hard about how we could do this, even thinking we'd name them Boba and Udon (one was black and one was grey). Unfortunately, practicality won out in the end and we never did go back for them. Finally, the third came when I was volunteering at a cat home. A tiny grey kitten was confined in a box with a plastic facing so we could see. She was held there because she was still being treated after being rescued from Hurricane Katrina and, consequently she was named Katrina. I loved that little cat from the seconds we got to spend with her before turning our attention to the cats we could interact with. Just the way she cocked her head when she looked at us was adorable enough for me to want her. Unfortunately, I was still in school at the time and my dad had left the country, so it was just my mom taking care of the one cat we still had. But I wanted a kitten to raise myself. Our friend's new kitten, isn't she precious?! This is a dream I've held for years and years, ever since I got to carry little Jerriey home from the shelter, so cute and loveable. He spent the whole time purring, which is what won me over. I have mentioned this desire many a time and though he started off first not comfortable with the idea, he is now more open to it. Granted, we had to have a whole hullabaloo of a... discussion over it, but he's willing to consider it at least. To me, having a cat is almost more important than having kids. Not only are they nice to cuddle up with, their purring is good for your health. They are very independent and don't require much attention or care, which is how I live my life. They train very easily, from going to use the litter box when nature calls to coming to eat dinner with the banging out a plate. I also like to crawl into small spaces and squeeze myself into strange positions to sleep. And come on, there's a reason we call it the "catwalk" - they're beautiful and graceful creatures! Cats are highly misunderstood animals. People take their independence for aloofness, much as they do with me. And I think that is why I defend and adore them so much. I'm misunderstood too. This is the first time that I did not post my entry prior to going to bed, since I began posting every day. I like to get it out of the way earlier in the wee hours of the day so when I get busy/distracted later on, I won't have to worry and I would still have the entire rest of the day to do it. However, yesterday when I got back last night, a wave of exhaustion just took over me and I curled up on the bed with my body pillow. It was so warm and cozy and Panda was taking a nap on his end, so I just drifted off. The next thing I knew, I was waking up to find my computer turned off. Disoriented, I deliriously turned my computer back on to find Panda again, but fell asleep again soon after. I can't recall if I ever did sign back on again or what happened from there, but I didn't wake up again until the morning, as a storm was rolling in. Since there's all this talk about the swine flu and worries if it possibly spreading to epidemic proportions, I thought it was appropriate to address this idea of viral spread. After all, the concept of viral marketing is based in how things spread like diseases. You can have widespread influence without having to be a hot shot nowadays, much like one little mutant germ multiplying can cause havoc. The tools on the internet allow you to share with complete strangers, so now it's all about how you work the system to get your ideas out. Play your numbers right and you can go far. A week or two ago, my EZLink card (which is your ticket to public transportation in Singapore) stopped working, for no rhyme or reason. Thankfully, I had another one that was given to me in my welcome package from the Work Holiday Programme pass I'm here on. I've been using that ever since and a few days ago I decided it was time to take care of the malfunctioning one. First I went to the service booth, telling the guy that my card wasn't scanning. He scanned it, looked at it curiously, scanned his own card, and handed it back to me telling me he couldn't read it. I should have known that this was going to set the tone for a frustrating experience. Obviously he was not paying attention to me, far too used to working like a zombie, just topping cards up for people. I've been feeling a huge lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in my life recently, which exaggerates my continued languor. I don't know if it's because of my diet that I feel so tired or if because I feel so listless that I'm not bothering to eat well. I guess both things kind of perpetuate each other, leaving me drained and nutrient-deprived. Ok, it's not that bad, but I do feel like my energy level has not been up to par with my old self. Fruits and salads were so much more accessible back in the dining halls! I know people tend to eat terribly when it's a buffet, but I really did enjoy having a salad bar and baskets of fruits laying around. |
laelene My philosophy is simple: things change. Therefore, we are all on a lifelong journey of discovery. We should be flexible, questioning, learning, adapting, and growing. Always. Archives
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