Things I love and hate about the Christmas holidays

Christmas is almost here. Two more sleeps and it will be the magical day when dreams come true, for kids that is. For the most part of us, it's the day we open presents and enjoy time with family.
My family never really celebrated in big during the holiday season. The most we did was having a big dinner (and by big dinner I mean extra two plates of food than normal, most of the times involving roasted duck) and putting up a few Christmas lights on the window.  Some years they give me presents. Some years they don't. We never really had a lot of family members enough to have a get together, and the very few we had, they probably have other plans. Plus, Chinese people don't really celebrate Christmas, generally speaking.

The other day me and Jacob drove around a very rich residential area, predominantly white people. Most houses had tons of decorations and a pair had crazy light decorations. Driving through the area I live in, which is predomingly Chinese, there are only one or two houses with Christmas lights, and they weren't even that impressive.
When I have my own house, I would pretty much like to fill it with Christmas decorations. Lots of lights, reindeers, snowmans, and a big Christmas tree.

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas. There are few things I like, and a few things I don't like. Here is my list:

Things I like about Christmas:
1. Baking!! From cupcakes, to cookies, to cakepops, cakes, etc.

2. Presents!! I just like the feeling when someone buys something for me. It's a nice feeling.

3. Candy canes. The first thing I think about when I hear the word 'Christmas'

4. Family gatherings. For the rest of the year, people are so busy with their lives that they barely have time for the family. I like when families gather together to spend quality time. I especially like when I go to Jacob's family gatherings because they are so heart-warming and so nice. So many people, so much joy, so much food. I never really had that growing up.

5. Decorations. I like driving around to look at house light decorations at night. Some people get really creative. I love lights. I also enjoy mall decorations, when they have big trees, santa's workshop, Christmas tree balls hanging around, and Christmas songs everywhere. Everything is so colourful and jolly.

Things I don't like about Christmas:
1. People rush. Places get too crowded, lines ups eveywhere that take forever, people running around everywhere, things get sold out....just too many people. I don't even want to think about Boxing Day.

2. Cold. I don't like going to many different places in the cold. Once you get to a mall, for example, it gets too warm, then you have to carry all your sweaters, jackets, scarves, mittens.... The worst right now is the cold rain, cuz apparently it's not even cold enough to snow.

3. No snow. I don't like snow, but I don't like that this year we are getting a green Christmas. I just want it to snow for one day. That means, for me, that winter is gonna last longer next year =/

4. Business run slower. Everyone is excited for the holidays, and that means that people are starting to slack on their jobs. Things take longer to process and people aren't really thrilled to do their jobs. I have been waiting for my paycheque in my mail for over a month. Their excuse: it's the holidays, mails are going to take longer to arrive. *facepalm* So that's that, I won't get my pay until after Christmas.

What are some of the things you like and don't like about Christmas?

 

Christmas baking and decorating with Jacob

Snowman treats

Snowmen sugar cookies by Sweet Art Factory

The best thing about Christmas is that there are so many baking options. Last year I made a post about things made inspired by candy cane. This year I am making a post about different Snowman treats you can find on Internet. 

Snowmen marzipan balls by Goodhouse Keeping

Melting Snowmen Smores by Flexible Dreams

Melting Cookie from The Decorated Cookie

Snowmen Pops by Flexible Dreams

Snowmen Cups by BHG

Cherry Snowmen at The Kid's Fun Review

Snowman Cheeseball by Babble

Mini Doughnut Snowman by The Idea Room

Snowman bento box at Cutest Food

Coconut Snowmen at Cutest Food

Snowmen cupcakes at The Celebration Shoppe

Snowman Rice Krispies at Access Atlanta

OKAY! Who is hungry right now?

Zach Wahls Speaks About Family

A well-said speech by Zach Walhs about being raised by two lesbian mothers. Just wonderful and damn straight right.

Monsters

Christmas

Is it Christmas yet?

Thought-provoking questions and answers

I stumbled upon on a website on StumbleUpon (pun intended).  It's called 25 Beautifully Illustrated Thought-Provocative Questions. Check it out here. I am feeling kinda in a dep mood, so I wanna try to answer all or most of the questions.

1. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
I would probably be 21 years old. Seems like a good age where you are not too young and not too old. At 21 I was still in my college life living it. Everything was planned out for me already, I just study and stuff. Life was just simple when I didn't have to deal with looking for apartments and full-time jobs. Also, at 21 you are legal everywhere in the world.

2. If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large group of people, what would your message be? 
Just chill, yo! Seems like people these days get easily stressed. Well, no wonder why! Bills to pay, taking care of loved ones, school is stressful, work is stressful, some relationships don't work,.... It's like people are going 1000 miles per hour, always rushing and multi-tasking. For a normal adult these days, there is so much to worry about. If I could just tell people to chill, relax and not to fret over the little things in life and stop to smell the flowers. Life is much happier if one appreciates what one has at the moment. Having the go-go feeling just makes the person so stressed, hence angry, mad and mean. People usually take their anger on other people. Just not fair for other people cuz they have done nothing. Spend some time saying hi to neighbours, enjoy a nice walk out, spend a few minutes doing something silly.....and life is much much MUCH easier that way.

3. Is it possible to lie without saying a word?
Entirely possible. Nodding. Shaking head. Eyes looking away.

4. If not now, when then?
Not sure what this question refers to, but my answer to that question is: soon.

5. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
I would dress however I want and what feels comfortable on me. Maybe wear sweatpants all day long no matter where I go. I would also use stuff with cartoons on them. I would also sing out loud in public. Additionally, I would say things as true as they are. I would tell somebody straight to their face that I don't like them.

6. Are you holding onto something that you need to let go off? 
Yes, my youthood. I am overwhelmed accepting the fact that I am an adult now and that I need to find a job asap and start earning money for my future. Also, personal things I don't feel like sharing online.

7. Have you done anything lately worth remembering?
Yes, trying to make my boyfriend's birthday memorable to make him happy and let him know how much he means to me.

8. When is it time to stop calculating Risks and Rewards, and just do what you know is right? 
I actually did that recently. Been hovering about something that I felt that wasn't right for me. Spent too much time calculating what happens if I id that, what happens if I don't, what am I gonna get out of it, etc. I finally decided to let it go, because I felt it was the right thing to do. My sister told me today that some things are not meant to be, and there will be signs when something is not meant to be. And that when you let that go, things get much easier, that's when you realize you have made a good decision. You just gotta listen to what your heart and conscience is telling you. Trust your insticts.

9. Do you think crying is sign of weakness or strenght? 
I think crying can be both weakness AND strenght. Most of the times we cry because we are vulnerable to something, most likely something that touches our hearts. Like the feeling of being loved, thinking about a deceased loved one, feeling defeated, feeling lost.... But it can also be strenght because nowadays crying seems to be, well, sign of weakness, and most people will hold not to cry, especially in public. But it takes courage and strenght to something that we feel and not because society has labelled crying as weakness.

10.  Would you break the law to save a loved one?
Tricky question. If you have morals, you wouldn't do anything unlawful. But then again, if you have morals, you do what you gotta do to save or defend someone you love like family or significant other. I guess it depends on the situation. My mind is split on this one.

11. When you're her age (picture of a very old woman), what would matter to you the most? 
 Having a family that loves you and cares for you. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of family getting together and spending time with each other. I woul love to have a husband by then with me by my side who will still love me like when he fell in love with me for the first time. Children who are married and have children. My grandchildren wanting to see me and spend time cooking with me. Celebrating Christmas together, etc.

12. Do you ask enough questions, or do you settle for what you know?
I usually settle for what I know, or hope to figure out things on my own.  Unless I need some crucial information, I need to ask until I am satisfied with the response.

13. Do you celebrate the things you do have?
I celebrate when I newly own something, like a new DVD, or new box of chocolates, or things I recently buy. But maybe I should celebrate things I have had.


14. When it's all said and done, will you have more said than done? 
Hmmm I'm not sure about this question. Maybe yes to more said than done, because it's easier to say things than actually do it you know. It's easy to say like, I am going skydiving tomorrow. That's being said. But to be tomorrow and actually do it, it's likely if you have the drive or have the plans to do it, but it's most likely that you won't skydive the next day after you said you were going to. There's a lot to be said than to be done.


15. When was the last time you tried something new?
Maybe today, when I tried a new perfume from Sephora. 


16. Which activities makes you lose track of time? 
Whenever or whatever I am doing when I am with Jacob. Times passes by so quickly, next thing I know, he has to leave to go home. Also, when I go to Chapters or Indigo I feel like I can spend hours and hours and hours reading or taking look at books. There are just so many things in that bookstore! I may add as well, spending time on StumbleUpon website =_= makes me go to bed super late


17. If you could do it all over again, what would you change?
Well, I will be using going to university as "it". If I could do university all over again, I would do many things differently. First, I should have taken a program that will train me more to get jobs. I would have gone to college and take like Creative Advertising at Seneca or Graphic Design, something that will help me learn the tools when it comes to doing and finding a job. I would have also befriend many teachers because they can give me guidance and recommendations when I am off school. I would also try not to be so stupid and make careless mistakes like I did when I started uni. I would as well, be myself instead of giving "an image" to everybody so people would label me a certain way. it's so much better to be just me.

18. What is the difference between living and existing?
Existing is just being alive, taking physical space in this planet. Living, is like doing things that make you happy, or just doing things, either good or bad, so you have the experience of something. Existing is like laying on bed all day and eating when meal time comes. Exisiting is: meeting new friends, going scuba diving, traveling to places, fall from learning how to skateboard, trying new types of wine, doing something stupid you regretted later, getting together with friends and family and laugh, etc etc.  

19. If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long will you allow that person to be your friend?
They say sometimes that you are your worst enemy. But I think that you are your best friend. Think about it. nobody understands things the way you do. So imagine if you ha a friend who think the same way as you do, then you will never have to disagree with yourself. however, problem comes when both of you are wrong and one of you fail to see things differently. Sometimes you just need someone to give you a different point of view, or a different opinion, even maybe suggest something different that makes more sense or make things easier for you. But if I had someone that speaks the same way as I speak to myself, then I could consider that person a very close friend. Soulmate maybe.

20. If you had to teach something, what would you teach?
I would like to teach people how to be optimistic and happy. Looks like people need to learn that today. It is so frustrating when people are being pessimistic about everything, when they are always downers and when you are with them seems like the world is gonna end soon. I would like to teach that kind of people how to appreciate the little things in life, be satisfied to what we have, that problems are gonna be solved in one way or another, and that there is no point of being pessimistic about things. Life is wonderful and everything happens for a reason.

21. Time or money?
Hmmm, another tricky question. I think both will bring joy to people. With time, people can achieve more, or spend more with friends and family. With money you can buy things that make you happy. My mom always told me that time is gold. It is true in the way that every minute that you waste you are not getting it back. Time goes by quickly, and before you know it, you are already 80 years old. We must learn to save time because it allows us to do more. However, with money, you won't be stressed about being broke, can't afford life, which are very very sad and horrible feelings. It's kinda ironic how when you don't have money, you have so much time in your life. When you have a lot of money, most likely you don't have the time for yourself or for your loved ones. Time is precious, but money is security. I'm going with money today.

22. Are you aware that someone has it worse than you?
I am completely aware of that. Almost everyday I think about how greateful I am that I am alive, have a family, have some money, healthy, have a roof to live under, have food, have two legs, two seeing eyes, functional lugs, etc etc. I can just imagine about other people who are way less fortunate than I am. That is why I appreciate the little things more and I don't complain about much. I know I am very lucky to have what I have got. So thankful.


23. What makes you smile?
Funny things, the thought of someone that loves me and cares about me, when things go my way, when people are being super nice to me, penguins, dessserts, good surprises, finding something that I have forgotten about or that I have been searching for long, cute songs, when the day is sunny. Among other things. 


24. What would you regret not fully doing, being, or having in your life?
I would regret not fully putting my efforts to find a job, not being myself, and not having friends and family.

Lost in Storybrooke

I was a huge fan of the show LOST and now i am a huge fan of another show by the same writers called Once Upon a Time. Once Upon A Time is kinda like the modern version of fairy tales. Or fairy tales for adults. I dig that. I also digged fairy tales when I was younger. The show is about the afterlife of Snow White and Prince Charming after they got married. The evil witch casted a spell on them, taking everyone to "somewhere horrible" where "the only happy ending is the evil wtich's". That somewhere horrible happens to be our world today. All the characters including Snow White, Prince Charming, Jiminy Cricket, the seven dwarves, Red Riding Hood, etc. are frozen in time in this town called Storybrooke. As Rumpelztilkin says, every curse, no matter how powerful they are, can be broken. It is for Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter, Emma, to come to town in her 28th birthday accompanied by her son she put into adoption ten years ago to break that spell. Her son, Henry, knows everything about the happenings of the story, and tries to convince Emma that everything that happened in the story book he carries happened. It is a really intense show, since there is so much drama happening and so many unexpecting things that happen. I love all the special effects, the medieval costumes, the sceneries, and the plot. I don't know how I'm gonna manage to wait a whole week to know what's gonna happen next. Such a good show.

Since the show is by the same writers of LOST, there are definetly some aspects from LOST that are gonna be similar to Once Upon a Time. I am dedicated to find as much as I can about the similarities and connections between these two shows. Here's the list that I will be updating (hopefully).

Names
EMMA - name for main character and one of the kid survivors from LOST who was taken by "the others"
HENRY - name of Emma's son and one of the Dharma Initiative people, Henry Gale
WALTER - name for real world Grumpy and the son of Michael, Walt who had "special" powers
KATHRYN - name for David's (apparently) wife and longer name for Kate
JOHN - initial name for David while in comma, John Doe, and for John Locke
ALEXANDRA - name given for Cinderella/Ashley's daughter and for Rousseau (the French woman)'s daughter

Numbers (4-John, 8-Hurley, 15-Sawyer, 16-Sayid, 23-Jack, 42-Kwon)
- Before Emma got to town, the clock was frozen at 8:15, the same number as the Oceanic Flight 815
- Regina lives in house #108, which is the sum of all the numbers 4,8,15,16,23,42
- Emma's room number at Granny's Inn is #4, Locke's number
- When the clock has started to move again, Regina looked at the clock and it said 8:23, Hurley and Jack's number

Other
1. Good vs evil is the main theme
2. LOST people were trapped in an island. If they leave, bad things happened to them. In Once Upon a Time, characters were trapped in Storybrooke, and if they leave, bad things happen. 
3. Life and death is also a recurring theme
4. The spell that the witch cast looks similar to the black smoke
5. Like LOST, OUaT tells the story with concurrent flashbacks.
6. When Emma woke up in jail in episode 1, the eye close-up was similar to when Jack woke up in the island in their first episode
7. Emma's last name is Swan, which is also the name for one of the Dharma stations
8. Apparently behind Emma's car there is a Geronimo Jackson sticker which was the band for Dharma Lady (I read this somewhere, but I had no idea about Geronimo Jackson)
9. Jiminy finds an Apollo bar by the mine, apparently Apollo was a candy bar brand that was used throughout LOST
10. When they found an entrace to the elevators it was like they found the hatch in LOST, and it was the same camera angle when the people above look down.
11. Regina mentioned that Emma lived in Tallahassee fo 2 years, which is a reference to "The Man in Tallahassee" or John Locke's dad
12. The phrase "I hope you find what you're looking for" is repeated in both shows a lot
13. MacCutcheon Scotch Whiskey is found in both Mary Margaret's apartment and when Charles Whidmore drinks it.
14. When the Sheriff wakes up from his dream he tells Regina that it felt like a memory. The same happened when Desmond wakes up in the middle of the night from a dream and tells Penny almost the same thing
15. The actress who plays the Evil Queen played the role of Greta in LOST (saw this somewhere, don't remember who Greta was)
16. In OUAT Sean (Prince Thomas) leaves Ashley because she got pregnant. In LOST, Claire's boyfriend Thomas left her because she became pregnant

Did I miss anything else??

Next week is gonna be about Cinderella and I also hear confirmed rumours that Emilie de Ravin (Claire from LOST) will play Belle from Beauty and the beast and that Alan Dale (Charles Whitmore in LOST) will play King George, Prince Charming's father. So that's really exciting!!

I am really hoping to see more Grimm's fairy tale characters and perhaps Disney Characters like Hansel & Gretel, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, etc.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

I recently watched this movie called Scott Pilgrim vs. the Wold. I didn't see it in theatres and I waited forever for it to be on sale on HMV. I finally bought it for $10 and this is my new favourite movie!!

It's about a guy (Michael Cera) who falls in love with this funky-looking girl who came across one of his dreams before he met her, Ramona. However, in order to be together, Scott must fight 7 of his ex-boyfriends, called "The League of the 7 Evil Exes" or something. The first is like a very dramatic self-loving brown guy. The second is like this super cool looking movie star who also skates. The third is like this vegan guy with super powers and very white hair. The fourth is a chick who Ramona had a "phase" with. The fifth and sixth are some Japanese twin brothers ("Ramona dated both of them at the same time?!"). Finally the seventh is this powerful guy who signs bands to recording contracts or so. On top of that, his band wants to be known and Scott has to find a way to break up with his high school girlfriend to be with Ramona.

What I liked about the movie is that it's different. But cool different. It has a lot of special effects - read comic effects- like the DDDDDD's when guitars are playing, screams, when someone gets punched, or video game references like "1up", and the division of screens when two or more things are happening at once, like when Scott talks to his sister on the phone. I find it very creative and eyecatching. Makes it kinda interactive, feel like you are playing the movie or something. But moreover, I love the sense of humour in the movie. Conversations and the script are very clever in the way that there is some humour in every character. Like when Scott fights the vegan guy, he says "You might be ve-gone, but now you'll BE-GONE!" Or when the first ex-boyfriend wants to fight Scott and he was surprised with that. The exboyfriend says "didn't you get my email explaining the situation?" Things happen so random and fast, it's like telling the story without all the unecessary junk. Like the scene when Ramona delivers Scott his package. When she said that if he signs the package she will go out on a date with him, it shows Scott's signature, giving it back, throwing the pen away, and asking her out...all in like 2 seconds. Oh yeah, did I also mention that it was filmed in Toronto? Yeah, they show the streetcars and the Pizza Pizza by the Honest Ed's in downtown.

It's just a cool movie in general. Special effects, humour, action, romance, video games, music, Michael Cera lol.  It's like everything teenager in a movie. or..twenty-somethings too. I would totally recomment it to anyone who likes a good laugh and entertainment. I leave with you the trailer and with one of the scenes I liked from the movie.

Novembrrrr

Sorry October, you haven't been all really exciting enough for me to write about.

However, I did fail trying to write almost everyday. Hopefully I will redeem myself for November.

If you ask me Halloween was kinda uneventful this year. Me and jacob wanted to get costumes, but since there was no party to go to, it was kinda pointless to get costumes. I totally wanted to be wonder woman this year!! I was jealous of people on Facebook uploading their Halloween costumes and seeing trick-or-treaters. Which by the way, was my very first time..ish...seeing trick-or-treaters in Canada, since no one really went trick-or-treating where I used to live....cuz it was full of university students of course. Do you think if I put on a big costume on, people wouldn't notice that I am actually an adult? I remember me and Coral wanting to go trick-or-treating a few years ago. We never did. Jacob didn't really know what he wanted to be. We didn't dress up, however, we did bake some Halloween cookies.

On other news, I finally, like Teri said, joined the 21st century and got a smartphone. It looks almost exactly like this one

I feel so new in this android world. I've been trying to figure this phone out. Turns out it's more complicate than I had thought. All this new vocabulary of Kernels, Gingerbread, ROM, etc etc. is throwing me off because I have no idea what they are. I was very happy with my old Samsung Slyde phone, but the batteries were being pain in the ass an wouldn't allowe me to charge it. When I went to my phone provider, they pretty much only had smartphones. So I prtty much didn't have many choices. And, let's be honest, it was about time I got a smartphone cuz it seems that evey single person I have encountered out there in the world has one. I was happy with my old phone though, until it was being stupid. At least with my old phone I could send picture messages with no problem and I knew when I was NOT using data and not getting surprise from my phone account that I am actually paying for the internet I didn't know I was using!! In the other hand, with this new phone I can have my own personalized ringtone and download cool and addictive game apps into my phone.

I don't know if it's just me, or is this year going by super fast? With the already Christmas decorations and Christmas commercials, I already feel like time is flying by. Most unbearable thought of all....snow is coming on its way....along with the below cero coldness....soooo not looking forward to it. Now I gotta wait 6 or 7 months for nice weather again.

Cruel humanity

You have probably heard about the story of a little girl in China who got un over twice by two trucks. The shocking part is that there were several passerbys who saw the girl laying on the road in a pool of blood, but did nothing about it. It wasn't until a homeless woman noticed her and pulled her away from the street and asked for help, then the mom took the child to the hospital, where apparently she died. After the video of the surveillance camera has hit the web it has caused some serious stir about human kind and morality.

The video was almost too painful to watch. And the worst part is that it's sad, but true - what's happening in the world and what has become of importance to people; and caring about other human beings is not one of them. Like a lot of people, after watching the video, we question what was wrong with the passerbys. What has society come to? Where is all the morality? Is there any morality left in us?

Lots of people blame the Chinese society, of how they have become so materialistic that they have lost any sense of human value. It's how the government has implanted in their minds that they have to work work work work like robots so they can earn money to buy buy buy buy. It's all about the flow of money. But to think about it, it's not just in China, it happens all around the world, and the Western world is no exception. This is just one story of millions of similar cases. Think about the last time you were hurt while being in a crowded place surrounded by strangers. How many people stopped and approached to check on you?

Personal stories time.

Hong Kong. 2009. Me, my sister and a few uncles and aunts were having lunch at a restaurant. My sister has been taking a few pictures during lunch. When we left the restaurant, my sister realized she didn't have her camera anymore, so she thought she might have dropped it at the restaurant. My uncle goes back, and ask people around if they have seen a camera. A couple said they haven't seen any camera laying around.  A lady suddenly shouts that the couple has kept the camera. That it fell on the floor and they picked it up, she saw them doing it. Then cried "they stole it. call the police!" My uncle even tried to bribe them with money, but they still refused at first. Then they finally got conviced by my uncle to give it back.

Friggin materialistic! Wonder if it wasn't because the other lady threatened them to call the police, how much money would my uncle had to offer till they give the camera back, if they ever want to. It's just a camera they can probably buy for very cheap in Hong Kong. They don't have to steal someone's camera with someone's pictures in it!

Blue Mountain, ON Canada. 2007. I went to a ski trip with my college people. I have been snowboarding for a while that day. As I fell going downhill, I realized that my jacket pocket was open, and I remembered that I had my phone in there and it wasn't there anymore. I was like, great, how can I seatch my phone in this massive mountain covered in snow. It could be like looking for a needle in a stack of hay. But I decided to go to Lost and Found, just in case. Turns out, somebody had turned in my cellphone. I was like OMG I COULD TAKE THAT PERSON TO HEAVEN MYSELF. I was soooo relieved! And I couldn't believe how nice that person must be. He or she could have kept that phone, or made long distance calls like crazy. But they just turned it in. At that time, I thought there was still hope in humanity.

I believe that how we are is very influenced by how we were taught. In kindergarden a kid could either steal something from the class or could be honest about something. That depends on how their parents taught them how to act. However, most of our actions depends on what we think is the right thing to do. For many of us, the right thing to do if we see someone laying on the street full of blood, is to immediately go to that person and check if they are alive or not and call for help or take that person to the hospital. For those passerbys who ignored her, they probably thought that the right thing to do is to leave the body alone because they may become liable for any injuries that happened to the toddler - cuz apparently China has some laws about that. Different cultures see different things, but I think that no matter culture, as human beings, the right thing to do, is to help the child.

I don't know if you recall, but I posted a video about a dog helping another dog who was run over by cars in the middle of the highway in Chile. Apparently, this dog has A LOT more morality than any of those passerbys in China. Shame on the human being.

Belly Full of Turkey

Whoopsies, how could I miss a posting about my second (real) Canadian Thanksgiving??! And I mean "real" because it was not planned by international students at university, second year in a row celebrating it with my boyfriend's family.

Unlike last year, where there were only three families at the dinner table, this year was so crowded with people. I would say perhaps around ten families. They had to extend the dinning table and make another one as well.

I love the idea about Canadian Thanksgiving. I don't know how it's different in the United States -well except for the fact that it's celebrated in October instead of November in the States. But the idea of family get togethers, talking to each other, doing fun stuff together, catching up on your extended family members' lives, saying the grace, having dinner, all the smiling and hugging...they are all so heart-warming! There's nothing like this in Costa Rica, maybe only Christmas. And growing up, I never get to do this because my relatives they all live so far away or the ones that live close they have their own plans with other people. We were all kinda like strangers who don't know what's going on with each other's lives or care to get to know about it.

On Thanksgiving, I was thankful for the wonderful weather we got that weekend to celebrate it, and thankful for having a boyfriend with great family.

My favourite part? The food, of course! How many chances you get to stuff your face with food in a year? Only a couple. The smell of turkey fresh out of the oven, the party of flavours in the stuffing, the sweetness of the cranberry sauce, the healthy taste of salads, and the great taste of pumpkin pies. So lucky. I couldn't take any pictures of my plate because I was starving and I just couldn't wait to eat it all. But I could take picture of my dessert plate because I was waiting for the dinner food to go down my belly.

 

white meat or dark meat?

 

Best of both worlds...apple and pumpkin pies

Meet Abby and Brittany Hensel

Last night I stumbled upon a story about these two twin sisters who were born conjoined. This means that they both share the lower part of the body. They both have separate hearts, ribcage and stomach. But they share large intestines and pelvis. Each one of them control their side of the body, yet they can do things such as swimming, clapping, and moving in sync. The chances of survival after 24 hours of birth is considered minimal, so for these twins to still be living after 21 years, it is a scientific and life miracle! It's amazing how they both have different personalities, but they have the ability to finish each other's sentences or do the same thing without talking about it before. It is fascinating how they manage to cooperate with each other to do everyday activities like driving, playing volleyball, etc.

Looking at the documentary they did about them on TLC they seem to be very well educated and well mannered girls. They seem to be really nice. That's good parenting! They are pretty too. I am really glad they have such a supportive family and friends. But also, I feel bad for them for every ignorant people who can take pictures or record videos of them without permission or stare at them as if they were monsters or talk bad about them. Must be very hard on them to get all that unwanted attention.

I heard one of them got engaged. I am really happy for her. I hope Abby get to find someone to get engaged to too. However, I wonder how awkward it is to be dating two guys at once.

To me, they are nothing like freaks or anything like that. I see them as two different persons that happens to share the lower part of the body. They seem really nice. I think people should watch the documentary, understand their lifestyle and learn about them before making any judgments. Wish I could meet them. I wish them all the best. Their strenght and positivism is a great inspiration.

It Gets Better

I am really saddened by the stories of teenagers that commit suicide due to bullying. It's been one too many lives taken away by something so stupid.

I have been bullied in high school. And I am a live example that It Gets Better. I don't know about being bullied because of being homosexual, but I do know about being bullied because of my race.
Back when I was in grade 9, I was a transfer student from another high school. In this new high school I felt really out of place. I didn't know anybody before I transferred and I only gained a few friends from day 1. Also on my day 1 I gained a few enemies. Not exactly sure why they hated me, because they usually don't talk to me, so they didn't know me very well. It was always the same group of guys that teased me and called me names like "weird bug" or "mole", not really sure why the last one. On top of calling me names, they also stole stuff from my locker, or played pranks on me in which I was pretty smart not to fall for. But they pretty much made fun of everything I did, even something simple as singing an Avril Lavigne song. I really hated each one of them. I really didn't know how to show my anger and my frustration, or letting my feelings out. My heart ached because I felt so powerless. I wanted to do something but didn't know what. I recurred to drawing as an outlet. I did some pretty graphic drawings of the guys who bullied me. I drew guys being set on fire, acid being poured on them, stroke by lightning and having their bodies pulled apart by a car all at the same time. Somehow I felt better after. And I would hang them proudly on my bedroom's wall. Next time they bullied me, I would imagine them on my picture, or making up new things to put in my drawing.

Yeah, sometimes my best friends would stand up for me from time to time, but wasn't enough to stop them from bullying me. What bothered me the most is that other classmates knew what was happening, but they didn't do anything about it. Maybe they were afraid that they might get bullied too. Teachers seemed to be clueless of what is happening. They don't seem to read between the lines of students' feelings. I also felt awkward telling my parents about it because I felt like they couldn't do anything about it. I wasn't close enough to tell my parents about my problems.

What helped me get through it was my strength. I knew that I shouldn't let other people put me down just because I was different. I knew I was different, but I knew that that didn't make me any less of a person. They bullied me because I was weak. As they got me weaker they got more powerful. They fed on my fear. They more upset I got, the happier they got. I sure wasn't gonna let this go for long.

One day, out of the blue, I decided to play fire against fire. I decided to pull a prank on one of those guys. Embarrass him in front of all his friends. It was a success! His level of shame sky-rocked as his friends made fun of him. And in that moment, that instant moment his face got red as a tomato, I gained soooo much confidence of myself. I was demonstrating them that I was not weak and that they should respect me as a person.

From that moment on, they teased me a little bit more, but they soon stopped bullying me. I knew that I shouldn't take them seriously and that they are just making an ass of themselves. Whenever you respect yourself, others will learn to respect you.

We need to understand that bullying comes from fear. Fear of somebody who is different to them. They see difference as a threat, so they need to empower themselves to feel better about themselves. And to do that, they must take on the weak ones because they are easier to target. Fear leads to hate. Hate is not something someone is born with. Hate is learned in their environment like school or home. Hate is learned when parents don't teach children about respecting others that are different to them. Maybe bullies' parents pressure them on being something, like being heterosexual and nothing more. Hence they learn how to hate whatever that is not heterosexual.

Dear gay youth,
Just because you are different doesn't mean you are any less of a person. You are what you are and people should respect you for that. We all had moments where we felt lost and out of place, but we should find ourselves pretty soon. Learn how to love yourself, and others will learn how to love you.  I know that sometimes words hurt like blades or bullets, but you have the power to not let them get you down. Bullies feed on your fear and seeing you become upset will only make them feel better. Demonstrate them that you are a strong person and that you don't take them seriously. Soon they will notice that their bullying will no longer have effect on you and will stop it. It happened to me. You are wonderful. You are beautiful. You are strong. You know what is right and wrong. Be proud of who you are and show the world about your pride. The world will see your confidence and will admire you for that. Don't think about taking away your life. Your parents will suffer. Your friends will suffer. Even people you don't know will suffer for your loss. Life is wonderful. There are soooo many great things to come waiting for you. Dreams. Accomplishments. Life opportunities. Meeting that famous person you admire. Winning the lottery. Trip of your lifetime. Having a family. Growing old with the person you love. Whenever you feel like you need someone to talk to, talk to someone before it's too late. Somebody will ALWAYS be able to help you. You are not alone in this fight.
It Gets Better.

Dear bullies,
We all fight a different fight. Those people you bully, are fighting against your harsh words and mean treatment. You, are probably fighting something different. Maybe social pressure from your friends. Do your friends want you to be someone you are not? Do your friends expect you to act a certain way so you can be "popular" or gain respect from them? You don't need to be mean to get other people's attention. Be the hero to defend the people who get bullied. Be the hero that mean people are afraid of and the hero that weaker people admire. Maybe you are fighting pressure from your family. Does your dad or dad insist you to do all the things "boys should do" and not "what girls do"? Does your dad teach you to hate whatever is different? Learn to accept other people for who they are. Don't judge them from what they may seem. Get to know them. You and them probably share lots of things in common. Those people might be the ones who hire you for a job when you are older. Those people might save your life later on. Those people might help you in the future in one way or another. Don't use words that hurt like blades. You are doing more damage than you might know. It might seem fun to laugh at someone in front of your friends, but it is not fun when someone's son, nephew, grandson takes their life away. It will impact their families and friends. You have the power to save a life. You have the power to make a difference in someone else's life. Please, don't bully.

Bullying is a crime. It’s a hate crime. And it should be treated as a serious matter in schools. It affect’s the person’s psychological health and might lead to death. And it could be totally avoidable. Parents and teachers should so something about it. Most of the cases bullying passes by unnoticed. “Boys will be boys” is not an excuse for someone verbally assaulting another person. Parents should take notice of their children’s thoughts and emotions. Teachers should take notice on children behaviours in class and outside the class, read between the lines. Most of all, they should take action. They could also save lives. Anti-bullying programs should be more intensified in schools. Children should be taught from very young to respect other people who are different from them. Schools should also have support groups or programs, maybe a TGBL group where people provide support to each other.

I’m glad to know that Lady Gaga wants to talk to President Obama about passing an anti-bullying law. It could change things to a whole new level and will make a great difference. Hopefully it will drastically stop bullying from happening in schools. 

RIP

Tyler Clementi (age 19)

Billy Lucas (age 15)

Seth Walsh (age 13)

Asher Brown (age 13)

Raymond Chase (age 19)

Cody Barker (age 17) 

Jamey Rodemeyer (age 14)

Icewine: A gift from Canada’s Winter Wonderland

If there is something great that comes out from the cold winter seasons in Canada, is Icewine. Icewine has become an icon of Canada due to its rarity in production in the world. The Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula has been known for producing Canada’s finest icewine. However, production is not limited there; icewine is also produced in Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Quebec. The second biggest nation to produce icewine is Germany, but it is also produced in other countries like Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden and the Michigan region in the United States. But what is exactly “icewine”?

When making wine, the juices from grapes are extracted, fermented, filtered and then bottled. The process of making icewine is similar, except that it happens during the winter time. The typical types of grapes used for icewine production are Riesling, Vidal, and Cabarnet Franc. Grapes are left in their vines into the winter months and harvested between mid December to mid January, when temperatures drop below -10 to -13°C. The fruit is then frozen and thawed, which dehydrates the fruit; hence the levels of sugars and acids are intensified. The amount of juice that can be extracted from frozen grapes is about one-fifth of the amount of juice that can be extracted from unfrozen grapes. To put it in another perspective, a whole wine can produce enough juice for one bottle of wine. But the same wine, but frozen, can only produce about one glass of icewine. Because of the intense labour put into the making of this type of wine (did I also mention grapes are harvested by hand during the winter time?), they are usually more expensive than red or white wines.

The finished product is described as intensely sweet, flavourful and fresh. The flavour can also be paired up with tropical fruit flavours like mango, peach and lychee. This is why icewine is known as “dessert in a glass”.

It is recommended to serve it between -10 to -12°C in a small liqueur glass, but it also works in a 9 oz. bowl or normal wine glass.

Here are some of the best know producers of Icewine in Canada: Inniskillin (Niagara Peninsula), Reif Estates (Niagara Peninsula), Pillitteri Estates (Niagara-on-the-Lake), Peller Estates (Niagara-on-the-Lake), Pelee Island Winery (Pelee Island, Lake Erie), Tinhorn Creek (British Columbia), Summerhill Pyramid Winery (British Columbia), and Ziraldo Estate Winery (Niagara).

So next time you make a trip to Niagara Falls, makes sure you pick up a bottle or two of icewine!

Sources from: http://www.winesofcanada.com

Least and fav season now

At this time of the year, the temperature is dropping. It's been chilly and rainy lately. It's Mother Earth warning me that inter is coming and that I should physically and mentally prepare for that. It's Mother Earth's way of saying, fun is over. Summer is over. Bring the heater out. And put those dresses and tank tops away. I am really not looking forward to it. I hate rain and I hate cold.

On the other hand, that means that you can stay at home, being warm and sipping some hot tea while watching new seasons of most tv shows. This is the line-up:

How I Met Your Mother -  Monday September 19th
New Girl [with Zoe Deschanel!!!]- Tuesday September 20th
Modern Family - Wednesday September 21st
The Office - Thursday September 22nd
The Amazing Race - Sunday September 25th

And since I don't have cable, I have to wait at least one day to watch those tv shows online. Yay online streaming! Pretty stoked to watch all those shows. I love TV shows!

Grow Old

I wanna find someone to grow old with and be cute like this couple. 

RIP Aunt Connie

What a week! I have been sooo so busy these past few days. I just started my job in a retail store and they have been working me really hard. I have been getting up very early and work for ridiculous amount of hours. And when I finally get home, I totally crash on my bed. That's why I haven't been able to write on my blog.

But today (thank goodness!!) I have my day off. Also, today I received some sad news. My aunt Connie passed away this afternoon.

She was diagnosed with cancer about almost two years ago. I remember when she started to feel sick and we didn't know what it was. All we knew was that she coughed a lot. It wasn't until later that they diagnosed her with lung cancer and that the cancer was spreading to other parts of her body. That was a few days after me, my sister, my cousin, my little cousin, my aunt, my uncle went to visit my uncle's relatives/friends in Hamilton to celebrate my aunt's birthday. I can see she had a really good time with friends and family. We all even went to a restaurant to have lunch together. But after that, my aunt has been battling with cancer until today.

It wasn't always that bad. She went through a long period of time being fine. After going to so many chemotherapy sessions, she felt strong and her hair started to grow again. It wasn't until about a month ago she felt sick again and had frequent visits to the hospital. But supposedly she was going to be sent home yesterday because she was doing fine. And all of a sudden, they found her unconscious at the hospital because she couldn't breath.

My aunt and I weren't very close, especially after my first year at university. I used to like her when I was younger, because everytime she came to Costa Rica from Canada, she would bring me and my sister candies. And then she stopped bringing us anything. On my first year at university, before starting, her and my uncle helped me a lot to prepare myself for my first day. They took me around to open a bank account, get a cellphone, buy stuff for school, etc, etc. It was nice. And then, I got too busy at school and my aunt got mad at me because I never called her. Only when I needed something. And also because my dad wasn't here anymore, distance was created between me and my aunt and uncle.

About 2 years ago, after she was diagnosed with cancer and had to stay at the hospital, I was supportive. I spent some nights there taking care and be there for her. She was very grateful, and gained some more respect towards me.

Me and my sister visited her a few weeks ago, when she was at the hospital. I remember her giving me advices about looking for jobs. To keep going, trying new ways to find job, get connections... and probably the last thing I said to her was to take care. That was the last time I talked to her and saw her. If only I wished that'd be the last time I would see her. Wish I had told her some last words. Thank her for the things she has done for me.

Cancer is vicious. There have been sooo many people who have died from cancer. Cancer doesn't discriminate; race, age, gender, sexuality, social class.... There have been lots of sad stories about people who have lost their families and friends to cancer, and they are all heart-breaking. My mom's dad (my grandfather) died from lung cancer. My aunt just died from lung cancer too. My best friend's mom in CR died from breast cancer. A high school friend was diagnosed with leukemia years ago. Another friend's dad died from cancer. Jack Layton died from cancer recently.

Cancer is something so terrible that I don't wish that on anybody. It is horrible doing through all the chemo, hospital visits, the feeling of being sick....that's just not life. It affects the person who gets it, and it affects the people around that person. And it's not like a short suffering, it is a prolonged suffering that could go for years. It's just unfair that people actually die from cells multiplying inside the body. I do really wish that they find a cure for cancer very soon that will be available for everybody. I wish that my future children will never have to know what cancer is.

Speaking of cancer, there is an organization that I have been supporting all these years, Skate4Cancer. It was initiated by Canadian Rob Dyer, who has lost friends and family to cancer. His idea is that "Knowledge is Cure". They promote cancer awareness and cancer prevention. He has skated across Canada, USA, Australia, and France. He is a very strong and inspirational man. When he first started, no one believed in him and had very little support. He even got injured on his knee and the doctors said he will never skate again. But persistance and dreams kept him going. Now him and this organization is growing fast and strong. I met him duting a Plain White T's concert. I've got to talk to him and he is sooo nice and down to earth guy. Check Skate4Cancer at Dream.Love.Cure or follow him on Twitter

Remembering 9/11

Today marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11, or the attacks at the World Trade Center. It is an event that maked the history of the world as a tragedy, that will be remembered for many years if not forever.

The terrorist attack was an action of hate. Hate for the country. Hate for the culture. Hate for the politics. And the result was the death of thousands of innocent lives. The victims were husbands, wives, sons, daughters, fathers, cousins, friends, nephews, nieces, grandaughters, grandsons, grandfathers and grandmothers. For each life taken away, there are a hundred of sufferers. Including those families of the suicide bombers.

It is an event that brings all US citizens together, as well as people from around the world who has been affected by the event in one way or another, including me.

Therefore, today, I remember those lives lost 10 years ago. Condolences for their families and friends. I wish them strenght to bare their loss and to move on with their lives.

10 Things I've Learned From Bachelor Pad

Things I've Learned From Watching Bachelor Pad

Believe it or not, there are things that I have learned from watching the Bachelor Pad every week that are useful in life. Here are some:

1. Being in pair will make you stronger.
2. But be careful who you partner with because they can also bring you down.
3. You need to create an alliance or make friends.
4. But trust no one.
5. Your friends will backstab you if their interest is on stake.
4. You need a strategy.
5. Keep you eyes on the prize.
6. Sometimes, things can go unexpectly wrong or can change courses.
7. For any event, you must prepare for any possible outcome.
8. Use your power of words to convince others to do what you want.
9. Don't expect everyone to like you.
10. Sometimes, love is the biggest prize you can win.

Camping With Mosquitoes

I haven't written these past two days because I went camping with Jacob and his family in Kingston.

As much as I try to like camping, I actually hate it.

Well, sometimes it's nice to get out of the city and the city noise. There's always so much going on in he city, too many people, too much traffic, too much pollution. Sometimes you just want to escape from it to a land far far away from it, like the country side. The country side surrounds you with trees, clean air, sometimes a nice view of the lake, you enjoy the plenty open space, and animals like squirrels, raccoons, birds, fish, etc. It's nice to look at the sky at night and you see a sky full of stars. You feel so far away from the busy city and from annoying people. That's nice.

After a while you realize that you are actually SO far away from everyone else and everything else. I can't imagine living on the countryside and being away from like grocery store, drugstore, restaurants, malls, etc. Imagine you need something and you have to travel so far just to get it. Instead of walking like 10 minutes to the store to buy something like I'm used to. And don't even mention during winter times! I could just imagine it 10 times worse! Roads are full of snow, you have to get up early in the morning to plow the snow when you only get a few hours of actualy sunlight.... Horrible. Although it's not bad in the summer, when it's really nice to see the outdoors.

Camping times remind you of the things you take for granted, like having a washroom with hot water, your own room with everything you need and a kitchen to cook whatever you want. Electricity so you can surf the net and watch tv. During camping, you are lucky if you find one of those porta-potties. You are lucky if you get any water at all. And good luck carrying everything.

I used to go camping in high school, when it was mandatory to go on Expeditions. We would have to carry our own sleeping bags, tents, clothes, food, and everything we need in our rucksacks. On top of that, you have to carry that deep in the forest of Costa Rica going uphill then downhill then uphill again. Get through the yucky mud sometimes. Adding to that, you've got the hot and humid weather that makes you sweat like a pig while you walk so much. Oh, did I mention that you are gonna be stuck in the tent in that heat and humidity as well? Yikes! Beware of the mosquitoes too, because they are everywhere and they WILL eat you alive!

And that is a horrible thing for someone like me who is allergic to mosquito bites. When I get bit, the bite swells up double the size of my foot or my face. It's painful, it's itchy and you just wanna scratch the hell out of it. That of cut your body off. Oh, in case you are curious, here are some ways to relieve a mosquito bite:
1. rubbing dry bar soap on the bite
2. placing bag with ice on top
3. blowing it with a hair dryer (tip courtesy of my dad)
4. applying toothpaste
5. roll deodorant on
6. rubbing alcohol
7. make a paste with baking soda and water
8. rub meat tenderizer and water
9. use calamine lotion
10. apply tiger balm
11. use vick vapor rub
12. apply tea tree oil

The ones that have worked best for me are:
a) using bag of ice on the bite - makes that part of my body numb and I can't feel anything, not even the itch. plus it deals with the swelling.
b) blowing hot air with a hair dryer - i hate it because i feel like it burns my skin, but it works temporarily
c) my allergy cream that makes it feel minty, cool and fresh, so it helps with the itch.

This weekend when I went to camp with Jacob, the weather was as hot and humid as in Costa Rica. Being with someone who is a walking furnace makes the tent sizzling hot inside. Just our luck, there were thunderstorms and rained like there was no tomorrow. You could hear the thunder going around us. The lightning is frightening enough to wake you up. Caught in the thunderstorm with no escape. Just holding each other as if we were dying. lol. I'm just thankful we were not caught in a tornado!

I was also glad that it was at his uncle's house, so we did have access to a porta-potty, sink, and people made a bbq. There were lots of people. I got to meet some people and talk to nice people. In general, I had a good time.

After every camping, going home and taking a nice shower is THE BEST FEELING ever!!

Are you a city person? or a country side person?

Bachelors, Bachelorettes, and Bachelor Pads

I'm not gonna lie. I get excited every Monday to watch the seasons of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and The Bachelor Pad. I know, don't judge me.

I first got into The Bachelor couple years ago, then I stopped watching it. Then I began watching it again on Season 14 with Jake Pavelka as the bachelor with my housemates. We would gather in front of the TV on Monday's and watch it together as we talk about how much we hate and make fun of some of the contestants. At first I liked Michelle, but then she got crazy. It wasn't her fault though. Gia was my favourite as she is always so sweet and nice. I didn't like Tenley because she was always in your face and always talking about her ex-husband. Then Vienna, I didn't like her either because she is very dramatic. No wonder why Jake an Vienna split shortly after the season finale! They both loved media attention too much and competed against each other to see who gets more media attention.

After that I told myself I was not gonna watch The bachelorette with Ali, because I didn't like her in the Bachelor because she also created unnecesary drama in the house. Maybe producers did it to get more rating. I don't know. But I ended up watching the bachelorette anyway because I watched the first episode and then I just wanted to know what was gonna happen. I actually gained more respect for Ali because when she found out that Justin had a girlfriend back home, she confronted him in the best way possible. She was a strong woman and she wouldn't let a jerk get away with lies. Way to go, girl! I actually liked that she ended up with Roberto. Since their date doing the Lion King dance, it was noticeable they they have a strong chemistry for each other. I also liked how the runner-up, Chris, was okay with Ali's final decision and, it was kinda cheesy, but i liked the final part when Ali told him that she was in love with someone else, he saw a rainbow on the sky, and that's when he knew that his mom was telling him that everything was all right. I am happy they are still together. I wish them happiness in their relationship. Seems like one of the most realistic relationships created on reality TV.

After that was the Bachelor Pad. Don't remember much about it, except that I liked that Natalie and Dave won the quater of a million dollars in the end. Natalie seems like a cool girl and someone I would be friends with. Although that show always seem to focus more on certain people than others, the ones that create drama in the house. For a while I stopped watching it because it was so ridicuous that the house was divided into the popular ones and the underdogs. Certainly the popular ones, the couples, stay strong and they influence on others to win. I hated that, it was like high school. I also remember there were no hot guys there.

Then there was a new season of the bachelor, season 15 with Brad Womack, or how I saw it once on internet: Picky Bastard, Take 2 (since he was on the bachelor before, but didn't propose to any woman). I thought Chantal was great for Brad. She was really in love with him and was able to give it all for him. Unfortunetely, Brad's family- mainly the women- thought that they would have more in common with Emily just because she is a mom already. Personally, I think Emily was too much for Brad. She has lived a married life, has a daughter, and been through a lot. Brad, not so much. He couldn't even pick a girl in the first time. Emily is still also holding on to Ricki. It's a sad story, true, but I think it's the story that makes everyone pitty for her and makes everybody think that she deserves this more than anybody else. I am not saying that she doesn't deserve it, I'm just saying that every woman there deserved it as much as she did. Most women there had no strings attached and were able to give it all for Brad. I just don't think Emily was ready yet.

Unluckily for Ashley, the bachelor didn't turn out well for her. But she got a second shot at the Bachelorette. In my opinion, it was kind of a boring season of the Bachelorette, like not many exciting things happened, except for the Bentley thing. Bentley was the symbol of everything a girl hates in a man. He's a liar, two-faced, and didn't care about her feelings. I can't believe he would say all those things he said on national television. Like, does he ever think that women watch this and any that will encounter him will think he's a jerk?? With such an attitude like this, he will never find a woman. But I guess we all women have met a 'Bentley' at some point in our lives. We just need to get smart and not let this type of guy get away with it. On the other hand, I am really glad she ended up with JP. You can see that everytime JP and Ashley were together, his face glows and he never stops smiling. Genuine smile. He's so sweet and understanding about the Bentely thing - like when he was in Hong Kong, most guys freaked out. But JP, he was understanding and was glad that at least she told him about it and was honest about it. In that season, I really liked William, the one she had a first date. Too bad that the comedy roast roasted him and banished any chance he had in the finale. It happens to all of us, saying the wrong things at the wrong time, which ends up costing us a lot. Too bad for William.

I am currently watching Season 2 of The bachelor pad, and oh my it's intense. It's very dramatic, to say the least. What happens when you put Jake, Vienna, and Vienna's current boyfriend Kasey (from Ali's season - the one who got a tattoo of guarding and protecting her heart-) under one roof? Explosion happens. Jake wanted to make up with Vienna, apologize, and get a closure with her. His actions seem pretty genuine to me. But according to Vienna, that's just an image he wants to portray on TV. He could have talked to her all this time they have been broken up, but no, he had to wait until they were both on the bachelor pad. Media attention again? Of course, Vienna always takes any chance she gets to be over-dramatic on the show, just because Jake was there. And Kasey, well, he's guarding and protecting her heart. But Kasey is very biased. Well, of course, he must be on his gf side, and defend her all the time. But Kasey only has heard Vienna's version of what happened to them. Crazy and annoying couple. Then there is the Blake-Holly-Michael love triangle. I kinda feel related to Holly. She was in love, she got engaged, then call off the engagement because she felt she wasn't ready, wanted to get back with Michael, but he's already too heartbroken, comes to Bachelor pad, finds a cute guy, but ex-fiance is also in the house. Blake seems to be like a Bentely to me in the bachelor pad. He led on to Melissa, making her think that Blake really likes him, but he actually doesn't care for her, and wants to be with Holly, but can't because Michael is always around. Holly feels free as she is in the dating world again. She gets the excitement of flirting with someone for the first time, playing the 'i like you but I don't know if you like me' game, getting to know someone, and simply hanging out with no strings attached. Yeah, that's cool. But you can see that Michael is sooo much into her, and wants to do anything to get her back. Like, you can see his face when you know that that someone wants the other person for the rest of their lives. I feel it too, Michael. Poor guy. I hope they work it out because I would really like them to be together for good.

I know, there's just so much about these shows. Actually, it's just drama and drama. But you know, I lack drama in my life (Not That I'm Complaining!!!) so I need to get some drama from TV. Like I studied in Communications Studies, watching reality TV is exciting and turns us on. We just want more of it and we feed on suspense and drama. There's something that makes you think that drama is real, but at the same time, you know there's no 'real' in reality TV, that most things are scripted and/or planned to get more rating. Of course, you shouldn't judge people solely from watching TV. Oops, that's what I did in this blog. But just so you know, reality TV is made to create opinions from the viewer, and that's what it did to me. However, I also know that reality TV only portrays a small part of reality and that shows are edited, little scripted, and someway planned. The opinions here are only from what i saw on TV, but I know that I must keep certain skepticism when it comes to the people on reality tv and their actions. But they certainly know how to create shows that makes me wanna watch every week.

Success

Sorry, August, you went by too quickly for me.

August was a very busy month for me. For one, I started to volunteer for an environmental non-govermental organization. I have also started a marketing internship online. Then got to spend some time with my lovely. Also, more job interviews.

For that reason I haven't written much. But I want to change that. I feel like I need to improve my writing and that's why I got this blog for start. I will try, from today, to write every day. Or almost every day. I will write about things that impact me during the day, things that made me think, or any sort of things. I have also found an online writing prompt with different topics to write about if I can't think of anything.

Today I had a job interview at a retail store. The first question of the interview was "How do you define success". My first thought was, wow, that's a very good question.

Success is different for everybody, but it all boils down to the same concepts.

Success for me is accomplishing goals you have set for yourself: either personal goals, career, relationships, etc. More importantly how and what you do to achieve those goals. It goes from visualizing your ultimate goals, the process of achieving them, and the accomplishment. Success is knowing that you have created a positive impact on yourself and on others. It is looking back to what you have done and how far you have gone and say, wow! all my efforts have paid off. Success is the feeling of on top of the world, being very happy with life, and the feeling of self-accomplishment. It is always great to know that you have succeeded by your own and with your own knowledge and skills set. But sometimes you have to aknowledge that others have helped you accomplish your goals, or even you helping others accomplishing a goal. That's kind of success too.

When I'm older, I want to see myself successful, in the way that I have everything I wanted in life: money, family, friends, food, house. It's like saying, I have worked so hard in my life to gain all these things I want, and now I have them. Now THAT is success.

Things in my life that I consider myself successful at so far:
1. Graduating from high school with an International Diploma. I worked my ass off for that diploma. I spent sleepless nights just to finish an assignment and checking every little detail to make sure it is high quality. I finished high school knowing that I gave my 110% to get to where I got.
2. Graduating from University. Again, working really really hard to get my $100,000 paper that says that I have graduated. Homeworks, presentations, group presentations, tests, quizes, exams, essays, reserach, readings, and social life. I think I deserved that damn expensive piece of paper!
3. Living on my own for 5 years now. I used to be very dependent on my parents. Since I moved to Canada I've been doing everything myself from laudry, cooking, traveling, washing dishes, cleaning the house, organizing my room, and now, job hunting.

I can't wait where my life is going to take me and the great things I have yet to accomplish.

I think that in 30 years from now, I can (or hope!) look back and say: My Life Is A Success.

How do YOU define "success"?

....and then it was August

Holy Moly! It's August already! Soon summer would end and it will start to get cold again. Guess who's not looking forward to that...me! Seriously, where has time gone? And what have I done all summer long?

It's incredible how fast time goes by, especially when you are too busy to notice it. I was just reading something on StumbleUpon and I came across an article/blog that has impacted me a lot. Almost everything (the ones I remember at least) made me feel sooo old! I'm gonna post some of them here and I will put on some things I remember and compare it to now. If you are curious about where I saw this, click here.

Clarissa is this years old now


The last episode of Teletubbies aired 10 years ago

Macaulay Culkin is 30 years old now


Elijah Wood was 18 when he was a cast of Lord of The Rings. He is 30 now.


Spice girls now


The BackstreetBoys were in their teens when they started the band, and now




JFK would be 92 years old this year


If the Simpsons aged, Bart would be 30 this year

Kurt Cobain has been dead for 17 years


Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey have been divorced for 6 years


The baby on the Nirvana Cover has grown up (the one I found the most shocking)


All 3 Hanson brothers are married and have kids now. And look more like men



There hasn't been any new Goosebumps in 14 years


Harry Potter cast then and now


The kid from Stuart Little (Jonathan Lipnicki) has grown


Steve Urkel then and now


After 10 seasons, the last episode of Friends aired 5 years ago


Genie in a Bottle, Christina Aguilera's first hit was 12 years ago, when she was only 19. Now she's 30


Tupac Shakur has been dead for 15 years


ICQ was still cool


The Titanic movie is 14 years old


There hasn't been a new episode on Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 8 years


Melissa Joan Hart is 35